Chapter 21: An Unexpected Payoff

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Just come in,” Phinn yelled, recognizing the cadence of the simple knock.

“You alive in here?” Jake inquired, slipping inside the master suite. “Catherine Dall has been known to play one of those female whatchamcallits.”

“A femme fatale,” Phinn reminded for seemingly the hundredth time. “How did you know?”

“Gossip travels fast in this house,” the usual heartthrob revealed, proud of his best friend. “How did it go?”

“Rough.”

“Well, your first time can be difficult–”

“It wasn’t my first time!”

“And she’s a famous celebrity. That adds extra pressure.”

“Why don’t you ever believe me when I say that I’m not a virgin?” Phinn challenged.

“Because it doesn’t make sense that you’d keep it from me. I tell you about everyone,” Jake pointed out, attempting to guilt-trip his best friend.

“Don’t try that tactic,” Phinn responded, well aware of his oldest friend’s methods to get him to divulge secrets. “You tell me things I don’t want to know.”

“Well, it must have been a disaster, or the girl is ugly. Embarrassment is the only reason to keep that from your best friend,” Jake stated confidently.

“Whatever. It was rough because I could barely breathe without pain.”

“Oh, right. Damn, that sucks to be you,” Jake remarked. “Based on her horse riding, I bet she’s wild in the sack.”

“No, she showed consideration for my condition by going slow and steady. However, I had to tap out early,” Phinn revealed, figuring if he threw his friend a bone now, it might save follow-up questions later on. Cat Dall had shown exceptional skills at blowjobs and riding him cowgirl style. Yet, Phinn knew she’d brought herself to one orgasm before he couldn’t handle the pain any longer.

“You should’ve asked for a raincheck until tonight. I assume we’re staying another day, right?”

“I suggested she transfer her reward to you, but Portia already claimed my best friend,” Phinn revealed, surprising him. “And yes, we should stay until tomorrow. I assume the sheriff has more questions or has answers for us.”

“Yeah, that’s why I came to wake you up. He’s downstairs. Wait, you really suggested that Cat go find me?”

“Of course, you deserved it. You fought a crazy person who thought he was a werewolf,” the bruised and battered detective remarked, getting out of bed to head for the bathroom.

Jake waited as his partner took care of business inside while cleaning up slightly. Satisfied for now, Phinn returned to the large bedroom as Jake praised the master suite and its attached bathroom.

“This would’ve been nicer than our rooms.”

“Did you only wake me because of the sheriff, or did our parents call?” Phinn questioned, expecting the worst.

“They haven’t called here. I can’t say the same about our cell phones,” Jake warned as they descended the stairs.

“Has the story spread?”

“Oh, yeah. There are a couple of news trucks out on the road already,” Jake revealed.

“Ah, morning, boys. Or should I say good afternoon?” Sheriff Wheeler needled, causing Phinn to find the nearest clock inside the sitting room once they entered.

Damn, it’s already past noon? I must have been exhausted.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. Marie’s making a special lunch for you, since you missed dinner and breakfast,” Yvonne announced, patting the sofa cushion beside her.

“As I told the others, Mr. Atwood and Ms. Delatte have both lawyered up,” Sheriff Wheeler began.

“Smart call,” Jake praised, nodding. However, he caught the lawman’s frown. “My mom’s an attorney.”

"Uh, right. I believe you mentioned that before," the sheriff recalled.

"Did they reveal anything before requesting an attorney?" Phinn asked, sitting beside Yvonne.

“That’s where it gets tricky. Atwood said plenty of things while in the ambulance, but considering his condition at the time, it might be challenged as inadmissible by a smart lawyer.”

“Ah, screaming in intense pain can be an issue,” Jake agreed.

“For curiosity’s sake, what did he say?” Phinn prodded.

“Mr. Atwood denied killing his brother. Claimed that Ms. Delatte admitted to doing so, which you and Ms. Dall have confirmed,” Sheriff Wheeler relayed. “He also denied any kidnapping or attempted murder. That’s despite claiming that Ms. Delatte tried to kill Ms. Dall with peanuts, or that Ms. Dall is the person who shot at him over past differences.”

“Odd? What past differences are those?” Phinn asked, glancing over at Catherine.

“A scheme that involved duping investors in California over a fake film production. Ms. Dall recalls the scam but doesn’t remember Mr. Atwood being involved. Either way, I’ve been in contact with the local authorities out there over the matter,” Wheeler revealed, causing Catherine to slightly smirk. Justice for her friend may finally be served.

“Considering that I’ve never been to California, we can’t help you with that potential aspect of the case,” Phinn said, keeping to their preference to limit what they appeared to know about matters they probably shouldn’t.

“You’ve never been to Cali?” Adora gasped. Troy either had left or was elsewhere on the property.

“I visited once when my uncle lived out there,” Jake revealed, causing Phinn to roll his eyes. Morgan Magnum had lived there for about eight months until gambling debts forced him to relocate during a middle-of-the-night escape through a bedroom window.

“We’ll have to rectify that omission,” Cat declared, winking at the bespectacled teen.

“Right!” Benji and Hazel agreed simultaneously, then shared a look and giggled at their timing.

“Did Atwood say anything else?” Phinn inquired, brushing off the offers politely with a smile and nod.

“He did. This morning, he changed his story, claiming a pair of teens had terrorized him since they arrived a few days ago. I suspect that might be his line of defense if he fights the charges.”

“Don’t worry, Paisley. In spite of your frosty demeanor, we know you didn’t terrorize him,” Phinn cracked.

“Die,” the ice queen silently mouthed.

“Just to be sure, I made a call to Chief Norberg of the Edgewater Police Department,” Wheeler began, causing Phinn to fight off another eye roll. “While he had a few interesting things to say about you boys, he did vouch for your character.”

“He did?!” Jake blurted out.

“Of course, he did! We’ve saved their butts plenty of times,” Phinn pointed out, but he also swiftly changed the subject. “Any word on Frank Noonan or Karter Terstad’s condition?”

“Those were some nasty gashes, which required a decent amount of stitches. Still, Frank should be fine. He’s on some strong painkillers at the moment, so we only took a brief statement for now,” the sheriff revealed. “As for Mr. Terstad, we asked the state to send help. We’ve also been in contact with his family, who will be arriving later tonight.”

“It’s that bad, Sheriff?” Yvonne queried, already on the verge of tears.

“Atwood and Delatte did a number on his mind. Last night, he reverted to the belief that he’s a werewolf. Fortunately, I had a deputy stationed at the hospital to watch him and Atwood. But we had to send an additional response to get control of the situation,” Wheeler recounted, shaking his head in disbelief. “We’re hoping that whichever person flips first on the other will be able to provide us with some details about his hypnosis and the rest of yours.”

“I think most of the people in this room would be relieved to know more,” Catherine stated, hiding the fact that she’d avoided the influence.

“Oh, I understand that fork is from your sterling silver collection. I’ll try to get it back to you as quickly as possible. However, it will be evidence if the case goes to trial,” Sheriff Wheeler stated.

“We don’t want it back!” Paisley hissed.

“Oh, I don’t know, it is part of the collection, but–”

“We can give it to Phinn. It could be a keepsake to remember the case,” Leighton suggested, cutting her aunt off.

“Wait, I don’t want–” Phinn started to argue.

“Raspberries! What a delightful idea!”

“What about the media outside?” Leighton asked, quickly changing the subject.

“As long as they’re on public property, I can’t do anything. If they trespass, that’s a different story,” Sheriff Wheeler hinted. “I’m going to keep a pair of deputies stationed here around the clock for now. Not just because of the press, but celebrities sometimes bring out the wackos.”

“Oh, my!” Yvonne exclaimed. “I don’t want to draw your staff away from important tasks.”

“Manpower could be an issue, but we’ve got plenty of locals lining up to volunteer as temporary deputies. I’d prefer not to do so, but maybe one or two trusted men could help out down by the road.”

“Is that going to be necessary?” Leighton inquired, concerned about leaving her aunt when they drove Jake and Phinn back to Edgewater.

“Likely not. Your aunt’s a beloved figure around these parts. At the first sign of trouble, they’ll help out however they can,” Sheriff Wheeler declared, moving out to the front porch. “Still, I’d recommend issuing a statement to the press or holding a news conference elsewhere in town. That could draw away some of the spectators.”

Jake and Phinn paused in the doorway while Yvonne, Leighton, and Paisley followed the sheriff outside. Most of the celebrity guests preferred to remain indoors for the time being. However, they quickly began discussing what they should do.

“I talked to Marty last night,” Adora said, referring to her manager. “He’s hiring a crisis PR firm to ensure that this helps my career, not ruin it. Not to mention, they might help out if Troy starts trashing me to the tabloids.”

“My agent sounded giddy on the phone when he heard the details,” Catherine revealed. “The guy might be a snake, but he’s good at getting me roles.”

“I haven’t called anyone yet. I’m too afraid to,” Hazel added.

“I don’t know if my manager will even return my call, or if he still represents me,” Benji admitted sheepishly.

“What’s that?” They could slightly overhear the sheriff ask on his radio.

“Car coming through. They’re friends of–” Deputy Allen started to say until the voices in the foyer drowned him out.

“Don’t worry, Benjamin. I’ll help you find a manager or agent. For now, my publicist can issue a statement if you’d like her to,” Catherine offered, backing up her prior declaration to help the out-of-luck actor who saved her during her allergic reaction.

“I don’t know if anyone cares about what I have to say,” Benji speculated.

“Nonsense!” Portia snapped, with Cat, Adora, and Hazel agreeing. “You saved my life.”

“Hang on. I have an idea,” Phinn announced, his brainwaves firing. “Jake and I can craft a statement for him to give.”

“Me?”

“You can’t be serious!” Paisley exclaimed from the front porch.

“Yes, you. You’re our front man. Benji can accompany you,” Phinn suggested, ignoring Paisley’s perceived dismissive remark.

“Me?!”

“Yes, you helped save Portia,” Phinn pointed out, with Hazel agreeing.

“You should get extra time in the spotlight,” Portia insisted.

“C’mon, let’s go out on the porch to discuss it. The press down at the road can get a glimpse of you,” Phinn told Benji, leading them out the door. “It can help build buzz for your statement. With this, you’ll land a new role in no time.”

“Do you think? What if the press decides we’re crazy or a cult for being here?”

“Don’t worry. Jake can argue the opposite fiercely for you,” Phinn assured the former child star. “After you each give a statement, Jake can take a limited number of questions.”

“I don’t know. The Hollywood press can get vicious,” Benji pointed out from past experiences.

“Uh, Phinn, um, I don’t think this–” Jake protested, looking over his best friend’s shoulder.

“No, Jake, you’re the best person to go out there and tell our side of the story,” Phinn reassured. “They’ll love you and–”

“Wrong! Jake is not qualified to deal with a national press event,” a new voice stated from directly behind Phinn.

The brainy sleuth closed his eyes, wincing in pain, not from his injured ribs, but from this unexpected, unwanted development.

“What is she doing here? Did you invite her?” Paisley screeched, causing Jake to shake his head no barely.

“What are you…How did you even get here?” Phinn questioned, still with his eyes shut.

“Your mother gave me the address.”

“Why are you talking to my mom?” Phinn demanded, turning around to face Johanna Zay.

“We’ve talked a few times since you flaked out yet again on my interview and date,” the influencer reminded.

“Jake's the one who’s taking you out on a date. That’s the deal I made,” Phinn argued.

“Sure, but you’re the one who has to kick Jake in the ass to fulfill his obligations,” Johanna declared, turning to face the frozen athlete. “And you should be ashamed, Farris. Your poor mother doesn’t know what to do with you. I’ve offered to help, which she gladly accepted, but unfortunately, I don’t think finding you a girlfriend, let alone a simple date, will be possible. However, I can save you an epic media disaster in my new role.”

“What role?” Phinn questioned.

“As the new media liaison for Busybody, Inc.”

“Nobody hired you for that!” Phinn shrieked.

“Oops, sorry. I meant to say the new media liaison for the official Busybody, Incorporated Fan Club,” the chestnut-haired girl clarified.

“Oh, please no,” Phinn muttered.

“Wow! This is awesome! A real crime scene! The cops almost wouldn’t let us pass until I showed them my pictures with you two. Well, mostly with Jake,” Cormac King revealed, racing up the stairs.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You brought Corky with you?”

“What’s up, buddy?” Jake greeted their twelve-year-old neighbor with a fist bump. “Wait until you hear what happened?”

“Honestly, your mom, Jake’s mom, and the kid’s mom made me take him with me,” Johanna leaned in to whisper. “I guess he’s been driving them nuts since the word broke yesterday.”

“No way!” Corky squealed. “The Whiskey Witch’s son?!”

“Both sons. We found the other one’s mutilated body before we even reached this house on our first day,” Jake added in a sinister tone.

“Wow! There is no way you don’t get another cover story. The Wicked Riddle has to acknowledge your greatness. This ties you directly to The Question Society and The Crime Challengers,” Corky stated.

“Not only them, but also the Gotcha Gems, Brainteasers, and Key Club,” Jake added.

“Holy shit!”

“Who are those people?” Johanna questioned.

“You don’t want to know,” Phinn sighed before barking at his younger neighbor. “Watch the language, Corky. There are ladies present.”

“Right. Sorry, ma’am.”

“Did he just call me ma’am?” Paisley roared indignantly.

“Geez, way to be a dick to the kid,” the wannabe influencer told Phinn.

“Somebody has to keep the kid in line. Jake treats him like a little cousin. He’s a terrible role model,” Phinn replied, grinning as Leighton pushed Paisley into the house. “Next thing you know, he’ll be buying Corky ice cream, which will have both of them bouncing off the walls from sugar rushes.”

“Like you’re better. I met Putnam,” Johanna noted.

“Hey, Pug has nothing to do with me. That kid is trouble with a capital T. Jake can back me up on that.”

“Okay, here’s the deal. I’ll drop my demands for an extended interview with Jake, along with the dinner and date,” Johanna began.

“In exchange for what?” Phinn demanded to know, ignoring Jake’s insistent nodding.

“I handle your statement and manage Jake’s questions for this case,” Johanna said.

“I guess that’s–”

“And…you get me interviews with all these famous people,” Johanna concluded. “Don’t deny they’re inside. Names have already leaked.”

“We can’t force any of them to talk to you. We don’t have that power,“ Phinn scoffed.

“But we can put in a good word for you!” Jake promised.

Negotiations went back and forth between Phinn and Johanna. Eventually, Benji offered to sit for an interview. Hazel and Portia were added shortly after, with the socialite demanding final say over the cut. The influencer agreed after a glare from Phinn.

Cat agreed to put Johanna on the phone with her publicist to negotiate a compromise, while Adora agreed to an off-camera interview until her manager approved showing her face.

“What about the tech bro, Karter Terstad?” Johanna questioned once she, Jake, and Corky were left on the porch.

“The dude is fucking crazy right now! Thinks he’s a werewolf.”

“Phinn, language!” Jake admonished, gesturing at their younger neighbor.

“Whatever. Corky knows he’s not allowed to copy me.”

“Geez, Farris. No wonder your little brother is a jerk,” Johanna stated, shaking her head.

“No, he’s right,” Corky chimed in. “Mom said I’m to only listen to Jake and Dusty, and never to Phineas. That’s the golden rule for running their fan club.”

Leighton joined Johanna’s laughter from inside the foyer.

“Phinn, look!” Jake ordered, holding up a large artist’s sketchbook.

“What is that?”

“My costume for the town festival next month. Mrs. Annable talked to the committee, and they loved the idea of a reenactment,” Jake revealed, referring to their local alderwoman.

“That’s why you were in Cembi’s getting measurements done last week?” his partner questioned.

“Yep, it’s going to look fantastic!”

“I’m not acting in shit,” Phinn declared.

“No, I’m playing this new version of the Phantom Diver. It won’t be a take on the fake treasure hunt, but more like our old ghost debunking cases,” Jake explained. “Corky and two other kids are going to play us.”

“Two? We just solved the case two weeks ago. Dusty moved almost four years ago,” Phinn pointed out.

“We’re taking creative liberties to make it cuter for the festival,” Jake revealed.

“My cousin is going to ask Violet Tipton to help make the Busybody, Inc. outfits,” Corky revealed.

“Really? We should get Quinn Rusch’s input, too,” Jake suggested. “C’mon, let’s go show the designs to Ms. Ellison. She’s going to love them.”

“I should’ve let Flamand strangle me,” Phinn muttered, slumping down onto the porch swing.

“What? Are you serious?” Johanna double-checked, holding a conversation with Leighton through the screen door. “Damn, Farris, how sick are you? You stabbed the guy in the eyeball with a fork?”

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