Low Tide \\ JJ Maybank

Ch 28

I sat in the van with Kie and Sarah, trying to figure the logistics of getting the gold. Kie shows us a diagram that was drawn.

"He said it looked something like this."

"So.." Sarah says.

"That's 50 feet down, they're using 100-foot rope. So I guess this little wagon will go.."

We all let out a giggle at the drawing. It looked as if a small child had drawn it.

"Straight to the gold room." Kie finishes

"Who drew this?" Sarah asks laughing.

"Who do you think?" I laugh looking over at Pope. I catch him staring into the van. There was only one person he could be staring at, the rest of us were taken.

"Kie!" JJ calls out, walking to where we were sat in the van. "This better work." He tosses the gold onto the floor. "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it.

Kiara holds up a blow torch. "It's gonna work."

Kie puts the gold in a pot and begins to melt it down with the blow torch. I stand with an arm around JJ's waist as we watch. She melts if down until the wheat symbol disappears. Once she is finished we all pile into the van and drive to the pawn shop.

We pull up in front of the pawn shop.

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." JJ says sarcastically, analyzing the gold."

"Like you could've done any better." Kie retorts.

"I could have done much better." JJ argues. "I took a welding class."

"When?" Kie demands.

"Guys, stop. It doesn't matter." I butt in.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off. How did I get this job anyway?" JJ asks.

"You're the best liar, J."

The bell rings as we walk into the shop. The woman looks up from the cash register, watching us.

"Afternoon, ma'am." JJ greets.

"Afternoon."

"I see you buy gold."

"That's what the sign says, don't it?"

"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it," JJ shrugs off his backpack, opening it. "Because I'm about to blow your mind." He sets the backpack on the counter. The rest of us pretend to look around the store.

"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it." The woman says smug.

JJ sets the gold on the counter. "How about them gold apples?"

"That ain't real." The woman denies, chuckling.

"That ain't real?" JJ asks.

"It can't be."

"Feel how heavy it is." JJ tells her. I watch as the woman struggles to pick up the gold off the counter. "Mm-hm, mm-hm. Yeah, let's get some light on that."

The woman pulls out a magnifying glass with a flashlight on it. She shines it over the gold. "Spray painted tungsten."

"Spray painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how soft it is?"

The woman takes a small pick and a hammer and hits the gold. She pokes her finger in the area she just hit.

"Wow. Would you look at that?" JJ asks.

"Hold your horses." The pawnbroker says. "We ain't got to the acid test yet."

"Ooh! The acid test." JJ repeats. He looks around at all of us. "My favorite, guys."

The woman takes a small eye dropper of acid and let's a drop fall onto the gold. "Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."

"Ma'am, I'm telling you, this is as real as the day is long."

"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down." The pawnbroker points out.

"My mom." JJ responds. "She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was best to- to melt it down. To 'consolidate' it."

I try to contain my laugh at JJ's story. It was so fake it was silly.

The woman sets the gold in a scale. "Seven pounds. That's a lot of earrings."

"Okay, to be honest, ma'am," JJ clears his throat. "It's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's."

Kie looks over at me, confused. "Alzheimer's?" I shrug at her.

"Give me a minute."

"Take your time, ma'am."

The lady disappears into the back room. She comes back a few moments later.

"So, I, uh.. I talked to my boss."

"And?" JJ presses.

"And, uh, this is what I can do." She sets a piece of paper down in front of my boyfriend.

JJ gives her a pointed look. "Fifty thousand? You think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least."

"Well, sweetie, you in a pawn shop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?"

"Ninety. Or I walk."

"Seventy, half price, and um, I don't ask questions about where you got this."

JJ looks over to John B and I for approval. I nod as John B gives a discreet thumbs up.

"I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please." A smile dances on my lips.

"Well, here's the snag." The lady says. "I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check."

"Cash.. No, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what the sign says." JJ points at the sign on the wall. "Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in the cold hard."

"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have money there. Is that all right?"

"Where's this warehouse?"