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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
I know what that is, Theo said, tossing his head toward the mashed
cow. At least I think I do. He strode up to Jim Beer, who seemed to be
trying to sink into a hole in his own chest.
Jim, you got a crank lab back there turning out enough product to hype
all of Los Angeles. You wanna tell me about it?
The life seemed to drain out of Jim Beer and he fell
The Lust Lizard Of Melancholy Cove / 185
to the ground in a splay-legged sit. Gabe caught his arm to keep him from
cracking his tailbone. Beer didn t look up. My wife took a note for half
the ranch when she left. She called it in. Where else was I going to get three
million dollars?
Gabe looked from Jim to Theo as if to say, What the hell?
I ll explain later, Gabe. I have something I have to show you anyway.
Theo pushed Jim Beer s Stetson back so he could see the rancher s face. So
Burton gave you the money so he could use your land for the lab.
Sheriff Burton? Gabe asked, totally confused now.
Shut up, Gabe, Theo snapped.
Not all of the money. Payments. Hell, what could I do? My grandfather
started this ranch. I couldn t sell off half of it.
So you went into drug dealing?
I ain t never even seen this lab you re talking about. Neither have my
hands. That part of the ranch is off-limits. Burton said he had you in the
cabin to keep anyone from coming in the back gate. I just run my cattle and
mind my own business. I never even asked Burton what he was doing out
there.
There million dollars! What the hell did you think he was doing? Raising
rabbits?
Jim Beer didn t answer, he just stared at the ground between his legs.
Gabe held his shoulder to steady him and looked to Theo. Maybe finish
this later, Theo?
Theo turned and walked in a tight circle, waving his hands in the air as
if chasing away annoying spirits.
You okay? Gabe asked.
What the fuck do I do now? What do I do? What am I supposed to do?
Calm down? Gabe ventured.
Fuck that! I got murders, drug manufacturing, some fucking giant an-
imal of some kind, a whole town that s
186 / Christopher Moore
gone nuts, my car is mashed, and I have a crush on a crazy woman I don t
have the training for this! No one has the fucking training for this!
So calming down isn t an option right now? Gabe said. I understand.
Theo interrupted his anxiety Tilt-A-Whirl and wheeled on Gabe. And
I haven t smoked any pot in a week, Gabe.
Congratulations.
It s made me insane. It s ruined my life.
Come on, Theo, you never had a life. Gabe immediately realized that
perhaps he had chosen the wrong tack in consoling his friend.
Yeah, there s that. Theo strode to the red truck and punched the
fender. Ouch! Goddamn it! He turned to Gabe again. And I think I just
broke my hand.
Mad cow disease worries me, Jim Beer said from his stupor of defeat.
Shut up, Jim, Gabe said. Theo has a gun.
Guns! Theo shouted.
I stand corrected, said Gabe. You mentioned a giant animal?
Theo massaged his temples as if trying to squeeze out a coherent thought.
After a few minutes, he walked to where Jim Beer was sitting and kneeled
down in front of him. Jim, I need you to pull it together for a second.
The rancher looked at Theo. Tears had traced the creases in his cheeks.
Jim, this never happened, okay? You haven t seen me and you haven t
heard anything from this side of the ranch, okay? If Burton calls you,
everything is standard operating procedure. You know nothing, you un-
derstand?
No, I don t understand. Am I going to jail?
I don t know that, Jim, but I do know that Burton finding out about this
will only make it worse for every
The Lust Lizard Of Melancholy Cove / 187
one. I need some time to figure some things out. If you help, I ll do my best
to protect you, I promise.
Okay. Beer nodded. I ll do what you say.
Good, take Gabe s truck home. We ll pick it up in an hour or so.
Skinner watched all this with heightened interest, tentatively wagging
his tail between Theo s tirades, hoping in his heart of hearts that he would
get a ride in that big red truck. Even dogs harbor secret agendas.
Theo, these can t be real, Gabe said, running his hand over a footprint
nearly three feet across. This is some sort of hoax. Although the depth of
the claw impressions and the scuffing would indicate that whoever did
this really knows something about how animals move.
Theo was fairly calm now, as if he had settled into the whole unreality
of the situation. And they know something about crushing a Volvo too.
They re real, Gabe. I ve seen a track like this before.
Where?
By the creek, the night the fuel truck blew up. I didn t want to believe
it then either.
Gabe looked up from the track. That s the night I had the mass exodus
with my rats.
Yep. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
