"Sit down in that chair while we go over the video tapes." The officer sat at a nearby desk and turned on the computer, another guard keeping an eye on Midge.
"It is mine, it was a gift."
"Then the tapes will show that, won't they? he said. "Joe, get his information and fill out the paperwork."
Midge sat still, his hands in his lap. He knew that he must do everything right and even then, this could go very badly for him. He had been taught to stay away from the police, and for good reason.
"Okay, I need your I.D. please" the younger guard asked, sitting next to Midge with a clipboard on his lap.
"I do not have I.D."
"Of COURSE you don't. What's your name?"
"Midge."
"Midge what?"
"Midge... Hoying."
"Age?"
"I am 20."
"And you don't have I.D.? Know your social security number?"
"No."
"Address?"
"8219 Sundial Drive, apartment 4B, in Los Angeles."
"Wait here." He stood then went to his desk and attempted to pull up the missing information on this 'Midge'.
Midge let his eyes roam around the room, looking for an escape route if it came to that. So far he was unchained which was a huge advantage to him. He noticed the camera in the corner and tried not to face it.
"Alright, tell me where you got this bracelet?" the older officer asked, turning in his chair.
"It was a gift. It has.... wait it has my name in it!"
"It's engraved? Let me see it please."
"You will give it back?"
"If it's yours, of course I will, and I'll apologize too. Don't think that's going to happen though, is it?"
"I do not know." He pressed the hidden latch and removed it, then looked at it one more time before handing it to the large man.
"Well I be. Alright, alright Mr. Hoying, let me just take a picture and you can have it back and be on your way, with our apologies."
"Thank you Sir. I am sorry for causing trouble."
"Hey, misunderstandings happen, right? I hope you won't hold it against the establishment, you must understand their position here, right?"
Midge just nodded because he was too busy finally breathing again to speak. He refastened his collar around his wrist, his shoulders relaxing. "I may go?"
"One second boss, he's uh, he's not here. I can't find anything on the kid." the young man said.
"What do you mean?"
"Address has a Scott, but no Midge. Not a single Midge Hoying in any of the databases, hell I even tried google. He doesn't exist."
"Is that a nickname, son?" he asked Midge.
"Um" he panicked. He was so close to being let go and now he had no idea what the right answer was. "Sometimes I am called Mitch."
"Where were you born? Birthdate?"
"I was born in Texas, in July of 1992. I did not take the bracelet, you said I could go."
"Give us a minute, alright? What's the hurry?"
"Scott and Kelly are waiting for me, I did not mean to get separated. They will be worried."
"Give 'em a call if you want, tell them you'll be a few more minutes."
"I do not have my phone. I wish I did but I forget to charge it and did not know I was coming to the mall after the studio today. I should never leave it home again."
"We can't really hold him Joe, even though it's awfully strange that you can't find him. Nothing yet, huh? Even under Mitch?"
"Nothing. We could search him, it would give me a few more minutes. How do we know he didn't grab something else from that case that we missed on the tape?"
"I like the way you think Joe" the older officer said, standing. "Alright, I need to pat you down Midge. You got anything on your person you don't want me to find?"