Lucky Jim

Lucky Jim Conley had raked inwon millions at the gambling tables, quadrupled his winnings in the stock marketon Wall Street, won a fortune in the state lottery. Jason, the only child of Lucky Jim and his beloved Myrna, was used to havingwas in the habit of having his own wayget exactly what one wants. During the two years since Mom's death, Jason had waited patiently for Lucky Jim to follow suitdo the same and bequeathleave, give him full control of the family wealth. Jason was eagerkeen, wanting to be a high roller in his own right.

But Jim's luck was outlastinglasting longer than Jason's patience. After his last medical exam, Lucky Jim's doc had proclaimed the old man to be fitin good form, healthy as a forty-year-old. "Lucky Jim'll outlive us all, Jason."

Not if I have my way, Jason thought. No waycertainly not.

He breathed in the fog that hung like ghostly sailssails catch the wind, and make sailing ships move forwards around the Lucky Too, as they made their way out to the lobstera large and expensive crustacean, like a long crab grounds. Jim claimed that that was where the biggest and best fish hung out too. She was a sturdytough, resistant boat. Twelve black numbers shone against her white hullthe main part of a boat. Jason and Lucky Jim sat in chairs on the bridge. Lucky Jim leaned toward his son and yelledshouted over the engine's noise: "Fog hanging light makes hungry fish bite."

"Same old craprubbish, shit every time," Jason thought. "But, hey, that's what gave me my plan. Fishing in the fog....". Jason smiled at his father and nodded. He wouldn't attempt a reply since the old man's hearing was his only failing faculty.

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"Mind the lobster pots," the old man holleredshouted.

Jason nodded again. He knew exactly where the trap buoyslarge floating markers were located. He'd come here every day for the past two weeks, drawn diagrams, memorized bobbinggoing up and down on the surface of the water floats and channel markers. He'd disableddisconnected the maritime radio, concealedhide his weapon, left nothing to chance. They were almost there. The buoy's fog horn blastedmade a loud noise its rude warning every fifteen seconds.

"I'll tie up at the buoy," Jason called to Lucky Jim. "You get the lines over."

Lucky nodded and moved to the sternback end of a boat, carrying two fishing poles.

Jason put in ear plugsan ear plug stops you hearing noises before tieing a heavy rope over the buoy's flashing light. He pulled it tight under a square metal box half-way between light and water. A wave gaugemeter, measurer? Weather predictor? Battery casing? The current swung the stern around. Jason turned toward Lucky Jim.

The old man stood at the side of the deck, profile toward Jason, head bent, intent onconcentrating on preparing his lines. Jason reached behind him and lifted a three-foot length of two-by-four.

BAM!

Lucky Jim never knew what hit him. Jason dropped the bloodied weapon overboard, grasped Jim from behind, tossed him over the side. The satisfying splash soakedwetted Jason. He untied the vessel from the buoy and headed home, full-throttlefull speed. Damn the fog! Lucky Jim's good fortune had revertedcome to to him. At least the fortune itself had. He smiled.

The perfect crime. No witnessespeople who see a crime to contradict his story that Lucky Jim had slipped on the deck, bumped his head, fallen overboard, been swept away before his valiant son could save him. Poor Jim was lost.

"Yes, Officer," Jason rehearsedprepared a speech, "Dad and I always fished in the fog. Lucky Jim thought the fishing was better when clouds met water, but everyone knew it was Jim's luck that made the fishing good."

As Jason easedmaneuvered, move, bowfront end of a ship or boat-first, into his docking berthplace where a boat ties up, he saw two uniformed figures on the dock. He cut the engine and climbed from the boat, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Thank God, you're here, Officers! There's been a tragic accident."

"We know," the taller cop said.

"My father..." Jason pulled out the ear plugs. "What did you say?"

They cuffedhandcuffed, tied Jason's hands behind his back and friskedchecked that someone is not hiding weapons him. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you..."

"Wait! Wait! What's going on here?"

"Don't waste your breath, buddy," said the shorter cop, a woman with hard eyes.

"But, my father's just fallen overboard, I gotta get help....."

"Yeah son, we know all about it......?"

Jason's jawbottom half of the mouth fell. His eyes glazed with disbelief. He never even noticed when the female cop cradledtook hold of his head and shoved him into the back seat of the car.

"But honestly he fell in, I didn't push him," said Jason feebly.

"Yeah," she said. "That might of made a convincing story last week, but I guess you didn't notice the infra red camera they just set up on the buoy out there to catch the lobster thieves.... It can see through the mist and the night like it's broad daylight.... The moment you reached those lobster grounds, they had you under surveillance. They thought you were the guys who've been taking their lobsters...."

"But you're a lucky guy," the male cop continued as he climbed behind the wheel. "Coast Guard just picked him up."

"And alive!" his partner said as she took her place beside him.

"Alive?" Jason croaked from the back seat.

"Yupyes," said the driver. "Unconscious, he was, but, last I heard, his heart was still pumping. Good luck for you. You'll be charged with attempted murder rather than murder. You'd better pray some of your luck rubs off on the old man and keeps him kickin'."

Lucky Jim:

1. Words and meaning:

Select, logically, the nearest equivalent to each of the words or phrases indicated, from among those proposed:

2. Reusing information:

After Jason's arrest, the local coast guard chief had to write a report explaining the events that took place. Here is the report he wrote, complete it as appropriately as possible.  Text boxes will expand to take whatever you write. 

3. Comprehension questions:

4. Questions from answers:

Jason was interrogated by the police, once he reached the police station. Here are some of his answers. What were the policeman's questions?