"Esther M. Friesner - At These Prices" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

claim that after the price IтАЩve paid to lease this dump, I canтАЩt have this?тАЭ She waved
the bottle at Bixby.
тАЬMs. Franklin,тАЭ he said, attempting to pour laudanum on troubled waters.
тАЬMs. Franklin, maтАЩam, I believe we are both the victims of an innocent
misunderstanding as to, er, boundaries. Small items that are not reusable, such as
soaps and such, are yours to keep with our compliments, although we do prefer you
take only the ones left in your room.тАЭ He eyed the strewn trove of mouthwash, bath
gel, body lotion, and hair conditioner and murmured, тАЬSo thatтАЩs why we found the
maidтАЩs cart stripped bare.тАЭ Then, aloud: тАЬAs for larger things such as this....
тАЬHolding the hair dryer with one hand, he plucked a plush hotel bathrobe from the
wreckage with the other. тАЬTheyтАЩre not yours for the taking.тАЭ
With a sound midway between a growl and a whimper, Bella flung herself at
the bathrobe and tore it from BixbyтАЩs grasp. тАЬThatтАЩs mine,тАЭ she said. тАЬI brought it
with me.тАЭ
Bixby took a deep, centering breath. тАЬMaтАЩam, perhaps youтАЩve confused this
robe with your own. Look here.тАЭ He reclaimed one corner of the disputed garment
so that Bella had no choice but to see the hotelтАЩs embroidered logo.
тАЬI bought this robe the last time I stayed here!тАЭ Bella maintained. тАЬIтАЩve never
been so insulted in all my life. Get out of my room this instant, before I call the
police!тАЭ
тАЬBy all means, maтАЩam,тАЭ Bixby replied. His voice had lost its softness. тАЬI
haveтАФтАЭ a garden of perspiration blossomed all over his face тАЬтАФother obligations at
this hour. Pressing ones. It is almost ten oтАЩclock. That hour is sacrosanct to me, and
I will settle this business with you by then, one way or another. Call the police. And
the sooner, the better.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩve got your nerve,тАЭ Bella said, but made no move toward the phone.
Bixby permitted himself a brief smile. тАЬMaтАЩam, I am not your enemy. I agree
that hotel prices in New York City are rather high, that frugality is a virtue, and that
your blind determination to get full value for money spent is admirable, in its own
way. However, when misguided frugality oversteps the boundsтАФтАЭ
Bella laid one hand to her bosom. тАЬOh my God, youтАЩre calling me a thief!
YouтАЩre saying I stole from this glorified flop-house when all I did was take a few
teensy little legal freebies.тАЭ She pointed at her ruptured luggage. The tray that had
once reposed under the ice bucket peeked out from beneath the purloined duvet. A
matched set of four drinking glasses glinted from their towel-swathed safety inside
the ice bucket (tongs included) formerly located atop the mini-bar.
тАЬNo decent hotel would think twice about something this trivial,тАЭ she went on.
тАЬAt these prices you should be giving me free spa treatments, not false accusations.
ItтАЩs slander! Libel! IтАЩll sue you until youтАЩre blue in the face! IтАЩllтАФтАЭ She paused
abruptly and gave Bixby a look of deep puzzlement. Her wrath dropped away,
replaced by genuine concern as she asked: тАЬPardon me, but did you know that you
are blue in the face? Blue-gray, actually, butтАФтАЭ
An alarm went off in BixbyтАЩs pants. It was his cell phone, chiming the hour of
ten. тАЬCurse you, you froth-mouthed wench!тАЭ he roared. His abrupt transformation
from hotel hireling to slate-faced madman made Bella yelp. тАЬYour endless babblings
have undone me! By the bless├йd Mill, the Holy Hour is upon me, and no hope at all
of succor unless I findтАФтАЭ
He paused in midrant. His nostrils twitched. His frantic eyes swept the room,
alighting once more on the little coffee maker. He took one unsteady step toward it,
reaching out like Galahad vouchsafed a vision of the Grail.