Coralina Routledge, twin sister of John Booker Routledge, needs a distraction from the chaos of her life. Her father, Big John, known throughout the North Carolina island of Kildaire as a crazy treasure hunter is always running off and leaving his...
"John B wants to go talk to Lana Grubbs today," Coral mentioned as she and JJ laid together in the hammock, "He thinks she might know why her husband had our dad's compass."
"That doesn't seem like it's going to go over well," JJ commented, "I'm sure she'll be jumping for joy to talk to us. I mean it's not like her husband just died."
"I need you to go with him. I can't go," she whispered.
Glancing down at her he asked if she was okay. "Yesterday being shot at was a little terrifying and then finding his compass," she trailed off, "I just can't be led down a path where this may not be real," she told him.
"I get it," he told her, kissing her forehead, "I'll go with him for you."
"Thank you," she whispered, squeezing him.
Coral was outside cleaning up the yard when the boys returned with Pope and Kie. She'd barely turned around before JJ was out of the van and tearing across the yard towards her.
"Coral! Holy shit Baby Girl, I didn't think I'd ever see you again," he cried wrapping his arms around her and squeezing the breath out of her.
"JJ, I can't breathe!"
Loosening his grip he apologized, "I just didn't think I'd make it back to you," he told her dramatically.
"What are you talking about? How much weed have you smoked today?" she questioned moving so she could see his face.
"I haven't," he denied, "But I need to," he declared, "Come on John B and I have to tell you all what happened," he said pulling her towards the house where the others were sitting on the porch.
"So we pull up to Miss Lana's and we're on our way across the yard when all of a sudden we hear shouting and banging from inside," John B was saying as she and JJ joined the others on the porch.
"I mean it was like boom boom boom shit falling off the house," JJ took over, "Look look I have paint in my hair," he declared bending his head towards Kie. "Ewww JJ that's dandruff," the curly haired girl exclaimed wrinkling her nose.
"No, no it was the guys. The guys we saw out in the marsh," John B told them, "They were ripping Miss Lana's house apart."
"I'm telling you we were outside and I'm just looking at him just waiting for death," JJ declared dramatically before pulling out his juul and taking a hit of it.
"So you're saying you saw the guys who shot at us?" Pope questioned, "Well did you get a good description of them?" he asked when JJ nodded.
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"Yeah, anything we can take to a police report?" Kie asked.
"Anything at all would be helpful. Maybe they've been into the Wreck and we'd recognize them," Coral added waiting for JJ to answer them.
