Pulling up to the retirement home Pope jumped into the back with the girls.
"Well?"
"Shit, just got personal," Pope replied.
"Well we're heading for Geechies since Coral didn't get us anything to eat," John B told him, "You can tell us on the way."
"You didn't say you wanted anything!"
"Anyway, the key belongs to Denmark and he and his wife, Cecelia were my grandparents like way back," Pope told them, "It's why the key was in my family."
"Holy shit! That's freaking amazing!"
"Did your Mee-maw have any idea why this Limbrey chick wants the key so bad?" Coral asked.
"No, she didn't know any more past the point of Denmark being hung for simply wanting to bury his wife," Pope responded.
Parking the van the group headed up the dock to Geechies where the boys went in to grab food and drinks.
Hopping up onto one of the outside coolers with Kie they waited for the boys to come back.
"I still can't believe you're related to Denmark Tanny," John B commented as they walked out of the store.
Smiling when JJ threw her a can of beer Coral blew him a kiss before asking, "So does that mean like technically you own Tannyhill?"
"All hail the Lord of Tannyhill!" JJ cried as he pretended to bow down to Pope.
"Alright just relax" Pope said as they all laughed, "I just keep thinking about the letter. The one that Limbrey sent. It had the wheat symbol on it," he told them.
"So, you think it has something to do with the Royal Merchant?" John B asked.
"It does seem a little fishy."
"Well if we find that cross, we can split it like we were gonna split the gold."
"And live happily ever after," a breathy voice said walking around the corner trailed by the man that had been chasing JJ, Kie, and Pope in Charleston.
"You assaulted my father!"
"Oh, I didn't assault anybody," Carla Limbrey responded with a smile.
"He can identify the psycho from a mile away," Kie retorted.
"Why would my employee assault your father?" Carla questioned.
"Don't play dumb. It's not a good look on you," Coral told her.
Glaring at Coral, Carla looked back at Pope, "Listen we can keep negotiating but the fact is I want that key and I won't stop," she told him as the man with her grabbed up Pope.
"Hey!"
"Let him go!"
"Um, you're not talking about this key are you?" John B asked holding up a key similar to the one Pope had.
Turning to John B Carla gasped, "Yes, that's it."
"Well looking at the tide right now I'd say it's about twenty feet deep out there. So if I just threw it in the channel the probability of you finding it again are slim to none. Wanna give it a shot?" he threatened, raising his arm.
"No!" Carla yelled, "Please don't do that," she breathed out as John B lowered his arm.
"Tell him to back up," he told her pointing to the man who still had a grip on Pope.
After the man backed away Carla looked at Pope, "As I've told you from the beginning I am willing to be reasonable."
Glancing at John B, Pope nodded, "Okay, I'll give you the key if you give me the tape you have."
"Pope, hey you don't need to do this," John B told him, "This is your family's."
"No, it's fine," Pope replied, "It's about your dad. That's way more important," he said taking the key from John B.
Holding out the key he also held out his other hand taking the tape Carla had of Gavin pinning the sheriff's death on Rafe at the same time that she took the key from him.
"You know, I wish that you'd come to this decision earlier," she told Pope, "We could've avoided all of this unpleasantness," she said before turning and walking off.
"Yeah, nice to meet you," John B called waving.
Walking to the dock Pope watched them leave.
"How long do you think we have till she realizes she has your father's old key?" JJ questioned.
"About ten minutes," John B replied.
After ensuring they'd left Pope turned around to his friends, "Okay, who's idea was the fake key?"
"Shockingly not mine," Kie admitted.
"Hmmmm, I don't know. Should we tell him?" John B asked slinging his arm around JJ's shoulders as he smiled proudly.
"Good job, Baby. And I'm thoroughly impressed with your lying skills, JB."
"Wow, I'm impressed one of JJ's plans worked."
"Did hell freeze over?"
"Even a blind pig can find an acorn at times," JJ laughed as both Pope and John B hugged him.
"Again with the JJ speak," Coral laughed, jumping down from the cooler and hugging him herself.
"I actually don't know what that means either, but I saw it on Reddit," he admitted laughing.
"Alright, we gotta take this tape to Shoupe," John B told them.
"Yes sir! Ward Cameron we're coming for you big boy," JJ cheered as they headed out to the Twinkie.
After listening to the tape of Gavin pinpointing Rafe as Sheriff Peterkin's murderer and Ward covering it up John B looked up at Shoupe, "I told you, Shoupe. Ward killed our father and Gavin, and now you know Rafe killed Peterkin."
"Yeah, I know kid. I know."
Looking between Shoupe and the SBI agent, Bratcher, Coral wrinkled her nose, "You've known this whole time haven't you?"
"Not the whole time," Shoupe responded, after glancing at Bratcher, "But since the night you two and Sarah Cameron disappeared we began looking at Ward closer."
"Then what was that show for? Arresting John B?"
"We had to let Ward go on thinking that John B was our only target. If he knew we were on to him he'd disappear faster then you could blink," Bratcher responded.
"Never mind you let Thomas beat the shit out of JB."
"Coral," John B warned.
"I admit that wasn't part of the plan, but neither was you hauling off and hitting Plumb. Why do you think I let that go? Anybody else they'd been arrested for assaulting an officer."
"Well, thanks for that, I guess," she retorted, rolling her eyes.
Tapping his finger on his desk Shoupe sighed, "You should also know that Sheriff Pete was trying to help you kids out. I am too. I started the filing for emancipation for yourselves. I'll let you know what happens next once it goes in front of a judge."
Blinking Coral turned to look at her brother who was staring at Shoupe in shock, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," Shoupe replied, "Now get on out of here. We have a fish to fry."
Snorting Coral shook her head before following John B out of the police station and back to the Twinkie where the others were waiting.
"Well?" JJ asked once they were on their way back to The Chateau.
"He's going down!" John B cried as the others minus Sarah cheered.
The merriment continued once they'd returned to the house. The boys disappeared inside and could be heard through the open windows laughing and cheering over Ward's eventual arrest.
Sitting on the recliner, Coral watched Sarah sitting on the outside couch with Kie. Noticing the look on her face she asked if she was okay, "I mean he is your dad."
"He deserves all of it," Sarah responded, "And I know that."
"But he's your dad. We get it," Kie told her, "I'm sure it sucks to be in the middle."
Hearing a phone ringing, Coral was confused when Sarah pulled it out from her pocket. Looking at it she excused herself to go answer the call.
"When and where did she get a new phone?" Coral questioned as Kie shrugged. "I don't know," she replied.
A few minutes later Coral got her answer when Sarah returned, "That was Topper. His grandfather just signed the warrant for my dad's arrest. I.....I....need to be there, for Wheezie. I don't want her to go through that alone."
Nodding the girls stood up as Coral yelled into the boys, "We need to go!"
After explaining to the boys what was happening they all climbed into the Twinkie to head to Tannyhill. As they drove several police cars passed them with their sirens blaring heading in the direction of Tannyhill too.
"Shit," Kie breathed out, watching them speed by.
"Oh my God. Can you please hurry? I need to be there for Wheezie."
"You think I want to miss this?" John responded with a smirk ignoring the look Sarah gave him.
Pulling to the side of the road on the other side of the stone wall the six jumped out of the van and ran up to the wall trying to see what was happening, "I can't see," JJ complained pushing Pope out of the way.
"Well now I can't see."
"Fuck this, I'm going over," John B decided before scaling the wall.
"JB! Help me."
"Alright, one, two, three," JJ counted down as he gave Coral and then Kie a boost over while Pope helped Sarah over. Running after John B they caught up with him outside the doors as Wheezie emerged from inside.
"What is going on? Why are the police here again?" the girl questioned, looking at Rose before turning to Sarah when she called her name.
"Wheeze. Wheezie," Sarah cried, hugging her sister, "Go inside. Don't come back out," she told her leading her back to the door of the house.
Once Wheezie was back inside Sarah ran around the house following where the police had gone with the others right behind her.
Running down the dock she called out for Ward who was out on the Druthers floating in the water several feet off the dock, "Dad!"
Pushing through the police officers Coral heard Shoupe yelling for them to be let by, "That's Sarah Cameron let them through."
"What are you doing here, Sarah?" Ward called.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
"Vic, you gotta get her out of here!" Ward yelled at Shoupe, "She can't be here right now!"
"Just come on in and you....you can talk to her!" Shoupe called back.
"Sarah, I'm so sorry, baby. I can't!" Ward yelled as he hit a switch causing the anchor on the Druther's to begin to rise.
"What are you doing? Dad, no, no, no!"
"Ward, this ain't gonna end the way you want it to!" Shoupe yelled as police boats began to move in on the Druther's, "You don't need her seeing this."
"No, Dad don't leave. Where are you going?"
"I love you!" Ward yelled as he climbed down the ladder from the top deck captain's chair to the lower level. Disappearing into the cabin he shut the door ignoring Sarah's cries and Shoupe's warnings.
"What is he doing?" JJ muttered before the Druther's exploded right in front of them.
Screaming Coral ducked down as debris from the boat flew in the air.
"Dad! Dad!" Sarah screamed helplessly.
Watching the flames through the tears in her eyes Coral blinked as her tears spilled over onto her cheeks.
Feeling hands on her shoulders she turned her body and wrapped herself around JJ and cried.
She cried for her own father who had died at the hands of Ward. She cried for herself and John B and she cried for Sarah, who was even now sobbing in Topper's arms. Ward was a despicable man, but he was still her father, and Coral knew what it was to lose a father.
Eventually Shoupe gathered them up and forced them to walk back to the house, "You kids should go," he told them.
"I'm staying," Sarah responded, "Wheezie needs me," she said before walking inside the house without so much as a backwards glance at anyone.
"We should go, John B," Pope said quietly. Nodding John B headed back towards the road where the Twinkie sat with the others following after him.
The ride back to The Chateau was silent. Once they returned and were walking into the house John B finally looked at Coral, "He doesn't deserve your tears."
Blinking she looked at him confused, "I'm not crying for him. I'm crying for Sarah. As much as we hated the guy and he got what he deserved he was still her father, John B. You need to remember that," she said before heading down the hallway to her bedroom.
Laying back on her bed she closed her eyes sighing when she heard her door close softly, "I mean, it's okay to be glad he's gone, right?"
"Of course it's okay," she responded, "He killed my father, JJ," she said opening her eyes to look at him, "But he took the easy way out. He took a life; he doesn't deserve death. He deserved spending the rest of his rotten life behind bars paying for what he did to my dad."
"It's okay to be angry," he told her coming to sit on her bed.
"Anger is such a wasteful emotion. Besides it's done and over with. We can't change what happened. We just need to be glad we got some sort of justice."