The Pogues

Kegger?

The dead body was not a great visual for Cassie. The Pogues were settled in the Marina as a crowd was growing by the fish shops. The police had recovered a body and were transferring it into another car. Scooter's wife came running over and crying, grieving her husband. Instead, she turned and looked at JJ who gave her a smile as John B asked the girl sitting next to him "Who's that?"

Cassie leaned her head on JJ's shoulder as the girl responded, "It's Scooter Grubbs. He was out during the storm."

Cassie turned at her answer and looked at the girl, "What kind of boat did he have?" She looked up in awe at Cassie, "Uh, um, somehow, he copped a brand-new Grady-White. Everyone's out looking for it."

She looked at her friends. This was bad.

~~~

Cassie snuggled next to JJ as Pope burst through the Chateau door. "So, um... we didn't see anything. We don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia."

Cassie put her fore arms on her legs, looking up at JJ, who had gotten up and interjected, "Actually, Pope's right for once. See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny."

Cassie looked between the two boys and added, "That would be the best plan, but --"

Kiara interrupted, "We can't keep that money." JJ looked down at her, "Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara."

Cassie's eyes softened, "JJ-" JJ turned to her and gave a lasting look while Kiara went on, "We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs. Otherwise, it's bad karma." Pope agreed, "Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too. We gotta go dark."

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree," JJ said. 

John B pushed himself off the banister, "I don't agree."

John B walked over to where Cassie was sitting, "Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket, and all of a sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'."

~~~

Cassie looked down at the water below her dangling legs. John B sat above her while Pope and JJ were fishing. "But how does someone like him get a Grady-White?"

Pope guessed, "Prostitution."

John B corrected him, "Square groupers, bro. Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean? JJ?"

JJ put the pieces together, "They were straight smugglin'." "Smugglin'," John B confirmed. He continued, "And I guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in that wreck."

~~~

"For the record, if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband on the inside of it, it probably belongs to someone else--" "Minor details." "--They could come looking for it. Taking it would be catastrophically stupid."

They were sitting in John B's bedroom. Pope was settled on the bed. Kiara and Cassie were sitting on some stools with JJ on the window sill and John B in the corner.

JJ fanned the wad of cash, "Right. Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time. All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal."

Pope looked the teenagers in front of him, "Right. And how exactly do we do that?"

JJ looked at Cassie. Cassie looked at JJ. They did some nods and some eye looks as the remaining Pogues looked at them in confusion while they had a silent conversation.