"Crystal Skull" - читать интересную книгу автора (MacGregor Rob)

Their waiter arrived, and when it was obvious that his English skills were minimal, Monica addressed him in Spanish. Pierce was impressed with her fluency and guessed she'd lived in a Latin country.
"You're right, this is Latin America," she said when the waiter walked off. "I've never ordered spaghetti in Spanish anywhere else in the United States."
"I even know a Chinese restaurant where you can practice your Spanish."
"Really?"
"Yeah, the Chinese owner and his family are from Peru."
"Oh, that's over in the Grove, right?"
Pierce's smile vanished. "You know the place?"
Monica looked confused, disoriented, something, but only for a moment. "Yeah, I spent a few days in Coconut Grove a couple of years ago. I remember eating there. The waiter told me he was from Peru."
Pierce sipped his water. "You come down here often?"
"Just twice. That's all."
"You come by yourself?"
"I was coming with a friend, another teacher, but she canceled out at the last minute."
"Where'd you learn your Spanish?" he asked.
"Jeez, you got a lot of questions. I spent a couple of summers in Guatemala and Mexico. Where'd you learn yours?"
"I've traveled quite a bit in Latin America. In fact, I used to own a travel agency and lead tour groups."
"Sounds interesting."
"To a point. I'd never go on a tour myself," he grinned. "It's not my idea of what travel is about."
She appraised him for a long moment, a slight smile on her lips. "I think most Americans are wary about traveling in Latin America."
"Of course they are."
She gave him a puzzled look. "So why did you lead trips there?"
"Maybe because you never know exactly what to expect, even on guided tours. The unknown factor. That's what travel is about. In Bogota, for instance, sometimes you check your luggage at the airport, then instead of boarding the plane you end up in a basement, and there's your luggage going around the carousel as if you'd just arrived. But you're trying to leave."
"Why do they do that?"
"Native customs," he said dryly. "To search for drugs."
"I bet your clients loved that kind of treatment."
"I tried to instill in them the idea that it was all part of the adventure. I'd warn them in advance that on this tour, they would be travelers, not tourists."
She laughed. "I guess tonight I feel more like a traveler than a tourist."
I bet you do, Pierce thought. A half-formed idea about Monica was slowly taking shape in the back of his mind; a sculpture being carved from stone.
"You still lead tours?" she asked a while later, after their dinners had arrived.
"I sold my travel agency a few years ago, started a new profession."
While they ate, Monica asked him one question after another about his detective work. She seemed fascinated, even though he emphatically told her the work usually wasn't exciting, or even interesting.
"I never realized that auto manufacturers hired detectives," she said. "What would you do if you found out the car company was at fault?"
"Then my job would be to limit the damage as much as possible. You look at the claimant's driving record, find out whether he or she ever sued anyone before -- anything that might bring about some doubts in the minds of the jurors."
Monica swallowed a mouthful of spaghetti. "Isn't that kind of like working for the wrong side?"
"Even confessed murderers deserve defense attorneys. It's sort of the same thing."
"How did you get involved with car manufacturers?"
"My old college roommate from Columbia University grew up to be rich and influential. He helped me out. I'm sure you've heard of him. Raymond Andrews."
"You're kidding. The movie producer?"
Pierce didn't think of Andrews as a movie producer, although he certainly was one. "Yeah, that among other things. He's got a lot of connections."
She looked impressed. "Are you two good friends? I mean, can you call him up and say, 'Hey, Ray, let's do lunch,' or whatever?"
Pierce was tempted to say Yeah, sure, he and Andrews were buddies. Instead, he told her the truth. "Not really. Especially not lately. You see, I took a consumer case _against_ a car manufacturer. Word got around, and all the car companies dropped me. I'm sure Ray knows about it. He probably thinks I'm an idiot."
Monica nodded. "That's too bad you lost the business. But you're not an idiot and I wouldn't worry about what Ray thinks."
After they finished dinner, Pierce walked Monica to the Cardoza. She stopped outside the lobby and turned to him. The neon light from the hotel sign accented her high cheekbones and her long, graceful neck. Her body was angular, but feminine. Appealingly so, he thought. Her blue eyes were inquiring, but there was also a wariness about her.
"Thanks for going to dinner with me. I hate eating alone." As she spoke, she nervously fiddled with the crystal pendant that hung from a gold chain about her neck.
"My pleasure. Is that quartz?"
"Rose quartz. You like it?"
"I noticed it at dinner. It's nice."
"You believe in crystal power, Nick?"
He shrugged. "It seems to keep my watch running on time, but I'm still usually late."
"Did you know that if you send out loving vibrations to a crystal, it will respond in kind, enhancing your love?"
Pierce reached out, stroked the crystal, touching her hand and neck as he did. "I didn't know that."