"Westlake, Donald E as Stark, Richard - Parker 11 - The Rare Coin Score 1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Westlake Donald E)

He shook his head. "Try another name."

"You mean Lempke?"

"That's the one," he said, and stepped back from the doorway, motioning her into the room.

She came in, still unruffled and self-possessed, saying, "Is all that caution really needed at this point?"

He shut the door. "I didn't expect a woman," he said.

"Oh? Why not?"

"It's unprofessional."

She smiled slightly, with one side of her mouth. "It doesn't sound like a very rewarding profession."

Parker had no patience with pointless games. He shrugged and said, "What happens now?"

"I drive you to the meeting."

"What meeting?"

She allowed herself to be surprised. "The meeting you're here for. Did you think you'd just do it without any plan at all?"

Parker hadn't yet decided whether or not he would do this one, but there was no point saying so; she was just a chauffeur. Besides, if she was any indication of how things would be handled here, he'd be out of it anyway.

But he would go to this first meeting, just to see the lay of the land. At the worst it was a chance to renew a couple of old touches. It was tough in this line of work to keep current with old friends, but the only way to build the right string for any job was to know who was available.

So he slipped into his suit jacket, pocketed his room key, and said, "All right, we'll go have a meeting."

They left the hotel and she led him around onto Washington Street and over to a green Buick station wagon, where she said, "Do you want to drive?"

"You know this town?"

She shrugged and made a face and said, "Fairly well." As though what she meant was, more than I like.

"Then you drive," he said, and walked around to the passenger side and got in.

She looked after him in surprise, then opened the driver's door herself and slid in behind the wheel. She put the key in the ignition, but instead of starting the engine she sat back and began to study him, frowning to herself.

Parker waited, but she just kept sitting there and looking at him as though she was trying to read something written on the inside of his head, so after a while he said, "Okay, get it over with."

"I'd just like to know," she said.

"Ask."

"Are you just naturally rude, or are you trying to antagonize me for some reason?"

Parker shook his head. "All you do is drive the car."