"Elrod, P N - Vampire Files 05 - Fire In The Blood E-Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

His clothes were still in the wardrobe and bureau, which was good news. A dented
metal suitcase was tucked under the spindly legs of a washstand. Unless he had
plans to buy clothes along the way, he hadn't skipped town yet.
I'd just lowered the bed again to check under the mattress when the stairs
outside warned me that someone was coming up; a man, by the sound of his shoes.
He was going slow, but the old wood announced his progress like a brass band. I
eased the bed down the rest of the way and vanished.
He took his time at the door and then opened it slowly, as though he expected a
problem was waiting for him inside. He clicked on the light, waited another
moment, then closed the door up again. He made a quick circuit of the room,
brushing right past me. He stopped in his tracks.
"Jack? Are you here?"
A clipped English accent. Escott.
I materialized with some relief and squinted. After working in the dark for so
long, the room lights seemed painfully bright to my sensitive eyes. "Yeah, I'm
here. How'd you know?"
He looked relieved as well. "I felt a sudden cold spot cut right through my
coat. When that happens I am inclined to think you must be lurking nearby. Have
you been here long?" He pocketed a worn leather kit that held a number of lock
picks and skeleton keys. It explained the excessive time he'd spent at the door.
"Long enough for a search."
"Is it clean?" A fastidious man himself, he couldn't help wrinkling his nose at
the place.
"Figuratively speaking, yes, but we may have a problemЕ" I told him about my
little square dance at the Top Hat with Marian and Summers and Bobbi's news on
McAlister.
"Dear me, but Miss Pierce has thrown a spanner into the works by her
misinterpretation of her father's actions. If McAlister is the guilty party with
the bracelet, he'll have the wind up by now."
"Which is why I got over here. Bobbi figured he'd stop long enough for his
clothes."
"I may put Miss Smythe on a retainer," he murmured. "I've just come from a
betting parlor McAlister frequents. It seems we're not the only party looking
for him."
"He lose big?"
"Almost two thousand dollarsЧ"
"Ouch."
"Чto a bookie anxious to take it from McAlister's hide if the money is not
immediately forthcoming."
"Let's hope he stops here first."
"Indeed. If he's carrying the bracelet with him it could be lost to our
competition to cover his debt."
"Want to wait here for him?"
"It's much warmer than the street below, though we should shut off the light."
He relocked the door.
When he was settled in a wobbling chair, I hit the switch. The darkness washed
comfortably over my eyes and they adjusted easily. The dim gray illumination
coming from the room's only window bounced off the mirror hanging over the
bureau and caught the edge of Escott's face.
"Can you see all right?" he asked.