“I’ll know when they’re coming,” he said, shrugging. “I’m the Terror of London, me. I know how she sounds, I know how she smells, I know how she feels. She can’t keep any secrets from me. Speakin’ of secrets...”

“Were we?”

“Nice little crew you’ve cobbled together. Vampires, killers, monsters... that Sabine girl. Everyone with their own little secrets, their own reasons for being here. All in this together. It’s good. It’s a good group.”

Tanith knelt at an air vent, started unscrewing the grille.

“What’s her deal, anyway?” Jack pressed. “Sabine, I’m talkin’ about. She’s not like the rest of us.”

“Suppose she’s not,” Tanith muttered, her attention focused on the task at hand.

Jack rambled on. “She’s a good one, that girl. Important to the group. She’s a ray of sunshine, if I’m bein’ honest. A breath of fresh air, to use an overused phrase. But that’s what she is, and no mistake. A pretty little thing, but then I’ve always been partial to blondes. Most of the people I’ve killed have been blonde. Not that I’d ever harm her, of course. I’d never dream of it. Hurt somethin’ so pure and so innocent? I’d rather die, I would. But she’s important to the dynamic, too, you know? Can’t have too many blokes on the team, am I right? We’d all start arguin’ and fightin’ and whatnot. Important to have some womenfolk around, like yourself and Sabine. And, to a lesser extent, Annis. I don’t think anyone counts Annis, though.”

Tanith looked up. “Is that what this is about? You fancy Annis?”

Jack looked genuinely horrified. “What? Where the hell did you get that from?”

“It’s OK,” Tanith said, getting back to work. “I won’t tell her.”

“I don’t fancy Annis!” Jack said, his voice rising.

Tanith sighed. “Then will you please get to the point of whatever it is you’re trying to say?”

He stared at her, mouth opening and closing... and then he scowled. “Nothin’,” he said. “I’m sayin’ nothin’.”

“Then can I please get back to work? This really isn’t the time or the place to start aimless conversations.”

“Fine.” He turned, arms folded, looking out across the city. Sulking.

Tanith rolled her eyes. Of all the possibilities she’d taken into account, she certainly hadn’t expected anything like this to happen. Springheeled Jack – a lovesick puppy?

She finally got the vent unscrewed, took the glass sphere from her pocket and rolled it in. She listened to it rattle as it dropped, and then the faint sound as it broke. As she replaced the vent, she glanced over at Jack. She really didn’t want to get involved in this. There was nothing she would hate more than be forced to play Cupid to these psychopathic oddballs.