"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Remodeling" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

“It's not too late,” Ada said. “The maître d’ saw everything. They'd know we weren't making it up.”

“And they'd wonder why you waited until now.”

“We tell them the truth—you told me to call.”

Rick shook his head. “Won't do any good now. They'd have to catch him in the act, or near the act. Maybe I'll have
talk with him.”

“I don't think that would be a good idea,” Ada said, remembering how angry the man had been.

“It doesn't matter what you think,” Rick snapped. “You screwed this up enough. I'll handle it from here.”

And with that, the conversation was closed.

Ada put a hand over her distressed stomach and made her way down the stairs to watch something mindless on
television. Anything to keep her distracted.

Maybe she should ignore his request this time. Just because his mind was made up didn't mean she had to live with i
could talk to the neighbor—after all, he'd been approaching her. She could find out what had him so upset, and maybe s
could change it.

Maybe. All she knew was she had to try.

***

The neighbors got home at seven-thirty, their arrival heralded by a basketball hitting the side of Ada's house. She
expected Rick to speed down the stairs and launch himself out the door, but he remained in the office, working on his
computer. He seemed so involved that, for a moment, she thought of going to Muff ler Man's then.

But she didn't. She wanted no chance of being caught. No chance at all.
 The next day, she planned to visit the house at lunch—the wife was often home then, and Ada thought she might be
easier to talk to—but the sheriff changed her plans.

He arrived at seven A.M., the f lashing lights from his squad car sending pale blue and red squares across the bedro
ceiling. His pounding woke Ada up, but Rick was already awake. He was standing near the window, his body turned to
the side so that no one looking up could see in.

Voices rose below: Muff ler Man's deep and indignant, swearing he'd made payments and had checks as proof; the
wife's shrill and sharp, demanding that the sheriff wait for their lawyer; and the sheriff himself, claiming the problem was
his.

Ada thought Rick would be angry at the noise, at the interruption of his morning ritual, but he wasn't. He was bobbin
the soles of his feet, his hastily donned gym shorts leaving nothing to the imagination, an expression of satisfaction on his

Ada grabbed her robe just as the beep-beep-beep of a truck in reverse echoed throughout the neighborhood and th
she walked to the window which, to her surprise, was open. Rick never left the window open, claiming it let in too much
noise.

“Not so close,” he hissed as she approached.