Khonsu and the Nightshift — Walter Rice

In this sci-fi detective novelette, Corporal Kyle Corson works the nightshift as an energy cop. He's also a maverick who prefers to follow his own rules.Set in the near future, this urban tale springs from a time when energy is precious, coffee is rare and artificial food is unsurprising.Corson uses electronic sniffing tools, including some of his own invention, to track down criminals stealing energy. Because of his productivity, he is allowed to work apart from his colleagues. Corson is also different in other ways. He's in touch with the spirit world, and he has a mysterious lady friend, Connie Sue, named after the Egyptian god Khonsu.A day after being chewed out for being late, Corson is offered a major assignment, tracking down huge losses of energy from the city utility. He hears that many others have failed to solve the problem, and now he's been chosen because of his unusual work methods.He accepts the challenge, but when ordinary police detecting finds nothing, he hacks into satellites and finally sends out the spirit of Connie Sue to go underground and to protect himself. Since he realizes he's supposed to fail and take the blame for his rogue approach, self-preservation becomes essential.Corson's relationship with his supervisor, Sergeant Mona Rinner, is respectful but laced with gamesmanship. She can be demanding while also supporting his work. In the end, she might be a friend he can count on.Words: 9,745