Shadows: The gripping new crime thriller from the #1 bestseller. Paul Finch

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ said, Tucker, who was physically fit, could probably cover the distance on foot pretty swiftly if he needed to.

      Lucy went through the usual motions, inserting her card, tapping in a key number and then waiting patiently. From somewhere behind, there came the echoing double-thud of what sounded like a door opening and closing. She withdrew her card and a couple of tenners, before it occurred to her that what she’d just heard could well have been the support car.

      She spun around.

      The figure was only about fifteen yards away.

      It had approached silently along the terrace from its eastern end. It wasn’t especially impressive in height or breadth, but it wore a black, heavy cape, too big for it really, which covered it from shoulders to ankles like a voluminous, waterproof shroud. The hood was pulled down over the face, which could not be seen in any case because the head was bowed.

      Even under normal circumstances, the sudden sight of this spectre in such close proximity might have made Lucy jump. It did more than that now: a yelp caught in her throat and she stumbled backward, bracing herself against the cashpoint ledge with her hand.

      And yet the figure came straight on towards her, the cape so long that it was almost gliding.

      Though momentarily transfixed, Lucy caught movement in the corner of her vision. She assumed it would either be Tucker or Smiley emerging from the alley on the far side of the Green, having seen what was happening before she had. But she couldn’t take her eyes off the advancing form, which now was only five yards away. With escalating alarm, she noticed that both its hands were concealed. She tried to say something, but her mouth was too dry. Belatedly, she stuck her hand into her anorak pocket, scrabbling for her CS spray. She could now sense someone running full-pelt across the Green, but still at least a hundred yards off.

      The figure now stopped directly in front of her, slowly lifting its head, and at the same time drawing one of its hands from under its capacious folds.

      But the hand, when it came into view, and which was little more than a curved, bony claw, was empty, and in fact cupped. The face, which was wrinkled and wizened, was familiar to her.

      ‘Armed police!’ Danny bellowed, as he reached the northern edge of the Green, his Glock drawn and levelled two-handed. ‘Stay where you are! Don’t bloody move!’

      ‘Danny, wait!’ Lucy shouted, raising a warning hand.

      She again glanced at the figure in front of her, at the docile, non-comprehending eyes of Sally Skegg, one of several of Crowley’s resident homeless; a mentally challenged but otherwise completely harmless street-woman. Lucy peered past her and at the distant east end of the terrace saw what looked like a rusty shopping trolley full of discarded cans.

      ‘It’s okay, Danny! False alarm.’

      Warily, he lowered his weapon.

      Lucy turned back to the bag lady, who didn’t even seem aware that Tucker was present.

      ‘God’s sake, Sal!’ Lucy said. ‘You can’t be wandering the streets this late. Not in October. Here …’ She dug into her pocket for some change, and dropped it into the cupped hand.

      On the Green, Tucker shoved his pistol back under his jacket. He lifted his chequer-banded baseball cap and scratched under his hairline. There was a screech of gears from somewhere nearby. Ruth Smiley was trying to find a quick way around to them, and by the sounds of it, she wasn’t succeeding. As Sally Skegg glided back towards her trolley, counting her handful of newly acquired coppers, Lucy moved to the barrier to speak with Tucker. Before she did, she glimpsed more movement in her peripheral vision, and looked to the west end of the terrace.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEBLAEsAAD/7ScGUGhvdG9zaG9wIDMuMAA4QklNBAQAAAAAACccAVoAAxsl RxwBWgADGyVHHAFaAAMbJUccAVoAAxslRxwCAAACAAAAOEJJTQQlAAAAAAAQmomtXShtuiECyMup ZwU/2zhCSU0EOgAAAAAAkwAAABAAAAABAAAAAAALcHJpbnRPdXRwdXQAAAAFAAAAAENsclNlbnVt AAAAAENsclMAAAAAUkdCQwAAAABJbnRlZW51bQAAAABJbnRlAAAAAENscm0AAAAATXBCbGJvb2wB AAAAD3ByaW50U2l4dGVlbkJpdGJvb2wAAAAAC3ByaW50ZXJOYW1lVEVYVAAAAAEAAAA4QklNBDsA AAAAAbIAAAAQAAAAAQAAAAAAEnByaW50T3V0cHV0T3B0aW9ucwAAABIAAAAAQ3B0bmJvb2wAAAAA AENsYnJib29sAAAAAABSZ3NNYm9vbAAAAAAAQ3JuQ2Jvb2wAAAAAAENudENib29sAAAAAABMYmxz Ym9vbAAAAAAATmd0dmJvb2wAAAAAAEVtbERib29sAAAAAABJbnRyYm9vbAAAAAAAQmNrZ09iamMA AAABAAAAAAAAUkdCQwAAAAMAAAAAUmQgIGRvdWJAb+AAAAAAAAAAAABHcm4gZG91YkBv4AAAAAAA AAAAAEJsICBkb3ViQG/gAAAAAAAAAAAAQnJkVFVudEYjUmx0AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQmxkIFVudEYj Umx0AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUnNsdFVudEYjUHhsQHLAAAAAAAAAAAAKdmVjdG9yRGF0YWJvb2wBAAAA AFBnUHNlbnVtAAAAAFBnUHMAAAAAUGdQQwAAAABMZWZ0VW50RiNSbHQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABUb3Ag VW50RiNSbHQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABTY2wgVW50RiNQcmNAWQAAAAAAADhCSU0D7QAAAAAAEAEsAAAA AQACASwAAAABAAI4QklNBCYAAAAAAA4AAAAAAAAAAAAAP4AAADhCSU0D8gAAAAAACgAA//////// AAA4QklNBA0AAAAAAAQAAAB4OEJJTQQZAAAAAAAEAAAAHjhCSU0D8wAAAAAACQAAAAAAAAAAAQA4 QklNJxAAAAAAAAoAAQAAAAAAAAACOEJJTQP1AAAAAABIAC9mZgABAGxmZgAGAAAAAAABAC9mZgAB AKGZmgAGAAAAAAABADIAAAABAFoAAAAGAAAAAAABADUAAAABAC0AAAAGAAAAAAABOEJJTQP4AAAA AABwAAD/////////////////////////////A+gAAAAA/////////////////////////////wPo AAAAAP////////////////////////////8D6AAAAAD/////////////////////////////A+gA ADhCSU0ECAAAAAAAEAAAAAEAAAJAAAACQAAAAAA4QklNBB4AAAAAAAQAAAAAOEJJTQQaAAAAAANJ AAAABgAAAAAAAAAAAAAGQAAABB4AAAAKADAAOAA5ADkAMwA0AC0ARgBDAFQAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAABB4AAAZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAEAAAAAEAAAAAAABudWxsAAAAAgAAAAZib3VuZHNPYmpjAAAAAQAAAAAAAFJjdDEAAAAE AAAAAFRvcCBsb25nAAAAAAAAAABMZWZ0bG9uZwAAAAAAAAAAQnRvbWxvbmcAAAZAAAAAAFJnaHRs b25nAAAEHgAAAAZzbGljZXNWbExzAAAAAU9iamMAAAABAAAAAAAFc2xpY2UAAAASAAAAB3NsaWNl SURsb25nAAAAAAAAAAdncm91cElEbG9uZwAAAAAAAAAGb3JpZ2luZW51bQAAAAxFU2xpY2VPcmln aW4AAAANYXV0b0dlbmVyYXRlZAAAAABUeXBlZW51bQAAAApFU2xpY2VUeXBlAAAAAEltZyAAAAAG Ym91bmRzT2JqYwAAAAEAAAAAAABSY3QxAAAABAAAAABUb3AgbG9uZwAAAAAAAAAATGVmdGxvbmcA AAAAAAAAAEJ0b21sb25nAAAGQAAAAABSZ2h0bG9uZwAABB4AAAADdXJsVEVYVAAAAAEAAAAAAABu dWxsVEVYVAAAAAEAAAAAAABNc2dlVEVYVAAAAAEAAAAAAAZhbHRUYWdURVhUAAAAAQAAAAAADmNl bGxUZXh0SXNIVE1MYm9vbAEAAAAIY2VsbFRleHRURVhUAAAAAQAAAAAACWhvcnpBbGlnbmVudW0A AAAPRVNsaWNlSG9yekFsaWduAAAAB2RlZmF1bHQAAAAJdmVydEFsaWduZW51bQAAAA9FU2xpY2VW ZXJ0QWxpZ24AAAAHZGVmYXVsdAAAAAtiZ0NvbG9yVHlwZWVudW0AAAARRVNsaWNlQkdDb2xvclR5 cGUAAAAATm9uZQAAAAl0b3BPdXRzZXRsb25nAAAAAAAAAApsZWZ0T3V0c2V0bG9uZwAAAAAAAAAM Ym90dG9tT3V0c2V0bG9uZwAAAAAAAAALcmlnaHRPdXRzZXRsb25nAAAAAAA4QklNBCgAAAAAAAwA AAACP/AAAAAAAAA4QklNBBQAAAAAAAQAAAADOEJJTQQMAAAAAB2DAAAAAQAAAGkAAACgAAABPAAA xYAAAB1nABgAAf/Y/+0ADEFkb2JlX0NNAAH/7gAOQWRvYmUAZIAAAAAB/9sAhAAMCAgICQgMCQkM EQsKCxEVDwwMDxUYExMVExMYEQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMAQ0L Cw0ODRAODhAUDg4OFBQODg4OFBEMDAwMDBERDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwMDAz/wAARCACgAGkDASIAAhEBAxEB/90ABAAH/8QBPwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAwABAgQF BgcICQoLAQABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAABAAIDBAUGBwgJCgsQAAEEAQMCBAIFBwYIBQMMMwEAAhED BCESMQVBUWETInGBMgYUkaGxQiMkFVLBYjM0coLRQwclklPw4fFjczUWorKDJkSTVGRFwqN0NhfS VeJl8rOEw9N14/NGJ5SkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2N0dXZ3eHl6e3x9fn9xEAAgIB AgQEAwQFBgcHBgU1AQACEQMhMRIEQVFhcSITBTKBkRShsUIjwVLR8DMkYuFygpJDUxVjczTxJQYW orKDByY1wtJEk1SjF2RFVTZ0ZeLys4TD03Xj80aUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9ic3 R1dnd4eXp7fH/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDj/qqwux8vbJIfXI8JFi221u8CqP1Ga12LnA8+p СКАЧАТЬ