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

The rummy, lost in his alcoholic daze, grunted. The bar-tender merely
frowned, looked even unhappier than before, and drew a beer. In the mirror Decker
saw six of the gang deploy to cut him off.

They wore the uniform of delinquencyтАФblack boots, tight trousers, and
zipper jackets with their names lettered across the back. The boy who went to the
front door had Joe writ-ten on the back of his jacket, and the one who covered the
rear was Pete.

The four others fanned out in a rough semicircle, three of them behind their
leader who, according to his jacket, was Duke. There was only one boy who seemed
not to be a mem-ber of the gang, and he was sitting at the table around which the
others had been grouped.

The non-participant had a Coke bottle in front of him, and judging by his neck
and the oversized AdamтАЩs apple that bobbed up and down inside his throat, he was
tall and gawky and on the scraggly side. CanтАЩt count on much help from him,
Decker decided.

Duke came over and straddled the stool next to Decker. He made a clucking
sound to attract attention. тАЬHi, Grampa,тАЭ he said. тАЬYou come from around here?тАЭ

Decker turned slowly. Duke was about 19, dark-haired, slightly chubby of
face, heavily built. His eyes and manner were insolent, as if he intended to have some
fun at the ex-pense of an old man.

тАЬMore or less,тАЭ Decker said.

тАЬThatтАЩs a hell of an answer, from an old geezer like you.тАЭ

The bartender put down the glass he was polishing and moved to DeckerтАЩs
end of the bar. тАЬNot in here, Duke,тАЭ he said. тАЬI donтАЩt want any trouble.тАЭ

Duke laughed. тАЬWhoтАЩs making trouble? I just thought IтАЩd let Grampa stand us
a round. You need the business, donтАЩt you?тАЭ

The bartender, evidently Gino the owner, scowled. Decker heard a sound at
the rear of the room and looked past Duke. Duke turned, too.

The girl Decker had followed in here had just parted the curtains at the rear.
Instead of the yellow dress, she was now wearing a skirt and a blouse, and her body
seemed to flow inside it. The gawky boy stood up, and she stopped next to him.
They said something to each other and they both smiled; but her smile froze as she
became aware of the men-ace from Duke and his gang. As if seeking support from
the gawky boy, she reached out for his hand, but he yanked it back with a wince.

She drew in her breath and gave him a questioning look. He whispered
something that apparently satisfied her, and she took his other hand. Then the pair of
them came over to the bar.