Chapter 22: Inching Closer to the Truth

“Let me see that!” Johanna demanded, already reaching out to snap the case from between Phinn’s fingers.

“What’s the big deal?” Jake asked from the passenger seat. “Hawley said the stuff was fake.”

Johanna opened the lid, stared at the diamond necklace, and pulled it out.

“Remember, Hawley said Cozart picked up his first few items from an estate sale and claimed they weren’t worth much. So, he never said those items were fake. Or it’s possible he didn’t know their true value,” Phinn pointed out a detail that his partner might have overlooked during an eventful night. “Later, Cozart picked up some extra items cheaply at shops and flea markets.”

“Wait, you’re saying this might be real?” Jake asked, suddenly looking over his shoulders at their surroundings in the parking garage.

“Not might. These are real!” the wannabe influencer exclaimed, holding up the diamond necklace in front of her face.

“How do you know? You’re not an expert,” Jake scoffed. Despite his attitude, the stocky detective leaned over the center console to squint at the necklace.

“I know!” the brunette insisted.

Phinn watched Jake throw his hands up in response to Johanna’s glare. Rubbing his chin, the brainy detective mulled over the possibility that began in his brain after he risked a brief look inside the jewelry case in the hotel.

“There is a possibility that she might be right,” the bespectacled teen informed his partner.

“Might be?” Johanna growled.

“Consider this: Mindy grabbed two bags when she realized she’d been found. Those were likely her go-bags to take in case she had to flee in a hurry. If so, then why would the necklace be in her bag?” Phinn postulated. “If the necklace is fake, then common sense would suggest it should be included with the rest of the hunt’s items.”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Jake responded. This case already had too many twists and turns in his mind to keep straight. Why couldn’t this have been a simple fake ghost case?

“I have an idea. It’s the easy way to decide. Let’s take it to Dazzler’s,” Johanna suggested about the local jewelry store.

“We can’t go there,” Jake replied immediately.

“Why not?”

“We’ve had some differences of opinion in the past with the proprietors of Dazzler’s,” Phinn elaborated. That, combined with Jake’s sheepish shrug, caused the brunette to roll her eyes.

“Geez, does anyone in town like you? Fine! We can take it to Rusty Trinkets,” Johanna decided. With a trip to the antique store settled in her mind, she started her car.

“Actually, we have a better guy in mind,” Phinn said.

“Orlando?” Jake asked.

“Orlando,” Phinn confirmed.

“Who, what, where, when?” the brown-haired driver challenged.

“We’ll give you directions.”

The teens also decided to take Johanna’s car to have the necklace inspected. Jake slapped his forehead after forgetting to check if the Rattigans had followed them this morning. With barely escaping a grounding for now, Jake had been too concerned over his mother’s reaction to his disobeying her order, even with his father turning a blind eye. Phinn confirmed their old nemeses had followed them.

As they drove, Johanna’s excitement over the potential valuable find turned to distaste as she learned where they were headed. Her frown deepened as they entered the outskirts of Rustburg, the city’s old factory district. Located somewhat between Old Downtown and Uptown, nearly all of the factories had closed over the years, leading it to become the most rundown section of Edgewater. Their destination was a small section of storefronts from the area’s glory years.

Parking in a street spot outside of a dive bar, Johanna started to get out before her passengers stopped her. Immediately, she insisted on going inside with them. Jake reassured her they weren’t leaving her behind.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t trust this neighborhood to leave you out in the car,” Phinn remarked, peering around. “However, we have a few tips before entering.”

“First, don’t ask any questions,” Jake began.

“Why not?!”

“Because you don’t want to know the answers,” the stocky athlete replied. “Orlando’s a complicated guy.”

“What Jake means is that Orlando Nenno is shady as fuck,” Phinn piped in from the back seat.

“Well, duh, he owns a pawn shop,” the influencer said, gesturing at Castaways.

“The police suspect he’s in the moving business,” Phinn explained.

“Um, okay. What’s shady about that?” the brunette queried.

“That’s a nice way of saying he’s a fence, which we don’t suspect as we know he is one.”

“Allegedly,” Jake added.

“Of course,” Phinn agreed to placate the lawyer’s son.

“And you want to ask this guy about the necklace?” Johanna challenged incredulously.

“Orlando owes us,” Jake explained.

“Many IOUs,” Phinn added. “We go way back with him. Orlando also has a second side business where he provides information for a price.”

“He’s a snitch?!”

“Whoa, whoa! Don’t call him that once we’re inside,” Jake warned.

“He prefers the term: information broker,” Phinn clarified, indicating they could get out of the vehicle.

Castaways was jammed into a storefront between a corner tap and a rundown laundromat. Johanna’s nose turned up as she passed the barred front window. Phinn first stepped into the small entryway, waiting for the other two to file inside. Only after the outer door closed could the inner one open. As a gentleman, Jake opened the door for Johanna to go through.

Comprising the shop's center, a maze of cluttered metal shelves welcomed the first-time visitor. The shelves contained a mishmash of electronics, many of which were far outdated. One section held nearly every video game console manufactured, along with various game cartridges and discs. Several televisions were plugged in to show they worked, provide the owner with entertainment, or to test out one of the game consoles.

Rows of glass display cases ringed the interior’s perimeter. Inside sat inherited antique watches, discarded engagement rings, tarnished jewelry, and yellowing collectibles. On the wall above, various dented or scratched musical instruments hung on hooks. Everywhere, signs announced that the shop bought gold.

Everything reeked of **** sales. Whether from dire financial straits or increasing **** habits. Only people in the know could recognize that some items came from theft, particularly anything new and shiny.

“Well, hello, pretty lady. I’ll be with you in a moment, my young beauty–”

“Young is the key word, Orlando. She’s still in high school, so watch the flirting,” Jake warned, entering behind the out-of-place girl.

A fortyish-year-old man with a buzzcut to hide his receding black hairline, Orlando Nenno’s dark brown eyes widened slightly before shifting to his left. Walking inside last, Phinn caught the quick eye dart. Without missing a step, the scrawny sleuth took a hard right turn that carried him toward the large front window before turning left down an aisle between two shelves filled to the brim.

A man even thinner than the teen immediately shifted his body to hide his face deep in one of the shelves. Unfortunately, his move to obscure his identity happened too late. Walking up to stand directly next to the weedy man, Phinn leaned over to place his head near his.

“Good day, Scrooby! What brings you into Castaways today?” Phinn greeted in an overly chipper voice. “It must be special to drag you away from the scrapyard.”

“N-No reason, Phineas. Just selling a few trinkets I found in a torn-down house,” the man called Scrooby replied nervously.

Across the room, in a far corner where the firearms resided in more glass cases, the only other customer’s head rocked as his body tensed. Only Johanna noticed the sudden body language shift or how the man ducked his head down before slipping out of the pawn shop. Curious, she snapped a quick picture of the man as he turned to shut the interior door.

“Don’t take pictures in here,” Jake hissed in a whisper.

“Trinkets? It’s good to see that you’re diversifying your product line, buddy. One can’t steal copper from homes forever,” Phinn continued with their old acquaintance.

“I don’t steal, Phineas. I salvage,” Scrooby corrected meekly. With a swift glance at Orlando, the salvager told him he’d see him tomorrow.

“See ya, Scroobs!” Jake called after the man as the buzzer rang.

“Dammit, we do you always have to drive off my customers,” Orlando complained.

“Customers?” Phinn questioned dubiously as he walked past the shop owner to a metal door.

“Or sellers,” Orlando argued.

The only interior entrance to the cage counter, Phinn gave the handle a couple of yanks. Turning his head, he told the shop owner to open the door.

“No, no, not after that crap. You boys are bad for business,” Orlando commented, shaking his head. “Tell me what you want out here.”

‘In back. It’s private,” Phinn stated, twisting the locked knob again.

“Unless there’s a reason you don’t want us in your backroom. Is there?” Jake challenged, noticing the pawnbroker's nervous appearance.

“What? No!”

“Hmm, you might be correct, Jake. That was an awfully strong no, Nenno,” Phinn noted. “Relax, we’re not here on a case related to your business. We merely want an appraisal of an item.”

“For real?”

“For real, Orlando. We’re not interested in any crimes that don’t pertain to our current case,” Phinn assured.

“You’re still working the pirate thing, right? You didn’t move on to any burglaries?”

“Not your kind of a burglary,” Jake stated.

With a frustrated expression, Orlando reached into his pocket and pressed a remote control that unlocked the cage door. Mumbling about how the teens just being seen inside his shop was bad for business, he quickly shushed them inside. Phinn led the way past the register and highest-value items toward a hallway that ended in a small storeroom/workshop. Bringing up the rear behind Johanna, Jake whistled at the room’s current state.

“Damn! It looks packed in here.”

“Yes, it is,” Phinn agreed.

Spotting a row of large boxes, Phinn walked over to them. He quickly counted seven brand-new 40-inch flat-screen televisions. The bespectacled teen inquired about their condition.

"No, they didn't fall off the back of a truck. They suffered smoke damage in a warehouse fire," Orlando declared, increasingly nervous as Phinn approached the side wall.

“Cordless drills, sanders, and circular saws,” Phinn listed. “What happened? Did a construction firm go under but lose the receipts for their new purchases?”

“Something like that,” Orlando said, trying to sound calm as he appeared more jittery.

“Wasn’t there a story about a semi-truck for a home improvement chain that got hijacked a couple of states over last month?” Jake inquired.

“That does sound familiar,” Phinn recalled. While circling the room, he gestured at Jake with his head, who copied his circular route. “Business been good, Lando?”

“I don’t deserve this level of harassment. Not from a pair of high school kids,” the pawnshop owner complained. However, his brow began to sweat as Jake neared a metal shelf against the side wall.

“C’mon, man. You know you can tell us,” Phinn assured.

“Not in front of her. I don’t care if she’s your girlfriend; she’s still a civilian,” Orlando declared, gesturing at Johanna.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Phinn responded.

“No, shit. I meant Magnum.”

“Very well,” Phinn noted before turning to the wannabe influencer. “Johanna, can you please turn to face the wall while covering your ears?”

“What? No way!”

“Please. It will only take a minute,” Jake said, laying on his charm. “Do it for me.”

With a loud grunt and disgusted look at the cluttered room, the brunette did as asked. As soon as she did so, Jake reached up to flick a hidden switch before pushing on the metal shelf. Orlando threw out his arms in exasperation as his secret closet appeared.

“What we got?” Phinn asked.

“Somebody’s been busy. Let me see. A dozen new laptops, maybe the same number of tablets, some guns, and a bunch of boxes,” Jake listed before picking up one box to snap it open. “Yep, high-end watches.”

“Is that sterling silver?” Phinn questioned, stepping over to join Jake. He picked up a silver teapot while checking out a matching coffee pot, a serving tray, and a container full of silverware.

“No, no, it’s just silver-plated,” Orlando insisted.

“It’s not nice to fib. You’d never put silver-plated stuff in your hidey-hole,” Phinn remarked, glancing over his shoulder. “Do we have a cat burglar working the area?”

“I-I can’t–You know I can’t say that, Phineas!”

“What the hell is going on? A crime spree?” Jake questioned.

“It’s your fault. It is!” the pawnbroker/fence accused. “Your damn pirate shit has most of the cops doing crowd control. So anyone holding hot items decided now was the time to visit me.”

“Seriously?” Jake asked, looking almost impressed.

“Fucking seriously! That **** last night had half the EPD’s shift over by the motel. I had a run last night. Do you know how awkward it is to do parking control over here? I had to make a line and assign people to wait on certain streets. Some of these fools might start shooting one another if they crossed paths,” Orlando complained.

“Kinda risky to have all this in your storeroom,” Jake noted, pointing toward the items sitting out in the open.

“Good point. Why haven’t you moved this to your secret location on Van Buren?” Phinn questioned, letting the fence know they knew about his latest warehouse.

“Goddammit!” Orlando swore before muttering about why he even bothered switching. “I can’t risk moving this stuff all at once.”

“I can see that. The cops would–”

“Hold on. The cops are too busy. Who are you afraid of, a stickup crew?” Phinn questioned. “Is someone in town?”

“As if you don’t know.”

The fence’s response caused the teen detectives to share a look. Nenno seemed rattled, so Phinn checked in about a different topic.

“Have the Rattigans been around to fence anything?” Phinn inquired.

“Which ones?”

“Floyd and Garth,” Jake supplied, causing the fence to show surprise.

“You didn’t know they were out?” Phinn asked.

“No, they must have just gotten released,” Orlando said truthfully. “Now, can you shut my closet?”

Jake closed the secret shelf after a nod from his partner. When it was nearly in place, Phinn walked over to tap Johanna so she could uncover her ears. With a gesture from him, she pulled the jewelry case out of her purse.

“Ah, we finally get down to business,” Orlando remarked, rubbing his hands together. “Are these the gold doubloons that Magnum acquired?”

“You know about that?” Jake queried.

“It was all over the news. What do you think I do to pass the time around here?” the pawnshop owner asked sarcastically. “Still, I’d watch it. The word is that Kuhn’s gunning for you boys.”

“What?”

“Who?”

“Burke Kuhn,” Orlando replied, saying a name the teen sleuths had heard over the years. “He’s pissed that you stole that from him.”

“Wait, that was Burke Kuhn at the marina?” Phinn questioned.

“Yeah, don’t you guys know who he is?”

“We do, but have never met him before. Long scar on his face?” Phinn inquired.

“Holy shit! I took on Burke Kuhn,” Jake said, sounding impressed with himself.

“The guy who chased us at the library? Who is he?” Johanna asked.

“That’s who you’re afraid of!” Phinn realized before Jake explained to Johanna about a violent burglary crew that sometimes robbed fellow criminals. “Who’s his partner with the stringy hair?”

“I’m not confirming anything. But let’s get a move on with this item. I don’t need certain people hearing about how long you were here,” Orlando said before Johanna flipped open the box. “How nice!”

“No bullshit, Lando. We need to know if they’re legit,” Phinn warned as the older man opened a drawer to pull out a loupe to study the diamonds.

“Boys, when have I ever lied to you?”

“More times to keep track of,” Jake replied, watching as the pawnbroker went down the line with each diamond. “Who’s the other guy?”

“Fine! Kuhn likes to work with the Ortons. It’s got to be one of them,” Orlando said, giving in before returning to the final stones.

“Well?” Phinn questioned once it was evident that the other man had finished his examination.

“It’s real,” Orlando announced.

“No way!” Jake exclaimed.

“I told you!” Johanna squealed, jabbing her finger in the athlete’s face.

“Intriguing,” Phinn murmured. The gears in his brain already turning.

“This hot? Wanna sell it?” the fence inquired.

“No!” Jake and Johanna screamed.

---

“I think we’re in for a long night. So prepare yourself,” Phinn warned his partner.

With his mouth full of a turkey-bacon sub sandwich, Jake replied with a thumbs-up. With Johanna still driving, they’d gone to Fielding’s, the popular delicatessen. With nice weather and a preference not to be overheard, they’d opted for one of the deli’s outdoor tables to eat at. While Jake devoured his sandwich with potential plans to grab another, Phinn pecked away at his chicken sandwich, and Johanna picked at her salad.

“Johanna, can you hold onto our item until tomorrow?” Phinn inquired, taking a risk in trusting his classmate. However, without knowing how tonight might unfold, it felt like the lesser risk. And with the potential enforcement of their groundings, neither he nor Jake dared to go home.

“Sure!”

“And don’t post any pictures or videos wearing it,” Phinn added after her reaction concerned him.

“Aw, you’re no fun,” the wannabe-famous influencer complained. “But I’m still taking a few pictures.”

“Do you think any of the other items might be real?” Jake asked before slurping down some of his soda.

“That’s something we won’t find out until after our trip to the cemetery,” Phinn said.

“Cemetery? When?”

“After we get your car,” Phinn revealed.

“Whew! I thought you’d want to go at night,” Jake said, expressing relief.

“We’re doing that as well.”

“What? Oh, come on! You know I hate graveyards at night,” Jake complained before remembering they had a young, attractive classmate with them. “Not that I’m scared. It’s just that we always end up tripping over or running into headstones. What? They’re harder to see in the dark compared to bigger gravestones.”

“Sounds like somebody is an expert,” Johanna remarked, smirking.

“You’d be too if this guy dragged you into them several times a year.”

“I don’t drag you into cemeteries. Our cases take us there,” Phinn pointed out. “Speaking of seeing, do you have any cameras we can borrow?”

“Maybe. What’s in it for me?” the chestnut-haired teen inquired.

“Certainly not that necklace. Don’t get greedy. We’re already providing exclusive access to one of our cases,” Phinn stated, his tone making it clear he wasn’t in the mood to negotiate. Then, he looked at Jake. “And maybe you should skip a second sandwich. We’re going to be staking out the cemetery tonight.”

“Staking out the graveyard? Are vampires involved?”

Johanna giggled at what she assumed Jake said as a joke.

“No, there are not any vampires involved,” Phinn replied, knowing his best friend wasn’t joking.

“Better not be. Or I’m buying all the garlic they have inside,” Jake countered.

The teens spent the next fifteen minutes discussing theories as Phinn and Johanna finished their lunches. Jake complained a couple of times about being hungry still before Phineas finally cracked and ordered him to grab a dessert if he wanted. Jake made a mess, picking a chocolate-covered croissant whose coating melted quickly in the warm weather.

“I’m confident that the person who attacked me at Bentworth also murdered Cozart,” Phinn proclaimed. “And I believe he’s the same person who impersonated Floyd with the red ski mask when he stole the diary.”

“Do you think it’s Kuhn? He has a nasty reputation,” Jake recalled.

“I can see him attacking me and killing Cozart, but I can’t imagine how he caught onto the treasure hunt so fast. According to Hawley, even Cozart was shocked by how quickly we moved. Checking the Bentworth archives doesn’t seem to have been anyone’s first guess for information on Thornbeard,” the brainy detective surmised.

“Then why? Who would go to the archives as quickly as we did?” Jake questioned.

“Wait, and we might find out soon enough. I fully expect some action at the cemetery tonight. They know the final location if the killer stole the diary and Cozart’s notes. The diary is supposed to provide the clue while Cozart’s material should confirm any guesses,” Phinn explained his rationale. “Are we ready?”

“Uh, I need to wash my hands,” Jake said, admitting the obvious after attempting to lick them as clean as he could.

Phinn waited until Jake entered the outdoor restroom before leaning over.

“I need you to lend me one final item.”

While inside, Jake was pleasantly surprised to receive a message from Trina. His summer fling inquired if he’d gotten into trouble like Luke and Andre. The rumor mill had already spread those punishments. Jake responded by saying he wasn’t quite sure yet before asking about her. Fortunately, her parents hadn’t caught wind of their daughter’s actions. However, Michelle refused to leave her house due to embarrassment. Despite no one else knowing she’d been on the boat, the more uptight teen feared being recognized. Jake apologized for being busy later that night but made potential plans for tomorrow. His mood went sky-high when Trina mentioned that Indigo wanted to spend time with both of them again before leaving town.

With visions of a threesome on the horizon filling his head, Jake didn’t know that his semi-rival had also come to pick up his lunch at Fielding’s.

“You can’t seriously be out on a lunch date with this freak!” Rick Valance challenged incredulously.

“I’m working on an exclusive profile about Phineas and Jake’s detective work. Not that it’s any of your business,” Johanna said dismissively to the handsome, golden blond.

Phinn observed that Rick was alone, which led him to wonder if the two blondes he’d seen in videos from the beach had either left town or wised up to the womanizer.

“Shit, Zay, if you wanted a profile, then check out mine,” Rick suggested, turning to the side and flexing his muscles. “Farris over there lacks any muscles.”

“Not bad, but you fail to impress compared to Jake,” the influencer shot back.

“Really? That’s so lame. But I’ll be waiting for my time in the spotlight after you’re finished profiling Farris and Magnum’s arrests and trial,” Rick remarked, chuckling.

“Arrest? Shows what you know, Rick. We weren’t arrested last night. We merely gave statements after finding the body,” Phinn clarified.

“Shit, that shows how clueless you are, Phineas. I’m talking about the arrest that’s coming. Oh, wait, how would you know? You don’t have any friends, so why be on social media?” Rick mocked.

Reading between the lines, Johanna picked up her phone.

“Ricky, you can’t go through life being a complete idiot who lacks self-awareness. At some point, you’ll need to accept that you’re a moron. Until then, your jokes will always land with a thud,” Phinn noted.

“I’m not joking, freak. You and Jakey fucked up big time. And I’m going to have a front row–”

“Ohmigawd!” Johanna shrieked, reading the posts on her phone.

“Ah, Miss Media found the story,” Rick guessed, smirking.

“Oh. My. Gawd! You and Jake are wanted for ****!” Johanna screeched.

“What? Give me that,” Phinn ordered, taking the girl’s phone. He quickly skimmed the article before scoffing. “This isn’t legitimate. It’s from an online tabloid.”

“They have sources,” Rick pointed out.

“Yeah. It says, ‘anonymous sources close to Magnum and Farris fear an arrest could happen at any moment.’ That’s such bullshit. The same with this part about finding the **** weapon in Jake’s car and our fingerprints all over the crime scene,” Phinn said, continuing to read the article. He didn’t mention that he knew their fingerprints were all over the crime scene from their search. “Even better, it claims a witness saw us **** Cozart.”

“I guess it’s the electric chair for you,” Rick cackled.

“The only person ending up shocked to **** will be you after reading your first book. And there can’t be any witnesses, as we found the body inside his room. Out of sight of anyone,” Phinn explained. “This is more bullshit, like the stuff about us being close to finding the treasure or that we already did. Somebody is spreading this nonsense.”

“Wow, I guess somebody must be doing that. I wonder who would ever want to do such a thing?” Rick questioned, his smirk growing.

It didn’t take a detective to put two and two together. Johanna quickly realized what Rick meant as Phinn jumped to his feet.

“You piece of shit. Don’t you realize that your lies put us in danger? It tipped dangerous people off about our investigation. We’ve been tailed or attacked multiple times over the last week. And some of that blame probably falls on you.”

“Oh, did I wreck your little Boybody pretend police thing?” Rick mocked, unaware that Johanna had started recording the conversation. “Wait until you see what I have planned next.”

“Are you so fucking jealous about Jake scoring the hotter girls while you end up with trash? Or is it about your backyard ghost owl? Or the creek monster? Or the clowns–”

“It’s about fucking everything! And I’m only getting started. Your reputation isn’t even worth trashing, but Jake’s? Oh, I’m ruining his,” Rick vowed. “Have fun being ostriched.”

“Um, you mean ostracized,” Johanna corrected before pointing out to the video’s future viewers about Rick’s lack of brain cells.

“Don’t mess with me, Zay. A rumor about you and Loserus should do wonders for your dumb blog,” Rick threatened before walking away while laughing at his own joke.

Steamed, Phinn chased after his longtime classmate. With a hard shove in the back, Phinn caused Rick to turn around. Immediately, he laughed at the scrawny teen’s attempt to act tough.

“Aw, you wanna act like a man in front of a girl for once in your life? Try me.”

Phinn did just that by throwing a punch at the handsome heartthrob’s face. One of the harder punches in Phinn’s life, the blow barely fazed the other man. Touching his face, Rick bellowed a loud laugh.

“Is that all you got, Farris?”

The next blow sent Rick tumbling to the parking lot’s pavement.

However, the punch didn’t come from the front but from Rick’s right.

“No, he’s got me,” Jake declared, lifting Rick off the ground by the shirt. “Try that again with my friend, and I’ll kick your ass at the next party in front of every girl you desire. Got that?” Jake didn’t wait for an answer before slamming Rick against the asphalt. Then, he turned toward his partner, “What the hell happened?”

---

For additional chapters and content beyond what's posted so far, check out my Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/GrayGremlin