JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 202 из 234Woods stretched out all around the small yard, as if someone had put the house here and forgotten to tell anybody.
A patrol car followed us down the gravel driveway. Dolph parked behind a vivid green Grand Am. The car matched her eyes.
There was a For Rent sign in the yard. Another lay beside it, waiting to be stuck in the ground. It would probably go out by the road.
Two clothes bags hung inside the car. The backseat was packed with boxes. A quick getaway was in the offing.
"If she's a murderer, why'd she give you her actual address?" Zerbrowski asked.
"We check out clients. They have to have a place of residence or some way of proving who they are. We demand more ID than most banks."
"Why?"
"Because every once in a while we get a crazy. Or a tabloid reporter. We have to know who we're dealing with. I bet she tried to pay cash with no ID and when asked for three forms of it, she wasn't prepared."
Dolph led the way to the door. We followed behind like good soldiers. Officer Kirlin was one of the uniforms. Her partner was an older guy with greying hair and a round little belly. I bet it didn't shake like a bowlful of jelly. He had a sour expression on his face that said he'd seen it all and didn't like any of it.
Dolph knocked on the door. Silence. He knocked harder. The door trembled. Elvira opened the door. She was wearing a brilliant green robe, tied at the waist. Her makeup was still perfect. The polish on her fingernails matched the robe. Her long blond hair was combed straight back, held from her face with a scarf that was just a touch bluer green than the robe. Her eyes blazed with the color.
Dolph muttered, "Eyes like the ocean."
"Excuse me, what's all this about?"
"May we come in, Ms. Drew?"
"Whatever for?"
There hadn't been time to get a warrant. Dolph wasn't even sure we could have gotten one with what we had. The color of someone's eyes wasn't exactly proof.
I sort of peeked around Dolph, and said, "Hello, Ms. Drew, we need to ask you a few questions about Louis Fane."
"Ms. Blake, I didn't know you were with the police."
She smiled, I smiled. Was Louie here? Was she stalling while someone killed him? Dammit. If the police hadn't been here, I'd have pulled the gun and gone in. There are disadvantages to being law abiding.
"We're checking into the disappearance of Mr. Fane. You were the last one to see him."
"Oh, dear." She didn't back away from the door.
"May we come in and ask you a few questions?" Dolph asked.
"Well, I don't know what I can tell you. Mr.
A patrol car followed us down the gravel driveway. Dolph parked behind a vivid green Grand Am. The car matched her eyes.
There was a For Rent sign in the yard. Another lay beside it, waiting to be stuck in the ground. It would probably go out by the road.
Two clothes bags hung inside the car. The backseat was packed with boxes. A quick getaway was in the offing.
"If she's a murderer, why'd she give you her actual address?" Zerbrowski asked.
"We check out clients. They have to have a place of residence or some way of proving who they are. We demand more ID than most banks."
"Why?"
"Because every once in a while we get a crazy. Or a tabloid reporter. We have to know who we're dealing with. I bet she tried to pay cash with no ID and when asked for three forms of it, she wasn't prepared."
Dolph led the way to the door. We followed behind like good soldiers. Officer Kirlin was one of the uniforms. Her partner was an older guy with greying hair and a round little belly. I bet it didn't shake like a bowlful of jelly. He had a sour expression on his face that said he'd seen it all and didn't like any of it.
Dolph knocked on the door. Silence. He knocked harder. The door trembled. Elvira opened the door. She was wearing a brilliant green robe, tied at the waist. Her makeup was still perfect. The polish on her fingernails matched the robe. Her long blond hair was combed straight back, held from her face with a scarf that was just a touch bluer green than the robe. Her eyes blazed with the color.
Dolph muttered, "Eyes like the ocean."
"Excuse me, what's all this about?"
"May we come in, Ms. Drew?"
"Whatever for?"
There hadn't been time to get a warrant. Dolph wasn't even sure we could have gotten one with what we had. The color of someone's eyes wasn't exactly proof.
I sort of peeked around Dolph, and said, "Hello, Ms. Drew, we need to ask you a few questions about Louis Fane."
"Ms. Blake, I didn't know you were with the police."
She smiled, I smiled. Was Louie here? Was she stalling while someone killed him? Dammit. If the police hadn't been here, I'd have pulled the gun and gone in. There are disadvantages to being law abiding.
"We're checking into the disappearance of Mr. Fane. You were the last one to see him."
"Oh, dear." She didn't back away from the door.
"May we come in and ask you a few questions?" Dolph asked.
"Well, I don't know what I can tell you. Mr.