Beside her, Emerson grunted. “Shouldn’t be nothin’ more than a stern talkin’ to, maybe a slap on wrist – not this big-wig s**t.”
Murmuring, Claudia shook her head. There was no question the girl was guilty, she’d been caught in the act (stealing a watermelon of all things), and was likely responsible for a string of similar petty thefts across the city; but, given her dishevelled and malnourished appearance, her actions seemed one of survival rather than conscious delinquency. Something just didn’t sit right.
“I’m going to talk to her; she may know something relating to one of the city’s larger theft-rings” Claudia stated decidedly, earning a frown from Emerson. It was a stretch, and she knew it.
“Claud...” the man replied, the utterance of her name enough to say it all. He thought it was a bad idea, that her perspective was clouded, had been ever since she’d adopted Phelix, and that her actions would bring nothing but trouble. But he wouldn’t stop her. He was her partner after all, and partners stuck together through thick and thin.
“I know, Emerson. Thanks” Claudia said with a slight smile, moving toward the interrogation room door. Pausing, the woman turned back to her partner. “Do you think you could get some watermelon? The kid looks hungry.”
Emerson nodded. “She’s still a thief, Claud, remember that” he warned, cocking an eyebrow at his fellow detective before stalking away to pursue his next quarry – the watermelon.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As the door opened, clicking closed just as quickly, Samantha looked up, shrinking in on herself as the woman appeared. She didn’t like this, being confined, caged. She missed the streets, the freedom, the independence, no one to worry about except herself. But she’d gotten careless, dropped her guard, and now she would pay the price – they were coming, to take her home, back to the labs.
She’d been there before, when she was a child, with her father – Erikk. Even thinking of his name hurt, and thinking of her family, of Annalissa and her brothers, only made the pain worse. But she didn’t need them, she didn’t need anyone. They had abandoned her, all of them. She was better off on her own, she knew that now. She didn’t want to go back there, to that place – but, at least her mother, her real mother, might still be there. She had seemed nice enough, and at least she wouldn’t leave, Colaer was stuck in that white-walled place, just like Sam soon would be. Somehow, that thought brought little comfort.
Across the table, Claudia pulled up a chair, watching the girl though chestnut eyes. She still appeared nervous, closing in on herself, but the woman could sense an underlying resilience, a necessary toughness the streets brought out in people.
“I thought you might be hungry, my partner is out getting you something to eat – watermelon. Figured you liked it” Claudia stated, offering a smile as she rested her hands on the table.
Samantha looked up, frowning. Was this woman being ... nice to her? It had been so long since she’d heard a kind word, only streams of rude shouts and screams yelled after her as she ran, stolen bounty tucked under her arm. It was strange, foreign, to be spoken to in such a manner, the woman’s voice stern but friendly.
“Why?” Sam replied, her brow furrowed as she continued to regard Claudia.
“One good turn deserves another” the detective explained, adding, “You’ve been on the streets a while now, you may have heard something, or encountered someone, related to one of the larger crime syndicates in the area.”
Pausing, Samantha pondered the statement. There had been others, street kids like herself, who’d helped her along the way. They’d taught her the tricks of the trade, the easiest places to target, what to take and when, and of course places to hide-out, safe houses where she wouldn’t be found, where she could sleep in peace. However, that had been a long time ago, and they’d since parted ways. Sam had heard that a few of them had been caught by the police, the worst shipped off the juvenile detention centres, the others to group homes. Some had just disappeared off the radar altogether – she didn’t like to think what might have become of them.
In the end, she owed them. She wasn’t about to betray their kindness – but she did really want that watermelon.
“I don’t know anything” Sam uttered, managing to sound both unconvincing and disappointed.
Claudia sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“Listen, kid, I-“
“My name’s Sam” the girl interjected. Nobody called her kid, not anymore. It was too familiar, too kind, and all too fake.
“Sam, I can-“ Claudia began, only to be interrupted once more.
“And you are? One good turn, remember?” the girl commented, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It felt strange to smile, or at least begin to, but Sam didn’t fight the urge.
“Detective Anders – Claudia. Now, can I finish?” the woman asked, earning a nod from the girl. Clearing her throat, the woman continued. “As I was saying, Sam, I can help you, put in a good word, put in a good word; but, you have to give me something, some scrap of information that can help me. It may be something small; you may not have thought much of it at the time. Think Sam, think.”
Claudia knew she was becoming frantic, but time was quickly running out. The coats from the facility would be arriving soon, and detective was quickly losing her window of opportunity. Situations like this always ended the same – once a higher authority became involved, minor cases were quickly rendered obsolete, key witnesses disappeared, charges fell through. Claudia wasn’t about to let this chance pass her by, not again.
“I don’t –.” Sam stopped. Maybe there was something, or was there? It was something she’d overheard, hushed secrets whispered in the dark. They hadn’t known she was there, hiding in the shadowed corners of the building, huddled against the cold – she’d become quiet adept at remaining invisible. There were three of them, two men and a woman. One of the men was a fence, Sam had dealt with people like him before – and then there was the diamond. It must have been as big as her fist, and Sam had wanted to greedily snatch it up right then and there, but she was too scared to move, too scared to even breathe. She knew it was real, the stone, instinct had told her so (plus, she remembered seeing pictures of it in the paper, it had made headlines after it was stolen), and she figured the briefcase the man had handed to the couple had been full of cash; they always were in the movies. And then they had all left, and Sam had fled not long after, too frightened to stay in that place. That was something right, something important?
A sharp knock on the door jolted Sam, causing the girl to jump.
Claudia turned, eyes narrowing as Emerson stuck his head through the door.
“Coats are here, Anders, times up. Captain wants to see you in his office, now” he stated bluntly, and Claudia winced. This was not a good sign.
Sighing, the woman pushed away from the table. “I’m sorry, Sam, I have to go. They’ll be along in a minute to get you” Claudia stated, unable to disguise her disappointment.
“B...but I know something, something that can help you, please, please” Sam replied, the tone of her voice rising, hysteria was setting in. This woman had been nice to her, needed her, and she had watermelon. Sam wasn’t about to let that go. She couldn’t let that go.
The detective cringed. Yet another lead lost, but it was more than that. Sam’s game face was gone. She wasn’t the tough little street kid anymore, just a scared little girl.
Jesus, she’s just a kid, Claudia thought for the second time that day.
“I’ll do what I can, Sam – one good turn, remember?” she asked, forcing her confidence back into place as she offered the child a smile.
Sam nodded. She remembered. She wouldn’t forget.
“You still owe me a watermelon” Sam choked out, rubbing the beginnings of tears from her eyes.
This time it was Claudia’s turn to nod. God, she hoped she’d see Sam again, she gladly give her a hundred watermelons, help or no help.
