WASTE - OUTER BANKS

nine - bodies and the boneyard

Seeing a dead body wasn't on Marina's bucket list, but she helplessly watched as Scooter Grubb's body was rolled off in the distance. Some girl next to them explained that Scooter had been out during the storm. Mari could hear Lana's cries from the shack where she was sitting with the other pogues. It was horrible. 

The girl next to them was showing off a picture she took of the body when JJ asked, "What kind of boat was it?"

"Somehow that dirt bag copped a brand new Grady-White," the girl responded.

Mari felt her stomach drop. She imagined the other pogues felt the same way, based on the way their eyebrows all raised and the quick glances they exchanged. 

Back at the Chateau, a hot debate began on what to do next. 

"We need to have total and complete amnesia," Pope said.

"Actually, Pope's right for once," JJ added, "See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny."

"Guys, we can't keep that money," Kie said.

"Okay. Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara," JJ bit back.

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs, otherwise it's bad karma," Kie continued.

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too," Pope said, "We gotta go dark."

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

"I'm with Kie," Mari added, "We shouldn't keep that money, but how are we supposed to explain how we got it?"

JJ scoffed, "You think Lana would ask us questions?"

"If you would just listen to what I'm saying and let me finish a complete thought you would know I didn't say Lana would be the one asking, what if the cops get -"

"Guys," John B said, stopping what would have surely turned into a bickering match, "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 forty bucks in his pocket and all of a sudden he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'."

The conversation continued all day, mostly because Pope was unconvinced. John B tried to explain his point further as they fished.

"Alright, so think about it Pope, how does a marina rat get a Grady-White?" He asked hypothetically.

"Prostitution," Pope replied.

"Square gropers, bro," John B corrected, "Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean? JJ?" He pointed to JJ like he was a elementary school teacher trying to elicit an answer from a student. 

"They were straight smuggling'," JJ answered.

John B shrugged, his point was proven, "Smugglin'. And I guarantee, there is a serious amount of contraband in that wreck."

"Hell yeah," JJ said, reeling in a fish.

Even when the pogues were done fishing and decided to go inside, the conversation about the Grady-White didn't die.

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

"Right," JJ said, flipping through the stack of cash they had stolen from the motel room, "well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time. All we need to do right now is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then we just lay low. Act normal."