JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 93 из 205All women were “girl,” all men“fella.”
“I need to know if you've heard anything really bad about him,” I said.
“What are you up to?” he asked.
“I can't say. I'd share it if I could, or if I thought it would do any good.”
He studied me for a moment, cig dribbling ash onto the countertop. lie wiped up the ash absentmindedly with his clean white towel. “Okay, Anita, you've earned the right to say no, this once, but next time you better have something to share.”
I smiled. “Cross my heart.”
He just shook his head and pulled a fresh cigarette out of the pack he always kept behind the bar. He took one last drag of the nearly burned cig, then clasped the fresh one between his lips. He put the glowing orange end of the old cig against the fresh white tip and sucked air. The paper and tobacco caught, flared orange-red, and he stubbed out the old cig in the already full ashtray he carried with him from place to place, like a teddy bear.
“I know they got a dancer down at the club that is a freak. He does the party circuit and is reeeal popular with a certain sort of vamp.” Luther shrugged, a massive movement like mountains hiccuping. “Don't have no dirt on him, 'cept he's a junkie, and he does the circuit. Shit, Anita, that's bad enough. Sounds like someone to stay away from.”
“I would if I could.” It was my turn to shrug. “But you haven't heard anything else about him?”
He thought for a moment, sucking on his new cigarette. “No, not a word. He ain't a big player in the district. He's a professional victim. Most of the talk is about the predators down here, not the sheep.” He frowned. “Just a minute. I got something, an idea.” He thought very carefully for a few minutes, then smiled broadly. “Yeah, got some news on a predator. Vamp calls himself Valentine, wears a mask. He been bragging that he did of Phillip the first time.”
“So,” I said.
“Not the first time he was a junkie, girl, the first time period. Valentine claims he jumped the boy when he was small, did him good. Claims of Phillip liked it so much that's why he's a junkie.”
“Dear God.” I remembered the nightmares, the reality, of Valentine. What would it have been like to have been small when it happened? What would it have done to me?
“You know Valentine?” Luther asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. He ever say how old Phillip was when the attack took place?”
He shook his head. “No, but word is anything over twelve is too old for Valentine, 'less it's revenge. He's a real big one for revenge.
“I need to know if you've heard anything really bad about him,” I said.
“What are you up to?” he asked.
“I can't say. I'd share it if I could, or if I thought it would do any good.”
He studied me for a moment, cig dribbling ash onto the countertop. lie wiped up the ash absentmindedly with his clean white towel. “Okay, Anita, you've earned the right to say no, this once, but next time you better have something to share.”
I smiled. “Cross my heart.”
He just shook his head and pulled a fresh cigarette out of the pack he always kept behind the bar. He took one last drag of the nearly burned cig, then clasped the fresh one between his lips. He put the glowing orange end of the old cig against the fresh white tip and sucked air. The paper and tobacco caught, flared orange-red, and he stubbed out the old cig in the already full ashtray he carried with him from place to place, like a teddy bear.
“I know they got a dancer down at the club that is a freak. He does the party circuit and is reeeal popular with a certain sort of vamp.” Luther shrugged, a massive movement like mountains hiccuping. “Don't have no dirt on him, 'cept he's a junkie, and he does the circuit. Shit, Anita, that's bad enough. Sounds like someone to stay away from.”
“I would if I could.” It was my turn to shrug. “But you haven't heard anything else about him?”
He thought for a moment, sucking on his new cigarette. “No, not a word. He ain't a big player in the district. He's a professional victim. Most of the talk is about the predators down here, not the sheep.” He frowned. “Just a minute. I got something, an idea.” He thought very carefully for a few minutes, then smiled broadly. “Yeah, got some news on a predator. Vamp calls himself Valentine, wears a mask. He been bragging that he did of Phillip the first time.”
“So,” I said.
“Not the first time he was a junkie, girl, the first time period. Valentine claims he jumped the boy when he was small, did him good. Claims of Phillip liked it so much that's why he's a junkie.”
“Dear God.” I remembered the nightmares, the reality, of Valentine. What would it have been like to have been small when it happened? What would it have done to me?
“You know Valentine?” Luther asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. He ever say how old Phillip was when the attack took place?”
He shook his head. “No, but word is anything over twelve is too old for Valentine, 'less it's revenge. He's a real big one for revenge.