"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 172 - Let's Kill Ames" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

So I was locked out.
THE desk clerk was named Gilrox. He was a slick article, just long enough from New York that he liked
to show it. His cheeks were pink, and his hair looked slick enough to have a coating of airplane dope on
it. But his hands were thin and colorless, as if he washed them with Drano.

He expected me to walk up to the desk and give him hell. He got all set for it. He gave the gardenia in his
lapel a sniff. He looked as if he was going to have fun.

I fooled him and went to the main desk. There was a windowed hotel envelope. I didn't open that. There
were four telephone message envelopes. I opened those, and they all said the same thing in slightly
different ways. They said: Nat Pulaski had called. He had called at 2:00, at 3:10, at 3:45, and at 4:20.
One said, Planning on dinner date tonight. Love. Another one said: Date tonight. Urgent. Love.
And still another said: Call at five. Important.

None of the notes smelled of a chemical laboratory, but they should have; and my imagination easily
added a faint odor of chemical reagent to them. They sounded like Pulaski. Everything was urgent with
Pulaski. The sap.

The clerk, Mr. Gilrox, had stopped sniffing his gardenia. He was standing with his fingertips resting on the
desk, like a student typist waiting for the speed test to begin.

тАЬWhat about this?тАЭ I asked him.

тАЬYes, what about it?тАЭ said Mr. Gilrox. тАЬYes, indeed. What about four hundred and eighty-six dollars?тАЭ

тАЬIs that what I owe?тАЭ

He nodded. тАЬAdd a matter of forty-one cents, and we have the exact total.тАЭ

тАЬAnd you want it?тАЭ

тАЬWe feel we would be happier with it,тАЭ Mr. Gilrox said.

тАЬI should like some of my baggage.тАЭ

тАЬNo doubt.тАЭ

тАЬYou mean,тАЭ I asked, тАЬthat I'm being locked out with the clothes I stand in?тАЭ

тАЬThey're very lovely clothes, Miss Ames,тАЭ he said. тАЬI've frequently remarked on that to myself. What fine
and expensive clothes Miss Ames has, I've said to myself. And just a while ago I said it again: Miss
Ames is wonderfully dressed this evening, isn't she?тАЭ He was as polite as if he was petting a kitten, and
he was enjoying himself.

тАЬLegally,тАЭ I said, тАЬI suppose you know what you are doing?тАЭ

тАЬHotels usually do. You see, this isn't entirely an unusual situation.тАЭ He smirked and added, тАЬI don't
imagine it's unusual with you, either, Miss Ames.тАЭ

тАЬWhat do you mean by that nasty crack?тАЭ