The Secret of Us

𝐈𝐈𝐈

After seeking the help of the Coast Guard was a failure. The group of teenagers had taken it upon themselves to explore the boat. Mason watched the rest of the Pogues get ready to depart in the boat, leaning against the chateau's porch railing and a little frown wrinkled his forehead. John B seemed to be humming with enthusiasm as he gripped the key they had discovered in the Marsh earlier. Everyone else was ready to start, keen to discover the secret within the boat they had come upon. Everyone except Mason.

"Come on Mason, are you sure you can't just skip out?" JJ asked, his eyes wide with hope as he leaned over the side of the boat.

Mason shook his head and let out a sigh. "JJ, I can't, you know. Storms like this are a goldmine for work. Cleaning up branches, fixing fences... Everyone's paying out cash, and we need that more than I need to go chasing some mystery." He gave his brother a smile. "It's called responsibility; give it a shot sometime."

JJ shakes his head with a sneer. "Nah dude not my kind of thing." He flashed Mason a smile, but his eyes had a gleam of disappointment.

From the boat, John B yelled, "Hey we'll keep you updated on whatever we find," turning to face Mason. "Without you, we won't start the real action"

"Damn right you won't." Mason replied, trying to keep his tone light despite the gnawing feeling that he was missing out. He waved them off as the boat's engine roared to life, carrying his friends away from the dock and out of sight.

As soon as the boat was no longer in sight. Mason let out a breath and looked around the chateau. He didn't want to admit that he felt empty since it was strangely silent now that the others had departed. Instead, he went to his blue, rusty truck and picked up his gloves. There was no time for wallow; work awaited, and work meant money, which meant putting food on the table for both JJ and John B.

Mason was aware that Figure Eight was where the big money was. Wealthy families with large homes that require help putting things back together after the storm. He drove his truck towards the island's wealthier side for his shift at the Cameron's.

He parked his truck outside the Cameron estate--the type of place with columns in front, wide porches, and well-kept lawns. In order to fix the property from the storm, he retrieved his equipment from the bed of his trunk.

After about an hour of hauling branches and securing loose items when he heard the distinct hum of a car coming. When he glanced up to see it Topper's gleaming SUV arrive at the driveway. With his trademark smirk fully in place, Topper walked over to where Mason was working.

"Well, look who's here. Maybank, doing honest work, Didn't think I'd see the day. I figured you'd follow the footsteps of every other Maybank" Topper remarked, leaning against his car, his tone a mix of amusement and something else— something probing.

He looked away refusing to give Topper the satisfaction of seeing the way his words had affected him, Mason remained focused on the task at hand. "Someone's gotta do the dirty job. Figured you rich folks wouldn't want to get your hands dirty."

Topper chuckled and shook his head. "Nah. That's what guys like you are for." He stopped, observing Mason for a second, and then went on. "Must be interesting, working here. Lots of history with this family huh?"

Mason brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't dare to look up. Afraid that his face would be able to give anything away. There was something in Topper's tone that set him over the edge—it wasn't exactly an accusation but it carried a weight of implication. "What's that supposed to mean?" Mason asked, keeping his voice as even as possible.

Topper shrugged, the smirk on his face widening just a bit. "Oh nothing. Just saying, some people seem to be sticking around for reasons other than work. Figured maybe you were one of them"