"Destroyer - 025 - Sweet Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Murphy Warren)

"Promise him anything; we're sending somebody out there to help you."

When she hung up, Patti Shea shuddered. She knew what that meant. But why was the network so interested in Dr. Wooley's Dreamocizer?

She looked back at the flickering television picture. Even without sound, she recognized a Canadian who had made a fortune portraying American cowboys extolling the virtues of a dog food he fed his own dog Luke. And then she realized.

Commercial revenues in television were in the billions of dollars a year. And who would spend ten seconds watching a dog food commercial when they could own their own Dreamocizer, and romp in their own fantasy world?

In living color.

With stereophonic sound an optional extra.

Who would be left to watch "Patti Shea Under Cover" when their imagination could put her between the sheets.

She knew whom the network would send "to help" her and now, for the first time since she had been aware that television did those kinds of things, she looked forward to the help.


The cafeteria where the conference had been held was an anthill of scurrying people when Big Vince Marino and Edward Leung returned to the table at which Grassione and Massello sat, and shook their heads.

"He got away," Marino told Grassione.

"Assholes," Grassione snarled. "An old man and a young girl and you can't catch them. What the hell do I pay you for?"

"They vanished," Marino said, "into thin air. RememberЕ like that quarterback on that Banacek show where he ran around end andЕ"

Grassione's glare silenced him. "I saw the show. Maybe what I need is a Polack detective and not you two." He started to say more, then remembered Don Salvatore Massello was still at the table, and he shrugged toward the Don who smiled, and then rose to his feet.

"I think I will leave you now," Massello said. "Professor Wooley said he would be at home tomorrow morning. I will meet with him then, and thenЕ well, we will see what we will see."

Grassione rose, waited until the Don extended his hand, then shook Massello's hand warmly.

"I understand, Don Salvatore," he said. "Nothing will be done until you approve."

Massello nodded, turned and left.

Grassione waited until the silver-haired man was out the door before he said to Marino, "Find out where that professor's house is and see if he's there. I'll be back at the room and you let me know."

When they returned to the room with another negative report, Grassione was no longer alone. Two men from St. Louis, who were not part of Massello's crime family, had joined him.

Grassione did not bother to introduce them to Marino and Leung.

"I want you two to go over to this Wooley's house and if you see anybody going in, you call me here and I'll tell you what to do."

He dismissed them with a wave of his hand and turned back to the television set, as if Marino and Leung were not even in the room.


CHAPTER TEN


"A man should not have to live like this." Don Salvatore Massello's voice was concerned and gracious, and the movement of his hand indicating Dr. Wooley's littered living room was the embodiment of all-encompassing pity.