"Tim Lebbon - Face" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lebbon Tim)

Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.

276 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10001

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this
book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to
the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any
payment for this "stripped book."

Copyright ©2001 by Tim Lebbon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher,
except where permitted by law.

ISBN 0-8439-5195-8

The name "Leisure Books" and the stylized "L" with design are trademarks
of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.

Printed in the United States of America.

Visit us on the web at www.dorchesterpub.com.

vii

FACE

viii

FACE

1

Chapter One

Later, they would all wonder how they had not guessed the truth. He was
waiting in the snow, but after climbing into the car he did not seem
cold, his breath did not condense, he appeared calm and composed. He did
not act like a man who needed help.

As they first approached him he looked like a tree, struck by lightning
decades ago and rotted down to a six-foot stump, standing proud of the
snowbanks as if still striving for the sun. And then he turned his head
and his shadow followed; maybe a split second later, maybe not. It was
still snowing heavily, and the wind sent sheets of snowflakes waving
across the road and into the darkness beyond. Perhaps this explained why
the headlights had not picked him out very clearly at first. For an