"You're going up with me Arnold." He told the driver who took out a gun from the compartment at his side and then stepped out of the car in his three piece suit.
Both men took the elevator up to the top floor and Arnold stepped out first as soon as the ascension halted, Landon walked in too, looked around the well illuminated living room; took in the intentionally minimalistic design; and then the multitudes of painted canvases piled up at one end; the nostalgic smell of paint and the empty bottles of expensive alcohol and high end drugs.
Orchestral music played in a low volume, someone must've forgot to turn it off. "One hell of a party." Arnold commented.
The sound of a sliding door was heard and they turned towards it to see a dark-haired woman dressed in a white button-down shirt and black dress pants appear from behind the door. Her height blocked the view of the room behind her as she slid the door shut. Landon was convinced he heard the sound of quiet sobs in there but the door, which must be soundproof, prevented him from being certain.
She had prescribed glasses on her slightly freckled face and her hair looked longer and more free flowing than Landon remembered, but it was her alright. No matter how long it had been, her's was a face he could never forget.
Her eyes lingered on the gun Arnold kept to his side as Landon walked slowly over to her, his gaze strong as if he was taking in every single detail on her or waiting to see if she would simply disappear like an illusion.
He was taller, bigger and looked stronger than she remembered but one thing stayed the same, the never changing look on his face. His expression remained unreadable at all times and it made him even more of a mystery.
The closer to her he got, more memories surfaced which only served to enlarge his growing confusion. What was she doing here? What's happened to Katherine?
He stood mere inches from her and the large door, silently took in more of her facial features as she was obviously doing the same. Neither of them were too keen on breaking the awkward silence.
Arnold could feel the tension between the two of them but he lowered his guard considering Landon wasn't too wary of any danger she might pose.
He stared deeply into her forest green eyes, one of her most prominent features which now hid behind bland and uninteresting glasses.
"Are you just not gonna say anything?" The woman finally broke the silence, time was of the essence after all.
"You're the one who called me Camile." He responded in an unbothered tone, almost petty even. "Where's Katherine?" He asked her for the second time today.
"She's inside." She answered in her direct but somehow vague manner, just like the last time.
"Then step aside." He gestured for her to move away from the door but she remained still, like some bodyguard.
"She doesn't know I called you here but she seriously needs you right now." From her tone he could surmise she sounded genuine enough.
"But she called you instead." He pointed out, hinting how unbelievable it seemed to him but given the amount of time he's been away, he expected a few surprises. But still he was a little disappointed.
"Some of us moved on from the past, instead of simply running." She slid the door open before he could get a chance to reply.
Inside the room was a little darker, but you could see. A long pink couch close to the large bed; some drugs on the bedside table; and a man passed out with his face down.
Katherine sat at the edge of a room, right next to a door with her face buried on her crossed arms above her knees. She sobbed quietly and Landon was quite shocked to see her like this.
A complete contrast from her usual self, unlike their mother and him, she had a light personality and a hearty laugh. Always kept a smile on her face just like their father, the only other time she'd been like this was when he died. It crushed her.
"Did he hurt her?" Landon asked Camile defensively, referring to the man on the bed.
She was too engrossed in her pain to notice the other person in the room but as soon as she heard his voice, she opened her eyes in surprise.
"Landon?" Her weak voice asked right before Camile could answer him.
"I told you not to call him Camile!" She wailed frantically and her voice croaked as she spoke. "Why would you bring him here? I don't want him to see me like this."
Camile couldn't begin to form the words before Landon gestured for her not to. He stepped forward to where she sat and went on one knee.
"You're my sister, who else would she have called?" His voice was low but Camile could hear it had emotion in it unlike most of the times he chooses to speak.
Katherine cried even more but Landon was there to wrap an arm around her.
"What did he do to you?" Landon asked, still trying to figure out the situation she was in.
"He's dead." She shuddered hard as the words came out from her lips, unable to look him in the eye, her head went down and was trembling, she added…
"I killed him."