From the moment Lisa McLeod walked into the police station Constable Richard Saminsky knew she meant trouble.

Why? Because he didn’t like kids and this one fit the bill to a T. Probably 10 or 12 years old, pigtails bouncing as she walked in through the door, a few freckles across her face and fashionable glasses perched on her nose.

Kids, you gotta be careful with them around, he warned himself as she strode confidently towards the desk. They should be barely seen and rarely heard because they were trouble from the moment they were born. Yes, even those adorable newborns could spell trouble. Oh, they looked cute alright with everybody cooing at them and their toothless smiles, but underneath they were nothing but trouble because the moment you picked them up they pooped in their diapers or got sick and made a mess on your shoulders. It just got worse from there because the older they got, the more trouble they caused.

As Constable Saminksy watched her take a pink backpack decorated with a happy face off her shoulders and march in as if she owned the place, he wished there was away all kids could all be stowed away somewhere until they emerged as mature adults. Those he could handle, no problem. As a beat cop, he dealt with criminal adults all the time and they were much easier to handle than kids...

Constable Saminsky watched her carefully as she casually swung her backpack around and made for the door beside his desk, acting as if she was going to go through and enter the domain of the Westwood police station.

“What, I can’t have that. I’m going to put a stop to this right now. Nip in the bud,” he muttered as he stood up to block her way.

“Where do you think you’re going young lady?” he demanded in a tone that dripped with authority. The same one he used to get the attention of uncooperative criminals.

Lisa, with her earplugs firmly embedded in her ears as she grooved to the latest sensational teen musical trio, had been totally oblivious to the new constable at the entrance desk until his voice stopped her cold. It sounded to her like the voice an army drill sergeant used as he barked orders at his men.

She was already pulling her ear plugs out as she screeched to a halt. For just a moment she stared up at him in shock. She had been expecting to see Constable Andy Doobin, the policeman who usually manned the entrance to the police station. He was an overweight, older man so friendly he always played Santa Clause at the kid’s Christmas party.

As she stared up at the much taller and trimmer stranger she decided if Constable Doobin played Santa, this guy could play Mr. Scrooge. He was taller and trimmer and looked like the meanest of men as he glared at her.

“Constable Doobin is off tonight so they pulled me in off the street to handle front desk duties so what can I do for you young lady?” he demanded.

“Why, is he sick or something?” Lisa asked, a concerned look on her face.

“No concern of yours young lady so state your business please. I’m a busy man and have no time for games tonight.” Constable Saminky announced.

“What? Lisa snorted. At first she had been stunned by the new person tending to the front desk but since she was always quick on her feet she was quickly gaining her equilibrium. As the daughter of Chief Detective Samantha McLeod, she was well accustomed to the routines of the West Port police station. It was located in a quiet suburb of a big city and therefore very slow except for the occasional bouts of criminal activity.

Like tonight, with Lisa finishing her after school activities early, her mother told her to wait for her at the police station. It happened quite regularly, usually when her mother was on an important case and didn’t want Lisa to be at home alone. Normally she enjoyed it because she got along well with Constable Doobin but with the new policeman at the front desk, Lisa began hoping her mother wouldn’t be tied up too late.

If she’s not here soon, I might be in for a long night, she decided. As she stared back at Constable Saminsky who was still glaring at her like he wished she would disappear. No such luck, so Lisa decided she had to make the best of it. But first thing she decided to get a few things straight as it might take Mr. Scrooge down a notch or two.

“You want to know why I’m here? It’s because my mother is Chief of Detectives McLeod and she told me to wait for her at this station.

What, oh no, just my luck to get the bratty child of the chief of detectives to tend to while everybody else is out chasing down a criminal. Constable Saminsky had no idea whether Lisa was a brat or not. He just assumed she was because in his eyes, all kids caused problems and she was already near the top of his list.

He decided he could vent his frustrations by going by the book It had an added benefit of showing Lisa right off the bat who was the boss and that he wasn’t about to put up with any nonsense.

As the girl moved towards the door fully expecting to gain entrance to the offices of the police department, Constable Saminksy suddenly moved in front of her to block her way.

“Wow there, you just can’t enter like that. How do I know you are who you claim to be? ID please.”

Lisa was fuming as she fumbled through her backpack, searching for her student ID. Since she was just a kid it was the only identification she had. She watched him scrutinize it like it might be a fake.

He was about to ask her some questions when the phone rang.

“Stay right there young lady and don’t move. I gotta answer this call before I finish with you, it might be important.

Lisa tried to hide her growing irritation while Saminksy answered the call. Her eyes lit up and a smile crossed her face at the sudden change in the constable’s attitude.

“Yes ma’am, she’s here. She’s just arrived and I was wondering who she was, a policeman can’t be too careful these days. Yes ma’am I’ll let her in and keep an eye on her for you. Sure, no problem.”

Saminsky hung up the phone and glared at Lisa. “That was your mother so I guess you’re off the hook. But since she now thinks I’m responsible for you, you’d better be on your best behavior.”

“Good grief,” Lisa muttered. “When is this guy every going to lighten up?”
As Saminsky ushered the girl through the door and watched her make her way to her mother’s office, he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. If worse came to worse he could always lock her in one of her cells in the basement. It was sure fire way of making sure she caused no problems and left him in peace but the idea did have its drawbacks, the main one being the little brat might complain to her mother.

For a while Lisa was content to sit at her mother’s desk, doing her homework and listening to the latest teen heart throbs. It kept her busy for a while but she soon grew restless. Although she often waited here for her mother, time passed quickly because Constable Doobin was always willing to play games with her. But games to pass the time with this Constable Grinch guy? She doubted it. He looked as if he never had any fun at all.

Getting more and more bored by the second, Lisa left her mother’s desk and wondered around the office, looking at the pictures on the wall, especially the one of her mother becoming a detective. It was called getting a badge. It looked so exciting and impressive it made Lisa think she should become a detective when she grew up. The other pictures were of her mother with various other people but they were so boring they only rated a brief look before she was bored again.

Desperate for something to do, she finally decided to see if Constable Grinch, as she now called him, would lighten up enough to play a game with her. She strolled to the door and peered around the corner, spying him sitting back in a chair with his legs resting on the top of his desk, He was so totally engrossed with U tube on his phone she almost reached his desk before he noticed her.

“Yeah, what do you want young lady?” he demanded as he slammed his feet back on the floor and hastily put down his cell phone.

“I’m bored,” Lisa shrugged and gave Constable Grinch her most disarming smile.

“Oh no,” he groaned. Now the little brat is bored and wants me to entertain her. I knew she was trouble from the moment I saw her.

“Well, what do you expect me to do about it?” Saminsky demanded in a snarly tone.

Lisa was so bored she ignored the constable’s harsh reply and said: “I know, let’s play riddles. Constable Doobin says I’m really good at it. I beat him quite often.”

Saminsky eyed the girl warily. Too tell the truth, he was pretty bored himself and in a pretty bad mood, for not being able to be able to chase down a criminal like all the other policemen. He decided beating the girl in a game and putting her in her place would be quite satisfying.

“Okay,” he agreed. “What kind of game is it?”

He listened carefully as Lisa explained the rules. They sounded quite simple. She would present him with a problem and he could ask three questions to try and solve it.

“Fair enough,” he muttered. Sounds quite simple and I’ll even let you go first.”

“Okay, here’s the problem. There’s a man who lives on the 35^th floor of a high rise apartment building and every morning when he goes to work he makes sure he doesn’t forget his umbrella. Why does he do this?”

Seminsky frowned as he considered the question, all kinds of ideas popping into his head but none of them seeming quite right. Then he suddenly hit him.

“Because he always thinks it might rain and he’s scared he won’t have his umbrella handy.”

“No, that’s not right because he takes it even when it’s bright and sunny the whole day and no one is expecting rain. You got two tries left so you can try again,” Lisa announced.

Seminsky noticed the smug smile on her bratty face and decided he wanted to wipe it away as quickly as possible.

He bowed his head in concentration as he considered the problem. Then he got another brain wave.

“I know, it’s because he needs it for work. There’s something he does that might get him wet so he takes his umbrella to work.” Saminsky announced, his voice dripping with triumph.

“Sorry but no, he doesn’t need it for work because he’s a clock maker. No need for an umbrella at that job, is there?” Lisa’s smile grew bigger.

Seminsky frowned again in frustration. What, a clock maker, are you sure about that?”

Lisa nodded, “one more question left.”

“A clock maker,” the constable muttered. He was all out of ideas.

He shrugged in frustration and muttered: “a clock maker,” before throwing his hands up in defeat.

“You know I really don’t have time for this now young lady,’ he announced. Then scratched his head and muttered a clock maker, of all the things.”

Lisa suppressed a giggle at the unintended pun as she told the constable the answer.

“He always carries the umbrella because he’s a midget and although he can easily touch the main floor button when he goes to work in the morning he has trouble reaching the 35^th button which is much higher up. So if he doesn’t carry the umbrella he has to wait until somebody else enters the elevator.”

“I’m tired of this game and I need to get back to work,”Saminsky announced. It was the only way he could think to quickly bow out of that game. That girl was nothing but a miss smarty pants and he hated dealing with them.

He stretched his legs onto the desk top and pulled out his cell phone. Lisa wondered away and left him in peace. He watched some U Tube videos for a while before he realized something was wrong.

It was that girl. She was being awfully quiet and when a kid was quiet it usually meant trouble. With a sigh of frustration he pushed himself out of his chair and went back into the detective’s area to investigate.

Saminsky found her in the office next to her mother’s entertaining herself by putting golf ball across the carpet and into a cup. He sighed with relief. She didn’t seem to be in trouble except for the fact she helped herself to somebody else’s property without asking...