Все-таки это приятно, сознавать, что большинство твоих одногруппников закончат только 26 числа, а ты уже свободна. Особенно учитывая, что среднее количество вопросов на зачет – 70, а на экзамен – 130.
Раскапывала папки на компьютере, отыскала одну фигню, на самом деле это одно из сочинений, написанное мной около двух лет назад по заданию Паши, когда он еще вел у нас английский. Мы учились по Аракину, там было полно всяких дурацких пословиц, и драгоценный Павлуша задавал нам писать по ним сочинения ежеурочно (в программу это, разумеется, не входило). Какой, однако, фигней я страдала на первом курсе. Думаю, может, перевести, добавить драматизьму и отправить прикола ради на сообщество рассказов с плохим концом, а то делать официально нечего.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR HOPE THE HEART WOULD BREAK.
читать дальшеThe case was on the table in front of him. Jason was sitting at the table, thinking about his daughter’s birthday, about the present he would give her. The situation was worsened by meeting with Cindy, his ex-wife. Their relationships were tolerant but not very friendly.
Not quickly he took his case and opened it. On the first page there was a picture of a woman at the age of 30, maybe 35. Jason looked at the person sitting in front of him. It was a fat tall man with big round brown eyes and an unpleasant smile. Jason took a breath and thought that he didn’t want to take that case, to take any case actually, - because of his daughter’s birthday and problems caused by that thing. But he needed money. He needed much money if he wanted Kate to spend her birthday with him.
- So...Mr. Robinson, what could I do for you? And what does it matter? – Jason showed the case.
Mr. Robinson fixed his eyes upon Jason and smoked again. Jason became irritated but didn’t show it. He needed money very much.
There was silence. Mr. Robinson was smoking and looking through the lawyer. When Jason was already going to stand up and tell the man to go out, he heard his quiet voice.
- Mr. Perry, I’m a good friend of Angelica Block. You see her in the picture. I had to sell my flat in London to find the best lawyer for her. So I can pay you an acceptable sum but I must tell you that the person who wants to see Ang...Mrs. Block in prison is very rich and famous. You must tell me now whether you want o take this case or not.
Jason looked at Mr. Robinson’s cigarette and opened the case again thinking over the problem. On the one hand, he didn’t want any problems connected with work now, On the other hand, the case looked very interesting and Mr. Robinson was much more pleasant than he had thought before.
- Tell me about the case.
- Facts or...
- First only facts, please.
- I’ll tell you the facts but you must understand that if you refuse to take the case I won’t tell you anything else.
- I understand. I’m not working the first year, - Jason knew that it was a mistake to talk in such a tone but he wasn’t able to keep silent.
Mr. Robinson gave a smile.
- Angelica tried to kill her own son in the house of her ex-classmate. Her husband, Mr. Block, was killed there, but the police can’t prove that she did it...yet. She also tried to kill her classmate, Mr. Autumn...yes, Mer. Autumn. But the police arrived in time, and she hadn’t managed to do it. Mr. Autumn insists that they haven’t met each other since school. He says that Mrs. Block phoned him and they decided to meet. And then...he doesn’t remember exactly what happened in his house. But Mr. Block is killed, he was hurt, and Eric Block is in hospital in coma.
Jason closed his eyes. Then he opened them. He didn’t know what to think or what to say. He was shocked. Of course, there were a lot of strange things and questions in these “facts”.
Mr. Robinson was gazing at him and was waiting for his decision.
- And what does...Mrs. Block say? – Jason asked.
Mr. Robinson looked at the window.
- This is the main problem. First, she was crying all the time and now she doesn’t talk any more.
- Even to you?
- Yes.
- What do you want from me? How could I help you? I must have a talk to her.
- You will. Don’t worry about it. Tomorrow at 8 o’clock...if you take this case, of course.
Jason took a pen and started playing with it. He was frightened. Glen Autumn, a famous businessman, and a crazy woman who has killed her husband as nearly killed her son. What should he do?
- And you think...she has really killed her husband, don’t you?
- Of course, not! – his eyes sparkled angrily. – They...didn’t have any problems in their family life.
- A happy family, - murmured Jason. He could only dream about it.
- Do you really think that...No. First of all...you are sure that Autumn lies.
- Yes, I’m sure.
- O.K. Then. What kind of person is Angelica?
- Well, she is a kind clever beautiful woman. She is a seller. And John, her husband, was a pianist.
- So...you suppose that there is some hope to win this case...
- Hope never dies. Make sure of it.
- I’ll take the case.
***
The whole evening Jason was thinking about Angelica Block; he examined the case, he found some information about Glen Autumn and the Blocks and found out that they hadn’t met since school and till that bloody evening. He fell asleep, and even while sleeping he continued thinking about the case.
***
Angelica Block had a white face, big blue eyes and thin lips. She looked as if she were already dead, but her eyes lived. She was looking at Jason in silence and, as he understood, wasn’t going to start talking.
- Mrs...Angelica, my name is...
- I know who you are, Mr. Perry.
Her quite hoarse voice made him give a start.
- Really? – he murmured.
- Sure. I know who you are, I know what you want from me, and I’ll tell you everything you want, but I have some conditions.
Oh. Somebody said that she couldn’t talk!
- What conditions?
- First you will put Him into prison. Second you will tell me about my son’s health regularly.
- About the prison...
“What a stupid situation, - Jason thought. – I was waiting for something different! Conditions...She doesn’t look crest-fallen. She is going to fight. But...to put Autumn into prison! It is impossible!”
She was looking as if she was reading his thoughts.
- I’m not insisting. You may drop it whenever you want. But Arthur said...
- I know! But it is impossible – to put Mr. Autumn into prison, he is in Scotland now...and moreover – to put for what?! I don’t know anything!
- I’ve already said everything. O.K. I see you are not going to work with me until I tell a sweet lovely tale.., - she said with irony. – Do you have a cigarette?
- I do not smoke, - he answered coldly.
- O.K. The tale. Actually, I don’t know where to start.., - she laughed not happily. – I don’t remember Autumn at all. He was a little fat boy with pimples and circle glasses. And he was sitting at the last desk as I remember...I don’t remember him at all, - she gazed at Jason again with something like surprise in her eyes. – during our leaving party he came up to me and suggested dancing. Of course, I rejected...
- Why? – Jason asked sharply. – Was he really so fat or...
- I didn’t know him at all! I had a boyfriend...but it is not everything. We were all drunk...You understand...So I agreed to dance with him. No...I invited him for a dance. He looked happy maybe...And then I started laughing...I don’t remember the reason exactly...On the next day he came to me with a ring...So we were laughing with Tom together...Tom was my boyfriend. The end.
- Is that all?
- Yes, it is...We ran across three months ago. He invited me to a restaurant, then he wanted me to go to bed with him...
- So fast?
- Yes, and what do you think? He is a rich famous man now, who wanted to get rid of his past as I understand.
- Well....And you....
- And I didn’t agree, of course. I laughed at him. Again... Two weeks passed and he invited me, my husband and Eric for dinner. I didn’t want to go but John insisted. We came. The dinner was tasty. Chicken, vegetables and red wine. Then his wife, I’ve forgotten her name...
- Jenny.
- Doesn’t matter. She went to the theatre with her friend. And Glen invited us to the special room, as he explained, to the room from the burglars. We came in. And he locked us.
- All of you?
- No. Eric was in the garden.
- Where was that room? – as Jason remembered the police didn’t find anything like that.
- On the third floor. I don’t know where Eric was all the time. I don’t know where his wife was, and I don’t think she knew anything. I remember only how he was laughing, and how he killed John. I was sitting with my husband’s body for hours. Suddenly I understood that I had to do something. I was going to kill him. There was a little knife in John’s jacket. I was waiting for him, I knew he was going to come. And he came.., - she closed her eyes.
Jason realized his heart was going on very fast.
- He came with Eric, - he said.
- Yes, he did, - she whispered.
- And you slaughtered Eric instead of him.
- Yes, I did, - suddenly she opened her eyes, and he saw tears. – that’s the end...the end of everything...
- No! – he cried. – No...listen...hope never dies, you must believe!.. What? What’s the matter?
She started laughing hysterically.
- Hope. Never. Dies. Funny Mr. Perry. Glen Autumn told me that when I had laughed at him twenty years ago...But you are right! Of course, you are right.
***
During the next ten days Jason was very busy. He managed to talk to Mrs. Block’s school friends, to her colleagues and to do a lot of other things. He was going to win the case. But on Monday Eric Block died. Jason didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t imagine how to tell Mrs. Block about it.
- Don’t, Mr. Perry. I know everything, - she said very quietly.
And that was all. She never said another word. He looked at her with round eyes. She looked like a dead person. She was dead like her poor son. Her hope was dead.
- But...listen...we have almost won this case, Mrs. Block...We...
She didn’t answer him. She was lying with her eyes closed. She was dead. Her heart was broken.
***
Angelica Block died the next day. Doctors couldn’t explain that.
Jason Perry was sitting in his bedroom drinking and watching TV when Arthur Robinson called:
- I saw how he had died...Autumn came into the prison and saw her white face...And then fell down.
The end.