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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 54 из 272"
His face was very close, just barely far enough away for me not to complain. I could smell his aftershave, faint as if you'd have to get very near his skin to smell it, but it would be worth the effort.
"What do you want, Magnus, if it's not money?" I stared at him from too close. His long hair trailed over my hand.
"I told you what I wanted."
Even without the glamor be was trying to sweet-talk me, distract me. "What happened to the trees out by your road?" I didn't distract that easily.
He blinked long lashes. Something slid behind his eyes. "I happened."
"You cut down those trees?" Larry asked.
Magnus turned to him, and I was glad not to be staring at him from inches away. "Sadly, yes."
"Why?" I asked.
He straightened up, suddenly businesslike. "I got drunk and went on a little rampage." He shrugged. "Embarrassing, isn't it?"
"That's one word for it," I said.
"I'll go get your food. One naked salad coming up."
"You remember what I'm getting?" I asked.
"Meat burned to death; I remember."
"You sound like a vegetarian."
"Oh, no," he said. "I eat all sorts of things."
He walked away through the crowd before I could decide if I'd been insulted or not. Just as well. For the life of me, I couldn't think of a good comeback line.
10
Dorcas brought our food without a word. She seemed angry—maybe not at us, but with us. Or with everything. I sympathized. Magnus went behind the bar, spreading his own special brand of magic to his customers once more. He glanced our way and smiled but didn't come back to finish our talk. Of course; we'd been finished. I was all out of questions.
I took a bite of my cheeseburger. It was almost crispy around the edges, not a smidgen of pink in the center. Perfect.
"What's wrong?" Larry asked. He was nibbling at a lettuce leaf.
I swallowed. "Why should something be wrong?"
"You're frowning," he said.
"Magnus didn't come back to the table."
"So? He answered all our questions."
"Maybe we just don't know the right questions to ask."
"You suspect him of something now?" Larry shook his head. "You have been hanging around with cops too long, Anita. You think everyone's up to something."
"They usually are." I took another bite of burger.
Larry squinched his eyes tight.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked.
"There's juice coming out of your burger.
His face was very close, just barely far enough away for me not to complain. I could smell his aftershave, faint as if you'd have to get very near his skin to smell it, but it would be worth the effort.
"What do you want, Magnus, if it's not money?" I stared at him from too close. His long hair trailed over my hand.
"I told you what I wanted."
Even without the glamor be was trying to sweet-talk me, distract me. "What happened to the trees out by your road?" I didn't distract that easily.
He blinked long lashes. Something slid behind his eyes. "I happened."
"You cut down those trees?" Larry asked.
Magnus turned to him, and I was glad not to be staring at him from inches away. "Sadly, yes."
"Why?" I asked.
He straightened up, suddenly businesslike. "I got drunk and went on a little rampage." He shrugged. "Embarrassing, isn't it?"
"That's one word for it," I said.
"I'll go get your food. One naked salad coming up."
"You remember what I'm getting?" I asked.
"Meat burned to death; I remember."
"You sound like a vegetarian."
"Oh, no," he said. "I eat all sorts of things."
He walked away through the crowd before I could decide if I'd been insulted or not. Just as well. For the life of me, I couldn't think of a good comeback line.
10
Dorcas brought our food without a word. She seemed angry—maybe not at us, but with us. Or with everything. I sympathized. Magnus went behind the bar, spreading his own special brand of magic to his customers once more. He glanced our way and smiled but didn't come back to finish our talk. Of course; we'd been finished. I was all out of questions.
I took a bite of my cheeseburger. It was almost crispy around the edges, not a smidgen of pink in the center. Perfect.
"What's wrong?" Larry asked. He was nibbling at a lettuce leaf.
I swallowed. "Why should something be wrong?"
"You're frowning," he said.
"Magnus didn't come back to the table."
"So? He answered all our questions."
"Maybe we just don't know the right questions to ask."
"You suspect him of something now?" Larry shook his head. "You have been hanging around with cops too long, Anita. You think everyone's up to something."
"They usually are." I took another bite of burger.
Larry squinched his eyes tight.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked.
"There's juice coming out of your burger.