"Robert A. Heinlein - The unpleasant profession of Johathan Ho" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

you stood there chinning, which threw me off stride. Then you went into the lobby
together, practically arm in arm.
He sat there, saying nothing, looking at her for a long moment. At last she said,
"Don't sit there staring like a goon! That's what happened."
He said, "Cyn, listen to my story. I got off the bus after he did and followed him
into the lobby. I used the old heel-and-toe getting into the elevator and swung behind him
when he faced the front of the car. When he got out, I hung back, then fiddled around,
half in and half out, asking the operator simpleton questions, and giving him long enough
to get clear. When I turned the corner he was just disappearing into 1310. He never spoke
to me. He never saw my face. I'm sure of that."
She was looking white, but all she said was, "Go on."
"When you go in this place there is a long glass partition on your right, with
benches built up against it. You can look through the glass and see the jewelers, or
jewelsmiths, or whatever you call 'em at work. Clever -- good salesmanship. Hoag
ducked right on in and by the time I passed down the aisle he was already on the other
side, his coat off and a smock on, and one of those magnifying dinguses screwed into his
eye. I went on past him to the desk -- he never looked up -- and asked for the manager.
Presently a little birdlike guy shows up and I ask him if they have a man named Jonathan
Hoag in their employ. He says yes and asks if I want to speak to him. I told him no, that I
was an investigator for an insurance company. He wants to know if there is anything
wrong and I told him that it was simply a routine investigation of what he had said on his
application for a life policy, and how long had he worked there? Five years, he told me.
He said that Hoag was one of the most reliable and skillful employees. I said fine, and
asked if he thought Mr. Hoag could afford to carry as much as ten thousand. He says
certainly and that they were always glad to see their employees invest in life insurance.
Which was what I figured when I gave him the stall.
"As I went out I stopped in front of Hoag's bench and looked at him through the
glass. Presently he looked up and stared at me, then looked down again. I'm sure I would
have spotted it if he had recognized me. A case of complete skeezo, sheezo...how do you
pronounce it?"
"Schizophrenia. Completely split personalities. But look, Teddy -- "
"Yeah?"
"You did talk with him. I saw you."
 "Now slow down, puss. You may think you did, but you must have been looking
at two other guys. How far away were you?"
"Not that far. I was standing in front of Beecham's Bootery. Then comes Chez
Louis, and then the entrance to the Acme Building. You had your back to the newspaper
stand at the curb and were practically facing me. Hoag had his back to me, but I couldn't
have been mistaken, as I had him in full profile when the two of you turned and went into
the building together."
Randall looked exasperated. "I didn't speak with him. And I didn't go in with him;
I followed him in."
"Edward Randall, don't give me that! I admit I lost the two of you, but that's no
reason to rub it in by trying to make a fool of me."
Randall had been married too long and too comfortably not to respect danger
signals. He got up, went to her, and put an arm around her. "Look, kid," he said, seriously
and gently, "I'm not pulling your leg. We've got our wires crossed somehow, but I'm
giving it to you just as straight as I can, the way I remember it."
She searched his eyes, then kissed him suddenly, and pulled away. "All right.
We're both right and it's impossible. Come on."