Kiss of Death by P.D. Martin

don’t think Cheryl would recognize me anyway. I grimace at the thought of me in Goth gear. All in the line of duty.
    â€œThe main guy is around five-ten, stocky and bald with a big skull tattoo on his right arm. He usually wears leather pants and a fishnet-T. The girlfriend is big, buxom. Long black hair with bright red streaks and she’s always showing a lot of flesh…and she’s got a lot to show. Then the two guys…one of them is real tall and skinny, hair down to his shoulders and he normally wears full face makeup and a suit. Think Clockwork Orange. And the other guy is kinda short, maybe five-six, but good-looking in a rough kinda way. Short black hair, not much makeup, and he goes more for the leather pants and usually nothing on top. Two nipple rings and a nose stud, too.”
    I nod. “Thanks, Cheryl.”
    Sloan closes her notebook. “It’s been enlightening, ma’am.”
    Cheryl gives a little laugh. “Thanks.” She pauses. “We’re done?”
    Sloan and I both say yes.
    Cheryl wipes her hands on a tea towel. “I’ll let you out then.”
    We follow her back through the club to the main entrance.
    â€œHave you got cameras in here?” Sloan’s scanning the ceiling.
    â€œUh-huh.” Cheryl stops and points backward. “One in the corner there, one on the rooftop patio and one at the entrance.”
    â€œDo you know if the manager keeps the footage?” Maybe we can find the four people Cheryl’s talking about on video footage.
    â€œYeah, I think so. But I don’t know for how long. I can write down the manager’s contact details for you. There’s a pen at the door.” She starts walking to the entrance again.
    â€œGreat,” Sloan says.
    We get to the top of the stairs and follow Cheryl down. “I like your top.”
    â€œYeah, it’s cool isn’t it?” She looks back at me and gives me a once-over. “You could wear something like this with black pants and it’d look dressy, not Goth, right?”
    â€œTrue. Where’d you get it?”
    She goes behind the desk at the door and pulls out a pen and paper. “Place called VampIt in WestHo.” She starts writing. “So the manager’s name is Brad and he organizes all the security.”
    I take the piece of paper. “Thanks.”
    â€œNo problem.” She unlocks the heavy metal door and heaves it open.
    â€œThanks again for your time.” Sloan holds out her hand.
    Cheryl smiles and takes Sloan’s outstretched hand, then mine. “Have a good night.”
    Â 
    It didn’t take me long to track down VampIt and recruitMercedes for the night’s activities. I’m bringing her along as a friend, not as an FBI employee. Not many women go to a club by themselves and I don’t want to stand out. Mercedes and I met at the store in WestHo, leaving Sloan to catch a cab back to her house. I got the distinct impression she didn’t see the point of actually going to one of the clubs in Goth attire at this early stage of the investigation, but if I’m going to profile Sherry’s killer I need to look at all angles.
    It had actually been kinda fun shopping for corsets, leather and black. Mercedes and I spent a good forty minutes in the shop, much to the annoyance of the salesgirl who agreed to keep the store open for us when we guaranteed her sales and a big tip…but after twenty-five minutes I think she was regretting her decision. Even creatures of the night want to knock off work. We were lucky the store was even open.
    Eventually I chose black leather pants with laces that run all the way up the sides of my legs and a red velvet bodice top—one of the few in the store that had straps. Rather than wasting money on shoes, I decided to wear some ankle boots I had at home, but I did buy an ankh choker, which is supposed to represent eternal life. Mercedes’ outfit is very different