"The Robot Brains." - читать интересную книгу автора (Bounds Sidney J.)

- 13 -

When the captain came up to the old pub, he saw Miller's car standing at the entrance. It was late, and the door was locked. He went round the house to the back door which had been left open for him, and entered the house. It was dark and still inside. A light burned somewhere above.

He began climbing the stairs. Then, suddenly, breaking the silence of the house, came a gunshot. Christian jumped forward, to the top of the stairs. He found himself in a short corridor with a door at the end. The door was a little open, and light was coming from inside.

He ran to the door and went in. Miller lay on the carpet. On his shirt there was blood. An automatic gun lay beside him, and there was no one else in the room.

Christian bent over Miller. The man was dead. He looked at the gun… it was very much like his own. He took it to read the number - and did not believe his eyes: it was his own gun.

Christian stared at the gun and then at Miller. He could not understand it. He knew that he had left his gun -

The door behind him closed softly and a key turned on the outside. Christian jumped to the door and pulled it, but in vain. He was locked in.

By now the old pub was coming to life. He heard movement and voices and steps in the corridor.

Someone knocked on the door and shouted: "Mister Miller, are you all right?"

Christian answered: "Open this door - Miller is dead, and his murderer is running away!"

There was a pause; then the key turned and the door opened. The red-faced owner of the pub stood there with a heavy stick in his hand. He was looking at Christian who was still holding the gun, and at Miller's body

"Let me go out," said Christian

"Not so fast - you will have to explain something"

"Listen, I was working with Miller. He was waiting for me. Someone shot him and-"

"Maybe," said the red-faced man. He stepped back, quickly closed the door and locked it again. "You will stay here till I bring the police," he said.

For the first time Christian realized his own position. He had been found, alone, in a looked room, with a dead man, holding the gun - his own gun. It would be difficult to convince the police that he was not the murderer.

And how had his gun got here from the trailer?

But now, Christian understood, there was no time for thinking about that. He opened the window. Looking down, he saw Miller's car.

He jumped out of the window, ran to the car and got in. The red-faced owner of the pub came out, shouting and waving his stick. Christian started the car and drove away at full speed.