"Dad! I swear he was here. Look, that's the boat right there, okay?" John B said, pointing down towards the dock at the unfamiliar boat, "And he was sleeping inside right there," he continued pointing back at the Chateau.
"Booker, I think you need to stop and take a breath," Coral demanded coming out of the house with JJ as Sarah sputtered helplessly listening to John B.
"Coralina, I swear to God. You have to believe me!"
"Hell, I wouldn't believe him either," called a voice from behind them.
Spinning around, Coral stumbled back falling into JJ as tears filled her eyes, "Daddy?"
"Hello, Bug," he greeted before opening his arms for Coral.
Blinking, she grabbed JJ's arm, "You see him too, right?" she questioned in disbelief.
Laughing, he nodded, "I do. Go," he said, giving her a small push towards her father.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed, rushing into his arms.
"Awe, Coral Bug, I missed you," he whispered, hugging her tight.
"I just. I don't understand," she said, taking a step back and looking him over, "What happened? Where were you?"
Glancing over her head, he shook his own, "That's a story for another day, Bug, I'm just glad to be home with my kids," he said, giving her another hug.
"I told you he was real," John B stated before wrapping his arms around his sister and father.
Stepping back from his kids John glared at JJ, "I hear in my absence you've corrupted my daughter."
Wide eyed JJ began to stutter, "I…uh….I….didn't," he trailed off as John began to laugh.
"I'm just messin with ya kid," he said, slapping JJ on the back before bringing him in for a hug, "She ends up pregnant though we're gonna have a problem," he continued stepping back to look at both JJ and Coral.
"Daddy!" "No sir!"
"I'm just warning ya now," he told them before turning to greet Sarah, "Hello, Sarah. Or should I say Mrs. Routledge?" he chuckled, wrapping her in a hug, "Welcome to the family."
"Where the hell did you go?" John B questioned.
"Been close to a year since I've seen the island. Just took a morning stroll," John responded, "Gotta figure out the electric situation after all."
"What about it?"
"Well one of you didn't pay the bill," John answered Coral, "So, they turned it off. Cold shower city up here at the Chateau."
"JJ, bought a generator."
"That would be great if we had any gas."
"I could go get some," JJ offered, "I'm sure my dad has some somewhere."
"And in the meantime, Coral, I was gonna head over to Tannyhill, and steal some of my clothes. Possibly find a phone or two. You can come with and shower," Sarah said, "Any of you could actually."
"That's a hard pass from me," John B shook his head, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"I hear you on that son," John laughed, patting John B on the shoulder before walking up onto the porch and back inside the house.
"Yeah, I don't fancy going to Kook land," JJ added.
"Well, I'm going. I need to be clean," Coral declared, "Let me just grab some clothes to change into," she said, hurrying towards the house.
Stepping into the house, she took a good look around, glad to be home. Walking through into the kitchen she furrowed her brow at her father sitting at the table looking at a statue, "What's that?" she asked.
Looking up, he shoved the statue back into John B's bookbag, "Nothing, Honey. Just something your brother and I picked up in Barbados."
Blinking, she slowly nodded, "Okay, did JB tell you about the man who took me? Carlos Singh. He thinks the treasure of the Royal Merchant and Pope's family's cross all leads to some city of gold."
Nodding, he stood from the table shouldering the bag, "He mentioned something about it. Real glad you're safe, Cory," he said, kissing her forehead, "I'm gonna check out what's left of my office," he told her before disappearing down the hall.
Sighing, she shook her head in disappointment before the kitchen sink caught her attention. Sitting right where she'd left them was a pile of dirty dishes floating in dirty stagnant water, "Gross," she muttered before turning and heading down to her room.
After finding her backpack she rolled a pair of JJ's shorts and a t-shirt up tucking them inside along with two sets of her own clothes. Tucking her wallet inside she dug out what was left of the squirrel fund and her bar of gold and added them to the bag along with a few other essentials, including an old phone she could get reactivated. She knew her father and brother were up to something having to do with the city of gold and with their luck she wasn't about to be stranded without anything anymore. Everywhere she went her bag was coming with her.
Walking back outside she found Sarah and John B waiting for her, each holding a bike up, "Where's JJ?"
"Said he wanted to go check on the house and he'd be back later," her brother answered, "I dug these out of the work shed for you two," he told her, indicating the bikes.
"Any thoughts on where the Twinkie is?" she asked, taking the bike he held by the handlebars.
"My guess? The police probably impounded it again."
"Well, I probably have enough to get the electric on, but I don't know about springing the Twinkie. I was gonna see about getting my job back at The Wreck."
"It's fine. We'll worry about the electric first. Maybe Dad can talk to Shoupe or something about the van," he responded.
Nodding, she swung her leg over the bike, "Alright, well we'll be back, just try and stay out of trouble till we do."
"What trouble could I possibly get into?"
Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him, "I know you and Daddy are up to something. I'm not stupid there's a reason he didn't say where he's been, and I just caught him inside fondling some ancient looking statue. So, again, stay out of trouble," she repeated.
"I agree with your sister," Sarah declared, blowing John B a kiss, "Toodles!" she called over her shoulder as the girls rode away.
"Is this gonna be a repeat of the Bahamas?"
Glancing at Sarah, Coral snorted, "No. This will be much worse than the Bahamas if my father is involved," she replied as they peddled towards the other side of the island and Tannyhill.
"Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you?" Coral questioned, slipping her shoes back on and standing up from Sarah's old bed.
Digging through her old nightstand, Sarah shook her head, "No, you're all showered and ready to go. If you wait for me to shower and change you won't be able to make it to the electric company. Aha! I knew I had one too," she said, pulling out an old phone and charger. Standing up she swapped out the phone already plugged into a charger plugged into the wall outlet.
"While you were in the shower I found this old one of Wheezie's," she told Coral handing her the phone, "It's one of the first phones she had so it's a prepay. You just have to get a card to reactivate it. I wrote the account information down," she continued plucking a sticky note off of her nightstand and handing that over too.
"I have an old phone I'm gonna reactivate," Coral told her.
"Well, I'm sure JJ needs a phone too or John B. Just take it," Sarah insisted.
Taking the phone, charger, and sticky note Coral thanked her as she shoved it all into her bag, "Alright, I'm gonna head over and get the electric on and see about getting some phones activated. Then see if JJ went back to the Chateau."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you there after I'm done here."
Leaving Sarah in her old room busy packing up a bag of her clothes, Coral let herself out of the house. Climbing on her bike she headed into town to take care of everything before heading back to the Chateau.
Riding up to the back porch she hopped off her bike, letting it land in the grass before hurrying up the steps onto the porch. Stopping short at the white envelope taped to the back door she ripped it down reading her brother's sloppy handwriting, "Found the Twinkie. Off with Pops. See you soon. John B" she read aloud, "Well that's the opposite of staying out of trouble," she stated, shaking her head.
Deciding not to wait around she stuck the envelope back on the door before going back to retrieve her bike. Setting it up right she threw her leg over it before peddling off in search of JJ.
Coasting into his backyard, she called out to him, "Hey, what happened to you coming back to the Chat?" she asked, jumping off her bike letting it land once again in the grass.
Squinting up from where he stood working on his dirtbike he shrugged, "Got busy," he responded leaning over the bike.
"What's with the sign?" she questioned, glancing at the yellow police tape across the door.
"Eviction notice," he grunted, "For like nonpayment or whatever," he continued, standing up straight and picking up another tool, "Doesn't matter. This place sucks anyway."
Chewing on her lip, Coral debated on pushing the issue, "Well it's not like you were living here. We'll just get the rest of your stuff and move it to the Chateau."
Snorting, JJ rolled his eyes, "You really think your dad is going to let me continue staying there? What planet do you live on, Coralina?" he said to her, turning back to his dirt bike.
"Why wouldn't he? You were there all the time anyway."
"Yeah, as John B's friend from down the street. Not as the guy fucking his daughter," he responded harshly.
Blinking, Coral winced at his words, "Don't degrade what we have, JJ."
"What we have," he shook his head, "We're just two stupid kids playing house Coralina. Your dad made that plenty clear," he snapped at her tossing the wrench he held back onto the table.
"What are you talking about JJ. He welcomed you to the family."
"No, he welcomed Sarah to the family. All I got was a warning about getting you pregnant."
Furrowing her brow she looked at him confused, "JJ what is going on?"
"I mean this was all gonna blow up anyway," he ranted, pacing around the yard before turning to look at her, "You know, you got your dad back. You don't need me anymore. I can't give you what you deserve."
"Yes you can!"
"Look at this place Coralina!" he yelled, gesturing to the run down house with the police tape over the door, "This piece of shit!" he exclaimed, picking up a beer bottle and hurling it at the house, "Getting kicked out of this place in three weeks anyway. Shit, I don't got parents right now and you do."
"What does that have to do with us? I'm not doing this with you again, JJ. This is just Rafe Cameron all over again, and you need to get out of your own head!" she exclaimed.
"I'm in my head, Coralina, I'm the only one thinking. My dad is right, this isn't gonna work. I'm a loser, case in point," he responded, gesturing towards the house.
"Unless your name is on the fucking deed of this house you had nothing to do with the eviction, JJ. It's your dad," she stated, "It's always been your dad and you are not your fucking dad! Now I've had enough of this fucking shit. I'm going back to the Chateau where by the way my dad has already taken off to parts unknown with my brother. So, when you get over your own issues that's where I'll be. Oh, here's a fucking phone too because that's what we do. We take care of each other," she reminded him, slapping Wheezie's phone onto his work table before picking up her bike and peddling off.
Riding into her yard, Coral jumped off her bike letting it fall before running towards the girl sitting outside the work shed, "You're alive!" she exclaimed, hugging Kie.
Laughing, Kie took a step back, "I am. It was touch and go for a while, but I told them I had to come check on you guys. You've been crying," she noticed, "What's going on? I saw your dad and John B already took off," she said, holding up the note John B had left on the door.
Sniffling, Coral shook her head, "JJ, being JJ. He'll figure it out," she replied, waving a hand dismissively.
"Well, he's gonna have to figure it out fast because I met up with Sarah before coming over. Rafe's back on the island."
"What?"
"He was at Tannyhill but Sarah doesn't think he saw her."
"I was at Tannyhill too. Thank God I left when I did. Does she know what he's doing back in the OBX?"
"She overheard him talking to Ward. She thinks it was about the cross and overheard them talking about it coming into Wilmington tomorrow night. We figure he's trying to sell it."
"Shit. Does Pope know?"
"He's on lockdown so Sarah went to tell him," Kie responded.
"Great. Pope's on lockdown, John B is MIA, and JJ is acting like everything we went through was for nothing."
"Well, looks like it's up to the ladies to come up with a plan then."
"Yeah, any ideas?" Coral questioned.
"No idea," Kie replied, shrugging.
"Coralina! Where is your brother!"
Wincing, the girls turned to find Sarah striding across the yard after coming out of the house.
"I told you it would be worse than Barbados."