JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 76 из 234You need pictures of the others. First thing you need in a missing-person case is a picture. Without a picture you could pass them on the street and not know it."
"I'll ask Kaspar about pictures."
"Not Richard?"
"I'm sort of mad at him. I don't want to ask him for help."
"You're being petty."
"It's one of my best traits."
"I'll check out the usual channels for a missing person, but if they're all lycanthropes, I bet it isn't a missing person."
"You think they're dead?"
"Don't you?"
"Yeah."
"But what could take out eight shapeshifters without a trace?" she asked.
"That's got me worried, too." I touched her arm. "You wear your gun from now on."
She smiled. "I promise, Mommy."
I shook my head. "Shall we brave one more store? If I can get Josh's gift, I'll be halfway done."
"You'll have to buy Richard a present, you know."
"What?"
"You have to buy your steady a gift. It's traditional."
"Shit." I was halfway mad at him, but she was right. Fighting or not, I had to buy him something. What if he bought me something, and I didn't? I'd feel guilty. If I bought something and he didn't, then I could feel superior. Or angry. I was almost hoping he wouldn't buy me anything.
Was I looking for an excuse to dump Richard? Maybe. Of course, maybe after we talked he'd give me a good excuse on a silver, excuse me, golden platter. I was ready for a knock-down, drag-out fight. It did not bode well.
15
My one o'clock appointment was with Elvira Drew. She sipped her coffee, elegant fingernails curled around the mug. Her nail polish was clear, making her fingertips glint like abalone shell; colorless until the light hit it. The rest of her was just as tasteful. Her dress was that interesting color that looked blue one minute and green the next. Blue-green they called it, but it wasn't accurate. The dress was almost green. For cloth to have that shimmer, almost a life of its own like fur, it had to be expensive. The dress was probably worth more than my entire wardrobe.
Her long yellow hair spilled down her back in an elegant line. It was the only thing that didn't match. That dress, the manicure, the dyed-to-match shoes, the nearly invisible makeup should have gone with a tasteful but complicated hairdo. I liked her better for the hair being free and nearly untouched.
When she raised her eyes to meet mine, I knew why she'd spent so much on the dress. Her eyes were the same startling blue-green. The combination was breathtaking.
"I'll ask Kaspar about pictures."
"Not Richard?"
"I'm sort of mad at him. I don't want to ask him for help."
"You're being petty."
"It's one of my best traits."
"I'll check out the usual channels for a missing person, but if they're all lycanthropes, I bet it isn't a missing person."
"You think they're dead?"
"Don't you?"
"Yeah."
"But what could take out eight shapeshifters without a trace?" she asked.
"That's got me worried, too." I touched her arm. "You wear your gun from now on."
She smiled. "I promise, Mommy."
I shook my head. "Shall we brave one more store? If I can get Josh's gift, I'll be halfway done."
"You'll have to buy Richard a present, you know."
"What?"
"You have to buy your steady a gift. It's traditional."
"Shit." I was halfway mad at him, but she was right. Fighting or not, I had to buy him something. What if he bought me something, and I didn't? I'd feel guilty. If I bought something and he didn't, then I could feel superior. Or angry. I was almost hoping he wouldn't buy me anything.
Was I looking for an excuse to dump Richard? Maybe. Of course, maybe after we talked he'd give me a good excuse on a silver, excuse me, golden platter. I was ready for a knock-down, drag-out fight. It did not bode well.
15
My one o'clock appointment was with Elvira Drew. She sipped her coffee, elegant fingernails curled around the mug. Her nail polish was clear, making her fingertips glint like abalone shell; colorless until the light hit it. The rest of her was just as tasteful. Her dress was that interesting color that looked blue one minute and green the next. Blue-green they called it, but it wasn't accurate. The dress was almost green. For cloth to have that shimmer, almost a life of its own like fur, it had to be expensive. The dress was probably worth more than my entire wardrobe.
Her long yellow hair spilled down her back in an elegant line. It was the only thing that didn't match. That dress, the manicure, the dyed-to-match shoes, the nearly invisible makeup should have gone with a tasteful but complicated hairdo. I liked her better for the hair being free and nearly untouched.
When she raised her eyes to meet mine, I knew why she'd spent so much on the dress. Her eyes were the same startling blue-green. The combination was breathtaking.