Beginner's Luck

Joyce suddenly felt sick as she stared at the young man. "Did he take anything? " she asked.

"We're not sure. We spotted him just as he was running away. My partner went after him, and I came to look for you."

"How did you know that I was the one driving that car?" Joyce asked.

He shook his head. "It wasn't easy finding you. There was a woman who saw what was going on. She told me that she'd parked near you and saw you get out. She described you. Unfortunately, this mall seems to be full of young women with blond hair who are wearing plaid skirts. I checked with seven or eight before I got to you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to come along with me. We'll take a look in your car and see if he stole any of your property."

"OK," Joyce said. They walked across the mall.

"By the way, I'm Officer Stevens, Santa Monica Police Department. What's your name?"

"Joyce Walther," she answered. For a moment she was disappointed that he didn't seem to recognize her name. "Don't be silly," she told herself. "It's been six months since you helped catch those thieves. You can hardly expect every member of the police force to remember you."

"Did you have any valuables in the car?" he asked.

"I sure did. My dad's binoculars and camera were under the driver's seat." She remembered her father laughing when she'd asked to borrow them. "Let me guess," her father had said. "You want them handy just in case you run into a crime." She had admitted it, and they had both laughed. As it turned out, however, Joyce could've done without the binoculars and camera. All the time she'd been carrying them around, she hadn't even used them once. "Some detective," she thought. "I should have left Dad's gear safe at home." "The thief," she asked. "Was he carrying anything?"

"He appeared to have objects hidden under his jacket."

"Oh, man," she muttered.

At the end of the corridor, Officer Stevens pushed open the glass door and held it for Joyce. They entered the parking area.

"Maybe we'll be in luck, Joyce. My partner's quick on his feet. He probably chased down the suspect."

"I sure hope he did."

They crossed the lane and walked past the rear bumpers of parked cars. Joyce's car was still out of sight, around the bend. But she scanned what she could see of the lot, looking for Stevens's partner. The few people she saw all looked like shoppers, either on their way into the mall or out.

Stevens grabbed Joyce's arm and yanked her out of danger as a station wagon backed up. Its rear bumper brushed the front of her skirt.

"Hey!" Stevens pounded its roof with his open hand. The car jerked to a stop. Bending over, he peered through the open passenger window. The tail end of his jacket slid up. Below its hem, Joyce saw a gleaming curve of metal---a rim of his handcuffs. "You almost ran this young lady down," Stevens told the driver in a stern voice. "I ought to run you in for reckless driving. But I have more important matters to deal with. In the future, be more careful."

"Yes, sir," the driver said, sounding frightened.

"Be on your way," Stevens ordered as he stepped back to let the car finish pulling out. He turned to Joyce. "Are you all right?"

''I'm fine," she said. "Thanks for stopping me."

"My pleasure," he said. Smiling, he patted her arm. "You'd better watch where you're walking," he warned in a gentle voice. "I'd hate for anything bad to happen to a young lady as pretty as you."