Christ Clone by David McLeod Page B

the office and the police were called. Daniel wouldn't rat on his friends, so now he was taking the full rap for the thefts.
    Malone listened to the story and decided to help. He spoke with
Logan and struck up a deal. He said he'd meet with the Computer
Warehouse manager and arrange to get the charges dropped by paying for the missing stock. He told Logan he really wanted to give Daniel a chance because he knew he was a good kid.
    Daniel looked pathetic as Malone peered at him through the bars of the cell. A heavy stench of disinfectant rose from the concrete floor, causing Malone to turn his head away and take another breath. The dirty white walls of the cell were covered with graffiti: names and dates, each with its own story of hate and false accusation. Daniel was seated on the metal frame bed, back to the wall, his legs drawn up. His head was bowed, resting on his knees, and his fingers were entwined behind his head. The steel-barred door slid back with a heavy clang, and Malone walked into the cell. Daniel looked up; his eyes wide.
    Malone looked solemn. 'I've met with the detective, and I'm afraid it doesn't look great. They've pulled your police records from
San Francisco, so now you're a thief with priors.' Malone sounded like a lawyer. 'I've managed to secure a deal for you, but it's non-negotiable.'
    Daniel listened intently.
    'You can either go to court and do your time, or I can extend a loan to you; this loan will be used to pay the store for the missing software.
We'll find you a job to pay the loan back to me — with interest. One last thing, and this is a biggie, you'll have to live under my supervision
— a sort of house arrest — for one year.'
    Daniel only had one question. 'Why are you doing this?'
    'Let's just say I believe in second chances.'
    The reality was Malone liked having the kid around, and the sense of responsibility filled a void in his life. And stopped him drinking.
    Daniel agreed immediately. Malone sorted out the arrangement with Logan, and everyone shook hands in a form of gentlemen's agreement.
    Daniel had been in the cell for most of the day and was famished, so Malone decided to take him to the closest diner. They sat opposite each other in a booth, and Malone realized he really didn't know that much about the kid. They'd shared basic stories over the weeks they'd been working together, but now Malone felt he should dig deeper.
    Deciding on the food was a simple mission. 'Two of your best and biggest burgers with everything on them, and a couple of Cokes!'
Malone's voice boomed as though he was ordering caviar and vintage champagne and wanted everyone to know.
    They sat in silence for a while, looking out the window at the passing traffic. When the food arrived, Malone started the conversation and soon brought the topic around to Daniel's history. Daniel seemed happy to talk.
    'I can't remember anything about my parents. My earliest memories are of an orphanage in San Francisco. Apparently I was dropped off there when I was only, like, one or two. Over the years, I've heard a few stories about where I was born and who my parents were, but I still don't know the truth.' Daniel took a slurp of Coke. 'I was never very clever at school, certainly not when it came to the three Rs, but I was good at art. I was always doodling or sitting in the corner of the room with a sketchpad and pencil. One of the sisters took me under her wing and helped me develop my skills.'
    He was telling the story without much thought, and was tucking into his burger and fries along the way. 'As I got older, she introduced me to the world of computer design, and in particular, animation.
The hours in front of the screen ruined my eyes,' he pointed at his glasses, 'and made me more of a loner. I was never that good with people anyway, so it was no great loss. Apart from the sister, I had no friends.' He seemed to dwell on this a bit. Malone couldn't work out if it was the lack of friends or the sister that was