‘What were you guys doing?’ I asked Pete, as he pulled to a stop in front of Florey’s. ‘How did you find me?’

‘Didn’t,’ he said tersely. ‘We were looking for those jackasses. They’d already beaten up a gay guy two blocks down. Cops don’t always get on this stuff quick in our neighbourhood, so we do. It’s kind of a hobby.’

I paused in the act of opening the door and looked at him with what were probably cartoon-wide eyes. ‘Wait a second,’ I said. ‘So, you’re best friends with a hot vampire chick who likes leather.’

‘Yeah.’

‘And together, you fight crime?’ I couldn’t help it. I cracked up.

‘Everybody needs a hobby, man,’ Pete said. ‘Now go inside, because you’re going to start throwing up soon and I don’t want it on my floorboards.’

Dammit.

He was right about that, too.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Claire started to call Professor Anderson to tell her about her night-time visitors, but she realised that it was probably a very bad idea … if the government really was involved, they had the power and the ability to monitor cell communication as easily as breathing. In fact, her conversation with Michael and Eve, even encrypted on the Morganville system, was probably vulnerable in some way, though she imagined that Amelie’s paranoia was a pretty decent firewall against such things. Some things needed to be said in person, though. In a secured environment.

So, even though she slept remarkably little, and felt hungover from lack of sleep, Claire got up early and jogged to the lab. It was very quiet at that hour – just after dawn, really – and she passed a few students sleepily heading to early sessions. The hallways of the secured area were deserted and silent. Claire quickly badged into Anderson’s area, and found the professor already there, sitting at the desk in the corner, typing away. Anderson turned around, frowning, when she heard the warning chime of the security door, and her eyes widened when she saw Claire.

‘Is everything all right?’ she asked, and got up to come closer. ‘You look pale.’

‘Long night,’ Claire said, and took a deep breath. ‘Can I talk here?’

‘Give me your cell phone.’ Claire handed it over, and Anderson took it over to the computer. She linked it on with a cable and did some key-clicking, and handed it back about a minute later. ‘I’ve installed an app to block anybody trying to snoop. They’ll get playback of innocuous conversation instead, so they won’t be able to tell there’s anything wrong. Now you can talk freely.’

‘My house was searched last night by two men. I think they thought I’d gone out, like my roommate. Professor – they didn’t break in. They let themselves in, like they had keys.’

‘Did you get a look at them?’