It had been a pretty quiet patrol that evening, and as I made my way back to Police Headquarters I stopped by the donut shop to pick up a couple dozen for the guys starting their next shift. There’s a little place on my run that I usually go to called Sweeteaters. When I made my way into the shop, I noticed that it was nearly empty, just a couple of caffeine-wired college students with their faces buried in books in one corner, the waitress behind the counter, and a patron she was waiting on. My years on the force and law enforcement training told me at once that this guy looked suspicious. He had his back to me, but what helped give things away was the look the girl gave me when I walked in. For an instant her big green eyes gave me a desperate glance as I approached, then quickly darted back down at the bag she was holding. I noticed she had the bag laying on its side, not in the typical manner one would use for carrying donuts. He shifted in front of me, blocking the bag from my view.
“There you go, it’s in the bag,” I could hear her saying. Her voice had a slight tremble to it, not the way you would expect to hear when you’re selling donuts to a customer. She was still looking downward, her long shiny brown hair partially covering her face, her eyes darting from side to side.
“Thanks,” I heard the man mutter. Next thing I knew he jumped over the counter, knocking the girl over as he made a mad dash for the back door.
“Stop right there!” I yelled as I chased after him. I had an inkling the perpetrator was going to try an escape, and I was right. I leapt over the counter in hot pursuit. He had a good lead on me, but as I got close enough I dove and grabbed his leg, causing him to trip and collapse onto the large dough mixing machine that was bolted to the floor, knocking him out cold.
“Oh my God, Oh my God!” I turned around to see the waitress standing there leaning on the wall, one hand over her heart and breathing in short gasps. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life! I thought he might have a gun! Oh my God!” She was still breathing heavily as I got up off the floor, checked the man’s pulse and radioed the incident to headquarters. “Are you all right?” she said to me as I finished the call.
“I’m more worried about you, ma’am,” I said as I walked to her. “You had quite a fall back there. I should be the one asking if you’re all right.”
“I’m okay, more shaken up than anything,” she replied. “I’ve never been robbed before.” She was looking at the creep lying on the floor.
I finally had a chance to take notice of her. She looked to be about in her mid-twenties, average height, with large green eyes and long straight brown hair. It was hard to make out her body with the Sweeteater uniform she was wearing. It was a one-piece brown and white skirt that was too big for her, with a matching dopey-looking hat. She was also wearing thick-soled white shoes, probably a uniform requirement. What I couldn’t help noticing though were her shapely calves and thighs. If they were an indication of how the rest of her body looked in that baggy outfit, she must be a knockout, I thought. My wandering thoughts soon returned to my police duties though, as we both heard the sirens pulling up to the back door. “Well Miss…”
“Amber,” she replied, looking up at me with those big green eyes for the first time.
Wow, was all I could think to myself as I caught her glance. “Amber, you should call your manager. You’ll probably have to close early tonight. I’m going to have to question you and those college kids out there. When you’re finished, you can wait in my patrol car. I don’t think you’re in any condition to drive.”
After all the necessary interrogations were finished I made my way back to the patrol car where Amber was waiting in the back seat. I pulled out of the donut shop lot.
“Whew, glad that’s finally over,” I heard Amber saying. I had a pretty good view of her from the rear view mirror. She was sitting comfortably, not as nervous as when we first talked. I thought the security of the patrol car must have calmed her down.
“Well, for me it’s not,” I replied. “I have to go back to the precinct and fill out paperwork, question the thief, and probably do more paperwork. I have quite a bit left to do. I’m going to be up for awhile.”