"Lawrence Watt - Evans - One of the Boys" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

almost never home, you never talk to anybody, never have visitors here—she thinks you’re cruising gay
bars, you’re so big and handsome but she never sees you with any women, you don’t even talk to
women. I don’t think so, though; I think you’re out on patrol.”

“And what if Mrs. Almido’s right?” he asked mildly. “Or what if I’m a burglar, or a serial killer, and I go
out robbing or murdering people?”

“

“But you’re not,” she said, without conviction. She glanced involuntarily around at the odd furnishings.
“You’re Captain Cosmos, the super-crimefighter.”

“And what if I am? What would you want with me?” Somehow, her uneasiness seemed to be making him
more sure of himself. After all, he was on his own home turf; he could smell that wonderful chloride tang
from the kitchen, the air was thick and moist, the temperature was a comfortable 90 degrees or so.

She was perspiring, he noticed; her forehead was damp. She stepped closer to him, very close.

“You saved me from a mugger,” she said, her voice low. “Three months ago, on the waterfront, after a
late movie.”

“Suppose I did,” he said. “What of it?”

“I never got to say thank you,” she said, a bit desperately. She was almost touching him now.

When he didn’t react immediately, she turned and looked at the furniture again, and added, “There’s no
couch.” She knew she sounded like an idiot, and she hoped that she wasn’t offending him.

But then, she had come barging in here, invading his privacy— he had a right to be offended, didn’t he?

This wasn’t at all the way she had envisioned it. She had seen him, after some initial shyness, sweeping
her off her feet and carrying her into his bedroom.

Instead, she was standing here talking about couches, and that weird chemical smell was getting stronger
and stronger; her nose was beginning to sting. It was like one of those horrible dreams where everything
went wrong, where no one would listen to her, no matter what she said.

“No,” he said, “I don’t like them.” After a second’s pause, he added, “Have a seat anywhere, if you
like.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll stand.”

Desperate for a response, she reached out and stroked his arm.

He didn’t react.

“I’ve been trying to find you for months,” she said. “When 1 heard about the reception, I knew I had to
be there.”