The Sinclair Brothers ✔️

(31) Like a Stripper

Following the lead from H-something's house, Makennah stopped by Anissa's where Anissa herself happened to be home, reeking of weed but sporting glassy eyes of harder drugs. After some prodding, Anissa opened up about her mother's whereabouts. Indeed, she had been spending the last four weeks catching up on all the highs she missed out on while being locked up on the inside. Anissa said Candy had been sleeping at Jeremy Keller's House most nights. Makennah didn't know where that was so Anissa gave her directions.

Neither Jeremy nor her mother were located at said resident. However, a neighbor informed her that he hadn't been home for a couple days and neither had the 'skinny blonde lady.' The neighbor said he sometimes found them smoking out behind the diner on Main St because Jeremy worked there and the blonde lady waited out back for him.

At the diner, Makennah spoke to the manager who wouldn't open his mouth about anything. So she wandered around the back where her mother was not located unfortunately. By that time, she was so aggravated that she kicked the brick wall and scuffed her boots. Night was descending quickly on a cool autumn day and she felt she hadn't gotten anywhere. Theo was being so patient that it was killing her slowly. She didn't deserve his kindness at the moment.

While she cooled off in the back before going back k Theo in the parked car, a waitress with stringy black hair popped her head outside to check on Makennah. She recognized Makennah immediately as Candy's daughter and warned Makennah to steer clear. Apparently, Candy was spending more time with Bobby Long at one of his many houses in the state. Bobby and Jeremy got into it about something and things blew up. Therefore, Candy left with Bobby because Jeremy disappeared.

Her blood ran cold at the mention of Bobby Long's name. Her mother had a knack for picking the worst company and Bobby fell into that category. The cops had been hunting Bobby for years, trying to bust his drug ring and his illegal weapons black market. He moved like a ghost from town to town, successfully evading the authorities. He narrowly escaped prison every time.

Glad to see her mother was doing well, hanging out with the right crowd. Not.

Weirdly enough, Makennah knew of two houses that Bobby owned, both in her neighborhood. The first house was empty. The second was alive and well, running rampant with children from two to fifteen. The head of the household was Bobby's wife whom Makennah didn't even know existed. She barely spoke two words but instead wrote down an address for Makennah where she thought Bobby might be.

The address that Bobby's wife provided led them to a meth house out in the country.

Well an old meth lab. Not one anymore. But that didn't mean much of anything in these parts of town.

By the time they arrived, night had fallen over her hometown like a blanket of darkness. All of the stars hid away as if in preparation for the impending storm that Makennah was bringing to town.

Multiple cars parked in the stone driveway so Makennah parked parallel to the road in the ditch by the beaten down mailbox. Old rock music reverberated from the house, telling of the life inside. She should have known there'd be a little party on an otherwise boring Saturday night.

"So listen..." Makennah started as she exited the vehicle. Theo followed her up the driveway. "This is an old meth lab. And now it might be the circus ring for a weapons seller. Which means they've got tons of loaded weapons inside a bomb waiting to explode."

Theo scratched the back of his head. He didn't look so good. "So we could die if something goes wrong?"

"This might be the one time in your life that the answer to that question is yes." Makennah sighed. "You don't have to go in with me."