"Christine W. Murphy - Through Iowa Glass" - читать интересную книгу автора (Murphy Christine W)

Tonight, Skye expected to see Sheldon Seabrook making his weekly
appearance to pitch his great idea for solving her money woes -- matrimony.
The high school graduation ceremony had let out hours ago. Tears threatened at
the thought of the senior class filing into the gym. If she hadn't been laid
off, she would have directed the band in "Pomp and Circumstance" instead of
Sheldon.
The car the little girl pointed at wasn't Sheldon's shiny red Camaro.
Red paint did peek through layers of mud, but on a well-dented Mustang
attached to Marvin Fullerton's tow truck. Skye took Christy by the hand and
stepped onto the sidewalk.
Before she could get out a greeting, Marvin jumped from his truck,
surprisingly agile for a man five-foot-six who weighed more than two hundred
pounds. He slammed the door on his cab and brushed past her into the Center.
"Damnedest thing I ever seen. Sorry, Missus Devries. Darnedest thing I
ever seen. Just like in the movies. Who'd have thought it could happen here in
Close. Feet kicking, bodies flying. Just like in some Bruce Lee flick. Got
coffee?"
Her heart racing, Skye followed Marvin to the kitchen where he sat and
pulled Christy onto his lap. Skye glanced at the ancient wall clock and
reminded herself she'd talked to her fourteen-year-old stepson less than an
hour ago. Dirk was safe in bed.
"Well?" Marvin looked at Skye. Like some medieval herald, he required
payment before sharing his news, and Skye would have to drag every word out of
him. Marvin loved this game.
She slid a cup of coffee across the table along with two donuts, one of
which the little girl took. Her prize in hand, Christy shimmied out of
Marvin's lap and returned to the window to stare at the battered car.
"All right, Marvin. What's up?" Skye asked. When Marvin didn't answer,
she dug another donut out of the box and dangled it in front of him. "Was
anyone hurt?"
Marvin took the donut and didn't open his mouth to speak until he
downed half of it. "Nobody hurt, not in the car anyway. Now the other guys,
the guys in the truck -- "
Skye looked out the kitchen pass-through to see if Christy was
listening. She had lost interest in the car and sat rocking on the floor
clutching her doll. Where was David Ritter? He'd promised to pick up his
sister hours ago.
"What guys?" she asked.
"Might have been car jackers like you get in the city, but it seemed
kind of personal to me. Close isn't the sort of place you pass through look'n
for trouble, and this guy's car wasn't much to look at, even before he ran it
in the ditch."
"Should I call the sheriff?" Skye cut in. Marvin could ramble for hours
if she didn't keep him focused.
"Already done. The driver's going to give his official statement to
Sheriff Harley tomorrow. The guys in the truck got away. When I spotted 'em, I
thought this guy in the car was done for. If they'd had guns instead of knives
-- "
Skye cleared her throat and gave Marvin her best teacher look. "Please,
start at the beginning, Marvin."