Attracting Trouble

Chapter 11: Uncle Brad

I catch a glimpse of Will's truck pulling off the main road and down towards the docks. The place we were almost arrested just the other night.

I park my car along the street and run across the street after making sure it's safe. Even when rush hour is coming, Beverly still isn't that busy.

Not wanting to be seen, I stand behind the laurel that lines the sidewalk and blocks the view of the docks from the road. I never understood why the city doesn't cut this stuff down.

I can't find Will; the laurel is blocking my view of the rest of the docks. All I can see is the office where Chip is probably plopped down stuffing his face with dinner. I laugh at the thought.

After I find the path that Will took me down the other night, I carefully climb down it and come out close to the office where Chip is sitting doing exactly what I thought he was doing.

I carefully sneak past the office and down to the docks where there are several boats floating on the calm waters. The small waves lap against the concrete part of the docks.

I don't see Will anywhere, but there are a few people walking around the boats on the opposite side of me. Maybe he took a boat out?

But why would he? He doesn't even own a boat here. At least, not to my knowledge.

I walk towards the boat that had once been on fire and see just how bad it looks.

The floors on the outside are splintered from things falling while half the boat is engulfed in black soot. On the dock there are saw horses and long boards along with other tools scattered around.

From where I'm standing I can't see inside at the damage, which I'm sure is much worse than the outside, but I don't get a chance too.

Just before someone grabs me from behind, I see someone moving inside the boat.

"Weren't you here the other night? You were almost arrested then, young lady," Chip says as he ushers me back toward the office. "I don't give second chances."

If my heart wasn't beating fast enough before, it definitely is now. I cannot be arrested. There's no way.

"No!" I say on accident. "Um... please, Chip! I can't. I'll leave, okay? I won't come back." I may or may not be panicking now.

Chip takes those handy-dandy handcuffs out of his back pocket and placed them around my wrists. He leads me into the office where I see at least five differently flavored bags of chips and a liter of Coke.

"Come on," I beg. He ignores me as he calls the local police station. I try to block out his conversation with them as I plan my escape route. Then I realize it would be a bad idea to run.

I'm in bad situation as it is.

It doesn't take long for a cop to show up, and to make matters worse, it's my uncle Brad, the local sheriff. I know, I know - how can I get myself into so much trouble and still have a clean slate with my parents when my uncle is the sheriff?

"Jessa Ackerman!" Uncle Brad announces when he walks through the door. "Why am I not surprised?"

I glare at him before storming out of the building before I turn and do something I'd regret to Chip.

I wait by the police car until Uncle Brad makes his appearance. He has to open the door for me and I slide in, my hands still cuffed behind me.

After he gets in, he says, "you'd think you were used to this or something."

"I didn't even do anything," I tell him as I slide to the middle seat. "I was just trying to find someone."

"Who would you be trying to find down there?" He asks me, a small smile on his face.