Resumo de Smiley - Domenico Pisanti

She brought him another coffee. His third. The background drone of the café was soothing to his tired brain.
?Why the long face, Eric?? She asked. ?Is it the job? Getting you down??
He rubbed his eyes. ?Ja, maybe. I don?t know?There was another one last night. Not too far from here.?
?Another what?? She asked. ?Murder? Are you serious??
He nodded, and sipped. She liked him. He was a regular, and because he was a cop he came in at all times of the day.
?The problem is?oh Christ, I can?t even talk to you about it.?
She glanced around with the trained eye of a professional waitress. The Breakfast rush would not begin for another hour. She placed the coffee pot on the table, and held out her hand. ?Zoë. We have not been officially introduced.?
He shook it. ?I know. Your name tag tells me it is Zoë.?
?You sound like you need to vent and seeing as I?m the closest ear you have at?? She glimpsed the wall clock. ?Five thirty this morning, for now let us be two people talking. I?m not a waitress and you?re not a cop. I didn?t catch your name??
?Tian.?
?Pretty.?
He blushed. ?I like your place. Twenty four hour eggs and bacon ? it doesn?t get better??
?Thank you. So what is bothering you?? Normal behaviour would be to sit; but.Mr Kilakis would have her job.
?Well?You know about the killings??
She nodded. ?Who doesn?t??
?Seems a pattern is emerging. Tonight was the fourth one?? He hesitated. ?You sure you want to hear this??
?It?s not my favourite subject, Officer Tian-?
?Just Tian ? please.?
?But knowledge is power, and you need to talk. I know most of these details since the press got hold of it ? go on.?
?Ah, yes?the press. They?ve almost blown things out of the water for us? What do you, Zoë, know of this case??
She leant on one hip, a short nail playing with her lip, eyes to the ceiling. ?Weeelll?The victims are white women between the ages of twenty and thirty-five. And they think the killer is a local.?
Tian nodded. ?Two things have come to light tonight. My superiors are debating whether to put these two pieces of information into the press or not.?
A customer in the corner signalled for the bill, and she excused herself from him for a moment. Five minutes later she returned, and refilled his coffee. He had gone into a daze. Apart from the night shift of cooks in the kitchen, and Marcie who was playing at the cash register with her bottle opener, and Mr Kilakis in the back office, they were the only two in the café. Dawn was breaking over the quiet street outside.
?I like your hair that way. You cut it last week.? He smiled. She felt a twinge of unease. Perhaps the subject they were talking about was not conducive to flirtation. But she felt she was jumping at shadows at best. He was a good soul. She could tell.
?Thanks. You know what they say, old boyfriend, new hair cut. If you drink anymore coffee you?re going to be bouncing out of here.?
His eyes had gone sad again..
?He is killing waitresses.?
Her scalp tightened. The unease returned.
?How can you be sure??
?It?s a pattern. All the victims have been waitresses?and this last victim...? He shook his head. ?All I?m saying ? what I?ve wanted to say since I came in here - is that there is a madman out there targeting waitresses. And seeing as you are one-?
?Forewarned is forearmed.? She smiled. ?Officer Tian, I am most flattered that you are looking out for my interests.?
?You don?t understand. It is more than concern, Zoe. I have been on the force for eleven years, five of those in the Murder and Robbery squad. And I have never seen such hatred for women as this. He uses acid on their faces, and cuts off their breasts-?
?Whoa! Too much information, sir-?
His hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She felt his strength, the heat of his hand as if it were a fever burning his skin. ?Don?t be flip! I?m telling you this so that you can appreciate the danger you are in. This is a maniac.?
?Let go!? She said, not liking the panic that was rising in her voice.
He let her go. He wanted to say more, but felt that a line had been crossed here. That line now prevented him from saying that this killer had a calling card. It was the type of thing the press would love and print when they learnt of it. The cops were already calling him, Smiley.
?I just wanted you to be aware-?
?And I am. Will that be all? You see my shift is finishing shortly.?
He sighed, and sat back. ?Will you let me escort you home at least??
She smiled a winter?s smile. ?No thank you. I don?t live too far from here. And I have my own defence weapon.?
She pulled out a small black canister of Mace attached to a bunch of keys.
?This is all a girl needs to protect herself from the bad man.? She mocked, and stalked off.
Or the bad woman, he thought, seeing the smiley face key ring disappear into her apron.

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