"04 - Mortal Remains in Maggody Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hess Joan)

Devotion to scalloped potatoes forced me into humbleness. "What big news?"

"It's all over town. You being the chief of police, I'd have thought you took an interest in local happenings."

"I've been occupied with a fire bug, which is somewhat important to the community, unless we all decide to start smoking--literally."

"Seems I heard about that old shack burning down two nights ago," she said with a small frown. "But nobody's lived there for years and years. I am talking about the movie."

I didn't think she was referring to The Towering Inferno, so I arranged my features for maximum fascination and said, "What movie?"

"You mean Arly doesn't know?" Estelle said from behind me.

"She's been too busy to pay any attention to what every last soul in town's been buzzing over all day," Ruby Bee said, taking more swipes at the pristine counter.

"Why don't you just tell me," I said meekly.

They did, although it was a challenge to pick out the snippets of fact from the fanciful ravings of two potential movie stars who were already imagining themselves strolling along the sidewalk of fame and accepting statuettes for best supporting actress. "Is it really going to happen, or was the woman merely considering Maggody?" I asked.

Ruby Bee grew solemn. "It's really going to happen. She called a while ago and said she needed to fax consent forms. I had to tell her we didn't have any of those machines in town. She's reserved all the rooms out back and arranged for the cast and crew to eat here.

"What's the name of the production company?" I said, trying to come up with a reason why anyone (besides yours truly, that is) would come to Maggody voluntarily, especially a second time. "What other movies have they done recently?"

Estelle leaned forward and murmured, "We can't say one word about their last picture. We swore to keep it a secret."

"Good for you," I said. "How about pork chops, Ruby Bee? And peach cobbler with ice cream for dessert?"

She nodded, then gave Estelle one of their aren't-we-too-нclever-for-words looks. "Sure, Arly. And how about a nice glass of wild cherry wine to go with that?"

They found this remark hilarious--shrilly, wildly, loudly hilarious. I was not the only one staring in bewilderment at them as the jukebox whined a lament of lost love and whiskied woes.

...

What fascinated him was the ease with which he could start the fires. The first time he'd used a pile of kindling and a match, then moved to a prudently chosen hiding place to watch as flames begin to lick the roof and curl through the windows. Rafters crashed to the floor. Walls collapsed, hurling armies of sparks at the cloud-choked sky. He felt as if he'd unleashed a maleficent dragon inside the primitive structure. The first fire had given him a sense of power he'd never felt before.

The second fire had been even more compelling. As he'd watched, he'd been overwhelmed with a strange sensation that abated slowly and left him flushed and damp with satisfaction. As the third one consumed his chosen victim, the sensation had been stronger.

The woman cop with the dark hair had come once with a grim man, and the two of them had squatted on the floor to scrape brittle black fragments into plastic bags. She'd returned later, alone. He'd almost laughed aloud at her obvious uneasiness, but of course he'd been very quiet. She could dig through the ashes as much as she desired, as long as she didn't try to stop him.




CHAPTER 2


6 INT. SHACK-EVENING

Loretta is sitting on the sofa as WE HEAR the doorнbell. Zachery crosses the room and throws Open the door to admit COOTER GRIMMLEY. He is wearнing a coat and a bow tie and holding a hat.

ZACHERY