New Add-On Story "To Catch A Thief"

[Calenlanthir]

Well, it just sorda sounded that way to me. Sorry if I'm wrong.

 

[Susan]

Brenda walks to Pete's Diner on the way to work. "Breakfast sandwich and coffee, five sugar cubes, milk."
"Coming right up, that will be ten dollars. Hey, did you hear about the burglary last night?"
"Burglary? Where?" she asks as she places the money on the counter.
"A block away. Eddie's Pawnshop. Someone smashed the front window and stole some weird stuff, if you ask me."
"Who told you-"
"Your friends who work the night shift. Detective Collins came in here and asked my brother if he heard anything."
"Did he?"
"No. Not a thing. Paul, that's my brother who works the night shift, had the radio really loud." Pete nods. "I really need to hire more people. Otherwise I'll be next, cause we have a bona fide burglary spree here. And someone could break in here easy, since both Paul and I stay here unless there's something we need in the back near the alley entrance."
"I would advise you to hire someone else. At least for the late hours."
Brenda quickly eats, then runs the remaining 5 blocks to the Downtown Precinct Station.

 

[Susan]

New character:
"Norie Hatano," 35, Japanese originally from Osaka, speaks English well, not a Christian but sympathetic to the faith as his sister is a believer, undecided, America correspondent for "News Now Magazine." Looks: thin, longish brown hair, wire-rim glasses.

Brenda looks around the office of the Burglary-Auto Theft Division when she arrives. Everyone is gone except for Chief Brighton. "Lim, you have a case and a few problems."
"What is it, sir?"
"First, Marshall is out with the flu. Second, 10 burglaries last night, and we just got a call on a car burglary in the parking lot of the courthouse. That is your case, you need to be questioning witnesses on that. Also, some person from 'News Now Magazine' is snooping around." Chief Brighton looks almost defeated.
"I hope we're not going to be hounded like the people from Robbery were that year the bank stickups were all the news." Brenda looks at the report on the car burglary, then decides to read it on the way. She sees a man running her as she leaves the elevator 10 minutes later and walks to the parking lot.
"Hatano, News Now magazine. Are you the woman Chief Brighton said-"
"I am Detective Sergeant Brenda Lim. Please address me as such."
"Sergeant Lim, then, do you know of the burglaries and thefts in the city?"
"Yes. No farther comment now. Goodbye."
"Where are you going now?"
"Police matter." She begins jogging to her car.
"What kind of police matter? Oh, and can you give me a total on the monetary loss the thieves have caused?"
"Mr. Hatano, that is the business of the Press Information division. I honestly don't know."
"Lady, you have to know something or I wouldn't be here-"
Brenda finally loses her patience to some degree. "Look, I have to be at a crime scene."
"What kind of crime scene are we going to anyway?" Norie Hatano opens the passenger side door of Brenda's unmarked police car when she inadvertantly unlocks all doors.
Brenda glares at him. "You are three steps away from jail."
"Jail? Why? You don't mind company do you?" Norie laughs.
"I do mind your trespassing on police property, which is what that passenger side is. Now leave unless you want to see a jail cell!"
"Fine, lady, but you know that someone in your department is one of the thieves."
"Who?"
"I won't be telling you!" He runs back toward the elevator.
Someone in our department. Brenda thinks. Nah. Don't think so.

 

[Susan]

Brenda and Christiana meet at the county courthouse parking lot, the scene of the car burglary.
"I have some good leads here. The officers on scene said that the stolen items were a diamond-tipped cane, and a golden crowbar. Witness descriptions state that a young man with red hair and a British accent was seen in the area." Christiana writes a note on her notepad.
"That sound a lot like someone we questioned. Robin Alistair."
"You know his last local address?"
"Yeah. Got it here in my notebook. 132 Pershing." Brenda looks at Christiana. "I guess we have one thief."
"How many more are there?"
"That is the question of the ages." Brenda moves the car onto the freeway.
Christiana looks in the rearview mirror. "Go a little faster."
"Why?"
"I think someone is following us."
"Yeah, that motorcycle is a bit too close. But you've driven in California before. A tailgater around every onramp." Brenda laughs.
"I just hope it isn't that reporter. Hatano something or other. Talk about aggressive newsgathering."
"You too?" Brenda asks, astonished.
"Here's the Pershing Street offramp. The address is right there, see the sign in neon on the apartments?"
They park the car, and walk into Robin Alistair's first-floor apartment, hearing footsteps right behind them. . .

 

[Calenlanthir]

Christiana pulled her sunglasses off her head, to sheild her eyes. She motioned for Brenda to step out of sight. Christiana switched a button on, and saw her scanner apear infront of her eyes. She was the only one who could see it. The follower walked by, and Christiana scanned his body for any weapons hidden in pockets, or belts. It also scanned for identification. Once he walked by, Christiana jotted down everything she got.
"What are you writing?" Brenda asked.
"Information. I got his name, age, and address. I also know he's un-armed, accept for a pocket knife in his left pocket."
"Who is he?"
"His name is Rodreigo Branson. He's 25, and lives on Long Beach RD. Apartment 6, second floor, of 'Longveiw Appartments'"
"Wow. You got all that just from looking at him with your sunglasses on?"
Christiana smiled. "My sunglasses have a built in scanner. I switch a button, and a weapons and identification scanner comes on. It's one of procons of being a Secret Agent."

 

[Susan]

Christiana taps on her sunglasses. "What? System error?"
Brenda looks at the apartment known to be Robin Alistair's last address. "Let me see those."
"Sorry, special issue. You couldn't repair them in a million years and you'd be under suspicion if you did." Christiana places the glasses in her pocket.
Brenda taps on the door. "Mr. Alistair? Police. We would like to ask you some questions."
The only thing heard is silence.
"Well, Judge Holmes did give us the search warrant."
"I wonder where the person with the master key is?"
"Who needs a master key?" Christiana laughs as she takes a key out of her wallet. "This is the master key. Opens any lock, anywhere."
She opens the door, and Brenda walks in behind her.
The apartment looks as if it hasn't been inhabited for months. Dust rests on everything, cobwebs elsewhere. Brenda looks at three new TV sets still in boxes. "Well, Alistair wasn't the one stealing the strange things, but he has been very busy." Her eyes fall on a crowbar, but it is electroplated silver, not gold, and is as dusty as everything else. "He's on the run, and we missed him."
"Call your people who do photos, fingerprints, that sort of thing. Have them see what they can find in here."
Brenda calls the division responsible for scientific investigation. "They said they're really too busy to find a burglar, but they will be here in 30 minutes."
Christiana looks across the room. "So we'll wait on them. What did you think of the prayer rally-"
The unmistakable whir of a zoom lens resounds from the next room.
Brenda looks at Christiana. "Unless they're here early-"
"The science crew, early? You can get a pizza faster, especially on a busy week like this."
"Let's go in there. We didn't look because the door was locked and your key was one-use only."
Christiana looks at the door. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. No way am I letting a witness or suspect walk away under our noses."
"I'm stronger, so I'll break the door. Be ready for anything."

 

[Susan]

The door breaks on the first kick to the lock plate. "I don't see anyone." Christiana looks around the room again.
"You heard the camera too!"
"Yeah, but maybe Alistair didn't know how to turn his stolen camera's auto-zoom mode off."
Brenda stifles a laugh. "Its batteries would have run down three weeks ago in that case."
Another sound, this time a rustling in the closet of the room.
"You're right, Brenda. Look, the patio door there. It looks like it was pried open."
"Then whoever it is in the closet. Police Department! Come out!"
A somewhat amused-looking Norie Hatano opens the door. "So could you open that locked door for me? This is the apartment of Robin Alistair, a known local thief, and I think I could finish my first story on the thefts with what is in there."
Brenda and Christiana look at each other in amazement. "Wait. This is a crime scene."
"I was here since last week looking over this room. I assumed it to be an abandoned apartment."
"Were you the one who pried the back door?" Brenda asks.
"No, that would be the breaking and entering. No. I saw that it was open, and simply walked in."

 

[Susan]

"Well," Brenda looks around the room before continuing. "Did you displace anything here?"
"No way, lady. Now if you are not arresting me I have to be at the press conference downtown!"
"We should arrest you for tampering with a crime scene. However, we have more important things to do. So I will just give you a warning. If you ever do this again, you are going to jail."
Norie laughs. "No. Jail would not be good for my image, no?" he tosses his camera bag over his shoulder and walks out through the living room. "Oh, and your science division people are here. Bye."
Brenda talks to the chief scientist about the evidence that needs to be found. "One last thing. Disregard those footprints there."
She and Christiana walk to the car.

 

[Boy Wonder]

John was walking down the street past Christiana, and tipped his hat.
'Good thing she doesn't know who I am' John thought.
After a couple of minutes he heard the same old "Stop Police" again... He didn't see Brenda on the other side.
So, he did the same old running.
He dashed into his apartment and ran onto the roof.

 

[Calenlanthir]

"Split up. I'll around the back, and onto the roof. You go the other way." Christiana whispered. She turned on her walkie-talkie.
"Victor, I need you down here buddy."
"You got it boss." Christiana ran around the back, and climbed slowly to the top of the building. She walked onto the roof, but saw no sign of John.
Odd. Christiana pulled out her pistol, and got it ready. She walked slowly around on the roof. She heard footsteps running behind her. She turned and saw a man running towards the ladder.
"STOP! POLICE!" She yelled. The guy just started climbing down the ladder. Christiana ran over, and pointed her gun at him.
"Don't move or I'll shoot!" she yelled. The guy did as he was told.
"Now, I'll ask you nicely to put your hands on your head."

Victor rode silently down every ally way he could find. But he needed coordinates of where Christiana was.
"Hey Chris, I need your location."
Nothing.
"Chris I need your location."
Stll, nothing.
"Chris!"
Again, nothing.

Christiana tried to ignore Victor. He kept yelling at her, to give him her location.
"Brenda! I need you over here!" Brenda ran up, and took out her won pistol. Christiana grabbed her walkie-talkie.
"Chris here. Vic I'm at-where are we Brenda?"
"Uh, I think Town Center Appartments."
"Town Center Appartments Vic. On, Warrner Parrot Central."
"Alrighty. Thanks a bunches."
Christiana got her pistol out again, and jumped behind the prisoner. Suddenly, Christiana heard cars. She turned for a brief moment to see who is was, and the guy got away. Christiana ran after him, but saw so sign of anyone. She ran around the corner, and saw Vic pull up.
"Perfect timing." she said.
"Hey, I saw some guy in an overcoat run of that direction."
"BRENDA!" Christiana motioned for Brenda and Vic to follow her.

 

[Boy Wonder]

'Wow. That was close!' John thought running 'Plus, they can't arrest me! They got nothing on me!'
John turned a corner... Dead end...
But, as Christiana and the others came around he was gone.

 

[Susan]

Brenda, Christiana, and Victor look down the alley. "He's gone." Brenda sighs.
"All because of you. Why didn't you keep up with us? Christiana, I knew working with the cops would only slow us down."
"Yeah, whoever this is sure runs fast, too fast for someone who isn't used to running."
"Don't blame me. Who would have thought we would be running again? Besides I hurt my knee last time chasing the same suspect."
Norie walks out of the shadow of the adjoining alley. "Cool argument. I have my first story for the next week now. . .'Thieves Rush In Where Cops Are Helpless.' How do you like it?"
"Not like we can do anything about it, but why don't you help us if you think you can solve this, Mr. Hatano?" Christiana asks.
"So polite for an American, but no." Norie laughs, places his tape recorder and press credentials in his coat pocket, then reaches down for his camera bag.
It's gone.

 

[Susan]

The next week, Chief Brighton calls Brenda, Christiana, and Victor into the office.
"Explain this." The police chief points to the copy of "News Now Magazine" lying on his desk.
"Explain it? I can't even understand it this way." Brenda picks up the magazine. "I'll have to scan it into my computer and run the translation program on it."
10 minutes later they read the article, which ends with Norie Hatano's account of having 10,000 dollars worth of camera and computer equipment stolen "in full view of a police detective sergeant and two cooperating investigators from the OSA."
"Now explain it. Tomorrow that will be in all the English-language magazines. Our police department looks totally inept and useless. We could be sued to replace the bag, laptop, cameras, and his personal belongings that were also there." Chief Brighton looks about ready to explode. "Lim, if you cannot arrest someone by tomorrow so we, not Hatano and 'News Now' look like the heroes, I'm transferring you to the Pickpocket Detail on the trains along with the uniformed officers. Ithlidin, Rizall, if you cannot find this thief and the reporter's stuff before next week's expose, I'm calling your boss and requesting that you be assigned elsewhere due to incompetence."
Brenda, Christiana, and Victor walk out together. "No leads. No suspects except for Alistair and Smith, who are both now fleeing." Victor glares at Brenda. "Our jobs are at stake here, unlike yours. What are we going to do now?"

 

[Susan]

Brenda drives to the New Hope Church on her lunch hour, having decided to pray for reconciliation with her colleagues and the salvation of Norie Hatano. . .
Meanwhile Christiana and Victor are looking over evidence records and trying to match other thieves to the thefts. . .
John Smith looks at the state line sign as the train he's riding enters Arizona.
"Safe at last. . .for a little while."

 

[Calenlanthir]

Christiana listened to Brenda and Victor argue for about five minuetes.
"Look! We need something, and we need something fast. So, I sudgest that we go and look. Anyone who thinks other wise, stay where you are." Christiana walked off, and Brenda followed. Victor rolled his eyes, and followed.
"OK, one reason I'm not doing very well, is because I work under-cover. I don't barge into peoples homes, and all that junk. Now, what I am going to do, is go to Alistair's home, if we can find where he is, and try to sweet talk him."
"Whoa, Chris. Last time you did that, you ended up getting stuck in the toilet, because you got ina fight. I don't sudgest you do that."
"Vic, last time was three years ago. This now. Just let me try."

Better?

 

[Susan]

To continue, ignoring last post. . .
Brenda's watch reads 12:50 p.m. as she drives back to the police station.
"Dispatch to Car 119, over. Car 119, over."
she pulls over and clicks the radio on. "119, over."
Burglary, Rolf's Scandinavian Souvenir Hut, 330 Sunset. The stolen items were a statue of a Viking, a newspaper, a camera, 2,000 dollars, and more. Sounds like our MO-one of the stolen items was a box of zucchini."
"I'm going now. 330 Sunset Boulevard or Drive?"
"Drive."
"OK, I'm headed that way."

 

[Susan]

Norie had spent the entire day calling the few sources and informants he had in Los Angeles, having decided to get the ultimate story-finding the thief himself. The last call had resulted in a meeting at Bob's Bar and Grill with "a friend of a friend" who had handed him a note in exchange for 1,000 yen. He reads the note again as he walks to the information desk in Los Angeles International Airport.

I think I know who stole your belongings. He took a train to Phoenix four hours ago. Signed, M.

The person at the info desk is much less than helpful. "Sir, look at the time. 8:00 p.m., the last commercial flight to Sky Harbor left. . .an hour ago."
"I need a charter pilot then!"
"Colonel Roger Hemson. Former fighter pilot. He will get you there. We went to academy together."
He walks to the charter desk where the semi-retired pilot is sitting. "I need to be at some place called Sky Harbor."
"Phoenix, you say, young man?"
"I'm 35."
"You're still a kid to me, sonny."
"Yes, Phoenix then. I'm willing to pay 1,000 yen."
The pilot sniffs, then glares at him. "Look. I may be old, but I know the exchange rates. That's only 10 dollars! Let me guess, you're from Osaka."
"How did you-"
"Anyway back to business. I'm charging you a flat fee of 100,000 yen. That's 10,000 dollars. Normally I charge 1,000 dollars, but since you tried to cheat me, I can play that game too."
He looks at the floor. "oh, all right. I hope you can charge it to my expense account at News Now."
"Yeah, sure. I love expense accounts," the pilot hides a laugh.
Norie has the suspicion that he has made one of the worst deals in his life as he climbs into the plane, a modified, pressurized cabin antique FA-18 Hornet. The pilot's flying is fast but none too good. To distract himself from the weaving and wobbling of the aircraft, Norie begins reading the postcard from his sister.

How have you been? America sounds so good. I think I will come on my vacation this year. Have you attended a church yet? You promised me that you would. Sincerely, Ayako.

The plane lands roughly, but safe, at the airport 15 minutes later. he wobbles out of the passenger seat. "Colonel Hemson. Don't you think you owe me hazardous-duty pay?"
"What? No, I do not. If I crashed, it would be another matter. I don't like fast talkers like you anyway, so go before I make you leave."
He walks into Sky Harbor Airport, having no idea where to go next.

 

[Susan]

Brenda has been working late, along with Nadia, who has returned to the Burglary-Auto Theft Division that day.
"That's strange. A Colonel Ralph Hemson just called Bunco Division." Nadia says.
"What's strange about that?" Brenda looks away from her report on the last burglary.
"Someone tried to fast-talk him into flying to Arizona for 10 dollars." Nadia glares at the phone.
"Arizona? That was where John Smith went on the train!"

 

[Boy Wonder]

Hmm Got WB...

 

[Calenlanthir]

Me to. Hey, a relly cool add-on is the one about the Civil War. It's fun!