The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian 6)

"Many serial killers don't."

She acknowledged the point with a nod, but added, "Cherry wanted to be a part of their group. Destruction wasn't in her agenda."

"Well, it's in someone's agenda, and right now, she seems the most likely. Who else did she hate?"

She hesitated. "Enna Free would probably be next on any hate list."

I wondered if the body Kade had gone to check out today was Enna Free. If it wasn't - and she was still alive - then someone had to get to her before the killer cat did. I grabbed my phone and sent Jack a quick message, asking him to haul in both Enna and Cherry, then pulled a piece of banana cake toward me and scooped up a spoonful. It was, as usual, delicious. This had to be the one place in Melbourne where I'd choose banana over chocolate any day. "Don't suppose you'd know where Enna is today?"

"No, but there's an invitation-only charity fund-raiser happening over at Sparkies this evening, and I know some of the Trollops are attending that. Apparently, there's going to be some good man-meat there. Alana's words, not mine."

I snorted softly. "You know, if a man said that about a woman, there'd be an uproar."

"The world is warped," she agreed, then waved her spoon at me. "You want to get into that shindig?"

"If you can get me in, yes."

"Risa, can you get Mommy's phone out of her bag, please?"

The little girl leaned sideways, dug into the patent leather handbag sitting beside her, pulled out the phone, and handed it across. Then she gave me a cheeky grin and said, "Cake, please."

"Come here then, monster."

She scooted around, and I fed her cake while Dia made her call.

"Done," she said, after a few minutes. "And that's enough cake for you, little one."

Risa's pout lasted for all of two seconds, then she scooted back around the table again to finish off her Coke.

"The ticket will be waiting at the door. The cost is five hundred."

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."