Jump the Gun Read Online Free PDF

driver to stop—you both seem to be a bit frantic. Please get in. I’m happy to share the taxi with you.” Her hat was on the seat beside her. She picked it up and moved over, holding her hat on her lap.
    Mickey nodded. I jumped in while he ran around to the other side and piled into the cab, out of breath.
    â€œWhere to?” asked the driver.
    â€œPolice station. The nearest one.”
    I was so happy to hear Mickey say those words.
    â€œYou two all right?” the cabbie asked, looking at us in the rear-view mirror.
    â€œWe’re all right. Thank you.”
    â€œSeñora, do you want me to drop you off first?” We were idling at the curb.
    Tarcelloni started fidgeting with the brim of her hat, clearly upset. “Oh, dear. This could be a problem.”
    â€œMickey, this is, uh, what is your name?”
    â€œDoris Stonington, dear. What is yours?”
    I looked at her, a little breathless, and suddenly choked. I knew her, not only from the elevator encounter, but from before. But Doris Stonington? That wasn’t her name. Speechless, I studied her face. Mary. That was it. Mary something.
    Mickey frowned at me and then answered Mary. “This is Annabelle Starkey, and I’m Mickey Paxton.”
    â€œPleased to meet you, Mr. Paxton. Annabelle, dear, what a lovely name!”
    â€œOh, thanks, yes…”
    â€œLook,” said Mickey, “I don’t mean to be rude, but we were on the way to the police station, remember? And we’re in a hurry, remember? And what exactly are we doing now?” He sounded a little bit edgy.
    The cab driver’s cell phone rang. He put the car in park and took the call.
    â€œMickey,” I started slowly, still looking at Mary, “Doris was very kind to me on the elevator when I was abducted.”
    â€œAbducted? But he was a policeman!” She reached over and patted my hand.
    â€œWell, he wasn’t really a policeman, Doris. He pulled out that badge, but he couldn’t have been a policeman because he took me from my room at gunpoint.”
    â€œWell, dear, this is very distressing. Have you called your son? He must be worried about you.”
    â€œYour SON? You have a SON?” Mickey turned in his seat as best he could to look at me across Mary.
    â€œNo, no, no, Mickey, I do not have a son. Really, I don’t. Doris, please, I can’t explain all of that now.”
    At this point the cab driver hung up and turned around in his seat and faced all of us. “Excuse me for interrupting, but do you want me to take you somewhere, or do you want to sit here with the meter running while you all chat back there?”
    â€œHold on for just a minute, please. Don’t go anywhere yet. Now, Doris, tell me, what is going on? You seem very nervous, and you’re going to ruin your Tarcelloni if you keep twisting the brim like that.” I glanced at Mickey, who was scowling at me.
    â€œWell, it’s a bit embarrassing, I’m afraid. You see, I love to gamble—I made a bundle at the Royal Opal, by the way! But my family doesn’t approve of my pastime—they call it a nasty habit, in fact—and so I came to Las Vegas without telling anyone, and I was planning on staying at another hotel tonight, hoping they wouldn’t find me.”
    â€œMs. Stonington…” started Mickey.
    â€œPlease, dear, call me Doris.”
    â€œFine, Doris. None of this is any of our business. Why don’t we drop you off and then we’ll go to the police?”
    She let go of her hat and clasped her hands together. “Well, I hadn’t really decided yet where to spend the night, you see.”
    Mickey sighed. “You can ride with us if you like, and then the cab driver here, I’m sure, would be happy to take you wherever you wish, won’t you, sir?”
    â€œIf the señora has the ample fare, I will take her anywhere.” Apparently this guy’s day job was writing