Poe by Brett Battles Page B

they don’t open the pin, they won’t find it.”
    “How much do you want to bet on that happening?”
    Alex checked her watch. It was 9:50, two hours and change until her train left. A train she couldn’t miss. Dammit. She should have just let the guy run.
    Voices in the outer office again, three separate ones this time. While Alex recognized two as belonging to the cops, the third was definitely not the boy’s. It was female.
    Several minutes passed, then the door to their room opened. The main cop stood in the doorway, pointed at Alex, and gestured for her to follow him. She pushed herself off the desk she was leaning against and headed out. The other two girls started to fall in step behind her, but the cop barked at them and shook his head.
    As soon as Alex was out, he shut the door.
    The other cop was standing near the woman. She was a bit older than both men, perhaps in her forties, with a stern face that wasn’t helped by her pulled-back hair.
    The cop led Alex to the third room, the smallest of the lot. He jutted his chin at the lone empty chair. Alex took the hint and sat.
    As the stern-faced woman stepped inside, the cop closed the door, leaving his partner outside on guard duty. He and the woman stared at Alex for a long moment without saying anything.
    Finally, Alex held out her hands. “Can I help you?”
    The woman smiled humorlessly. “Your name, please.”
    Alex was relieved that she spoke English. “Maureen Powell.”
    “May I have your passport?”
    Alex pulled her passport out of her pocket and handed it over. The woman examined it, then handed it to the man.
    “Canadian, I see,” she said.
    “Yes.”
    “And you are in Ukraine for…?”
    “Holiday.”
    “Your entry stamp is from today. Good way to start trip, yes?”
    “Not exactly.”
    That smile again. “Please, tell us exactly what happened.”
    Alex proceeded to describe the events as she’d witnessed them. She paused every now and then so that the woman could translate her response to the police officer. She was honest and straightforward, leaving nothing out.
    “So you were trying to get back items for friend?”
    “That’s correct.”
    “I see.” A pause. “How long have you known friend?”
    “We just met today.”
    “Today?” the woman said, surprised. “You very nice to someone known to you only a few hours.”
    “That kid tried to steal something. I don’t like it when someone takes something that’s not theirs. I don’t care if I’ve just met the victim or known her all my life.”
    A sneer grew on the woman’s face. “So you are good person.”
    “Maybe. Does it matter? Look, you’ve got the guy. He obviously had Romee’s passport and bag. Is there a problem?”
    “He say he not know why you chase him. He say items you say he take, you have, not him.”
    “Of course he does. Just talk to my friends. They saw him take it. There’s probably another half a dozen people wandering around the station who saw him do it. Do you guys have cameras? It has to be on video, too.”
    “Talk your friends next.”
    “But you talked to the kid first, huh? And you believe him?” Alex shook her head. “You know what? As far as I’m concerned, you can keep what he took. I’ve got a train to catch.” She rose to her feet.
    “Please. Sit back down.”
    “I really don’t have time to hang around here any longer.”
    “You will leave when we say it’s okay.”
    “You’ve got no reason to keep me here.”
    “There is matter of boy’s broken arm.”
    “What about it?”
    “He says you pushed him.”
    “Excuse me? I wasn’t even close enough to touch him, let alone push. The kid tripped over the rail. I bet if you went back there, you could see scuff marks and figure it out all on your own.”
    “If this is case, he would not have trip if you had not chased him, no?”
    Now Alex was getting pissed. “And I wouldn’t have chased him if he hadn’t stolen my friend’s passport and pouch. Tell me, what would