"Is there anything new with the Firston case, Charles?"
A middle aged man rubbed the thick, dark hair on his chin. "Perhaps, Fiona. We aren't sure if it's connected yet, though. A place a few hours out of town was robbed yesterday. There are a few similarities, especially in how the residence was entered."
A girl of perhaps nine looked up from her coloring book. "I want to be a detective too, Daddy. I can help you catch that bad old thief!"
Charles smiled as he picked up the small child. "I know you could Gloria, but you're my princess. Princesses don't go chasing after criminals."
She wriggled out of his arms, and put her hands on her hips. "Humph! I don't want to be a princess."
Charles frowned. "Why not?"
Gloria glared at the coloring book before looking him in the eyes. "Princesses don't get to have any fun. They have to stay home and sit around all the time."
Charles sighed. "I just want to keep you safe. Anyway, you're too little to join the force."
She nodded. "I know, but I could still help you with the case. And I can join the force when I'm grown up."
Charles didn't reply. He went over to the table, and picked up a crayon. "What color are you going to make the castle?"
Fourteen years later, Gloria walked into her parents' house. She was greeted with a cake, balloons, and banner.
Charles hugged his daughter. "Congratulations, Honey! I'm so proud of you."
The young woman hugged him back. "Thanks, Dad. I know you didn't approve of my decision to join the force..."
Charles didn't say anything. Instead, he guided his daughter towards the cake and guests.
Later that night, Charles was alone in his study. He frowned as he scrolled through the many contacts on his phone. He stopped and tapped.
"Hey, Jim! How are things going? I just wondered if you could do me a favor? My daughter entered the force despite my objections, is there anything you can do to keep her off the streets? Without her knowing that I interfered."
Jim sighed. "Sorry, pal. There's a process. You should know that better than anyone."
Charles grunted. "There has to be a way. I mean she's so little. I could pick her up with one hand."
Jim was silent for a few seconds. "She graduated, Charles. She's a police officer now. If she wasn't competent, she'd never have made it. The best I can do is pair her with Jenkins."
Charles grinned. "Isn't he the guy who took the Langstons down without backup?"
Jim laughed. "He's the one! I'm not quite sure how to justify transferring him to field training, but I'll figure something out..."
Charles sighed with relief. "Thanks buddy, I hated to ask. But she's my little princess."
"Say no more. You know I've got three girls. If any of them had chosen the force, I'd be transferring myself to be their partner."
When Gloria reported for duty, a fit man in his thirties was waiting. He smiled and extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Connolly. I'm Sam Jenkins, and we're going to be working together."
Gloria smiled back, and firmly grasped the offered hand. "Call me Gloria."
He nodded towards a small table which held an ancient coffee maker, microwave, and of course donuts. "Call me Sam. First lesson: always fuel up before you go."
Two weeks later, Sam and Gloria were sitting at an intersection when the radio crackled. "Possible prowler at 531 Heron Drive."
"That's only a couple of minutes away," Gloria noted.
Sam nodded, and started the car.
Soon they pulled into the driveway of a small home. The paint was beginning to peel, and the rain gutters were clogged with rotting leaves. The ankle high grass was flecked with bright yellow dandelions.
An elderly woman peeked out of a window, barely showing her face. When she saw the patrol car, she disappeared. A few seconds later, she opened the front door.
"Please keep an eye out for anything strange while I go talk to her," Sam instructed.
Gloria nodded, and got out to stand by the car. She was close enough to hear the conversation, while still having a clear view of the property and nearby houses.
She tuned into her surroundings. "I don't think anyone would target this place for a burglary. There are several more tempting targets in sight. Maybe she saw or heard an animal. Or some neighborhood kids are trying to torment her," thought Gloria.
"Oh, you saw him looking in a window two houses down? Can you please point out where?" asked Sam.
Suddenly a loud crash from within the woman's house interrupted the conversation.
Sam stiffened. "Is anyone else in there, Ma'am?"
She shook her head.
Sam motioned for Gloria to go around to the back.
She nodded, then took off at a sprint. When she reached the back door, she stood to the side and listened.
A few seconds later, she heard Sam laughing. "I've caught a few cat burglars in the act before. But I've never caught an actual cat in the act of theft. Drop that fish, you thief!"
The rookie officer relaxed. She glanced around, and saw a thin figure dressed in dark clothes climbing out of the window of a neighboring house.
"Stop! Police." she shouted.
Instead of complying, the figure took off.
Gloria could hear Sam's feet pounding towards the back door as she took off after the suspect.
Soon she was a couple of blocks away, somehow managing to keep the suspect in sight. "I wonder why Sam hasn't caught up yet," she thought as she loped along.
When the figure skidded to a halt and jumped in a van, she angled off. Aiming to come out in front of the van, she sped up to a sprint.
The van's motor refused to turn the first couple of tries, giving her the seconds she needed to reach a spot where two suburban streets intersected.
She ducked into the thick, well manicured shrubbery. As the van slowly drove towards her, she shot a front tire.
The van kept going, and Gloria reported their position on her radio. She stayed in her hiding place until they were well on their way.
When they had passed, she sprinted through yards to keep the van in sight.
Three blocks over, the van stopped. Four people piled out. Three men, and one woman. All in dark clothes.
Gloria crept up, but there was little need for caution. The small group was talking loudly, and were focused on getting a tire positioned close to the front of the van.
"It must have been a broken bottle, Karen. What a time to get a flat!"
The woman nodded. "I'm glad I was able to lose that cop! I thought she was still on my tail when I got to you, but I guess it was just my imagination."
Gloria called in the situation. Then she got within five yards without being noticed, and waited.
The tire was changed, and still no backup.
After the four suspects got back in the van, she drew her gun. When the motor gunned, she shot a back tire.
The van had started on the first try, so she was off through people's yards again. Ahead she saw cars.
A few seconds later, the peace and quiet of the suburban afternoon was shattered with the shrill wailing of three patrol cars.
Unable to do much more than limp along in the crippled van, the occupants had little choice but to surrender.
A search revealed several weapons, as well as jewelry, eight laptops, and a flat screen TV.
Sam grinned. "I think you're going to be a great cop!"
She grinned back. "Thanks!"
A young girl in pigtails rode a bike down the sidewalk towards the scene. She had a plastic crown on her head, and was wearing a Marvel t-shirt. She stopped and stared.
Gloria smiled at her. "Hello. There's nothing to worry about, we caught some people doing something wrong."
The girl smiled back, and rummaged through her bike's basket. She reached out, offering Gloria a set of plastic handcuffs. "Here, you can use these if you need them."
Gloria didn't laugh. "Thank you very much, young lady. I think you should hang onto those. You never know when you're going to need them," she replied seriously .
Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery