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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 186 из 234Smitz isn't the grieving widower he pretended to be. What do you want to do about it?"
"Confront him at home."
"Why not go to the cops?"
"The store clerk isn't exactly positive it was George."
I closed my eyes. "Great, just great. You think he'll confess to us?"
"He might. He's shared a bed with her for fifteen years. Mother of his children. There's got to be a lot of guilt there."
I don't think real well on an hour's sleep. "Cops, we should have the cops waiting in the wings, at least."
"Anita, he's a client of mine. I don't turn clients over to the cops unless I have to. If he confesses, I'll bring them in. If he doesn't confess, I'll hand over what I have. But I've got to try it my way first."
"Fine, do you call him and tell him we're coming or do you want me to?"
"I'll do it. I just thought you'd like to be there."
"Yeah, let me know when."
"He hasn't gone to work yet. I'll call him and be over to pick you up."
I wanted to say, "No, I have to go back to sleep," but what if he had killed her? What if he'd taken the others? George hadn't struck me as dangerous enough to take out shapeshifters, but then I'd thought he was genuinely grieving. Genuinely worried about his wife. What the hell did I know?
"I'll be ready," I said. I hung up without saying good-bye. I was getting as bad as Dolph. I'd apologize when Ronnie got here.
The phone rang before I could crawl to my feet. "What is it, Ronnie?"
"Anita, it's Richard."
"Sorry, Richard, what's up?"
"You sound awful."
"You don't. You didn't get much more sleep than I did. How come you sound so much better? Please tell me you aren't a morning person."
He laughed. "Sorry, guilty as charged."
Furry I could forgive; a morning person, I'd have to think about that. "Richard, don't take this wrong, but what do you want?"
"Jason's missing."
"Who's Jason?"
"Young male, blond, crawled all over you at the Lunatic Cafe."
"Ah, I remember him. He's missing."
"Yes. Jason is one of our newest pack members. Tonight is the full moon. He wouldn't risk going out alone today of all days. His sponsor went over to his house, and he was gone."
"Sponsor like in AA?"
"Something like that."
"Any signs of a struggle?"
"No."
I stood up dragging the phone in one hand. I tried to think past the leaden tiredness. How dare Richard sound so cheerful. "Peggy Smitz's husband—Ronnie caught him with another woman.
"Confront him at home."
"Why not go to the cops?"
"The store clerk isn't exactly positive it was George."
I closed my eyes. "Great, just great. You think he'll confess to us?"
"He might. He's shared a bed with her for fifteen years. Mother of his children. There's got to be a lot of guilt there."
I don't think real well on an hour's sleep. "Cops, we should have the cops waiting in the wings, at least."
"Anita, he's a client of mine. I don't turn clients over to the cops unless I have to. If he confesses, I'll bring them in. If he doesn't confess, I'll hand over what I have. But I've got to try it my way first."
"Fine, do you call him and tell him we're coming or do you want me to?"
"I'll do it. I just thought you'd like to be there."
"Yeah, let me know when."
"He hasn't gone to work yet. I'll call him and be over to pick you up."
I wanted to say, "No, I have to go back to sleep," but what if he had killed her? What if he'd taken the others? George hadn't struck me as dangerous enough to take out shapeshifters, but then I'd thought he was genuinely grieving. Genuinely worried about his wife. What the hell did I know?
"I'll be ready," I said. I hung up without saying good-bye. I was getting as bad as Dolph. I'd apologize when Ronnie got here.
The phone rang before I could crawl to my feet. "What is it, Ronnie?"
"Anita, it's Richard."
"Sorry, Richard, what's up?"
"You sound awful."
"You don't. You didn't get much more sleep than I did. How come you sound so much better? Please tell me you aren't a morning person."
He laughed. "Sorry, guilty as charged."
Furry I could forgive; a morning person, I'd have to think about that. "Richard, don't take this wrong, but what do you want?"
"Jason's missing."
"Who's Jason?"
"Young male, blond, crawled all over you at the Lunatic Cafe."
"Ah, I remember him. He's missing."
"Yes. Jason is one of our newest pack members. Tonight is the full moon. He wouldn't risk going out alone today of all days. His sponsor went over to his house, and he was gone."
"Sponsor like in AA?"
"Something like that."
"Any signs of a struggle?"
"No."
I stood up dragging the phone in one hand. I tried to think past the leaden tiredness. How dare Richard sound so cheerful. "Peggy Smitz's husband—Ronnie caught him with another woman.