STALKED AND STOLEN

Chapter 26

While the doctors ran tests on my little brother, my parents stayed by his side. Of course, being the little rebel that I was now, I found myself in North Heights, down at the industrial estate and the garages I’d found Tommy at. I stood outside of the one I’d found him in, and the shutters were still closed. I walked further down and stopped outside the next unit. I could hear a radio playing from inside, and saw a pair of legs hanging out from underneath a blue car.

“Scuse me,” I said after clearing my throat.

The legs moved, then the board they were lying on slid out on wheels. A man with a thick black beard stared up at me.

“What can I help you with, Lady?” he said.

I hadn’t ever been called Lady, and it startled me. I was eighteen, I definitely didn’t want to be addressed as Lady.

“I’m looking for some help. I need a fake ID.”

The man spewed out laughter and sat up. He wiped his face on the sleeve of his cheque shirt and leaned on the car to pull himself up. I realised how absolutely massive the pair of legs were, when he towered over me. I had to hold my hand across my eyebrows to block the sun as I looked up at him. He was like a big grizzly bear.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“Um, no. But I need one, and I figured someone around here would know where to get one.”

He laughed again, and I felt a bubble of anger in my stomach.

“Get out of here, Lady.”

He turned and picked up a thermal cup that was sat on the bonnet of the car.

“Arsehole,” I said.

The man stopped, and I felt a hiccup in my heart. My body stiffened and my eyes shot open wide.

“What did you say?” he turned and took a few steps back towards me. I stuttered some inaudible words.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I recognised the man in the beanie hat straight away. He was skinny and tall with a long thin nose. He emerged from inside the garage.

“You. You know me? I was with Tommy, over there.” I pointed at the locked up garage.

“Yeah.”

“This is Tommy’s bird?” the big bear of a man said.

The skinny man in the beanie shrugged.

“Yeah, she was there before he got lifted.”

“That’s what I need it for. I need to visit him.”

“So why you need a fake ID for that?” grisly asked. He put his palm on the car and leaned his body weight on it.

“I thought you type guys didn’t ask questions.”

His eyebrows lifted. The two men eyed each other up.

“She’s definitely with Tommy?” the grisly man asked, and the skinny man nodded and shoved his hands down his pants.

“I need a name. Photo. Date of birth. And ... well, it usually costs five hundred, but since you’re with Tommy, let me see what I can do.” He dipped into his pocket and pulled out a pen and a long piece of paper. “Write down what you need.”

“Can you do it today?” I asked, to be met with a laugh.

“Not likely. I don’t do them, but I know a guy.”

He gave me the piece of paper and I noticed it was a receipt from Asda.

“You think he would rush me to the front of the queue if I gave him five grand?”

Both mens eyebrows lifted up their foreheads, and they turned to look at each other. It was like I could see the Ka Ching signs in their eyes.