The Night Beat

dangerous criminals.”
    “Great spin,” Jack muttered as Freddy and Sexy Cindy started to shift our stuff.
    I considered what to do with our bag of pawned goodies from Cotton, and decided they didn’t need to come along. I shoved the bag behind the spare tire and handed another set of crossbows to Freddy. As I did I noticed Ralph looking at Jack, eyes narrowed. I was about to say something about this when he gave the canine snort of dismissal and trotted back to the S-Class.
    “What’s wrong with our beloved wolfhound?” Jack asked, sarcasm dripping.
    I had a few guesses, but I kept them to myself. “No idea.”
    “So, your plan?”
    “We’re going to infiltrate via the only road that’s apparently letting beings in and out.”
    “How? We drove by. We saw nothing but Hellfire.”
    “True. But we now have the means to go through Hellfire unscathed.”
    Jack raised his eyebrow. “Really. I carried a lot of crossbows and swords and Evil Fairy Repellent, but I didn’t see any fire retardant suits.”
    I picked up the last thing in the unmarked sedan’s trunk. “Nope, you didn’t. And you didn’t carry it to the car anyway. It was already here.” I held up my prize.
    Jack stared at it. “It’s a fire extinguisher. Are you telling me that Hellfire is put out just like a campfire?”
    “Nope. This didn’t come with the car. I put it in months ago. Read the label.”
    Jack read aloud. “Spray widely in an up and down and back and forth manner.” He gave me a look that said I’d lost it. “You mind explaining how this is going to help?”
    Sexy Cindy came over and looked at the label. She grinned and shook her head. “Savior Spray for all your firefighting needs.” She snorted. “You all have a sense of humor, I’ll say that.”
    “I still don’t get it,” Jack said flatly.
    Sexy Cindy shrugged. “Spray widely in an up,” she pointed to her head, “down,” pointed mid-chest, “back,” left shoulder, “and forth,” right shoulder, “manner. Or, for the marvelous detective, make the Sign of the Cross while spraying.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Is he always that slow?”
    “Some consider him the best detective on the force.” Susan, for instance. Me, under most circumstances. The Chief occasionally.
    Sexy Cindy apparently not. “Really?” She sniffed. “When an undead hooker’s ahead of you, maybe you should rethink your career choices.” She sashayed off to the S-Class while I tried not to snicker.
    “I don’t like her,” Jack muttered.
    I grinned. “I think she’s great.”

Chapter 47
     
    Back in the S-Class and rolling. I found myself wondering if there was going to be any way we could keep the car for good. We’d achieved far more stealth in it than we’d ever had in the unmarked sedan. And it was comfort to die for. Well, not literally.
    While Jack drove, I contacted Ken on my wrist-com. “How’re you doing?”
    “I’m in my coffin. I was trying to sleep.”
    “I know, and I’m sorry. I need info on the riot from the other night.”
    “What? Oh…yeah, that. Sorry, so much has been going on.” Ken was quiet for a few moments. “You want to know what, exactly?”
    “How’d you know, what did you get from it, the works.”
    “You know,” he said slowly, “I can’t remember too much.”
    I found this horribly suspicious in that mole way. “Try, if you can. I know you don’t feel well.” I hoped it was because he’d been bashed around by the Adversary, not that he was in league with the Adversary. Having someone who’d been that intimate with me and who I’d been that close to emotionally as well as physically turn out to be part of the Prince’s loyal squad made me nauseous. Almost as nauseous as thinking about a mole in the first place.
    “I didn’t get what I would normally.” Ken sounded like he was trying to remember. I hoped it wasn’t an act. “I knew there were a lot of humans in one area, I felt fear and anger, all the signs of a riot. Really, that’s about it. I was focused on getting the police over there and trying to stop the demon.”
    “Yeah, Slimy was the sort to rivet your attention.”
    “What are you doing? Where are you?” Ken sounded drowsy and out of it.
    I chose to go with reassuring. “We’re good. Following up some leads. You get some rest and feel better. I’m sure we’ll need you back in action fast.”
    “Yeah. Vic….”
    “What?”
    He took a deep breath. “Vic, be