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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 73 из 272Quinlan looked up at him, then at me, as if she wasn't sureshe wanted to be comforted, but I knew the image would appeal to him.
He nodded. "Perhaps you're right." He touched his wife's shoulder. "Sally needs me right now."
Sally cooperated with fresh crying, using the poodle as a sort of impromptu handkerchief. The poodle squirmed and whined. Quinlan sat down and took his wife in his arms. The dog squirmed free and trotted over to Jeff.
I stood. Larry stood. I moved toward the door and looked back at the boy. Jeff stood and the poodle trotted at his side. I opened the doors and ushered us all outside. Raven the poodle eyed me suspiciously, but she came along.
I caught a last glimpse of Beth St. John gazing at the door as if she wanted to go with us, but she sat down beside the unwanted sandwiches and the cooling coffee. She sat like a good soldier. She would not abandon her post.
I closed the door, feeling cowardly. I was glad it wasn't my job to hold the Quinlans' hands. Facing the vampire even in the dark didn't seem so bad by comparison. Of course, I was still safe inside the house. Out there in the dark with the vampire, I might feel different.
13
We stood out in the entryway. The air felt cooler out here, easier to breathe. Had to be my imagination. The poodle was sniffing at my foot. She gave a low growl and Jeff picked her up, tucking her under one arm, in a familiar gesture like he'd done it a hundred times before.
"You don't really want to see the doors, do you?" he asked.
"No," I said.
"Dad's all right. He's just. ." He shrugged. "He's just right, and everyone else is wrong. He doesn't mean anything by it."
"I know. He's scared right now, too. That makes everyone bitchy."
Jeff grinned. I wasn't sure if it was the «scared» comment or the word "bitchy." Probably didn't hear many people saying either about his dad.
"How serious were Andy and your sister?"
He glanced at the closed doors and lowered his voice just a little. "Dad'll say not very, but they were serious. Real serious." He glanced at the door again.
"We can go somewhere else to talk," I said. "Your choice of rooms."
He looked at me. "You're really a vampire hunter?" If the circumstances had been different, he would have been enjoying himself. It's hard not to think it's cool to put stakes through people's chests.
"Yeah, and we raise zombies, too."
"Both of you?" He sounded surprised.
"I'm a full-fledged animator," Larry said.
Jeff shook his head. "We can talk in my room." He led the way up the stairs.
He nodded. "Perhaps you're right." He touched his wife's shoulder. "Sally needs me right now."
Sally cooperated with fresh crying, using the poodle as a sort of impromptu handkerchief. The poodle squirmed and whined. Quinlan sat down and took his wife in his arms. The dog squirmed free and trotted over to Jeff.
I stood. Larry stood. I moved toward the door and looked back at the boy. Jeff stood and the poodle trotted at his side. I opened the doors and ushered us all outside. Raven the poodle eyed me suspiciously, but she came along.
I caught a last glimpse of Beth St. John gazing at the door as if she wanted to go with us, but she sat down beside the unwanted sandwiches and the cooling coffee. She sat like a good soldier. She would not abandon her post.
I closed the door, feeling cowardly. I was glad it wasn't my job to hold the Quinlans' hands. Facing the vampire even in the dark didn't seem so bad by comparison. Of course, I was still safe inside the house. Out there in the dark with the vampire, I might feel different.
13
We stood out in the entryway. The air felt cooler out here, easier to breathe. Had to be my imagination. The poodle was sniffing at my foot. She gave a low growl and Jeff picked her up, tucking her under one arm, in a familiar gesture like he'd done it a hundred times before.
"You don't really want to see the doors, do you?" he asked.
"No," I said.
"Dad's all right. He's just. ." He shrugged. "He's just right, and everyone else is wrong. He doesn't mean anything by it."
"I know. He's scared right now, too. That makes everyone bitchy."
Jeff grinned. I wasn't sure if it was the «scared» comment or the word "bitchy." Probably didn't hear many people saying either about his dad.
"How serious were Andy and your sister?"
He glanced at the closed doors and lowered his voice just a little. "Dad'll say not very, but they were serious. Real serious." He glanced at the door again.
"We can go somewhere else to talk," I said. "Your choice of rooms."
He looked at me. "You're really a vampire hunter?" If the circumstances had been different, he would have been enjoying himself. It's hard not to think it's cool to put stakes through people's chests.
"Yeah, and we raise zombies, too."
"Both of you?" He sounded surprised.
"I'm a full-fledged animator," Larry said.
Jeff shook his head. "We can talk in my room." He led the way up the stairs.