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Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 95 из 205So the rumor's true?”
What could I say? Deny it? A lot of people seemed to know. I guess you can't even trust the dead to keep a secret. “Maybe.” I might as well have said yes, because I didn't say no. Luther understood the game. He nodded. “What did they want with you?”
“Can't say.”
“Mmm … uh. Okay, Anita, you be damn careful. You might wanta get some help, if there's anybody you can trust.”
Trust? It wasn't lack of trust. “There may be only two ways out of this mess, Luther. Death would be my choice. A quick death would be best, but I doubt I'll get the chance if things go bad. What friend am I supposed to drag into that?”
His round, dark face stared at me. “I don't have no answers, girl. I wish I did.”
“So do I.”
The phone rang. Luther answered it. He looked at me and carried the phone down on its long cord. “For you,” he said.
I cradled the phone against my cheek. “Yes.”
“It's Ronnie.” Her voice was suppressed excitement, a kid on Christmas morning.
My stomach tightened. “You have something?”
“There is a rumor going around Humans Against Vampires. A death squad designed to wipe the vampires off the face of the earth.”
“You have proof, a witness?”
“Not yet.”
I sighed before I could stop myself.
“Come on, Anita, this is good news.”
I cupped my hand over the phone and whispered, “I can't take a rumor about HAV to the master. The vampires would slaughter them. A lot of innocent people would get killed, and we're not even sure that HAV is really behind the murders.”
“All right, all right,” Ronnie said. “I'll have something more concrete by tomorrow, I promise. Bribe or threat, I'll get the information.”
“Thanks, Ronnie.”
“What are friends for? Besides, Bert's going to have to pay for overtime and bribes. I always love the look of pain when he has to part with money.”
I grinned into the phone. “Me, too.”
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Going to a party.”
“What?”
I explained as briefly as I could. After a long silence she said, “That is very freaky.”
I agreed with her. “You keep working your end, I'll try from this side. Maybe we'll meet in the middle.”
“It'd be nice to think so.” Her voice sounded warm, almost angry.
“What's wrong?”
“You're going in without backup, aren't you?” she asked.
“You're alone,” I said.
“But I'm not surrounded by vampires and freakazoids.
What could I say? Deny it? A lot of people seemed to know. I guess you can't even trust the dead to keep a secret. “Maybe.” I might as well have said yes, because I didn't say no. Luther understood the game. He nodded. “What did they want with you?”
“Can't say.”
“Mmm … uh. Okay, Anita, you be damn careful. You might wanta get some help, if there's anybody you can trust.”
Trust? It wasn't lack of trust. “There may be only two ways out of this mess, Luther. Death would be my choice. A quick death would be best, but I doubt I'll get the chance if things go bad. What friend am I supposed to drag into that?”
His round, dark face stared at me. “I don't have no answers, girl. I wish I did.”
“So do I.”
The phone rang. Luther answered it. He looked at me and carried the phone down on its long cord. “For you,” he said.
I cradled the phone against my cheek. “Yes.”
“It's Ronnie.” Her voice was suppressed excitement, a kid on Christmas morning.
My stomach tightened. “You have something?”
“There is a rumor going around Humans Against Vampires. A death squad designed to wipe the vampires off the face of the earth.”
“You have proof, a witness?”
“Not yet.”
I sighed before I could stop myself.
“Come on, Anita, this is good news.”
I cupped my hand over the phone and whispered, “I can't take a rumor about HAV to the master. The vampires would slaughter them. A lot of innocent people would get killed, and we're not even sure that HAV is really behind the murders.”
“All right, all right,” Ronnie said. “I'll have something more concrete by tomorrow, I promise. Bribe or threat, I'll get the information.”
“Thanks, Ronnie.”
“What are friends for? Besides, Bert's going to have to pay for overtime and bribes. I always love the look of pain when he has to part with money.”
I grinned into the phone. “Me, too.”
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Going to a party.”
“What?”
I explained as briefly as I could. After a long silence she said, “That is very freaky.”
I agreed with her. “You keep working your end, I'll try from this side. Maybe we'll meet in the middle.”
“It'd be nice to think so.” Her voice sounded warm, almost angry.
“What's wrong?”
“You're going in without backup, aren't you?” she asked.
“You're alone,” I said.
“But I'm not surrounded by vampires and freakazoids.