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The Laughing Corpse :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 35 из 213I will have truth from them, and I will pass this truth on to you, Anita."
She said my name like it was meant to be said, Ahneetah. Made it sound exotic.
"Thank you very much, Seсora Salvador."
"But there is one favor I will ask in return for this information," she said.
Something unpleasant was about to be said, I'd have bet on it. "What would that favor be, Seсora?"
"I want you to pass one more test for me."
I stared at her, waiting for her to go on, but she didn't. "What sort of test?" I asked.
"Come downstairs, and I will show you." Her voice was mild as honey.
"No, Dominga," Manny said. He was standing now. "Anita, nothing the Seсora could tell you would be worth what she wants."
"I can talk to people and things that will not talk to you, either of you. Good Christians that you are."
"Come on, Anita, we don't need her help." He had started for the door. I didn't follow him. Manny hadn't seen the slaughtered family. He hadn't dreamed about blood-coated teddy bears last night. I had. I couldn't leave if she could help me. Whether Benjamin Reynolds was dead or not wasn't the point. The thing, whatever it was, would kill again. And I was betting it had something to do with voodoo. It wasn't my area. I needed help, and I needed it fast.
"Anita, come on." He touched my arm, pulling me a little towards the door.
"Tell me about the test."
Dominga smiled triumphantly. She knew she had me. She knew I wasn't leaving until I had her promised help. Damn.
"Let us retire to the basement. I will explain the test there."
Manny's grip on my arm tightened. "Anita, you don't know what you're doing."
He was right, but … "Just stay with me, Manny, back me up. Don't let me do anything that will really hurt. Okay?"
"Anita, anything she wants you to do down there will hurt. Maybe not physically, but it will hurt."
"I have to do this, Manny." I patted his hand and smiled. "It'll be all right."
"No," he said, "it won't be."
I didn't know what to say to that, except that he was probably right. But it didn't matter. I was going to do it. Whatever she asked, within reason, if it would stop the killings. If it would fix it so that I never had to see another half-eaten body.
Dominga smiled. "Let us go downstairs."
"May I speak with Anita alone, Seсora, por favor," Manny said. His hand was still on my arm. I could feel the tension in his hand.
"You will have the rest of this beautiful day to talk to her, Manuel.
She said my name like it was meant to be said, Ahneetah. Made it sound exotic.
"Thank you very much, Seсora Salvador."
"But there is one favor I will ask in return for this information," she said.
Something unpleasant was about to be said, I'd have bet on it. "What would that favor be, Seсora?"
"I want you to pass one more test for me."
I stared at her, waiting for her to go on, but she didn't. "What sort of test?" I asked.
"Come downstairs, and I will show you." Her voice was mild as honey.
"No, Dominga," Manny said. He was standing now. "Anita, nothing the Seсora could tell you would be worth what she wants."
"I can talk to people and things that will not talk to you, either of you. Good Christians that you are."
"Come on, Anita, we don't need her help." He had started for the door. I didn't follow him. Manny hadn't seen the slaughtered family. He hadn't dreamed about blood-coated teddy bears last night. I had. I couldn't leave if she could help me. Whether Benjamin Reynolds was dead or not wasn't the point. The thing, whatever it was, would kill again. And I was betting it had something to do with voodoo. It wasn't my area. I needed help, and I needed it fast.
"Anita, come on." He touched my arm, pulling me a little towards the door.
"Tell me about the test."
Dominga smiled triumphantly. She knew she had me. She knew I wasn't leaving until I had her promised help. Damn.
"Let us retire to the basement. I will explain the test there."
Manny's grip on my arm tightened. "Anita, you don't know what you're doing."
He was right, but … "Just stay with me, Manny, back me up. Don't let me do anything that will really hurt. Okay?"
"Anita, anything she wants you to do down there will hurt. Maybe not physically, but it will hurt."
"I have to do this, Manny." I patted his hand and smiled. "It'll be all right."
"No," he said, "it won't be."
I didn't know what to say to that, except that he was probably right. But it didn't matter. I was going to do it. Whatever she asked, within reason, if it would stop the killings. If it would fix it so that I never had to see another half-eaten body.
Dominga smiled. "Let us go downstairs."
"May I speak with Anita alone, Seсora, por favor," Manny said. His hand was still on my arm. I could feel the tension in his hand.
"You will have the rest of this beautiful day to talk to her, Manuel.