"Mack Reynolds - Day After Tomorrow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

"Where did you find it, Zusanette?" Larry said gently.

She tightened her lips and the trembling of her chin disappeared. "I… I
can't tell you that. But it's not counterfeit. Daddy… my father, said it was
as good as any money the government prints."

'"That it is." Steve's voice was sour. "But it's still counterfeit, which
makes it very illegal indeed to spend, Miss Self."

She looked from one of them to the other, not clear about her position.
She said to Larry, "You mean it's not real money?"

He kept his tone disarming, but shook his head. "I'm afraid not,
Zusanette. Now, tell us, where did you find it?"

"I can't. I promised."

"I see. Then you don't know to whom it originally belonged?"

"It didn't belong to anybody."

Steve Hackett made with a disbelieving whistle. He was taking the part
of the tough, suspicious cop; Larry the part of the understanding,
sympathetic officer, trying to give the suspect a break.

Susan Self turned quickly on Steve. "Well, it didn't. You don't even
know."

Larry said, "I think she's telling the truth, Steve. Give her a chance.
She's playing fair." He looked back at the girl and frowned his puzzlement.
"But all money belongs to somebody, doesn't it?"
 She had them now. She said superiorly, "Not necessarily to somebody.
It can belong to, like, an organization."

Steve grunted scepticism. "I think we ought to arrest her," he said.

Larry held up a hand, his face registering opposition. "I'll handle this,"
he said sharply. "Zusanette is doing everything she can to cooperate." He
turned back to the girl. "Now, the question is, what organization did this
money belong to?"

She looked triumphantly at Steve Hackett. "It belonged to the
Movement."

They both looked at her.

Steve said finally, "What movement?"

She pouted in thought. "That's the only name they call it."