Kim got into his house in a hurry. He was trying to hide his rifle in his room when his sister, Treasure, walked in.
"Did you kill someone?" Treasure asked Kim with her arms crossed.
"Yes, I shot Snakes with this rifle," Kim answered and Treasure slowly shook her head.
"How can you be so insensitive? What if he had a family?" she questioned him.
"listen up Tee, I'm not ready for your pity talks right now. No one cared about Snakes so he can go to hell for all I care. As a matter of fact, killing him helped the cops big time" Kim said.
"Wh… what are you talking about?" Treasure asked.
"If I didn't manage to shoot him, the drug lord would've escaped from the cops. Thanks to me he's arrested which means that the Black Blade is dead and I can go solo from now on" Kim said.
"What about the other members?" she said.
Kim paused for a while.
He placed both hands on his waist and heaved a long sigh.
What the drug lord said about Carlos being dead was still unreal to him.
"Kim please, I don't want you to live that life anymore. Running from the police here and there... One day you might not get lucky" Treasure said in a low tone.
Kim looked at her with squinted eyes.
"Are you the one who's going to turn me into the cops?" he yelled at her.
"of course not!" Treasure replied sharply.
"Then why can't you mind your business and keep focusing on your books?" he said and Treasure sighed.
"Look Tee, whatever I'm doing is for our own good. See how far you've come in school and very soon my little sister will be a graduate." Kim said in a soft tone.
Treasure bit down her bottom lip. As much as she hated the criminal activities Kim was doing to make money, she was still grateful to him for the sacrifices he has made for her to go to college.
"Don't worry about me okay, just keep being a good girl" he said and Treasure nodded with a soft smile.
These siblings have gone through a lot ever since they lost their parents but despite that, Kim has been striving to earn money to have a better life for himself and his sister.
**********
Later in the evening, Carl was driving back home after work. While he was driving, he saw Anne's bakery which made him grin from ear to ear. He immediately parked his car and rushed inside the bakery.
"Am I not in the right place?" Carl said to himself with his eyes roving around the place.
He looked around and saw three women under a hair dryer. There were mirrors on the wall and the chair arrangements were totally different. In fact, the chairs were different.
Carl look lost, he was certain the place was Anne's bakery but why does everything look different?
He looked at the counter where Anne normally kept her pastries but he saw different mannequin heads for wigs and he was sure he was in a beauty salon.
"Sir, do you want to do something with your hair?" asked a young lady who had been stealing glances at Carl.
"No... I mean… umm wasn't this place a bakery? If I'm not mistaken" Carl said, he was still having doubts about the place.
"Was it?" she asked with a confused look.
"I'm sorry but can I speak with the owner of this place?" he said.
"you're speaking with her," The young lady said with a flirtatious smile.
Carl scratched his head, he suddenly became uncomfortable at the place and how the lady was smiling at him.
"hum… you're the owner of this building?" he asked.
"oh you mean the landlord of this place?" she said
"yeah," Carl said, nodding his head.
"He's right there," The young lady said pointing to an old man who was reading a newspaper.
"Oh, thank you, ma'am," he said and left to meet the landlord.
"What a fine young man," The lady said, smiling to herself.
"Excuse me, sir," Carl said to the landlord.
"Yes, how may I help you?" the landlord answered Carl but his eyes were still fixed on the newspapers.
"Sorry to disturb you but wasn't this salon a bakery? I mean… I'm sure it was. You know Anne right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Mister," The landlord said without glancing at Carl.
"of course you do, she was a baker here. She's very pretty, she has pale white skin with silver eyes and she should be five inches shorter than me..." Carl described Anne.
"Oh ANASTASIA!!" The landlord chimed and fixed his eyes on Carl.
Carl nodded "yeah, Anastasia,"
"She no longer works here and that's good enough for me" The landlord gave a mocking laugh.
"Your loss because everyone loved her pastries," Carl said and left the salon.
He got back in his car and drove to Anne's house to see her instead.
Reaching her house, he knocked on her door and the door was opened by Dexter.
Dexter gasped as soon as he saw Carl standing right in front of him. He was surprised to see him in his house.
"Prosecutor Carl!! I… I mean Mr. McAlester" Dexter stuttered.
"Good evening, you're Anne's brother right?" Carl said.
"yes… yes... I am" Dexter stuttered due to too much excitement because he has always been a fan of Carl.
"is your sister home?" Carl asked
"Please come in," Dexter said, ignoring his question and Carl walked inside the house.
It was actually the first time Carl was inside Anne's house. He looked around and observed that the house was quiet.
"It's all over the news that you arrested the drug lord," Dexter said to Carl and Carl smiled.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" Dexter said to Carl, feeling a little nervous.
"no thanks, I'm good... Is your sister in? I wanted to see her" Carl said
"Oh no, she's not," Dexter said
"Then where could she be? I checked her bakery and she no longer works there. Her phone number has been unavailable for a couple of hours now. Aren't you worried that something could've happened to her?" Carl curiously asked.
"Anne is completely fine. She's just taking some time to cool off." Dexter said.
Carl sighed "when is she coming back?"
"I don't think she's coming back," Dexter said
"what? Why?" Carl exclaimed.
"just as I said, she's taking some time to cool off. Carlos really messed up her head so she wanna be far away from him to clear her mind and move on" Dexter explained.
"oh" Carl muttered. 'is that what she meant by disappearing from everyone?' He thought to himself.
"Okay I understand but Carlos got into a fatal accident and he's presently in a coma. The doctors have no idea when he's going to wake up," Carl said.
"Oh my God!" Dexter whispered to himself.
"That's terrible, …I don't like Carlos at all but he doesn't deserve that," he said.
"No one does," Carl said.
"here's my business card…" Carl said handing his card to Dexter "…I want you to please give me a call whenever Anne comes back,"
"Okay Sir," Dexter said collecting the card from him.
He was more than happy inside of him to have collected Carl's business card but he tried to act cool and not show enthusiasm on his face.
However, Carl left Anne's house feeling disappointed because he didn't get to see Anne.
.........…..
A few hours later, Carl was at home, sitting down on the couch.
He was lost in thought, thinking about where Anne could be and if she is okay wherever she is. Dexter's reassurance about her being fine wasn't enough. He felt like seeing her for himself.
He was also thinking about Carlos being in a coma, praying in his head that he would wake up soon and live a normal life again.
"it's all over the news and social media that the drug lord has been arrested," Richie said coming to the living room where Carl was sitting.
Richie saw that Carl looked lost and wasn't even paying attention to him. He was just staring at empty space.
"Carl, are you okay? you look devastated" Richie said as he observed Carl's mood.
Carl exhaled softly. He saw Richie standing in front of him and he sat down erectly.
"Carl, what have you been thinking about? You didn't even notice I was standing right in front of you" Richie said.
Carl wanted to tell him about Carlos's condition but he thought about how Richie would react to it. Richie has stopped locking himself up and being isolated from everyone but Carl didn't want to take any chances.
But why does he get scared anytime he mentions Carlos's name? He wanted to think that it was a coincidence but there was only one way to find out.
Carl held Richie's hands and stared into his eyes.
"Richie, Carlos had a terrible accident and he's in a coma," Carl said in a soft tone, he wanted to see how Richie would react to the news.
"Really?" Richie grinned and Carl was shocked to see the happiness on Richie's face.
"I pray he never wakes up," Richie said emphatically, letting go of his hands from Carl's hand.
"What!? Why would you wish that on someone? My best friend!! Even if you have a problem with Carlos, you're not supposed to wish that on him" Carl yelled at Richie.
"I have everything right to because Carlos is a dangerous person." Richie fired back.
"I've been having nightmares for a long time now because of Carlos and that was the cause of my insomnia and me not getting good grades in school." He said.
"Oh, I get it now. You're saying Carlos is the cause of your bad grades huh? Well done Richie" Carl said sarcastically, nodding his head.
"I'm serious! Carlos is a murderer" Richie said vehemently.