JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 97 из 234It licked her face clean with long, sure strokes of its tongue. The werewolf licked its way down her body, stopping over her stomach. It hesitated, one yellow eye staring at the camera. It began to feed. The leopard joined the feast.
I closed my eyes, but the sounds were enough. Heavy, wet, tearing sounds filled the room. I heard myself say, "Turn it off." The sounds stopped, and I assumed that Edward had turned the tape off, but I didn't look up to see. I didn't look up until I heard the whir of the tape rewinding.
Edward cut a bite of steak.
"If you eat that right now, I will throw up on you."
He smiled, but he put down his silverware. He looked at me. His expression was neutral, as it was most of the time. I couldn't tell if he'd enjoyed the film or been disgusted by it. "Now you can ask me questions," he said. His voice was like it always was, pleasant, unaffected by external stimuli.
"Jesus, where did you get that thing?"
"A client."
"Why give it to you?"
"The woman was his daughter."
"Oh, God, please, tell me he didn't watch this."
"You know he saw it. You know he watched it to the end or why hire me? Most men don't hire people to kill their daughter's lovers."
"He hired you to kill the two men?"
Edward nodded.
"Why did you show this to me?"
"Because I knew you'd help me."
"I'm not an assassin, Edward."
"Just help me identify them. I'll do the rest. Is it all right if I drink some wine?"
I nodded.
He sipped his wine. The dark liquid rolled around the glass, looking a lot redder than it had before the movie. I swallowed hard and looked away. I would not throw up. I would not throw up.
"Where can I find Alfred?"
"Nowhere," I said.
He set his wineglass carefully on the tray. "Anita, you disappoint me. I thought you'd help me after seeing what they did to the girl."
"I'm not being uncooperative. That film is one of the worst things I've ever seen, and I've seen a hell of a lot. You're too late to find Alfred."
"How too late?"
"I killed him last night."
A smile spread across his face, beautiful to behold. "You always make my job easier."
"Not on purpose."
He shrugged. "Do you want half the fee? You did do half the work."
I shook my head. "I didn't do it for money."
"Tell me what happened."
"No."
"Why not?"
I looked at him. "Because you hunt lycanthropes and I don't want to give someone to you by accident.
I closed my eyes, but the sounds were enough. Heavy, wet, tearing sounds filled the room. I heard myself say, "Turn it off." The sounds stopped, and I assumed that Edward had turned the tape off, but I didn't look up to see. I didn't look up until I heard the whir of the tape rewinding.
Edward cut a bite of steak.
"If you eat that right now, I will throw up on you."
He smiled, but he put down his silverware. He looked at me. His expression was neutral, as it was most of the time. I couldn't tell if he'd enjoyed the film or been disgusted by it. "Now you can ask me questions," he said. His voice was like it always was, pleasant, unaffected by external stimuli.
"Jesus, where did you get that thing?"
"A client."
"Why give it to you?"
"The woman was his daughter."
"Oh, God, please, tell me he didn't watch this."
"You know he saw it. You know he watched it to the end or why hire me? Most men don't hire people to kill their daughter's lovers."
"He hired you to kill the two men?"
Edward nodded.
"Why did you show this to me?"
"Because I knew you'd help me."
"I'm not an assassin, Edward."
"Just help me identify them. I'll do the rest. Is it all right if I drink some wine?"
I nodded.
He sipped his wine. The dark liquid rolled around the glass, looking a lot redder than it had before the movie. I swallowed hard and looked away. I would not throw up. I would not throw up.
"Where can I find Alfred?"
"Nowhere," I said.
He set his wineglass carefully on the tray. "Anita, you disappoint me. I thought you'd help me after seeing what they did to the girl."
"I'm not being uncooperative. That film is one of the worst things I've ever seen, and I've seen a hell of a lot. You're too late to find Alfred."
"How too late?"
"I killed him last night."
A smile spread across his face, beautiful to behold. "You always make my job easier."
"Not on purpose."
He shrugged. "Do you want half the fee? You did do half the work."
I shook my head. "I didn't do it for money."
"Tell me what happened."
"No."
"Why not?"
I looked at him. "Because you hunt lycanthropes and I don't want to give someone to you by accident.