Read Online Dream Guy by A.Z.A; Clarke - Free Book Online

exactly have his birth certificate on him. Anyway, it didn’t matter to him. He’d never been to school before, so it was all new and hanging with your class was a lot more exciting than psychology. Does it matter?”
    “Only that Donohoe made me go into every toilet in the whole school to look for him—boys as well as girls.”
    Joe grinned. Liesel would have hated that. They stopped at the bus stop and waited there. Donohoe’s interrogation had made them miss their regular bus. Joe dug in his backpack and found his copy of Mockingbird , then flicked to chapter fourteen. He read as fast as he could, and heaved a sigh of relief as Scout spotted what she thought was a snake under her bed, fetched Jem and extracted Dill from his hiding place. There was no mention of yellow paint. Perhaps he had managed to get it off, or perhaps it was just a detail that the book skimmed over. The action seemed to unfold as before, as far as Joe could remember. He stuffed the book back in his bag and rummaged again. This time he pulled out his bus pass and the Lamborghini key. Liesel was deep in the latest Jacqueline Wilson book. He examined the key closely. He could hardly wait to get home.
    It was strange not to be on the usual school bus with all the other kids. It was after the main rush and before the people who had detentions could escape. The bus was quiet and there was a gentle murmur of pensioners muttering about the price of gammon and comparing blood pressure medication. Liesel kept reading while Joe clutched his key and watched the world out of the window. They were passing through an estate of ugly houses. They looked mean and poky, their windows too small, their brick drab, and even if they were well-maintained, they had no character, just box after brick box, each with the same little patch of lawn outside. Then the character of the streets changed, the houses got larger, the cars a little newer and finally they were at their stop.
    They walked up the road and turned left into their street, past the other Victorian and Edwardian houses.
    Unusually, Mrs. Knightley’s car was in the drive. “Mum’s home. That’s weird,” said Liesel.
    There was also a dark-blue Fiat outside the house. Joe began to feel uneasy. They went in, and the door was on the latch. Mrs. Knightley emerged from the living room and watched Joe and Liesel come in.
    “Liesel, up to your room to do your homework. Joe, you come in here. There are some gentlemen who would like a word with you.”
    Liesel was so delighted that Joe was in serious trouble that she skipped upstairs without a single moan in response to their mother’s peremptory tone. Joe dumped his book bag and reached into his pocket to check that the Lamborghini key was still there.
     

Chapter Six
    Carpeted
     
     
     
    Joe’s mother ushered him into the living room then carefully closed the door. She folded her arms and stood, as Joe glanced at the two men lurking by the fireplace.
    They were corporate twins, wearing expensive-looking suits and identical purple shirts, one with a tie that had toning lavender and wisteria checks, the other with a mauve diagonal stripe. Both had short brown hair—but not too short—and regular features with square jaws, like models for posh watches. As the door opened and Joe sidled in, both turned to look at him, their faces neutral, their eyes cool.
    “Take a seat, Joe.” The taller one spoke as though used to being obeyed. Joe looked at him for a long moment before moving around to sit on the arm of the leather club chair at the far side of the room. Perching there, he felt less vulnerable than if he were to sink into its depths.
    “My name is Christopher Taylor-West, and this is my colleague, Rudy Moss. We hear you’ve got a new Lamborghini Gallardo.”
    Joe said nothing in the lengthening silence. Rudy Moss took up the patter. He had a slight American accent.
    “When your mother rang us this morning, we were a touch surprised to hear about your