"Michael Flynn - Falling Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flynn Michael)

introduced him as Chino Martinez and the other as Ed Tiquba. тАЬThatтАЩs тАШTiQuba,тАЩтАЭ the black man said,
giving a click in place of the Q-sound Winfrey had used. It seemed to ChaseтАЩs ear like the sound that a
rider made with his cheek to giddyup his horse. He lifted his bottle. тАЬHereтАЩs to the big hats тАжтАЭ
тАЬтАж And the swelled heads that wear тАЩem.тАЭ Winfrey and his buddies were drinking Dos Equis. тАЬI was
making myself a nice piece of cash,тАЭ Winfrey went on. тАЬUp Goddard, you know? Testing DSM for Straight
Arrow.тАЭ He shook his head. тАЬWhen you guys started cutting back on your lift schedules, we had a hard
time lifting raws and dropping stuff ground-side. So Straight Arrow had to close up shop.тАЭ
тАЬWasnтАЩt my idea,тАЭ Chase said. тАЬCutting back.тАЭ
тАЬYeah, otter, I hear you.тАЭ Winfrey fell silent. He exchanged looks with the dogs, but no one said anything
more for a while. The waitress came and set a plate of tangy barbecue with a side of beans and dill
pickles in front of Chase.
Her clothing affected a compromise between the maximum tolerable in the heat and the minimum required
by decency. If the compromise conceded a little more to one side than the other, it was a compromise
Chase approved.
Chase had never strayed from his marriage тАФ it was part of his code тАФ but putting a ring on his finger
hadnтАЩt made him blind, and he frankly admired the female of the species. Drop-dead gorgeous was not the
only factor, nor even a necessary one тАФ he admired grit and quiet competency, too тАФ but neither was it
much of a drawback.
Winfrey looked up. тАЬPut in on my tab, Honey.тАЭ
тАЬYou donтАЩt have a tab,тАЭ she said.
тАЬSo start one. Do I have to do all the thinking around here?тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩre in deep trouble if you do,тАЭ she said. тАЬYou canтАЩt pay with your good looks. First off, you donтАЩt have
any and тАФтАЭ
Winfrey flushed under his bushy beard. тАЬCтАЩmon, cut a guy a break тАжтАЭ
Chase pulled his wallet out and laid a couple of presidents on the table. тАЬDonтАЩt worry about it.тАЭ Winfrey
hesitated and looked embarrassed, but did not push the money back. The waitress counted the bills as
she picked them up. She dropped a smile on Chase.
тАЬNow, ifyou wanted to pay with your good looks тАжтАЭ She let the suggestion hang before turning away.
Chase watched her go.
тАЬThereтАЩs a word in Shona,тАЭ said Ed with a wistful grin, тАЬfor walking that way.тАЭ
Chase grunted. тАЬI just bet there is.тАЭ He turned back to the table. Winfrey wouldnтАЩt meet his eye.
тАЬLook, IтАЩll pay you back, soon as тАФтАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre starting to worry,тАЭ Chase cautioned him.
Winfrey slumped in his chair. He looked at his two companions. тАЬLifeтАЩs a bitch,тАЭ he said.
тАЬAnd then you die,тАЭ agreed Chino.
WinfreyтАЩs hands bunched on the tabletop, fingers interlaced. Then, bumping the table once, he sighed and
picked up his drink. тАЬHow long you think this DipтАЩll go on?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬBeats me,тАЭ Chase said. тАЬIтАЩm no bean counter. Marcel Reynaud тАФ heтАЩs the new CEO Pegasus brought
in тАФ he told us at the meeting today that thereтАЩs no money to operate while the lawsuits are pending
because the Social Security bonds have sucked up all the loose change. I guessanyone who needs cash
is having trouble scrounging it up. So, they cut costs.тАЭ
тАЬCosts,тАЭ said Ed. тАЬThatтАЩs you anтАЩ me.тАЭ
тАЬSomething like that, anyway. HereтАЩs a freaking asteroid gonna whack us upside the head and the big hats
are letting all the money go down the toilet.тАЭ Chase took a slug of Skull. He supposed he might have felt
different if heтАЩd been on the receiving end of Social Security. Anything to keep those checks a-coming. But
now a whole cartload of guys who would have been payinginto the fund were out of work, so go figure.
Winfrey was watching the waitress chat with Al. He pursed his lips. тАЬYou think that BeanтАЩs for real?тАЭ
Chase cocked his head. тАЬDonтАЩt you?тАЭ
Winfrey shrugged. тАЬDonтАЩt much care, as long as it puts us back to work.тАЭ
Chino checked his watch. тАЬHey, we better get humping,тАЩmano , if we gonna meet the girls in time.тАЭ The