Page 11 of Ticket Out

Taking this street was a strange route from Victorian Embankment to Clematis, but perhaps he’d been coming from a different direction. Whatever the reason, she really was grateful.

She made sure her cap was still in place after her encounter. Then she turned toward the two cars parked further down the street on the double yellows and got on with her job.

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She didn’t knowif she kept seeing bottle green jaguars because she had had a run-in with one, but she thought she glimpsed one at least three times over the rest of her shift. She had gone so far as to check the registration number in her ticket book so she could know for sure if it was the same one next time she saw it.

Mr. Jaguar probably lived somewhere close to her route, though, and it was logical she’d spot him around. It didn’t necessarily mean anything, although she didn’t think he’d cry if he ran her down.

She thought about it as she returned to the Traffic Warden Centre and came to the conclusion Mr. Jaguar wouldn’t have anything to gain from following her.

The ticket was written, and there was a witness, a police detective no less. Anything he did to her would only make things worse for himself, not better.

But he had not seemed very logical or reasonable to her.

Maybe he was a man fueled by spite.

The thought of it made her shiver, and as she pushed her way into the center through the big wooden doors, she decided she would take extra care that no one followed her home.

Liz was in the change room, getting out of her uniform, and Gabriella joined her, carefully hanging her skirt and blazer up, and then slipping into something altogether cooler and more comfortable.

“If someone can’t pay their fine, can they work out a payment plan?” she asked.

Liz glanced at her, then went back to brushing her long blonde hair. “No idea. Why?”

“I told someone today they could, as a way to get them to back down.”

“They were saying they couldn’t pay?” She lifted both eyebrows.

“No, but his reaction was so extreme, I said it to make him embarrassed at how much of a fuss he was making. He was driving a great big jag, coming out of one of those fancy townhouses on the edge of Chelsea.”

“You wanted him to back down by suggesting he was objecting because he couldn’t afford it?” Liz hummed. “Not a bad ploy. But be careful who you use it on. Some might take even more offense at that.”

Gabriella lifted her shoulders. “I had to do something. And even so, he came at me, hands out to throttle me.”

“Really?” Liz put her brush down, and turned to give Gabriella her full attention. “What did you do?”

“I was going to run, but the detective that’s dealing with that dead man I found, he was coming past, and he ran his lights and siren. Stopped the attack dead.”

“He a looker, this copper?”

Gabriella grinned at Liz. “He’s a looker.”

“Ooh. Asked you out, has he?”

She laughed again. “No. I’m a witness in his case.” She slipped on her espadrilles and stood, pulled her hair out of its bun and massaged her scalp in relief. “I’m off. I’m taking my neighbor to his club for dinner tonight.”

“Ishea looker?” Liz asked.

“He was, fifty years ago.” Gabriella lifted her bag over her head, setting it across her chest. “And he’s still charming.”

“Aren’t you the one with the hot night life?” Liz zipped up her platform boots, wiggled her legs. “I’m just going to Dance-A-Go-Go tonight.”

“Have fun.” Gabriella gave her a wave and left her applying more mascara.

She took the back entrance, which she’d never done before, but the green jaguars had spooked her a bit. She made her way through back alleys and narrow lanes to get to the other side of Kensington Gardens.

She wasn’t familiar with the buses on this side, but she decided to treat it as an opportunity, rather than an inconvenience.

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