Synaptic Manhunt (8 page)

‘I guess you wouldn’t mind giving my friend the desk clerk a little present, would you? He could get into trouble for letting me take you up to my room. You can use your credit card, honey. It’s okay. It goes through the hotel.’

The little man looked apprehensively at the desk clerk.

‘The payment won’t be traced, will it?’

Darlene and the desk clerk both smiled reassuringly.

‘Not a chance of that.’

The fat man reluctantly produced his credit card. The desk clerk dropped it into the hotel transfer unit. He dialled out the appropriate amount and handed it back. Billy sighed quietly as the desk clerk gave Darlene the room key. They were good for another day. She grinned at him and firmly propelled the fat man towards the lilt.

‘This way, honey. I know we’re going to have a fantastic time. Just fantastic.’

The lift door rattled shut and they disappeared from sight. Billy stood up and brushed a bit of chair cover from his yellow satin suit. He straightened the diamante collar, brushed back his curly hair and strolled over to the desk.

‘Did you clip him for enough so I can get a drink?’

The desk clerk grinned.

‘He got clipped but good.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah. I did you a favour, kid. I kind of like you and your woman so I got two days’ rent, a bit for me and a bit over. I figured you could use it after the state you got into last night.’

Billy didn’t need to be reminded of the comedown he was going through. He did his best to look grateful.

‘Give me a drink.’

The desk clerk reached under the counter and produced a bottle of schnapps and two glasses. He filled one and then cocked an eyebrow at Billy. Billy knew the ritual. He grinned.

‘Go ahead, friend. Have one on me.’

He filled the second glass and downed it in one gulp. Billy took a little more time with his. He had to treat his head gently. It was in a bad way. The desk clerk was already smiling, looking for a refill. Billy nodded, and the desk clerk took another shot. He was just angling for another when Lame Nancy hobbled in. She grinned at Billy.

‘Found some credit then, stud?’

‘What’s it to you?’

‘I like to see young people happy.’

Billy looked dubiously at Nancy. She was always showing up just after Darlene. Billy knew she was doing her best to try and get Darlene away from him. He wondered if she actually followed her about. Lame Nancy was a dyke who liked to keep her girls working. She had four set up in different rooms of the Leader. Her ambition seemed to be to make Darlene number five. Lame Nancy nodded towards the bottle of schnapps.

‘Is there a drink in that for me?’

Billy’s lip curled.

‘Depends who’s paying for it.’

Nancy sneered and patted Billy’s cheek. ‘I’ll pay, sweet thing. Though I don’t know what you’re worried about. That little honey of yours is upstairs making you the price of a few drinks.’

‘You got four, so I figure you can buy your own.’

Lame Nancy nodded towards the bottle. The desk clerk produced a third glass and poured Nancy a shot. She swallowed it in one gulp, and nodded for another. While she downed the second, Billy looked at her carefully. He knew that she’d probably take Darlene away if he gave her the chance. Lame Nancy looked striking and had a powerful personality. It radiated from her as she leaned against the bar in one of her favourite gunfighter poses. There was no denying that she was bizarre enough to attract Darlene. She gave an overall impression of being totally white. Her hair was white and cut into a shaggy crewcut, her skin had been done into an opalescent pearl finish. She wore a white body stocking, silver wedge-heeled sandals and a highly polished, stainless steel belt.

The whole outfit seemed designed to contrast sharply with the black callipers that supported her withered leg. Even these seemed to be designed for maximum shock. They were made from highly polished black steel, inlaid with an elaborate pattern of gold damascene. Lame Nancy cut a strange, impressive figure.

The lift door rattled back, and Billy switched his attention away from Nancy. The fat man hurried out of the lift, straight for the street door. He was still sweating, and avoided everyone’s eyes. Nancy laughed.

‘Looks like your sweetie will be down with something for you soon, Billy dear.’

Billy didn’t say anything. He knew he was being baited. Nancy’s grin broadened.

‘You ought to get that honey of yours to pull in a bit more of the goods. I know I would.’

Billy scowled.

‘Keep out of my business, will you.’

Nancy laughed again.

‘I intend to, sweet thing. There ain’t enough in it for me.’

The lift rattled again. This time it was Darlene. Billy walked across the lobby to meet her. He wanted to head her off before she could join Nancy at the desk. He knew Nancy would try and get her drunk, and be dropping all kinds of broad hints about how much better a time Darlene would have with her rather than Billy. Billy didn’t need that. He grinned at Darlene.

‘Hi, how did it go?’

Darlene scowled.

‘It went.’

‘Did you get anything?’

Darlene fished between her breasts and came up with a small platinum pacifier.

‘Enough.’

‘Great.’

‘That pig behind the desk will still short change us.’

‘So ‘what can we do?’

‘What can you do? You’re supposed to take care of business. I just do the work.’

Billy took hold of her arm.

‘Don’t get mad.’

‘I ain’t mad. I just don’t need it.’

‘Was it rough?’

Darlene’s mouth curled into a sneer.

‘Oh no, not rough, just another trick.’

‘What happened?’

‘You really want to know?’

‘If it helps.’

‘If it helps? Well, if it helps, he got me to squat on the floor of the shower while he pissed on me, and then I had to suck him off. Okay? Does that help? All for one lousy trinket. You know, sometimes I think you like to hear what I do with the tricks. Maybe you get a kick out of it.’

Darlene was working herself up into a frenzy. Billy wasn’t sure whether to placate or punch her. While he was making up his mind, she started again.

‘Maybe you’d like to have a go yourself. You fancy me squatting in front of you while you pissed over me?’

Billy shook his head.

‘No, of course not.’

He wondered if he would enjoy it. He’d never thought about it before. He smiled at Darlene. The tirade had gone on long enough.

‘Listen honey, we’ve got a bit of credit, why don’t we get a bottle and go upstairs?’

Darlene didn’t seem about to give in.

‘You want to end up the same way we did today? I’m going out again to see what I can get.’

Before Billy could say anything, she had pulled away from him and was marching across the lobby, swaying her hips. She looked straight ahead, avoiding the stares of Nancy and the desk clerk. As she was about to flounce out into the street she almost collided with two men coming into the hotel.

‘Why the fuck don’t you look where you’re going?’

One of the men stepped back and bowed slightly.

‘I’m sorry.’

Darlene was going to start complaining, when she took a second look at them. One was a tall thin man, wrapped in a black cape. His straight hair hung to his shoulders, and the hilt of an evil-looking sword protruded from the cape. The other one was shorter and, if anything, thinner. A mass of black unruly curls were stuffed under a wide-brimmed hat. He wore a black frock coat and high boots. He had the same hard air of determination as his companion. Darlene ducked hastily out of the door. Her tantrum was completely forgotten. She didn’t want to stick around and find out what the two strangers wanted.

Billy felt much the same way, only, to him, they weren’t both strangers. He recognized the Minstrel Boy straight away. They’d been through a lot of trouble together, and most of the time Billy had wound up looking stupid. He could imagine the Minstrel Boy’s sneers when he found out that Billy had sunk to pimping in Litz. Billy stepped quickly back into the lift before the Minstrel Boy noticed him.

The Minstrel Boy and Jeb Stuart Ho walked up to the desk. Lame Nancy and the desk clerk both looked at them curiously. The winos went on staring at the Execution Hour.

The desk clerk put down his comic book as they approached.

‘You want some rooms, gentlemen?’

The Minstrel Boy shook his head.

‘Not right now.’

It was the Minstrel Boy who was doing the talking. It had been his idea to make the Leader Hotel their first stop. They’d left the lizards in the pen at the edge of the nothings, and taken a ground cab into downtown Litz. In the past, the Minstrel Boy had found the Leader an ideal point at which to plug into the city’s wealth of gossip and rumour. The desk clerk scowled at him.

‘If you don’t want rooms, what do you want?’

‘Some information.’

‘We sell room and board, we don’t give out information. If you want information, watch the screen. Only don’t do it here if you ain’t rented no room.’

The Minstrel Boy smiled.

‘Since when did information stop being worth something in Litz?’

The desk clerk looked sideways at him.

‘You willing to pay?’

The Minstrel Boy nodded. He turned to Jeb Stuart Ho.

‘You got your credit card?’

Ho put his hand under his cloak, and passed a card to the Minstrel Boy. The eyes of both Nancy and the desk clerk fastened on the black-edged brotherhood credit card as he placed it on the desk and grinned.

‘Why don’t you take whatever you think ten minutes of your conversation is worth?’

The desk clerk gingerly picked up the card. He seemed almost nervous of it. Nancy watched intently as he placed it in the transfer unit. He dialled out a modest sum. He looked up at the Minstrel Boy.

‘Is that okay?’

‘If that’s what you think you’re worth, then sure it’s okay.’

The desk clerk handed the card back to the Minstrel Boy. He turned it over and then passed it to Jeb Stuart Ho. The desk clerk began to look nervous.

‘What do you gentlemen want to know?’

Jeb Stuart Ho placed the tri-di of A.A. Catto in front of the desk clerk.

‘Have you ever seen this woman?’

The desk clerk shook his head.

‘She’s never been in here.’

The Minstrel Boy looked at him sharply.

‘You sure about that?’

‘Never forget a face.’

‘You ever hear of someone called A.A. Catto?’

‘I heard the name.’

‘What did you hear about her?’

‘I heard people talk about her.’

‘What did you hear?’

‘Rich little bitch by all accounts. She came into town. Started doing the society circuit. The nightclubs, the best parties. The rumour was that she was kind of wild. Like, you know, vicious. Into pain, other people’s pain. By all accounts she keeps herself looking like a young kid. That’s about all I know.’

‘Is she still in town?’

‘As far as I know.’

‘Do you know where she’s living?’

‘I heard she had an apartment at the Orchid House.’

‘The Orchid House, where’s that?’

‘It’s the big new apartment building. The big triangular one, right in the middle of downtown. You can’t miss it.’

The Minstrel Boy turned to Jeb Stuart Ho.

‘I guess that’s about it. All you have to do is get down there,’

The desk clerk laughed.

‘It ain’t as easy as that.’

The Minstrel Boy turned back to him.

‘Why not?’

‘You’ll, never get inside the place. Not unless the lady wants to see you.’

‘Why?’

‘It’s like a goddamn fortress. That’s part of the service. Unless you’ve got a pass from a resident you’ll never get past the security. There’s a whole army of them.’

The desk clerk looked at him slyly.

‘That’s if the lady doesn’t want to see you.’

The Minstrel Boy grinned.

‘The lady hasn’t had a chance to get to know us yet.’

He thought for a minute.

‘Suppose we took an apartment in the building?’

The desk clerk shook his head.

‘Not a chance. There’s a waiting list a mile long.’

‘Can’t you jump the list? I mean, if you’ve got the credit, surely anything’s possible?’

‘Not there it’s not. Everyone who wants to move in there’s got credit. You have to pay a fortune in bribes just to get on the list.’

‘So we’d better make friends with the lady.’

The desk clerk grinned.

‘That’s the best way. Only the lady doesn’t seem to be too friendly.’

The Minstrel Boy smiled.

‘Maybe.’

He glanced at Jeb Stuart Ho.

‘My friend here can be amazingly charming when he has to be.’

The desk clerk looked across at Jeb Stuart Ho, and then back to the Minstrel Boy.

‘He doesn’t say much.’

‘That’s part of his chirm.’

There was a pause. The desk clerk looked down at the transfer unit, and then back up at the Minstrel Boy.

‘There’s nothing else you’d like to know?’

The Minstrel Boy shook his head.

‘I think we’ve had our money’s worth.’

He turned away, and looked at Jeb Stuart Ho.

‘I don’t think we’ll achieve much more here.’

‘We know now where the woman lives.’

They walked towards the door and out into the street. Nancy watched them thoughtfully until they disappeared from sight.

As Jeb Stuart Ho and the Minstrel Boy emerged from the Leader Hotel, back into the glittering streets of Litz, the executive paused. He looked up and down the street. An airship drifted overhead about fifty metres up, following the line of the street. Lights shone out from the gondola. The sound of laughter and a ragtime piano drifted down. The Minstrel Boy looked up into the darkness and grinned.

‘They sure know how to have parties in this town.’

Jeb Stuart Ho pursed his lips.

‘They seem to know very little else.’

The Minstrel Boy shot him a sideways glance.

‘You ought to check out a few, Killer. It’ll be an education for you.’

Ho continued to look up and down the street.

‘My education is a process that continues without the need to study such things as parties.’