VAMP page 54

When Tanner and Victor reached the door, Heaberlin turned to Big Bill.

“Does she hang out here a lot or something?”

“Oh, she’s in and out of here all the time,” Big Bill answered.

“She’s got special privileges?”

“Yeah. She earned it.”

“How?” Heaberlin asked.

“Back when this vampire thing broke Tanner was following a team of officers trying to get a story. They walked into an ambush. Five officers went down. She fucking shot their way out of that jam. Saved all of their lives.”

“Wow. More than just a pretty face,” Heaberlin added.

“Got that right. That gunfight elevated her to heroine status. Gained Victor’s confidence and respect. Hanson Whitley uses her as a mouthpiece because she’s got the ‘look’. She’s even got a pad in the Sundome.”

“Don’t one bedroom apartments down there go for a quarter of a million dollars?”

“Something like that. I know I can’t afford it. That’s why I keep my big ass here every night. It’s safe and it’s free.”

“How much time do you spend away from here?” Heaberlin asked.

“I go down to ninth and Figueroa to get breakfast sometimes.” He thought for a moment. “I guess that’s about it. Hell. Maybe I do need to get out of here more often. Let’s go hit a bar tomorrow night.”