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

Griffin dropped us at home and drove unhurriedly away, the Packard's exhaust a
thick, swirling fume in the winter air.
"How you plan to handle it?" I asked Escott as I walked to my car and unlocked
it.
"I'm leaving myself a wide range of options by not deciding that until I've met
the man. If he's reasonable, I'll reason with him. If notЕ" He spread his hands
in a speculative gesture and walked away, taking the narrow alley between his
building and the next so he could get his Nash out of the garage in back.
Since my suit was good enough for the Top Hat, I could start right away as well.
The sooner we got the bracelet back, the sooner I could return to the typewriter
and rescue Olivia from a horrible fate at the hands of the dreaded spider cult.
My mind was busy with permutations on the story's ending as I made a U-turn and
followed Griffin's route out of the neighborhood. I was halfway to the club
before I noticed the car following me. A couple of turns later and I was certain
about the tail; not a new experience, but decidedly uncomfortable. For the time
being I did nothing and drove to the Top Hat. As I parked, the coupe drifted
past, looking for a spot of its own. It was a neat little foreign job I'd never
seen before, driven by a woman who looked vaguely familiar. Maybe she was some
friend of Bobbi's, but I didn't think so. I left my car, walked in the club
entrance, and offered my hat and coat to the check girl.
The claim ticket was hardly in my pocket when the other driver charged through
the door, looking a little breathless. She spotted me looking at her, pretended
not to notice, and marched past to toss a wide silver fox wrap at the girl. She
made quite a business of putting away her own ticket in her tiny purse and then
pretended a vast interest in a placard advertising the club's entertainment. I
hung around the lobby, not making it easy for her.
A noisy group came in and she used them as an excuse to glance around, but I was
still looking right at her. She flushed deep pink and went back to riddling with
her purse again, this time pulling out a cigarette case. I crossed the dozen
feet separating us and fired up my lighter. Startled, her eyes flicked up to
meet mine. They were huge, very round, and a pure and lovely blue. Her thick
sable hair fell back freely from cream-colored shoulders. They were bare except
for two braided metallic straps holding up the silver sheath of her evening
gown.
"Thank you," she said, and lighted her cigarette. She briefly locked eyes again,
made a decision, and blinked prettily. "What's your name?"
"Jack. What's yours?"
She giggled, schoolgirl seductive, and shook her head, letting her hair swing a
little.
I recognized her now and wasn't happy about it. Sebastian Pierce had been very
insistent about keeping his daughter ignorant of his business.
"You always follow strange men around?"
"Only the ones I might like."
"That can be dangerous, Miss Pierce."
Her head jerked in surprise, then her eyes dropped. "So I've been found out. Are
you going to tell Daddy?" She looked up from under her bangs, as appealingly as
possible.
"Depends. Why don't you drop the high school flirt act and we talk about it?"
Now she did blink. I might as well have smacked her face with a wet towel.
"YouЧ"