Daddy and Little One Ch. 21

Tay sighed and looked at the floor.

"Okay," he finally said. "There was no shoplifting, there was no, uh." He stopped in mid sentence. "Nothing happened and there's nothing to say or do." Tay looked past Michael and spoke to Tina. "You are free to go and I apologize for any, uh, misunderstanding." He held his breath and waited for Michael's reaction.

"Put your panties on," Michael growled, while still looking at the two men. Tina stood and turned her back. Tay averted his eyes and saw Tim watching her in the mirror. Tay's hand shot out and punched his arm.

Tay waited until he heard the entry door close and sat down on the table.

"Who was that guy?" Tim asked. Tay rested his face in his hands.

"Cracker," he said. "Shut the fuck up." Neither moved or said anything for a minute. Tay looked up at the camera over the door. "Okay, cracker. Do you remember what you did, before, to delete the video files?"

Tina walked close beside Michael as they left the Gallery.

"I'm sorry, Michael," she said quietly. "I didn't know what else to do."

"We'll talk about it later," he said. Tina tried to see his face and not trip at the same time.

"How did you do that? They acted like you were the president, or something." Michael pulled the ID card out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Oh my God, where did this come from?"

"I've been making fake ID's since I was twelve." Tina turned the card over. It looked as real as any ID she had ever seen.

"Where is Saint Elizabeth's Academy?"

"No such place."

"And Peter Andrews?"

"Just a name I made up."

"Damn," Tina said, with admiration. "You are good."