Jacks Windfall 5

He sat down at a table in the back. The waitress was a teenager, bored and hating the sudden influx of people this lonely afternoon. Jack ordered a burger and a coke, and watched the door. The door opened to reveal his pursuer. She was a dirty blonde with a thick shaggy cut, wearing a standard medical mask under her brown eyes. She was dressed plain, but was trying so hard to be inconspicuous that she drew everyone’s attention. Well, if there was anyone other than the waitress, hostess, and himself in the dining area. Realizing she was caught, she immediately sat at the nearest table to her, and ordered a coffee.

Jack pulled out his trusty cards. An old poker deck, he had learned how to do some divination with it. However, since it wasn’t a true tarot deck its predictions were inconsistent. He shuffled the deck and started to place the cards in a new pattern.

While he did that, the woman watched him as clandestinely as possible. He actually had to applaud her using a smartphone to view behind her, but he recognized the trick. He could see she had walked in with a shoulder bag, and while she was drinking the coffee she started to pull out paperwork to look at. He reached into his pocket and rubbed his thumb on the rodent blade.

As he did, he could feel the presence of all rodents around him. He could feel the squirrels in the trees, and the rats hiding among the garbage. He sent a command to them, pointing the animals to the woman’s car. He then took his hand away from the blade, and looked up to a delicious burger.

He ate his lunch as he watched the woman watch him. He flipped the first card to ask his current mental question, a Jack of Diamonds. While that often would represent him, Jack got the sense that it was actually representing his pursuer. Flipping the next card, he saw the Seven of Diamonds. That would represent money questions? He smirked, and realized why he was being followed.

“Excuse me sir?” Jack looked up at the woman. She had apparently gotten over any awkwardness she had before, and had decided to speak to him face to face. He wiped his mouth and gestured to a seat in front of him. “Excuse my manners, I was just passing the time.”

“Of course,” she stated, sitting down and pulling off her mask. “My name is Maggie Cross, and I just had a few questions I was hoping you could answer?” She was small and thin, almost pixie like in proportions, but when he met her eyes they didn’t waver in the slightest. Jack flipped the final card, revealing the Queen of clubs. He did his best not to show any emotion on his face. “I don’t know how helpful I would be, but sure.”

Maggie looked at the cards. “Weird way to play solitaire. I am actually a journalist, and I was hoping to speak to you about your recent lottery win. Mr. Santas, are you aware that you claimed a wide number of lottery tickets in the past six months. While most of them are for minor prizes, I have found out you recently won $20,000. I was hoping to get an interview?”

Jack winced at her pronunciation. His last name, Santos, seems to always attract people to pronounce it wrong. “Please, call me Jack. Just a personal preference. I’m just a guy who plays the lotto, Ms. Cross. Nothing special.”

She looked at his half eaten burger, slowly congealing in its grease. “What I am finding more interesting is the consistency. I was curious about your techniques. You seem to be turning in tickets every week or so, going as low as $200 to your latest windfall. That consistency is unusual.”

Jack frowned. His nature and link with The City should prevent authorities from noticing. He flipped up the final card, revealing a Queen of Diamonds. He began picking up his cards and put down a twenty for his meal. He stood up, and looked at his pursuer. “I have done nothing wrong. Are you accusing me of anything?”

She looked him over, watching as he pulled on a mask from his pocket. She replaced her mask “No. But don’t think this is over. We are watching you.”

Jack smiled. “No, they aren’t. You are, though. In fact, I bet you are the only one who thought there was something unusual, right?” She looked startled. “Look, I am not doing anything that you would consider illegal. But maybe we can talk sometime tomorrow? I have to see a man about a horse.”

He got up and started walking out. She was following him, but he had already wasted too much time. He needed to get to Riverside before dark. Maggie seems to have parked on the other side of the parking lot. He got in and put the key into the ignition. He watched in the rear view mirror as she got into her car, and it wouldn’t start.

The rodents Jack had summoned were sent to her car to pull some wires in her car. That should get her off his trail for about an hour. He smiled with the knowledge that the rest of his burger would be a good payment. He pulled out of the parking lot, and prepared for the next step.