Just a bit too fast

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

77031

Title

Just a bit too fast

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In a town of one million, police officers Jake and Halloran track notorious bank robber Thought-and-a-half Morgan. Disguised as a harmless farmwife, Morgan executes a daring heist at the Peninsula Park branch bank. The officers must outsmart the criminal mastermind, navigate a chaotic chase, and infiltrate his hideout to bring him to justice.

Summary up to 500 words

In Hal Moore's "Just a Bit Too Fast," Detective Jake and his partner Halloran pursue the notorious bank robber known as "Thought-and-a-half" Morgan, a criminal infamous for being a fraction of a second ahead of any police officer. Intelligence suggests Morgan is planning a heist in their city, and the officers arrive at the Peninsula Park branch bank just as a disguised Morgan, posing as an elderly woman, takes control. His accomplice, a young man, hesitates before complying with Morgan's orders to seize the cash. Morgan swiftly disarms the officers, hiding their weapons under a radiator before fleeing with the loot. The officers give chase, commandeering a vehicle to pursue Morgan's getaway car. They track him to a dump, a known hideout, where they wait in a room for Morgan and his accomplice to arrive. When the pair enters, Morgan attempts to shoot the detectives, but Halloran's quick reaction knocks Morgan's gun from his hand. The officers charge, tackling both criminals and ending the confrontation. The narrative highlights Morgan's clever disguises and the officers' bravery, but also underscores the irony of Morgan's "superior" speed. During the standoff, Morgan boasts about his ability to predict police tactics, specifically how they would use a flashlight to blind him. However, Halloran's thick skull and a tangled watch chain inadvertently trap Morgan's flashlight against his own body, preventing him from aiming correctly. Morgan's attempt to shoot fails because he cannot aim where he expects the light to be, proving that despite his reputation for being "just a bit too fast," he was ultimately outsmarted by simple, unforeseen circumstances. The story concludes with the officers capturing their quarry, demonstrating that even the most elusive criminals can be caught when luck and human error align against them.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77031.epub.noimages

Local file path

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Categories

• Short Stories
• Crime Fiction
• Police fiction