|
As the compact clucked madly, the bigger of the three guys in the living room looked over and said, "Looks like we got company, Boss!"
Turning and running as fast as I could, I began to regret the lack of a sandwich in my stomach. I just hoped that my cousin's flivver would start on the first crank. And that I could get away and hidden quickly enough to stay away from one of the souped up go buggies that I had seen in the garage.
One of the first things you learn as a gumshoe is to never get caught. The second thing is to play dumb if you are. Which should come natural, having messed up the first lesson. I figured that Red and me would have a good chuckle over the predicament after this was all over, but at the moment I wasn't laughing.
I skidded through the kitchen and grabbed a large pan off the counter. In a knife fight, your best weapon is a pistol. Barring that, a large, steel pan with a good heft and long reach comes in a close second. The last thing you want in a knife fight is a knife, because that would be fighting fair and would violate the third thing you learn as a gumshoe: don't.
I figured these guys would either have a gun, in which case nothing i could do would make a difference, or knives, in which case, see above. Maybe even just bare fists, which really played into the third lesson. Either way, I was screwed or had a chance.
I grabbed a large plate off the counter and slung it discus style at the first pursuer. It smacked him in the forehead and he went down, tripping the second guy. The third guy jumped over their tangled bodies and came straight for me. I ran through the door of the mudroom, figuring to lay in wait and introduce the lug to my friend, Pan.
Just as I went through the door, I caught a glimpse of a figure standing inside. Then the world lit up with fireworks, followed shortly by the lights going out.
|