Chapter 29

"Hello, Brinks?"

"I need an armored car ... and a ride."

"Six of us ... and a cat."

"Oh ... money ... just a sec. Mina ... how much?"

"Seventeen Million ... and change ... so far."

"Sure, that's entirely worth it."

"Cash, check or Debit Card?"

"Lake view ... front ... side ... the airport on Pontchartrain."

"Yeah, that one."

"Oh ... we're at the Coast Guard Impound Wharf."

"Hey!"

"Before you hang up, may I tip the guards."

"Got it ... Not more than 150 between them."

"Can they stop off at a liquor store and pick up some boxes? It's loose and all over."

"If they help gather ... I'll go two."

"Thank you."

And so it was. A Brinks truck showed up with a bunch of wine boxes and three stalwart young men with guns and scoop shovels. Megan borrowed a push broom from the Impound Warehouse and packing commenced.

They kept finding money in mattresses, hollowed out books and behind pictures.

Some place during all the shoveling, bumping and banging, someone hit a lever or a switch ... something. A panel in the master cabin popped off and there was More money, ledgers and guns.

The girls boxed them up just like everything else but piled the junk outside the warehouse door. She labeled the ledger box, "FBI," the gun box, "ATF&E," and borrowed an envelope from the desk in what could only be called the office.

"Mina, why anyone would want an ornate desk and office on a boat meant for leisure, I'll never know. Doesn't make a lick of sense to me," Megan offered to Mina.

"I want to know how they got that huge thing down here. I'll bet it comes apart." Mina crawled under, screamed and came right back out..."Spider!" she exclaimed and explained to the suddenly very crowded office.

Megan walked over to the warehouse, knocked and asked the young fellow who answered the door, "we have spiders ... can I get the boat fumigated?"

"I'll check with the powers that be ... and what's in the boxes?"

"Junk we found behind a hidden panel."

"How about the envelope?"

"Envelope?"

"That envelope." He pointed at the one she was holding.

"Shit ... I forgot. BRB..."

"Wait." It was too late. She was already gone.

Evidently, the Coast Guard was prepared. Some of the confiscated boats were rife with bugs so they had their own fumigating equipment ... Megan negotiated a price to wrap and trap. They did.

The Commander suggested they wait and resume their cleaning after the fumigation. The Silk had room, and they remembered her ... so...

The Coast Guard helicopter pilot arranged leave ... he secured the cooperation of assorted junior officers ... Megan used up two debit cards in a week. (I have a feeling the three blondes knew a lot more than they let on ... but this was therapeutic. I'd play dumb too.)

Brinks counted, wrapped and re-boxed the money ... there was a lot more than they counted on the boat. The envelope resided empty and unaddressed in Megan's purse.