"Kathleen Ann Goonan - Angels and You Dogs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goose Mother)

I saw Officer Hawks striding down the hall. I hastily thanked the nurse
and a moment later opened the curtain she had indicated a crack and
glimpsed Lulu lying pale on the white sheet, shivering.
I stepped back out, saw an open cabinet full of blankets, grabbed three,
and went back in. Her lips were blue beneath her lipstick, giving them a
purple tinge.
She opened her eyes as I shook the blankets open and settled them over
her. "Did you go?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"Who?"
"Ambrose."
"I've never heard Ambrose say a word." But he did bark, just then, so I
lifted him out of the bag and set him on her chest. The bark did not put a
dent in the cacophony of screaming, moaning, and cursing issuing from
various other curtained spaces.
"Oh!" She clutched him tightly, and, as usual, Ambrose set to licking
her face. "Ambrose, Ambrose, I'm so sorry."
"I know about it," I said. "I called your father."
"You what?"
"And I'll tell you exactly what Ambrose said. 'It's time to let me go.
Please.' Or something like that."
"You're lying. Ambrose would never say that." Her teeth chattered, and
tears rolled from the corners of her eyes, with predictable results on the
part of the dog.
I regrouped immediately, forgetting the entreaties of Dr. Lozano. He
hadn't been able to open his daughter's eyes. Why should it be my
responsibility?
"Yes. I am. He told me to help you through this. He told me that he
loved you always and that you should say hi to your mama and tell her not
to drink so much."
She stopped shaking. Then she smiled. "That's better. That's much
better."
"It was a long time ago, Lulu."
"Only six years."
"It was an accident."
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I shot him. I killed him. The car
went into the river. He and Parker died. I lived." She closed her eyes but
kept talking. "It took me a while to understand that he was trying to talk
to me. We had this puppy. He got out of the truck. He was swimming
when the police picked him up. We eloped when we were seventeen.
Mama and Papa were furious. But if you'd known him, you would have
understood. Ambrose was full of fun. He wasn't headed for college, but I
didn't care. He worked at the lumber yard and for builders when there was
work. He could do anything. Lay bricks or wire a house." She paused. I
was glad she was sedated. I didn't think she would be telling me this
otherwise.
"Parker was sitting next to me on the front seat and put his hand up my
skirt. My purse was next to me on the left side, and I didn't think, I didn't
think, I didn't think at all. He just made me mad as blazes. I pulled out my