"Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake 02 - Laughing Corpse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Laurell K)

тАЬYou kill vampires for money,тАЭ he said.
тАЬLegal execution, and I donтАЩt do it for the money,тАЭ I said.
Tommy shook his head and moved away from the wall. тАЬI hear you like staking
vampires. And you arenтАЩt too careful about who you have to kill to get to
тАШem.тАЭ
тАЬMy informants tell me you have killed humans before, Ms. Blake,тАЭ Gaynor
said.
тАЬOnly in self-defense, Gaynor. I donтАЩt do murder.тАЭ
Bert was standing now. тАЬI think it is time to leave.тАЭ
Bruno stood in one fluid movement, big dark hands loose and half-cupped at
his sides. I was betting on some kind of martial arts.
Tommy was standing away from the wall. His sport jacket was pushed back to
expose his gun, like an old-time gunfighter. It was a .357 Magnum. It would
make a very big hole.
I just stood there, staring at them. What else could I do? I might be able
to do something with Bruno, but Tommy had a gun. I didnтАЩt. It sort of ended
the argument.
They were treating me like I was a very dangerous person. At five-three I
am not imposing. Raise the dead, kill a few vampires, and people start
considering you one of the monsters. Sometimes it hurt. But now...it had
possibilities. тАЬDo you really think I came in here unarmed?тАЭ I asked. My voice
sounded very matter-of-fact.
Bruno looked at Tommy. He sort of shrugged. тАЬI didnтАЩt pat her down.тАЭ
Bruno snorted.
тАЬShe ainтАЩt wearing a gun, though,тАЭ Tommy said.
тАЬWant to bet your life on it?тАЭ I said. I smiled when I said it, and slid my
hand, very slowly, towards my back. Make them think I had a hip holster at the
small of my back. Tommy shifted, flexing his hand near his gun. If he went for
it, we were going to die. I was going to come back and haunt Bert.
Gaynor said, тАЬNo. No need for anyone to die here today, Ms. Blake.тАЭ
тАЬNo,тАЭ I said, тАЬno need at all.тАЭ I swallowed my pulse back into my throat
and eased my hand away from my imaginary gun. Tommy eased away from his real
one. Goody for us.
Gaynor smiled again, like a pleasant beardless Santa. тАЬYou of course
understand that telling the police would be useless.тАЭ
I nodded. тАЬWe have no proof. You didnтАЩt even tell us who you wanted raised
from the dead, or why.тАЭ
тАЬIt would be your word against mine,тАЭ he said.
тАЬAnd IтАЩm sure you have friends in high places.тАЭ I smiled when I said it.
His smile widened, dimpling his fat little cheeks. тАЬOf course.тАЭ
I turned my back on Tommy and his gun. Bert followed. We walked outside
into the blistering summer heat. Bert looked a little shaken. I felt almost
friendly towards him. It was nice to know that Bert had limits, something he
wouldnтАЩt do, even for a million dollars.
тАЬWould they really have shot us?тАЭ he asked. His voice sounded
matter-of-fact, firmer than the slightly glassy look in his eyes. Tough Bert.
He unlocked the trunk without being asked.
тАЬWith Harold GaynorтАЩs name in our appointment book and in the computer?тАЭ I
got my gun out and slipped on the holster rig. тАЬNot knowing who weтАЩd mentioned
this trip to?тАЭ I shook my head. тАЬToo risky.тАЭ