Читать книгу The Ruby Redfort Collection: 4-6: Feed the Fear; Pick Your Poison; Blink and You Die - Lauren Child - Страница 47

RUBY HAD BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT FORTY MINUTES when she was interrupted in her reading.

‘Hey,’ said a voice.

Ruby looked up from her comic to see the face of the kid with the over-styled hair.

She had been sitting in Sunny’s, a diner she rarely frequented, mainly because it wasn’t in her patch, but also because it didn’t do pancakes. Today she had wanted to take a little time to herself and here at Sunny’s she wasn’t likely to encounter anyone she knew, so she was surprised when she saw the kid called Beetle.

‘Hey,’ she said.

‘Can I buy you a drink or something?’ he asked.

‘I got one already thanks,’ said Ruby.

‘Can I get you another?’

‘Thanks but no thanks, I’m on a strict three milkshakes a day programme.’

‘You watching your figure?’

Ruby looked at him like he had lost a few marbles somewhere. ‘Why would I watch my figure?’

Beetle shrugged awkwardly. ‘No reason.’

‘I’m just trying to keep a balanced food intake, you know, dietary requirements? Minerals, vitamins, that kinda stuff.’

He nodded again like he had no idea what she was talking about.

‘So what’s on your mind?’ asked Ruby.

‘How. . . do you. . . mean?’ stammered Beetle.

‘You seem like you want to tell me something,’ said Ruby.

‘Oh, uh, yeah, that’s right, I got your book, the one you left outside the store.’

Ruby gave him a blank look until he pulled a scruffy paperback out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the table. The title was written to look like it was scrawled in blood, No Time to Scream.

‘Oh, yeah, thanks man,’ said Ruby. ‘I forgot about that. I thought I’d never find out what happened to poor old Philippo. Did he make it back to camp or did he get –’ she drew her hand across her throat – ‘axed to smithereens by the maniac?’

‘He got away.’

‘Oh, thanks for telling me buster,’ said Ruby tossing the book onto the next table.

‘Ah sorry, I thought you, like, wanted to know, I only read the last few pages.’

‘Ah, doesn’t matter, there’s plenty more thrillers out there.’

The boy smiled. ‘You sure have a gory taste in books.’

‘So you like books about bunnies?’ asked Ruby.

‘No! Course not, but I’m not a girl.’

‘Which century were you born bozo?’ said Ruby giving him a straight-up look.

‘I just meant most of the girls I have ever met read about fashion and stuff.’

‘Sounds like you need to shake up your social life.’ Something remembered passed through her head. ‘Hey, what’s the time anyway?’ Where was her watch?

‘I don’t know, like, six pm?’ shrugged Beetle.

Ruby stood up. ‘I gotta split,’ she said, then paused before adding, ‘If you don’t mind my mentioning it, you seem a little antiquated in your thinking, Beetle. Maybe you should read a few books, broaden your horizons, you know what I’m saying? Look, see you around.’

His eyes followed her as she left and he hoped she might turn around, perhaps even wave.

But she didn’t.

It was as Clancy Crew was making his way home that he felt a solid punch to the solar plexus.

He felt queasy and found himself propped up against the nearest wall, taking in gulps of breath. He hadn’t actually been struck, in fact, there was no one on the sidewalk. The wind had picked up and it was not the sort of evening for lingering.

The light was fading and the stores and restaurants were brightly lit now, the windows illuminated so each held a little glowing scene in the darkness. It was in one of these windows that he saw something that sent him reeling, something he really couldn’t begin to explain. And now he felt completely alone.