Rory was behind the counter, casually talking to Jesus, Puck, and Ember as they cooked.
Jewell went to the fruit bowl to grab an apple. “Any food ready yet?”
“Not yet.” Ember lifted watery eyes up apologetically from the cutting board as she sliced celery and onions. “Puck forgot to put the breakfast casseroles in when he came to the kitchen. It’ll be at least another thirty minutes before they’re done.”
“Don’t blame me,” Puck grunted, lifting a bag of potatoes onto the counter. “I was wrestling with the fucking turkey to get it in the fucking oven. Jesus was supposed to do it.”
Jewell laughed when Jesus threw a slice of bread at Puck. Puck caught it and threw it back.
“I see why breakfast isn’t ready.” Jewell took a bite of her apple. Then, moving to Jesus, she took the slice of bread away before he could put it in the toaster and tossed it into the trash can.
“Where’s everyone?” Jewell took another bite of her apple.
“Outside. The twins wanted to show off their bikes.”
“Need any help?” she offered.
“No,” Jesus said, placing bread into the toaster. “Believe it or not, we have it under control.”
Sauntering out of the kitchen, she went to the closet in the main room to take out her coat. Putting it on, she went outside to stand on the porch and watch the club children ride around the parking lot. Jewell wondered which of the brothers would give their kid their first motorcycle.
The opening of the front door had Jewell turning around. Seeing it was Rory, she went back to watching The Last Riders.
“They’re very close, aren’t they?” Rory said, moving next to her to watch.
“We all are.”
“Then why aren’t you down there with them?”
“Because I’m waiting for Puck or Jesus to set the house on fire.”
“I would argue with you that isn’t true, but I’ve had to help them put out two already.” He laughed. “Who had the twins?”
“Razer and Beth.”
“They look like a handful.”
The boys were taking turns jumping off a ramp that one of the brothers had set up for them. Noah was trying to go up the ramp before Chance’s bike had touched down on the pavement. Rider was holding the back of the seat until Chance had ridden away.
“Being a handful doesn’t begin to describe the trouble they get into. We always have a barbeque for the Fourth with fireworks afterward. They decided they didn’t want to wait until the brothers said it was time and started the show themselves. Razer had locked the fireworks in the security room at the factory. None of the brothers have been able to figure out how they managed to get them.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Shade’s hand was burnt. He was the one who discovered the fireworks were missing when he went to the factory to get them.”
“Who do you think took them?”
“I go back and forth. Any of the children could have taken them and given them to Noah and Chance. Without a doubt, though, they were the ringleaders. We just don’t know if they were the culprits who took them.”
“Ah … So, it’s still a mystery?”
“To us. I’m pretty sure their father knows and hasn’t ratted his kid out to the brothers.” Jewell finished off her apple, setting the core on the banister to throw away when she went inside.
“Who are your suspects?”
Jewell couldn’t help but be drawn into the game. “Noah, Chance, John, and Clint. We’ve ruled out Clint because he’s too young.”
“So, this is an ongoing investigation?” he joked.
“The culprit has yet to be held accountable. Viper has offered a reward to the person who leads us to their capture.”
“What’s the reward?”
“A week off if it’s an adult; or a kid’s motorcycle if it’s one of the children who provides the information,” Jewell told him.
Watching the kids play with their parents lightened the funk she had been feeling. It was hard to be in a bad mood with the laughter floating upward at them.
“Why isn’t the little girl a suspect?”
Jewell looked to where Rory was pointing. “That’s Aisha, Viper’s daughter. The boys are brave, but they aren’t brave enough to face Viper if they dragged her into their plans.”
“The boys are smart as well as cunning. I’m surprised they weren’t given small motorcycles for Christmas instead of normal bikes.”
“Wouldn’t be much of a reward if any of the boys already had motorcycles.”
Rory cocked his head to the side. Jewell laughed.
“Razer isn’t ready to let his hooligans ride the open road, even with all the brothers riding behind them. Shade knows if he gives John one, it would only be a matter of time before one of the twins talks him into letting them ride it.”
“I see where the kids get their brains from. Smart dad.”
Jewell pointed toward the road next to the parking lot. “The road isn’t very trafficked. Most of the townspeople obey the speed limit. This is the only other way out of Treepoint. It leads to West Virginia. Occasionally, we get drivers who underestimate how dangerous the curves are and speed. Several drivers haven’t made the curves and end up in the hospital or the morgue. Cash, one of the brothers you haven’t met, who will be here later today, wrecked on the road and nearly died.” Jewell shuddered just thinking about it. “None of the boys will be getting a motorcycle until they prove they will be responsible. I think the fireworks were just an excuse to let the dads off the hook.”