The Case of the Phantom Diver Ch 15

"This is so freaking cool. First, we have to squeal away from the library with thugs chasing us, and now we're holding a clandestine meeting in the morgue's parking lot," Johanna declared as Phineas got back into her car. "Who was that? Did you bribe him? Wait, you didn't buy an organ or something, did you?"

"Give me that," Phinn ordered, snatching the wannabe influencer's phone out of her hand.

After leaving Dillingday Library with Scarface and Stringy Hair on their heels, Phinn had directed Johanna to drive toward the cluster of buildings that held the law and order for Edgewater. She'd initially inquired if they were headed toward the police station to report the men who chased her classmate, but Phinn scoffed at that notion. Instead, he directed her to park on the street near the old armory building. Once parked, he watched for a signal before slipping between the rows of cars in the parking lot.

"Hey! Give that back. What are you--"

"Deleting this meeting. You might not know who I met, but... Dammit, Zay! I told you to wait in the car!" Phinn exclaimed after ending the recording and checking what she'd already taken.

"My subscribers demand to know!"

"And somebody who wants to know might recognize who I met. There are consequences for him if this gets out. He'd be fired at the least," Phinn explained.

"Not my fault. He shouldn't be handing information to you," Johanna spat back before asking, "What's in the folder?"

"Nope. Better you don't know. The less you know, the less danger you're in. Now, drive," the bespectacled teen directed.

"Danger? Ha!" the chestnut brunette derided, but she did restart her car. "Stop thinking your life is a movie, Farris."

Amazed that he got himself into this situation, Phinn regretted not having a driver's license yet. That's a deficiency that I should address in the near future. Then, he decided to teach his obnoxious classmate a lesson. With a glance in the side mirror, he dropped a bombshell.

"If you so desire a need to be proven correct, then pull over and tell the two men following us that my life isn't a movie."

"Following us? Where?" Johanna questioned, glancing in the rearview mirror and looking over her shoulder.

"The black and tan Trans Am that will be turning the corner in three... two... one," Phinn counted down. As expected, the Mask Brothers' car came around the corner to resume following him.

"Holy... what in the...," Johanna trailed off, fumbling to pick up her phone with her right hand while using her left to steer.

Phinn snatched the phone out of her hand with a sigh. Of course, Johanna's first instinct was to record her experience.

"Careful. We don't want them to know we know. People in my imaginary life tend to get violent."

"Bullshit! You guessed that car was going to turn behind us," Johanna declared, doubting the teen detective. "I'm not falling for one of your scare tactics."

"Very well. Don't take 64th Street to city hall. Let's drive the scenic route through the side streets and see if they follow us. Just don't freak out and alert them," Phinn warned, pointing at the side street.

Muttering under her breath, Johanna drove the scenic route. At first, she started to brag about seeing through him as the Trans Am took its time following them. However, once it finally appeared, Phinn semi-complimented their staying farther back. As she grew unsettled, Johanna shot back to ask if he was impressed with their followers.

"Hardly. They made it quite clear Friday night when they blatantly followed me and Bandit around the park and my neighborhood. One can't attempt to intimidate a person only to try and hide afterward," Phineas commented contemptuously.

"Hold on. This guy or guys has followed you since Friday night?" Johanna double-checked, unconsciously stepping harder on the pedal.

"Careful. Keep it slow," her passenger recommended. "Oh, they've switched off and on. They followed Jake all day on Saturday. Clearly, they also tailed us yesterday based on what happened. And, yes, there are two men in that vehicle."

"What happened? What do you mean? Who are they?" Johanna rattled off, staring at the rearview mirror.

"As for now, we're calling them Red Mask and Blue Mask. Those are the colors of the ski masks they wore on Thursday night when they broke into the historical society. And what--"

"Those are the people who broke... Wait, how do you know that?" the brunette questioned.

"Because I saw them," Phineas revealed nonchalantly. That he thoroughly enjoyed dropping these bombshells on his classmate was evident to anyone who knew the teen. Although anti-social, the junior sleuth had a flair for the dramatic. "And they also wore those masks last night when they broke into Tarr Manor while I was inside. I must admit that we didn't put two and two together until they fled from us and hopped into that Trans Am. We had a few other suspects up for the car owners."

"Ohmigawd! Why didn't we alert the police? We drove past the police station after leaving the morgue!"

"Ah, such naivety," Phinn remarked. "The police won't help without direct evidence. Besides, most cops hold a strong dislike for Jake and myself. In fact, our presence, which allowed us to save Regina Tarr last night, led to a threat from Deputy Chief Reyhall. If we're caught meddling in the treasure hunt again, we will be sent to the juvenile center out in the boonies."

"They threatened Jake? I mean, I can see them... or everyone not liking you, but Jake?!"

"Nice and predictable," Phineas responded sarcastically. "Ah, we're early, yet the lot is nearly full. I'd recommend we grab a spot. Parking on the street might not be safe."

"Not safe?!"

Actually, there were only two available parking spots left. Johanna took one while the Mask Brothers vanished for the moment. A sizeable crowd gathered outside the front doors of city hall. News vans from channels 5, 9, and 23 sat near the front of the parking lot. As expected, Phineas spotted Hollie Kittler and Stone Barrington conducting interviews while a healthy dose of police officers conducted crowd control.

"I guess we'd better get in line," Johanna suggested. "At least I'll be safe. No thanks to you."

"Oh, we're not waiting in line. I prefer to get a good seat. We'll go around to the side entrance," Phinn said, nodding with his head toward the south side of the building.

"Duh, won't the door be locked? They have the front doors locked."

"No door is ever truly locked. You just need to know who to ask to leave it ajar," Phinn stated, typing a message.

"Ohmigawd! Are you bribing another person?" Johanna shrieked. Despite sounding outraged, she still started recording.

"I rarely bribe. Many people like me or feel grateful for past help," the teen detective replied. Opening the car door, he stepped out. "Okay, let's go."

"Wait, shouldn't we wait for Jake?"

"Why? He's busy on a stakeout."

"But... You promised, Farris!" Johanna exclaimed, hopping out of the car. Several line waiters glanced over at the loud shriek.

"Did I? I believe I said Jake might join us. He still might. I'm not Nostradamus," Phinn proclaimed, walking briskly toward the side of the building.

"Don't play semantics with me, liar!" Johanna yelled, rushing after her classmate.

*********************************************************************************************

"Who's that?" Andre asked in between bites of his chicken sandwich.

"Beats me," Jake replied, watching as a pickup truck parked in front of Tarr Manor.

The two teens sat three houses down on the side of the narrow street closest to the front door. Activity around the mansion had been nearly non-existent during the first few hours of the stakeout. Jake recognized a couple of Regina's friends and neighbors from last night. Andre provided commentary on the hotness levels of the three female friends. One nosy neighbor apparently came over to check on her briefly. While leaving, the prying woman rubbernecked as she passed Andre's SUV.

The only other excitement had been Phinn's messages about The Factfinders. Andre had whistled when Jake brought up Sophia Swann's picture. His interest deflated considerably when Jake relayed that the whole mystery-solving group was a bunch of prudes.

"Trust me. I've tried with Sophia," Jake recounted. "Plenty of times."

They'd spent those first two hours discussing stakeouts and the neighborhood. The grandeur of the bygone era stubbornly clung to the ivy-covered facades of the mansions that lined the avenue. Their once gleaming white exteriors were now a faded shade of ivory, hinting at tales of forgotten opulence and the good old days. Jake pointed out the Victorian and Queen Anne-style mansions. Their turrets and towers reached toward the sky but also provided deepening valleys of shadows as the sun moved westward.

"Those shadows could work later tonight, especially as we get closer to dusk, either for us or anyone else watching the mansion," Jake noted.

The guys had taken a brief break to Jake's discomfort. Andre insisted he needed dinner as he'd skipped lunch already. Jake might have continued his stakeout from the bushes if it had been dark out. However, with the summer sun setting late, the stocky detective reluctantly agreed to make a quick run to Count Chick-O's.

"Looks like a workman of some sort," Andre added, noticing the man's attire and clipboard.

"That's Jace, the brother," Jake pointed out when Jace Tarr answered the door. He jabbed the hand that held a chicken tender forward while gesturing.

"Whoa! Watch it!" Andre exclaimed, scrambling to grab a napkin. He swiftly wiped the dashboard before additionally wiping the windshield after a survey. "You flung your barbeque sauce all over my ride."

"Honey barbeque," the other teen clarified.

"Oh, excuse me. Does the honey part mean it's better? My baby might be older, but she ain't ancient like your piece of shit. Show some respect," Andre complained.

"Sorry. But you should show some, too. Unless your baby likes salt poured on the floor mat?" Jake pointed to where Andre had sloppily tipped the French fry box over.

"Fuck!"

"What are you doing?" Jake questioned as Andre opened the car door.

"Dumping the salt in the street," he replied, pulling the mat out.

"Everyone will see you," Jake alerted. Fortunately, Jace and the workman had gone on the extended portion of the front porch with their backs to the SUV.

"I'm not leaving that in here and spreading it around," Andre said, putting the clean mat in the car before getting back in himself. "See? Already done."

Jake watched Andre finish off the remaining French fries from the holder before pulling out a second one. Shaking his head, Jake worried that his teammate might need a bathroom break eventually. He'd gone with a light meal of a chicken tender pack, fries, and a small drink. Andre had added the second fry and sandwich to the same meal while substituting in an extra-large drink. Usually, Jake's issue was getting Phinn to eat or drink anything on a stakeout.

"That's a lot of food," the teen detective commented for the second time.

"I'm starving."

"Just saying. We're likely going to be here until late into the night."

"Well, nothing is happening. Unless you count that guy. He's obviously a window repairman," Andre remarked.

The two teens watched in boredom as the repairman measured the front window that Blue Mask had smashed last night. Eventually, Jace escorted the man around to the back to show him the smaller glass pane that Red Mask had broken. While this occurred, Andre's questioning led Jake to repeat the details of what happened last night.

"Damn, so this Regina is hot, right?" Andre had yet to get a glimpse of the busty brunette. Jake agreed while pointing out that Luke thought the same. "So, she slips into a skimpy negligee and Farris does nothing? Is he gay or asexual?"

"Nah, Phinn just takes our investigations seriously. Regina's behavior moved her into the suspect category. So you can't bang her until she's been cleared," Jake said, attempting to sound professional despite his own desires for the brunette. "It can compromise the investigation."

They continued to sit and watch nothing happen after the repairman shook Jace's hand and left. After thirty minutes, Andre noticed the same nosy neighbor leave her stoic brick Tudor home that sat alone among its flashier neighbors. She walked past them again slowly, this time with a small dog. Suddenly, he started to worry.

"Shit. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten out to dump that salt. I probably stand out in this neighborhood."

"Why?" Jake replied absentmindedly while reading Phinn's message from the city council meeting.

"Duh!" Andre replied, running one hand down the other arm's dark skin.

"I wouldn't worry about that. We've staked out places hundreds of times with maybe a few dozen problems."

"A few dozen? How many is a few dozen exactly?" Andre challenged, his concern increasing. "This might not be the wealthiest neighborhood in town any longer, but it's still filled with old money. You know what old money means, right?"

"Um..."

"Old money people tend to be more racist," Andre said.

"Well, yeah, I guess... but we should be fine," Jake reassured.

"How many black kids do you know in those other teen detective groups?" Andre questioned.

"Hmm, let's see, there are a few. But we don't go to any of the events or competitions. Phinn isn't into that stuff."

"A few? Not many, right? That's cause they probably get hassled by the cops."

"We get hassled by the cops all the time," Jake pointed out.

"Not making me feel any better, Magnum." Suddenly, Andre paused as a car drove past them to pull up in front of Tarr Manor. Immediately, Jake slunk down in the seat. "What's wrong?"

Two clean-cut teens exited the car. Andre's eyes immediately zeroed in on the attractive female of the pair. He recognized her from the prior picture and whistled again.

"Cody Conway and Sophia Swann," Jake revealed needlessly. "The A-team of the boring ass Factfinders."

"It looks like they're on your tail," Andre noted as two teens opened the gate and walked to the front porch.

"But not on our trail. Regina won't let them in. She likes us. Even if she wants to be polite, Jace will turn them away. He's a dick," Jake stated.

The high school gumshoe and his friend watched as Cody and Sophia waited a couple of minutes. Only after a loud knock followed the initial doorbell ring did the door open to reveal Regina. The gorgeous coed wore a sexy yet tasteful sundress.

"Damn, Farris is a fool for turning that smokeshow down!" Andre stated.

"Oh, wow. That shade of yellow looks fantastic on her," Jake complimented.

"Those bombs look fantastic on her. Suspect or not, she's fucking top-heavy," Andre gushed. "Uh-oh, I think she's going to let them inside."

"Nah, Regina would never... Regina, how could you?!" Jake wailed, watching as she welcomed Cody and Sophia into her home with a cheerful arm wave.

"Uh, should we sneak up to try and eavesdrop or something? Is that what you guys do?" Andre asked, but his devastated friend didn't hear.

"I... I can't believe... How could she.... We're the ones who saved her last night. Us!"

"Maybe she's just being polite. Yeah, that's it. I bet she won't tell them anything... or much," the stocky civilian suggested.

Jake folded his arms and pouted at the betrayal.

Almost ten minutes passed in silence, with Andre closing his eyes from the boredom. Slowly, he began to regret that extra-large soda as his bladder started to feel uncomfortable. Suddenly, a knock at the driver's side window and Andre's surprised shriek snapped Jake out of his pouting.

"Oh, shit," the driver sounded, catching sight of the police officer standing several feet away from his door. Andre could also see the squad car in the rearview mirror behind them. "I'm so getting arrested."

"Can you step out of the car, sir?" the patrolman ordered, making it sound like a polite request.

"For what?" Jake asked. "I'm the one who's supposed to be staying away from the treasure hunt."

"For being black in a rich neighborhood," Andre stated, raising both hands while slowly reaching over to open his door.

"Don't worry. It's Wishkoski," Jake said with relief after recognizing the officer. Leaning past Andre, he called out the open door. "Hey, Wish!"

"Magnum? Savard? Oh, hey! What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, you scared the shit out of Andre," Jake revealed.

"I did? Oh, sorry, Andre," Officer Wishkoski apologized, moving his hand away from where it hovered over his holster.

Jake hopped out of the SUV and walked around the front as a relieved Andre slid out slowly.

"We had a call about a suspicious individual. Hold on. Let me call in," the friendly, good-natured young man said, reaching for the radio on his chest. He briefly told dispatch that the call had been a misunderstanding.

"Misunderstanding my ass. I bet it was that nosy bitch," Andre mumbled, looking down the street in the direction she'd gone with her dog.

Officer Wishkoski apologized again for scaring them. He explained that after last night's home invasion, they had to follow up on any possibility of a repeat. Jake said he understood but also felt guilty for dismissing his friend's concerns. Another patrolman who responded to the call might have been far more aggressive in assuming the worst.

"Wow, you're staking out the mansion? That's awfully nice of you guys. I heard you and Phineas were on the scene when those men broke in. Um, but I heard that the deputy chief ordered you to stay away from the pirate hunt," Wishkoski recalled.

"Yeah, but you're not going to snitch on us, are you?" Jake asked, chuckling.

Andre shot him an are-you-crazy look.

"No! I wouldn't do that. However, the people around here are kind of paranoid after last night," the young cop replied.

"Shit, that's totally my fault. We should've been rotating where we parked. I sort of forgot while we ate our dinner. We grabbed Count Chick-O's," Jake explained.

The three men spent the next few minutes discussing their favorite items from the popular chain. Eventually, Andre admitted he screwed up with the extra-large soda and needed to pee.

"Hey, how about we take a bathroom break and park down the street when we return?" Jake queried.

"Well, I don't know. I guess that could work for now. I can tell dispatch to disregard any calls about your vehicle," Officer Wishkoski said, caving in.

"Hold up. Shake our hands first," Andre directed, wanting the nosy neighbors to see them interacting even friendlier with the policeman.

Anyone peering out their windows saw the elaborate handshake, which turned into a dap before ending in a fist bump. Jake had to shake his head before Andre leaned in for a hug with the surprised officer.

*******************************************************************************************

"This is a surprise. Actually, I shouldn't be shocked. Both of you love attention," the girl with neck-length cinnamon-brown hair remarked.

"Better watch it, Donnelly. I'm in the citizen journalism business now," Johanna shot back at Erin Donnelly, the likely new editor of the North High Sonar.

"And Phineas is your source? Good luck with that. He never divulges anything unless it's to show you up," Erin revealed.

"I never used you... yet. Only your predecessors," Phinn stated, barely paying attention to the conversation to bother a glance at his classmate. "No Bex tonight?"

"Family vacation," the cinnamon brunette responded. With a sigh, she sat in the second-to-last row of the public seating in the seat directly in front of the teen detective. "No Jake tonight?"

"Detective business," Phinn stated.

"Not grounded?" the high school journalist asked.

"Not yet."

"Why would Jake be grounded?" Johanna questioned.

Phinn's shrug left it up to Erin to answer.

"Because of the sex show he put on yesterday."

"Sex show?! Where? How didn't I hear about it?" Johanna squealed.

"The Coast Guard busting them was all over the news," Erin explained.

"That was Jake?!"

"And Luke Ridley and Andre Savard. Who were the women, Phinn?" Erin queried.

"No comment."

"Phineas!" Johanna screeched, grabbing his arm and shaking it.

"No comment."

Silence followed as the junior sleuth and reporter scanned the growing crowd from the rear of the council chamber. Mayor Roger Broome, a fastidious dresser who preferred playing the role rather than performing the required work, appeared frazzled as he glanced around the room. At the same time, he held an animated conversation with Chief Norberg in the back corner. Since Phinn hadn't spotted Oswald Cozart yet, the bespectacled teen wondered if the amateur historian's absence caused the frayed nerves.

"Check out Newton," Erin hissed over her shoulder.

With the heads-up, Phinn found the ambitious city council president placing her items down in her spot. Her chair was next to the mayor's and faced the chamber, splitting the two rows of council seats. Two lecterns, with microphones for public comments, sat at opposite ends of the room behind the council seats. Behind those sat the public seating section.

President Victoria Newton, an attractive woman in her early thirties, glared at Mayor Broome. It didn't take a detective to read her expression. She was pissed and scheming.

"Hmm, I wonder if tonight is when she announces her mayoral campaign," Phinn speculated.

"Doubtful. She'd be smarter to wait for the fallout. If Broome manages to survive this chaos while looking like a leader, she'll hurt her chances," Erin assessed.

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Johanna questioned, looking as confused as she sounded.

"Politics, Zay," Erin shot back. Phinn didn't need a view of her face to see the smirk.

"I'd expect more trouble from Tanner Lowry. He's itching for a fight," Phinn said, referring to the self-proclaimed alderman-for-the-people.

"Knowing him, it'd be a knife fight," Erin agreed.

Frustrated with the foreign conversation, Johanna threw her hands up for dramatic effect. Reacting too late, Phinn groaned as the sudden movement caught the attention of numerous people. This included a small group gathered in the aisle around an elected official, who glanced over and spotted him.

"Crap," Phinn muttered as the fiftysomething-year-old woman's face lit up.

"Phineas! Yoohoo, Phineas, over here!" Charlotte Annable waved.

Circumstances escalated in the worst way for the teen detective as the woman apologized to her constituents and ascended the slight ramp. All the way, she waved and gestured at Phinn to come over. Eventually, she reached the end of his row and stared past the eleven other people at her neighbor.

"Phineas, I want you to sit up in front," the local alderwoman for his district conveyed.

"Hello, Mrs. Annable. Thank you, but I'm fine back here."

"Mrs. Annable? I told you to call me Auntie Charlotte, Phinny," the alderwoman reminded him for the umpteenth time over the last fifteen years. Phinn heard snickers from his two classmates while his neighbor continued. "Now, come sit in front. I'm sure some of the council will have questions. You've supposedly been in the thick of this nonsense."

"Oh, no. I don't want to get involved," Phinn declared, cursing his luck. Charlotte Annable was one of the main gossipers in his mother's neighborhood circle. If she knew, then his mother did or would know soon enough the extent of his involvement.

"Come, Phineas," Alderwoman Annable insisted, motioning for him to get up.

"He can't. Reyhall threatened to send him to juvie if he got involved in the treasure hunt again," Johanna revealed, despite Phinn's attempt to shush her.

"He did what? Where is Deputy Chief Reyhall? That type of harassment is uncalled for," Charlotte proclaimed, searching the room.

"I don't think he's here, ma'am," Erin said.

"Chief Norberg is, and he's going to get a piece of my mind," the alderwoman declared, marching down the aisle.

Shit, there goes keeping a low profile.

"Auntie Charlotte, Phinny?" Erin snickered again.

"Shut it, you yellow hack," he hissed.

"Farris!" Johanna cried before lowering her voice to a whisper. "That's offensive."

"That's not what I meant," Phinn denied, sighing.

"You might offend her people, and I have plenty of Asian subscribers," Johanna pointed out, worried about losing them over his comment.

"How?" Erin inquired, turning to face her after realizing their classmate took his comment the wrong way. "I'm Irish, not Asian."

"B-But isn't it?" Johanna sputtered.

"He called me a yellow journalist. Of course, it's an insult," Erin said before elaborating based on Johann's still confused expression. "It's similar to a tabloid journalist."

"Oh!"

Phinn palmed his face for several minutes before scanning the room again. The meeting appeared ready to start. However, the man of the hour didn't seem to have shown up yet.

Dammit! The only reason I came was to get a chance to ask Cozart some questions.

"Hi, Erin! Oh, hello, Phineas!"

"Hi, Kennedy!" Erin greeted in return while Phinn waved at the reporter for the Edgewater Dispatch.

As several television reporters filed into the room, it seemed that the media were done with pre-meeting interviews. Based on the crowd's reactions, Hollie Kittler appeared to be the star of the show.

"Ooh! Stone Barrington still pissed at you?" Erin teased, catching the glare he sent Phinn's way.

"I'd say so based on the hit piece he wrote about me and Jake."

Phinn sat up straighter and leaned to look around people as Oswald Cozart rushed into the chamber and down the far aisle. Suddenly, a vision of pink brightness blocked Phinn's view and hurried over to sit in the empty seat beside Erin. The pink-haired woman turned to offer her hand.

"Phinn, right? I'm Mindy Moon. I met Jake and your friends the other night at Smashburgers. I think we bumped into each other at the beach."

Although not the most sociable person, Phinn reached forward to accept the handshake. He recalled Jake mentioning the strange girl with the pink hair. Or strange in Phinn's mind, not Jake's. His partner tended to care more about a girl's hotness level than quirkiness.

"Phineas, when did you get friends?" Erin questioned, turning around with a shocked expression. Johanna laughed while Mindy appeared confused. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Um, okay," Mindy responded before focusing on Phinn again. "I'd love to catch up with you about everything that's happened. Jake couldn't praise you--"

BANG BANG BANG

The room fell silent as the city council meeting gaveled into order. Mindy understood that she needed to be quiet, so she mouthed "Later" to the teen. Confused about why they needed to talk, Phinn nodded as he saw his favorite professor enter the chamber on the far side. He watched as Katie Pettit scanned the crowd before spotting the person she sought.

What? Ah, hell, no! Phinn moaned in his head as Davis Stensland stood to let Katie into his row. There was no mistaking the familiarity of his hand on her lower back. That's the colleague she had a meeting/date with? Fuck that guy.

"Psst, she looks familiar," Johanna whispered, pointing toward the pink-haired young woman's back.

"She was at the beach when your cousin found the skeleton," Phinn replied.

"Huh? Really?" Johanna questioned, narrowing her eyes as she thought it over.

The meeting turned predictable and boring for the junior sleuth. Mayor Broome started with the usual platitudes before multiple city council members offered their own. Broome focused on assuring everyone that the treasure hunt chaos wouldn't hurt the tourist season. Several alders demanded details for this reassurance. Eventually, Chief Norberg stood up to address the concerns over the recent violence.

"I guarantee you that we're taking every precaution possible. Order will be maintained."

"What about the attack at the marina the other day?" someone shouted.

"Which day?" another person added to the laughter.

"Order, order!" Mayor Broome shouted, banging his gavel. As this was an emergency meeting that he called for, the mayor, not a council member, presided tonight.

"What about the shooting yesterday on the ocean?" another audience member yelled. "Do we have to worry about gunfights at the marina?"

"What about the burglaries? Have there been more than two?"

Phinn yawned and zoned out as arguments filled the frightened chamber. Business owners worried about the treasure hunt's effect on their revenue. Others applauded the potential benefits while demanding that city leaders take advantage of this rare opportunity. Another faction focused on the burglaries and violence. Phinn shook his head as one woman screeched her fear about her children getting shot.

"Your damn kids aren't going to be re-enacting the Gunfight at the OK Corral in the middle of the Atlantic," Phinn muttered, causing Erin and Mindy to laugh.

Mayor Broome put Stanley Gladden on the spot by calling the historical society director to the front to address the crowd. Gladden started by saying the break-in had been an isolated incident. However, shouts and claims that he's been covering up the map and pirate loot led him to sputter and stammer his denials. More conspiracy theories rang out, demanding to know why nobody from the Tarr family was in attendance.

"Do they or do they not have the treasure already?" one irate man bellowed.

Eventually, an uncomfortable and wary Oswald Cozart took his turn at the lectern. A double whammy met him from the elected officials and the public. Cozart repeated that he'd only been in town for a book signing and had no idea this hunt would happen.

"I can promise that your city was one of many on the Atlantic coastline that fit the description. We wouldn't be having a hunt if that skeleton hadn't washed ashore."

"It didn't wash ashore," Phinn mumbled.

Twenty questions from the public followed the council members' inquiries. None of Cozart's answers appeared to appease or satisfy anyone. A recurring theme was concern that the treasure hunt would affect 4th of July activities in a few weeks. That and the town festival later in the summer brought many visitors to the oceanfront.

"Look, I know almost as much as you do. However, the map that was discovered hidden in the historical society--"

"Hidden?! It wasn't hidden!" Stan Gladden denied hotly.

"With the map found, we now have a general location to search. The Black Rose might be found any day now," Cozart continued.

"You can't guarantee that!" one local screamed.

"He doesn't even know these waters," a fisherman scoffed.

"Hey, Mayor! Are we just supposed to hope this hunt dies down?" a concerned Market Square business owner questioned.

"Please, we're doing everything that we can--"

CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK

The sound of two empty bottles clinking together caused everyone to turn around and look at the rear corner opposite Phinn. Handing the bottles over to his wheezing friend, Edgar Fowle stood up. With a booming voice, he didn't need a microphone.

"You all know me. You know how I earn a living. You wanna keep the Johnnys and Janeys around town happy and keep those tourists flocking in for the summer shindigs, don't you? Well, I'll find that treasure. It won't be easy with all those damn amateurs getting in the way. So, it won't come cheap. Mayor, Chief, you keep those fools away from the site, and I'll get your damn treasure."

"Mr. Fowle, we can't stop people from going out there," Mayor Broome pointed out.

Phinn chuckled as he recognized a version of the speech. Johanna continued to be confused while Erin cocked her head as something sounded familiar.

"Sure you can. Call it a public menace or martial law. Have the Coast Guard out there, and I'll find that pirate's lost gold. But like I said, it will cost you--a sixty-forty split with the larger portion going to myself. Wouldn't this fair city's taxpayers like some extra funds or items for the museum? Think about it. I'll be around, but I ain't got all day."

With that parting line, Edgar and Wheezy got up and departed. His words sent the chamber into a frenzy of shouts and questions.

"Unoriginal fucker. But I'll give it to him. He had his moment," Phinn chuckled. "He totally ripped off Quint's speech."

"Who?" Johanna asked, with Mindy turning around in confusion as well.

"Of course!" Erin exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Jaws."

"Wait, the shark film?" Mindy asked.

"Whoa, what? Who said anything about sharks? Did a shark eat that diver?" Johanna rattled off, causing several people to look over.

"Yep, he didn't have a chalkboard to run his nails down. Still, he came prepared with those bottles," Phinn said, shaking his head until he abruptly stopped.

"Quint was the fisherman who offered to hunt down the shark to save the tourist season in Jaws," Erin explained as Johanna finally understood despite never seeing the movie.

A back-and-forth went on about how that was possible. However, Phinn didn't hear it. Instead, he focused on a man sitting in the other back row beyond Edgar and Wheezy's empty seats. Pulling out his phone, Phinn messaged Jake.

"The Mask Brothers are the Rattigans."

"For real? Shit!" Jake wrote back before a second message followed immediately. "We put them in jail."

"They're out again."

"And gunning for us," Jake responded needlessly. "Is now a bad time to mention I'm inside with Regina?"