Jenna and Melinda made their way up a rickety staircase to the second floor apartments of the building listening to the mixture of loud Hip Hop from the music store on the first floor and the thunderous death metal from the apartment above. " Are you sure these stairs are safe?" asked Melinda.
" Probably not" said Jenna, " but I'll bet the rats were smaller in this one."
Melinda shuddered, " Don't remind me" she said, " got my cat is smaller than that thing."
They reached the apartment door, the number had long since disappeared, a 1 was drawn on the door with a magic marker, the door itself had signs of behind battered down a police battering ram at least twice in its lifetime. Jenna knocked loud on the door, " LAPD, open up" she announced.
The music suddenly died off, both women drew their weapons. The door opened and a guy with long greasy hair and tattoos completely covering both arms answered the door. " What do you two want?" he asked.
" We're with homicide" said Jenna, " don't start flushing everything, we don't care about you, we're looking for Adam Powell."
The guy laughed a typical hasher laugher, " That loser, yah I saw him last weekend at this chicks house a few blocks north, by the 405, the place was a dump" he said, " Powell was talking all big about something, the guy was so baked. Some of the people there were saying he was some kind of big Satanist. I heard he was squatting in some house that was for sale in North Hollywood somewhere. He said it was the best rent free living in the world."
" Thanks" said Jenna.
The guy nodded and closed the door. " Now North Hollywood, I swear I want to start putting trackers in everybody" said Melinda.
" Not a bad idea" said Jenna.

Celestine Blanchard sat on the steps that led to her apartment. Dante had called everybody in and yelled and screamed for two hours. Some days Celestine wished she never met Countess Ilsa Grau. Celestine was one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe. Her father was the most power noble in southern France. One day Celestine was packed up to meet her arranged husband, an Austrian Count. It was a total failure, he was a pompous, drunk with the worse hands imaginable. Celestine did her best to fake every illness and malady a person could possibly have and shut herself away in the Grau Family library, which was very extensive. It was the one place she knew the count would never dare enter. It was there she met Ilsa, she was refined, intelligent, witty, everything Celestine wanted in a partner. Ilsa sensed Celestine's unhappiness and the pair became close friends. It wasn't long until the count was found at the foot of a staircase, poor drunkard missed a step. Celestine knew Ilsa, the count's sister was behind it, and was elated to be free. Her freedom was expressed in Ilsa's bedchamber that night. Then one night Celestine saw Ilsa having a drink from one of the maids, Celestine was intrigued and asked Ilsa to drink from her. Ilsa did more, she embraced Celestine and made her a vampire.
Celestine smirked, and took her cell phone out, it was time to bitch about old age with someone who could understand.

An hour later Celestine and Maresa were sitting up on the roof of Celestine's apartment, two six packs floating in ice. " You look almost as bad as me" said Celestine.
" We have the high and mighty Holy Order boys in town" said Maresa, " they've been giving us a hard time all week. It has taken all my tact not to start throwing fireballs at them."
" They are pesky" said Celestine, " how goes their holy crusade against us vile blood suckers?"
" Poorly and I think that is why they are giving us a hard time" said Maresa, " they can't seem to find vampires with any ability in this town, they want to find all the nests and kill you all."
" You told him this isn't New York or Chicago, we don't nest right?" asked Celestine.
" Four or five times" said Maresa, " they don't believe me, but on the positive side we've managed to track them fairly well."
" Not bad" said Celestine, " my investigations are going nowhere fast."
" The strange masked guy?" asked Maresa.
" Yah, Devlin is worried about him and when he is worried it scares me" said Celestine.
" One our people saw the same guy when we were found the farm" said Maresa, " my dad sent the Chinatown bureau to look for him too, let's avoid stepping on each other's toes."
" Hey I'm a big proponent of cooperation" said Celestine, " but I'm in the tiny minority."
" Well I thank you for being in that minority" said Maresa.
" You're welcome" said Celestine, " remember when none of this was here?"
" I can remember when it still said Hollywoodland" said Maresa, " I remember the parties in the Hills in the 60s, I remember the Zoot Suit Riots."
" God we're old" said Celestine, " but amazingly firm."
" Tell me about it" said Maresa, " I wake up everyday and thank the powers above letting me be gifted with magic, or by now I would have my breasts down to my ankles."
" Ever get lonely?" asked Celestine.
" Sometimes" said Maresa, " it is kinda hard to date."
" No kidding" said Celestine, " it is kinda hard to keep our real lives secret."
The pair sat together and watched the city go on its daily routine.

Melinda and Jenna slowly entered the adult film store, which promptly cleared out all the customers. " Hey, come on guys this place is legit" groaned the owner.
" We aren't Vice" said Melinda.
" Well it's too fucking late for that" said the owner, " you scared all my business away."
" Too bad" said Melinda, " we heard you know a guy named Adam Powell."
" Sure I know Adam" said the owner, " he is a regular customer."
" When was the last time you saw him?" asked Jenna.
" Last night" said the owner, " he came in this his girlfriend to pick up a movie. They got frisky in the back, had to tell them to leave because my customers were starting to forget about the movies."
" You know where he is staying?" asked Melinda.
" Fuck, what am I the CIA?" he asked.
" Don't fuck with us" said Jenna, " unless you really want Vice to start poking around."
" Okay, he is crashing in some house for sale on Chester" said the owner, " but be careful, he has been a little odd lately."
" In what way?" asked Melinda.
" Odd, you know, paranoid, more so that usual" said the owner, " I think its on account of the 80 pound piece of jail bait he is staying with."
" Thanks" said Melinda.
The pair drove for Chester Street in the heart of a residential neighborhood. Row after row of one stucco ranch style homes lined the streets and luckily there was only one that was for sale. They parked on the opposite side of the street and got out. They slowly approached the house and began to peek through the windows. " You see anything?" asked Jenna.
" Nothing" said Melinda, " guy is pretty neat."
" That's because he is squatting" said Jenna.
The pair split up and slowly went along the sides of the building. Melinda stopped when she heard two people having sex above her head. Melinda peeked up and saw Adam and an extremely thin girl having sex. Adam was moaning and groaning playing with the girl's pierced nipples. Suddenly the girl looked up and screamed, " IT'S THE COPS!"
Adam leapt up and threw the girl across the room slamming her into the dresser. Adam grabbed his jeans and bolted into the house. Melinda raced around the back, they always ran out the back. Melinda vaulted over the fence, and watched as the sliding glass door opened. Adam burst out, a wild look in his eye, his jeans almost falling off his hips. " We just want to talk" said Melinda, " we don't care what you were doing in there, that is your business. We just want to talk."
Jenna carefully slipped through the fence, Adam's back was to her. She took her gun slowly out, he wasn't armed, hell he wasn't dressed. But for a creepy Satanist kid, he was buff. Suddenly a bottle smashed into Jenna's head, sending arcs of white hot pain coursing through her and blinding her with a flash of white light. " RUN!" screamed the girl.
Adam bolted like a scared deer, he vaulted over the fence. " Shit" cursed Melinda as she took off after him.
Jenna grabbed the naked girl and pushed her gun into the girl's face. The girl was shaking, a large puddle around her feet. " You fucked up this time" said Jenna, blood running down the side of her.
Jenna took her cuffs out and slapped them on her wrists. " Please don't tell my dad" she said.
Jenna took a deep breath, something about this thin little girl with the big scars on her wrists spoke to Jenna, at one point she was like this girl. Jenna let the anger flow out with the blood, " Okay" she said, " but we need to have a talk."

Melinda was running fast, Adam was one yard ahead of her but Melinda's childhood in a neighborhood much like this and her experience climbing fences to run away from various authority figures gave her the edge. Adam leapt over a small abode wall and into the open door. The woman and her boyfriend leapt up from the couch both screaming and fighting over the throw pillows to cover their naked bodies. Adam burst out of the front door with her close on his heels. Spic pig was fast, he had to get away. Adam dashed across the street, knocking trash can over in an attempt to slow her pursuit. Melinda's long legs hurled over the trash cans and got her close. Adam burst through a gate, the teenage girls sunning topless by their pool started screaming. Adam tried to run around the pool when Melinda tripped him up. He splashed into the pool, Melinda yelling at the girls to go inside and call the police. Melinda watched as Adam climbed out and swung at her. The blow hit her in the face before she could react, kid had a hell of a left hook. Melinda drew into a fighting stance, she was the inner departmental kickboxing champ two years running, and threw three quick jabs into Adam. She parried his weak blow and delivered to sharp kicks to him. He grabbed for a lawn chair when Melinda punched him straight in the face. Adam dropped to the ground and Melinda pounced on him. She slapped the cuffs on him. Adam head butted her and kicked her square in the chest knocking her into the pool. Adam struggled to his feet but Melinda was on him again.
" What's your name?" asked Jenna, letting the girl put her clothes back on.
" Mandy" she said.
" I'm Jenna" she replied, " how long have you two been together?"
" A few weeks now" said Mandy, " we met on Ventura, I had run away and Adam took me in."
" What has he been up to?" asked Jenna.
" I promised, we're partners" she said.
" Mandy, he is in a lot of trouble" said Jenna.
" He deals drugs, big fucking deal" said Mandy.
" Huh?" asked Jenna.
" We deal X to the club kids on Sunset" said Mandy, " I'm the look out, he does the deals."
" Where does he get his stuff?" asked Jenna, " just between us girls."
" Manny Garcia, greasy spic lives in Sun Valley" said Mandy.
" Where were you two Friday night?" asked Jenna.
" We dealt all our stash in a club on Sunset, the Crypt, then we went to the beach and had sex in the sand" said Mandy.
" Can you prove this?" asked Jenna.
" Yah, talk to the fucking parking Nazi that ticketed Adam's car" said Mandy, " we let the meter go about two minutes and that fat bitch gave him a ticket. I still going to jail?"
" Sorry" said Jenna, " don't worry, you'll pay a fine for trespassing and you two will be free."
" Fuck, we were saving up to go to Vegas" said Mandy, " this city sucks."
Jenna led Mandy out of the house and saw Melinda tossing Adam into the car, " Getting some kickboxing practice in?" asked Jenna.
" Yah" said Melinda, " you find anything?"
" Yah, they didn't do it" said Jenna, " he is dealing X for Manny Garcia and they were on the beach when the murder occurred."
" We got our asses kicked around for just some X?" asked Melinda, wiping the blood from her nose.
" At least we're fresh our of suspects" said Jenna.
" How's your head?" asked Melinda.
" I need to probably get some of the glass pulled out, and it hurts" said Jenna.
" Red really is your colour" said Melinda.

They listened to the two of them making about two hundred promises on the way back and in the end booked them for trespassing only. Jenna went to the emergency room and got three pieces of glass taken from her skull and two stitches in place of them. She drove home to an empty house. It was weird to hear such silence, Lynn always had the music playing this time of night, she hated listening to the news, it gave her nightmares she said. Jenna put in her favorite The Who CD and turned the knob all the way up. She rummaged around in the refrigerator and settled on the last of the cold pizza from two days ago. Lynn was always the cook, and she was great. Jenna would come home sometimes and find Lynn in the kitchen wearing only her apron. God those meals were great. Jenna spent the rest of the evening on the couch trying her best to forget out Lynn and failing every time.
Melinda walked up the steps of her Santa Monica home, her body was sore, and her eye now sporting a nice big shiner. Melinda unlocked the front door and walked in. She saw candles burning on the dining room table and everything set for a nice meal. Melinda pushed the door that led from the dining room to the kitchen open, " Surprise" said her husband Michael Esperanza.
" Smells fabulous" said Melinda hugging her husband.
" You look wonderful" he joked.
" Got beaten up by a kid" said Melinda, " at least I got my workout."
" Well then we have no excuse to enjoy this meal then" said Robert, " my specialty."
" Hold that thought" said Melinda.
Melinda hurried upstairs into their bedroom. She stripped naked and took out her special black lace thong and red silk dress. She slipped the clothes on and gave herself two good sprays with her perfume. She walked downstairs and into the dining room. " This is better" she said.
" It certainly is" said Michael, hugging Melinda.
" I'll take care of dessert" she said.
They kissed, and sat down to eat. " How is Jenna?" asked Michael.
" Upset" said Melinda, " she hides it well but Lynn and her were together for five years."
" I always knew they were a bad combination" said Michael, " Jenna is a cop and a little rough around the edges sometimes. Lynn, well Lynn should have been born in the 50 so she could have gone to Woodstock."
" You know that and I know that" said Melinda, " I hope Jenna finds somebody soon. She is so intense without somebody to kiss when she gets home."
Dinner was finished and their clothes left a trail from the dining room to the couch where the happy couple spent the night making love.