"Carrol, Jonathan - Fish In A Barrel (txt)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Carroll Jonathan)

this job. Kropik had made a mistake? Turned over a wrong file? Impossible! And
to his namesake, no less! Once his initial astonishment passed, Aoyagi could
barely contain his glee. This was one big booboo! Their superiors would know
about it before the day was over and Kropik's ass would be toast.

As if to rub in the mistake, the kid looked at the paper and said in a loud
whine, "I don't know anyone named Andrea Harmon. And I've never been to Crane's
View, New York. Is this some kind of joker What about my mother? You said I
would remember what she was like!"

He was looking at Aoyagi and vice versa. Neither saw the change on old Kropik's
face when he heard the names. His mouth opened and closed as if he were about to
start chewing but decided not to. When words failed, he did something he never
ever would have, should have, could have done in any other situation: he reached
across his desk and yanked the file out of the boy's hand. Snatched it right
away.

Aoyagi gasped. The boy stood up and pointed an angry finger at Kropik. "What the
hell's going on here?"

Aoyagi stepped forward and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him. He
didn't know what else to do. Something big and mysterious was happening here but
he was dumbfounded. His colleague had always been as dull and habitual as a
hundred-year-old Galapagos turtle.

Old Kropik ignored them both as he concentrated on the paper. Seconds later his
mouth began moving again, and this time it went so fast that he looked like a
chewing hamster.

The boy saw it first and laughed. "Your friend's going freako!"

Eyes on the page, Kropik slapped a palm against his broad forehead and began
rubbing it furiously back and forth, back and forth. Was it a nervous breakdown?
Had he gone mad?

"Andrea!" he shouted. "You should have told me! If only I'd w ,, When his voice
disappeared, his chin began quivering again.

"So where's my file? Huh? And what's his fucking problem?"

What was Aoyagi supposed to do? The kid was the job, Kropik was his colleague.
He didn't care about either of them, but cowardice saved him. Cowardice and
nothing else. Kropik would retire soon -- maybe even today, from the looks of
things. But if the kid weren't served, Aoyagi would be in trouble. Word would
get out. He'd be summoned upstairs. Anyway Kropik seemed all right -- he was
just having a little fit but nothing deadly or anything. After one last look at
his head-slapping, eyebulging, chin-shivering co-worker, Aoyagi went to a file
cabinet and slid open a drawer.

Earlier Kropik told the boy he didn't need his name because everything was