Gareth Keenan is still investigating
I visited my dad's bowling center in Clarkston over the weekend and went looking around for furniture because when the old owners sold it to my grandparents in 1970 something, they left all of the chairs and tables and shelves. So as I was looking for some sweet vintage chairs, I happened upon this door in a scary back hallway that I had never before seen in twenty years. It was a big heavy sliding door, not unlike the one in Saw and SawII. Creepy, right? And to top it off, it was padlocked shut. So I went and grabbed my dad and asked him where it led, and he said to the basement. The basement! This was news to me.
I asked for the key and we headed back to the door. We unlocked it and walked down a pitch-black stairway that smelled like dead people, I kid you not. It smelled like death and murder. Clue #1.
So we made our way to the bottom of the stairs and found the light. The basement lit up and I was kind of shocked at what I saw. There was a full bar, a wall of mirrors, a dance floor, and tons of tables and chairs just sitting there. It looked as if people had just been in there, hanging out and drinking, and then left as soon as we opened the door. Clue #2.
I asked why the fuck everything looked that way, and my dad said that it had once been a nightclub called The French Cellar. He said it had been the most popular nightclub in the area back in the 70s. My grandparents owned a nightclub? Also news to me. I mean, really. My grandmother carries napkins around in her pocket to blow her nose with. My grandfather eats cabbage soup. They're not exactly hip nightclub people. But, I digress.
Grandparents aside, he still hadn't answered my question. Why were there still albums hanging on the walls? Why were the chairs and tables still set up? Why was there still a cheesy disco ball hanging from the ceiling? Why were the karaoke monitors still set up?
After finally shutting me up, my dad informed me that they had to just suddenly shut down the club one night.. because somebody was MURDERED outside the front door. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
They cleared out the alcohol, shut the doors and left the club.. and more than thirty years later, it's still the same as it was. Just empty and really scary.
So, yeah. That was the scandal that I uncovered this weekend. My family is interesting when I give them a chance.
But is that not shady as fucking shit, though? I mean, really. I want to ask my grandparents about it but I don't think I'd get a straight answer.