Jump the Gun Read Online Free PDF Page B

poetry.
    â€œWell, I could do that, I suppose…” Mary gave Mickey a tiny smile.
    â€œGood! Fine! Great! Let’s get out of here!” Mickey was as antsy as Woody Allen. The cabbie put the car into gear and started to step on the gas.
    â€œWell, except there is just one little problem,” I said.
    The cabbie braked. Mickey gaped. “What! What! What!”
    â€œCan I talk to you for one moment, outside?”
    Mickey looked like he was going to explode, but I held his eyes and he finally said, “Fine,” and opened his door.
    The cabbie sighed, put the car back in park, leaned against his door, and stretched his feet out on the front seat. “Meter’s still running, amigos.”
    Mickey and I both got out of the cab and walked around to the back. “This date of ours is getting weirder and weirder,” I started.
    He barked a sarcastic laugh. “You think?”
    â€œI know her.”
    â€œYes, you’ve already made that clear, that you saw her in the elevator, and yes, it is really weird that she stopped for us, but…”
    â€œNo, Mickey, listen. I know her. From before. She lives at Tall Oaks, a nursing home in Santa Rosa, where Nana, my grandmother, lived. Sometimes when I’d visit she’d be sitting in the lobby and we’d say hello, mention something about the weather, stuff like that. I don’t know much about her, but…” I paused.
    â€œBut…?” Mickey’s jaw was clenched.
    â€œHer name isn’t Doris Stonington. It’s Mary something.”
    Mickey stared. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    â€œI wish.”
    He leaned against the trunk of the taxi and looked back down the Strip. “Do you think she recognizes you, from there?”
    â€œI don’t know. She might be up to no good, but she might be crazy. At Tall Oaks, Nana lived in the Alzheimer’s wing. I don’t know where Mary’s room was, but maybe she has some sort of dementia. Maybe she really thinks her name is Doris. Maybe she doesn’t remember me at all from before. But she seems very lucid. My grandmother wouldn’t have even known how to hail a cab, let alone find her way around Las Vegas.”
    Mickey thought for a moment. “So how’d we end up in the same cab as a woman who knew your grandmother?”
    â€œYet another question for us to answer.”
    â€œOr not. I’m not sure I care very much about the answer. I do care about getting out of Las Vegas before I get hit over the head again.”
    â€œLook, Jake knows who I am, and now Mary is here, and maybe she knows who I am, too. I say, let’s play dumb for a while and see what we can find out. We can ask her some questions on the way to the police.”
    Mickey rubbed his face with his hands. “All right. Let’s go.”
    We got back in the cab and shut the doors. I felt a little chill when I noticed my purse had been moved. I had left it on the seat, I was sure, but now it was on the floor. I picked it up and put it on my lap.
    Mickey glanced at the cab driver’s ID pasted on the back of the front seat. “Luis? We’re ready.” Luis turned to put on his seat belt when Mary piped up.
    â€œActually, I’d rather not go with you. Why don’t you let me out here, and you two go on without me. I hope everything turns out all right.”
    This time I patted her hand. “You’ll stay with us, and then Luis will take you to the hotel of your choice, remember?” I smiled at her. “Mary?”
    Turned out I couldn’t play dumb. Mickey sighed.
    She jerked her head around to face me. “Mary? No, dear, I’m Doris, and…”
    â€œCut it out, Mary. We know each other, remember? From Tall Oaks. I recognize you now. You dyed your hair, didn’t you? Nice highlights, by the way. Anyway, now we’re all going to have a nice little chat.”
    Luis shook his head at us in the