MAP OF THE PROBLEMATIQUE

Chapter 13: The Big Break

When we arrived at the station in Rouge City, Joe and I were hauled out and brought in to processing. The cop at the desk sat us down and immediately got on the phone.

"Yeah, this is Lieutennant Owens down at Processing. I'm gonna need an MDU up here as soon as possible. Yeah. Thanks."

"What's an MDU?"

"Mecha Disassembly Unit," Joe murmured. He raised his head to meet my eyes. "Death sentence for Mecha."

I could feel the colour drain from my face as I turned to the Lieutennant behind the desk. "You can't be serious."

"Lady, I'm about as..... 'un-serious' as a murder charge right now, which is what he's facing. When a Mecha commits a murder, they are immediately destroyed, and the parts are not salvaged or recycled. They are melded down and used to bulid things such as schools, offices and amusement parks."

I gave a cry of disgust. "HE WAS FRAMED!!"

"Hey! You want me to throw you in the pen, lady?! 'Cos right now, that's what I'm thinkin' about doin'." He turned to Joe. "Samantha Bevins was a good woman. Eddie and I play poker every Wednesday night and Samantha used to make us drinks and burgers every time we had it at their place." He was back on me again. "And you! Accusing Eddie of all of this? It's disgusting!"

"Lieutennant. Please."
Lieutennant Owenes sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, cap'n."

"It's alright. There's no need to raise your voice." A man in his fifties entered the room, tossing his keys on the desk and taking a seat in the corner. "Please, Lieutennant, sit down." Owens did as he was told and remained quiet for some time. The captain opened up the file he was carrying under his arm.

"I'm Captain Adam Hamilton. I see you've met the Lieutennant."

I nodded, sniffling.

"So...." Captain Hamilton leaned back in his seat. "Wendy Elizabeth Porter Burton. Age, twenty-nine; date of birth, July sixteenth, twenty-forty-six. Height, five-foot-seven; black hair and blue eyes. Manager at the old bookshop down on East Riverside, is this correct?"

"Yes," I sighed. "That's right."

"And how long have you been working there?"

"Four years last month."

"Mm-hmm...... Your daughter. She was abducted recently, yes?"

I nodded.

"What's the name of the detective handling the case?"

"Elliot Bellamy."

"And you deal with him directly."

"Yes. The case is still open......."

"Of course," Captain Hamilton nodded, pausing. "So what's this I hear about our friend here being framed?"
Lieutennant Owens scoffed and made a face.

"Owens," the captain scolded, sitting up and leaning in. "Alright. What's the name of the accused?"
"Eddie Bevins."

"Eddie Bevins. Okay...." The captain came around to get on the computer and he immediately began his search.

"Alright.... Edward James Bevins does indeed have a file." At that, Owens sat up, shocked.

"What?"

"Only one charge: petty theft in his early twenties, but now.... it says here he's a softball coach at Liberty Heights Elementary. Apparently the kids love him."

My heart came screeching to a halt. Liberty Heights. "Oh, fuck......"

"What?" The captain's head snapped up.

I overheard Samantha on the phone with him two days ago. Apparently they themselves are fugitives; they did something bad..... Samantha said she had regret over it and wanted to set it right, but Eddie wouldn't have any of it.

What did they do?

Not sure. Stole something, I think. Something big.

Joe and I came around the console to find a picture of a familiar face. "Oh, Jesus. My daughter is enrolled at Liberty Heights. That's her coach." I panicked. "He kidnapped my daughter!"