"Elrod, P N - Vampire Files 09 - Lady Crymsyn E-Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

face of noncomprehension. He was more than happy to explain.
"It occurred to me that there was a quantity of dead space beneath all those
raised tiers. I asked Mr. Kell if there was a way under them, and he obligingly
told me about a utility door behind one of the bars."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"He probably thought you already knew."
I usually arrived at the club well after the workers were gone for the day. Leon
could hardly hang around every night to give me a guided tour of what they'd
done, but I still felt like an idiot. "I didn't know anything like that was
there."
"Well, if it was not, then this night I would have suggested the construction of
some sort of access. The workmen have used it for tool storage, but nothing
more. Perhaps you should put a lock on the door to prevent misuse of the space.
Mr. Kell informed me that it would be a 'dandy place to take a girl,' which is
probably not the sort of activity you would wish to encourage during your hours
of business."
"Yeah, I can see it might be like going under the boardwalk on Coney Island."
"Something else you might also consider is employing a portion of it as an
emergency bolt-hole for yourself. It would be very simple to block off a sizable
section and put in whatever you might require for your daylight comfort."
He meant another cot with my home earth like the one at home. It was a great
idea, but after what happened in the club's basement, not something I wanted to
think about for the time being. I said I'd look into it later and changed the
subject. "So you did some eavesdropping?"
"Not in the literal sense, and not easily. The supporting framework for the
tiers prevented me from getting near anyone in the lower areas, but the middle
and upper seats were fairly clear. However, the materials used for construction
prevented me from hearing all that much. The padded upholstery over the wood is
most efficient at absorbing sound. It was more of an experiment than anything
else. I doubt if one could hear much of anything once the place is open to the
public, but in this case conditions were fairlyЧ"
"Learn anything?" I had to interrupt him. His discovery had put him in one of
those cheerful moods where he could enthuse for hours.
"A bit about the history of the club. Some of the members of your previous
profession were only too pleased recalling the lurid past to notice my thumping
around under their feet. They were exchanging tales of what they knew about the
death of the owner in '32 and the rather explosive manner of his dispatch. There
is rampant speculation that the unfortunate woman in the basement might have
been one of his victims, but until she is identified they can form no solid
conclusions. Their reasoning about there being a connection probably has merit,
but they are most unwise to theorize without facts."
"Or do it in the hearing of anyone who'd steal the idea."
"This fanciful improvisation on the part of some of them is worrisome to me. You
once said that reporters rarely have the time to commit such intentional
distortions."
"Most of 'em don't, but the yellow press boys thrive on the stuff. It comes with
the job. If a guy speculates and the public complains, he blames his editor, who
blames the publisher, who blames the demands of the public."
"Very tidy."
"We used to think so. You learn anything else?"