The Sunshine Boy and the Weaver King

Chapter Six

Anthony showed up at two-forty, but it was too early to go knock on the door, so he meandered around Jeremiah's neighborhood, detailing the exact routes of his escape (he couldn't go through one yard that he'd had planned because its fence was locked and too high for him to climb) until 2:59, at which point he walked up the driveway, paused until his phone said it was 3:00, and knocked on the door.

He knew he'd be in a richer neighborhood, and to avoid being on the receiving end of judgemental stares, he'd worn a white shirt, black jeans, and a nice pair of shoes so he wouldn't look homeless. It didn't stop him from nervously tapping his foot on the porch, though.

Anthony waited until his phone said 3:01, then, in case this was some sort of test that Burke was trying out, he flicked a bored glance— borrowed from Maddox— at the security camera perched over the doorway. He turned on his heel and started back down the steps.

It was at that point that the front door swung open.

Shoving down a victorious grin, Anthony didn't slow down and he didn't look back until he heard Jeremiah call "Hey, kid."

At that, he slowly came to a stop and turned his head to look over his shoulder.

Jeremiah was wearing a suit again, or at least most of a suit. His blazer was missing and the first few buttons of his button-up were undone. His hair was a mess and, Anthony realized as he approached him, he smelled distinctly of smoke and alcohol.

"So glad you could make the time," Jeremiah said sarcastically.

He probably knew Anthony's class schedule and his habit of never leaving the building unless Ryan forced him too, which meant that he knew Anthony was free all day today.

"I can only stay for an hour," Anthony replied.

Jeremiah snorted but didn't comment. Instead he just stepped aside and waved Anthony into his house.

It was, of course, a mansion. The front door opened immediately into a huge living room decorated in a minimalist style with a few potted plants here and there to give a dash of color to the otherwise monochromatic pieces. It was all open, with the kitchen dominating the space beyond the living room, huge windows allowing sunshine to flood into the massive space.

On the left were stairs that, Anthony knew, led to guest rooms and Burke's study. Underneath the stairs was a door that opened up into the master bedroom, inside which was a door to the master bathroom.

"You want a tour?" Jeremiah asked. He walked over to the coffee table and swiped a glass off its surface, swirling the contents a little before walking back to the kitchen and dumping it down the drain.

"Sure," Anthony said.

"Follow me, then."

Jeremiah led him up the stairs first, letting him get a good look at each of the rooms, then brought him back downstairs to see the master bedroom and bathroom. Each room looked barely lived in, like it was straight out of a magazine.

"My cleaning lady came this morning," Jeremiah said, no doubt reading Anthony's expression. "Now. You ready for the great finale?"

Anthony frowned. There were no other rooms, according to the public floor plans, but then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. He nodded and Jeremiah moved back into the living room to press his palm onto the coffee table.

There was a soft beep, then a keypad appeared in the glass. Jeremiah deliberately blocked Anthony's view as he typed in the password, and the floor suddenly clicked and began to shift.

Anthony took a few startled steps backward, but it was over in just a few moments. A second staircase had appeared below the floor. He heard lights turning on below him and tried to swallow his fear.