“Why don’t you give me the drive,” I asked Teresa after we’d got into the elevator.”

“You sure you don't want me to take this over to the cops,” she asked, a little surprised. “You asked-”

“It's probably not so bad,” I told her, maybe she just wanted to see men in uniform. A look back up at her. “If you really want to.”

But when the doors opened at the second floor, I could see her nose twitch, nostrils flare, and her expression change for the worse. Her response grew more pronounced once we stepped out onto the carpeted mezzanine.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

“No, I’m fine” she told me. “It’s nothing like that. At least nothing I can’t control. At least at this point.”

But I could see the look of worry on Teresa’s face before she turned away from me to look down the

A lone cop was standing guard, yes, Officer 6623, still at his post. Had to admire his dedication.

“That’s pretty strong,” she admitted. “I didn’t expect to smell the blood from all the way down here.

“Let me take it,” I offered again, taking the gentlemanly route.

She nodded,

“Probably a good idea” she told me, handing me the drive. “Don’t to end up getting arrested, especially during a full moon. “If this is going to be one of those nights, I’d not tempt my other half.”

I nodded.

“Say hi to Vaclav for me,” she said, and headed towards the opposite exit.

I stood there in the mezzanine for a moment, stared out of the lobby windows. It was getting darker even though it was still early afternoon. Well, The weather forecast was for maybe sleet. Storm was moving in. Might even turn to snow or freezing rain north of the city.

Officer 6623 glanced my way as I approached, looking bored out of his skull. I envied him.

“Want to go in again?” he asked when I reached his bailiwick.

“No,” I told him shaking my head. “Is Fingers still in there?”

“No, just the Crime Scene guys finishing up.”

“I have something for them,” I told him and offered up my gift. “These are our files on the Tenant and the copies of the building’s surveillance footage that Finger’s requested.”

He stared at me.

“Take it,” I told him. “I’m done for the day.”

Seemingly reluctantly he took the drive. I couldn’t get myself out of the vicinity fast enough. Moments later, I was outside, enjoying the cold icy air and the walk across the lawn to Boscoe street.

A glance over behind the building looked to me as if MZC had actually showed up to do its job as I’d called them to do yesterday, which now seemed a month ago. But, good news. The trio who’d been trying to get into the dumpster were nowhere to be seen. At least that was done. I felt a touch of cold and wet on my face, looked up into the graying gloom, not being able to tell if it was rain or snow.

Should have brought my umbrella, I realized, then headed over to the spot in the ironwork fence where I wouldn’t have to climb over.

As it turned out, Metro Zombie Control clearly hadn’t actually shown up yet. The three zombies hadn’t gone far. They were standing around the bus stop at the corner. Or maybe it was a different trio. I couldn’t; tell. A clutch of rotting zombies pretty much looks the same as any other, if I’m being brutally honest. I looked out, waited for a car to go by before I crossed to the other side, well away from the walking dead.

No sense I join them before my time, after all. But, you know what? There are worse things than ending up as a zombie. Sure, vampires, werewolves, revenants and ghouls all get to keep their brains - relatively I suppose, but they the only way to end up as one of them is to have die pretty horribly. Doesn’t take much to re-animate as a bottom feeder, even if you don’t get to keep much personality or memories, which in some cases, is probably a blessing.