“I don’t suppose you want to tell me what’s on the dark floors?”

She shrugged. “Oh, you know. Vampires. Werewolves. Other critters I don’t know the names for. But you know, anything that likes the dark or night.”

Coop nodded. “Of course,” he said. “You know, I’ve only hung around with vampires back in stir, and they weren’t very nice.”

Giselle pulled him to the escalator. “How nice is anyone in prison? I mean, they’re in there for a reason, right?”

“Sure. We all were. But I didn’t bite people.”

“Relax. Everyone is on their best behavior here. That’s the first rule of Jinx Town: be good, or at least pretend to be.”

“Sounds like jail. I suppose I can live with that.”

“You better.”

“Just remember that if something tries to eat me or drink my blood, I’m dragging you down with me.”

“A gentleman to the end.”

They got off one escalator and started up the next. “I can work on the gentleman part,” said Coop. “It’s that end stuff that worries me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll fling myself on top of you for protection.”

“Now you’re just asking me to get in trouble.”

Giselle laughed, and Coop liked the sound of it and hated that he liked it. But then he remembered that she was essentially his prison guard and that took some of the fun out of it.

But her laugh still sounded nice.

TWENTY-FOUR

THE NEXT COUPLE OF FLOORS THEY PASSED WERE A lot like the lobby: stores both light and dark. Benches occupied by people (or at least people-ish) things. The occasional ghost drifted by carrying transparent shopping bags. Coop saw a group of bird ladies like the one at the DOPS. A few mooks window-shopping. And at least a dozen different species of human and inhuman creatures strolling by, just like the crowds at the Beverly Center. He didn’t even know what to call some of the creatures and felt a little stupid for it. If Giselle was right and he was part of this spectral world, he’d missed a lot of it. On the other hand, what did he care if there was a spook parade going on under his feet? He was a thief. A working stiff. Knowing about all these snaky, winged, and bug-eyed things sipping coffee and eating ice cream cones wasn’t going to make his job any easier.

“What do you think?” said Giselle as they walked to the next escalator. “Am I blowing your mind yet?”

They got on and he said, “Consider it blown. I see what Nick was talking about when he called the place—”

“Don’t say it.”

“I won’t. Honestly, I don’t know what to think, so I’ll just keep my mouth shut for the time being.”

“That’s a perfectly reasonable response.”