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The metal stairs creaked as I climbed, giving ample warning of my arrival to anyone who was paying enough attention. And they were. Footsteps scattered, boxes scraped across the floor, and doors slammed. I couldn't help smiling. Even regular human cops couldn't have missed those noises, and it suggested the street folk on this level were very young indeed. Those who'd been on the streets for a while tended to meet their fate with a resigned acceptance and smart mouth.
Sunlight streamed in through the grimy windows on the upper floor, highlighting the motes of dust dancing on the air. This section of the building had obviously once been offices, but most of those were little more than broken shells, leaving a wasteland of debris and half-walls. My quarry waited in a far corner, in an office that had two whole walls and two half-walls. With all the smashed windows, it was probably the only part of this floor that provided any real protection from the chill of the wind.
Three boys were waiting for me, though I guess it wasn't fair to call them boys. They might have only looked fifteen or sixteen, but one look into their eyes suggested a life that had been harsher than most.
One boy-a gangly, pockmarked kid with matted brown hair and the most startling blue eyes-took several steps forward and said belligerently, "What do you want? This is our place, and we don't like strangers here."
I stopped and grabbed my ID from my pocket. "Riley Jenson, from the Directorate," I said. "We're investigating the death of Kaz Michaels, and I just need to ask you some questions."
He looked at the ID, then at me. "You're a guardian?"
"Yep."
"But you ain't no vampire."
I raised my eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"
"You don't smell like no vampire."
I had to grin at that. It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one in the world who thought most vampires stank. "And you don't smell like a regular street kid."
"The water is still connected to this dump, so there's no reason not to use it." He looked me up and down, then said, "What are you, then?"
"Werewolf. You the boss here?"
He shrugged. "Depends on what you want."
"I need to know everything possible about Kaz."
"Why?"
"Because the person who murdered her has already murdered someone else, and I need to stop him before he does it again."
"By stop him, you mean kill him." It was a statement, not a question.
I nodded. "That's what we guardians do, I'm afraid."
He cocked his head a little on the side, then said, "You don't look that dangerous."
I grinned again, liking the kid's attitude. "You should see me if I don't get coffee every hour, on the hour."
He snorted softly, and amusement danced in his bright eyes. I had a feeling that despite his young years and somewhat puny looks, he was a force to be reckoned with. At least when it came to protecting "his" kids.
And I was betting now that the ones who were hidden hadn't so much run for protection, but were instead a surprise force ready to attack if and when it was needed.
"Can you help me?"
He shrugged. "I don't know a lot. Kaz kept pretty much to herself. She only came here for protection at night, like."
"So she had no real friends?"
"No." He hesitated. "Joe might know more. He hung around with Kaz a bit."
"Then where can I find Joe?"
"Around. He works the streets during the day. Safer than at night, even if it doesn't pay as well."
I wasn't sure whether he meant working in the prostitution or stealing sense, and wasn't about to ask. "You think you can get him to talk to me?"
