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Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
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Irving read it back tome. When I confirmed it, he said, “You're involved with vampires and wererats, and I don't get an exclusive.”
“No one's going to get this one, Irving. It's going to be too messy for that.”
He was silent a moment. “Okay. I'll try to set up a meeting. I should know sometime tonight.”
“Thanks, Irving.”
“You be careful, Blake. I'd hate to lose my best source of front page bylines.”
“Me, too,” I said.
I had no sooner hung up the phone when it rang again. I picked it up without thinking. A phone rings, you pick it up, years of training. I haven't had my answering machine long enough to shake it completely.
“Anita, this is Bert.”
“Hi, Bert.” I sighed, quietly.
“I know you are working on the vampire case, but I have something you might be interested in.”
“Bert, I am way over my head already. Anything else and I may never see daylight.” You'd think Bert would ask if I was all right. How I was doing. But no, not my boss.
“Thomas Jensen called today.”
My spine straightened. “Jensen called?”
“That's right.”
“He's going to let us do it?”
“Not us, you. He specifically asked for you. I tried to get him to take someone else, but he wouldn't do it. And it has to be tonight. He's afraid he'll chicken out.”
“Damn,” I said softly.
“Do I call him back and cancel, or can you give me a time to have him meet you?”
Why did everything have to come at once? One of life's rhetorical questions. “Have him meet me at full dark tonight.”
“That's my girl. I knew you wouldn't let me down.”
“I'm not your girl, Bert. How much is he paying you?”
“Thirty thousand dollars. The five-thousand-dollar down payment has already arrived by special messenger.”
“You are an evil man, Bert.”
“Yes,” he said, “and it pays very well, thank you.” He hung up without saying good-bye. Mr. Charm.
Edward was staring at me. “Did you just take a job raising the dead, for tonight?”
“Laying the dead to rest actually, but yes.”
“Does raising the dead take it out of you?”
“It?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Energy, stamina, strength.”
“Sometimes.”
“How about this job? Is it an energy drain?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
He shook his head. “You can't afford to be used up, Anita.”
“I won't be used up,” I said.
Irving read it back tome. When I confirmed it, he said, “You're involved with vampires and wererats, and I don't get an exclusive.”
“No one's going to get this one, Irving. It's going to be too messy for that.”
He was silent a moment. “Okay. I'll try to set up a meeting. I should know sometime tonight.”
“Thanks, Irving.”
“You be careful, Blake. I'd hate to lose my best source of front page bylines.”
“Me, too,” I said.
I had no sooner hung up the phone when it rang again. I picked it up without thinking. A phone rings, you pick it up, years of training. I haven't had my answering machine long enough to shake it completely.
“Anita, this is Bert.”
“Hi, Bert.” I sighed, quietly.
“I know you are working on the vampire case, but I have something you might be interested in.”
“Bert, I am way over my head already. Anything else and I may never see daylight.” You'd think Bert would ask if I was all right. How I was doing. But no, not my boss.
“Thomas Jensen called today.”
My spine straightened. “Jensen called?”
“That's right.”
“He's going to let us do it?”
“Not us, you. He specifically asked for you. I tried to get him to take someone else, but he wouldn't do it. And it has to be tonight. He's afraid he'll chicken out.”
“Damn,” I said softly.
“Do I call him back and cancel, or can you give me a time to have him meet you?”
Why did everything have to come at once? One of life's rhetorical questions. “Have him meet me at full dark tonight.”
“That's my girl. I knew you wouldn't let me down.”
“I'm not your girl, Bert. How much is he paying you?”
“Thirty thousand dollars. The five-thousand-dollar down payment has already arrived by special messenger.”
“You are an evil man, Bert.”
“Yes,” he said, “and it pays very well, thank you.” He hung up without saying good-bye. Mr. Charm.
Edward was staring at me. “Did you just take a job raising the dead, for tonight?”
“Laying the dead to rest actually, but yes.”
“Does raising the dead take it out of you?”
“It?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Energy, stamina, strength.”
“Sometimes.”
“How about this job? Is it an energy drain?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
He shook his head. “You can't afford to be used up, Anita.”
“I won't be used up,” I said.