Once they reach the place of sanctuary, Daniel removes the leather collar with its silver embossed lettering, spelling the dog’s name.
He walks to the entrance, making a fuss and stroking the dog as they go.
"I found him abandoned", he lies. "Looks like he's had a rough time.”
"Leave him with us. We'll make sure he's looked at by the vet and I'm sure someone will want him. He is a lovely dog. Can you suggest a name for him?"
"Eh, how about Rufus?"
"Rufus it is then."
Daniel goes over to the dog and bends down so they are face to face.
"These people will look after you better than I can. I don't have the room. Take care of yourself, boy."
Daniel walks away. He must have some dust in his eyes. That would explain why they are watering.
Chapter Two
Daniel Zugravescu was twenty-six when he came over to the UK from Romania two years ago.
Back home he worked for a company fitting intruder alarms to houses and commercial properties. So far the only job he's been offered is working for Metro Security as a night security guard.
From what Daniel can see, English people don't have the same work ethic. They expect something for nothing.
The long hours and low wages don't attract native English workers who receive more money being on unemployment benefits. And since the uncertainty with Brexit, fewer people are coming over from Europe to fill the jobs.
Like all the people who travel here, Daniel is not afraid of hard work. No-one who comes here expects a free ride. He had been told the streets are paved with gold. He only wants a small share, just enough money to enjoy a decent life. He is not a greedy man.
His mother passed away six years ago and his original intention was to head for Germany until last year when his father was killed by a German coach driver as he walked along the side of the road in his home town of Pitesti. So he no longer likes the Germans. Daniel decided he would move to the UK instead.
On the coach journey from Bucharest to London, he got talking to a fellow countryman called Lagan, who told Daniel he was heading for Trentbridge, a town about one hundred and eighty miles north of London.
Apparently, he knows some people who moved there years ago and it's one of the cheapest places to live in the UK.
Just before the coach reached Victoria station and the pair went their separate ways, Lagan suggested they swap phone numbers.
Daniel's original idea had been to apply to work for MI5. It was his dream to become a spy. He's watched every James Bond film at least a dozen times, although his hero is Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible films. He can recite every word from memory.
He loves the spy gadgets and electronic wizardry they use.
His hopes were dashed when he found out all candidates have to go through a vetting procedure in addition to the recruitment process and it can take from six to nine months.
He does not have enough money to stay in London for more than a couple of weeks. So Daniel decided to change his plans and follow the man he met on the coach and try his luck in Trentbridge.
With his mother and father both gone and no brothers or sisters, there seemed little point in going back to Romania.
He figures if he works hard it will pay off in the long run. His idea is to find an English girlfriend, settle down, buy a house, get married and start a family.
The problem is Daniel has never been good with girls. He is still a virgin and only ever kissed a couple of girls.
Back home in Romania, one asked him to go babysitting with her. All he did was tell her jokes. He never even tried to kiss her. She told her friends he was slow. He later found out she asked someone else and had sex with them on the living room sofa before the parents got home.
Chapter Three
On the second of February 2001, Diane Mitten gave birth to identical twins. She and her husband Francis named the first Erica, who was born at 6.02am then Leona born twenty-three minutes later.
Identical (monozygotic) twins occur when a single egg (zygote) is fertilised. The egg then divides into two, creating identical twins who share the same genes and are always the same sex, so if your twins are identical you'll have two girls or two boys, and they'll look very alike.
On one occasion they were spotted by a representative of a child modelling agency and featured in a range of magazine adverts promoting all kinds of products.
Boys can't help but notice Erica and Leona Mitten with their long blonde hair and ever-expanding chests. Every time they walk down the street, they turn heads and seem to attract men like a magnet.
Like most girls, they learned at an early age how to use their assets. A flash of their pure white teeth, a pout of their full shapely lips or a flick of their long hair, and the way they learned to wiggle as they walk.
By the time they reached sixteen, boys were virtually queuing round the block to ask them out.
Both girls love to party. Their favourite hangout is The Alley Club, where they also work as part-time hostesses, taking drinks to the VIP area and representing the various brands of alcohol that the club helps to promote.
A party bar specialising in copious amounts of booze, cocktail en masse and a playlist that gives air time to just about every music genre you could wish for and the liveliest place for nightlife in Trentbridge.
Situated in the centre of the town, the club is extremely popular, especially with the student population. The entrance double doors at ground level display a solid wood portcullis design and cathedral-shaped tops, which propel you down the
