The Boy in Blue and the Girl in Red

I stared at my computer screen.

No matches found for Carly Peterson.

So she doesn’t have a record; why did she hate cops so much?

“Stalk a girl on your own time Sanders,” I jumped and clicked out of the window.

“I-I I’m not-“

“Yeah sure,” one of the officers said and walked away after rolling his eyes.

“Try her brother’s name,” my partner said before following the other officer to the break room.

I pursed my lips and did as he suggested.

“Art Peterson,” I said aloud as I typed it in.

Showing results for an Arthur Peterson.

“Close enough,” I muttered while I clicked the link.

The record was too long to read so I skimmed for the main charges.

Arrested for possession of Heroin at age 16
Arrested for domestic violence at 22
Arrested for possession of Marijuana at 24

A few more possession charges and fail to appear in court were the main things it showed. I whistled and tapped my desk table.

There was a link for two more people at the bottom.

Tamara Peterson and Carl Peterson.

I clicked them and after a few minutes of looking I figured out that it was a married couple; her parents. They weren’t saints either; I thought her brother’s record was bad, apparently it runs in the family.

I looked at the clock and stood. It was time for lunch. I walked to the break room where most of the officers were.

“I’mma head out to grab a bite, need anything?”

“Yeah do me a favor, grab me a burger from Mimi’s will ya?”

“Yeah sure, can you call it in? I’ll just pick it up. Put it in my name.” I waved and left.

I never ate at Mimi’s even though I had heard it was pretty good, I stuck to the simple drive-thru fast food type foods.

I grabbed a burger at McDonalds and headed to the mini café. I noticed the parking lot was pretty empty, good now I don’t have a long wait.

I grabbed my wallet and went to the Pick-Up window.

“Welcome to Mimi’s how can I help you?”

“Carly?”

The redhead looked up and stared at me in silence.

“Uh hello officer Sanders,” she muttered.

We stood in awkward silence; I felt bad for the other day and she didn’t seem to like my presence very well.

“So, how may I help you?” She asked again.

“Oh um, is there an order placed under Jared Sanders?” She nodded and turned away.

She handed me a brown paper bag and gave me the total. I bite my lip as she rang up the change.

“I’m sorry,”

“What?” she looked up at me confused.

“For the other day, I really didn’t mean to impose or anything. I was just genially worried.”

She nodded and counted out my change.

“Um, apology accepted I guess,” she handed me the change and I nodded a goodbye.

I turned and walked away before returning and coming back. She cocked a brow at me in confusion and waited for me to speak.

“Feel free to say no but can I make it up to you somehow?”

“What?”

“I mean, can I take you out to lunch sometime?”

Her mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. I could see the gears in her brain working on overdrive.

“I can’t,” she finally said.

“Why?”

“I work 7 days a week, 5 here and 2 somewhere else. Before work I go to my classes and between all of that I sleep,” she had a determined look on her face.

“So you don’t eat?” I smirked and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“You probably won’t leave me alone anyway might as well get a free meal out of it,” she muttered, “fuck it, you got my number and address so just… call me after 6 today and we’ll set something up.” I smiled and waved before leaving.

I felt better and I didn’t even know I was feeling bad in the first place.