"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 173 - Once Over Lightly" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Monk said, тАЬDoc, this is MissтАФтАЭ

тАЬMote,тАЭ I supplied. тАЬMary Olga Trunnels, formally.тАЭ

тАЬShe hunts buffalo, but thinks I would do as a substitute,тАЭ Monk added. тАЬMote, this is Doc Savage.тАЭ

Doc Savage arose, gave me a surprisingly pleasant smile, and indicated a chair. But, probably lest I get
any idea the visit was to be on a social plane, he said, тАЬMonk tells me you have a matter of a dead man
and a warclub.тАЭ

тАЬThat sounds a little like hello and goodbye,тАЭ I said. тАЬAm I dismissed already?тАЭ

тАЬNot at all. What gave you that idea?тАЭ

тАЬI just got a long lecture on lady necktie snippers and wastebaskets from Mr. Mayfair. I gathered I was
only to be permitted a bow, and that just to humor me.тАЭ

Perhaps he thought that was entertaining. I couldn't tell. His bronze face was handsome, but already I
could see that it only showed the emotions he wanted it to show. So the fact that his smile flashed again
might mean nothing.

He said, тАЬMr. Mayfair is watchdog today. He prefers to watch pretty girls. I presume that was the gist of
his lecture.тАЭ

тАЬThat wasn't its gist,тАЭ I said. тАЬBut it might have been the hidden meaning.тАЭ

Monk Mayfair took a chair. He didn't seem disturbed.

Doc Savage said, тАЬIf you have the idea I don't care to listen to your troubles, perish the thought.тАЭ He
picked up the coffee percolator, asked me if I could use some, and I said I could.

тАЬI'm Mary Olga Trunnels, and up until a few days ago I was employed by the Metro Detective Agency in
New York City. It's a private investigations firm, doing all sorts of jobs that detective agencies do, but
mostly insurance company work,тАЭ I said. тАЬHave you got time to listen to me begin the story that far
back?тАЭ

тАЬStart as far back as you wish,тАЭ he said.

So I began still earlier, in Kansas City when Glacia Loring and I were brats together, and gave him a
picture of the nonconforming background Glacia had. I carried the briefing down to a couple of years
ago, when I had last seen GlaciaтАФshe had quit a modeling job in New York to come to Hollywood and
be a movie star, without having achieved the latter, howeverтАФand skipped the intervening time. Then I
told him the events of the past few days, and they seemed rather flat, somehow, except for the death of
Waldo Loring.

тАЬI think Glacia really hired me as a protector,тАЭ I said, тАЬbecause I happened to be working for a detective
agency, and she felt that sort of job qualified me.тАЭ

тАЬI gather Miss Loring hasn't flatly told you that?тАЭ