The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian 6)

I pocketed my keys and studied the apartment block as I walked up the pavement. It was one of those high-rise brick-and-glass affairs that the government had built some fifty years ago in an effort to relieve the low-income housing crisis. Of course, governments tended to work with minimal budgets - except when it came to their own comforts - so the resulting buildings were neither pretty nor truly functional. Add tenants who didn't really give a damn about the place, and you were basically left with a large hovel. One with many smashed windows and doors, and decorated by multi-colored graffiti.

It wasn't the sort of place I expected a friend of Ben's to live.

I walked past the front of the building, heading for the main entrance. The stink of vampire grew stronger, until the cloying, unhealthy smell all but surrounded me, filling every breath and clinging to my clothes.

This wasn't a human low-income building. Not any longer.

Which was unusual. Vampires tended to be solitary souls, and except for those who had newly blooded young to look after, they rarely lived together. Surely the fact that this lot were would have come to the attention of the Directorate, but I couldn't remember seeing any mention of a vamp encampment this close to the city. But I guess if the vamps were behaving themselves, they might have avoided Directorate scrutiny.>"Interesting." He paused, and I heard voices in the background. "Has Cole requested the security tapes?"

"Yes. He was still at Gerard's office when I left, though. I think he's going to be there awhile."

"Get another cleanup team out to the apartment, then go talk to the people at Marrberry House. They were running the charity function that Gerard attended last night. And keep me updated. I have the press and the politicians hounding my ass over this one."

"Will do."

I hung up, then dialed the Directorate. A less-than-cheery Sal answered. "What?"

Her voice was flat, and didn't even hold the usual spark of annoyance when she knew it was me calling. Something had obviously gone wrong since the last time I'd talked to her. "If I didn't know you were a vampire, I'd seriously suspect you were PMSing."

"That's because I have to deal with assholes all day. What do you want?"

Okay, that jibe I could fully understand - and hey, I could be a pain in the ass when I wanted to be. Just as every other guardian on the books could be. "I need a cleanup team at my current location. I've found a ripe one."

"Charming." In the background came the sound of typing. "Okay, I've dispatched Mel and her team. Should be there in fifteen. Anything else?"

"Can you send me the address of Marrberry House? It hosts charity functions, apparently."

"I know that, moron." She paused. "Sending their details through to your car's onboard now."

I blinked. Sal was usually super-efficient, but this was brilliant service, even by her standards. And the bitch in me couldn't resist commenting. "You're horribly professional this evening. Maybe you need to get premenstrual more often."

"I haven't eaten," she said and hung up.

I stared at my phone for a moment, eyebrow raised. Why hadn't Sal eaten? The Directorate kept a supply of synth blood for the vampires in their employ, so there was no reason for her to go hungry. Although maybe she was one of those vamps who preferred their blood fresh, straight from the vein. She definitely seemed the fussy type. I was tempted to ring her back and see what was going on, but it wasn't like we were friends or anything. Talking to me was the last thing she'd probably want.

I shrugged and put the phone away, then leaned on the balustrade again and waited for the cleanup team to arrive. Mel turned out to be a tall, dark-haired woman with a fabulous figure and who wore red stiletto boots underneath her more sensible jeans. A woman after my own heart, obviously.

She strode up the pathway, saw me waiting, and stopped. "Riley Jenson?"

I nodded. "I'm afraid I've a rather ripe one for you. The victim seems to have been dead for at least a week, but the heating has been on full, so that guess could be way off."

"Any obvious signs of death?"

"I didn't get close enough to find out."

She smiled. "A guardian with a weak stomach. Nice to know there is such a beast."

"Now that sounded like something Cole would say."

Her smile grew. "He and I went to school together, and I'm best friends with his sister." She looked around as her team - a potbellied man and a woman who was rake thin and almost insectlike - arrived, then added, "You want me to send you a copy of the report as soon as it's done?"

"That would be great. Oh, and the building's front doors are locked. I'll unlock the apartment doors before I leave."

"Marshall will get these doors easy enough. Anything else I need to know?"

"We need the ID ASAP. She may be linked to another case we're investigating."

"We'll make it a priority."