The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian 6)

I just about choked. "God, I'm glad the Directorate will be paying for it."

"You're just lucky it's one of the cheap functions. Some of the others can be a grand or two."

Thankfully, tonight's event wasn't one of those, because Jack's reaction would not have been pretty. "Have you got Cherry's address?"

"Not on me, but I can phone it through once I get home." She paused, and sipped her coffee. "Would you like a list of all the Trollops?"

"That would be great."

I dug into my bag, then handed over a small notebook and pen. She scrawled in fourteen names, then handed both the pan and book back. "Anything else?"

"What does Enna look like?"

Dia smiled. "I thought you might have guessed that."

I raised my eyebrow. "Blond hair, blue eyes, and rake thin?"

"Yep. It's their calling card - even when they are naturally dark."

"Men do seem to like their blondes."

She snorted softly. "Like redheads have any reason to complain. Except when they're on a self-imposed diet, that is."

"I've got a feeling the diet might be ending."

"Really? Do tell."

So I told her about Ben and the case we were involved in, and we filled the next hour chatting away like old friends rather than new - something I'd once thought would never happen.

Of course, as much as I would have liked to stay there all day, I couldn't - Jack would have a pink fit - so I eventually headed back to the Directorate.

Jack wasn't in the day-shift office when I arrived, but Kade was sitting at his desk. I tossed my bag on my desk, then walked over to the coffee machine. We finally had mugs rather than those horrible plastic cups, but it didn't make the coffee taste any better. Jack had promised a machine upgrade, but after months of hearing a similar promise when it came to our office area, I had no expectations of it actually happening any time soon.

I slopped some milk into both cups, pressed the coffee button, and shoved the first cup underneath, then glanced over at Kade. "So who was murdered this time?"

He grimaced and leaned back in his chair. "One Cherry Barnes. Thirty-four-year-old divorcee who's been dead for three weeks."

Well, so much for my thoughts about Cherry having all the right motives for murder. "And no one noticed the smell?"

"Apparently not. No one reported her missing, either. Her mom and sister thought she was off on a cruise with some man."

"So who found her?"

"Pest control. They'd been called in because of a sudden influx of rats in the other apartments."

I screwed up my nose and switched mugs. "Don't tell me - "

"Yep, they've been chowing on the body. I don't think the pest controller will be eating for the next week."

"I'm glad I wasn't the one called in." I plonked my butt on the edge of his desk and handed him a mug. "I guess the body was too badly decomposed to tell whether she'd been mutilated or not?"

"She was, but according to Cole, it wasn't our cat. The slashes to her back and stomach are different."

I raised my eyebrows. "Different how?"

Kade shrugged. "He wouldn't be pinned down. I guess we have to wait for the report."

"What about Alana Burns?"