Lords of the Deep by Patrick Lacey & Tim Meyer

Author:Patrick Lacey & Tim Meyer [Lacey, Patrick & Meyer, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2019-03-18T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Three of them in total. Two of those suits and one whose rosy cheeks screamed functioning alcoholic. Eric risked a closer glance as the men walked toward the desk. Was that Frazier Wilton? The mayor? What the hell was the mayor doing in an underground office?

“We counted them, sir,” said Sunglasses. “The coins.”

“Excellent.” Frazier sat and leaned back in the chair. He loosened his tie and placed his feet on the desk. One of his shirt buttons had come undone, revealing a patch of his sizable gut. “What're we looking at?”

The suits eyed each other. Ear-Bud answered, “A couple. There's a couple missing.”

Frazier opened a drawer and retrieved a cigar. He lit and puffed and considered. “That's a couple too many.”

Neither suit answered, and to Eric, they almost looked... scared.

“You do know what that means, of course?” Frazier asked, eyeing them.

“Yes, sir,” Ear Bud said.

“Yes, sir,” Sunglasses said.

“Do we have any leads? Any names?”

“Unfortunately not.” Sunglasses stared at his shoes. “It's entirely possible they were lost during the heist.”

“Entirely probable.” Frazier Wilton scratched at his graying stubble. The collar of his shirt had yellowed from sweat and age, and his cigar smelled cheap even by a small-town politician's standard. Eric had never cared for the man. Their interactions had been limited but people talked. Talked about how he had his hands in things less than legal. Eric had assumed that meant drugs or guns—not pirate treasure. “But that's not good enough, boys. Sure, we can safely assume whoever took the coins has rendered it useless. Maybe one of Donny's buddies pawned them somewhere. Can't blame him. But if a coin were to, say, get into the wrong hands or be placed in the bay... well, I don't think I need to tell you what that would mean. But just in case either of you has forgotten, it would mean we're all royally fucked.”

He stood, pointing at the two men. “And before the shit hits the fan, before those things come out of the water and turn this town to rubble, I'll make sure you have a front row seat for it all.”

Silence for much too long. The men swallowed and fidgeted, and Eric's pulse quickened. To his left, Daphne was nearly hyperventilating. He was halfway there himself. Whatever they were getting at, it sounded a lot like his father's ramblings. Sounded secretive. Which meant these three men would not take kindly to strangers listening in on their conversation.

“We'll find the coins,” Ear-Bud said. “You have our word.”

Frazier smiled around the cigar, a bit of ash floating onto the deck. “Of course you will. That's your job. Maybe you ought to keep a closer eye on Daphne Jordan. She might know something. I'm sure you've heard about her son by now. Missing since late last night. I'm no detective but with Donny coming back and walking around town—well, maybe the kid went to be with his dad.”

Daphne tensed, leaning too hard into the chest. From inside, one of the coins shifted.

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