The Case of the Phantom Diver Ch. 09

"He's not answering," Jake revealed needlessly.

"Good. Maybe I can avoid the fight," Luke joked, watching as his friend typed a message. He'd witnessed Phinn's tantrums over cases in the past. So, he fully expected Jake's partner to be upset over being unable to listen to their conversation with the Tarrs.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Phinn's pissed at me, or he's off working another angle," Jake admitted while they continued to sit in his car outside the Tarr mansion. "However, you up for lunch? I owe you for helping."

"Hmm, I could eat. We're not far from Market Square. Maybe Harbor Pub?" Luke suggested.

"Ah, I might be a little light in the wallet. Phinn used the last of our funds to bribe... nevermind that part," Jake said. Although Harbor Pub wasn't expensive, he hoped to go somewhere cheaper.

"I can pay for myself," Luke offered.

"No, it's my treat."

"Portside?"

"Sounds good," Jake agreed about the dingy diner in the Harbor District.

Checking over his shoulder, Jake pulled the sedan away from the curb and started down the narrow street. A part of headlights five houses down flicked on. Although he didn't notice a car pull out too, Jake's subconscious did.

Jake weaved the old narrow streets as the rain increased again. He traveled over sections still covered in bricks to keep the old-world ambiance. Those non-paved sections caused him to grit his teeth as the ancient sedan shook from all the groves.

Heading toward the oceanfront, Jake took a right at the next turn. Immediately, Luke gestured over the wrong turn. He pointed out that it was a dead end. With a groan, Jake drove until he reached the wide part of the cul-de-sac and turned around. Returning to the intersection, Jake paused as he noticed a car coming from his left. However, it slowed down considerably, so he took the minor chance and pulled out onto the same road to his right.

Suddenly, Jake glanced at his side and rearview mirrors. After Jake swore, Luke looked over and asked what was wrong.

"We got a tan and black Trans Am behind us."

"So?" Luke replied, looking in his side mirror.

"Phinn took Bandit out for a walk last night. While on it, a tan and black Trans Am followed him around. That's why he called me last night at Smashburgers," Jake explained.

"What you wanna do?"

Jake took a quick left and a sharp right. It took several long seconds, but the Trans Am continued to follow their course. Shrugging his shoulders, Jake decided to keep their lunch plans and head for the Harbor District.

"Let them follow. Phinn thought two people were in the car last night, and it looks like it again. They already know we visited the Tarrs. Maybe they'll slip up, and I can get a picture of their license plate while down by Portside," Jake speculated.

Jake hung back as Luke pushed open the Portside's heavy, weather-beaten glass door. A dangling bell jingled over the entering teen's head. The Trans Am seemed to have vanished from sight for the moment. Jake felt frustrated over his inability to catch a glimpse of its license plate. Although he didn't like being followed, he hoped it would reappear when they finished lunch.

An L-shaped building, the diner had seen better days, which was part of its charm for locals and tourists. The original pre-World War II diner sat in front with a post-war addition in the L-shape's rear section. The scent of greasy food and stale coffee met their nostrils. A first-timer might assume the smells came from a busy Saturday, but they lingered from ages past. The only signs of a packed breakfast and lunch came under their feet. The checkered floor squeaked from a sticky combination of mud and spilled soda.

Luke lifted his shoe with mild disgust, but Jake hardly noticed the sticky floor. As the son of a local football hero who owned a sports bar, he always appreciated the time capsule of bygone eras on the diner's different walls. They were lined with a mishmash of peeling posters for forgotten boxing champions, yellowed newspaper clippings about lost-at-sea tragedies, and photographs of local celebrities and politicians beside the diner's owner.

Only a Portside regular knew the boxing memorabilia represented the love of a fighter turned cook turned past diner owner. Or that the dwindling line of fishermen liked to trade war stories about their parents, uncles, and grandparents as they battled the sea's wrath to provide for their families. And a select number knew the Portside's owner agreed to the wall photos merely to provide cover when he bashed politicians of every political stripe.

The two teens scanned the front of the diner for a seat. Instead, they found its chrome-lined countertops and vinyl stools filled to the brim with plates and customers. The plush booths, which looked like they hadn't felt the touch of a vacuum in weeks, told the same story. Walking deeper into the interior, they reached the old jukebox, which played a mournful tale of the sea.

Turning past the brightly lit jukebox, Jake finally spotted a couple of open booths in the rear section. He opted to lead Luke to the one furthest in the back. Sitting down on the cracked vinyl, Jake nodded at how well their seating arrangements worked out. The junior sleuth could effortlessly watch one of the two front doors from his vantage point. Anyone else coming inside to watch him or use the restroom also would be easy to spot.

Luke grabbed a pair of peeling plastic menus and handed one over to Jake. A glance confirmed that nothing had changed. Already aware of what he planned to order, Jake took in the sights and smells of the diner. The air was thick with the aroma of frying onions and bacon, while the lingering odor of burnt toast hinted at a crazy breakfast rush. Jake also heard the sounds of sizzling ground beef and frying french fries.

Scanning the room for familiar faces, Jake first made eye contact with a heavyset woman with a beehive hairdo and a pen cap dangling from her lips who stood behind the counter. Recognizing Marvin Magnum's son, she nodded before returning to take a customer's order.

A young couple, likely college graduates, sat in a booth in the corner, sharing a plate of fries and whispered secrets. Jake wondered if they were tourists or recent transplants as they looked out of place in the dingy diner. A truck driver, his cap emblazoned with the logo of a defunct company, stirred a cup of coffee that had grown cold in his massive hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and his jaw moved rhythmically as he chewed a piece of gum to stay alert. Luke noticed him, cracking a comment about not wanting to be on the same road as him.

In the front corner, a woman with brown hair and blonde streaks spoke into a cell phone in hushed tones. An occasional flash of an angry expression hinted at a conversation that was more than just a casual chat. The bell jangled, ushering in a teen wearing way too many clothes on a hot, humid day. Under his hooded sweatshirt, he gave his name before grabbing a pickup order.

One of the few non-taverns frequented by the remaining fishermen and dockworkers, Jake spotted several of them sitting in one section. Some engaged in lively debates as loners nursed cups of coffee while lost in their thoughts.

Jake did a double-take upon noticing a grizzled fisherman sitting on the periphery of his fellow anglers. Although his face barely appeared over the top of the newspaper he read, Jake would never forget the weathered, scraggly face of Edgar Fowle. The sea captain had crossed paths with the teen detectives on a couple of past occasions. Hopefully, Fowle wouldn't notice Jake or wasn't in the mood to express his disapproval in his usual sharp way.

"If it isn't little Jakey Magnum! What can I get ya, hun?"

Jake caught the fishing captain's eye twitch at hearing his name. Fortunately, that was the only reaction from his past antagonist. Pulling his attention away, he gave the heavyset waitress his broadest smile.

"Morning... I mean, good afternoon, Dolly. How have you been?"

"I'd be better if this heat broke. Because God forbid that Otis ever hooks up an air conditioner to this bandbox," Dolly commented, rolling her eyes as Otis looked up from the grill. "Your usual?"

"Yep," Jake acknowledged.

"What about you, buddy?" Dolly asked, recognizing Luke but not by name.

"Is it cool if I get breakfast, or will Otis snap?" Luke queried.

"It's your life. Take a risk."

"Okay, I'll take a Sailor's Breakfast," Luke ordered.

"Say hi to your pops from me," Dolly told Jake after taking their drink orders.

"What's up with that again?" Luke asked, feeling as if he'd forgotten a piece of information.

"Dolly knew my dad back when he was in high school."

"She's your dad's age?" Luke asked, looking back over at the waitress in shock.

"What? No! She went to school with my dad's older cousin but used to be a regular at my dad's games. I guess she was something to look at back in the day," Jake explained, indicating the waitress was in her mid-fifties.

After Dolly returned with their drinks, Jake typed another message to Phinn to notify him about the Trans Am appearing again. While he did that, Luke checked messages on his phone.

"Geez, I'm surprised it took this long," he announced, causing Jake to ask about what. "Word is out that Kevin jumped you last night."

"Great. I wonder who spread the story," Jake responded before guessing a name.

"Heath," both teens said simultaneously.

"It had to be him. But it looks like Wally pointed out on a post that you got sucker-punched. So it sounds a bit better," Luke suggested.

"What did you think about the Tarrs?" Jake inquired.

"They definitely felt off. I do agree with your good cop, bad cop comparison. I just don't know them well enough to give a reason as to why," Luke admitted.

"I think you were right about it feeling like a performance. Why? What's the point? Do they know about the past treasure hunt? Are they hiding something else or just paranoid about people digging into their family? Damn, now I wish Phinn had been able to come with us," Jake said.

"Are you going back on Monday? Can Phinn go?" Luke inquired.

"I'd think so. I bet he will have a field day with Regina's mention of a break-in a few months back. If it's related to Thornbeard, then it opens up a whole new round of questions," Jake speculated.

"Wait; how would anyone know to break into the Tarr mansion a few months before the skeleton was found?" Luke questioned, looking perplexed.

"As Phinn pointed out, that skeleton didn't appear on its own. The sand dunes are too far from high tide."

"Hold on. Did somebody put that skeleton there? Why?"

"That's what we're investigating," the stock detective stated. "So what's with Jace Tarr?"

"I haven't met him too many times, but today wasn't anything new. He's always seemed like a dick," Luke recalled. "I guess some people don't grow out of it."

"Speaking of growing... Why didn't you tell me Regina was so fucking hot?" Jake demanded.

"Hey, I haven't seen her in a couple of years. I wanted to surprise you, but she got even bigger since I last saw her. Damn, talk about some killer tits."

"Now, I can see why Libby doesn't like her," Jake remarked, chuckling.

"Why's Libby jealous? Your sister is banging," Luke declared, watching his friend's face scrunch up in disgust. "Sorry, sorry. So what's the deal with Trina? She still mad at you?"

"Must be. She hasn't returned any of my messages or calls. It feels like she wasn't thrilled about the detective side of my life," Jake guessed.

"It always seems more shady than glamorous once you get close to it. I was trying to remember when I last helped you guys. I think it was that carnival case," Luke said.

"Not since last fall? Really? Wow, I thought you helped since then."

"That was a weird one, but I guess carnivals can be strange," Luke remarked.

"If you recall, that was our second carnival case. We had one way back in the early days, and it was way fucking weirder," Jake recounted.

"Don't they come in threes? Well, I mean, aren't carnival workers superstitious and think trouble comes in three, or is that only circus performers?"

"Huh? I think they're about the same. Geez, so I guess we can look forward to another carnival case someday," Jake surmised, not thrilled with the idea.

Dolly returned, bringing their meals with her.

"One Whale of a Burger for Jake," she announced, sliding his plate in front of the teen.

Jake grinned as a towering monstrosity of meat, bacon, and cheese awaited his empty stomach. Luke found an equally huge meal placed in front of him but split up among different items. His Sailor's Breakfast consisted of a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, sausage, and a mountain of hash browns.

The two starving athletes attacked their meals with gusto.

Almost finished, Luke's phone interrupted his final bites. His mother asked him to stop by their boat at the marina to grab an item for his father. Luke agreed before apologizing to Jake. When asked if he had any other errands to run, Jake remembered that he wanted to stop at the store. With Luke making the short drive down the road to the marina, Jake preferred to walk over to Market Square. The rain had stopped and the clouds had begun to allow slivers of light through. Since Luke wasn't sure how long he'd be, they agreed to meet at Jake's car by the marina unless circumstances changed.

Market Square sat on the boundary between Old Downtown and the Harbor District. It consisted of three blocks of Franklin Avenue closed to traffic. The decision to close the streets and turn the area into a walking mall had been a desperate attempt in the late 1980s to save the remaining downtown businesses. After the shopping mall near the highway on the west side of town opened in the late 1970s, a steady stream of business closings added up to a rash of empty storefronts. The effort to return people and businesses to the downtown had ultimately been successful, although it took many years.

The torn-up street now featured oversized sidewalks, benches, and planters filled with trees and bushes. A dazzling fountain stood at the center of one former intersection. Others featured the city's Christmas tree and Santa's Village every winter. Those latter spectacles weren't around in the summer, so Jake passed an assortment of kiosks and performers in one of the former intersections. He watched as a portrait painter set up shop after the rain ended and passed a magician making a balloon animal for a little boy.

Jake passed the row of businesses with a lingering glance at an old arcade that looked crowded on a dreary day. He noted wistfully that some of his favorite games to play with a date would go unused until he either made up with Trina or moved on to the next girl.

Finally, Jake reached The Sun Shop, a beach and surf store. It featured every item a person could possibly want for a day or more at the beach: swimsuits, beach accessories, furniture, various boards, toys, picnic materials, and diving equipment. Upon entering, Jake noted that the popular multi-level store appeared to be having a slow summer day.

The popular athlete waved to several friends: a few part-time employees with the rest browsing as customers. Wanting to hurry up, Jake made his way over to the escalator and took it to the second floor. Immediately, rows and rows of bikinis and one-piece swimsuits met him. His eyes lingered on a few, imagining specific girls he knew wearing them until he reached the men's section. After his swim trunks shrank, Jake needed another pair.

Not a picky guy regarding swim gear, Jake only took a few minutes to browse the selection. Grabbing three pairs, he headed to the dressing room area by the women's section. Although he didn't need to try them on, Jake wanted to hold them up against his body in front of a mirror to see which looked best.

Seconds after he decided the second pair didn't look right, Jake heard a loud voice.

"I knew it! I told you that was Jake. Yes, I did."

The aforementioned teen turned to find Trina rushing over with an annoyed Michelle trailing far behind. His latest summer fling wore a navy blue sundress while her friend had on a spaghetti-strap top and shorts. Prepared for the worst after their last parting, Jake barely reacted when the buxom brunette wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug.

"How are you? Ohmigawd, your lip is puffy. Shelly, his lip is puffy," Trina called over her shoulder. "It is true? You got in a fight with Kevin over me."

"Um, I guess so. I didn't really have a chance to choose. Kevin caught me by surprise and sucker-punched me," Jake admitted, watching as Trina's brown eyes widened. "Yeah, I didn't have a chance to really fight back."

Jake turned and lifted his shirt to show off his bruised side. Even Michelle followed Trina by gasping at the sight of the black and blue welt. Jake explained that it came from a pair of kicks.

"Kevin kicked you?" Trina squealed.

"Uh, hey, I'm sorry if you got freaked out the other night. Sometimes, our investigations can shock people," Jake apologized.

Trina nodded as she continued to stare at his side, even after Jake dropped the shirt back down.

"Your break-in was on the news," Michelle hissed, but only after she looked around to ensure nobody heard.

"Well, technically, the other two guys' break-in made the news. Phinn didn't trip the alarm," Jake clarified.

"He still broke in, and you made it worse," Michelle continued to argue while her best friend stood in a daze. "He also made the news last night. Do the two of you always get attacked?"

"Not necessarily. It happens once in a while."

"Shelly, give us a few minutes," Trina blurted out.

"What? Why? Remember that you're pissed at him," Michelle reminded.

"Just give us a few minutes, alright!" Trina snapped.

"Geesh, fine. I'll go shopping for something I don't want," the other brunette replied, marching off.

Jake didn't know quite what to say. Instead, he stood before Trina as her eyes scanned him up and down. The busty brunette didn't say anything as her breathing increased. Expecting the worst, Jake nearly flinched when her tongue slipped out of her mouth to lick her lips.

She did startle him when her hand shot out to clutch his arm. His confusion increased as she pulled him toward the dressing rooms. Jake began to question what Trina was doing, but she shushed him. Instead, he pushed on one door, then a second before the third door opened to reveal its empty insides.

Unbeknownst to Jake, Trina's entire being tingled in excited anticipation with each step she took. Until her breakup, she'd never dreamed of having public sex. But fucking in front of Michelle and Luke lit an unknown passion from deep within her. Now, her burgeoning exhibitionism would experience another thrill in public.

After dragging Jake inside, Trina spun around to latch the dressing room's lock. They stood in a standard dressing room. It featured the usual small bench, a long mirror, several hooks, and a door with a large gap at the bottom.

"Uh, did you want to talk in private?" Jake asked. He knew the question might be dumb, but he couldn't imagine Trina wanted to do the other thing his imagination conjured.

Trina did want to do that other thing.

"You fought Kevin for me. Gawd, that's so hot. Nobody has ever fought over me before."

Jake didn't see it precisely the same way. However, he knew to keep his mouth shut.

"Guess what, Jakey? You deserve a reward, but we don't have much time," Trina teased, slipping an arm around his neck.

With her right arm clinched tight around the back of Jake's neck, Trina issued a quick, fleeting kiss to his still sore lips. Next, she nibbled on his chin before dancing a series of lightweight kisses along his jawline until she reached his neck. Stopping, she sucked on his neck a tiny bit.

Breaking off the suction, Trina slid her hand up from Jake's neck to the back of his head. She drew his face to hers, pressing their lips together, showing surprising strength. Jake heard a whimper as his tongue penetrated Trina's lips in search of her tongue.

The kiss turned long and intensely passionate. Jake's tongue played delicately with Trina's at first, flicking and flaunting its way around. Then, with increased passion, Jake and Trina's hands began to roam. He squeezed her big tits firmly over her flimsy sundress. Her fingers slid downward until they squeezed his bulging cock over his shorts. Tongues darted and danced playfully.

Keeping one hand on a breast, Jake moved his free one down and around to cup Trina's ass. She responded by pulling him towards herself while running her fingers through his short hair as her other hand continued to massage his pitched tent. As if she couldn't get enough, Trina pushed herself against Jake, almost climbing up his body.

Jake's hand gripped Trina's ass harder as each second passed and she humped against his body. Neither no longer remembered where they were or cared. Rather, they lost themselves in each other's arms and tongues. Moans and groans began to sound. They slowly grew louder as hands slid inside the top of and under a sundress, along with a hand down a pair of shorts.

Wet, sloppy sounds filled the tiny dressing room as the couple gave into their cravings, which turned hotter and more intense. Their kisses shifted from playful tongue dances into hungry, mouth-devouring attacks. The previous moans and groans ratcheted up into loud, breathless pants.

"Ugh! Seriously? Talk about fucking rude," a woman complained from the next-door dressing room. Her voice and the sound of the door opening and slamming shut went unnoticed.

Instead, Trina pulled back to break off the kiss. With burning eyes, she reached down to shimmy her panties down while never breaking eye contact with Jake. Next, two abrupt swipes sent her sundress down to her ankles.

Most men would have drool dripping from their mouths at this point. Only Jake had already seen and tasted the goodies before. Not that he didn't appreciate what stood proudly in front of him. No, he definitely didn't take those heavy D-cups, flat stomach, and long, lean legs for granted.

"Should I try on an outfit, or do you prefer me like this?" Trina asked teasingly while reaching up to play with the end of her hair.

The question came out with such schoolgirl innocence that Jake's hard cock twitched noticeably inside his shorts. His hungry eyes and his strong physical reaction sent a raging lust racing through Trina's veins. A primal urge caused her to leap forward with her hands clawing at his shorts' button and zipper. Once free, the brunette held Jake's cock with one hand while pushing his shorts to the floor with the other.

"I want you to take this big, bad battering ram and blow my mind. Can you do that, Jake? Can you do it hard and fast before we get in trouble?"

Jake's brain didn't register what she meant by getting into trouble. Instead, his hands shot forward to lift Trina into the air, to her surprised delight. She barely wrapped her legs around his body before Jake spun to his left without hesitation. His move pressed her hard against the dressing room door. Absolutely blazing with passion at Jake's show of strength, Trina mashed her lips firmly against his again. The lust-filled brunette scooched her body further up the limited space between the door and Jake's muscular body. A cross between a coo and a purr slipped out from her lips and near Jake's ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

Jake responded by pinning Trina against the door with such strength that she felt her pussy flare in excitement. Fervently, they kissed with Jake's hands gripping each of her asscheeks as if there were no tomorrow. Propped up against the door, Trina felt as if she were perched on the bench on the other side of the room.

With unspoken communication, Jake shifted his body while Trina reached down. Together they positioned his rock-hard dick at the entrance to her needy kitty. Then, with a wink, Jake slowly pushed inside of her.

"Ohhhhhh!" Trina responded with a loud moan just as someone entered the main dressing room hallway.

"Crap. We're in a dressing room," Jake whispered, suddenly remembering his whereabouts. He pulled out until only his tip remained inside. "What if they hear us?"

"They can listen to you fuck me silly, big boy," Trina replied triumphantly, not caring about the consequences. Instead, she felt a raging bolt of lust after using her legs to shove Jake's lance deeper inside her pussy.

"Trina," Jake moaned both in pleasure and protest.

"Worried? Then, you better fuck me hard and fast. No stopping until orgasm time. Got that?" Trina raised her head to stare at Jake with fiery eyes. And in case he tried to break off their coupling, her hands tightened around his shoulders while she locked her legs around his naked waist in a death grip.

"Fuck, you feel so big!" the brunette moaned, tempting Jake to forget about the world outside the barely enclosed cubicle. "Fuck me, Jake. Fuck me like Kevin never could."

With lingering anger over last night at his ex-teammate and her ex-boyfriend, Jake instantly pulled his big cock almost all of the way out of her before slamming himself so hard into her again that the dressing room's partial door shook loudly. Now consumed by anger and lust, Jake stopped caring about who overheard them. Repeatedly, he quickly rammed his iron rod forcefully and ferociously into her tight pussy. Although she'd told Jake not to care about anyone hearing them, Trina had attempted to keep quiet. Initially, she bit her lip and worked hard to stifle her moans. However, with each successive plunge inside of her pussy, Trina's mouth opened wide, allowing out loud, satisfied cries of pleasure.

Eventually, her willpower collapsed, and she expressed her feelings to anyone nearby in The Sun Shop.

"Fuck... ohhhh yes, oh, ugh... yes, give it to me, Jakey!" Trina roared enthusiastically. "Fuck me, baby!"

"You like that? You wanted it hard and fast," Jake growled as he gripped her tight bare ass firmly and started to jackhammer into her.

The dressing room door banged violently on its hinges, alerting the two remaining women in the different rooms. One giggled at the naughty performance, while the other became outraged.

"Oh, give it... ugh... to me. Give it--fuck!--like Kevin, couldn't it!"

Jake grinned and grunted, slamming his dick in and out with unrelenting force.

"Disgusting perverts! I'm getting a manager," the outraged woman warned, banging on the door from the other side.

"Ummm, yeah, okay!" Trina responded. She didn't care. What anyone thought didn't matter right now. If anything, the thought of being caught by someone in authority caused her to relish this sensation of public sluttiness. "Fuck, Jake, fuck... your slut! Mmmm, fuck! I love it!"

"Have fun, but hurry up," the giggling girl said before leaving the area.

Her words seemed to be precisely what Jake wanted to hear. He loved showing off what he could do to Trina. After last night's sucker punch, it was the best "fuck you" he could throw back at Kevin. If word got out what happened at The Sun Shop, it would make up for that bitch's kicks.

Pulling back, Jake allowed Trina's upper body more space. That worked perfectly for when he began to pound her pussy harder and harder. With her naked chest exposed to the air, he watched as each thrust caused those big tits to bounce up and down.

"T-Trina, are you in there?" Michelle asked hesitantly.

Trina's eyes flashed in both recognition and lust.

"Are you... Oh. My. Gawd! What are... You can't do that!" Michelle shrieked after spotting a familiar navy blue sundress on the floor beside the shaking door.

"Yes... Jake's fuck... ing... me, Shelly!" Trina managed to get out between moans. Then, as the ultimate I-don't-give-a-fuck move, the brunette reached up with one hand to clutch the top of the door. The new grip allowed Michelle to see her best friend's white knuckles.

"Trina! I think a woman went to get an employee!" Michelle squealed.

"Almost there... Shelly. Jake's... ugh... big fucking... ugh... cock... almost..." Trina lost the ability to speak as her eyes rolled backward from the neverending stretching and pounding of her pussy.

Suddenly, Trina gasped for air that didn't come as a wordless scream filled her mouth. With her head banging against the dressing room door and breasts bouncing wildly, she dropped both hands down to rake her nails along Jake's back.

The orgasm she felt brewing surged to the top much faster than Trina expected. Throwing her head back hard against the door again, the overcome brunette unleashed a howl that the whole second floor of The Sun Shop heard.

Despite the ear-shattering scream, Jake kept pounding as her pussy tightened its grip. Finally, after another fifteen seconds, the increasingly vice-like pussy caused him to roar as he unleashed more than a day's worth of cum inside his lover.

Neither teen could say how much time had passed after they staggered over to sit on the bench with Trina still on top of Jake. It probably wasn't longer than two or three minutes before Michelle's string of exclamations registered in their brains.

"You need to go now! Somebody is coming!"

Immediately, Jake and Trina jumped to their feet. Trina dressed quickly as she only had her sundress to put back on. Oddly, she couldn't find her panties and didn't care. They probably were in the next dressing room, but Michelle yanked her out of the room as soon as Trina unlatched the lock.

While that occurred, Jake pulled up his shorts before throwing on the shirt, which he couldn't remember taking off. Far outside the row of dressing rooms, he heard the outraged woman telling someone that Trina or Michelle must have been one of them. When the other person asked why it couldn't be both young women, the meddler gave a strangled cry before huffing and puffing away.

Exiting the dressing room, Jake recalled his original reason for coming to the store. Darting back inside, he grabbed the first pair of swim trunks he checked out in the mirror. Finally back outside in the store, he saw Michelle dragging Trina to safety before she could get in trouble.

However, an employee stood by the dressing rooms with her hands on her hips. Immediately, Jake understood how Trina could leave without any consequences. The blonde had been two grades ahead of her, which meant she had graduated with his older sister.

"I should've known," the employee said, sighing. Then, with the most subtle hand motion down at her side, she ordered him to hurry away.

"Thanks," Jake acknowledged before risking further detection by walking down to the first floor to pay for his new swim trunks.

Once he had finished that chore, Jake checked his phone to find a message from Luke. Jake quickly replied that he was on his way before walking to the marina. Surprisingly, while he'd been inside the store, the sun had come out to shine down.

Turning the last corner before he reached the street to the marina, Jake noted with surprise how busy the parking lot looked. It appeared that several trucks with boats on trailers had only recently arrived to go out on the bay or ocean. He spotted Luke leaving the dock area and walking through the gate.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out as a man lugging a heavy-looking duffle bag nearly knocked Luke over. Luke shouted at the asshole, only to grab the fence as more people raced past him.

"He found it. He found part of the treasure," a petite blonde wearing sunglasses yelled, pointing at the first guy who'd run past Luke. In one hand, she held a round object.

Jake noticed she was running after the guy while recording with her phone. The number of people behind her grew as the man's pace began to lag. Sensing a new development, Jake made a beeline as he anticipated the guy's trajectory. However, the fleeing man suddenly jerked to his right and toward a waiting car.

An older man with a scraggly beard and hat jumped out of the car. Jake watched as the driver opened the rear door closest to him and farthest from the approaching man. Jake spotted another similar duffle bag in the backseat. He watched as the driver attempted to pull the heavy-looking bag closer to him.

Two things happened almost simultaneously. Jake watched the bag split open, sending several round objects down and onto the parking lot. They landed with a combination of a thud and a tinkle. Secondly, Jake looked up in time to recognize the fleeing man before he shoved his bag into the backseat and got inside through the front passenger door.

It was Sandy-Brown-Hair-With-Glasses.

Before Jake could reach the car, it sped off.

"Dammit!" the petite blonde yelled, turning away from Jake as he looked up. She immediately started to complain to several of the others rushing over.

"Holy shit! Did that guy find the treasure?" Luke questioned, rushing over to where Jake bent down.

"I think he found part of it," Jake confirmed, holding up a dirty Spanish doubloon.