Page 20 of The Chemist

Nodding, his father took his hand, then walked them into the fancy hotel where all the pretty men and women were chatting inside, smiling and laughing as they stood together and took photos.

“I’m a photographer fromGreen Velvet Cinema Magazine, here to photograph the event and actors,” his father said, holding up his pass to the woman at the door. She nodded, then gestured for them to enter the large conference room.

Inside, there were rows and rows of tables covered with black cloths and sparkly items.

“Here, give Daddy your press pass,” he heard his father say.

Zero turned and looked up at his father.

“But I thought I was supposed to be your assistant?”

“That was just until we got inside the door. Now that we are inside, you are going to pretend to be a famous child actor. Ifanyone asks, you are in movies made in the United States. No one in England ever pays attention to kids in US movies.”

“But, Daddy.” He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He couldn’t think of any American movies that he had watched on the tele anytime recently. What if someone asked him what movie he was in?

“Listen carefully, kid. When we get to those tables, you’re going to ask those nice ladies and gentlemen if you can have one. Then take it. If they offer you two or more, you take those as well.”

“What are they?” Zero asked, looking at all the items on display at each table.

There were watches and tablets and fancy running shoes. There was even a table with cool-looking cell phones and cameras. He always wanted a cell phone, but his dad said that they couldn’t afford one.

“These are all gifts that companies give actors and actresses so that they can use them and hopefully post about them on social media or wear them at movie premiers. People then see celebrities using these items and go and buy them themselves.”

“All of this is… free?” Zero couldn’t believe that people just gave all of this stuff to famous people.

“Yup. Now go to those tables and start getting free stuff. Daddy is going to stay here and take pictures of people.”

Zero nodded, then walked over to the first table, where a man and woman were smiling.

They said hello and waved toward the row of items all laid out before him. He pointed to the first item, a handheld gaming device, to which the woman picked up a box and placed it in a bag for him. She waved her hand over the other items, and he slowly pointed to a tablet, which she placed a second box into the bag as well.

He continued making his way around the room from table to table, pointing at items and watching as people placed his selections into a bag.

After an hour, he walked over to his father carrying two bags while a guest services worker carried another six.

“Thank you, sir,” his father said, taking the bags from the young worker and watching as the man disappeared back into the crowd. “Wow, looks like you did well, my boy.”

They made their way out of the hotel and walked toward his father’s beat-up piece-of-shit car parked at the back of the hotel.

“Daddy, do I get to keep all this stuff?” he asked, excited to play with the handheld gaming system.

His father gave him a mocking face. “No chance! Daddy’s going to sell all this crap and make a shit ton of money.”

Disappointment set in. He never got anything cool. All of his friends had gaming systems and new toys, but here he was, having to steal toys from his friends or fish old gaming systems from the trash.

His mind finally returned to the present.

Opening his tiny kit, he pulled out two metal objects that looked like tiny nail files. He inserted both tools into the locking mechanism on the back door and began fumbling around until he finally heard a click.

Bingo.

Placing the tools and kit back in his bag, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

It was time to see what the dirty little doctor was hiding in his home.

8

DIESEL

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