Stephanie Steele

Chief Edwards held the picture Mia drew in his hand as he paced in front of his desk. “She drew this?” He didn’t look up at Steele for confirmation, just stared at it as if he’d seen a ghost. “And she only got a look at him for a few seconds? How can we think this is any where accurate?” He dropped the creased sketch onto his desk and wiped a moist upper lip. The temperature was going through the roof today and his shirt was sticking to his back. The air con had finally given up on the centuries old building and now everyone was dripping with sweat.

Everyone except Steele, and the other androids of course. Androids didn’t sweat or over heat and Steele was grateful of that. Edwards looked like he was melting with wet patches on his shirt, under his arms and down his back. The air con guys had arrived to fix it and had assured everyone that it would be up and running in no time. Four hours later they were still there.

“Where’s the girl now?” Edwards said, pulling out a handkerchief and mopping his balding head. With a receding hairline there was not much hair to soak up the sweat and it was running down his face in small rivulets.

“Still at my place.” Steele told him with one side of her mouth turned up in a half smile. She found his discomfort amusing. “She’s saying her father sold her to the sex house. We need to bring in the father and put her somewhere safe.”

Edwards picked up the picture of Leon. His brow furrowed as he stared at it again. “This mug remind you of anyone?” Edwards examined Steele’s face carefully to be sure she was telling the truth.

“He looks familiar but . . .” Steele shrugged. “I’ve got Nixon running a facial recognition check. If he’s in the system she’ll find him. If he’s not, it’ll take longer to search the Facenet. Searching eleven billion faces worldwide is gonna take some time.”

“Here’s what we’ll do.” Edwards started, paused and went round his desk and sat back down to look at Steele. He mopped a droplet of sweat from the desk top with his handkerchief. “I’ll send a cruiser round to your place for the girl. We’ll stick her in a cell for the time being. Keep her out of harm’s way until we figure out what to do with her.”

Steele was horrified at the thought. “Lock her up? She’s just a frightened little girl.”

“If she’s in a cell Leon can’t get to her. It’s the best place for her for now.”

Steele turned away, thinking. Maybe Edwards was right. If Mia wasn’t safe in the cells of the city’s PD then where else would she be? “I’ll go get her. She trusts me.”

Edwards leant forward in his chair wiping his forehead again. “You’re suspended, remember? He pointed a finger her way. “And you’re staying suspended until you learn the rules. You’re staying put until we bring her in.”

Steele didn’t like it but she’d see Mia when they brought her in. At least Edwards would allow that. “What about the father?”

“I’ll send a cruiser round for him.” Edwards waved a dismissive hand and Steele left.

She closed the door to Edwards’ office and scanned the outer office. No one was paying any attention to her. Some people were on the phone, some keying up reports at a holo computer, but most were busy doing some form of police work. This was what she was supposed to be doing. She hated not being active. She felt like one of Freddy’s spare parts, lost amongst the thousands of other spare parts on the many shelves he had. Even Nixon wasn’t showing any interest today. It was odd not being the centre of attention for once.

Steele sauntered up to Nixon’s desk. “It’d be so much easier if I had the PD’s data already loaded in my databank.” Steele griped. Having to access another computer when she was effectively one herself to get the info she needed was one of Steele’s pet hates.

Nixon didn’t look up. “You know that’s not allowed in case . . .”

“. . . a cop droid falls into criminal hands and then they have access to all our police files.” They both said in unison. Nixon looked at her and they both laughed.

“Anything on that search?” Steele said hopefully, leaning on the desk to see for herself and in the process putting herself closer to Nixon.

“Sorry Steele, nothing. He doesn’t have a rap sheet. Leave it with me. We still have the father. He’ll talk.” Nixon said as her eyes slowly took in Steele’s sleek chassis. “Now you’ve got some free time on your hands, how about that drink?” Nixon was nothing if not persistent.

Steele looked at Nixon, their faces close now. Nixon was grinning her naughty grin. She raised her eyebrows to emphasise that a drink meant more. “You’re a droid. I only do humans.” Steele stood up straight, putting a clear distance between her and Nixon.

“I didn’t take you for a racist Steph.” Nixon teased.

“It’s just what I like Nixon.” Steele told her. No sense beating about the bush.

If Nixon was put off by Steele’s statement of preference she didn’t show it. It just made the game more exciting. The catch would be all the more satisfying. She grinned. “You don’t know what you’re missing. I’ve tried it with men and woman, human and droid. The difference is that droids can go all night.” She straightened her posture, pointing her small but pert breasts towards Steele, trying to tempt her prey.

Steele ignored her obvious attempts. She wasn’t in the mood for her flirting today. “I want to know what you get from the father.” She threw over her shoulder, on her way out.

Nixon’s smile faded. I’ll get you one day Stephanie Steele, she thought to herself. And when I do, it’ll be the best night you ever had. If nothing else it would be the best Nixon would ever have and she’d had some good ones. She let the thought simmer a moment and turned back to the computer to resume her search, forever hopeful she’d get her girl one day.

Steele made her way down the corridor which led from the office to the stairs. She was supposed to stay at the station until they brought Mia in, but she needed to get out of there so decided she’d wait out front. At least Mia would see someone she knew when she arrived, and she’d be there to escort her inside.

She was in no rush. It would be another thirty minutes or so before the uniforms brought Mia in and that’s if the flyway was clear. She looked at the ornate plasterwork on the ceiling. There were holes and gaps in some of it where pieces had fallen off over the years. The paint on the woodwork and around the doors was faded and peeling through decades of neglect. It looked like the last lick of paint the place had seen was at the turn of the last century. In fact, the whole building was in desperate need of an overhaul. She’d never taken notice before and wondered why she was noticing it now.

She had just turned to the head of the stairs and narrowly avoided Walt racing up and out of breath. He didn’t stop, just barged right passed and ran towards the office. Steele stopped to watch, curious. Walt never exerted more energy than he had to so this was way out of character.

Steele started back towards the office, quickening her pace as she got closer. She pushed her way through the office door which had a squeaky hinge. But Steele never heard it. She was concentrating on what Walt was saying to Nixon.

“Frankenstein attended a murder last night. Guess who got their head blow off?” It was a rhetorical question so Walt only waited a fraction of a second before he went on. “The girl’s father. One shot clean through the head. And there’s no sign of the girl.” Nixon’s blank face made him spell it out. “The Kalarjian girl? Her father just got wasted.”

“Mia’s father?” Nixon turned to see Steele at the door as she said it.

Steele took off at high speed back down the corridor and down the old staircase helter skelter that thousands of cops had trodden for decades, pushing aside anyone who got in her way, her boots clattering across the hard tiled floor of the entrance hall and out into the grey street to her waiting cruiser. Small pinpricks of sunlight cast eerie fingers across the street. She slid across the front of the cruiser like the cops in the movies always did when they were in a hurry, yanked open the door and jumped in.

The cruiser burst into life and Steele pulled back on the steering handle, causing the cruiser to jolt upwards in a severe way. Mia was in danger, she could sense it. Or was she just being paranoid? The flight would take approximately sixteen minutes. Sixteen minutes to get to her apartment and scoop up Mia and get her out of there. She didn’t know for certain that Mia was in danger but she wasn’t taking any chances.

Dainty fingers nimbly typed at a computer keyboard. On the screen Paradise City Police Department’s computer system was being hacked.

It was one of those old ones, not like the holo computers. One that you could actually hold in your hands and physically touch. You need to get with the twenty second century Steele, Mia thought. Mia smiled to herself as she worked to open up the PD’s system. “You cops need better security. A thirteen year old could crack your codes.” She laughed at her own joke. On screen she was granted access to the PD’s system. “Let’s see. Accessing personal files of Detective Stephanie Steele. Who are you really?”

She scrolled through Steele’s file. Page after page of her personal files and career. “Forty five fatal shootings and no unsolved cases. Go Steph.” She scrolled some more. “Wounded twenty five times in the line of duty and several commendations.” Mia raised an impressed eyebrow and kept prying. “One from the mayor. Lots of newspaper articles. Mostly negative. Police detective, heavy handed approach, blah, blah, blah . . . The media don’t like you do they Steele?”

A photo of Steele hauling away a criminal in handcuffs popped up. “Nice photo.” Then . . . Mia’s face drained of all colour. She stared at the screen. The light it emitted illuminating the horrified look Mia was now wearing.

“It’s you! I know who you are!” Mia leaned away from the screen as she continued to stare at the face of the man who had hurt her. “Wait till Steele sees this.”

Mia wondered what to do next. It came to her a moment later and she began typing at the keypad. Her fingers skilfully manipulating the keys at lightning fast pace. “First I’ll just take a look at your personal computer. See what you have on there.”

Her computer wizardry took only minutes to complete before she had access to the computer she wanted, the man’s who had done all those bad things to her. Another few key strokes and she found what she wanted. Then wished she hadn’t. Mia recoiled away from the screen like it was going to burn her. On the screen was a number of photographs of girls her age and younger. The one thing in common was that they all looked dead. Mia chewed her finger nail as she thought what to do next. Then a knock came at the door!

Mia looked at the door and froze. Steele wouldn’t knock so it wasn’t her. Mia quickly logged off and slid the computer under the bed. A more urgent knock came at the door this time. Mia gulped and moved towards the door. “Who is it?” She tried to make her voice seem more grown up.

“Parcel for Miss Stephanie Steele.” The brusque male voice replied from the hallway.

Mia thought quickly. “Two minutes.” She stalled and squinted through the spy hole. Two muscle bound creeps with pistol blasters filled her vision. Mia stepped back away from the door looking around the room for another exit. “I just need to put some clothes on.”

She went to the window and looked down to the street below. It was too far to jump and she’d be risking her life if she tried shimmying down the drainpipe. She was three floors up. Just as she realised there was nowhere for her to go the door splintered under a kick from one of the creeps. Mia shrieked and ran for the bathroom. It would delay them but not by much. The first creep was on her in three huge strides. He caught her by the top, strands of material tearing, and flung her onto the bed like a rag doll.

“My friend’s a cop. She’ll kick your ass if you don’t get out of here right now!” Mia yelled bravely.

The man’s huge shadow fell over her.

Steele’s cruiser swooped in for a landing, narrowly missing another which had to make an emergency manoeuvre to avoid a collision as she descended into the street outside her apartment building. She was out of the vehicle before it touched down and didn’t stop to power it down or close the door.

She bounded up the three flights of stairs three and four at a time, racing to get to Mia before anyone else. If her suspicions were right and Mia’s father was killed to silence him then Mia would be next.

Her suspicions were proved correct as she leapt from the stairs into the hallway which led to her apartment. She could see the shattered door before she got there. It was broken clean on two. Small splinters of wood lay on the floor both in and out of the apartment. She instinctively reached for her pistol blaster but her holster was empty. Damn it Edwards!

Steele arrived at the destroyed door. A police siren outside barely registered as she swept into the room. “Mia!” Steele called out. The room was silent. Steele hurried to the bathroom just in case. She wasn’t there either. Steele assessed the scene. The bed sheets were on the floor, the mattress half off the base. Mia was gone but she’d put up a struggle. Whoever had taken her hadn’t got her easily. “Damn it!” Steele yelled and kicked a pillow across the floor.

The police siren was louder now. The cruiser was just pulling up in the street below. She had two minutes at most. She scoured the apartment for clues. Nothing. Then she saw it. The power light of her old computer blinking from under the bed. She’d left that on the chair under the window. Mia must have been using it.

She retrieved it and opened it up. Instantly the photo of Steele being presented with her commendation filled the screen. The day she’d met Uma! This was from her police file. The crafty little minx! She was a computer hacker and she’d accessed the PD’s files.

But what was so interesting about this photo? It was a photo of the stage with herself shaking hands with the mayor. Edwards was also there along with other dignitaries and high profile businessmen and local government officials. Nothing out of the ordinary. She could see she’d tried accessing a personal computer. The files were encrypted. Maybe she hadn’t had time to access whatever she was looking for before she was taken, or maybe she had.

She could hear the police officer’s footsteps getting louder. They were nearly here. Steele just had enough time to stuff the computer down the back of her pants and conceal it with her leather coat before Frank’s hulk of a frame appeared in the doorway, blaster in hand, all shiny metal. “Freeze!” Frank relaxed a little when he saw it was only Steele but kept the pistol blaster on her all the same. “Where’s the girl Steele?”

“Relax, someone beat us to the punch.” She took a couple of steps towards him. “Now out of my way. I have a little girl to find.”

Frank raised the blaster to Steele’s head, preventing her from leaving. “I think the chief will want to see you.”

“You really want to do this?” Steele looked him dead in the eye, challenging him.

“Don’t pull any of your shit Steele.” He warned.

Steele took half a step back as if she was conceding defeat then suddenly made a lunge forward. She grabbed the blaster in his hand but it was held solid. His arm was like a stone statue, unbending.

“Let’s go.” He ordered.

“There’s a little girl who needs my help. Now out of my way!”

Steele tried pushing past the hulk. His other arm came up and blocked her way forward. Damn robot!

“I said, let’s go.”