JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 30 из 234I was betting the sheriff was a good ol' boy in theworst sense of the word. But there was intelligence in those beady little eyes, more than you could say for Aikensen.
"Put it away, boy, that's an order." His southern accent was getting thicker, either for show, or because he was getting teed off at Aikensen. A lot of people's accents got stronger under stress. It wasn't a Missouri accent. Something further south.
Aikensen finally, reluctantly, put up the gun. He didn't snap the holster closed, though. He was cruising for a bruising. I was just glad I hadn't been the one to give it to him. Of course if I'd pulled the trigger before Aikensen had raised his gun skyward, I'd never have known he wasn't pulling his trigger, too. If we'd all been cops with Aikensen as a criminal, it would have gone down as a clean shoot. Jesus.
Sheriff Titus put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and looked at me. "Now, miss, you can put your gun away, too. Aikensen here isn't going to shoot nobody."
I just stared at him, gun pointed skyward, held loose. I had been ready to put the gun away until he told me to do it. I'm not big on being told anything. I just stared at him.
His face still looked friendly, but his eyes lost their shine. Angry. He didn't like being defied. Great. Made my night.
Three other deputies gathered at Titus's back. They all looked sullen and ready to do anything their sheriff asked them to do. Aikensen stepped over to them, hand hovering near his freshly bolstered gun. Some people never learn.
"Anita, put the gun away." Dolph's usual pleasant tenor was harsh with anger. Like what he wanted to say was shoot the son of a bitch, but it would be hard to explain to his superiors.
Though not officially my boss, I listened to Dolph. He'd earned it.
I put the gun away.
Dolph was made up of blunt angles. His black hair was cut very short, leaving his ears naked to the cold. His hands were plunged into the pockets of a long black trench coat. The coat looked too thin for the weather, but maybe it was lined. Though he was a little too bulky to leave room for him and a lining in the same coat.
He beckoned Perry and me to one side, and said softly, "Tell me what happened."
We did.
"You really think he was going to shoot you?"
Perry stared down at the trampled snow for a moment, then looked up. "I'm not sure, Sergeant."
"Anita?"
"I thought he was, Dolph."
"You don't sound sure now."
"The only thing I'm sure of is that I was going to shoot him. I was squeezing down on him, Dolph.
"Put it away, boy, that's an order." His southern accent was getting thicker, either for show, or because he was getting teed off at Aikensen. A lot of people's accents got stronger under stress. It wasn't a Missouri accent. Something further south.
Aikensen finally, reluctantly, put up the gun. He didn't snap the holster closed, though. He was cruising for a bruising. I was just glad I hadn't been the one to give it to him. Of course if I'd pulled the trigger before Aikensen had raised his gun skyward, I'd never have known he wasn't pulling his trigger, too. If we'd all been cops with Aikensen as a criminal, it would have gone down as a clean shoot. Jesus.
Sheriff Titus put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and looked at me. "Now, miss, you can put your gun away, too. Aikensen here isn't going to shoot nobody."
I just stared at him, gun pointed skyward, held loose. I had been ready to put the gun away until he told me to do it. I'm not big on being told anything. I just stared at him.
His face still looked friendly, but his eyes lost their shine. Angry. He didn't like being defied. Great. Made my night.
Three other deputies gathered at Titus's back. They all looked sullen and ready to do anything their sheriff asked them to do. Aikensen stepped over to them, hand hovering near his freshly bolstered gun. Some people never learn.
"Anita, put the gun away." Dolph's usual pleasant tenor was harsh with anger. Like what he wanted to say was shoot the son of a bitch, but it would be hard to explain to his superiors.
Though not officially my boss, I listened to Dolph. He'd earned it.
I put the gun away.
Dolph was made up of blunt angles. His black hair was cut very short, leaving his ears naked to the cold. His hands were plunged into the pockets of a long black trench coat. The coat looked too thin for the weather, but maybe it was lined. Though he was a little too bulky to leave room for him and a lining in the same coat.
He beckoned Perry and me to one side, and said softly, "Tell me what happened."
We did.
"You really think he was going to shoot you?"
Perry stared down at the trampled snow for a moment, then looked up. "I'm not sure, Sergeant."
"Anita?"
"I thought he was, Dolph."
"You don't sound sure now."
"The only thing I'm sure of is that I was going to shoot him. I was squeezing down on him, Dolph.