Jumping as the judge banged her gavel Coral felt JJ squeeze her hand.
"John Booker Routeledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14 you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty," the judge announced striking her gavel one more time as the courtroom erupted.
"Your honor he's not even seventeen!" JJ yelled standing up angrily.
"Stop," Pope hissed at the outraged boy. "No, he's only sixteen!" JJ exclaimed.
"Quiet!" the judge demanded, banging her gavel again, "Bailiff!"
"John B, we're gonna figure it out!" JJ continued to yell as Coral stood and tried to move closer to her brother.
"JB! Booker!" she cried moving forward only to have the bailiff step in front of her and hold her back.
"Stop! Don't touch her!" Kie yelled at the bailiff shoving him away from Coral as she took her arm and led her back to JJ, "Come on guys. Sarah let's go," Kie said as she gathered the Pogues and moved them out of the courthouse.
Taking JJ's hand Coral let him steer her out of the courthouse and down the steps. Ignoring the looks and the comments coming from the crowd she stared straight ahead.
"I should have never come home," Sarah sniffled wiping her face with the back of her hand.
"You should've never trusted your father," Coral snapped, glaring at the girl, "Now my brother could die because of your family."
"Coral," JJ whispered as Sarah began to cry harder.
"Sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system works."
Stopping dead Coral turned to the crowd of people surrounding Ward and Rose Cameron, "Will you shut the fuck up. Of course you think the system works because it was made to protect you and people like you."
"He'll have his day in court and we'll let the jury decide."
"He shouldn't even be in court," Kie spoke up coming to stand next to Coral, "You should, cause you're a murderer!" she exclaimed, pointing to Ward.
"You have a lot of nerve showing up here. You're the reason, you and your despicable son, for my brother even being in this mess."
"I'd watch your tone young lady," Rose Cameron said, pointing at Coral, "We're still your guardians and the only reason you're being allowed to stay in that run down shack you call a home is because we allow it."
Glancing at Kie, Coral looked back at Rose Cameron's smug face before launching herself at the woman, "You fucking bitch!" she yelled taking a swing at the woman only to be hauled back by Shoupe.
"Damn it Coralina," he grunted shoving her back into JJ, "Don't make me arrest you."
"Why don't you take the Kooks down for a change?" JJ suggested to Shoupe, "Oh, that's right, they've got you in their pockets."
"Do you want to get arrested?" Shoupe questioned glaring at the teens.
"This is bullshit," Kie muttered.
"You know it's not a coincidence that your daughter is sitting with us," Coral called over her shoulder as the police pushed them to walk away.
"That fucking bitch," Coral seethed as she paced the length of the porch, "Making it sound like they're doing me such a huge favor letting me stay in my house. And how the fuck can they still be my guardians?" she questioned as she stopped pacing and looked around at her friends sitting on the Chateau porch.
"I mean technically they probably still are since your Uncle isn't back yet and Ward was the last person to take that responsibility," Pope spoke up cautiously shrinking back when Coral turned her glare on him.
"Have you tried getting a hold of Teddy?" Kie asked.
"Yeah, his number's disconnected," Coral replied, "Guess raising two kids didn't fit into his lifestyle," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Guys, we need to figure out what we're gonna do for John B. They're gonna kill him."
"I'm gonna testify under oath. I was there," Sarah said, looking at JJ, "I just need to get a hold of my sister."
"Your sister?" Coral questioned.
"Yes, Wheezie is the only other person who knows that Rafe wasn't home that day. Kie do you have your phone?" she asked, taking the phone when Kie held it out to her.
"Wheezie?" JJ said rolling his eyes, "We're gonna base John B's innocence on you and Wheezie?"
"Yes! Look, I got us into this mess. I'm gonna do my best to get us out," Sarah declared before walking inside with Kie's phone.
"Well she's right about one thing. We need to do something," JJ said looking at the others, "Our boy is a PO-dub right now, okay? He's being held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution. Are we just gonna sit here?"
"So what's the plan? We kidnap Shoupe?" Kie responded sarcastically.
"Maybe, like, that's not the worst idea actually."
"JJ," Coral shook her head.
"That is actually the worst idea I've ever heard," Pope remarked.
"It's pretty bad," Sarah agreed looking up from Kie's phone from inside the house.
"You know what? You stay out of this," Coral snapped at Sarah, "JJ, we can't kidnap Shoupe."
"Look, we need to do something," JJ insisted. "Okay, so what's your plan?" Pope asked, standing up, "You gonna storm a jail, guns a blazing?"
"All I'm trying to get you to understand is they got our boy. We can't sit here and do nothing. We need to go get his ass. We need to do something!"
"JJ, we're not storming a jail!" Pope exclaimed.
"Fine, do nothing," he said to Pope before looking at Coral, "What about you? They have your brother. Are you going to do something?"
Sighing Coral shrugged, "There's nothing we can do. Pope's right we can't bust him out of jail."
Scoffing JJ shook his head, "Fine, guess I'm on my own," he said before throwing the porch door open and storming off the porch to his dirt bike.
"Should we be worried?" Pope questioned.
"Yes." "For sure," Kie and Coral answered at the same time.
"Look, I'm gonna hit my parents up, and see if I can get money for a lawyer," Kie told them.
"He has a public defender he doesn't need that now."
"Are you crazy? Justice costs money," she responded to Pope.
"You're right," Pope conceded, "So, I'm gonna dig in hard into anything I can find out about this key, because that tape that Limbrey has, that's exculpatory evidence. That can exonerate John B."
"Great, the scooby gang is on the case. I'm going to lay down," Coral told them walking into the house.
Glancing at Sarah, Coral continued into her room, throwing herself onto her bed.
Taking deep calming breaths she attempted to get her anger and anxiety under control as she felt her hands begin to shake. Flexing her fingers she shook her hands out.
"Coral?"
Turning her head she raised her eyebrows at the girl standing in her doorway.
"I um was gonna take a shower. I was wondering if you thought John B would mind if I borrowed one of his t-shirts."
"It's not like he can wear them right now."
Pursing her lips Sarah fidgeted in the doorway, "Are you mad at me?"
"Oh, I don't know Sarah," she responded sarcastically, "We told you not to go home and you did anyway insisting that Ward wasn't what we warned you he was and now my brother's in jail because your father had you followed. Why would I ever be mad?"
Swallowing Sarah nodded, "I'm really sorry," she whispered before turning to head into John B's room.
Sighing Coral rolled to her side and closed her eyes.
After taking a nap, Coral woke up to the sounds of someone moving around in the living room. Rising from her bed she went to see who it was surprised to find Kie putting sheets on the pull out bed.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"My mom flipped her shit and booted me out," Kie answered as she continued making the bed.
"Kie?"
Sniffling Kie turned to look at Coral, "I'm fine. I'll just stay here for a few days till she cools down. I mean if you're okay with that."
"Of course I'm okay with that," she replied, "I'm really sorry."
"What are you sorry for?"
"Everything. This whole mess has basically imploded everyone's life."
"Coral, none of this is your fault. It not John B's fault or Sarah's," she responded, "It's Ward's."
Pursing her lips, Coral nodded, "You're telling me that for a reason."
"You're blaming her for something Ward did."
"I know. I know in the back of my mind it's not her fault, but I'm just so fucking angry."
"Then channel that anger at the right person."
"Well, he's not here," she retorted, before looking around, "Where is she?"
"I saw her out by the dock when I got here."
"I'll talk to her then. Are you hungry? I thought I'd see what food is left in the pantry."
"Probably nothing," Kie replied, "JJ, was pretty much living here by himself after you guys disappeared, and as far as I know he spent the time either drunk or high," she said following Coral into the kitchen.
Finding a box of spaghetti and sauce Coral got to work making dinner, "Has JJ been back yet?" Kie asked as the two girls ate.
"Not as far as I know," Coral responded glancing out the window to the darkening sky, "He's been gone all day which probably means he's up to something."
"Well I have no bail money," Kie commented.
"The squirrel fund should be in tact unless JJ got into it," Coral said, getting up and grabbing the container above the fridge, "So nevermind," she rolled her eyes pulling two twenties out, "Well I do have one single gold bar. Maybe Shoupe will take a trade."
"You still have a bar?"
"Yeah, I'm saving it for a rainy day."
Hearing the porch screen slam, Coral poked her head out of the kitchen as Sarah came walking inside the house. Stopping at the sight of Coral Sarah looked around nervously.
"I made spaghetti. If you're hungry," she invited.
Nodding Sarah walked across the living room and into the kitchen, joining Kie and Coral at the table.
"I got a hold of Wheezie," Sarah told them quietly, "I'm meeting her later at Deach's Point."
Sighing Coral glared at Kie when she kicked her under the table, "I'm sorry, for blaming you," she apologized.
"I understand. I'm blaming myself."
"You shouldn't. This is all Ward. He's manipulative," Kie said.
"He told me when I saw him there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect the family. I'm afraid to find out how much farther he can go," Sarah admitted.
"Me too," Coral responded.
"Are you sure you don't want one of us going with you?" Kie questioned later as Sarah prepared to leave to meet her sister.
"No, I'll be fine," Sarah insisted, "Besides you guys have to stay here and wait for the call to bail JJ out," she said, reminding them that the blonde boy had yet to show up.
"True," Coral muttered.
"I'm gonna get a shower," Kie decided after Sarah left. "Okay, I'll be in my room," Coral told her walking down the hallway.
Using Kie's phone she texted JJ asking where he was. Waiting on a response she decided to clean her room.
It was obvious this is where JJ had stayed when he thought she was dead as there were beer bottles and half smoked joints all over.
She was in the middle of throwing trash into a trash bag when she heard Pope's voice in the living room talking to Kie.
Leaving her trash bag she headed out of her room to the living room.
"So I went to my great grandma's place and, uh, I found this," Pope was saying as she walked in to find him holding a key in the air.
"Holy shit!" Kie exclaimed, "This is exactly what we need to get the evidence!"
"I know right! I was right in the room and it came right out the ceiling."
"You found it?" Coral questioned wide eyed as she hurried across the room to look at the key Kie held.
"I did!"
"Is this writing?" Kie asked squinting as she looked at the key.
"Oh yeah, turn the lights off," Pope told Coral. "Why?" Kie questioned as Coral went to the wall and flipped the light switch off.
"Just trust me," he replied, grabbing one of the couch cushions. Taking out his flashlight he aimed it at the key while Kie held it. Hitting the cushion a cloud of dust rose up reflecting the words on the key.
"Holy shit!"
"I know, right!"
"How did you even figure that out?
"It's so freaking cool!"
"Wait, do it again," Coral told him.
Hitting the cushion again they watched as the words appeared, "Path to the tomb begins in the island room," she read, "What the fuck does that mean?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I think it has something to do with Denmark Tanny," Pope told them, "And an angel. Because I remember Limbrey saying something about an angel and how the key led to a cross."
"Pope this is insane!"
"You're a freaking genius, Pope."
"Thank you," he responded smiling at Kie.
"It kind of makes you wonder what the island room is," Kie remarked.
"It makes me wonder when the last time these cushions have been cleaned," Coral said hitting the couch cushion again grimacing when a cloud of dust floated up.
Hearing Kie's phone chime, Coral pulled it out of her pocket, "Are you fucking kidding me!" she exclaimed reading the text from JJ.
"What's the matter?"
"We have to go; JJ's in trouble!"
Running out of the house the three jumped into Kie's SUV, "Where am I going?"
"He's in an ambulance. I don't know," Coral told her, "Fourth and Seventh!"
Stomping on the gas Kie drove as fast as she could, "I'm gonna kill him," she muttered.
Hearing her from the backseat Coral snorted, "There's gonna be nothing left when I get a hold of him."
"There they are!" Pope yelled.
"Hold on!" Kie exclaimed as she ran the stop sign and slammed on the breaks in the middle of the intersection causing the ambulance to squeal to a stop inches from the car while the police kept driving through the intersection.
"Sorry!" Kie yelled. "She just got her license!" Pope yelled as the driver of the ambulance yelled for Kie to get out of the way.
"He's clear," Coral hissed as she saw JJ running across the road and disappearing into the trees.
Waving Kie continued through the intersection, "Go around the block," Pope told her, "He'll come out back down on second if he went through the woods."
Pulling to the side of the road Coral sighed with relief when she saw JJ emerge from the trees. Flinging the back door open she slid to the other side so he could jump inside.
"I'm seriously not even going to ask," Coral stated, rolling her eyes.
"Look, I busted the wrong guy out of jail. Sue me," JJ responded.
"What?!" Kie exclaimed.
"At least I was trying."
"Why are you always doing such stupid shit?"
"Kie, that's not helpful," Coral chastised.
"Well, I'm gonna end up in jail anyway, so...." JJ trailed off with a shrug, "So why does it matter."
"You actually believe that?" Coral questioned looking at the boy next to her.
"It's in my blood!"
"Stop the car, Kie!"
"What?"
"Stop the god damn car!" Coral repeated as she opened her door.
"Coral!"
"What are you doing?"
"If you think that you're just gonna end up in jail and it doesn't matter, then what the fuck are we even doing together?" Coral questioned glaring at JJ before jumping out of the car, "I'll just give this back to you," she said throwing her ring onto his lap before slamming the door.
"Coral! Get back in the car!"
Shaking her head she flipped him off before taking off down the street away from her boyfriend and friends who continued calling her name as she ran.