Wee Weasel Tales: Fiendish Friends

Clues Found in Darkness

This is the seventh chapter of the triquel; Fiendish Friends! This chapter goes back to Willy's Wonderland, which the police are investigating after the cancelled demolition! They indeed find something at the restaurant ... but not what they'd expected! I hope that you guys like it! 👍

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The parking area of Willy's Wonderland, present time, the following evening ...

Sheriff Hobson and Deputy Land stood in the empty parking zone outside the closed Willy's Wonderland, facing the building.

It was a bit hard to believe that this restaurant, once so full of families and life; was now silent and empty ... again. Though, no one would have guessed at the most recent massacre taking place in Willy's Wonderland!

Its windows were all shut and boarded up, the door was securely locked, and the building's sign had its lights switched off. Lund swept a torch-beam over the double doors of the restaurant's main entrance, her eyes narrowed and mouth pursed.

"I still can't believe it's a coincidence that the man scheduled to tear this place down was killed the night before it was supposed to happen", she muttered under her breath.

The news of the Miller family's sudden and brutal deaths had shocked and horrified the whole town of Hayesville.

Especially as the local families were still recovering from the party massacre two days earlier! The sheriff himself just huffed, turning to glare at his deputy.

"Don't go all conspiracy theory on me, Lund! I've got enough xxxxx to worry about", he said tersely, meeting the woman's unflinching, hard stare.

Hobson preferred catching drunken idiots, and arresting shoplifting teenagers to investigating murders. The mess at the Miller house had sickened him to his core.

The Sheriff had come quickly to the conclusion that it was probably the work of a lone psychopath, and one that had probably fled the county by now! He would have preferred that to be that and close the case, but Lund just would not let it rest!

That annoying deputy of his had gained a 'bee in her bonnet' about the Millers' deaths, and dragged him all the way to Willy's Wonderland — claiming that they were connected to the planned demolition.

Eloise Lund was a woman who could be extremely stubborn and not back down ... come hell or high water!

Seriously, I don't even know why that damn woman joined the police in the first place! Sheriff Hobson thought sourly. We deal with cold, hard FACTS! Not stupid conspiracy theories!

"They found claw marks all through the house, Sheriff", Lund persisted, continuing to swing her torch's light around at the restaurant's front. "Ones that look a helluva lot like these."

Hobson knew exactly what she meant. The claws of the Willy's Wonderland animatronics. But that was impossible, wasn't it?

There was no way that those infernal robots' glitched programming would allow them to travel all the way to the Miller house! For one thing, they'd have to be extraordinarily advanced ... and for another; al—

A sudden snap of dry twigs instantly set off the two police officers' trained instincts and edgy moods! The Sheriff and his deputy quickly whirled around, adopting their 'police fighting poses' in the process.

"What the hell?" Lund shouted, pointing her torch at a shadowy figure who was running leftwards away from them. "Stop right there!" snarled Hobson, practically yelling the words.

He brandished and cocked his gun at the figure, who swiftly darted behind the nearby rubbish skip.

"Come back here, darn it!" the sheriff demanded, and turned momentarily to his deputy. "Lund, call for backup! I got this xxxxx!"

For once, Eloise Lund didn't question the order; and proceeded to pluck a short-wave police radio from her belt. "On it, sir!" she said. "This is Deputy Lund!" the aforementioned police officer spoke into the radio.

Both Eloise and Hobson still kept their devices pointed at the rubbish skip, which hid the mysterious person. Cautiously, the two cops began to approach the skip.

"We need backup at Willy's ... what the?" Lund's urgent radio order instantly dissolved into a shocked gasp, as she reached it!

The female police officer's eyes widened and her jaw dropped for a second as she saw the figure trying to hide. Hobson himself grimaced at the sight!

"Oof!" he muttered.

It ... was Tex Macadoo.

But not the Macadoo they'd seen in the past! His normally immaculate white suit and hat were all heavily smeared with dirt and grime, and his eyes were dilated.

Tex's trimmed hair and moustache were also unkempt and messy ... not mentioning several flies, that buzzed around the head of the crouching man.

Dribble oozed down the businessman's now stubbly chin, trickling down onto his collar ... along with a gut-punching smell of alcohol. It was enough to make Sheriff Hobson and Deputy Lund almost step back ... and confirmed what they'd already suspected.

Tex was ABSOLUTELY plastered! Additional evidence lay in the bottle that the drunken chap was holding tightly.

"Hey! Hey! Watch it with the light there, willya?" he slurred, frowning as he tried to stop the torchlight with a single hand. "Can't a fella get a little privacy?"

"Tex? Is that you?" the female police officer warily asked, putting her radio back on her belt. "You look like a xxxxxxx!"

Hobson rolled his eyes at that. Same old Lund, as charming as ever. She always recovered quickly from surprises, much to the chagrin of the other cops.

Tex Macadoo then wiped his mouth with a scruffy hand, before attempting to stand up. The third time, the drunkard managed it!

"They killed 'em all, y'know?" Tex muttered, tears now trickling down his cheeks to join the drool on his chin. "All those kids? Dead. Dead. Dead."

The restaurant owner then groaned, grimaced, and then suddenly collapsed! Hobson and Lund, acting quickly, managed to catch Macadoo before he hit the ground.

The aforementioned Tex suddenly started sobbing uncontrollably, his left arm slung childishly around the deputy's neck.

What do you think of Hobson's reluctance to investigate the recent deaths? Also, Tex's drunken state? Vote and comment if you like it! 👍