Page 3 of Rent Free

Sadly, it was a never-ending story with Sage that I felt like I could never wake from.

Today was no different.

When I got to the place that Everest said he’d been pulled over, I was angry.

I walked right up to the police officer, a man we knew well because he was a regular at my dad’s diner—or he had been before he’d gotten married years and years ago—and asked, “What happened?”

“We had a tip that this driver was seen at a drug deal on Methvin Street,” Downy said. “Was given the car’s make and model, and the description of who was driving. I was in the area, so I took the call.”

Lachlan Downy was the assistant chief of police for Kilgore Police Department.

He and his crew were regulars at the diner my father owned, and we knew them fairly well.

Downy knew our family so well, in fact, that he’d arrested my sister four times for theft.

The first couple of times, he’d done my dad a favor and called him to deal with it. The second and third time my father told Downy to arrest Sage and he’d bail her out when he felt like it.

Truthfully, I knew at this point that Sage was never going to be a good person.

And since she wasn’t a good person, she was going to bring everyone down with her.

She was a pathological liar.

She was an attention seeker.

She also went out of her way to make everyone look bad—or at least worse than her.

It worked in the beginning.

Now, my parents were well aware of her tricks.

“You know that Everest is a straight-A student,” I said. “He has a steady girlfriend, works at Chick-Fil-A, and is taking eight dual credit college courses. He has no time to do drugs.”

Downy nodded solemnly.

“I know,” he looked at my brother. “I confiscated the drugs. They were prescription pain killers. Not enough to do anything more than get a slap on the wrist for, but I’m taking them anyway.

“Feel free,” I said. “Can he drive?”

“He can,” Downy said. “Where are your parents?”

“It’s just me this week,” I admitted. “Mom and Dad went on a long-needed vacation. I’m pulling double duty at the diner and at the candy shop.”

Downy patted my shoulder. “Try to keep her in line the best you can, Pepper.”

Downy left, and I walked over to my pitiful looking brother.

“It’s okay,” I said to him. “He’s going to let you drive home.”

Everest took a deep breath. “Good.”

“I’ll deal with her when I get home,” I promised.

Everest looked away. “I’m thinking about going into the Army.”

I grinned. “You said you weren’t sure that you wanted to go.”

“Anything to get me the hell out of here,” he said. “Anything.”

---