"Дон Пендлтон. California Hit ("Палач" #11) " - читать интересную книгу автора

cargoes. What do you think it's going to be like when the legitimate trade
routes are opened?"
"I don't know," Bolan admitted. "Educate me."
"There isn't time for a cram course on political science and social
economics." Her eyes flashed to the bundle on the floor. "What are we going
to do about this dead man?"
Bolan said, "I'll worry about that. What is Wo Fan's immediate
problem?"
"All the problems are immediate," she replied coldly. "At the moment,
he is trying to assure the survival of the legitimate Chinese business
community."
"And things are looking grim?"
The girl was beginning to thaw again. The hint of smile returned to her
voice as she told him, "That's about the softest way of putting it."
It was time to twang her again.
He asked, "What were you doing at the China Gardens an hour after the
doors closed this morning?"
"I was gathering intelligence."
"Uh huh. Of what nature?"
She glared at him for a moment, then she shrugged and said, "What's the
difference? It's all in the fire now."
He said, "Give, dammit!"
"I was tracking a shipment."
"A shipment of what?"
"Counterfeit art treasures. Ming period, supposedly. They are arriving
sometime this week."
Bolan did not necessarily believe her, but he went along. "By what
route?"
She smiled wryly. "That's what I was about to discover when you blew
the place up, Mr. Bolan. Why all the sudden interest? I was getting the idea
that..."
"I'm trying to protect your lovely hide, lady. A hired assassin was
standing just outside your door a couple of minutes ago. So listen to me now
and think carefully before you answer. Can you think of any reason why
Franco Laurentis would send a hit man to your door?"
"I... I guess not."
"When I first spotted you this morning, you were in a hell of a hurry.
Almost as though someone was chasing you. Was there?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm sure I hadn't been seen. I was... just..."
"So you've convinced yourself that these two goons were tailing Wo
Fan?"
"Yes I... what two goons?"
"There was another one waiting across the street," he explained.
"Did you?.."
He nodded. "Clean."
The girl sighed tremulously and showed him a pair of eyes that had
taken in one bloody sight too many. She bit her lip and said, "Well I don't
know what to think. I'm just about ready to say to hell with the whole
thing."
He squeezed her shoulder and told her, "I guess it's too late for