JК
Micah :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 3 из 80He was my friend, and there was such anguish in his voice. He'd never mastered that empty cop voice.
"I'm due on an eight a.m. flight to raise a witness for the FBI."
"The federal witness who died before he could testify," I said.
"Yeah," Larry said. "They need the animator that brings him back to be one of us who's also a federal marshal. Me being a federal marshal was one of the reasons the judge agreed to allow the zombie's testimony."
"I remember," I said, but I wasn't happy. I wouldn't turn him down or chicken out, not with Tammy in the hospital, but I hated to fly. No, I was afraid to fly. Damn it.
"I know how much you hate to fly," he said.
That made me smile, that he was trying to make me feel better when his life was about to break apart. "It's okay, Larry. I'll see if the flight has some empty seats. If not I'll get a later flight, but I'll go."
"All my files on the case are at Animators, Inc. I'd stopped by the office to get them and load up the briefcase when Tammy called. I think my briefcase is just sitting on the floor in our office. I got all the files in it. The agent in charge is…" And he hesitated. "I can't remember. Oh, hell, Anita, I can't remember." He was panicking again.
"It's okay, Larry. I'll find it. I'll call the Feds and tell them there's been a change of cast."
"Bert's going to be pissed," Larry said. "Your rates are almost four times what mine are for a zombie raising."
"We can't change the price in midcontract," I said.
"No" — and he almost laughed—"but Bert is going to be pissed that we didn't try."
I laughed, because he was right. Bert had been our boss, but he'd been reduced to business manager because all the animators at Animators, Inc., had gotten together and staged a palace coup. We'd offered him business manager or nothing. He'd taken it when he realized his income wouldn't be affected.
"I'll get the files from the office. I'll get a flight. I'll be there. You just take care of yourself and Tammy."
"Thanks, Anita. I don't know what I… I've got to go—the doctor's here." And he was gone.
I handed the phone to Nathaniel, who placed it gently in the cradle.
"How bad is it?" Micah said.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think Larry knows, not really." I started to crawl out of the covers and the nest of warmth that their bodies made.
"Where are you going?" Micah asked.
"I've got a plane to schedule and files to find."
"Are you thinking of going out of town on a plane by yourself?" Micah asked.
"I'm due on an eight a.m. flight to raise a witness for the FBI."
"The federal witness who died before he could testify," I said.
"Yeah," Larry said. "They need the animator that brings him back to be one of us who's also a federal marshal. Me being a federal marshal was one of the reasons the judge agreed to allow the zombie's testimony."
"I remember," I said, but I wasn't happy. I wouldn't turn him down or chicken out, not with Tammy in the hospital, but I hated to fly. No, I was afraid to fly. Damn it.
"I know how much you hate to fly," he said.
That made me smile, that he was trying to make me feel better when his life was about to break apart. "It's okay, Larry. I'll see if the flight has some empty seats. If not I'll get a later flight, but I'll go."
"All my files on the case are at Animators, Inc. I'd stopped by the office to get them and load up the briefcase when Tammy called. I think my briefcase is just sitting on the floor in our office. I got all the files in it. The agent in charge is…" And he hesitated. "I can't remember. Oh, hell, Anita, I can't remember." He was panicking again.
"It's okay, Larry. I'll find it. I'll call the Feds and tell them there's been a change of cast."
"Bert's going to be pissed," Larry said. "Your rates are almost four times what mine are for a zombie raising."
"We can't change the price in midcontract," I said.
"No" — and he almost laughed—"but Bert is going to be pissed that we didn't try."
I laughed, because he was right. Bert had been our boss, but he'd been reduced to business manager because all the animators at Animators, Inc., had gotten together and staged a palace coup. We'd offered him business manager or nothing. He'd taken it when he realized his income wouldn't be affected.
"I'll get the files from the office. I'll get a flight. I'll be there. You just take care of yourself and Tammy."
"Thanks, Anita. I don't know what I… I've got to go—the doctor's here." And he was gone.
I handed the phone to Nathaniel, who placed it gently in the cradle.
"How bad is it?" Micah said.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think Larry knows, not really." I started to crawl out of the covers and the nest of warmth that their bodies made.
"Where are you going?" Micah asked.
"I've got a plane to schedule and files to find."
"Are you thinking of going out of town on a plane by yourself?" Micah asked.