"Kathleen Ann Goonan - The Bridge" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goose Mother)

“No.”

“Never mind. I remember you now. Private eye. Haven’t seen you in a
while. What’s your question?”

“Do you recall seeing these bodies here?” I showed her the photos
that Julia had left with me.

“No. Should I?” She looked more closely at the information on the
sheet I handed her. “Four years ago? Are you kidding?”

“You signed their death certificates, here.”

She looked again; touched a circle at the bottom. “That’s not my
signature.”

“Thanks. The other two?”

She shook her head, frowning. “No, these are all ... forgeries. But you
got them...” she touched the first one again. “You just got them over at
registry.”

“So these people didn’t die?”

She looked at me impatiently. “You know as well as I do that all I’m
saying is that these documents are fake. Some hacker has been in the
system.” She sighed. “Well, it’s nothing new. I told them they were rushing
into this too fast. Look, is that all?”
 “Thanks.”

****

Julia returned that afternoon, still wearing the blue suit, but now
wrapped in a dark wool cape with a hood.

I was glad that she showed up. I felt as if my morning had been a
waste of time and I half-thought that I would never see her again, that she
had been visited upon me by the gods of futility, who seemed to have
made themselves comfortable in just about every area of my life. First the
marriage, then my business, now the world...

On the other hand, she had provided me with something to be curious
about. Something to make me want to live another day, just to see what
happened.

She settled into the chair and again refused my offer of a drink.

I sipped carefully today. It was my last ounce and I was glad not to
have to split it. My breakfast and lunch had been donuts.