(a/n I'm sorry this is def a shitty filler chapter but it's important to move our plot along, some fun things are coming up so please just hang in there with me)
"I can only help you if you're 100% honest with me" the woman sitting in front of them said
They were currently gathered around Katrina's kitchen table with her lawyer friend, Elizabeth. The pogues were definitely hesitant, when were they ever ones to trust the law? But this felt like the only option they had and they hoped that if they were honest, that something would finally work out for them.
So, with a sigh, they started from the beginning of last summer and retold all the events until they had covered everything.
"You guys have been through a lot" Elizabeth responded, "I think there might be a loophole that would establish you guys as the rightful owners of the gold"
Smiles quickly spread to everyone's faces as they eagerly waited for Elizabeth to keep speaking
"So if my notes are accurate, Barry and the pawnbroker saw the gold before Ward had bought the Crain property. Does that sound right?" Elizabeth questioned
They nodded, to which Elizabeth responded, "Okay, so if we can get the both of them to go on record and say that they saw it, and we're able to compare it to the gold that Ward has stowed away, we can prove that you had found the gold prior to Ward meaning that regardless of his ownership of the property, it's yours"
"Okay, wait. Wouldn't that imply that Crain is technically in rightful ownership since she owned the property prior to Ward?" Lydia asked, trying to piece together the information
"Normally, yes. But the house was being sold by the state, it was reclaimed for bankruptcy purposes and they were letting her live there until they could find a senior home to move her into. So technically it was public land when you found it" Elizabeth answered
"But there's another problem, you know what happened with Barry, there's no chance he'll do anything that helps us" JJ pointed out
"Not unless we pay him" Sarah mumbled, remembering Rafe's encounters with Barry
"Right so we pay back the 25k JJ took, then throw in say an extra 5k for the testimony. All he ever wanted was the money back" John B explained
"For legal reasons I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that but if that's what it'll take, then it has to happen. Ward will have to turn over the gold when we subpoena it as evidence so that part isn't an issue either" Elizabeth smiled slightly
"Are we just gonna ignore the fact that John B is a fugitive and is wanted for a murder that Rafe Cameron did?" Kie pointed out the obvious
"Or the fact that Ward has now killed 3 people: Big John and the 2 square groupers" Lydia added
"Rafe is going to be tricky but we can definitely get Ward for Big John's murder because he not only confessed it to John B, but Lana Grubbs also can testify on behalf of Scooter" Elizabeth continued, "I think the only way that we're going to get Rafe charged is through a confession. There's no other evidence, it's his and Rafe's against John B's and Sarah's"
"How the fuck are we going to be able to get him to confess?" JJ muttered to himself
"Don't worry about Rafe, I'll handle it" Lydia shrugged earning looks of confusion and horror from her friends
"You aren't going anywhere near Rafe" JJ was the first to jump in
"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore" Lydia crossed her arms, she was so tired of everyone feeling the need to protect her like she was an infant
"Seriously though Lydia, you shouldn't be alone with him. He's a killer." Kie squeezed Lydia's hand
"You don't think I have a plan for all that? Seriously, have you met me? Rafe throws parties all the time, and he's always had that thing for me, so I go up while he's partying, crying and sobbing about how he was right about the pogues and whatever. Then I get him fucked up by pretending to do all the drugs with him, so his guard will be down and I guarantee you that it'll come tumbling out. I'll record it, this is the only way, you guys know this" Lydia responded
"I don't like it but it's a good idea" Pope sighed
"Dude, really? Out of everyone here I expected you to convince her how stupid her plan is. We know what Rafe's capable of, especially when he's hallucinating from coke" JJ was furious, he had truly expected Pope to keep Lydia out of danger, especially after seeing her, the way she was, that day on the beach.
"Okay, everyone shut up. I'm doing it, we'll iron out the details later" Lydia sent a glare towards her friends before smiling at Elizabeth, "Thank you so much for your help. Is there anything else you need from us?"
"It's honestly my pleasure, you are all such sweet kids who don't deserve what's been given to them. But no, I don't need anything else. The next step is the 4 of you returning home and getting the evidence. Then, myself, John B and Sarah will join you once the motion is filed and there will be a trial" Elizabeth explained, "I'm giving you my cell number and my office number. Call either of them when you have the evidence or if you run into any problems. I wish you all the best of luck and I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon"
With that, Elizabeth went to find Katrina, and left the pogues sitting in silence, digesting everything that was explained to them.
"There's a lot of planning that needs to happen before anything else. But, I think it's about time we had a proper pogue day. It's been too long since we've had one and we need it. Then we can go back to planning. Y'all in?" John B proposed
They all laughed like it was a stupid question, because it was, for a whole year the four pogues wished more than anything to go back and just have one more lazy day filled with surfing, boating, beers and laughs. They were finally complete again, and despite the cracks, it felt like pure bliss. The 6 of them (now including Sarah) needed each other to live and not in that creepy codependent way. But in the way that when the 6 of them were together, that's when it felt like they were actually living and not just moving through life.
a/n
um yeah, sorry that was boring
it'll get better soon
xo
Haley
YOU ARE READING
Shells
Romance"You and I both know you haven't been okay in months" "So what? It doesn't matter. Not with all the other things we have to worry about." "See that's the problem Lydia. You don't give a shit about yourself and it's going to end up killing you. You...
