The Song Remains The Same

Chapter 17

“All packed?” Dean peeked his head in the door and asked.

“All packed,” I replied with a nod. “Got a lead yet?”

“Who knows. Sammy is convinced it’s a lead but I’m not so sure,” Dean said. 

“The case is in St. Louis. Apparently a college friend of Sam’s has a brother who is in jail. The police say he murdered his girlfriend. But the sister claims that there’s no way he could’ve done it, because he was with the sister having a few beers when the murder happened,” Dean explained. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like our kind of thing.”

He was right, it didn’t seem like our kind of case. But if Sam wanted to go check it out, I was okay with that. Besides, it was better safe than sorry.

I picked up my bags and handed them over to Dean, before giving one last look around my bedroom. I’d lived here since I was six. It was bittersweet, leaving it, but it also meant the beginning of a new adventure. And that was what I was looking forward to.

“Well if it turns out to be a bust, maybe we can visit the arch,” I teased.

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. I kissed him on the cheek and pushed him out the door into the hallway. “Will you take that down for me? I’ll be down in a minute.”

Dean raised his eyebrow, questioning, but when I didn’t elaborate, he nodded and took my things down the stairs.

I sighed and went back into the room, closing the door behind me. I sat on my bed and looked down at my hands. My stomach turned. This may be the last time I ever see the inside of this room .

“Hey Mom,” I said softly. “I can’t get out to your grave. We’re taking off in a bit. There’s a case in St Louis… or at least, a lead there. I’m sorry I can’t get out to see you, but I have a feeling that if you can hear me there, you can hear me here too. I love you Mom. Don’t forget that.”

I stood and made my way to the door. I left without one look back. Somehow, it was easier that way.

***

We’d been on the road for most of the day. We’d just made it over the Mississippi into Missouri. I’d slept through most of the trip, although the back seat seemed less comfortable than I remembered.

As we rolled into the hotel parking lot, I sat up in my seat and stretched, yawning loud enough to wake the dead.

“You alright back there?” Dean asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror like I was insane.

“I’m fine,” I said, my voice wavering from yet another yawn.Sam and Dean both chuckled and shook their heads.

I got out of the car and made my way to the office. The motel was just like the one in Wisconsin; dark and slightly dingy. This time, however, there was an old man at the counter. His eyes lit up when he saw me and I had to fight to choke down the bile that rose in my throat.

“What can I do for you dear?” he asked. The double meaning was not missed by me.

“Two rooms. One with a king and one with two twins. Preferably conjoined,” I told him.

“You must be staying with some friends,” he said, his tone becoming creepier by the minute.

“Oh no,” I replied. “Just me, my boyfriend, and his brother. They’re in the old Impala,” I said, gesturing out the window. The color in his face all but left as he took in Sam and Dean. He began to sputter and nearly threw the keys at me.

“C-c-cash or c-c-charge?” he asked hurriedly.

“Charge please,” I said, handing him one of Dean’s phony cards.I tried my hardest to suppress my smirk but it wasn’t working too well.