𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝟮𝟰/𝟳

Chapter 4

 As promised, I went along with Dad down to Kildare academy. I even wore my uniform, but once we got there, we were immediately dispatched out. We hopped in the Sheriff cab, and drove straight to the Thornton's villa on the Kook side on the OBX.

I sat there with Dad, as miss Thornton ordered Topper to press charges against Pope. They had found the ID of the boat who had passed by; it was Heywards.

"He's a good kid," I tried to desperately pleaded.

"You know Heyward—his boy get's good grades ..." Dad was fond of Heyward.

"Press charges," miss Thornton said.

"But—"

"Press charges!"

I dashed out of the house, ignoring my Dad's orders for me to stay. I had to warn Pope, I had to. I was stealing our own cop car (yet again), and driving at a breakneck speed to Pope's house.

I screeched to a stop in front of Heyward's, and ran out of the car. "Pope! Pope!" I ran gasping into the store, where he, Kiara, and JJ were hanging around the cash register with Heyward.

"What the—" JJ said.

"I came as fast as I could—they're going to arrest you," I panted.

"You mean you're going to arrest him!" JJ angrily pushed me away from the group.

"JJ shut up!" Kiara said.

"Topper pressed charges," I said miserably. "And it's too late, they're already here ..."

The sound of sirens approached Heyward's store, and my Dad burst inside. He spotted me, and his expression turned ugly. But he didn't say anything, just ignored me, and tied Pope's hand into handcuffs. He forcibly shoved him outside the store and to the car, ignoring everyone's protests.

When Pope was about to get inside the car, JJ burst out, "It was me!"

Dad paused, and both Pope and him stared at JJ. We all turned to stare at him.

"I was the one who did it. I sunk Topper's boat," JJ swallowed.

"JJ—" I said.

"Shut up, Mercedes!" It was the first time JJ had ever said my name. He turned to Dad, looked him straight in the eye, "You know what I'm like. You know my dad. It was me."

"Is that true?" Dad asked.

Pope swallowed hard. "Yeah."

JJ got in the vehicle with Dad, I tried to follow, but my Dad said angrily, "No. You've done enough. You're released for the rest of the day." He slammed the door shut, and drove off with JJ inside, to be arrested.

"I'm going after him," was all I said to Kiara. I took Heyward's truck, and drove back to the Kildare County Department after them.

When I entered the building, Plumb, a fellow Deputy, said that my father had left to deal with someone else. JJ was in an interrogation room, handcuffed to the metal table, alone, staring at the wall.

"You come to finish me off, sweetheart?" JJ lolled his head back when I sat down across from him.

"JJ, why did you do that?" I said to him.

"Thought if I'm going to be in here someday, might as well be sooner than later," he shrugged.

"JJ, I'm serious," I said.

"Look, just fuck off alright? I'll do whatever I want to do."

"I'm trying to help you!"

"Yeah, look how much 'help' you're doing," he muttered.