(A Writing Prompt)
Your Story #18: Finding Strength - A police detective is assigned to a case involving arson at several Krispy Kreme doughnut shops.

Officer Stu Embert reached for the door, holding it open while an older woman shuffled inside with her grandson.

“Thanks, Officer.” She steered her grandson with a wrinkled hand palm down between his shoulder blades, but he needed no urging. He leapt away from her, ran up to a window and pressed his nose up against the glass, his hands splayed like starfish on an aquarium pane.

“Look, Nana! Look at the donut machine!”

Officer Embert watched briefly from the doorway, distracted by the boy’s excitement, the grandmother’s shuffle, and the smooth movement of the freshly glazed donuts on the conveyor belt. His stomach grumbled and jerked him back to the reason for his visit. He walked up to the counter, change heavy in his pocket and practically begging to be spent on a fresh, hot donut.

“Darn Weight Watchers,” he muttered under his breath. His wife had finally, after months of pestering and a recent diagnosis of high cholesterol, succeeded in getting him to sign up for Weight Watchers. He was always hungry, it seemed, and that zero point soup did nothing to satisfy his sweet tooth. He patted his pocket absentmindedly and cleared his throat to let the cashier know he was here on official police business.

The tall, skinny boy looked over and smiled. “Hey, Officer Stu, good to see you again – it’s been what, a couple of weeks, huh? A new record?”

“Right.” He glanced at the woman taking orders from the drive thru. Uh, Steven, I’m here on official business this time. May I talk to Susan?”

“Oh, sure. I’ll go get her.” Steven tapped the woman lightly on the shoulder and she held up her hand in a signal to wait as she said firmly, “I’m sorry, but like I said, we don’t give free samples anymore. (pause) Okay, well, we hope you can visit us another time. Have a nice day.” She turned around and smiled when she saw Officer Embert, took off the headpiece and handed it to Steven. “Hey, hold down the fort here for a minute, would you? Thanks.”

“What can I do for you, Stu? Free sample?”
“No, thanks. I’m here on business, Susan.”
“Of course you are. I still can’t believe those bastards set fire to my drive thru menu. Oops! Sorry, m’aam.” The grandmother had glared pointedly at Susan and darted her eyes sideways at her grandson, but the little boy was completely absorbed in trying to figure out the exact location where the glaze coated the donuts.
“Sure I can’t get you one of your favorites?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” His stomach growled so loudly that Susan raised her eyebrows, but he ignored it. “What can you tell me, Susan?”
“Well, as you know, we’re open until 1 a.m. on Saturdays. Steven closed up as usual, and when I came in around 4:30 to be ready to open up at 5:30 a.m. the next morning, I pulled in to the parking lot just in time to see the flames starting to spread along the grass below the drive thru sign. I grabbed a couple of quarters from my car glove box, ran over to the gas station and put the quarters into the box for that hose they’ve got over there, you know, next to the thing that pumps air in your tires? Pretty proud of myself, actually, that I thought of it. Probably wouldn’t have if I hadn’t seen someone filling their radiator the day before. I put out that fire all by myself.”
Suddenly, a little voice piped up. “Anybody weird around the day before?” Officer Embert looked down, surprised to see the little boy wide-eyed and eager, directing his question at Susan.
“Yes,” she laughed. “But don’t you mind that, young man. We’re all a little weird around here. What can I get for you?”
“Two original glazed please.” The little boy put couple of dollars on the counter, wrinkled and sweaty from being held tightly in his small fist.
While Susan carefully slid the donuts into a bag, the boy looked up at Officer Embert with a serious expression. “You’ll get them, Officer. I know you will.”
“Thanks, son.”
“Are you going to get a donut?”
Officer Embert sighed a little louder than he intended. “Nope, but I hope you enjoy yours. You’ve got a nice grandmother there.”
“Uh-huh.”
Donut bag in hand, the boy skittered outside like a squirrel up a tree, his grandmother elbowing past Officer Embert as she shouted, “Child, don’t you dare run into that street!” and the door shut behind her.
Turning back to Susan, Officer Embert said, “Well, anyone suspicious around the day before?” and his radio crackled, “Dispatch to Car 43. Come in Car 43.”
“Oops, that’s me. I’ll catch you later, Susan.”
Officer Embert strode out the door, relieved to get away from the smell of sugar in the air. He sat in his police car and radioed in.
“Car 43 to Dispatch.”
“Car 43, another arson reported. Fire was put out by the fire department and a suspicious character was detained. Business located at 1616 West University Avenue.”
“Name of location?”
“Krispy Kreme.”
“Oh, give me strength!” Officer Embert shouted.
“Uh….Car 43?”
“I’m on my way.”