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

had tables, but no booths, and as promised, only one customer in the back on the
left.
He stood up as we came close, a tall, weedy-looking man with a lion's mane of
wavy white hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a monumental nose. His handshake was
dry and firm.
"Well, I thought there'd be only one of you, but I don't mind the extra company
if it'll get the job done," he said in a soft, gravelly voice. "I'm Sebastian
Pierce, which one of you is Escott?"
"I am Charles Escott, Mr. Pierce. This is my business associate, Jack Fleming."
"Pleased." He nodded at me, then turned back to Escott as we sat down together.
"English, are you? Is that a London accent?"
"Yes."
Pierce found it amusing for some reason and asked if we wanted a drink. I
declined, but Escott said he'd have whatever Pierce was having, which amused him
even more.
"Don't know as you'd like it, since it's only sarsaparilla. I got slinking drunk
once in my life and swore never to repeat the experience."
"Sarsaparilla will be fine."
Pierce signed to the bartender, who brought over an open bottle and a glass,
then returned to hunch over his radio.
"You think I'm some sort of lunatic, Mr. Fleming?" he questioned, reading my
open-book mug correctly.
There were deep-set humor lines all over his face. It had been well lived in for
the last sixty years or so, but they'd been good years. "I must know a hundred
stories about what happens to the guy who walks into a bar and asks for what
you're drinking," I said.
"Nonsense, you're only old enough to know two or three of those at the most."
I was in my mid-thirties, but looked a lot younger. I didn't bother to correct
him and only shook my head a little.
"I happen to own this place," he said, moving his half-full glass around in
smeary circles with long, flat fingers. On one of them, a huge ring made from
chunks of cut-up gold coins winked happily in the dim light. "It's usually
busier, but tonight I wanted some privacy, so DCS here shooed out the regulars
for the time being. Griff will make sure no one else comes in."
That was for damned sure.
Escott sipped his foamy drink without visible harm. "You mentioned a job, Mr.
Pierce."
"Yes." He pulled out a photograph of a fancy-looking bracelet. It was covered in
diamonds and some darker stones arranged in a spiral pattern. If the picture
were life size the bracelet would be about an inch wide. "I was in Paris before
the war and had this specially commissioned as a gift to my wife for our fifth
wedding anniversary. It was and is unique, and as you can imagine, quite
valuable, both in terms of hard cash and soft sentiment."
"What is it made of?"
"Diamonds and rubies on platinum. When my wife died some years ago, I put all
her jewelry in the safe until our daughter came of age. Marian had her
twenty-first birthday last month and took charge of it all, according to her
mother's wishes."
"And this piece?"
"Has been stolen. I want it back, but quietly. I don't want publicity, and I