“I’m not sure. The only reason I’m here is I’m trying to rescue some children from inside the quarantine zone, and I’m trying to find a friend of mine who’s came up missing two weeks ago. As it stands right now, I’m a failure at both. I don’t know if I would trust me with anything important.”
“That makes you sound relatively harmless,” the young man thought for a few seconds before continuing, “Annie would be distraught if I dumped your body in the bay, for now, we will try talking first.”
“Can I ask questions or is this a one-way interrogation?”
“Ask away, to answer your first question, I am sixty-five years old. Through a quirk of fate, I was born to live a very long time and never look like an adult, all the people here are like me. Annie is my daughter, and she is old enough to be your mother.”
“You’re a Legendary Creature,” Helena sat up, so she could get a better view of Gus.
“Yes, I believe that is the moniker that Mister Darwin has labeled us, but we’re not that legendary, many people would call us lowly. Have you ever heard of lycanthropy?”
“You’re a werewolf?”
Rolling his eyes, “Why does everybody always jump to that conclusion. Do I look like a wolf? No, your ladyship, since it sounds like you’ve read a little, surely you understand that people who suffer from lycanthropy can be forced into other creatures. I am the Rat King, no need to bow we don’t suffer formalities here. The history of our disease is not well known. Many lycanthropes can control when and where they change. However, as the full moon grows near they lose control, becoming more animal-like, almost feral.”
“All those children I see stealing, are wererats?”
“I’m sure that all the crime committed by children are not members of my warren, but probably a large portion of the petty crime are our adults. Annie is a fine example. She has been following you for the last few days, and you never knew it. Why have you been running around the city?”
Gus sat patiently and listen to her tale from beginning to end the high and low points, with his fingers steepled in front of his pointy chin listening intently, even chuckling once or twice.
“And you are no closer to achieving your goals?”
“No, I’m afraid I’m not, I’m not sure I was made for Detective work.”
“I find myself at an interesting crossroads. I see that you’re in need of information, and information is what I excel at. Perhaps we should come to the financial arrangement where I sell you, advice, and I can better provide for my Mischief.”
“Do you have any knowledge of Missy?”
“Not in a manner of speaking. However, you say that she was helping pretty waiter girls escape their bondage.”
“Most definitely. I met two of the women she helped escape.”
“That right, there could be grounds for murder. Those women are big business, people will buy and sell them like livestock. If I give you advice, would you be willing to meet my price?”
“It depends on what your price is,” Helena reflexively reached for the bag stashed between her bosom.
“It will start small if you like my information you’ll be back for more. One hundred dollars for me helping you find Missy.
“And I don’t pay until I’m satisfied with the outcome?”
Gus nodded yes.
“Then I accept your offer one hundred dollars if I find the information useful.”
“I wonder if she worked with the Right Honorable Reverend Beckett Cartwright and his mission for wayward women? He might know who threatened her,” tapping his fingers on his chin.
“I think James Phelan did it.”
“He is capable of it, but it’s not his style. Just because he’s a jackass, and a bully doesn’t make him a murderer, besides if he did it, it would’ve been done to make a statement. We can’t go looking at everyone capable of murder, in this city it would be a very long list.”
“Why do you keep saying murder? I think she still alive.”
“She may be alive, but no one kidnaps and holds a person for this long planning on releasing them. Either she’s going to die or something much worse will happen to her.”
“Why does the city need to be such a violent place?”
“Our home is no more violent than other cities of the world. We live in a relatively safe time compared to the previous history. We don’t fear Sacramento or Los Angeles sacking the city because we’ve more wealth.”
“You think this mission for wayward women would be a good place for me to search next?”
“I can think of no better.”
“What about the tunnels under the city, should I check those?”
“That would prove unhealthy for you. Wererats display exceptional strength, speed, and agility, and there are places in the tunnels we won’t go. A squishy normal wouldn’t last long.”
“But I was told that Missy was in a cell, a dark cell near the water.”
“She may well be, but that cell could be in the belly of the ship, or Oakland, or the hundreds of other moorings around the Bay. For all, you know she could be in the center of the bay or heading out to sea.”
“I will check the mission, but what about the children trapped in Chinatown?”
“I will ask Annie to get your children out for another hundred dollars.”
“You can do that?” before he had a chance to answer, she said, “You get the girls out I’ll pay the hundred dollars.”
Angus put his forefinger and thumb under his protruding front teeth and let out a shrill whistle which was quickly answered by Annie sticking her head through the door, “I’m sure you’ve been listening at the door. Take care of the lady’s request and check on those children at the Chinese Girl’s School in Chinatown.”
Annie bobbed her head and gave a little wave to Helena before ducking back out of the door.
“Does she
