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

Leon paused to glance uneasily at me. "There's that."
"Suppose whoever did it brought her down here and had only a flashlight or maybe a lantern?"
"He'd have to. There weren't no electric lights strung so far back into the basement until me and the boys put em in ourselves. You sure got some kind of wicked thoughts on that, Mr. Fleming."
"Imagination isn't always a happy gift. He must have had her tied and gagged or maybe she was unconscious. He carries her all the way to the back, to a place where he's sure no one will bother to go. He puts her down next to the wall, secures her bonds to a bolt he drives into the bricks there. Then he starts laying the first course along that uneven floor."
"Yeah, I guess." Leon didn't seem comfortable with the picture I'd conjured.
"How long do you think a job like that would take?"
"I donno. Not a lot of time for someone who knows what he's doing. For this guy, more than just a couple of hours, I'd say. I got a good chance to look at the work while we was taking it apart, and I think he got better at it toward the end. You know, as he got it built up to meet the ceiling."
"Practice makes perfect."
That snagged me another uneasy look. "The mortar was a little different, too. Like he run out halfway up and had to mix another batch. Jeez, now you got me thinking like you."
"Did you tell this to the cops?"
"Nah. They was too interested in us just getting the wall down. They didn't ask us nothing except if we knew who she was and none of us could say yes to that."
"Before you leave I think you should mention what you've told me to Lieutenant Blair."
"Okay, if you want me to." Leon didn't seem too cheered at the prospect.
"You think he won't listen?"
"Ah, he's a cop, they only listen to what they wanna hear."
"You just tell him I sent you over."
"Okay, I'll do it. There's just one thingЧabout taking the wall down? I didn't want you thinking we was going slow so as to make overtime for ourselves."
"I never thought that," I said truthfully. "But I'm glad you mentioned it. I'll make sure the cops pay for the overtime."
"Really? You think they will?"
"Yeah, I can try, anyway." And succeed, if I chose to.
"Believe me, none of us wanted to be back there any longer than we had to with that thing."
"I don't blame you."
"It's creepy enough here without moreЧ" He shut himself up.
"More what?"
"Of thatЕ thing." He gestured helplessly to where the cops were still gathered.
"What's so creepy about this joint, Leon? Something else got you worried?"
"Nothing, boss. It's been a hell of a night, and I need to get home to my wife before she sends out a search party. Those guys said we wasn't to go poking around over there tomorrow, so you got something else you want us to do instead?"
I told him he could start the men on finishing the near half of the basement once they got the okay from Blair's people. Tools and bags of cement and wall plaster were piled up under the new stairs all ready to go.
"There's also some kind of stain on the floor tiles behind the lobby bar," I added. "See if you can get that cleaned up, too."
He promised to handle it all, then with his new observations about the mortar, reluctantly approached Blair. I wondered if I should offer Leon a permanent position doing building maintenance. He seemed to know how to do just about every kind of job I could name. The fact that he was concerned about my misinterpreting things on the overtime gave me to think he had a solid share of personal integrity, that, or he didn't want to risk being fired. Either way, it meant he was honest. I thought he worried too much about small stuff, but it did make him good at the work. There wasn't one wall in the whole building where the painters had missed a spot.
Leon eventually left by way of the back entry ramp, and I followed him up, lighting a cigarette. I couldn't really smoke; my body wouldn't allow me to inhale the stuff any farther than my mouth, but it gave me something to do with my hands, as well as an excuse to loiter in the alley, keeping an eye on the cops.
After six superficial puffs it abruptly dawned on me that this was my place, and I could loiter wherever the hell I wanted.
Damn it all, but I should be used to the idea by now. I finally had something of my own, something that would matter to people. It was also okay to have pride in what I was accomplishing. Maybe it wasn't the Panama Canal in terms of general importance to the world, but to me specifically this club was the biggest thing I'd ever done for myself.
Not needing it anymore, I dropped the cigarette in a puddle and took a slow stroll around my place, and if there was a bit of a swagger in my walk, I didn't think anyone could blame me for it.
The feeling lasted until I rounded the front corner, saw the cars still parked all over the street along with the meat wagon, and remembered why they were there.
As Blair had said, That poor girl.
Maybe Leon had felt her hovering presence, and that's why the joint gave him the creeps tonight. I could imagine her for myself as well, but firmly shrugged it off. I had to believe in vampires since I was one, but my internal jury was still out when it came to ghosts.
"So that's where you've gotten to," called Escott, coming up behind me.
"I could say the same. Where've you been?"
"Observing without being observed." It was one of his specialties. He swatted at his clothes, having picked up a layer of sawdust. There were patches of it on his knees and elbows.
"What happened to you?"
"I found a most excellent place to eavesdrop, though it was a trifle dirty."
"Where?"
"Under the booth seating."
If I asked another question, I'd only sound like a parrot. Instead I put on a 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."