"Bowes-ShadowAndGunman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bowes Richard)

In the library, the situation was that Lisa snored with her mouth open.. "Don't
do the thing that will get you killed, little boy," Dr. X yelled while pounding
the trap door. "I see death around you. Cold nights and bad days, Kevin!"

In the first light, water trickled in gutters. The air smelled of wet dead
leaves. A voice beside my ear said, "We got plenty of vitamins." I didn't turn
to look. The face of your Shadow is always closer to your fears than your hopes.

PART TWO

Back home, I got to my more without encountering Tay or Gramny. A red torpedo
from the cache put me out. Late in the day, I looked at the foot of the bed and
saw a guy with a banged up face and hair that looked like the army had gotten
him.

It took me a moment to recognize my Shadow. He smiled like that hurt him and
spun the cylinder of the revolver. "This is one sport you'd be good at," he said
as he aimed at his temple. "Mom liked to play roulette too. Only, she did it
with a car."

He pulled the trigger. I jumped as the hammer clicked on an empty chamber.
"People kill themselves when they don't have the nerve to kill someone else.
Like Mom with her brothers. She could get mad and scare them. But not always. I
know they screwed her out of money. Instead of getting mad at them, she killed
herself.

"Don't make that same mistake. You don't have to kill. All you have to do is
show Uncle Jim that you aren't afraid. Take the gun and visit him today. I'll be
there. We'll talk about our future. And his. Do it or you'll end up looking like
this."

There was more but all of it scared me and I woke up dry-mouthed, soaked in
sweat. More drugs kept me awake and distracted. Till dawn, my thought were all
fantasies about Stacey and me. Somehow I was older, more dangerous, and driving
a black Thunderbird. She got very excited each time I saved her from Dr. X.

That morning, nerves pulsing in my skin, I went to Petrie's office on the chance
I'd meet Stacey. It turned out to be the last time I saw him. At one point, I
tried to ask what the word Doppelganger meant. But he looked up at me squirming
in my seat and said, "You seem to be having side effects. I'm canceling your
prescription."

Afterwards, as I should have known, there was no sign of Stacey. Things started
to jump like on a bad TV and I saw a red MG out of the comer of my eye. When I
turned, it was gone. Not wanting to be alone, I headed for the Gallery.

Joe might be there. He had once seen my Shadow. That Saturday, the place was
busy. Lots of guys stood at the door. Kids had come from the pool wearing
towels. I spotted Joe talking to one. He looked my way, amazed, like he saw
double again. But he made the gesture indicating him and me.