Spring 1930

It's Arkham. Another abandoned house on the edge of town isn't worth paying attention to. Private detective Lazarus Core wouldn't bother with the place himself, but he's tracking down a runaway, and the trail has led him to this place. Except something's wrong here. That's clear even before he's caught sneaking around by his rival.

Harlan Thompson is the most dangerous man in the city, leader of the local Pharaoh Syndicate. He knows things. Impossible, sinister things, things no human should know. And some things Lazarus wants to know very much, like the location of the runaway he's looking for. Harlan offers a challenge to test Lazarus' detective skills in exchange for the information. Lazarus can't refuse; Harlan's got his gun. But as music floats through the rooms, and the infestation becomes clear, Lazarus gets the feeling something that should've stayed in the dark has surfaced once more...

Short story, 6.6k words