"Guardino, Louise - Feels Like Dignity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Guardino Louise)

"Yeah, well you left the business. It ain't the same now."
"So it's okay to blow old friends off?"
"Yeah. Unless we got business."
"Oh, we got business, all right. You made sure of that when you left
Allen for me to find. Big mistake, that."
"It's not what you think Tomas." Renny scanned the nearby area. "Okay,
come on in." He stepped aside and backed into the house.
I followed. Distance meant nothing, both of us being good with the
knife. Inside, it was dim, the shades drawn. Sparsely furnished, there
was a neatness about it that fit Renny.
I went right for it. "Why'd you do it? He didn't deserve that."
"You're speaking outta your ass, man. You know nothing about what he
deserved. You didn't know the man."
I laughed. "Not know him? You don't eat grubs and shit with someone for
ten years and not know him. A guy who saved your life many times over."
"Yeah, you do. You do when you don't want to see what's there."
I looked at the man who had killed Allen. Renny had rarely known
remorse, if ever. I'd known that in all the hellholes of the past and I
knew it now. What did it matter what quirk had driven him to bring his
sick ways home with him? I drove the edge of my hand at his neck.
Inactivity had slowed me by a few seconds too many. Renny slipped by,
grabbing my arm and throwing me off balance while planting a knee in my
back as I flew past.
"Don't be stupid, Tomas. You never were fast enough. You want to see why
I snuffed that piece of shit? He got less than he deserved."
I rolled over and sprang up, going for Renny's knees. He went down and
scrambled to avoid the killing blow. "Listen to me," he screamed. "He
took my kid down. You hear me, man? She's just a kid."
We were both on our feet now, looking for the opening. "Don't waste time
on half-ass stories. I'm not buying."
Renny's body slammed me into a piece of furniture. We both went down. He
twisted my balls. I got my thumb in his eye. He grabbed my wrist, trying
to keep me from digging deep enough for the souvenir I needed for
Allen's casket, the little bit of justice to restore some dignity to his
remains.
"I'll break you, man. Listen to me. Look in the other room. She's a
crack-head. Remember Bangkok? Remember the little girls he liked? Seven
was too old. Remember? Or were you too stubborn to see?"
My thumb eased up as I remembered Bangkok. Allen used to give baht by
the handfuls to the street urchins. He said he was reminded of his own
bleak childhood. I'd seen him buy clothes and food and find shelter for
hordes of the beggars. This one night, though, he had a look that made
me uneasy. He spoke about the sweet meat. I figured it was an act to
gain entry into the kiddie flesh market. Except for that look in his
eyes. Unforgettable. Hunger, lust, whatever-it had turned me away.
Renny pulled my hand from his eye and yanked me up. "Look. Go see for
yourself the big man's work." He pushed me towards a door. "He couldn't
get the young ones here so he made do."
I opened the door. The room was dark. When my eyes adjusted I made out a
curled form on the bed--thin arms, dirty blonde hair. The smell of puke