The Jumper (SF Mystery)

The Jumper 12: In for a Penny

"Okay," Jeff grumped from the passenger seat, "You've even switched cars. I do still have my gun, in case you are wondering."

She laughed, a musical sound that thrilled him, even though he was very much aware of what a foolish risk he had taken, coming to her. It disturbed him that five minutes with this woman had affected him more than an entire evening with Alicia.

"I told you," she said, "It will be okay. I just wanted to be sure you didn't have anyone following us. Once I'm sure of that, we'll go to where I can show you the whole thing."

"Show me?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him again, and his gut twisted, with the conflict between wondering whether he could possibly be right, and the desire for this incredibly beautiful young woman.

"Don't be afraid, Detective," she smiled, shaming him into silence and increasing his internal conflict.

She drove around through an abandoned military base, and pulled the car into a parking lot by the water. The lights of the Golden Gate Bridge dominated the skyline.

"Switching cars again?" he asked as they got out, wondering if he should just pull out his gun.

"No, no," Rachel laughed. "Now, we're going to take a little walk. Come on!"

Grinding his teeth, but unwilling to show his fear in front of her, he walked with her as if nothing were wrong, back out of the lot, and down a hundred yards or so, to a marina. She walked straight to a gated dock, and entered a code that let them onto it. Partway down the dock, she climbed up onto a forty foot cabin cruiser, opened the cabin, and began prepping it for launch.

"Going for a cruise, are we?" he asked, dryly.

She smiled at him. "I'll start talking as soon as we are clear of the harbor. Deal?"

He shrugged. "In for a penny, in for a pound." He climbed aboard.

She beamed at him. "That's the ticket!"

In thirty minutes, they were under the bridge, heading into the open ocean. She opened up the throttles.

"Okay," he said, "enough of the games. You promised me some answers."

"So I did," she said, "but I don't want either of us to die while I'm giving them to you, and it's going to take a while. I want to make sure we are clear of those three vessels coming in. Then let me get the autopilot, navigation, and radar set, and we'll go below, where it's a lot warmer." After a few more minutes, she cut the throttles back, and fiddled with the instruments.

Soon, they were in the main cabin, with the boat sealed up. The shore was now a couple of miles behind them.

"Okay," she said, taking off her hoodie, "what do you want to know?"

"I think you know," said Jeff, as he casually pulled out his gun. Jeff was not sure what had caused his bizarre speculation to gel into certainty, but somehow, in the last few minutes, it had. Maybe it was watching her skill and competence handling the large vessel. Where would a street hooker learn that?

Ultimately, it didn't matter. It made no sense, but a quote from Sherlock Holmes came to his mind. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. It was one of his favorite dictums. This was the only thing that made sense.

 He just hoped being right wouldn't cost him his life.

  

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