"Lawrence Treat - M As in Mugged" - читать интересную книгу автора (Treat Lawrence)

Decker had, and he thought of Martha and himself more than 30 years ago.
SheтАЩd looked like this girlтАФthey could have been sisters. But where did Taylor
come off reminding Decker of things like that?

тАЬApart from the nuances of burgeoning love and its impact on an ignition
key,тАЭ Decker said coldly, тАЬwhat did you find out?тАЭ

Taylor looked hurt, as he usually did when Decker threw his vocabulary
around. But that was one of the ways, Decker maintained his authority. He could
sling vernacular with the best of them, but none of his boys could hit hyperbole at
the Decker level. He assumed the squad repeated some of his soaring poetical
flights. In any case, they were supposed to. His rhetoric kept him a cut above their
level.

Taylor put some style sheets, with the dresses, reproduced in full color, on
the desk. тАЬThis is the line he was carrying. High-class stuff.тАЭ Taylor, an authority on
whatever happened to be the subject, pointed to one of the pictures. тАЬBrenda was
wearing this one. You know, Chief, they stopped off to look at the view at High
Point, and later on they parked along the road and went out into a field. She picked
flowers, a whole bunch of them. SheтАЩs a city gal and doesnтАЩt get the chance often,
and then theyтАФтАЭ Taylor broke off and studied the ceil-ing.

Decker, thinking of his own honeymoon with Martha and of the time sheтАЩd
picked flowers, jerked back to attention. тАЬBrother!тАЭ he said. тАЬThat was some
investigation you made. Got the wedding pictures to go with it?тАЭ

Taylor pushed the style sheets aside. тАЬWell,тАЭ he said, тАЬI guess thatтАЩs all there
is to it.тАЭ

Decker had his usual lunch across the street, with some of the bureau heads,
but after returning to his office he couldnтАЩt get down to work. He kept thinking of
Patrolman Decker and how heтАЩd collared McGovern 30 years ago. No gunтАФjust
man to man, with an armlock and with hard fists to back him up. He kept wondering
how 60-year-old Lieutenant Decker would stack up alongside that rookie patrolman.
 Suddenly tired of sitting and moping, Decker slapped his desk drawer shut,
got up, and stepped outside. He said he had an errand, would take his car, and they
could call him if anything turned up.тАЩ He strode out, muttering to himself. What
would anybody need him for? An old man of 60тАФ

He drove down to the river to Tough Town. It wasnтАЩt called that any more. It
was still a reasonably tough district, but the Irish had moved on to other places;
theyтАЩd given up their political control and let the Italians and Puerto Ricans take
over. The tight cohesiveness of a single ethnic group was broken.

Decker parked in front of a small supermarket, buzzed the despatcher, and
said he was leaving his car and would be back in an hour or two. Then he locked the
car and started walking. For some obscure reason he wanted to find the hall where
that wake had taken place 30 years ago. It was near here, somewhere. Down an alley,
as he remembered it. But the buildings had changed, and that new supermarket had
him all mixed up. He tried an alley but wasnтАЩt sure whether it was the right one.