A minute’s walk from my front door took me to the top of the white stone steps of the Montmatre Cathedral. I could see noone about in the gathering dusk of the evening but I knew where I would find those who would be most able to point me in the direction of suspicious happenings and bloody neck wounds. Normally vampires prefer to keep a low profile and to just nibble at the edges of society, pluck off those specimens that will not be missed. I knew that they would much rather taste the blood of the young and healthy, like I would prefer to sample a vintage Chateau Neuf du Pape than grape juice, but if they drew too much attention to themselves then it would be a species war which they could never win. There are simply not enough of them and they are all loath to create more of themselves with whom they would have to share our blood. Vampires are the biggest snobs I have ever encountered. This period of social distemper was ideal for them. It was like a period of plenty, a time when they could walk unnoticed amidst the living who were so occupied with upheaval that they would not recognise the greatest threat until it bit them in the neck. It was a time for harvesting.

I reached the bottom of the steps and walked around the bottom to the side door underneath and to one side, hidden in the shadow of the steps. I think the door is still there today though it is probably still just as hard to see if you don’t know what you are looking for. It has no discernable outline and no handle. There is a crack in the stone where you place you mouth and whisper the correct words and then the door opens inwards and you say “Bon soir” to the large and leathery doorman who waves you in. He raised his eyebrow at the bag over my shoulder but said nothing. If he were to stop every suspicious character that entered this hideaway he would have no rest. He would also live longer this way, as the frequent visitors to ‘SUB’ were all deviants and violent criminals of one sort or another who would sooner rip your hand off than shake it. I knew of the dive as I too used to be a deviant and I have always liked to travel in the highest and the lowest social circles.