Chapter Two-Hundred and Seventy-Seven
Leon held out a warrant for John's arrest, shoving it into Thomas's face as he forced himself inside. "Johnathan has been accused of possession of illegal substances. I'm here to take him into custody of LAPD."
Thomas glared at the man, giving John a miniature sign language order to hide. "John has no such thing on his person."
John licked his lips, his dark eyes searching for a hint as to what exactly was happening. "Leon, what are you talking about?"
Leon grabbed John's arm, forcing his hands behind his back as he clipped the handcuffs to his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law." He patted John down, cocking a brow when he found a small object in his pocket. He pulled it out to show that it was a tube of chap stick, along with a packet of gum, and a tin of throat lozenges. "No weapons?" He asked, even going as far as to pat John's crotch to make sure he didn't have anything hidden in his underwear.
John shook his head, lifting his eyes to Claire as she froze in the stairway. "No, Sir. Only a few small odds and ends to keep my voice strong."
Leon pulled John from the house, forcing him into the squad car and driving away with him as the rest of the family watched. "That voice might get you a little favor in the worst part of the prison."
Clarissa slowly opened Claire's bedroom door, shaking her head at the mess that always seemed to magically appear when both John and Claire were in the same room together. She picked up a pair of John's jeans, pausing when she saw something odd fall out of the pocket. She knelt down, her brow furrowing as she lifted the fabric bag from the ground and opened it to see a syringe, and several small doses of crystal meth inside. "No…" She lifted a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening with the memory of the side effects and aftershocks. "Tom?" She called for her husband, to afraid to move lest John should appear in the middle of a seizure before her. "Tom! Come in here!"
Thomas stopped at his daughter's door, his heart seeming to stop with the sight of John's jeans and the bag in his wife's hands. "Is it?" He couldn't finish the sentence, the fear of another relapse to real in the moment. "Please tell me it's rock candy…"
She shook her head, fighting back the tears. "It's meth…"