JК
The Laughing Corpse :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 18 из 213It was amazing how many times I touched myclothing without thinking and smeared blood on myself. But not today.
"Is it the boy's body under the sheet in the living room?" As I said it, I prayed that it wasn't.
"No," he said.
Thank God. "Mother's body?"
"Yes."
"Where is the boy's body?"
"We can't find it." He hesitated, then asked, "Could the thing have eaten the child's body completely?"
"You mean so there wouldn't be anything left to find?"
"Yes," he said. His face looked just the tiniest bit pale. Mine probably did, too.
"Possible, but even the undead have a limit to what they can eat." I took a deep breath. "Did you find any signs of regurgitation."
"Regurgitation." He smiled. "Nice word. No, the creature didn't eat and then vomit. At least we haven't found it."
"Then the boy's probably still around somewhere."
"Could he be alive?" Dolph asked.
I looked up at him. I wanted to say yes, but I knew the answer was probably no. I compromised. "I don't know."
Dolph nodded.
"The living room next?" I asked.
"No." He walked out of the room without another word. I followed. What else could I do? But I didn't hurry. If he wanted to play tough, silent policeman, he could damn well wait for me to catch up.
I followed his broad back around the corner through the living room into the kitchen. A sliding glass door led out onto a deck. Glass was everywhere. Shiny slivers of it sparkled in the light from yet another skylight. The kitchen was spotless, like a magazine ad, done in blue tile and rich light-colored wood. "Nice kitchen," I said.
I could see men moving around the yard. The party had moved outside. The privacy fence hid them from the curious neighbors, as it had hidden the killer last night. There was just one detective standing beside the shiny sink. He was scribbling something in a notebook.
Dolph motioned me to have a closer look. "Okay," I said. "Something crashed through the sliding glass door. It must have made a hell of a lot of noise. This much glass breaking even with the air-conditioning on … You'd hear it"
"You think so?" he asked.
"Did any of the neighbors hear anything?" I asked.
"No one will admit to it," he said.
I nodded. "Glass breaks, someone comes to check it out, probably the man. Some sexist stereotypes die hard."
"What do you mean?" Dolph asked.
"The brave hunter protecting his family," I said.
"Is it the boy's body under the sheet in the living room?" As I said it, I prayed that it wasn't.
"No," he said.
Thank God. "Mother's body?"
"Yes."
"Where is the boy's body?"
"We can't find it." He hesitated, then asked, "Could the thing have eaten the child's body completely?"
"You mean so there wouldn't be anything left to find?"
"Yes," he said. His face looked just the tiniest bit pale. Mine probably did, too.
"Possible, but even the undead have a limit to what they can eat." I took a deep breath. "Did you find any signs of regurgitation."
"Regurgitation." He smiled. "Nice word. No, the creature didn't eat and then vomit. At least we haven't found it."
"Then the boy's probably still around somewhere."
"Could he be alive?" Dolph asked.
I looked up at him. I wanted to say yes, but I knew the answer was probably no. I compromised. "I don't know."
Dolph nodded.
"The living room next?" I asked.
"No." He walked out of the room without another word. I followed. What else could I do? But I didn't hurry. If he wanted to play tough, silent policeman, he could damn well wait for me to catch up.
I followed his broad back around the corner through the living room into the kitchen. A sliding glass door led out onto a deck. Glass was everywhere. Shiny slivers of it sparkled in the light from yet another skylight. The kitchen was spotless, like a magazine ad, done in blue tile and rich light-colored wood. "Nice kitchen," I said.
I could see men moving around the yard. The party had moved outside. The privacy fence hid them from the curious neighbors, as it had hidden the killer last night. There was just one detective standing beside the shiny sink. He was scribbling something in a notebook.
Dolph motioned me to have a closer look. "Okay," I said. "Something crashed through the sliding glass door. It must have made a hell of a lot of noise. This much glass breaking even with the air-conditioning on … You'd hear it"
"You think so?" he asked.
"Did any of the neighbors hear anything?" I asked.
"No one will admit to it," he said.
I nodded. "Glass breaks, someone comes to check it out, probably the man. Some sexist stereotypes die hard."
"What do you mean?" Dolph asked.
"The brave hunter protecting his family," I said.