I don’t find Simone at her pole dancing studio in Gastown, and she’s not answering her phone, either. People need their space, and some of us need a lot of it, so I don’t fault her for not showing up or forgetting to give me a call. Maybe grinding against a metal pole just doesn’t seem as attractive a way to spend her evening as she’d thought. Or maybe, like me, the thought of holding her body on said pole in dangerous and unlikely positions is enough to keep her away. It’s possible that she’s only just started thinking of the hygienic implications of rubbing her bits and pieces against a surface that so many others have rubbed their bits and pieces against.

Whatever it is, she’s not here, and I have a feeling she’s not planning to drop by anytime soon.

I stick around the pole studio as long as I can without looking like a subway flasher or that I’m interested in a membership, and then I go clubbing.

It’s not for me.

I’m wearing far too many clothes, and I refuse to stand in line for the opportunity to have my eardrums blown out. The bouncer working the door ignores me completely. I’m forced to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. He turns. His ears are pierced on both sides, and he’s got tiny genie hoops that glint at me in the dim light outside of the club. “Yeah? I don’t got any change on me, lady.”

“That’s okay,” I say. “I have lots of money.”

He takes a long look at me now. “Good for you. Save up some of that Welfare Wednesday cash?”

“You know it,” I say. I’m used to people casting aspersions based on my general appearance. But have they considered the cost of cosmetics lately? “So much that I want to spread it around. Joe Nolan working tonight?”

“Don’t know who that is,” he says, lying.

I can tell it’s an instinctive reaction, that it’s not personal. He’s just not used to giving out information for nothing. This is a game I’ve played many times on the cases I used to work for Leo. “I owe him some and want to give it back. You know, before I spend it all on hookers and blow.”

He’s interested now. Even laughs a little, making the genie hoops dance. “You could give it to me. I’ll make sure he gets it.” His expression is telling me there could be hookers and blow for more than just me.

“I like to look a man in the eye when I settle my debts.” This comes out harsher than I expected. The techno music inside makes me short-tempered.