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The Doomsday Conspiracy :: Sheldon Sidney
Страница: 30 из 213”
“Only men?”
Beckerman thought for a moment. “No. That’s not right. There was one woman, too.”
Terrific. That really narrows it down, Robert thought. Next question: Why the hell did I ever agree to this assignment? “What you’re saying, Mr Beckerman, is that a group of tourists boarded your bus at Zurich, and then when the tour was over, they simply scattered?”
“That’s right, Mr Smith.”
So there was not even a haystack. “Do you remember anything at all about the passengers? Anything they said or did?”
Beckerman shook his head. “Mister, you get so you don’t pay no attention to them. Unless they cause some trouble. Like that German.”
Robert sat very still. He asked softly, “What German?”
“Affenarsch! All the other passengers were excited about seeing the UFO and those dead creatures in it, but this old man kept complaining about how we had to hurry up to get to Bern because he had to prepare some lecture for the University in the morning …”
A beginning. “Do you remember anything else about him?”
“No.”
“Nothing at all?”
“He was wearing a black overcoat.”
Great. “Mr Beckerman, I want to ask you for a favour. Would you mind driving out with me to Uetendorf?”
“It’s my day off. I am busy with …”
“I’ll be glad to pay you.”
“Ja?”
“Two hundred marks.”
“I don’t …”
“I’ll make it four hundred marks.”
Beckerman thought for a moment. “Why not? It’s a nice day for a drive, nicht?”
They headed south, past the picturesque villages of Immensee and Meggen and through Luzern. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, but Robert had other things on his mind.
They passed through Sarnen, and Briinig, the pass leading to Interlaken. They sped past Leissigen and Faulensee with its lovely blue lake dotted with white sailboats.
“How much further is it?” Robert asked.
“Soon,” Hans Beckerman promised.
They had been driving for almost an hour when they came to Spiez. Hans Beckerman said, “It is not far now. Just past the next town, Thun.”
Robert felt his heart beginning to beat faster. He was about to witness something that was far beyond imagination, alien visitors from the stars. They drove through Thun, and a few minutes later, as they neared a grove of trees across the highway, Hans Beckerman pointed and said, “There!”
Robert braked to a stop and pulled over to the side of the road.
“Across the highway. Behind those trees.
“Only men?”
Beckerman thought for a moment. “No. That’s not right. There was one woman, too.”
Terrific. That really narrows it down, Robert thought. Next question: Why the hell did I ever agree to this assignment? “What you’re saying, Mr Beckerman, is that a group of tourists boarded your bus at Zurich, and then when the tour was over, they simply scattered?”
“That’s right, Mr Smith.”
So there was not even a haystack. “Do you remember anything at all about the passengers? Anything they said or did?”
Beckerman shook his head. “Mister, you get so you don’t pay no attention to them. Unless they cause some trouble. Like that German.”
Robert sat very still. He asked softly, “What German?”
“Affenarsch! All the other passengers were excited about seeing the UFO and those dead creatures in it, but this old man kept complaining about how we had to hurry up to get to Bern because he had to prepare some lecture for the University in the morning …”
A beginning. “Do you remember anything else about him?”
“No.”
“Nothing at all?”
“He was wearing a black overcoat.”
Great. “Mr Beckerman, I want to ask you for a favour. Would you mind driving out with me to Uetendorf?”
“It’s my day off. I am busy with …”
“I’ll be glad to pay you.”
“Ja?”
“Two hundred marks.”
“I don’t …”
“I’ll make it four hundred marks.”
Beckerman thought for a moment. “Why not? It’s a nice day for a drive, nicht?”
They headed south, past the picturesque villages of Immensee and Meggen and through Luzern. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, but Robert had other things on his mind.
They passed through Sarnen, and Briinig, the pass leading to Interlaken. They sped past Leissigen and Faulensee with its lovely blue lake dotted with white sailboats.
“How much further is it?” Robert asked.
“Soon,” Hans Beckerman promised.
They had been driving for almost an hour when they came to Spiez. Hans Beckerman said, “It is not far now. Just past the next town, Thun.”
Robert felt his heart beginning to beat faster. He was about to witness something that was far beyond imagination, alien visitors from the stars. They drove through Thun, and a few minutes later, as they neared a grove of trees across the highway, Hans Beckerman pointed and said, “There!”
Robert braked to a stop and pulled over to the side of the road.
“Across the highway. Behind those trees.