Читать книгу Jennifer. Residence of Grief - Viktor Khorunzhy - Страница 5

William liked walks. Not only because they were good for his health. Where could one think things over calmly, if not outside? Though it really was a bit odd – to be alone, one needed to mingle in the crowd… He even preferred to walk to his job, crossing several blocks between his dear Garden Street and always-busy Wind Road. However, for his evening strolls with his permanent companion and pet, an Italian mastiff Radge, William chose quiet streets or green squares. Luckily, there were plenty of such places in the city.

This time, he also wandered in one of those – he was really fond of that cozy street with a French name Kantalle. William liked strolling past neat yards with green lawns and flower-beds. It was pleasant to see occasional passers-by taking somewhat surprised notice of his pet. Radge had a perfect size: while moving, he wasn’t simply striking out his paws down the road like all other dogs did, but walked majestically and proudly, like a true aristocrat. Sort of a black dog lord, allowing his master to lead himself on a leash.

“It’s still unknown, who walks whom,” William put it off with a jest while answering his friends’ questions about him being tired of taking his dog for a walk every day.

But now, passers-by weren’t up to them: everybody’s attention was drawn by a mansion down the street, with two police cars and an ambulance parked next to it.

Being slightly surprised, William came closer.

On the lawn in front of the house, a girl was sitting on her feet right on the grass. Her long fair hair was tumbled and her shoulders were covered with only a thin camisole despite chilly weather.

Meantime, a couple of policemen were standing at the porch and carrying on a conversation with a tall doctor in a white coat.

“What happened here?” William asked a woman standing to his right.

She measured him with her quick eye before answering; however, she seemed to find him trustworthy after all.

“At first, they said some animal had sneaked into the house. But the police checked everything here and found no traces… poor Jenny! She’s not herself. She’s afraid of coming back in the house, so she’s sitting on the lawn.”

William looked at the girl again, this time closer – her face seemed vaguely familiar. Where could he have seen her?

She was sitting immotile, looking unseeingly straight ahead. Those eyes…

It seemed she was the one he had seen near the theatre a couple of days ago. She was eyeing Radge so closely… Perhaps, William would have paid no attention to the stranger-girl, but she seemed so pretty to him…

“What happened to her?” he asked the woman carefully.

“Her parents died in a car crash. Funerals took place yesterday. Now she’s left a full orphan…”

William distantly watched the doctor approaching the girl on the lawn. Having leaned over her, he was saying something, but she didn’t answer. She was like in some kind of a deadlock.

Now William finally remembered: yes, yesterday he also saw her on the road to the cemetery. Surrounded by several women, dressed in all black, the girl seemed an impersonated angel of grief… If William had been an artist, he would have definitely made a drawing of her.

Having taken Jenny by her hand carefully, the doctor helped her to her feet. They approached the ambulance car and the door closed after them.

“Poor girl! What’s going to happen to her now?” having sobbed, the woman put a paper handkerchief to her eyes.

Being made sit up by the scene, William paced down Kantalle Street quickly.