Don’t Steve me hanging – Part two

A stranger approaches you with a challenge. The prize – a free Steve burger. What would you do?

It was the Thursday morning of the regatta and I was in the media centre working on some other, less important stories when my colleague, Dasha Kuprienko, ran into the office with a fresh lead on the Steve burger, burger Steve case.

“I was in the Wellington Girls’ College tent when I saw one of their coaches, Steve, eating a burger. He loves them. Eats them all the time,” Kuprienko said.

The announcement was promising. I headed to the Wellington Girls’ College tent to investigate further.

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WHAT CAME FIRST: The “Steve burger”, otherwise known as a chicken burger. Photograph: Charlie Scott

“Where could I find Steve?” I enquired.

“Steve Manners, assistant coach?” one of the mothers said.

“Yes – Steve Manners,” I replied.

“He’s just walked off, but come back at 12, ’cause as soon as there is food around he’ll turn up.”

That sounds like a thing burger Steve would do I thought.

I went back at 12. He never showed, elusive Steve.

I asked for his cellphone number and texted him explaining my plight, pleading for an interview.

“That’s cool but you should know I’m not burger Steve. That’s – I’m NOT burger Steve,” Manners texted.

Hmm, but burger Steve would say that I thought. I asked one last time.

“I’m 100% sure its not me. I’ve spent the last four days in the boat park fixing boats.”

A little disheartened I went to purchase a Steve burger. Maybe it would give me some insight into Steve’s character. When one of the food cart employees let slip Steve was associated with Hamilton Boys’.

To their tent I rushed.

With just one boy there with no more information I almost admitted defeat. I took the Steve burger back to the media centre and divided it for my colleagues to enjoy. Then I headed to the commentators booth for a final stab at finding Steve.

“Any chance I could put a call out over the loudspeakers for Steve from Hamilton Boys?’ I enquired.

“Ham Boys are in lock down. No chance,” was the reply.

The day was coming to a close. It was time to pack up and go home. The regatta and the Steve hunt was over for me. I walked back to the media centre and gazed upon the empty Steve burger wrapping.

The mystery of burger Steve remained unsolved but at the end of the day there was a little Steve in all of us.

See Steve burger mystery, part 1