Thank you guys for all the e-mails: boy-driver@hotmail.com This took a bit longer, again, for this is the first chapter after my mom's passing last Sunday. Being the only child, I had to take care of everything.
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MT. PLEASANT HIGH - SERIES
Previously:
Josh tells Matt he knows about Matt using him to get into Chad's "gang". Both kids are devastated.
Matt tells Shawn what happened and the new guy offers help. Later Shawn and Josh have a hot movie night.
Capo Monteiro escapes while at the hospital. Officers Lopez and Miles get him out.
Journalist Richard Desbordes knows everything about the successful escape and it mades front page news next day.
Events following the escaping of the gangster are developing:
...There was no proper explanation to what had happened. The journalist destroyed the Department's reputation, there was one sentence that had the four top dogs intrigued. "There's clear evidence that it was an inside job. Some people from the Police helped the gangster to get out."
What kind of evidence was that? How did this journalist knew? How did he get in the place to take pictures of the Capo being taken out? So many questions, no answer.
PART 11 - WHAT A SURPRISE
The FBI agents arrived moments later and the Police Chief, Internal Affairs, District Attorney and Judge Stycer went to the hotel that would be used as headquarters.
"Gentlemen, I'm agent O'Neal and this is agent Carlson. We've been designated to take charge on the investigation."
The Police Chief, who as of now was informed he had lost all control over the situation, was the first to speak and sounded a little offended, to say the least.
"Why are you here? I mean, we're already investigating."
"Justice department called us. Apparently there's a rat among your men. And it's common sense that you don't know who it is..." O'Neal chuckled. "Then you have no condition to conduct such matters."
"Stycer? Are you behind this?" The offended Policeman asked the judge.
"Well, Chief, clearly you don't know your men all too well..."
"Where did you get that from? This newspaper? Come on!"
Agent Carlson spoke for the first time. Have to tell you, agent Carlson is a distinctive man. In his early thirties he seemed to be much younger. Think of someone who's got it all: He is tall, light brown hair nicely trimmed very short, and looking at his shirt you could totally tell he's got a tight pack of muscles. He defitenely looks like an athletic college guy, not a FBI agent.
"Are you trying to say we have to discredit the paper? I find it hard to do, because, well, you have to agree with me, the guy photographed 'in loco' the escaping. He must know more than he's letting out. Haven't you considered that possibility?"
The four guys in charge of the case clearly hadn't thought of that and their silence was giving them away to the FBI agents. Poor bastards, those people... They can't see something even if it's in front of their noses.
Old man Rex was the only one who knew Richard Desbordes better. Now that the young FBI guy spoke of it, he remembered his encounter with the journalist [NOTE: Check chapter 4]. Dammit! Richard might have been right all along!
Agent O'Neal seemed to be the guy who was in charge.
"Get the journalist here. This Richard Desbordes guy. We have to figure out whatever he knows."
Josh's mom overslept this morning. She got down in a hurry.
"Crap! Why didn't your father wake me up?"
Josh knew this was rhetorical, but after having sex during the night, he was in a playful mood.
"I wouldn't know that, mom... Why don't you just call in sick?" That was the funny part. Josh knew what was coming.
"I won't even dignify answering to that, hon. I have to go but..." Oh boy, here it comes. "I'm gonna need your help a little bit. I know you already do a lot of stuff around the house, baby, but could you please handle the laundry?"
"Oh, mom..." Josh thought of complaining, but it was always good to have 'extra credits' in the house. Might be useful in the future.
"I know... I know..."
"All right mom, no sweat. I can do that."
"And it's not that much. It's pretty much your things and Jordan's. Your dad's and mine are mostly work clothes, and we take it to the dry cleaners... Ask your brother to help you..."
Josh laughed out loud.
"Jordan? Really? The day pigs fly, right?"
"Baby... I'd really appreciate if you did that..."
"Ok mom."
After his mom left to work, Josh looked at the fridge and he almost fell down on the floor. Jordan had checked all his pending chores. What? He did what? It is not possible... Really not possible.
With perfect timing, the younger brother came from the garage, ignored Josh and checked the last chore on the list.
"What the hell happened, Jordan?"
"Where? With whom?"
"Did you really complete all the tasks mom left on the fridge?"
That was a big fat lie. Most of the chores were designated by Josh to his brother. He could write almost like his mom's writing and passed it on to his brother, with mom's consent.
"Didn't I have to do it? You're always complaining I don't get on to this stuff..."
"Well, yes..."
"Then when I get to it you complain as well."
"I'm not complaining... I'm just surprised."
"I told you when I came home that I'd do it. Remember?"
"Yes."
"So? I just did it."
"Oo-kay." Josh got closer to his brother. "Tell me. Who are you? Are you some kinda alien who took Jordan's mind away and replaced it with your alien mind... Have you got down to Earth to study us all then exterminate the human race?"
"Really? I'd guess my mind might have been eaten by a zombie or something..." Jordan then spoke with that zombie-like characteristic voice. "Braaains... Braaaains..."
"Oh, that zombie has to be killed!" Josh played along.
Josh started tickling his brother, who laughed and begged him to stop. Sometimes they forgot they lived in permanent state of war and could be brothers having brotherly time. Jordan tried to escape and ran to the living room. Josh ran after him and they both fell on the couch. Jordan's hand landed on his brother crotch. Josh wasn't aware of it and his dick started growing at the younger brother's touch. That was your typical awkward situation, though it lasted only few seconds the time in which Jordan's hand touched the boy belongings of his brother. When Josh's mind became aware of that, he just moved to the side and laid beside his brother on the couch. He thought that was it for the time being. Jordan thought otherwise. He couldn't let his brother win. Wait was there a winner when it came to tickling/wrestling?
Jordan now charged on his brother, tickling him as was done to him before. Probably the intention wasn't really the tickling, what he really wanted was to touch his brother's parts once again. Horny bastard! He was hard and when his body went on his brother, Josh could feel it. At first he didn't make the connection with the shape of the thing touching his leg and the reality of what it was... The damned kid was hard! And he was pressing it against his brother... Needless to say, Josh didn't complain about it. A hard dick was something he was getting familiar with...
Now he had too much. Josh had to put his little brother into his place. They wrestled again, and he had Jordan under him on the floor.
"Give up?"
"No."
"Make it easier on yourself, Jordan. Just give up."
Saying this, he forced himself over the younger a little more. Hard cocks touched, but they pretended it never happened.
"Ok. I give up."
"Nice boy..."
They got themselves on their feet again.
"Now, seriously, Jordan... I'm so happy you completed the things you had to. Really."
"You say I'm a brat. But I can't be a brat for ever, right?"
"Of course not."
"Then, from now on, I'm gonna be better... And help you a little. Operative word being 'a little'."
"You can start now... Mom asked me to handle laundry. Get your stuff..."
"All right."
In the Gazette's building, as Richard walked in, every one congratulated him, patted him on the back, complimented investigation skills... He was the man of the hour. Richard's top story even put a smile on his editor's face. And that counted a lot. The man hardly ever smiled.
"How did it go, chief?"
"You did a great job, Richard. But I wanna see the whole thing published. What you let out is just the tip of the iceberg, what's missing to drop the bomb?"
"One thing that I'm going to handle right now. I have to know for sure about the money..."
Richard refreshed his editor's mind about the e-mails he changed with Josh. Now he was about to send one more, and this time he would try to arrange a meeting.
As soon as Richard gone through all his colleagues who wanted to compliment him, he finally got to his desk and quickly e-mailed Josh.
"Dear Josh,
Perhaps you haven't read about it, but the gangster I told you about has escaped the prison. I need to meet with you to get some information. I'd like to meet you as soon as possible. Today, if possible.
My phone number is at the bottom. Please call me. I can meet you in Mt. Pleasant.
Sincerely,
Richard Desbordes,
Georgetown County Gazette."
Right after this, Richard was contacted by the TV station from Mt. Pleasant, they wanted to know details about the Capo. He made it! He was the only journalist who had something to report about that... That was some satisfaction, a feeling of accomplishment. He mentioned, in strict confidence, that he had videos on the case.
"Videos? More than one?"
"Oh yeah. I have it registered since the very beginning... But that's all I'm saying."
"I understand. Listen, we definitely want this material. Could you come by later to the station?"
"Probably... I have to confirm with you later on. I'm waiting on a source."
"On the same case?"
"Yeah, in the very same case. The only piece that's missing so I can blow the whistle and drop a bomb that will be felt from here, in Georgetown, until where you are in Mt. Pleasant. Probably further.
"Jesus, Richard... Please, you have to come by. My director really wants to talk to you..."
"Ok, I'll talk to you later."
How good it was to have the upper hand, have what no one else had. Richard wanted to take a moment and rest on his laurels for a few minutes but reality called him. The editor said he'd been on the phone with the DA, Judge Stycer, Rex, and the Police Chief.
"Do they want to congratulate me as well?"
"I suppose they're far from that."
"Why so?"
"They want you to go down to Northwood Hotel. ASAP."
"Should I go?"
"You can turn things around and collect a few statements."
"Don't know... But who cares? I'm going down there anyway."
"Jordan!"
Josh called his brother down to the laundry.
"What man?"
"Dude... What the hell is this, man?"
Josh was holding a few of Jordan's briefs, all with dried stains of cum.
"Uh, those are... Briefs?"
"I know what those are, moron. Have you ever heard of toilet paper? Tissue? Ring a bell?"
"What do you mean?"
"Man, I'm a man too, all right? I know what this is... When you jerk off, why don't you take a tissue to clean it... I imagine mom seeing this, and worse, having to go through with your cummed underwear..."
Jordan blushed. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He wanted to run out of there and hide in his room. His brother noticed his face got a little sad.
"I'm not mad at you or anything. I do that myself... Now a lot less, but anyway. Try not to cum in your underwear man..."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. Just think of mom, you know? It's really awkward to... you know?"
"Got it. Can I go now?"
"First you help me sort your stuff here..."
Though totally inappropriate, Josh was a little turned on by his brother's dirty underwear. For a moment he wished he could see Jordan jerking off, he was curious on how his brother's cock looked like. He felt it earlier, but that was playful stuff. He wanted to really see it, maybe hold it. Oh fuck! Wait! What am I saying? He's my brother... Man... Am I what now? Maniac?
Richard Desbordes arrived at the hotel and the receptionist showed him the way to Meeting Room West. Northwood Hotel was prepared to all sorts of business meetings.
"Hi Mr. Desbordes, we were waiting for you."
"It's deh-bor-dah, it's french, you just forget the esses."
"I'm agent O'Neal, this is agent Carlson, and I believe you know these gentlemen."
"I certainly do. Hello Rex, how's your daughter in Atlanta? Hi, Judge Stycer. Good morning, Mister District Attorney. Chief, how's it going?"
Handshakes everywhere.
"Mr. Desbordes, I suppose you don't know why you were invited here, do you?" O'Neal still doing the talking.
"Uh, actually I don't, but judging by the look in your faces, I suppose it's about Capo Monteiro's successful escape, am I right?"
"Yes, it's about that, indeed. Reading your story, gotta tell you wrote a hell of a story by the way, seems you were the first to be on the scene."
"I'm paid to do my best."
"And you got pictures of the man being taken out, didn't you?"
"Yes I did."
"Then why didn't you inform the police immediately?"
"Seriously?"
Rex from Internal Affairs intervened:
"Richard, just answer the question, will you please?"
"I didn't call the police because I was too busy working. Journalism is a wrecked business, you can't waste a single second or someone will get the story first. I pictured him and went right away to right my story."
"Do you want to add anything, Carlson?"
"Yes. Mister Desbordes, you wrote some disturbing sentence in your front page story."
"Really? What was it?"
"There's clear evidence that it was an inside job. Some people from the Police helped the gangster to get out."
"And?"
"What's that evidence?"
"That's really for me to know and you guys to find out. I'm a journalist, I investigate without possessing your tools and skills as policemen... I just use my instinct and the material I have in hand. Rex knows I've been following some leads for a while now."
Rex spoke again.
"Do you mean that Lopez and Miles are involved in it?"
"Sorry Rex, I can't discuss this matter."
The DA stood up and pointed his index finger to Richard.
"Are you looking forward to be charged with obstruction?"
Richard just laughed at that comment. The others didn't. When he noticed HE was the only who thought that was funny he comprehended those guys were in for the kill.
"The DA just asked you a question." O'Neal was getting impatient with this journalist.
"I heard him, but I didn't think he was serious. You two FBI fellas support him?"
"If you don't divulge whatever you know..."
"Ok, hand me your badges, identification, all of it. I need to take some notes."
Carlson tried to calm everyone.
"We're not charging you with anything just yet. What the DA and agent O'Neal are saying is: that's a possibility."
"I would love to see you guys go through with it. It would look lovely in the newspapers of the entire nation. FBI and local police charge journalist with obstruction of justice because they're too incompetent to investigate how a prisoner just escaped from them... Go ahead, you can't win this one. This will buy the Capo more time so he can flee the country..."
Richard knew the Capo wouldn't do that, but he had to play hard ball with those guys.
Rex, the old man, went in to keep things under control.
"Just tell us, Richard, what is that evidence that proves this was an inside job."
"I'm sorry old man but, I can't help you on this one. This damned thing has been in front of your noses for more than a week now. I went in, investigated, and I know the whole story... You better buy Georgetown County Gazette Sunday morning." He stood up and walked to the door while said that. Then he just turned around. "And don't even think of having any of your men following me around. I'm watching!"
This journalist had some guts. He just slammed the door leaving those people with nothing but the certain that he knew the facts, all the facts.
When Josh got back to his room Shawn was already awake. They cuddled for a while until Josh's phone buzzed, there was a new e-mail. They read it and Josh told the friend about the newspaper and the news about the escaped guy...
"So this guy who got out is the owner of the money?"
"Supposedly."
"But he's a criminal, right?"
"Yes."
"So then, we won't return the money."
"We won't return to him. But according to this journalist, we're gonna have to hand it over to the justice at some point..."
"Then we better talk to this journalist guy and see what's the deal with it."
"I guess."
"Did he leave a number?"
"In ALL his mails, he leaves his number."
"Then we just call him."
When Josh called Richard Desbordes he was just out of Northwood Hotel still mad at those FBI guys for daring to mention 'obstruction of justice'. Obstruction my ass!
"Mr. Desbordes?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Here's Josh, uh, we've been talking about..."
"Oh, hi Josh. I know who you are. Have you read my message?"
"Yes, I did but, more importantly, I read this Monteiro person has escaped the police."
"It's a fact, indeed, he escaped last night... That's why I mentioned it was important that we met."
"Ok. When can you meet me?"
"Anytime."
"You mentioned you could come to Mt. Pleasant."
"Sure."
"Could it be at Mt. Pleasant Park by the bridge?"
"Ten o'clock?"
"Make it ten thirty."
"Ok. I'll be there. How do I know it's you?"
"There will be no problem with that. I'll find you. I already googled you..."
"Oh, how smart."
Richard already knew Josh, but better play it like he didn't.
Josh said to Shawn:
"We're gonna meet the man after all."
Josh ran his hands over Shawn's chest as he laid beside him. It was natural and he didn't even noticed he was doing that.
"So it seems we're not gonna hold on to this cash much longer, right?"
"But it's the right thing to do, don't you think Shawn?"
"I'd rather be rich."
"If we kept it, it'd be 400 grand each. That's not rich."
"That's richer than give it back to the justice, right?"
"Yeah, you're right... I confess I made plans for this money."
"I did too!" They both laughed at this.
"I don't wanna get out of this bed, Shawn."
"Me neither." Josh placed his hand over Shawn's 'playground'.
"You're waking it up, cutie..."
"That's exactly what I want. Let's take a shower?"
"Hmm... Wet sex?"
"Why not?"
Shawn followed Josh to the shower and they made out under the running water. Shawn held Josh tight against his body and gripped firmly on the boy's butt.
"Oh Josh, I wanna fuck you so bad!"
"Oh yeah? Wanna play top boy with me, dontcha?"
"Sure thing, man, your ass is so tight."
"Why don't you suck me a little to get me in the mood?"
Shawn got on his knees and started sucking that 7 inch cock. The running water makes it a little more difficult job trying to breath. Josh was on the wild side too, since he held his partner's head and face fucked him for a while. Shawn was a trooper and took the whole shaft into his mouth, performing a very nice deep throat. When he couldn't manage his breathing any longer, he took that piece of meat out of his mouth and started licking the balls. He could get'em both in his mouth at once. They were having a great time and didn't notice Jordan at the room door knocking. Jordan gave up quickly and he didn't know Shawn was in the house, let alone that the new neighbor was in some hot boy on boy action with his brother.
Josh pulled his cocksucker up to kiss him and their tongues went on the 'wild mode'. Shawn wanted to get some head too, and Josh was more than willing to fulfil his request. He bent over, grabbing the balls and directing that helmet head into his mouth. He treated it with so much passion that Shawn thought he was going to cum even before fucking his hot twink.
"Oh Josh, you're so fucking hot!"
"Really? I can do a lot better than that!" He winked to Shawn.
"I know you can... But for now, I wanna your boy hole."
"Oh you do? You better act on it..."
Shawn turned Josh around and knelt down kissing that beautiful white cheeks. Josh's skin was so smooth. He spread the cheeks revealing some very nice ass crack. Wow... Josh's button was pink, perfect, he could rim it all day long but he really wanted to fuck that ass. He got up and carefully placed his cock on that pucker and pushed in, making Josh moan. Josh was feeling a little pain due to the lack of a nicer lube, just water doesn't do the trick. Shawn had used hair conditioner many times when he lived in Mississippi and he reached for it. When he tried with it, Josh's ass quickly 'devoured' his big boy cock. Shawn totally dominated his boy and fucked him so good, he was horny as hell this morning. Well, after all said and done, morning sex is extremely good.
"Wow, Shawn... You're so good today."
"You make me like that babe."
"Oh, fuck me deeper. Fuck me harder!"
Saying that, Josh spread his legs even more. Shawn was in heaven!
When the top boy was about to cum, he requested something Josh had never tried before.
"Can I cum in your face, Josh?"
Josh was taken by surprise by that request but why not? They were in the shower anyway, cleaning would be easy.
Josh got on his knees again in front of that hot boy and Shawn jerked off a little until he shot his load. Josh left his mouth open, tongue sticking out to catch the juice. The spurt hit Josh below his eye, close to his nose on the left side and part of that cum rope hit his mouth. He took it all like a big horny boy... He looked up to Shawn, who was still trying to recover his breath. They both smiled. Shawn smiled because that scene he was seeing was something he missed doing for a while now and Josh for this was the first time he tried that, and he could tell he liked that very freaking much! He discovered a new side of himself that he didn't know that existed. Shawn cleaned his face and they ended up kissing once again. Shawn turned him around again and this time embraced him from behind and grabbed on to Josh's cock, stroking him until he shot his great load. Spurts and spurts hit the tiles.
Minutes later, both boys were recomposed and ready to get out of the house. Jordan had gone meeting some friend but left a note to his brother saying he was going out and there was a job for him. "Ms. Wilker wants you to trim her bushes." Shawn laughed out loud when he read that. Josh laughed too when he got the irony.
"Dude... It's not THOSE bushes..."
"I know it's not, but it's fun either way. Trim her bushes."
"For your information, this Ms. Wilker is our History teacher."
"Oh, is she?"
"Yes... Fun lady. You know, her son is our age. But he never gets around doing this stuff like mowing the lawn, so she punishes him making he be my assistant while I do the work."
"Smart."
"And are you and her son friends?"
"Yes... We're friends at school. Our friendship never made its way out of school limits."
"Why is that?"
"Dunno."
Oh but Josh did. And now he was ashamed of it. He never became true friends with Philip Wilker because he'd always been a more 'delicate' boy. Everyone thought Philip was gay but no one's ever bullied him because his mother was a teacher in the school and Philip himself was a nice guy. A little delicate, but definitely a fun guy. Now Josh was certainly gay. And would be nice to befriend another gay guy. He was gay, wasn't he? He could find out later.
Morning in Gresham started with a storm. A storm caused by Capo Monteiro's sons. You see, in all the time the family boss was arrested, he didn't know how things were managed. He didn't know how much did the family pay to those cops, Lopez and Miles, and how this payment happened.
The news of the killing of Ian and Vlad Monteiro while they were supposed to deliver the money didn't surprise him. He knew those two didn't have the necessary skills to live up to the Monteiro name. They would die eventually. The storm was caused by something else. The fact that his sons, those morons, used the money in the family safe, about eight hundred thousand dollars and added some jewelry to complete the one million requested.
"What jewelry?"
"Well, dad, you know we were in a delicate moment..."
"What jewelry?"
"Dad, you gotta understand..."
"Quit it. Just tell me right away."
It was clear they were afraid of something. When the man knew they had given away the family jewels he exploded.
"How could you? Don't you know these jewels have been in the family since... forever, dammit?"
The thing is, among the jewelry they gave away to complete the one million dollar amount, there were two items that were priceless, part of a collection that ended with Monteiro family in 1807, in the port of Lisbon, Portugal, when the Portuguese royal family was trying to escape Napoleonic invasion. Many of the nobles of the courts wanted to move to South America with the Queen and the Royal family but there was not enough space in the fleet to accommodate everyone. The Monteiros were among the nobles left out, well, turns out they were not that noble. They thought they'd be in a better position after everything they've done for the Braganza House: The free slaves, the countless poultry, horses, cattle and all stuff they've given to the Royal family...
When the Monteiros were at the port, among the people about to be left behind, watching that spectacle they spotted a cart pulled by a horse, a slave left it while he went asking where he should take it. There was a wooden chest on it. The Monteiros didn't think twice and stole it. Cart, horse, chest. They took it all and left in the general direction of the city, trying to avoid the people running desperately towards the port in hopes of fleeing Napoleon's fury.
The content of the wooden chest bought them they way out of Portugal before Napoleon arrived. There were gold bars from the Colony, diamond necklaces, diamonds, gold rings, and these two pieces of this collection. They used some gold bars to get in a British ship and sailed on to North America, where they knew slavery importing was about to end. Slaves couldn't be shipped across the sea anymore. They had the knowledge on trading slaves and they crossed the Atlantic with a few men that were about to start smuggling slaves through ports of South Carolina but they needed people with knowledge to do it. That's how the Monteiros entered the United States and initiated their criminal actions from the very beginning of their lives in America, with a stolen treasure and to practice outlaw acts, which they've been doing generation after generation, setback after setback. The one thing that was really important was those two diamond necklaces, with over two centuries of history on them.
Miles and Lopez were outside the room waiting to talk with the Capo and they heard every single thing that was said. The funny thing is they got into this with the promise of getting one million dollars, much better than working their whole life with the police and retire to live miserably, that is, if they lived long enough to retire. They would get half million each and they snapped when those idiot kids Ian and Vlad told them part of the amount was jewelry. They never saw the damned money! It all went to hell even before they had the chance to smell it. If Lopez had kept the plan, they would have the freaking money and some jewelry that was worth even more than a single million dollars, for what they said.
The room door opened, the Capo sons left and the Darlene Mayer called them in.
"Gentlemen, have a seat. Darlene told me that the original deal you had with my sons never really happened."
Miles decide to speak before Lopez had the chance. It was better than let him screw things up.
"Yes, sir. We had things settled, one million, cash. When they showed up and told us part of it was jewelry... Uh, let's say things... Uh, I'm sorry... Things went out of control."
The Capo looked at Miles then at Lopez.
"I heard that. We all have to count our losses. I can live with that. Darlene also told me you two never happened to get the money. Apparently it was dumped in a..."
"Sugarcane field."
"Yes, that. And you looked for it and never found it, right?"
"That's correct. Two kids saw when it was dumped, got curious and... They just took it."
"And where are those kids for crying out loud?"
"Here's the thing, sir. They're not from Georgetown County. Probably Mount Pleasant or something."
"So they've been this whole time just spending the money?"
"We don't know about that sir... Monday is the first day of school and we're gonna find them."
"All right. Here's the deal: you find them and figure out what they did with the jewelry. I'll give you two the triple of the original amount when you bring me the jewelry."
"Three million?"
"Yes. One point five each. How does that sound?"
"Good, to say the very least."
"Then that's it. Go there and find them. Darlene is going to drive you back to town."
Josh and Shawn were about to leave the house to meet Richard but Josh had one thought in his mind.
"You know what, Shawn, you should drive."
"Why?"
"Well, I don't like to be your chauffeur."
"Oh, chauffeur, really?"
"I drive you all around. I mean, it'd be nice if you drove me for a change. You told me you used to drive back in Mississippi... And a driver's license from Mississippi is valid here, you know?"
Oh shit. Shawn's story was full of problems. He needed to keep his mouth shut. But how could he build up a relationship with anyone without saying anything about his life? It's impossible!
"But what you don't know is... I didn't have a driver's license."
"So what? Did you drive anyway?"
"I failed the exam, all right? I didn't wanna talk about it..."
"Oh... Sorry. Whatever. You should consider getting a license then. You know, if we're together, I'd like us to share things."
That was new. Were they together now?
"I didn't know we were together."
"We are. As friends. BFFs. With Matt out of the picture, you're just being promoted to Best Friend Forever. You know?"
"I think Matt won't be out of the picture forever... Eventually you're gonna have to forgive him for whatever he's done."
"Still don't know about that AND don't wanna talk about it."
"Whatever. For now you drive. Chauffeur."
With this Josh's phone started ringing.
"Oh, shit. See what you've done? Speak of the devil and he's calling."
"Is that his ringtone? Mmm Bop?"
"Yes... Because of Dr. House... In the episode House goes to his father's funeral, his team keeps calling him and this is their ringtone..."
"Aren't you gonna take it?"
"No. You can talk to him if you like."
"Ok."
He picked the phone.
"Hi, you've reached Josh Davenport's phone number but he's not available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?"
"Oh fuck. Is that you Shawn?"
"Yes."
"He doesn't wanna talk to me, right?"
"Yes, that's the case."
"Would tell him please that I'm so sorry and I would love if he found in his heart to forgive me... Or at least talk to me..."
"I will."
"Ok... Oh, one thing."
"What?"
"Are you still with him? Or are you with him AGAIN?"
"Does it make a difference?"
"It sure does!"
"Still."
"Motherfucker."
"All rigthy then. I'll pass along your message. Anything else?"
"No. Just treat him nice."
"I will."
Josh several face expressions while Shawn was on the phone with Matt. He clearly was uncomfortable. He waited until Shawn hang up to start the car. He tried to overhear the talking.
"That was a long conversation."
"You think?"
"Yes. Didn't know you had that much to talk."
"We were talking about you."
"Much worse."
"He says he wants you to forgive him, he's very sorry..."
"Bullshit."
"Go easy on him."
"Done talking about him."
Matt, though devastated with his broken relationship with Josh, had to go on with his life. That's why he actually got happy when he received a call from Chad shortly after he talked to Shawn. Chad, the horny bastard, wanted to see him but, Matt's house was not available for them to do nothing.
"No problem, Matt. I'll just pick you up and we drive somewhere."
"Ok then. I'll be waiting for you."
Matt didn't realize how cheap he was. By accepting to go out with Chad whenever he wanted to, he was just telling the jock he had no self-respect. Just an easy cum dump.
When Josh and Shawn arrived at the park, Richard was already there waiting. He knew Josh's face very well, he'd been studying the kid for a while but he didn't know the guy he was with.
"I believe you're Josh. Right?"
"You're Richard Desbordes."
"Whoa! You're actually one of the few people that pronounced it right in many years."
"I guessed it was french so..."
"Very good. And this young man with you..."
"Oh, sorry, I'm Shawn Hunter."
"We were together when we found THE THING." Josh air quoted 'the thing'."
Richard laughed.
"Ok. The thing. So, uh, could you guys tell me how did it happen? I mean, it's pretty unusual on any given day to come across a large amount of..." Richard looked around, to see if it was safe to say the word 'money' but he thought better: "...Grass."
"Grass." Shawn repeated feeling the need to laugh at it.
"Should I tell him, Shawn?"
"Go on..."
Josh then told the journalist everything that happened that day. They'd gone all the way there to St. Claire's Church because of the mulberries and when they were going down they saw the Black Taurus dumping what seemed to be a black box. Then Shawn added the thought of that being a dead body. Josh continued with the policemen coming to them, he cared to mention when one of the officers, the black guy, told the other to look in the glove compartment even with the remark of "it wouldn't fit in there". They counted the whole thing. He missed nothing. That was a very careful description of whatever happened that day. Richard recorded it with consent and took notes as well.
"And could you guys tell me where it is now?"
"We feel safer if we do not tell you the exact location, for now. It's not that we don't trust you, no offense, but given the nature of the money..."
Shawn tried to put it very carefully.
"None taken. I completely understand it and very much agree with you on this one."
"That's good to hear."
"My point is: This is the information I need to reveal the whole story. You kids wouldn't imagine how many stuff I have on this, but to be flawless, my story needs the point of origin, the money. I would like to take pictures of it and the jewelry."
"That's it?" Josh couldn't believe this guy sent so many e-mails to him for this. Pictures.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you say before?"
"Well, I had to check if you were a real person with a real story, you know?"
"Ok. We have the damned thing, and we didn't spend no dime."
"Speak for yourself." Shawn added.
"Well, he's right. We spent a few bucks... But really not that much."
"I call it our custody fee." Shawn completed.
The journalist laughed at his comment. Shawn continued:
"If all you want is pictures, I very much have'em here in my cell phone. Take a look."
Richard then went through the pictures Shawn had taken in the day when it happened. The briefcase opened in the middle of the sugarcane showing the wads of cash. Then another picture of it in the car, before he ripped the briefcase searching for tracking devices, then the money over Josh's bed. Then the jewelry, the pictures they tried to find a match to on google and couldn't.
"I guess I can't use this one that shows part of a... Bed, I suppose."
"Oh yes, that's my bed."
"So, to be on the safe side, I better not use this one. Who knows how smart are those people, right?"
"If you say so." Shawn answered."
"Mr. Journalist, could you tell us, frankly, are we in danger? I mean..."
"I understand your fear, Josh. I have to be very clear with you guys. This guy Monteiro is out but this money for him is done business. He paid for those cops to get him out of prison and he's already out. Now, the cops are another talk. I know the Monteiro's lawyer told them that if they wanted to see any pay for that deal, they'd have to find the money. Monteiros washed their hands of it. Got it? From what I've heard, they have nothing to do with it anymore."
"And is that a good or a bad thing?" Josh was confused.
"It's a good thing in part because I know the Monteiros are capable of pretty much anything to get what they want. And it's a bad thing in part because I don't really know those cops all too well, I can't tell you what are their skills to track you guys, I can't tell you if they are actually able to find you... I know they have been investigating, but I don't know how much do they know at this point."
"All right. We're in the dark here."
Josh feared after that statement. Shawn on the other hand was thinking about the possibility of keeping it:
"What about keeping it? Is that possible?"
"I'm afraid no, Mr. Hunter. Soon enough this whole thing is gonna come out in the paper and they're all going to be arrested, there's gonna be the justice after it, the DA's office after it for materiality of the crime... I'm gonna level with you, from my heart."
"Ok". Both boys answered the same thing.
"I, myself, Richard, if I were in your shoes, would love to keep this money. Hell I would even skip town in order to accomplish it. That's not an advice, right? I'm just saying. No one could ever blame you for that, not even me."
Richard stopped to make sure they were following his thought and digesting his words.
"But if you did that, my story would go out anyway, those criminals would eventually face court and, the downside, they could with a good lawyer, which they have, walk free from the accusations for circumstantial evidences with no concrete proof. Understand what I say? This money is necessary to ensure they actually go to jail for a very long time."
"We understand... It's the right thing to do." Josh said, a bit.
"Yes, Josh's right, I mean, the law abiding citizen act."
"You're right, Shawn, the law abiding citizen would do that. Then again. There's one thing I can do, that is, if you want me to."
"What?"
"I can have these jewelry pictures taken to a specialist so he can try to put a value on these things."
"Why?"
"This whole thing is a succession of mismatches, mistakes, half information... The people involved with it did not know at all times every single detail of it."
"And what's the benefit for us?"
"You could keep part of the money. Understand? The DA doesn't care of the right amount of it to get a conviction. What's really necessary is: one, the money exists, it's not an invention of a creative journalist. Two, it was promised by the Monteiros to the cops, which I have recorded on video. Three, the negotiations between the Monteiros and the cops, which I also have recorded and photographed. Get it now?"
"I think." Shawn tried. "We can keep some of it with no prejudice to the justice thing..."
"Yes... That's why I think it's important to try and evaluate this jewelry, to see how much you could actually keep to not make it look suspicious. Because, well, neither the cops nor the Monteiros will say a word if the money returned is not actually the amount they agreed with, you know?"
"I get it." Josh's expression had changed a lot now. They could keep some of the money.
Shawn had something bugging him in the journalist's speech.
"Uh, there is something I don't, uh, understand completely."
"And what is it, Shawn?"
"Well how can you be so sure that the Monteiro person and those cops are gonna end up in jail and go to trial?"
"Oh, that. Well, turns out I know where the Capo Monteiro is, because I followed them last night as they drove off the hospital and he's not going anywhere and, as for the cops, well, Miles has family, he can't just pack and leave, if this gets out probably his wife is gonna convince him to go through trial because this is the Christian thing to do, pay for the sin and yadda yadda yadda... The other cop, Lopez, he's a good-for-nothing guy, a despicable cock sucker."
"Despicable cock Sucker?"
Only then Richard was reminded that Josh was gay... Shit he might have lost points with this source. Better correct it.
"Not despicable because he likes to suck cock, but for the means he uses to get to this. You know, he once got caught by his wife while sucking a 16 year old boy like yourselves, in exchange of money, or cigarettes... You know? Like prostitution? That's despicable of him."
"Oh, right I get it." Shawn and Josh though surprised, didn't want or need to hear more.
"So, guys, I think that's it for now, I'm gonna go and get back to you later on the day, all right?"
"Ok, we wait for your call."
Shawn and Josh drove back really in a better mood. They drove to the park with the feeling that they had gotten so close to get 'almost rich' but would get nothing, now there was a real possibility again! Not almost rich, but with some money after all.
Josh still under the effect of the information they had just received from the journalist suggested that Shawn and he visited the historical district of Mt. Pleasant, since Shawn had never been there before.
"There's a very good restaurant here, we might have lunch here."
"What about your brother?"
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about him. I think they deliver, I can have his lunch delivered at home. I think there's no problem. What do you think?"
"I see no problem, I just wanted to remind you of him. Just in case you'd forgotten about him."
"You're right. For a second I totally forgot Jordan. Lemme just call to ask what he wants."
The kids drove by the historic district and stopped by Hibben House, from 1759 the first house of Mount Pleasant. There were quite few things to see and they killed time until lunch time. Josh thought it was nice to have lunch with Shawn in a nice restaurant, almost romantic, but he didn't say anything to his new BFF.
Right after they paid the bill, which they split, Jordan called his brother thanking him for the amazing meal. The steak was awesome!
They were few blocks from East Wisteria Lane (or Ruby Street, the official name), the Journalist called back. As Josh was driving, Shawn answered.
"Hello, Josh?"
"Josh is driving, this is Shawn."
"Ok, Shawn. You guys will not believe it!"
------ End of chapter 11 Feedback, thoughts? I'm here: boy-driver@hotmail.com