Erik Halford

            Male, white, 6'1", medium build, chin length shaggy brown hair, grey eyes.  Was born on August 12, 1975 at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago, Il.

            As a child Eric generally did well in school but went by largely unnoticed outside of his immediate family and a small group of friends.

            Erik’s mother Mary, was a junior high teacher at a local school and his father, Tod, was a lawyer and a part time environmental activist.  During his 16^th year his parents died in a car accident. 

            The circumstances of the accident had been dubious at best, though it was hard to get all the details.  There had been something to do with drunk driving and not being able to compensate for a mechanical failure that had happened.  Though neither of his parents drank, nor was proof that they had been drunk brought forward.  The police also wouldn’t allow outside parties to see or investigate the car.

            His uncle, Charlie Halford, did his best to console Erik while pushing for the matter of the accident to be more thoroughly investigated.  He did so until he was told to back down, and not so subtly warned of impending legal trouble if he didn’t.  Do to overheard muttering Erik believes Charlie broke in and examined the car at one point and couldn’t find anything.  Charlie won’t comment on this idea.

            During this time Erik became very angry and withdrawn and quickly became one of the trouble makers, going as far as getting arrested multiple times and spending some time in juvenile corrections.  He also began having very troubled “dreams”.  All this while being bounced between state foster homes and relatives that treated him as pariah, except for uncle Charlie who had been trying to get custody.

            About a year later he was released on probation with orders to seek psychiatric help and to maintain the medicinal anger management program he had been put on.  Guardianship was shortly thereafter awarded to Charlie since he was the only person who wanted him.

            The medications helped to mellow Erik, though he still had anger issues and strange dreams it became manageable.  With his uncles support he managed to finish highschool with a minimum of trouble and police visits.

            Through all of this Erik had found that he had a knak for getting into places and gathering possessions that he shouldn’t have been able to.  Mostly drifting, a little after he turned 18 he was given a job by his uncle at T & H Collections, which was ran by Charlie and his friend Al Thompson.  Erik quickly found himself enjoying the work, being just on the border.  He also found he was very good at it and took pride in being able to collect on tickets that many of the veteran collector’s shied away from.

            As time went while he did collections on he made and changed friends, had a few relationships, and began taking some college.  With his ability to get nearly any job done they began getting more business and T & H Collections grew to a substantial collecting company.

            Until about 5 years ago, Charlie got injured on a routine collection that went bad due to a overzealous and not altogether clean cop.  T & H sued the officer and the city and eventually one, giving Charlie the means to live comfortable for the rest of his life.  The court process however burned out the contacts and resources of the business and nearly all of it’s employees.  Many going as far as selling their possessions for money towards the case. 

            When it was all done everyone left T & H, though mostly on good terms.  Some still pick up the occasional job, and almost all of them are willing to still lend their expertise or thoughts on a job if needed.

            Now Al runs the business, his only regular collectors being his son Jack, who only goes out for the occasional easy job, and Erik.

            Erik has no dealings with any of his family at this point outside of his uncle and from his perspective Al, and has many business and personal acquaintances.  The only thing he has like a long time friend is a ex- girlfriend, Summer Baird, from two years ago.  They had broke up over Erik’s direction in life, especially since the collections business was dying.  They occasionally get together for coffee or a beer and send each other messages.  He also has a more recent friend in the form of a young singer. 

            Erik lives in a rundown apartment, the Delmar Estates, in bronzeville, and drives a well kept but old off white Cadillac.