"Kate Thornton - Too Stupid To Live" - читать интересную книгу автора (Thornton Kate)

Marietta Stuyvesant worked in a fancy law office over on Canby Street. She was dark haired and sharp faced, and the determined set of her skinny jaw meant that life at home was no picnic. She scowled at everyone on the sidewalk, but didn't notice me. She was just returning from somewhere, and I gave her several minutes to get up to her office and answer the phone. The anonymous message I hissed just asked about Corbett's relationship to the girl.

It wasn't much, but for a determined terrier like Marietta, it would be enough.

In two days Corbett was back in custody and Billy had been released.

I heaved a major sigh of relief. Now Corbett was THE suspect and even if there wasn't enough evidence to convict him, it would still be a rough ride through a trial.

"C'mon home with me, Billy," I said after shaking hands with Delwin Streeter, who was off to deal with about a hundred other cases.

But he just shook his head. I looked into his kind, dead eyes and wondered for a moment if there was anything I could to do make him come back. But I knew I could only try to make things better for him in little ways.

I put my arm around his shoulder. I really did love him, and he really was better off in a world minus his daughter. But there was no way I could tell him that.

There was really no way I could tell him that I had arranged to meet Dawn before work, that I had tried to get through to her, make her see that family was important, her father was important, more important than anything.

But there was no way I could get through that sneer, no way I could get through that contempt, that anger.

Well, there was one way.

My date stamper was an old fashioned contraption of steel, with a great big handle. It was heavy in my purse.

When Dawn spat, "Fuck off," and turned her back on me that morning, I brought it crashing into her skull with all the rage I had, rage at rats like Corbett Stuyvesant and his annoying wife, and at kids who are too stupid to live.

And rage for Billy, the sweet and gentle, locked in a world of nightmares.

There was a lot of blood, but I just slipped the date stamper back into my purse and walked to my office. I rinsed the date stamper in the ladies room and dabbed a bit at my skirt with a paper towel, but no one noticed anything. My mother was right about black suits--it didn't show the blood at all. I burned it later just in case, but the date stamper is still on my desk.

No one ever found out what happened. Corbett got off by the skin of his teeth, although his wife divorced him and took him to the cleaners.

But I did find out who was sending me the flowers. Bennie in Accounts Payable, bless his adolescent heart, had a crush on me. I had a little talk with him, but I don't think it did much good.

He asked shyly if I wanted to go fishing with him, and when I looked confused, he said, "You know, Miss B, off the Company Pier."

Kids. Some of them are just too stupid to live. But Bennie's a sweet kid, so I guess I'll keep him around.


KATE THORNTON lives in Southern California and has been writing mystery and science fiction short stories for several years. Her mysteries have appeared in Woman's World, Blue Murder, MysteryNet, Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine and Cozy Detective. Her stories have also appeared in anthologies, including, "A Deadly Dozen" and "Best of Blue Murder, Vol. I." When not writing, she can be found puttering in her rose gardens and spying on her neighbors. She would be delighted to hear from you. Visit her website at http://www.sff.net/people/katethornton

Copyright (c) 2001 Kate Thornton