ᴀᴜɢᴜsᴛ | ᴊᴊ ᴍᴀʏʙᴀɴᴋ

Dᴇᴀᴅ Cᴀʟᴍ

JJ opens his bag and sets the gold on the counter. "How about them gold apples ?"

"That ain't real." She chuckles

"That ain't real ?"

"It can't be." She laughs

"Feel how heavy it is."

The lady tries to lift the gold, but struggles to do so.

"Mm-hm. Mm-hm !" JJ says as she finally lifts it, "Let's get some light on that."

She turns her light on and shines it on the gold. "Spray-painted tungsten."

"Spray-painted tungsten ? Really ? Okay." JJ nods, "Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is ?"

"You mind ?"

"No, go for it."

The pawnbroker hits it to try and chip it off, but it doesn't work.

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

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

"Ooh ! The acid test." JJ says looking around at the other teens, "My favorite, guys."

Estrella shakes her head with a smile on her face.

The lady uses a dropper to pour the acid on the gold. She realizes it is in fact real. "Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."

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

"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down."

She looks to him for an answer and JJ is quick with his response, "My mom. She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was best to... to melt it down. To "consolidate" it."

She sets it on the 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."

"Mm-hm."

Estrella looks to Pope with a confused look, "Alzheimer's ?" She whispers

"Give me a minute."

"Take your time, ma'am." JJ says as she goes to the back.

Pope and Kie go over to JJ. Estrella couldn't make out what they were saying, but she could tell the lady came back out when they ran back toward her.

"So, I, uh," She clears her throat, "I talked to my boss."

"And ?"

"And, uh, this is what I can do." She says setting a paper down

"Fifty thousand ?" JJ says, "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 pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you ?"

"Ninety, or I walk."

"Seventy. Half price... and, um..." She gets closer and lowers her voice. "I don't ask questions about where you got this."

JJ looks to John B who gives him the go ahead. "I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please."

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

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