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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 120 из 272" He walked over and offered his hand to Jean-Claude. Jean-Claude raised an eyebrow but took the offered hand.
The handshake seemed to make Bayard feel better. A normal gesture. He didn't know what Jean-Claude was. How he could look at him and think him human was beyond me. I'd only seen one vampire that could have passed for human, and he hadn't been human at all. Bayard turned back to me, adjusting his glasses, which didn't need adjusting. That nervous little gesture again. Something was up.
"What's up, Bayard?" I asked. I'd closed the door and was leaning to one side of it, arms crossed over my stomach.
"I'm here to offer our most sincere apologies for earlier tonight."
I just stared at him. "You're apologizing to me?"
"Yes. Mr. Stirling was overzealous. Why, if you had not been there to bring us all to our senses, a great tragedy might have occurred."
I tried to keep my face blank. I wanted to frown at him, or look confused. "Stirling's not mad at me?"
"On the contrary, Ms. Blake. He's grateful to you."
I didn't believe that. "Really," I said.
"Oh, yes. In fact, I've been authorized to offer you a bonus."
"Why?"
"To make up for our behavior tonight."
"Your behavior was fine," I said.
He smiled modestly. His act was about as sincere as faux pearls, but not half so realistic.
"How much is the bonus?"
"Twenty thousand," he said.
I stayed leaning against the wall, staring at him. "No."
He blinked at me. "Excuse me?"
"I don't want the bonus."
"I'm not authorized to go higher than twenty thousand, but I could speak with Mr. Stirling. Perhaps he would go higher."
I shook my head and pushed away from the wall. "I don't want more money. I don't want the bonus at all."
"You aren't quitting on us, are you, Ms. Blake?" He was blinking so fast I thought he'd pass out. Me quitting bothered him. A lot.
"No, I'm not quitting. But you're already paying an enormous fee. You don't need to pay more."
"Mr. Stirling is just very anxious that he has not offended you."
I let that one go. Too easy. "Tell Mr. Stirling I'd have thought better of his apology if it had been delivered in person."
"Mr. Stirling is a very busy man. He would have come himself, but he had pressing business."
I wondered how often Bayard had to apologize for the big man. I wondered how often the apology was for telling a fellow flunkie to shoot someone. "Fine, you've delivered the message. Tell Mr.
The handshake seemed to make Bayard feel better. A normal gesture. He didn't know what Jean-Claude was. How he could look at him and think him human was beyond me. I'd only seen one vampire that could have passed for human, and he hadn't been human at all. Bayard turned back to me, adjusting his glasses, which didn't need adjusting. That nervous little gesture again. Something was up.
"What's up, Bayard?" I asked. I'd closed the door and was leaning to one side of it, arms crossed over my stomach.
"I'm here to offer our most sincere apologies for earlier tonight."
I just stared at him. "You're apologizing to me?"
"Yes. Mr. Stirling was overzealous. Why, if you had not been there to bring us all to our senses, a great tragedy might have occurred."
I tried to keep my face blank. I wanted to frown at him, or look confused. "Stirling's not mad at me?"
"On the contrary, Ms. Blake. He's grateful to you."
I didn't believe that. "Really," I said.
"Oh, yes. In fact, I've been authorized to offer you a bonus."
"Why?"
"To make up for our behavior tonight."
"Your behavior was fine," I said.
He smiled modestly. His act was about as sincere as faux pearls, but not half so realistic.
"How much is the bonus?"
"Twenty thousand," he said.
I stayed leaning against the wall, staring at him. "No."
He blinked at me. "Excuse me?"
"I don't want the bonus."
"I'm not authorized to go higher than twenty thousand, but I could speak with Mr. Stirling. Perhaps he would go higher."
I shook my head and pushed away from the wall. "I don't want more money. I don't want the bonus at all."
"You aren't quitting on us, are you, Ms. Blake?" He was blinking so fast I thought he'd pass out. Me quitting bothered him. A lot.
"No, I'm not quitting. But you're already paying an enormous fee. You don't need to pay more."
"Mr. Stirling is just very anxious that he has not offended you."
I let that one go. Too easy. "Tell Mr. Stirling I'd have thought better of his apology if it had been delivered in person."
"Mr. Stirling is a very busy man. He would have come himself, but he had pressing business."
I wondered how often Bayard had to apologize for the big man. I wondered how often the apology was for telling a fellow flunkie to shoot someone. "Fine, you've delivered the message. Tell Mr.