JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 120 из 234There was a line of cold going down my back where the sweater had been ripped away. I dialed Richard's number without thinking about it. Who else could I call?
The answering machine kicked in. "Dammit, be home, Richard, be home."
The beep sounded. "Richard, this is Anita. Louie's hurt. Pick up if you're there. Richard, Richard, dammit, Richard, pick up." I leaned my forehead against the cool metal of the phone booth. "Pick up, pick up, pick up. Richard. Dammit."
He picked up, sounding out of breath. "Anita, it's me. What's wrong?"
"Louie got hurt. His wound's healing. How do you explain that to a hospital emergency room?"
"You don't," he said. "We have doctors that can tend him. I'll give you an address to go to."
"I can't drive."
"Are you hurt?"
"Yeah."
"How bad?"
"Bad enough that I don't want to drive."
"What happened to the two of you?"
I gave him a very abbreviated version of the night's events. Just a vampire attack, no specific motive. I wasn't ready to tell him I had to tell Jean-Claude about our engagement, because I wasn't sure we still had one. He'd asked, I said yes, but now I wasn't sure. I wasn't even sure Richard was sure anymore.
"Give me the address." I did. "I know the gas station you're talking about. I stop there when I visit Louie sometimes."
"Great. When can you be here?"
"Are you going to be all right until I can get there?"
"Sure."
"Because if you're not, call the police. Don't risk your life just to keep Louie's secret. He wouldn't want that."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Don't get macho on me, Anita. I don't want anything to happen to you."
I smiled with my forehead pressed against the phone. "Macho's the only way I got this far. Just get here, Richard. I'll be waiting." I hung up before he could get mushy on me. I was feeling too pitiful to withstand much sympathy.
I got back into the Jeep. It was cold inside the car. I'd forgotten to turn on the heater. I turned the heater on full blast. I knelt on the seat and checked on Louie. He hadn't moved. I touched the skin of his wrist, checking for the pulse. It was strong and steady. For the heck of it, I lifted his hand and let it flop back. No reaction. I hadn't really expected one.
Usually, a lycanthrope stayed in animal form for eight or ten hours. Changing back early took a lot of energy. Even if he hadn't been hurt, Louie would be asleep for the rest of the night. Though sleep was too mild a word for it. You couldn't wake them from it. It wasn't a great survival method.
The answering machine kicked in. "Dammit, be home, Richard, be home."
The beep sounded. "Richard, this is Anita. Louie's hurt. Pick up if you're there. Richard, Richard, dammit, Richard, pick up." I leaned my forehead against the cool metal of the phone booth. "Pick up, pick up, pick up. Richard. Dammit."
He picked up, sounding out of breath. "Anita, it's me. What's wrong?"
"Louie got hurt. His wound's healing. How do you explain that to a hospital emergency room?"
"You don't," he said. "We have doctors that can tend him. I'll give you an address to go to."
"I can't drive."
"Are you hurt?"
"Yeah."
"How bad?"
"Bad enough that I don't want to drive."
"What happened to the two of you?"
I gave him a very abbreviated version of the night's events. Just a vampire attack, no specific motive. I wasn't ready to tell him I had to tell Jean-Claude about our engagement, because I wasn't sure we still had one. He'd asked, I said yes, but now I wasn't sure. I wasn't even sure Richard was sure anymore.
"Give me the address." I did. "I know the gas station you're talking about. I stop there when I visit Louie sometimes."
"Great. When can you be here?"
"Are you going to be all right until I can get there?"
"Sure."
"Because if you're not, call the police. Don't risk your life just to keep Louie's secret. He wouldn't want that."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Don't get macho on me, Anita. I don't want anything to happen to you."
I smiled with my forehead pressed against the phone. "Macho's the only way I got this far. Just get here, Richard. I'll be waiting." I hung up before he could get mushy on me. I was feeling too pitiful to withstand much sympathy.
I got back into the Jeep. It was cold inside the car. I'd forgotten to turn on the heater. I turned the heater on full blast. I knelt on the seat and checked on Louie. He hadn't moved. I touched the skin of his wrist, checking for the pulse. It was strong and steady. For the heck of it, I lifted his hand and let it flop back. No reaction. I hadn't really expected one.
Usually, a lycanthrope stayed in animal form for eight or ten hours. Changing back early took a lot of energy. Even if he hadn't been hurt, Louie would be asleep for the rest of the night. Though sleep was too mild a word for it. You couldn't wake them from it. It wasn't a great survival method.