Ballistic Kiss (Sandman Slim 11)

“No. She’s dead. A crackhead stabbed her.”

“On an excursion?”

They give me a defensive look.

“No. We might be a little crazy, but we’re not stupid.”

“The jury is still out on that.”

They get up and walk around the room.

“You’re still mad.”

“More than a little. What about the cops?”

“You mean when things happen to people?”

“Exactly.”

“Dan and Juliette handle that. They have people who . . .”

They wave their hand in the air.

I say, “Clean up their messes for them?”

“Something like that.”

Janet picks up the glass of water and drinks it down.

I say, “Why do you do it? The stunts, I mean.”

They shake their head and say, “I want to ask you some questions you’ve been dodging.”

“Trying to change the subject?”

“Very much.”

“Shoot.”

“Tell me more about fighting wild animals.”

I shrug. I must be messed up from the attack because the lorazepam can’t be working yet, but I’m suddenly exhausted.

“I was somewhere very bad and very strange. They had me fighting all sorts of nasty things. Most you’ve never even heard of.”

“Was it like a gang thing?”

“More like a prisoner thing.”

They look surprised.

“In America?”

“You don’t get to know that yet.”

Now it’s Janet’s turn to look annoyed.

“So, you get to know about the Lodge, but I don’t get to know about your fight club?”