"Nayler, Ray - The Honor System" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nayler Ray)

The man seemed to shrink an inch.

"Of course. I don't want any trouble."

"There will be no trouble."

The cop's voice was robotic, bored. Ellie put her hand over her mouth. She felt a laugh coming up, a laugh without reason. She felt hysterical, unhinged. What if she was right?

Richards turned to Ellie.

"Ma'am, could you please return to your own campsite? I'll come and speak to you later."

"Oh . . . of course . . ."

She walked off, slowly. She zipped the tent shut hard behind her. She felt hollow. Had she done the right thing? Where was Sam? What would he think of her, if she was wrong?

In a few moments a light flickered along the tent, and Richards's voice called to her. She opened the tent. He was standing by the table, spotting things with his flashlight. Idly snooping, out of habit, she thought. Just getting into my business.

He smiled at her dimly. "I'm happy to say that the little girl is safe. He's her father. There isn't anything unusual going on. I spoke with her myself."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you come all the way out here for nothing . . ."

He shook his head. A sudden humanness lit in his eyes. "Believe me, I'm glad it was for nothing. And it did look suspicious, like you say. I had a bad feeling about it myself, when I first talked to him, but . . ." He stopped abruptly at the crack of a twig, snapping the beam of his maglite at the sound.

It was just Sam, coming up the path. The beam caught him, lit him up like a spotlight. He covered his eyes.

"Ellie? Who's that?"

Ellie smiled up at the cop. "That's just my boyfriend . . ."

Her words died off. The cop had stiffened, become alert. With a movement that seemed spring-loaded, his gun was in his hand.

"Put your hands up."

Sam did it.

"What is this?" Ellie screamed. "What are you doing? That's just my boyfriend."

She looked at Sam. But he didn't see her. He was staring through the beam at the cop.

"Hey!"

Richards ignored her. She might as well have not been there.

He stepped toward Sam.

"Get down on the ground, slow. And put your hands behind your head."

Sam smirked. "I know the drill." He sagged to his knees. His eyes met Ellie's. "I'm sorry, Ellie. I never thought they would catch me."