Kizzy fly by night.

Part 14

The bars are in full swing bursting at the seams with laughter and shrieks. Hook-up couples spill out onto the already-packed street. Cabs twist their way in and out of crowds, picking up and dropping off, money meters licking their lips and clicking. Thoughts of the taxi that had thrown Lulu's body away like a piece of garbage clouds my vision, and I frown before noticing one of the singers from a theatre show striding along with his arm draped around a dancer's shoulder. I look at them longingly. They have it all! Some teenagers fall out of one of the bars and I quicken my stride.

"Hey!" one of them calls, "How much?"

The others snigger and I glare.

"I wouldn't go near her she looks like a druggie, probably got Aids."

They laugh loudly and walk on. One of them looks back.

"Who cares if she's drugged up, did you see her face? She's quite pretty...for Soho."

I feel for my knife. It's cold and comforting, power at my fingertips. They really have no idea who they're dealing with.

"Kizzy wait up."

I turn and smile. "Gale. What's up with you? Where've you been?"

"Got sidetracked by a trick, wanted a quick blow job in Macdonalds loo's of all places!"

I wrinkle my nose. "Gross, so not a big spender then?"

"Nothing major but every little bit counts."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, so you can shoot it straight into your arm...jeez."

He looks the other way awaiting the inevitable lecture.

'Kizzy and her moral lessons on how he should be living his life, so bloody annoying'

He smiles sweetly and holds up his hands. "Let's not get into that now ok we've got work to do. Any leads yet?"

"Na nothing..." I kick a can to the side of the road in frustration.

My mind starts drifting back over past clients, anything dodgy that could prove to be of help. We walk up Rupert Street and I come to a grinding halt.

"That guy you had..."

"Take your pick there's been many." he chortles.

"Quit playing smart Gale it really doesn't suit you. That guy, the crazy that beat you up, the one that made out he was flush..."

He yawns disinterestedly. "Oh yeah ...what a weirdo, have been trying to forget him to be honest."

My eyes gleam with suspicion. "You don't think he could somehow be involved? I mean you did kind of say before..."

Gale laughs and shakes his head. "No believe me Kiz he was just a crazy kink nothing more than that... not into women at all"

"But how can you be sure? I mean that beating he gave you was bad. If he's capable of that then why not murder?"

He turns to face me placing both hands firmly on my shoulder.

"I'm sure OK. That guy was nothing more than a sad old queen who gets off on beating young boys. Not someone capable of murder, if he was I'd know... trust me."

I look at him and sigh thinking how dim he is for a street kid. I guess that I have a lot of teaching to do.

12 pm

After we part I amble slowly down China Town. I sit in the little bandstand and stare into space as my mood begins to sink. I wonder if the streets are really there for me. Will they catch me if I fall? Or will I be sucked into a vacuum of statistics, only time will tell and it's not saying. I take out a small mirror and check my face. The red lipstick has vanished leaving telltale smudges at the side of my lips. I've taken on a ghostly quality with my dark hair, I smile half expecting to see Vampire fangs spring from the sides of my mouth. I love the new Kizzy but I'm not quite use to her. The girl who stares back is a stranger and part of me misses the old one. I remember the man that me and Gale tied up nearby and laugh, I'd bet he won't be so quick to pick someone up again. People walk past in a flurry, a film on fast forward. I feel like an observer stuck in tunnel vision. Quickly I rule that old idiot out of being the killer as he was so weak he couldn't even fight me off. I wonder if I should go and rob him again just for the sheer Hell of it. The night has been slower than a snail and I'm beginning to think that maybe gentlemen really do prefer blondes.