MATILDA! CHAPTER FOURTY:
BLIND PIGS AND ACORNS
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The Pogues all sat in the Twinkie, JJ and John B in the front with the others in the back. Liz could tell there was some sort of tension between Sarah and John B. Something had happened. Liz sat beside Pope and behind the passenger seat on the ground.

"Guys, the thing that limbrey said l, I don't think she meant to let it slip. She said the key leads to the cross of Santo Domingo"

"Wait can I see that?" JJ asked and Pope hesitantly passed it to him

"Are we supposed to know what that is?" Sarah asked

"I'm guessing it's some sort of historical artifact of great importance"

"We'll according to ten inter webs, it was a gift from new Spain, to the Spanish King"

"New Spain? Is there an old Spain?" JJ questioned and Liz let out a small laugh before JJ looked at her with a glare. She stopped and looked away.

"Shit, talk about over gifting. Look at that thing" Kie showed her phone and Liz turned to look at the screen to see a huge cross.

"So it's a giant ass cross"

"It was widely considered at the time to be the most extravagant tribute ever from the provinces. It was lost off the coast of Bermuda in 1829"

"Did you just say Bermuda?" JJ asked

"No, Not the triangle" John B told him

"It always leads back to the triangle dude" JJ said "like every single time somethings weird it's Bermuda"

"Okay we'll, what does a key found above your mee-maws pharmacy have to do with any of this?" Kie asked

"Yeah" Sarah muttered

"Where do we find it?" Liz questioned

"I don't know. That's a good question" Pope said

They arrived at Popes mee-maws, but he insisted he go alone. So the five had went to a convenient store a few minutes away. JJ and John b stayed in the car while the girls had gotten out to walk around— so they could talk privately.

"Of course I thanked Topper. He saved my life, and I put him through so much already and you'd think that that is the crime of the century."

"Tell me about it, all of this crazy shit that's happening, and popes giving me the silent treatment for not being in love with him" Kie said

"And they say girls are the dramatic ones" Liz shook her head and the other two girls laughed. "JJ thinks that I was going off with Sam after he saved my life" Liz shook her head

"That's why JJ has been buggin?" Kie asked and Liz nodded

"Men" Sarah shook her head and the other two girls laughed.

They picked up apple, after he talked to his mee-maw. Pope sighed as the group looked at him for answers.

"So, how'd it go?" John B asked

"Shit just got way, more personal"

"I still can't pretend that your related to Denmark Tanny" John B said. Pope had told them what his mee-maw said and how he was related to him. JJ nodded. Liz sat next to Sarah and Kie.

"Are we in the presence of a royal?" John B asked

"A king?" JJ asked, walking towards Pope with his hands out of a if he had a crown "we shall crown him. All hail the lord of Tannyhill" JJ said with a British accent

"We're not worthy!" John b and JJ began to bow down to Pope and Liz joined in quickly, with Kie as well.

"Everyone relax, can we relax?" Pope asked

"Relocate the Cats Ass, question mark?" Sarah said

"I'm with that"

"How soon can we move in?" Kie added

"Cause I dont have a place to stay" JJ said

"Me either. Bunk beds?" Kie asked

"Bunk beds, cheers to that" JJ agreed

"I just keep thinking about the letter. The one that Limbrey sent. It had the wheat symbol on it. That must mean it had something to do with the royal merchant."

"Yeah, something seems fishy"

"But if we find the cross, we can split it, like we were gonna slips the gold"

"Yeah I'm with that"

"And live happily ever after?" Carla's voice said and Liz turned to see her and the man who had chased after them.

"You assaulted my father" pope went forwards by the man stopped him

"Oh I didn't assault anybody" Carla said

"He can identify the phyco from a mile away" Liz told her

"Why would my employee assault your father, that's absurd" she let out a small laugh

"Listen, we can keep on negotiating, but the fact is that I want the key and I won't stop until I have it" Carla went on as the man stopped Pope from going any closer to Carla.

"I don't have a choice which means you don't either" she stated

"It's Limbrey, right?" John B spoke, with the key in his hand and Limbrey looked at him as if she was a dog looking at a price of meat.

"Yes" she said

"Is this what your looking for?" John B asked

"Yes, it is" Carla turned fully towards him

"Looking at the tide right now, I'd say it's about 20ft deep out there. So if I just threw it in the channel the probability of you finding it is slim to none." John b said and Liz's eyes found Popes who was looking down at the key... the real key.

"You wanna give it a shot? Ready?" John B pretended as if he was going to throw the key into the water, as Carla yelled at him to stop. He stopped and turned back to her.

"Please don't do that" Carla sighed and John B looked at Pope, who Carla's watch dog was fairly close to "get him to back the hell up" John B ordered

"Of course" Carla smiled and turned to the man "back up" she told him and he slowly walked away behind her. Carla turned to Pope.

"As I told you from the beginning, I am willing to be reasonable."

"Okay" pope said, exchanging glances with John B

"I'll give you the key. But I want the tape" Pope stated

"Of course. Of course"

"Pope. Hey, hey, hey, hey." John B said "you don't have to do this"

"No"

"No dude this is your family"

"Hey, it's fine. It's okay. It's about your dad. That's way more important" pope held his hand out, and John B slowly reached into his pocket and gave Pope the key.

"Oh, your a good friend" Carla sighed

"The tape" Pope reminded her

"Yes, give him the tape" Carla told the man, nodding to him and he held it up and made the perfect exchange.

"You know, I wish that you'd come to this decision earlier l. We could have avoided all this unpleasantness." She turned around, walking away

""Nice to meet you" John B said

"See you around, Pope" the man added before leaving behind Carla.

"How long do you think until she realizes she has your dads old Key?" Liz turned to John B

"Ten minutes" John B muttered

"Who's idea was the fake key?" Pope asked

"Surprisingly not mine" Kie shrugged

"I don't know..." John B trailed off, wrapping his arm around JJ "should we tell 'em?" He asked and the group all let out wide smiles.

"I'm impressed, maybe you are good for something!" Kie exclaimed and Liz let out a laugh

"Did he'll freeze over?"

"Even a blind pig can find an acorn at times" JJ said "I actually don't know what the means but I saw it on Reddit" JJ confessed

"We gotta take this tape to Shoupe"

"Yes sir, Ward Cameron, coming for you, big boy" JJ exclaimed, but Liz found herself looking towards Sarah who had a sad look on her face.