Helper. Murder

Excerpt from the story
CHAPTER FOUR

Murder

The hotel where Kalina and Tatyana stayed was called simply and unpretentiously: "Chamomile". Kalina quickly put herself in order and in ten minutes she was ready. Going out into the corridor, she waited for a friend at the elevator for a long time, until her patience snapped. Returning to the room, she wanted to express everything that was painful, but she found her friend doing a strange thing: Tatiana was examining glasses, counting towels and looking for stains on bed linen.

“Tanya,” Kalina grumbled displeasedly, “well, can’t it be done later? Anyway, if you find out that something is missing in the room, you won’t prove anything to the kun!

How can you not prove it? I’ll check everything now… Have you already forgotten that we had to pay fifty yuan last time for a crack in a glass that we didn’t even use?!!! The red price of this glass is five yuan, and they ... Here, I found it, - Tanya shouted excitedly, - see the stain on the mattress? And they will say that we are dirty! Call kunya!

- Maybe we should not? - Still hoping for the best, Kalina objected, - there are no kuni on the floor. In any case, while I was sitting by the elevator… Tanya, are we going shopping today or not?

Not paying attention to the last words of Kalina, Tanya ran out into the corridor, and, not at all embarrassed, began to call out to the kunya. She screamed loudly and distinctly, so that, probably, it could be heard on all ten floors of the hotel. Kunya did not appear, but one could hear how the compatriots rustled and murmured in their rooms. Kalina was insanely ashamed, but Tanya did not calm down. She screamed until the breathless kunya ran up to Tatyana. To a reasonable question, what happened, Tanya did not answer, grabbing a blonde Chinese woman under her elbow, she led the girl into the room and almost solemnly showed her a stain on the mattress. Looking around the spot, the Chinese woman nodded and wanted to leave the room, but it was not there. Tanya blocked the exit.

Clean up the bathroom: there are two dirty towels on the floor! And change the bed!

The towels were immediately removed, but the kunya flatly refused to change the bed, citing the fact that their compatriots had lived in this room before her friends. It took a lot of noise and threats before the displeased kunya changed the bed linen. Kalina did not take part in hostilities, and this was not required: a friend, hardened in battles with hotel staff, seemed to enjoy winning victory after victory, while Kalina just wanted to fail on the spot. Going out into the corridor, Tanya began to call her compatriots as witnesses, who for some reason immediately calmed down in their rooms. However, the victory was won, and no one could spoil the mood of the warrior maiden. Returning to the room for a friend, she said:

- Kalina, how much can you cry? Everything is shattered! Well, what else happened?

“I won’t go here again,” Kalina said slowly, trying to calm down, “every time I return home, I forget about all the bad things. And every time, coming here, - Kalina burst into tears in her voice, - coming here ...

“Well, okay,” Tanya whispered, clutching her friend to her immense chest, “everything will be fine!” Well, what's so terrible happened?

“You know how I hate all this, these showdowns! This is all low, unworthy of a man!

Kalina, do you know that we are late for lunch? Tanya suddenly remembered, although there was still half an hour before the agreed “X time”. "Barbara will be angry with us again!" Go wash up and run!

Kalina went to the bathroom, and Tanya ran her eyes around the room again. There was nothing to complain about: kunya eliminated everything she could.

Going down to the first floor, Kalina fearfully looked around the lobby. But everything was quiet: there were no Chinese who tried to impose their services even against the wishes of the visitors. Tanya was still standing in the elevator, unable to part with the talkative Chinese elevator attendant.

Finally, the elevator went up, and Tanya went up to her friend.

- Poor girls! Nowhere we women do not live well! Imagine, the whole day, from eight in the morning until six in the evening, on your feet - standing here in the elevator and ...

- Tan, how much can you? You have already told me so many sentimental stories about poor Chinese girls that you can write a book! Are you interested?

“Do you know what her name is,” Tanya said enthusiastically, ignoring the grumbling of her friend, “you’ll never guess!” Her name is Tonya.

- And the name was given to her, of course, by a Russian teacher! Just like the rest of Iram, Anyam, Masha and Boryam.

“No, well, it’s absolutely impossible to talk to you today,” Tatyana’s patience finally snapped, “let’s go, maybe after dinner you’ll get better and calm down!”

We had lunch at a restaurant where the dish of the day was seafood. Tatiana's eyes widened, she rubbed her palms with excitement. Kalina, as always, did not care. She was indifferent to food.

“Kunya,” Tatyana called the waitress, “I don’t quite understand the menu here!” How much is the shrimp dish? Twenty yuan?

“Now,” the girl answered in broken Russian, “I’ll ask the owner!”

Through nA few minutes the girl was already standing near the table.

“It's an old menu,” she said, and fell silent.

- And what, - Tanya asked, without waiting for the continuation, - how much do shrimp cost?

Kunya opened the menu and brought her sharpened fingernail to the menu bar.

“It’s written here,” she explained a little irritably, dissatisfied with the fact that her “perfect” Russian is not understood, “read!

- Tanya, - Kalina interjected into the conversation, - let's go to another restaurant, there are a lot of them here!

- No, - my friend was stubborn, - I want shrimp, and also crab and scallops! If all this is on the menu - why not try it?

“The girl told you that the menu is old!”

Let him bring something new then! What is she here for? Come on, ask her how much the shrimp cost, I'm running out of patience!

“Hey, marten,” Kalina called the Chinese woman again, “we want to order a dish, but we don’t know how much it costs!”

Kunya pulled out her cell phone. Kalina was taken aback, but then she realized that they were using a cell phone like a notepad to write down the list of dishes that tourists order.

"I'm writing," the kunyu said irritably, "speak!"

Tanya and Kalina looked at each other

- Oh, it wasn't! - Tanya said excitedly, - write it down!

Already after the first dish, Kalina realized that she had eaten, and the dishes were carried and carried. And they were huge, designed for four people each. So, at least, it seemed to Kalina. But Tanya brilliantly coped with the task that she set for herself. It was far from the end of dinner, but Kalina called the kunya.

- You count, please, and bring the bill!

Kunya nodded and retired to the bowels of the restaurant

— Where are you in a hurry? - Tanya asked benevolently, - relax, Kalinusha, take a break from all the problems!

They brought the bill. Kalina read it and looked around. There was no one in the hall except them, otherwise Kalina would have thought that the waitress had made a mistake with the tables.

The bill was an insane amount of four hundred yuan. Kalina read it again, but the result was the same. Four hundred yuan.

“Kalinka,” Tatiana said, noticing her friend’s confusion, “what’s the matter?”

“Here, look for yourself!”

But Tanya did not look for a long time, throwing one glance at the bill, she turned purple and yelled at the whole hall:

- Kunya, come here!

We figured it out for fifteen minutes. The owner came running and began to prove that the account was correct. Tanya turned to Kuna, threateningly ordering the girl to repeat what she said when they just started to deal with the prices on the menu. Kunya was silent.

Not having received any answer, Tanya raged. The owner of the restaurant threatened to call the police if the tourists did not pay. Tanya sighed heavily, she did not want to deal with the police at all. Varvara, the head of the group, every time during the briefing, stressed that all conflicts with the Chinese should be resolved peacefully and not brought to the attention of the police.

- Well, well, - Tanya sighed heavily, - we took a little money with you! For two, two hundred yuan! I will now go to the hotel for the missing amount, and you sit here!

But, seeing the confused look of her friend, Tanya immediately decided differently.

- Not. You can't be left here! Let's do this: you go to the hotel, ask the administrator to open our safe and take a thousand yuan. How do you take the money - fly here!

Kalina left, and Tanya began to look out the window with exaggerated attention. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, thirty. The time was approaching one, but Kalina was not there. For the first time in her life, Tanya was at a loss: her beloved friend had disappeared to no one knows where, and she, Tanya, was sitting here, as if under arrest, and could not move. Suddenly Tanya heard her native Russian speech:

- Listen, let's have lunch here today! Look what it says: “Seafood restaurant. Delicious and cheap." And the name of the restaurant is such a nice little "Scallop".

Tanya was already thrown up on the spot. She felt sorry for her compatriots. Like a whirlwind, she flew out from behind the table and rushed to the exit.

“Comrades,” she shouted without even making out those who were in front of her, “don’t come here - Russians are being fooled here!”

Tourists, two very similar women, stopped

- And what happened? one of the women asked calmly.

“Here,” Tanya spread her hands, “I’m sitting like a prisoner, waiting for a friend!” The menu had one price per dish, and when they brought the bill, it turned out that the price was completely different!

“Inga,” another woman entered into the conversation, glancing at Tanya with hostility, “what are you listening to her for? Probably, she showed off, she broke the dishes, the owner put up the bill!

Tanya was confused. She has never heard such unflattering statements addressed to her.

- No, - after a little thought, the tourist, who was called Inga, said, - we will not eat here. I hate getting into awkward situations. And you, woman, thank you for the warning. Let's go, Rita.

The woman, who was called Rita, in parting burned Tatyana with an evil look, and the women left. However, Tanya was in no hurry to return to the bowels of the restaurant. She hated feeling innocently guilty. And in the last hour, she's been insulted twice. Moving two steps away from the porch of the restaurant and shaking off the bird's hand of the owner's assistant from her powerful shoulders, Tanyaavopila in full force of the lungs:

— Compatriots, Russian people! Do not go to the restaurant "Scallop"! Russians are being fooled here! The menu said twenty yuan...

Compatriots reacted to Tanya's fiery speeches in different ways. Someone stopped, and someone, on the contrary, decided to bypass the strange woman in a different way: fortunately there were a great many roads around. And Tanya kept throwing and throwing fiery slogans into the air. Finally, she felt that someone was pulling her somewhere. It turns out that the owner of the restaurant, frightened by anti-advertising, has been trying for two minutes to draw Tatiana's attention to his modest person.

With her head held high, Tanya marched royally into the depths of the restaurant.

"Two hundred yuan," the owner of the restaurant said.

- What? Queen Tatyana frowned menacingly.

“A hundred and fifty,” the Chinese man lowered the price.

— A hundred, and then out of respect for seafood. They remind me of my homeland, Vladivostok! One hundred yuan period!

That's what they decided on. Tatyana also ordered that all the half-eaten, and there were two and a half dishes of the half-eaten, should be packed with them.

The owner nodded. A disgruntled kunya brought containers and chopsticks. Throwing all this almost in Tatyana's face, she left. Tanya did not like to humiliate the Chinese and did not understand when other Russians did it, but then resentment leapt up in her.

- Hey, little marten, come here! - she boomed through the whole restaurant so that the windows in the restaurant rang. A frightened kunya immediately materialized next to the table.

“Are you suggesting that I put the food into boxes myself?” Tatyana asked peacefully, “what are you doing here then?” Take off your apron, I'll work for you now!

But, catching the waitress's incomprehensible look, Tanya realized that the girl did not get all the subtlety of her humor and, sighing heavily, simply pointed to the dishes and food containers.

- Move the food and that's it! I still have to go shopping, but I'm stuck here!

Out on the street, Tanya looked around. The euphoria from the victory quickly disappeared as soon as Tanya became worried about her friend. All sorts of horrors immediately climbed into her head, although Tatyana did not differ in a very powerful imagination.

Taxis scurried in all directions. The noise from the klaxons was incredible. As mentioned earlier, there were a great many roads, streets, lanes, paths and paths in the glorious city of Sunka. And a great many cars scurried around. Taxi drivers adhered to some of their own, only they were led, the rules of the road. There were no prohibitions and stoppers for their majesties drivers in this city. It is surprising that with such a disregard for the rules of the road, there were no accidents. Or almost none. Bouncing off the car, which almost ran into her, Tatyana became even more worried. Suddenly Kalina, with her eternal distraction, had an accident, and she, Tanya, goes and boasts of her insignificant victory. Already almost approaching the hotel, Tanya saw Kalina, who was standing in front of the crossroads and trying to cross the road.

“Kalina,” Tanya shouted from afar, “stay there, don’t cross, I’ll come to you myself right now!”

Having overcome the roadway in record time and almost got hit by a car again, Tanya found herself near her friend.

- Well, what happened? she asked affectionately, “why didn’t you walk for so long?”

— The receptionist girl told me to fill out a receipt. I already picked up a pen, but remembered that I forgot my glasses in the room. I could not find my glasses for a long time, they fell behind the lining. When I found glasses, it turned out that the receipt must be filled out in English. And you know that I am not friendly with this language! The administrator and I scribbled something together, it’s good that a tourist from Khabarovsk just approached, I asked him, and he filled out the receipt. Here's the money, eh... Listen, how did you get rid of the owner of the restaurant? Run away?

- Escape here! Don’t worry, Tanya soothingly patted her friend on the shoulder, let’s go, I’ll tell you everything now!

After lunch, we finally went shopping. Kalina was drawn to wander through multi-storey stores, and Tatiana wanted to go down to the subway, where all goods were cheaper and sellers were ready to bargain to the last. We decided to split up. Tatyana had already almost gone down to the subway, when she suddenly heard the screams of Kalina, who desperately called for her friend. Flying back up the stairs, she saw a friend who was trying to break out of the cordon. The beggars stretched out their hands to Kalina and, interfering with Russian words with Chinese, asked for something. Some offered their wares by holding them directly to the eyes of the stunned woman. One of the Chinese women drove Kalina's arm with a massager, the other offered to sell the bag, sew curtains, and at the same time treat her teeth. Tanya wedged herself into the crowd like an icebreaker. One of the Chinese, who barely reached the woman's waist, tried to say something, but stopped in mid-sentence, raising his eyes to Tatyana, who looked expressively at him. The crowd dispersed. Taking Kalina to the first cafe she came across, Tanya found out that it all started with the fact that Kalina was seized by the desire to give alms to a beggar. The poor man had neither arms nor legs. He sat near a large iron bowl and beat his head on the asphalt. “Kalina,” Tanya said, looking seriously into her friend’s eyes, “it was your mistake!” Beggars are not served in this country. Pay attention, compatriots do not give them a penny. Do you think they are so cruel? No, that's not the point. I don't know about the rest of the beggars, but this man was a thief. His arms and legs were cut off. He served time in prison. And the state is not going to somehow support it. Seeing that you decided to share your money with a beggar, others who trade in a similar trade decided that they also deserve your attention.

Tan, I got it! - Kalina suddenly said absolutely calmly, - let's go, it's already evening soon, but we haven't bought anything yet!

Surprised by the sharp change in her friend's mood, Tanya wanted to say something, but changed her mind. We decided this: they walk around the subway for an hour, and then they stop their attention at one of the large stores.

Bags were filled with commendable speed. We returned to the hotel three times. We unloaded the goods and went shopping again. Evening came unnoticed. During the endless ups and downs in the elevator, Tanya learned all the ins and outs of the elevator operator Tonya, and Kalina just smiled and nodded.

Evening has come. There was still an hour left before dinner, and Kalina asked her friend to stop and admire the colorful action that unfolded in the square. On one half of the square, elderly women and men in colorful costumes with fans performed exercises to national music. It was not entirely clear whether it was a dance or evening gymnastics, but everything looked very beautiful. On the other side of the square, on a concert stage, a young girl sang, young people were noisy and applauded around. The music thundered with such force that the voice of the Chinese woman could barely be heard. Couples were dancing in the middle of the square. The couples were of different ages. And the music was different: waltz, tango, foxtrot. And all this at the same time. The noise was unbelievable. There were many children who scurried between the dancing adults, Tanya smiled at mothers with babies, they smiled back and proudly raised the children above their heads. Kalina is tired of taking pictures of Tatyana hugging the Chinese and their children. Suddenly Kalina saw a beauty in a mink coat. At this time, Tatyana told an elderly Chinese woman and onlookers crowded around that she had three nephews in Vladivostok. Kalina rushed after the beauty, but, looking back at the sea of people swaying around, got scared, and ran back to Tatyana. Only a few seconds passed, but the moment was lost.

- Let's go, Tanya, - Kalina pulled her friend, - we will catch up with her!

“Kalinusha,” Tanya said complacently, unhooking her friend’s hand, “Sunka, of course, is a small town, but there are about sixty hotels and twice as many cafes and restaurants. Speaking of restaurants,” she said, “it’s time for you and me to have dinner.” Wait, I'll show those who wish a photo of my nephews and let's go!

The path to the restaurant seemed very long for Kalina, they were followed by a large company of sociable Chinese, who suddenly kindled with friendly feelings for the hero with a light brown scythe. However, near the restaurant "Maxim" the company dispersed. It was one of the restaurants where the Chinese were not allowed. Dinner passed very quickly. Shops were open until 11 pm and, having had a quick dinner, the tourists fled to their own business.

The night for Kalina dragged on endlessly. Despite her fatigue and strained legs, she could not sleep. Compatriots did not want to calm down. Someone shouted, someone cursed, then the clarification began, who respects whom, and the action ended with the choral singing of Russian folk songs. And all this under the windows of the hotel. As if Kalina spent the night not in a Chinese hotel, but in a village where young people, returning from dancing in a club, vigorously discussed the events of the past evening. They finished yelling and sorting things out by about three o'clock in the morning. Kalina had just begun to fall asleep when someone knocked on the door. To the reasonable question of Kalina, who was there, there was silence behind the door, and then a timid girlish voice in broken Russian answered that it was a kunya - "b ...".

Pushing Tatyana aside, Kalina wanted to go and open the door, but she didn’t dare when she suddenly heard a friendly male neighing in the corridor. Hastily dressing, Tatyana went out into the corridor and found out from the peasants, who had calmed down in an instant, that this was their prank. The peasants decided to joke and ordered a Chinese girl of easy virtue in the next room. The heroine of the story turned out to be small, frail, slightly pockmarked, with bleached, or red, or piebald hair, and in men's underpants. The girl stood and shook, and Kalina wanted to come up and shake one of the peasants. Kalina had a desire, and Tatyana fulfilled it, but in her own way. Seeing that the men, having laughed, were about to return to the room, she grabbed the nearest of them by the scruff of the neck and said:

- Where? And who will pay?

- For what? - the man was surprised, - we were just joking!

- For that! You have to pay for jokes!

Shaking off Tatyana's hand, the man tried to sneak into the room, but it was not there, hastily orienting herself, the woman shouted in a bad voice:

- Good people, help! Yes, what is it doing? I? Insulted, compromised! Help, good people!

Kunya, who was on duty on the floor, heard Tanya's familiar voice, cringed and hid behind the counter. The same one, who called herself a kunya "b ...", only stood and blinked her eyes. The men hid behind the door, and Tanya continued to shout:

- Are the men in the world gone? A poor, lonely, weak woman has been insulted, and no one will stand up and protect her! Good people, what's going on?

The doors of the rooms slammed, displeased voices were heard, disheveled heads began to peep out of the doors.

“Pasha,” a woman suddenly shouted, “wake up the children, pack your things, we’re on fire!”

A male voice murmured to her in response, but the woman did not calm down:

— You only would on lateral! How can we not burn if a woman screamed? I heard!

There was a fuss in neighboring rooms. Finally, a man came out of the room where the pranksters lived. Glancing displeasedly at Tanya, he went up to the frail Chinese girl, thrust a few yuan into her hand and pushed her towards the exit.

But it was not there. Tanya was not happy with this outcome. Stepping in the way of the Chinese woman, she said loudly and distinctly to the man:

— Sorry!

- In front of whom? he was surprised.

- In front of her! The girl, as she can, earns a living, and you're kidding!

“Yes, are you completely crazy?” I will apologize to the Chinese!

“Do you know how hard life is for girls in this country?” Or maybe she is the second or third child in the family? She doesn't have a passport. It doesn't officially exist for anyone! She was hidden in sheds all her life so that the authorities would not see her, and when she grew up, her parents got rid of her by floating her here, to Sunka!

Kalina buried her head in the blanket so as not to hear the thunderous voice of her friend. And she continued her speech, gleaned from long conversations with elevator attendants, salespeople, servants.

“Well, how can a poor girl get a job, here in Sunka?” No education, no passport? And you were going to mock her? Sorry, otherwise I'll tell everyone! Good people,” raising her voice a little, she turned to the assembled half-asleep people, “this man ...

"Okay," the man agreed, fearfully. - I'm sorry! And I won't do it again!

- You understood? - Tanya affectionately turned to the girl, - he apologizes! You didn't make out anything, poor thing! Hey, kunya, - she turned to the duty officer, - don’t hide, you can still see! Translate for her and tell her that if anyone else tries to play a joke on her like that, let her turn to me! Understood? And why are you crowded, - the troublemaker turned to her neighbors on the floor, - go to sleep! Well, the girl mixed up the number, with whom it does not happen! Young at all and does not know the Russian language! Go, go to sleep!

Half an hour later Tatyana was already asleep. It was five o'clock in the morning. The walls trembled from the heroic snoring of the woman, and Kalina lay and cried into her pillow, afraid to wake her friend. But by six o'clock in the morning she fell asleep too. Girlfriends slept and did not hear how early in the morning the men from the next room quietly talked with the kunya and moved to a room on another floor.

In the morning, while Kalina was sleeping, Tanya went shopping. The morning was sunny but cold. Returning to the hotel, she found that Kalina was still sleeping. Varvara, the leader of the group, called and told me which restaurant would have breakfast. Time passed, but Kalina was still sleeping. When Tanya tried to push her friend away, she discovered that Kalina had a fever. Probably high. When Kalina finally woke up, it turned out that the excitement of yesterday evening had not been in vain for her. The woman had a terrible headache. At the mention of breakfast, which is waiting in the restaurant, Kalina began to feel sick. Confused, Tanya sat down on the edge of the bed and thought. Not a single trip with Kalina was without incident. Either in the middle of the trip, or at the end, but a friend was sure to get sick. Interestingly, at home, in Vladivostok, Kalina did not get sick at all. Even infectious diseases bypassed her, but here ...

Time passed, but Kalina did not get better, although Tatyana gave her friend a double dose of Chinese pills for fever. Varvara rang again and asked irritably whether they would have breakfast or not. After talking with Kalina, Tanya said that she would come for breakfast, but alone. And so it happened that Kalina lay in bed all day, and Tatiana ran around the shops alone, without a toy. In the evening Kalina felt better. The temperature subsided, and she felt a terrible hunger. We had dinner at the restaurant "At Ira and Nadia's". While the group was gathering, Kalina found the strength to go to the store, which was across the street from the restaurant. The shop had a funny name “Jewellery from Pugacheva”, and pearl items were sold there. Her head was in a turmoil, her knees were shaking, but Kalina moved from stand to stand, hoping to find a pearl necklace similar in description to the one her mother wanted for her birthday. But there was no such necklace. The seller, delighted that he had got a customer, laid out on the counter all the new necklaces, necklaces and just strings of pearls. Black, white, pink pearls shimmered and shimmered, and Kalina could barely stand on her feet. Moving towards the exit, the woman saw that she had soldets blocked the doorway. A scandal was brewing. There was no strength to prove to the seller that the desired necklace was not available here. The irreconcilable face of the Chinese said everything without words. Returning to the trading floor, Kalina jabbed her finger at the black pearl necklace. It cost a penny, but it looked very good. Returning to the restaurant, Kalina saw that dinner was already in full swing. Tatyana patted the seat she was saving for her friend. Sitting down at the table, Kalina thought about whether it was possible to order the necessary dishes, but there was also a second option - a buffet. Turning the menu, Kalina did not find a single dish that inspired her and decided to take a plate and choose the right dishes from the buffet. Returning with a full plate, she drew attention to a group that was sitting around a round table and enthusedly spinning a glass circle with dishes. One of the women apparently said something funny, because the members of the group immediately supported her with a friendly laugh. Suddenly Kalina's heart sank. She saw the bag thief. The woman laughed along with everyone and put food on her plate from giant dishes that barely fit on a glass circle. Kalina's first impulse was to approach the woman. But after looking at her plate, she decided to put the conversation aside. The group sat around the table in such a crowd that Kalina simply could not imagine how she would break into a tight circle and tell the story about the bag in front of everyone. Promising herself not to take her eyes off the woman, Kalina moved to her desk. But she didn't manage to eat in peace. She had just settled down at the table when the lights went out. Light music was turned on and the disco began. Flashes of light hurt his eyes, the music rumbled, screeched and did not allow him to concentrate. In addition, because of the rays that create a state of alarm, and the smoke that enveloped the dancers and the few remaining at the tables, the dishes on the table became difficult to see. Tatyana went to dance, while Kalina stayed at the table and tried to have dinner. Ten minutes passed. One shrill melody followed another, and there was no end in sight of the disco. Suddenly something happened in the midst of the dancers. Muffled exclamations were heard, someone began to push the dancers aside and demand a doctor. Shouts were heard: “The woman feels bad!”, “Yes, turn on the light!”. But another five minutes passed before the organizers of the disco got their bearings in what was happening. The light was turned on, but the music continued to yell, then they turned it off. Someone in the circle began to demand that the crowd disperse. Someone became ill and needed fresh air. A little later, representatives of the police and several people in white coats appeared. The crowd dispersed in different directions, and then it became clear that the fresh air of the victim could no longer help, because the woman lying on the floor was dead. Killed.

The doors to the restaurant were immediately closed. Unorganized tourists were detained, and those who were part of the groups were released, after rewriting the names of the tourist groups. Tatyana cried all the way to the hotel, and Kalina was silent, withdrawing into herself. It was only twenty o'clock Chinese time, but the women decided not to leave the room anymore today. Kalina lay with her face turned to the wall, and Tanya clicked the TV remote, trying to find Russian channels among the Chinese channels: TNT or NTV, but, unfortunately, none of these channels were caught today. Finally, she got tired of it and turned off the TV.

“Kalina,” Tanya turned to her friend, “what did you buy for yourself?” We wanted to buy a few fur coats so that you could pay off your debts! And leave tomorrow morning! What we are going to do?

“I don’t know,” Kalina answered blankly.

- And I know, - Tanya resolutely got up from the bed, - get ready, let's go!

- Not. Until the time comes to leave, I will not leave the room!

Kalina, understand, life goes on! What will you live on for a whole month?

- I do not know. But I won't leave my room today!

Tanya knew that if Kalina bit the bit, then no forces could move her from her place. Another half an hour passed, the air in the room thickened so much that Tanya had nothing to breathe. The silence pressed on my ears. Tanya wanted to say something, but suddenly there was a knock on the door. Kalina reacted very sharply:

"Don't open it," she whispered, "let them think we're gone."

But the knocking continued on the door. Finally, Tanya's patience snapped, and she resolutely moved towards the door, despite Kalina's protest.

Sharply opening the door, she was surprised to see yesterday's guest. Only today the girl was dressed for the weather and turned into a natural blonde. The bleaching process has been completed. In her hands, the girl held a bag and a large basket of fruit. Having chirped the word “gift” in broken Russian, the girl turned and wanted to leave, and would have left if Tanya’s loud order had not stopped her:

- Stop! What else is this? Which present? For what?

The girl shuddered and stopped. Either the Chinese girl had run out of vocabulary, or she was just scared, but the girl didn’t utter another sound. Hearing Tatyana's voice, a kunya came running. Taking a closer look, Tanya saw that this kunya was also blonde, but still did not look like yesterday. The face of this one was closer to European, and taller. And today's kunya spoke good Russian and almost without an accent.

- What's happened? Are you dissatisfied with something?

“Let him take his gift back,” Tanya snapped.

“She can’t,” the kunya whispered pleadingly, “her master will kick her out of work!”

“He’ll kick you out,” Tanya repeated after the kunya, “that, of course, changes things. But I still don't understand something. What's the gift for?

“You didn’t let this girl be humiliated. We are a very proud nation, although we do not always show it. The owner of this girl remembered you, and now, whenever you come, here in our city, you will be given every respect.

“But,” Tanya tried to object, but the tired kunya decided to put an end to the conversation.

And please take a present! The owner cannot be offended by refusal. Gifts were sent from the heart.

Tanya had no choice but to take gifts from the hands of the girl who did not say anything else. The girl left, and Tanya hesitated a little before entering the room.

“Listen, kunya,” she turned to the duty officer, “where did you learn to speak Russian so well?”

“I studied at a Russian school for two years,” the girl said proudly. - And the Russian language teacher gave me the name.

- What is your name? Tanya asked

— Tanya! - answered the Chinese

“The namesake, then,” Tatyana was delighted, “well, well!” You convinced me, I'll keep the gifts for myself! I'll go to the room, where my friend is sick.

While they were looking at the gifts, Kalina calmed down, and now it was not difficult for Tanya to persuade her friend to leave the hotel and go shopping. Back in the room, the friends began to pack their purchases. There weren't enough bags. Tanya ran out into the street and bought with her last money a huge bag on wheels. But even now it was not possible to fit all the things. Kalina and Tatyana had no money left at all. Well, it happened! Made several attempts to repack things differently. But the result was still the same. And then Tanya remembered the bag that Kalina had taken with her. Hearing about the fatal bag, Kalina was speechless and began to wave her hands in indignation. Then the speech came back to her, but it didn't change anything. Things had to be packed, but Kalina did not want to use the bag of the murdered woman. It took Tatyana more than an hour before Kalina backed down. Finally, the resistance was broken, and Kalina straightened the bag folded in four and handed it to Tanya. A seemingly simple effort finally broke Kalina. Handing over the bag, she collapsed on the bed and froze, staring at the ceiling with her eyes. Tanya knew the peculiarities of her friend's nervous system, but what happened next surprised even her. She had only time to straighten the bag and move the zipper, when suddenly Kalina jumped up on the bed and screamed, clutching her throat.

“Where… Where does that smell come from?” I can not breathe! Did you open the window?

“No,” Tanya answered frightened.

But he came from somewhere! What were you doing now?

“I straightened my bag and wanted to ...” Tanya began to make excuses, but when she saw that red spots began to spread across Kalina’s face, she rushed to the first-aid kit without further ado. Usually "Tavegil" acted on Kalina almost instantly, but this time Tanya had to wait about half an hour until her friend fell asleep. Quietly opening the window, Tatyana straightened the ill-fated bag on the windowsill and pulled the zipper to open the bag all the way this time. She looked back at the bed. Everything was quiet. Sighing with relief, she moved, it was, to another bag to finally finish packing things, but she heard Kalina's groan. Some kind of malicious air flow again conveyed to the patient the smell from the bag, and Kalina began to suffocate. The second round of the story began under the title “Oh, how I hate this China!”. This time the process of consolation took more than an hour. As time went. A few more hours and going to bed will be useless. Kalina slept, and Tanya stood near the overflowing bags and thought what to do next. It was complicated. Listening to the silence that reigned in the corridor, Tanya quietly moved to the front door with a smelly bag under her arm. Cooney was not at the counter. It’s not that the lady on duty would particularly interfere with Tanya’s packing process, but things packed in the right order were the apotheosis of every trip, and there was no room for strangers in this solemn act. Running from the room into the corridor with armfuls of things and bags, Tanya thought about Kalina. Anything happened during trips, but smells never brought a friend into such a state. At last the bag was full, and soon it was indistinguishable from other goods. All things took their places. The zippers were closed. Bags wrapped with tape. In order not to repeat the mistake, blue ribbon bows were tied to the handles of the bags. Having admired the fruits of her labors, Tanya dragged the bags back into the room and went to bed with a sense of accomplishment. It was four hours before the bus left. The morning started with a surprise. Tatyana woke up because someone was shaking her. Opening her eyes, she saw Kalina. Girlfriend was already ready for a long journey. Nothing in the woman reminded of the events aboutgone out at night. But it was especially surprising that Tanya usually woke up Kalina, and not vice versa. And this process was always long and painful. The handover went without a hitch. When the friends went down the hall, the kunya on duty ran after them. It turns out that Tatyana forgot yesterday's gift. As I put it in the nightstand, I forgot. While the yawning members of the group pulled themselves up, Kalina chatted incessantly. And she talked about anything, but not about yesterday's events. Tanya's head was cracking, and she really wanted to sleep, but it was impossible to relax. Until the bus was on its native land, any surprises could be expected from Kalina's psyche. And now her chatter was already strongly reminiscent of hysteria, threatening to pour out into laughter or tears. But to the climax, thank God, it did not come. After weighing the bags and diving into the bus, more than half an hour passed, and the bus did not move. It turned out that one of the tourists was lost. We waited another half an hour. Finally, the bus started moving. Chinese customs cleared quickly. At a good pace, we flew through the neutral zone, it seemed like a stone's throw to our native land, but, being on the road, you can never be sure of anything. Especially if it is a road to China or from China. There was nothing left before the Russian customs, just a few meters, when the bus stopped. It turned out that there was a traffic jam ahead of us. There were eleven buses. All arrived! From time to time someone jumped out of the salon and brought fresh news. Gradually, a picture emerged. Something happened at the Russian customs. Either the check came from Moscow, or the customs officers themselves were intensively checking someone, but the flow of buses stalled. Roughly speaking, three buses passed an hour. Soon behind the bus where the friends were traveling, a tail of ten buses lined up. To top it all off, something nasty was falling from the sky: either rain or snow. As time went. The people enjoyed themselves as much as they could. The fraternization between the buses began. Kalina stared blankly out the window, Tanya fidgeted uneasily in her seat. Finally, and her patience was over, throwing on her hood, she got off the bus. It was nasty outside, the snow and rain were already falling non-stop. Passing along the buses, the exhausted woman tried to find out some news, but the passengers of the buses did not know anything themselves. Finally, one talkative uncle, from the second bus, shared unexpected news. Based on his words, the border should work until twenty-one hours. Those buses, to which the turn does not reach, will remain to spend the night in a no man's lane. Back on the bus, Tanya shared the latest news with Varvara, the group leader. The irritated woman hissed at Tanya and advised her not to collect gossip and sow panic. Sitting next to Kalina, Tanya cautiously shared the news with her friend. But she just shrugged. It seemed that, having crossed the Chinese border, Kalina became a completely different person. Sighing, Kalina advised her friend to be patient and look at everything philosophically.

- Tanya, what are you fuming about? Who needs us here? We'll leave anyway! They won't keep us all night!

Why are you so smart all of a sudden? She threw tantrums at me all night, - Tanya swallowed a lump in her throat, unable to speak further, - and then fell asleep, and I went to bed only in the morning ...

- Tanya, come on, if we quarrel now, will it make you feel better? Or will we cross the border faster?

Tanya wanted to say something, but at that moment the bus jerked and moved towards the customs building. The last stage of the border crossing has begun. There were native walls around, customs officers smiled with relatives, official smiles, life became more and more beautiful, until at some point everything again changed for the worse. It turned out that the group could not make this last dash across the border, because the tourist who had been lost in Sunka had still not been found. Barbara, without holding back, began to swear. If for four hours, while the buses stood between the two borders, he was not found, then there was no hope that he would appear now or in the next few minutes. However, luck, which suddenly descended on the group, decided not to leave it to the end. Barbara's last obsessive mate hadn't yet been heard, when suddenly a lost woman appeared. He was dressed from someone else's shoulder, cheerful and good-natured. Later, on the way home, he told his simple story. In fact, Valera, that was the name of our fellow helper, does not drink. Well, if only occasionally, on holidays. Chinese business partners invited him to a restaurant. It was awkward to refuse. The feast lasted a long time, with an endless change of gigantic dishes. There was a lot of Chinese and Russian vodka, Japanese sake and Harbin beer, in general, there was a lot of everything. After the restaurant, the partners, as usual, took the Russian to a hotel. In the morning, at breakfast, Valera tried to find juice or tea, but there was only Sprite and a samovar on the table, on which the Vodka label was pasted. The samovar was large, similar to samovars from Tula. The man thought it was a joke. Butit turned out that the samovar was indeed filled to the brim with vodka. Calling the "corefan", this is an appeal applied to both sellers and waiters, he asked for juice or tea. Korefana said that juice, tea and coffee were not included in the free breakfast and offered to bring beer. It was also free. On reflection, Valera decided that he should stop at vodka. What happened next, he remembered vaguely. Directly on the morning when the departure was scheduled, he decided to walk to the bus station on his own, but very soon got lost. In Sunka, the Russian language is understood perfectly. But this morning, no matter how hard Valery tried, no one could understand him. Chinese vodka does wonders for Russian diction. Finally, angry at the whole world, he went through the streets wherever his eyes looked. The eyes looked bad, but suddenly a voice cut through. But diction was still difficult. Rushing to the Chinese, he demanded to show the way to the bus station, the Chinese scattered to the side. Falling into a frenzy, he began to scold everyone he met and crossed. Emptying his stomach and taking a small need right on the street, he shouted into space, demanding to return him to his homeland. He woke up in some alley between houses. Of all the clothes he had on only sneakers. Someone undressed him, even taking off his socks and underpants. Moreover, a locally made chain and a pendant with the image of Buddha were left around the neck. For a very long time our hero was out. It is not known how his business partners found him. The bus was taken by taxi. They didn’t have time to catch up, but there was a ticket for the bus following. In the neutral zone, seeing that there was nowhere to hurry, Valera found those who wanted to figure it out for three. And only when the bus moved to the Russian customs, and it was necessary to drive no more than fifteen steps, he calmly overcame this path on foot and, mingling with the tourists from the bus, entered the customs. The lost tourist returned to the bosom of his native team, but fate continued to play cat and mouse with the tourists. Kalina was third on the list. Nothing indicated trouble. Tired customs officers were correct and attentive when checking the cargo, but did not find fault. Trouble began because of the ill-fated bag. The customs officer ordered to remove the bag from the transporter and explain what was in it. What Kalina did. The bag was put back on the conveyor belt, and again it failed the test. This time, the customs officer told the confused woman to take everything out of the bag. After hesitating, Kalina complied with the demand. The empty bag was put back on the conveyor. There was suspicion in the eyes of the customs officer. The queue at the back began to resent languidly. Two women in uniform approached Kalina and offered to go to one of the offices, naturally, taking an empty bag with them. In the office, one of the customs officers picked up a bag and immediately discovered in it something that Kalina had not paid attention to until now. The bag had a double bottom. The second customs officer invited Kalina to tell why the hiding place was invented and what Kalina was going to transport in it. Kalina wanted to tell the strict women about the mixed bags, about the murder, but the tears, suddenly bursting out, poured out like hail and did not want to subside. The women waited patiently, but Kalina could not calm down. Then one of the women asked Kalina if it was possible to undo the threads hiding the double bottom? Kalina nodded. She could nod, but not yet speak. One of the women brought the bag right up to the sobbing face and invited Kalina to tell about the smuggling that she tried to smuggle in the double day. With this, Kalina allegedly could alleviate her fate even before the bottom of the bag was cut, but Kalina could not admit to anything. Firstly, she really did not know anything about the second day, and secondly, she suddenly had a severe allergy attack. In a few seconds, her face was covered with red spots, and a ball of air swelled in her throat and began to choke her. The customs officers, who had seen a lot in their lifetime, decided that Kalina was another malingerer, but when they saw that the poor woman's eyes literally climbed from suffocation, they called a doctor. The doctor diagnosed Quincke's edema. Having given an injection, he advised to urgently hospitalize Kalina, but came across an unexpected rebuff from the customs officers. The case with the bag is stuck at a dead center. In the inspection hall, it was hard to breathe from the accumulated tourist groups, an unmeasured number of buses gathered in front of the customs. Twenty minutes passed. Finally, the leader of the tour group was called. She refused to take responsibility for Kalina. During this time, the patient came to her senses. The customs officers have perked up. After asking a few questions, calmed down Kalina and having received consent to open the second bottom, they quickly ripped open the seam and carefully pulled out ... a spoon. The spoon was dark with age. The handle of the spoon was twisted. Its size fluctuated between dining and dessert. One of the customs officers twisted the spoon in bewilderment, the other again approached Kalina with questions. This time, Kalina decided to tell everything, she started from afar: from a blouse that she bought her mother on her last trip and which her mother never received, because ... Kalina told andshe said, her voice now rising to dangerous heights, then descending almost to a whisper. The customs officer several times wanted to ask a clarifying question, but Kalina, carried away by the story, did not let her do it. Having reached the story to visit the office of the travel agency "Vladkoles", she paused to catch her breath, but it turned out to be a mistake. Varvara, who had been silent until now, broke into the conversation.

- Yes, why are you listening to this scatterbrain? She'll tell you this! I know this story, it was not like that at all! My sister has a friend, and this friend has her own sister, though she is a cousin. And this sister also has a friend, this friend knows Lenka, a manager from the Vladkoles travel agency. Lenka won't lie. It was like this: last time, pretending to be pregnant, this tourist with the strange name Kalina replaced a bag with a tourist from the Vladkoles travel agency. You know they're all the same! And then, probably, the toad crushed her, and she came to demand her bag as well. For a long time I have already asked the director of my travel agency not to include this Kalina in my group. And she also has a friend. Such a screaming person. You give her a word, and she gives you ten. Doesn't let this Kalina talk one on one. Just start a conversation, and she's right there. And what about walking with a rope? It still needs to be seen what kind of friends they are! Something suspicious friendship, honestly! You will figure it out there, and if anything ...

“Woman,” the customs officer tried to interrupt the raging person, “we will figure everything out!” Now the spoon will be taken away for examination. But I personally would advise you to better watch your tourists. And the next time you want to throw mud at them, you must remember that by doing this you humiliate yourself first of all, because you are primarily responsible for the life, safety and actions of tourists!

Embarrassed, Varvara muttered something about the fact that we also know our rights, tea, we do not live in the taiga. It's been about half an hour. During this time, Varvara tried several times to have a preventive conversation with Kalina, probably to prove to the customs officer that they had order in the travel agency and she, Varvara, was also not a bastard. Kalina was silent, only looked plaintively towards the woman in uniform. Finally, she could not stand it and advised Varvara to calm down, and to carry out educational work outside the customs - somewhere on the bus, or even better - on the territory of her own travel agency. Finally the second customs lady returned. Kalina's heart sank. She did not know in what transport the arrested bag thieves were taken away. They probably have a special car for them! Or maybe criminals are taken to Vladivostok in a shared bus and only there, in their homeland, are they handed over to their own police? Kalina perked up: in this case, she will have time to persuade Tanya to take care of her schoolboy son. She was so deep in thoughts about the upcoming conversation with her friend that she did not immediately hear how they addressed her.

“Kalina Sergeevna, can you hear me,” the customs officer called to her with a spoon, “or are you feeling sick again?”

No, sorry, I was thinking. I listen to you.

- We are listening to you! Can you finally tell us where the double bottom came from in this bag, and the spoon in it?

“I already told you,” Kalina wringed her hands helplessly, “there was a mistake ...

- We've heard that before. About the fact that you became ill, and at that time your bag was changed. As I understand it, you have taken this bag in your hands many times, but have you really never paid attention to the double bottom.

- Not.

- Well, OK. How many people were in the Vladkoles travel agency when you came to find out the address of the owner of the bag?

— Three.

“Three, so, well, I hope they will confirm your words.

There was silence in the office.

Finally, Kalina could not stand it.

- And what ... How can I go on?

- Then we proceed as follows: I finish writing this conclusion, give it to you, and you go with it to the customs hall. Come to the counter on the left, give the conclusion, and you will be returned the bag and things temporarily removed from it. Here, take the document. By the way, the spoon is not contraband. It's just a spoon, though quite old. But not so old as to be considered a work of art. You can take her too. What are you worth?

- What should I do next?

- In what sense?

- Well, with a spoon and a bag?

“That's not our problem anymore. You can throw away both, you can continue to ride with this bag.

“Oh, by the way,” the second customs officer intervened, “because of you, all traffic has stalled. People want to go home, and you are holding them back! You know the bus won't leave without you! Eh, people, people, you only think about yourself!

Soon Kalina was already sitting on the bus, in her rightful place. A friend immediately bombarded her with questions. Exhausted by anxiety, she was ready to storm the office where her dear Kalina was bullied, but, thank God, Kalina showed up herself. Knowing the explosive temperament of her friend, she tried to tell as calmly and concisely as possible about the ordeals in the office. No bright colors, everything is gray and muted. But even what she said prompted Tatyana, a well-known fighter for justice, to jump up. Kalina barely succeedla to catch Tanya by the floor of the jacket at the moment when she decided to deal with the traitor Varvara. But the bus jerked and finally drove off. And in a bus that rushes at full speed to its native harbor, foggy Vladivostok, as you know, you can’t stand and walk. The passenger must be seated. In the armchair. Preferably fastened with a seat belt, if available.

They returned home to loud songs. The men slept peacefully, but the women, who breathed in the air of their native Primorye and probably got tipsy from it, could not be calmed down. However, no one tried! Kalina slept soundly or pretended to sleep.

Ññûëêà íà ïîëíûé âàðèàíò ïîâåñòè

http://proza.ru/2014/07/25/683