"Goulart, Ron - Vampirella 01 - Bloodstalk" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goulart Ron)

"What steps," asked Howard, "do you wish taken to -"
"Lemuel, attend to what I say," said the big sad man's mother. "You'll accompany Mr. Howard and observe this girl through one of the spy holes. Then -"
"How do we know it's even the right girl?"
"Don't interrupt your poor afflicted mother when she's speaking. The coincidence would be too incredible, Lemuel. This girl is interested in the Cult of Chaos. It follows, therefore, she is the vixen who destroyed our chapter at the sanitarium before coming to Feldenville." She paused and laughed deep down in her throat. "Even if she isn't, y, it won't hurt to kill her anyway. We don't want anyone poking into the cult and its activities."
Lemuel twisted the hem of his jacket between his thick fingers. "I don't want to do it. I don't want to follow her. I don't want to -"
"Yes, but you will," his mother said. "Now go along with Mr. Howard like a good boy."
Lemuel went.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Somewhere else in the old brownstone mansion a clock struck five. Vampirella closed The Crimson Chronicles and pushed back from the reading table. "If Chaos really delivers on all the promises made in this thing," the girl thought to herself, "his followers can do almost anything. Transmute base metal, control the weather, raise the dead -"
"Hem, ahem." The gaunt Mr. Howard had silently entered the room. "We close at five-thirty, miss. I thought I'd best alert you, so that you might begin finishing up your work."
"Yes, thank you. I'm ready to leave now." She stood up and reached for her coat.
"You didn't take any notes?," The librarian carefully picked up the ancient book and returned it to its locked case in one wall.
"I have a very retentive memory."
Rubbing at a scarlet patch on his neck, Howard asked, "Will you be visiting us again, miss?"
"I'm not certain."
"You'll be more than welcome at any time." He escorted her downstairs, then helped her into her coat and out of the house.
"Somebody," thought Vampirella as she walked away through the rain, "was watching me while I read that book. Was it HowardЕ or someone else?"
Sometimes Vampirella could read the thoughts of those near her. But she'd been unable to get any message while in the Jethryn. Still, she'd sensed eyes, hidden, watching.
The old library stood at the edge of town. Vampirella decided to walk back to her hotel. That would give her a better view of anyone who might attempt to follow her.
"That place has to be involved with the cult," she told herself. "And they're certain to be interested in me now. So let's see what kind of move they make."
Dr. Crowder's nose wrinkled. "No matter what hour of the day I arrive here, Howard, I find you wolfing down ice cream."
The librarian had been bent over a saucer of chocolate ice cream when the professor walked into his office. "Wolfing is hardly the word, sir. I might remind you that I grew up in Rhode Island, where a certain standard of manners was -"
"Yes, yes. I'm sure. Now I want to see the old lady."
"She's up in her parlor, as usual."
"Where is the loutish Lem?"
"Trailing the girl.
"Good. Let's hope he's capable of doing the proper sort of job."
"Oh, Lemuel will kill her. There's no fear of his not."
"I don't want her killed immediately. I want her brought back here, so that she can be questioned."
"Ah, I wasn't aware of that." Howard scratched at his face. "I'm not told everything that's on the agenda apparently. Well, whatever it is you want done, Lem will do. Mrs. Jethryn has no trouble getting him to follow orders."
I'll go up to her." Crowder left the office and climbed the stairs which led to the top of the old house.
He heard the old woman laughing as he approached the door of her parlor.
"Naughty, puss, naughty," Mrs. Jethryn was saying.
"Cavorting with that dreadful animal again." Crowder pushed into the parlor.
The black cat was clawing at the old woman's blue-white face while she slapped at it.
"He's a much better friend to me than anyone else in my poor lonely existence," the old woman said. "I'd like to remind you that you must knock before barging into a lady's private chambers. Even those of a poor crippled old ruin such as myself."
"Yes, yes." Crowder dropped down into a chair and reached for his pipe and tobacco pouch. "I understand Lemuel is following my instructions as to the girl. What else can you tell me about her?"
"Being only one step from bedridden, I did not have the opportunity to see her myself." Mrs. Jethryn gave the cat a particularly violent slap and sent it spinning, yowling, off her lap to the floor. "From what that imbecile Howard tells me she is quite attractive." The old woman traced the fresh, bleeding scratches on her cheek.
"Your son will bring her back to us?"
"Yes, of course. He's to follow her. When she reaches the place where she's staying, he's to call. Then he's to grab the girl. I will send Howard to meet them with the car, and the girl will be brought here."
Crowder poked his pipe into the pouch. "Yes, that sounds all right," he said. "I'm most anxious to talk to her."
Mrs. Jethryn said, "Who can she be, I wonder?"
The girl who destroyed Ethan Todd."
"I'm aware of that. I meant, what is she? An agent for someone, a lone investigatorЕ" She rubbed again at the cat scratches on her face. "You're certain she's not working with Van Helsing and his son?"
"Yes, I'm certain of that."
"They'll have to be taken care of, as well, those two. It won't do to have a pair of such prominent occult investigators snooping about."
Crowder snorted. "I think old Van Helsing's reputation has been considerably exaggerated and inflated by the press," he said. "Certainly the family has had a long tradition of investigating the so-called supernatural, dating back to the last century when their relative went after Count -"
"It's dangerous to underestimate any opponent."
"If Van Helsing and his son remain in town after the girl has been taken care of," promised Crowder, "I will see to it they do not bother us."
"Once you have questioned this girlЕ what then?"