Flying finish / Бурный финиш. Книга для чтения на английском языке

’

As he turned to go he said to Christopher and Maggie in a complaining voice certain to annoy them, �Why can’t you two be as efficient as Henry? He’s never late, he’s never untidy, his work is always correct and always done on time. Why don’t you try to be more like him?’

I winced inwardly and waited for Maggie’s inevitable retaliation. She would be in good form: it was Monday morning.

�I wouldn’t want to be like Henry in a thousand years,’ she said sharply. �He’s a prim, dim, sexless nothing[12 - a prim, dim, sexless nothing – (разг.

Not my day[13 - Not my day – (разг.) Не везет мне сегодня], definitely.

�He rides those races, though,’ said Christopher in mild defence.

�And if he fell off and broke both his legs, all he’d care about would be seeing they got the bandages straight.’

�The bones,’ I said.

�What?’

�The bones straight.

Christopher blinked and laughed. �Well, well, what do you know? The still waters of Henry might just possibly be running deep.’

�Deep, nothing,’ said Maggie. �A stagnant pond, more like.’

�Slimy and smelly?’ I suggested.

�No… oh dear… I mean, I’m sorry…’

�Never mind,’ I said. �Never mind.’ I looked at the paper in my hand and picked up the telephone.

�Henry…’ said Maggie desperately. �I didn’t mean it.

Old Cooper tut-tutted and doddered away along the passage, and Christopher began sorting his varnished letters. I got through to Yardman Transport and asked for Simon Searle.

�Four yearlings from the Newmarket sales to go to Buenos Aires as soon as possible,’ I said.

�There might be a delay.’

�Why?’

�We’ve lost Peters.’

�Careless,’ I remarked.

�Oh ha-ha.’

�Has he left?’

Simon hesitated perceptibly. �It looks like it.

�How do you mean?’

�He didn’t come back from one of the trips. Last Monday. Just never turned up for the flight back, and hasn’t been seen or heard of since.’

�Hospitals?[14 - Hospitals? – (зд.) Больницы проверили?]’ I said.

�We checked those, of course. And the morgue, and the jail. Nothing. He just vanished. And as he hasn’t done anything wrong the police aren’t interested in finding him.