-----------The Deserter Chapter 3-------------------

"Good afternoon sir, can I get you some coffee to start off?" asked Ryan in an exasperated tone. The cafe was crowded, and it didn't help matters that one of the waiters hadn't shown up for their shift.

"A good waiter ALWAYS makes eye contact Mr. Atwood" replied the man in a mocking sort of tone.

Ryan's head jerked up

"Mr Cohen!....what are you doing here..?" replied Ryan in a surprised voice.

"Nice to see you too Ryan" Sandy said, beaming up at Ryan. His face slowly turned serious. "Can we talk?"

"Well i'm not off for another 30 minutes..." replied Ryan

"Don't worry I can wait" said Sandy
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"I can't believe she did this to me.." exclaimed Jimmy, his voice wavering.

Jimmy and Kirsten sat at the kitchen table in the Cohen household sipping coffee.

"How did this happen..I mean, did you have any idea that she was going to do this?" replied Kirsten.

"None" said Jimmy "One day she was kissing me seemingly happy as can be, and the next day she was....gone"

Kirsten sighed and stood up to refill her cup.

"Jimmy, I know she meant a lot to you, but this is what she does. She constantly disappears only to return when she runs out of money"

"Yea...but I thought that I had finally given her a reason to stay" replied Jimmy sadly, " The Jimmy curse strikes again..Hayley, Julie and.....you"

The conversation fell ackwardly quiet. A lawnmower hummed off in the distance.

"Well....maybe she's just gone for a few days...you can never tell with her" exclaimed Kirsten, breaking the silence.

"Without telling me?" replied Jimmy, his eyes gazing sadly off into space. "I doubt it".

Kirsten put her cup down on the counter and walked over to Jimmy and hugged him.

"Just give it a few days...she loved you...she'll come back" said Kirsten, trying to comfort him yet not quite believing it herself.
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"I can't do this anymore Matt, someone is going to catch on"

"You really think i'm just going to walk away because you ask nicely?" replied Matt, chuckling. "Silly Girl".

Marissa and Matt sat at a table in the dark cement basement of the Bait Shop, a place she had become quite familier with during her money exchanges with Matt.

"I'm telling you, someone is going to notice, and if they catch me, they'll eventually trace the money back to you. Caleb has his ways" Marissa replied, a look of worry heavily apparent on her face.

"You gunna tell him or something?..cause that's the only way my name would come up" replied Matt in a menacing tone. "I worked for your father for years, you really think I don't know his methods? Nice try though"

Marissa closed her eyes and sighed. He had this well planned out. She couldn't outsmart him so what options did she have? Marissa opened her eyes.

"You'll get the rest of your money don't worry, just give me some time" she said.

"Time is your enemy Marissa, I want to see more money...and fast" replied Matt in a threatning tone.
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"So Mr. Cohen, what brings you to Chino?" asked Ryan as they walked down the cement walkway.

Ryan glanced over at the litter riddled beach, quite unlike something that would be found in Newport.

"Well Ryan we have a bit of a situation. It's about Seth" replied Sandy.

"Ahh well you know Seth, teenage angst at its finest" Ryan said grinning.

Sandy smiled slightly but remained quiet. Ryans grin slowly turned into a look of concern.

"What is it?" asked Ryan curiously

"Seth's run away, in his boat. We're not sure where he went, but he's been missing all summer" said Sandy in a concerned tone.

Ryan stopped.

"He's run away...no goodbye? no nothing?"

"He left us a note. He told us that he loved us but that he needed to fix his life, something that he said he couldn't do in Newport." replied Sandy. "He said there was nothing there for him"

Ryan remained silent for a few moments and then looked up with wide eyes.

"I know where he is!"
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