"Theodore Sturgeon - The Sex Opposite" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sturgeon Theodore)

like DOC SHOCKED SPEECHLESS—and a subhead: Lab Sleuth Suppresses Medical Details of Double Park
Killing. Yeah, and your picture."
"If you dare to print anything of the sort," he raged, "I'll—"
"All right, all right," she said conciliatingly. "I won't. I really won't."
"Promise me?"
"I promise, Muley...if—"
"Why should I bargain?" he demanded suddenly. "Get out of here."
He began to close the door. "And something for the editorial page," she said. "Is a doctor within his rights in
suppressing information concerning a murderous maniac and his methods?" She closed the door.
Muhlenberg bit his lower lip so hard he all but yelped. He ran to the door and snatched it open. "Wait!"
Budgie was leaning against the doorpost lighting a cigarette. "I was waiting," she said reasonably.
"Come in here," he grated. He snatched her arm and whirled her inside, slamming the door.
"You're a brute," she said rubbing her arm and smiling dazzlingly.
"The only way to muzzle you is to tell the whole story. Right?"
"Right. If I get an exclusive when you're ready to break the story."
"There's probably a kicker in that, too," he said morosely. He glared at her. Then, "Sit down," he said.
She did. "I'm all yours."
"Don't change the subject," he said with a ghost of his natural humor. He lit a thoughtful cigarette. "What do
you know about this case so far?"
"Too little," she said. "This couple were having a conversation without words in the park when some muggers
jumped them and killed them, a little more gruesomely than usual. But instead of being delivered to the city morgue,
they were brought straight to you on the orders of the ambulance intern after one quick look."
"How did you know about it?"
"Well, if you must know, I was in the park. There's a shortcut over by the museum, and I was about a hundred
yards down the path when I..."
Muhlenberg waited as long as tact demanded, and a little longer. Her face was still, her gaze detached. "Go on."
"...when I heard a scream," she said in the precise tone of voice which she had been using. Then she began to
cry.
"Hey," he said. He knelt beside her, put a hand on her shoulder. She shoved it away angrily, and covered her
face with a damp towel. When she took it down again she seemed to be laughing. She was doing it so badly that he
turned away in very real embarrassment.
"Sorry," she said in a very shaken whisper. "It...was that kind of a scream. I've never heard anything like it. It
did something to me. It had more agony in it than a single sound should be able to have." She closed her eyes.
"Man or woman?"
She shook her head.
"So," he said matter-of-factly, "what did you do then?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all, for I don't know how long." She slammed a small fist down on the table. "I'm
supposed to be a reporter!" she flared. "And there I stand like a dummy, like a wharf rat in concussion-shock!" She
wet her lips. "When I came around I was standing by a rock wall with one hand on it." She showed him. "Broke two
perfectly good fingernails, I was holding on so tight. I ran toward where I'd heard the sound. Just trampled brush,
nothing else. I heard a crowd milling around on the avenue. I went up there. The meat-wagon was there, Al and that
young sawbones Regal—Ruggles—"
"Regalio."
"Yeah, him. They'd just put those two bodies into the ambulance. They were covered with blankets. I asked
what was up. Regalio waved a finger and said 'Not for schoolgirls' and gave me a real death-mask grin. He climbed
aboard. I grabbed Al and asked him what was what. He said muggers had killed this couple, and it was pretty rugged.
Said Regalio had told him to bring them here, even before he made a police report. They were both about as upset as
they could get."
"I don't wonder," said Muhlenberg.
"Then I asked if I could ride and they said no and took off. I grabbed a cab when I found one to grab, which