"Smith, Martin Cruz - Gorky Park" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Martin Cruz)

Arkady took one long step forward to deposit his report on the desk and retreated. Concentrate: exactly who are you and what do you have to say? Define precisely what benefit you perform for society.

'Major Pribluda was there. You don't mention his name.'

'He did everything but piss on the bodies and then took off. Did he call to have me dismissed from the case?'

Iamskoy rested his eyes on Arkady. 'You are chief homicide investigator, Arkady Vasilevich. Why would he want you dismissed?'

'We had a problem with the major a short time ago.'

'What problem? The KGB stated their jurisdiction, so the matter was successfully concluded.'

'Excuse me, but today we found three young people who were executed in a public park by a skilled gunman using a 7.65-mm. pistol. The only guns Muscovites can get are Army issue, 7.62-mm. or 9-mm., nothing like the murder weapon. Also, the victims suffered mutilation. So far, my report draws no inferences.'

'Inferences of what?' Iamskoy raised his eyebrows.

'Of anything,' Arkady answered after a pause.

'Thank you,' Iamskoy said. It was his form of dismissal.

Arkady was at the door when the prosecutor spoke again as an afterthought. 'All legalities will be observed. You must overlook the exceptions, which really only prove the rule.'

Arkady bowed his head and left.

Fet and Pasha had taped up a map of Gorky Park, Levin's sketch of the death site, death photos and autopsy reports. Arkady slumped into his chair and opened a fresh pack of cigarettes. Three matches snapped before he got one to light. He put the three broken matches and the burnt one in the middle of his desk. Fet watched, frowning. Arkady got up to pull down the death photos and place them in a drawer. He didn't need to look at those faces. He returned to his chair and played with the matches.

'Do any interviews yet?'

Pasha opened a notebook. 'Ten militia officers who don't know anything. If it comes to that, I probably skated by that clearing fifty times this winter.'

'Well, try the food vendors. Those old women notice a lot of things the militia don't.'

Fet plainly didn't agree. Arkady looked at him. With his hat off, Fet's ears stuck out at what Arkady guessed was just the right architectural angle to support the steel-rimmed glasses.

'You were there when the last bullet was found?' Arkady asked him.

'Yes, sir. GP1-A was recovered from the ground directly below where the skull of GP1, the first male, had been.'

'Fuck your mother, I'll be happy when we have some names for these corpses instead of One, Two and Three.'

Pasha bummed a cigarette from Arkady. 'Like what?' Arkady asked.

'Match?' Pasha asked.

'Gorky Park One, Gorky Park Two  ' Fet began.

'Ah, come on.' Pasha shook his head. 'Thanks,' he told Arkady and exhaled. 'Gorky Park One? He's the big guy? Call him "Muscles".'

'Not literary enough,' Arkady said.' "Beast". "Beauty" for the woman, "Beast" for the big guy, "Skinny" for the little one.'