Part 27 (2/2)

Now she imagined a real target: one of those red-eyed creatures. They'd been wearing clothes, so she'd want to get them where the flesh had been peeking out-the neck, the bald head. Small targets, but doable.

But would her blades be quicker than those tails?

That kept bothering her. She wished she had a weapon that was the equivalent of those long, barbed whips....

”Yo! What're you doing out there, girl?” It was some harpy yelling at Dawn from behind her screen.

”Sorry for the noise,” she said, wanting no trouble.

In his window, Kiko kept reading, probably used to the neighbor lady.

”You get out of there before I call the cops!”

Dawn gave a neighborly wave, just for karma points, and went back into Kiko's. Then she showered, allowing the cold spray of water to keep her frosty. Afterward, she applied garlic-she was kind of getting used to the stink-then some of Breisi's goo to the scarred-over injuries on her arm and leg, and then dressed, wearing another of Frank's unders.h.i.+rts. Finally, she joined Kiko on the couch, mult.i.tasking by anointing her blades with holy water and downing more java.

”Guess what?” he said, jacked up on caffeine, too.

”Your neighbor is the sentinel charged with guarding the gates to h.e.l.l-and both of you are living over the mouth of it.”

Kiko actually looked like he might consider this and should check it out when he had time. But then he gave her an aw-that's-a- reference-to-a-seventies-horror-movie glance and said, ”Breisi got us a date with the coroner at around one o'clock tonight.

Looks like Klara is a priority homicide. I can't wait to hear their theories about how she got all...”

He stopped, noticing the wan expression on Dawn's face.

She bucked up. ”Okay, until then we've got an hour before our first interview.” Breisi had set up a day's worth of them yesterday; afterward, they were going to hit the location list that Klara had given them. ”Who's this first one?”

”Another child actor, but this guy wasn't half as successful as Robby. Now, he develops scripts over at Universal. Since Breisi's back at the office working on refining those locators, we're going to meet her on the production lot to talk with him.”

”Hope it's over lots of coffee. Until then, you up for breakfast?” Here, her ulterior motives crept into play. ”I know an Internet cafe near the fencing studio where they make pastries to die for.”

And where they had more Web access. This time, she wanted to research Jonah Limpet, and it couldn't be done in his own office. She had the feeling her every activity was monitored there, noted for future reference.”Just as long as you don't talk me into fencing, I'm there,” Kiko said. ”I don't want Breisi chewing my a.s.s again about fooling around on the job.”

”Man, you made an appointment on Sat.u.r.day for a private lesson with Dipak. What're you talking about?”

He made innocent eyes. Shyster.

They weaponed up and drove to the cafe in Dawn's car, the sun peering through the smog. Daylight. It gave her a false sense of safety, even with her Vampire Repellers 'R' Us kit. Every hidden corner, every manhole that hissed steam from under its cover introduced the possibility of an ambush.

Kiko slid on his shades, no doubt to fight the L.A. glare of menace. Really. It had nothing to do with being a poseur.

After parking at the curb a block down from the cafe, they entered the brightly lit place. Fishbowl screensavers animated the computer faces, and a ceiling fan danced above their heads, giving the room a sense of neutrality. A pre-work crowd lined up at the gla.s.sed-in pastry shelves, girding themselves for the morning commute. Ninety percent of them were wearing sungla.s.ses, too.

”Are yours going to stay on?” she asked Kiko.

”Yup.”

L.A. G.o.d.

Feeling it was time to check in with Frank, Dawn pulled her s.h.i.+rt away from her waist. ”Touch it, please.”

Kiko did, but he still had no vibey reaction. d.a.m.n.

He offered to buy Dawn's breakfast, which was sweet since she thought he was kind of smoothing things over from last night. But then she realized that he was using the boss's cash to pay. Hey, big spender.

All the same, she was thankful that his absence allowed her to get on a computer and Google Limpet. She'd just have to be careful Kiko didn't get a load of what she was doing. That would be bad form.

As the hits blurbed over the screen, Dawn felt someone coming to stand behind her-the hairs on the back of her neck were an accurate alarm system.

Jumpy, she closed the window.

When she turned around, she found a young woman wearing the requisite sungla.s.ses and a plain white baseball cap, her long red hair held back in a braid. She was holding a large coffee, dressed in pink Juicy sweats.

At first, Dawn didn't recognize her.

The girl seemed put off. ”Don't you remember me?”

Dawn's mental Palm Pilot was working on it.

She glanced at Kiko, who was parting the crowd with his garlic stench. He was carrying a tray with his own meal and Dawn's bear claw plus her black-with-no-sugar coffee. Phone to his ear, he placed his java and a plate of two huge m.u.f.fins and three cream puffs onto one of three open tables, this one near the window. Then he came toward Dawn with her grub.

Meanwhile, the redhead was laughing a little uncomfortably. ”I guess I'm incognito without a fencing jacket on backward.”

”Ah.” It all came back to Dawn now-the starlet from Dipak's studio. Hurrah. Done with that social interaction, Dawn nodded and turned back to the computer. As Kiko dropped off her meal, he chatted away happily on his cell.

”My agent,” he mouthed to Dawn as she glanced at him. Then he took off to his table for some privacy.

The starlet casually took a seat next to Dawn, just like they were buddies and Dawn wasn't getting all bristly about the a.s.sumption. Then Dawn caught the girl's nose wrinkling, probably because she'd gotten wind of the garlic. Heh, time for her to scram.

But...no. Unfazed, the actress held her beverage, crossing her long starlet legs. ”Going over to fence after this? I am.”

”Right, you've got some part you're up for in the next Will Smith movie.” Dawn was fascinated by her computer, tapping in the site address for the Stunt Players Directory, looking extremely busy and hoping the starlet would get the clue.

”Fingers crossed,” she said, all chirpy.

”Mmm-hmm.”

”Dipak tells me you're real good at your job. I'd love to have your talents. I'm afraid I'm a klutz when it comes to action, and you have to be versatile these days. An adventure movie here, a drama there, a comedy after that.” She leaned closer to Dawn, her perfume overcoming the garlic and striking a note so low that it could've been an olfactory sigh of delight. ”But listen to me talk.

I've only had a couple of supporting roles. It's just that the chance for this Will Smith gig is making me giddy.”

Surfing the stunt site, Dawn ate her bear claw and wished the girl would just leave.

She felt the actress lean a little closer, waiting for Dawn to answer.

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