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The Laughing Corpse :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 186 из 213" Dolph plunged his hands in his pants pockets. "We lost three officers. One hurt worse than Roberts, but he'll make it."
I stared up at him. "My fault."
He frowned. "How do you figure that?"
"I should have guessed," I had to swallow, "it wasn't an ordinary zombie."
"It was a zombie, Anita. You were right. You were the one who figured out it was hiding in one of those damn trash cans." He grinned down at me. "And you nearly died killing it. I think you've done your part."
"Didn't kill it. Exterminators killed it." Big words seemed to hurt more than little words.
"Do you remember what happened as you were passing out?"
"No."
"You emptied your clip into its face. Blew its damn brains out the back of its head. You went limp. I thought you were dead. God"-he shook his head-"don't ever do that to me again."
I smiled. "I'll try not to."
"When its brains started leaking out the back of its head, it stood up. You took all the fight out of it."
Zerbrowski pushed into the small space, leaving the curtain gaping behind him. I could see a small boy with a bloody hand crying into a woman's shoulder. Dolph swept the curtain closed. I bet Zerbrowski was one of those people who never shut a drawer.
"They're still digging bullets out of the corpse. And every bullet's yours, Blake."
I just looked at him.
"You are such a bad ass, Blake."
"Somebody has to be with you around, Zerbrow … " I couldn't finish his name. It hurt. It figures.
"Are you in pain?" Dolph asked.
I nodded, carefully. "The doc's getting me painkiller. Already got tetanus booster."
"You've got a necklace of bruises blossoming on that pale neck of yours," Zerbrowski said.
"Poetic," I said.
He shrugged.
"I'll check in on the rest of the injured one more time, then I'll have a uniform drive you back to your place," Dolph said.
"Thanks."
"I don't think you're in any condition to drive."
Maybe he was right. I felt like shit, but it was happy shit. We'd done it. We'd solved the crime, and people were going to jail for it. Yippee.
The doctor came back in with the painkillers. He glanced at the two policemen. "Right." He handed me a bottle with three pills in it. "This should see you through the night and into the next day. I'd call in sick if I were you." He glanced at Dolph as he said it. "You hear that, boss?"
Dolph sort of frowned. "I'm not her boss."
"You're the man in charge, right?" the doctor asked.
I stared up at him. "My fault."
He frowned. "How do you figure that?"
"I should have guessed," I had to swallow, "it wasn't an ordinary zombie."
"It was a zombie, Anita. You were right. You were the one who figured out it was hiding in one of those damn trash cans." He grinned down at me. "And you nearly died killing it. I think you've done your part."
"Didn't kill it. Exterminators killed it." Big words seemed to hurt more than little words.
"Do you remember what happened as you were passing out?"
"No."
"You emptied your clip into its face. Blew its damn brains out the back of its head. You went limp. I thought you were dead. God"-he shook his head-"don't ever do that to me again."
I smiled. "I'll try not to."
"When its brains started leaking out the back of its head, it stood up. You took all the fight out of it."
Zerbrowski pushed into the small space, leaving the curtain gaping behind him. I could see a small boy with a bloody hand crying into a woman's shoulder. Dolph swept the curtain closed. I bet Zerbrowski was one of those people who never shut a drawer.
"They're still digging bullets out of the corpse. And every bullet's yours, Blake."
I just looked at him.
"You are such a bad ass, Blake."
"Somebody has to be with you around, Zerbrow … " I couldn't finish his name. It hurt. It figures.
"Are you in pain?" Dolph asked.
I nodded, carefully. "The doc's getting me painkiller. Already got tetanus booster."
"You've got a necklace of bruises blossoming on that pale neck of yours," Zerbrowski said.
"Poetic," I said.
He shrugged.
"I'll check in on the rest of the injured one more time, then I'll have a uniform drive you back to your place," Dolph said.
"Thanks."
"I don't think you're in any condition to drive."
Maybe he was right. I felt like shit, but it was happy shit. We'd done it. We'd solved the crime, and people were going to jail for it. Yippee.
The doctor came back in with the painkillers. He glanced at the two policemen. "Right." He handed me a bottle with three pills in it. "This should see you through the night and into the next day. I'd call in sick if I were you." He glanced at Dolph as he said it. "You hear that, boss?"
Dolph sort of frowned. "I'm not her boss."
"You're the man in charge, right?" the doctor asked.