Is that Bubbles?

CEF English language level: B2

(Warning: not suitable for pre-teens)

Tammy Banks was in a hurry.

She wanted drugs and she wanted them fast. It was the early hours of the morning – far too early for her normal guy. Then she remembered there was another dealer called Bubbles. That guy never went to bed.

She looked into her bag and found the number she wanted. It was written on piece of cigarette packet card: 01737890. Or so she thought.

Unfortunately for Tammy, Bubbles handwriting was not good. And she was reading from the light of a street lamp. The ‘7’ she dialled was really a ‘1’. And it didn’t put her through to the all-night drug dealer.

Sleeping Detective

Detective Phil Stewart was asleep when the call came on his mobile, ‘Hello?’ he said, rubbing his eyes. He looked at his clock radio. Who was calling him at this time of the night?

‘Is that Bubbles?’ said Tammy. ‘I need some stuff.’

Now Detective Stewart immediately realised it was a wrong number. But he was also a police officer. And something told him that the ‘stuff’ this woman was looking for was not late night coffee.

‘He’s not here. What are you looking for?’

This was the time for Tammy to end the conversation. Instead she said, “I need a gram of crystal meth.”

‘Sure, I can do that for you,’ Detective Stewart said. ‘Shall I meet you somewhere?’

‘In the park by the children’s playground.

Where's Bubbles?

Detective Stewart was very suspicious. Perhaps it was his friends in the police playing a joke on him.

But when he got to the park, Tammy was waiting.

‘Have you got the stuff?’ Tammy asked.

Detective Stewart nodded. ‘$40,’

He took the money from Banks and gave her a bag of methamphetamine. Or so she thought.

Tammy smiled and relaxed. ‘So where is Bubbles this morning?’ she asked. ‘He’s not in bed is he?’

Detective Stewart began to laugh. ‘No, he’s at an interview.’

Not so sweet

For the first time Tammy realised something wasn’t right. ‘An interview? With who?’

‘The police,’ said Detective Stewart.

Tammy opened her bag. She now saw that it did not contain her favourite drug. Instead there were white peppermint sweets.

‘I wish they were all that easy,’ said Detective Stewart after he arrested the 41 year-old from Sedalia, Missouri.

Sleeping Detective

‘Sure, I can do that for you,’ Detective Stewart said. ‘Shall I meet you somewhere?’

‘In the park by the children’s playground.

Where's Bubbles?

On the way to the meeting Detective Stewart was thinking, ‘There’s no way this is going to happen.’ Was this woman serious? Perhaps it was his friends in the police playing a joke on him.

But when he got to the park, Tammy was waiting.