JК
Bag of Bones :: Кинг Стивен
Страница: 137 из 425The Devore family saga wasn’t for the New York ’mes or Boston Globe, probably not even for the Derry News, but in weekly supermarket tabs like the National Enquirer or Inside l’ew, it would fit like a glove—instead of the girl, King Kong decides to snatch the girl’s innocent child and carry it with him to the top of the Empire State Building. Oh, eek, unhand that baby, you brute. It wasn’t front-page stuff, no blood or celebrity morgue shots, but as a page nine shouter it would do nicely. In my mind I composed a headline blaring over side-by-side pix of Warrington’s Lodge and Mattie’s rusty doublewide: COMPU-KING LIVES IN SPLENDOR AS HE TRIES TO TAKE YOUNG BEAUTY’s ONLY CHILD. Probably too long, I decided. I wasn’t writing anymore and still I needed an editor. That was pretty sad when you stopped to think about it. “Perhaps at some point we’ll see that they do get the story,” Storrow said in a musing tone. I realized that this was a man I could grow attached to, at least in my present angry mood. He grew brisker. “Who’m I representing here, Mr. Noonan? You or the young lady? I vote for the young lady.”
“The young lady doesn’t even know I’ve called you. She may think I’ve taken a bit too much on myself. She may, in fact, give me the rough side of her tongue.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because she’s a Yankee—a Maine Yankee, the worst kind. On a given day, they can make the Irish look logical.”
“Perhaps, but she’s the one with the target pinned to her shirt. I suggest that you call and tell her that.” I promised I would. It wasn’t a hard promise to make, either. I’d known I’d have to be in touch with her ever since I had accepted the summons from Deputy Footman. “And who stands for Michael Noonan come Friday morning?”
Storrow laughed dryly. “I’ll find someone local to do that. He’ll go into this Durgin’s office with you, sit quietly with his briefcase on his lap, and listen. I may be in town by that point—I won’t know until I talk to Ms. Devore—but I won’t be in Durgin’s office. When the custody hearing comes around, though, you’ll see my face in the place.”
“All right, good. Call me with the name of my new lawyer. My other new lawyer.”
“Uh-huh. In the meantime, talk to the young lady. Get me a job.”
“I’ll try.”
“Also try to stay visible if you’re with her,” he said. “If we give the bad guys room to get nasty, they’ll get nasty.
There’s nothing like that between you, is there? Nothing nasty? Sorry to have to ask, but I do have to ask.”
“No,” I said. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve been up to anything nasty with anyone.”
“I’m tempted to commiserate, Mr. Noonan, but under the circumstances-’’ “Mike. Make it Mike.”
“Good. I like that.
“The young lady doesn’t even know I’ve called you. She may think I’ve taken a bit too much on myself. She may, in fact, give me the rough side of her tongue.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because she’s a Yankee—a Maine Yankee, the worst kind. On a given day, they can make the Irish look logical.”
“Perhaps, but she’s the one with the target pinned to her shirt. I suggest that you call and tell her that.” I promised I would. It wasn’t a hard promise to make, either. I’d known I’d have to be in touch with her ever since I had accepted the summons from Deputy Footman. “And who stands for Michael Noonan come Friday morning?”
Storrow laughed dryly. “I’ll find someone local to do that. He’ll go into this Durgin’s office with you, sit quietly with his briefcase on his lap, and listen. I may be in town by that point—I won’t know until I talk to Ms. Devore—but I won’t be in Durgin’s office. When the custody hearing comes around, though, you’ll see my face in the place.”
“All right, good. Call me with the name of my new lawyer. My other new lawyer.”
“Uh-huh. In the meantime, talk to the young lady. Get me a job.”
“I’ll try.”
“Also try to stay visible if you’re with her,” he said. “If we give the bad guys room to get nasty, they’ll get nasty.
There’s nothing like that between you, is there? Nothing nasty? Sorry to have to ask, but I do have to ask.”
“No,” I said. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve been up to anything nasty with anyone.”
“I’m tempted to commiserate, Mr. Noonan, but under the circumstances-’’ “Mike. Make it Mike.”
“Good. I like that.