The cops exchanged a look of pitying disgust as they fanned the air. “Well, it’s definitely not gold, and it’s definitely not a body,” the lead officer said, wiping his brow. “Whatever that junk is, Arthur, it’s a public nuisance. Just get rid of it before the whole town starts complaining.” They headed back to their cruisers, the lights finally cutting out as they pulled away.
In a fit of exhausted rage, Arthur didn’t even wait for the dust to settle. He hauled the suit and the remaining clumps back into the truck, drove to the deserted pier, and loaded it all onto the Silver Wake. He throttled out past the harbor mouth and heaved the heavy brass-and-canvas suit overboard. It sank instantly, disappearing into the dark. But when he tossed the loose “ore” clumps after it, his jaw dropped.
They didn’t sink. They bobbed on the surface like corks, caught in the current and drifting slowly away.