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[ just pretend ace is in this picture ]
Chapter nine: moldy cheesecake
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After John B had disappeared under the marsh, Kie was left to stare after the bubbles with melancholy. She couldn't help but think that something would end up going wrong. And her hunch was correct. Unfortunately, nothing ever went smoothly. Not for the Pogues. Not this summer.
He had only been underwater for a minute when the teens were greeted by the sound of police sirens, blaring towards them in the distance. They were patrolling the marsh, looking for Scooter Grubbs' Grady-White.
Ace noticed their boat immediately.
"JJ, cops." She tapped on his shoulder, making him turn around.
"Guys, that's the police." He stared at them, dumbfounded.
"No shit, Sherlock," Ace cried out, trying to whip up a couple plans inside her mind in the few minutes they had, soon deciding that none of them were worth executing.
Not the one where they would attempt to drown two police officers. Not the one where they would all jump overboard and try to hide underwater. And definitely not the one where JJ would bring out his gun. Nope, definitely not that one.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Pope rubbed his neck, tapping his foot nervously.
"Yup, that's the police," JJ confirmed.
"Just act fricken' normal," Kie huffed, fixing her hair and sitting down in a position that indicated she would have been sunbathing, tanning or drinking tequilas—whatever the average teens did these days.
The police boat was inhabited by Shoupe and his partner—the same one they had seen when they were at the motel, rummaging through the safe. It made all of them slightly nervous.
"Evening officers," Pope said politely, looking at them with an anxious smile.
"Evening," Deputy Shoupe remarked, parking their boat next to the HMS before handing the rope that would allow their boats to connect, over to Pope.
"JJ, tie this off," he ordered, handing the rope to him.
"How are you kids doing?" Shoupe looked between the teens, removing his sunglasses from his eyes. "Anderson," he acknowledged Aspen's presence separately, greeting her like an old friend...or enemy.
"Shoupe." She regarded him with a small nod, feeling equally unenthusiastic.
"You know the marsh is closed?" He allowed his eyes to roam around their small boat.
"No, no. Wow." Pope and JJ looked at each other, shaking their heads, acting oblivious.
"I didn't know that, why is it closed?" JJ queried, scratching the back of his head nervously.
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