"Himes, Chester - The Real Cool Killers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Himes Chester)

"Caleb! Jesus!" Sissie dropped onto the bed beside Sonny. She looked stunned. "Jesus! Poor little Caleb. What will Granny do?"
"What the hell can she do?" Sheik said brutally. "Raise him from the dead?"
"Does she know?"
"Does it look like she knqws?"
"Jesus! Poor little Caleb. What did he do?"
"I gave old Coffin Ed the stink gun and --" Choo-Choo began.
"You didn't!" she exclaimed.
"The hell I didn't."
"What did Caleb do?"
"He threw perfume over the monster. It's the Moslem salute for cops. I told you about it before. But the monster must have thought Cal was throwing some more acid into his eyes. He blasted so fast we couldn't tell him any better."
"Jesus!"
"Where's Sugartit?" Sheik asked.
"At home. She didn't come into town tonight. I phoned her and she said she was sick."
"Yeah. Did you have any trouble getting in here?"
"No. I told the cops at the door that I live here."
They heard the signal rapped on the door.
Sissie gasped.
Sheik looked at her suspiciously. "What the hell's the matter with you?" he asked.
"Nothing."
He hesitated before opening the door. "You ain't expecting nobody?"
"Me? No. Who could I expect?"
"You're acting mighty funny."
"I'm just nervous."
The signal was rapped again.
Sheik stepped to the door and said, "Gaza."
"Suez," a girl's lilting voice replied.
Sheik gave Sissie a threatening look as he unlocked the door.
A small-boned chocolate-brown girl dressed like Sissie slipped hurriedly into the room.
At sight of Sissie she stopped and said, "Oh!" in a guilty tone of voice.
Sheik looked from one to the other. "I thought you said she was at home," he accused Sissie.
"I thought she was," Sissie said.
He turned his gaze on Sugartit. "What the hell's the matter with you? What the hell's going on here?"
"A Moslem's been killed and I thought it was you," she said.
"All you little bitches were hoping it was me," he said.
She had sloe eyes with long black lashes that looked secretive. She threw a quick defiant look at Sissie and said, "Don't include me in that."
"Did you tell Granny?" Sheik asked.
"Of course not."
"It was your lover, Caleb," Sheik said brutally.
She gave a shriek and charged at Sheik, clawing and kicking.
"You dirty bastard!" she cried. "You're always picking at me."
Sissie pulled her off. "Shut up and keep your mouth shut," she said tightly.
"You tell her," Sheik said.
"It was Caleb, all right," Sissie said.
"Caleb!" Sugartit screamed and flung herself face down across the bed. She was up in a flash, hurling accusations at Sheik. "You did it. You got him killed. On account of me. 'Cause he had the best go and you couldn't get me to do what you made Sissie do."
"That's a lie," Sissie said.
"Caleb!" Sugartit screamed at the top of her voice.
"Shut up, Granny will hear you," Choo-Choo said.
"Granny! Caleb's dead! Sheik killed him!" she screamed again.
"Stop her," Sheik commanded Sissie. "She's getting hysterical and I don't want to have to hurt her."
Sissie clutched her from behind, put one hand over her mouth and twisted her arm behind her back with the other.