PossiblyAnnoying!Cereal: Part 4 or 5: Willy's Place was a dark, dank, hole, but, it seemed to Frank, not all the different from more human-centered dives in which he'd conducted other investigations. Same shady proprietor with one toe on the right side of the law, same scary regulars making deals and illicit suggestions. The fangs, claws, and in some cases, indeterminate gender, were just a distraction.
"Have you seen Angelus?"
"No, is he back? Angel's too good to come in here, with his soul and everything. I got a soul too. You don't hear me bitching about it."
"It must weigh heavily on you." Frank said, dryly.
Willy paused to consider this observation, and there was an awful clatter at the back door.
"Willy, you stupid pillock! Open this door!" an angry accented voice shouted. Someone else was kicking the door, hard.
"I gotta handle this. He's a regular."
The person, if indeed he was a person, didn't look like anything so much as a recuperating Billy Idol. Beyond pale, he had spiky peroxided hair, a petulant expression, and a wheelchair. Frank decided he didn't like him.
"It's good to know," the newcomer was saying, " That despite this being a really awful place, the access sucks. Warms the cockles of my unbeating heart."
Willy tried to be concilliating. "You didn't have to come in, Spike. I would have had Gronk bring a pint to your car for you. O neg, just like you like." He waved to a demon that looked like Chewbacca without the charm.
The vampire looked wounded. "Gronk would never participate in such bollocks.Gronk helped me get in, cause we're mates. You'd never ask anybody else to wait in the bloody car, would you?" He scanned the room and caught Pembleton's eye, "even him?"
Frank watched with distaste as Spike stirred his glass of blood and took a big swig. "I think you'll find people like me have been kept out of much nicer places.
"All right, mate. It's not a bloody contest, got it?"
"You're a vampire, aren't you? Do you know Angelus?
"Malcolm X here is a genius.Yeah, I know him. Not as well as I used to, mind you."
"He's wanted in connection with the Calendar slaying."
"What's in it for me if I say anything?"
"He's looking at hard time if he's convicted. You too, if you're hiding anything.
"If he went to prison, he'd be far away, wouldn't he?"
Strange question, but hardly the strangest."Probably, Camarillo or somewhere like that."Actually, Frank had no idea where Corrections would house the Evil Undead, but this was hardly the first time he'd made up something to win over a witness.

Jesus, Erika.

I've got to start watching H:LotS. And you've got to start your ass published, woman.

"No, is he back? Angel's too good to come in here, with his soul and everything. I got a soul too. You don't hear me bitching about it."

BWAH!

Thanks, Fay. I keep getting "let down easily."t a lot of places. Don't know what's keeping me from "the home stretch" or whatever. Basically, it means I get more pleasant rejections.

The person, if indeed he was a person, didn't look like anything so much as a recuperating Billy Idol. Beyond pale, he had spiky peroxided hair, a petulant expression, and a wheelchair. Frank decided he didn't like him.

erika is trying to slay me. Period. No other explanation for how damned wonderful this is.

Me with the H:LOTS and the erika love, oh yes.

No, I think that is courtship behavior. And practice at finishing what I start. And peer pressure. And if I convert Fay, I get...hmm, the keys to an unmarked car? Fits.

Erika, that is seriously wonderful. I'm so impressed. Keep going, please!

Thank you, Deena. I'm glad you could follow without having seen it.

Well, you've got all the voices of the characters I have seen, and the ones I haven't, well, I may not know the show, but I can see them.

That's good to hear.(You should see it, though. Netflix has the first two seasons now, and Court TV usually has them on marathon for Thanksgiving, which appeals to me in a very sick way.)

Deb told me about the Homicide crossovers after dinner last night. Brava!