MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

mustache

THE SMOOTH METAL OF WARD CAMERON'S GUN gleamed in the soft lamplight of Shoupe's office. Karolina placed it, wrapped halfway in the cloth JJ had provided, in front of the interim sheriff himself. The silence around them thickened. She and Kiara sat in the desk chairs, still covered in dirt, mud, and sewage water- a little payback for the sheriff not believing them the first time.

His blue eyes narrowed at them. "So, y'all are telling me this is the firearm Rafe Cameron killed Peterkin with?" he asked slowly.

JJ nodded, placing his hand on Karolina's shoulder. "That's exactly what we're telling you, Shoupe."

"And that's the exact same firearm that Ward just used to kill Gavin," Pope added.

"And where's that corpse again?"

Kiara gaped at him. "Didn't you look?"

Shoupe sighed, running a hand over his hair. "I checked the hospital. I went by his house. He was out."

Karolina's lips parted in a scoff. Kiara leaned forward, placing her hands on the desk, saying incredulously, "He was out?"

"No shit! Cause he's dead!" JJ cried, and Karolina reached up to grab the hand he was gesticulating wildly with. It'd been a long day, and they were all on edge.

"Listen to yourself, it makes perfect sense-"

"Just because he's not in his damn home does not mean he's the victim of a homicide," finished Shoupe. Karolina's fingernails dug into he wooden armrests, leaving little crescents in the wax.

JJ ripped off his cap, squeezing it in his hand, muttering, "You gotta be kidding..."

Sharing a look with Pope, Karolina heard Kie's desperate attempt to make the sheriff do something. "I mean, are you at least gonna send it in for ballistics or something, or are you just gonna sit on your ass-"

"He'll sit there and wax that damn mustache!" JJ pointed at the hair on Shoupe's lip. "Is that even real?!"

Shoupe got to his feet instantly, face flushing with anger. "I'll wax your-"

"Shut up, JJ!" cried Pope, and the boy simmered slightly. In any other situation, Karolina would've laughed. But she was biting her lip instead, shaking her head. They should've known that even if they found stone cold evidence, Shoupe wouldn't do anything. JJ was right; he was under Ward's control, and always had been.

JJ pouted his lips. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt his feelings?"

Karolina stood from her seat, watching as Shoupe made his way to the door and Kie cried, "It's not fair!"and Pope told JJ to shut up again.

"Four eyewitnesses, Shoupe- and you won't even look into it?" the blonde girl asked him, disbelief coating her features. The man seemed to falter for an instant, then his gaze shifted to JJ over her shoulder. For a second, Karolina thought that he might be reconsidering.

"Eyewitnesses from four teenagers with personal vendettas to the murder with no corpse to be found is not good enough," he replied after a tense moment. Her shoulders sunk as he threw open the door. "Get out. I got work to do, and y'all are smelling' up my office."

Kiara rose and was the first to leave, sparing him a tearful glance as she asked helplessly, "Did Ward bribe you? This doesn't make any sense..."

JJ took Karolina's hand in his and he walked from the office after her, muttering under his breath, "You ain't gotta do shit..."

"Out!" Shoupe hollered, and Karolina squeezed his hand.

They should've known it was too good to be true.