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.A contradiction.“Maybe you shouldn’t park that car there, lady,” he said.“It might not be here when you get back.”“Thanks for the warning,” I said.I shut off the engine and got out.Perhaps my whistling friend could give me the answers I needed faster than breaking and entering.I opened my big gray umbrella—not that I cared, really, about protecting the long cashmere sweater-dress I wore.It was what a human would do.The man squinted through the rain at my face, and then his eyes widened.He swallowed, and I heard his heart accelerate as I approached.“I’m looking for someone,” I began.“I’m someone,” he offered with a smile.“What can I do for you, beautiful?”“Are you J.Jenks?” I asked.“Oh,” he said, and his expression changed from anticipation to understanding.He got to his feet and examined me with narrowed eyes.“Why’re you looking for J?”“That’s my business.” Besides, I didn’t have a clue.“Are you J?”“No.”We faced each other for a long moment while his sharp eyes ran up and down the fitted pearl gray sheath I wore.His gaze finally made it to my face.“You don’t look like the usual customer.”“I’m probably not the usual,” I admitted.“But I do need to see him as soon as possible.”“I’m not sure what to do,” he admitted.“Why don’t you tell me your name?”He grinned.“Max.”“Nice to meet you, Max.Now, why don’t you tell me what you do for the usual?”His grin became a frown.“Well, J’s usual clients don’t look a thing like you.Your kind doesn’t bother with the downtown office.You just go straight up to his fancy office in the skyscraper.”I repeated the other address I had, making the list of numbers a question.“Yeah, that’s the place,” he said, suspicious again.“How come you didn’t go there?”“This was the address I was given—by a very dependable source.”“If you were up to any good, you wouldn’t be here.”I pursed my lips.I’d never been much good at bluffing, but Alice hadn’t left me a lot of alternatives.“Maybe I’m not up to any good.”Max’s face turned apologetic.“Look, lady—”“Bella.”“Right.Bella.See, I need this job.J pays me pretty good to mostly just hang out here all day.I want to help you, I do, but—and of course I’m speaking hypothetically, right? Or off the record, or whatever works for you—but if I pass somebody through that could get him in trouble, I’m out of work.Do you see my problem?”I thought for a minute, chewing on my lip.“You’ve never seen anyone like me here before? Well, sort of like me.My sister is a lot shorter than me, and she has dark spiky black hair.”“J knows your sister?”“I think so.”Max pondered this for a moment.I smiled at him, and his breathing stuttered.“Tell you what I’ll do.I’ll give J a call and describe you to him.Let him make the decision.”What did J.Jenks know? Would my description mean something to him? That was a troubling thought.“My last name is Cullen,” I told Max, wondering if that was too much information.I was starting to get irritated with Alice.Did I really have to be quite this blind? She could have given me one or two more words.…“Cullen, got it.”I watched as he dialed, easily picking out the number.Well, I could call J.Jenks myself if this didn’t work.“Hey J, it’s Max.I know I’m never supposed to call you at this number except in an emergency.”Is there an emergency? I heard faintly from the other end.“Well, not exactly.It’s this girl who wants to see you.”I fail to see the emergency in that.Why didn’t you follow normal procedure?“I didn’t follow normal procedure ’cause she don’t look like any kind of normal—”Is she a badge?!“No—”You can’t be sure about that.Does she look like one of Kubarev’s—?“No—let me talk, okay? She says you know her sister or something.”Not likely [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]