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The Laughing Corpse :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 175 из 213"What are you staring at?"
"A dead woman," she said softly.
I shook my head. "Talk is cheap, Seсora. Threats don't mean squat."
John touched my arm. "Do not taunt her, Anita. If she can do that instantly, there's no telling what else she can do."
The cop had had enough. "She's not doing anything. If you so much as twitch wrong, lady, I'm going to shoot you."
"But I am just an old woman. Would you threaten me?"
"Don't talk either."
The other uniform said, "I knew a witch once who could bespell you with her voice."
Both uniforms had their hands near their guns. Funny how magic changes how people perceive you. They were fine when they thought she needed human sacrifice and ceremony. Let her do one instant trick, and she was suddenly very dangerous. I'd always known she was dangerous.
Dominga sat silently under the watchful eyes of the cops. I had been distracted by her little performance. There were still no screams from downstairs. Nothing. Silence.
Had it gotten them all? That quickly, without a shot fired. Naw. But still, my stomach was tight, sweat trickled down my spine. Are you alright, Dolph? I thought.
"Did you say something?" John asked.
I shook my head. "Just thinking really hard."
He nodded as if that made sense to him.
Dolph came into the living room. I couldn't tell anything by his face. Mr. Stoic.
"Well, what was it?" l asked.
"Nothing," he said.
"What do you mean, nothing?"
"She's cleaned the place out completely. We found the rooms you told me about. One door had been busted from inside, but the room's been scrubbed down and painted." He held up one big hand. It was stained white. "Hell, the paint's still wet."
"It can't all be gone. What about the cement-covered doors?"
"Looks like someone took a jackhammer to them. They're just freshly painted rooms, Anita. The place stinks of pine scented bleach and wet paint. No corpses, no zombies. Nothing."
I just stared at him. "You've got to be kidding."
He shook his head. "I'm not laughing."
I stood in front of Dominga. "Who warned you?"
She just stared up at me, smiling. I had a great urge to slap that smile off her face. Just to hit her once would feel good. I knew it would.
"Anita," Dolph said, "back off."
Maybe the anger showed on my face, or maybe it was the fact that my hands were balled into fists and I seemed to be shaking. Shaking with anger and the beginnings of something else.
"A dead woman," she said softly.
I shook my head. "Talk is cheap, Seсora. Threats don't mean squat."
John touched my arm. "Do not taunt her, Anita. If she can do that instantly, there's no telling what else she can do."
The cop had had enough. "She's not doing anything. If you so much as twitch wrong, lady, I'm going to shoot you."
"But I am just an old woman. Would you threaten me?"
"Don't talk either."
The other uniform said, "I knew a witch once who could bespell you with her voice."
Both uniforms had their hands near their guns. Funny how magic changes how people perceive you. They were fine when they thought she needed human sacrifice and ceremony. Let her do one instant trick, and she was suddenly very dangerous. I'd always known she was dangerous.
Dominga sat silently under the watchful eyes of the cops. I had been distracted by her little performance. There were still no screams from downstairs. Nothing. Silence.
Had it gotten them all? That quickly, without a shot fired. Naw. But still, my stomach was tight, sweat trickled down my spine. Are you alright, Dolph? I thought.
"Did you say something?" John asked.
I shook my head. "Just thinking really hard."
He nodded as if that made sense to him.
Dolph came into the living room. I couldn't tell anything by his face. Mr. Stoic.
"Well, what was it?" l asked.
"Nothing," he said.
"What do you mean, nothing?"
"She's cleaned the place out completely. We found the rooms you told me about. One door had been busted from inside, but the room's been scrubbed down and painted." He held up one big hand. It was stained white. "Hell, the paint's still wet."
"It can't all be gone. What about the cement-covered doors?"
"Looks like someone took a jackhammer to them. They're just freshly painted rooms, Anita. The place stinks of pine scented bleach and wet paint. No corpses, no zombies. Nothing."
I just stared at him. "You've got to be kidding."
He shook his head. "I'm not laughing."
I stood in front of Dominga. "Who warned you?"
She just stared up at me, smiling. I had a great urge to slap that smile off her face. Just to hit her once would feel good. I knew it would.
"Anita," Dolph said, "back off."
Maybe the anger showed on my face, or maybe it was the fact that my hands were balled into fists and I seemed to be shaking. Shaking with anger and the beginnings of something else.