"EB - Edward L. Ferman - The Best From Fantasy & Science Fiction 23rd EditionUC - SS" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine)

"Gwendolyn?"
"Gwendolyn. A Mrs. Bushyager came by. She wants you to find her little sister."
I sat up so fast I almost fell out of the chair. I gave her a long, hard stare, but her neutral expression didn't flicker. "You're kidding." Her eyebrows rose a millimeter. "Was she a slinky blonde?1*
"No. She was a dumpy brunette."
I settled back in the chair, trying not to laugh. "Why does Mrs. Bushyager want me to find her little sister?" I sputtered.
"Because Mrs. Bushyager thinks she's shacked up somewhere with Mr. Bushyager. She'd like you to call her tonight"
"Tomorrow. I've got a date with Jantce tonight." She reached in her desk drawer and pulled out my bank statement She dropped it on the desk with a papery plop. "Don't worry," I assured her, "I won't spend much money. Just a little spaghetti and wine tonight and ham and eggs in the morning." She humphed. My point "Anything else?"
The Detweiler Boy
33
"A Mr. Bloomfeld called. He wants you to get the goods on Mrs. Btoomfeid so he can sue for divorce."
I sighed. Miss Tremaine closed the pad. "Okay. No to Mrs. Car-mknael and make appointments for Bushyager and Bloomfeld." She lowered her eyelids at me. I spread my hands. "Would Sam Spade go looking for a French poodle named Gwendolyn?*1
"He might if he had your bank statement Mr. Bloomfeld wfll be in at two, Mrs. Bushyager at three."
"Miss Tremaine, you'd make somebody a wonderful mother." She didn't even humph; she just picked up her purse and stalked out I sniveled the chair around and looked at the calendar. Tomorrow was the 4th.
Somebody would die tomorrow and Andrew Detwefler would be dose-by.
I scooted up in bed and leaned against the headboard. Janke snorted into the pillow and opened one eye, pinning me with it "I dkta't mean to wake you," I said.
"What's the matter," she muttered, "too much spaghetti?**
"No. Too much Andrew Detweiler."
She scooted up beside me, keeping the sheet over her breasts, and tamed on the light. She rummaged around on the nightstand for a cigarette. "Who wants to divorce him?"
"That's mean, Janice," I groaned.
"You want a cigarette?"
"Yeah."
She put two cigarettes in her mouth and lit them both. She handed me one. "You don't look a bit like Paul Henreid," I said.
She grinned. "That's funny. You look like Bette Davis. Who's Andrew Detweiler?"
So I told her.
"It's elementary, my dear Sherlock," she said. "Andrew Detweiler is a vampire." I frowned at her. "Of course, he's a clever vampire. Vampires are usually stupid. They always give themselves away by leaving those two little teeth marks on people's jugulars."
"Darling, even vampires have to be at the scene of the crime."
"He always has an alibi, huh?"
I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. "That's suspicious in itself."
34
Tom Reamy
The Detweiler Boy
35
When I came out she said, "Why?"
"Innocent people usually don't have alibis, especially not one every three days."
"Which is probably why innocent people get put hi jail so often."
I chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. "You may be right."
"Bert, do that again."
I looked at her over my shoulder. "Do what?"
"Go to the bathroom."
"I don't think I can. My bladder holds only so much."
"I don't mean that. Walk over to the bathroom door."
I gave her a suspicious frown, got up, and walked over to the bathroom door. I turned around, crossed my arms, and leaned against the doorframe. "Well?"
She grinned. "You've got a cute rear end. Almost as cute as Hurt Reynolds'. Maybe he's twins."
"What?" I practically screamed.
"Maybe Andrew Detweiler is twins. One of them commits the murders and the other establishes the alibis."
"Twin vampires?"
She frowned. "That is a bit much, isn't it? Had they discovered blood groups in Bram Stoker's day?"
I got back in bed and pulled the sheet up to my waist, leaning beside her against the headboard. "I haven't the foggiest idea."
"That's another way vampires are stupid. They never check the victim's blood group. The wrong blood group can kill you."
"Vampires don't exactly get transfusions."