Siren's Secret. Debbie Herbert

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СКАЧАТЬ not like Shelly to get home so late,” Jet said, running a hand over her cropped black bob. “And she’s the one who insisted on grilled shrimp tonight, too.”

      “I’m here,” Shelly said weakly. Neither could hear her over the kitchen rattling and a small TV playing the evening news.

      “It’s a full moon,” Lily said. “I’m sure the tug of the tide called her. I plan on a long swim myself after dinner. Care to join me?”

      “I said I’m here,” Shelly managed, louder this time.

      They turned as one to look at Shelly standing there, dripping and shivering from a combination of fear and cold. Jet strode over and shook her arm. “Shelly? Are you hurt?”

      Shelly gazed at her injured foot and pointed a trembling finger.

      Jet knelt down for a look. “Holy shit, girl. How’d you get this?”

      “Kn-knife wound,” she stuttered.

      Lily gasped and dropped a handful of the seaweed wrap. A glob of raw fish plopped against her pedicured toes.

      “How’d you manage that?” Jet asked.

      Lily hurried across the kitchen. Stepping over the dropped sushi, she grabbed a chair and set it behind Shelly.

      She sank into it gratefully and stared at the worried faces of her cousins, the only family she had left in the world and the only ones who truly knew and understood her. Being mermaids, the trio pretty much kept to themselves and protected one another from outsiders.

      The enormity of what she had just witnessed hit Shelly like a tsunami. If she was in danger, so were her cousins. So was every mermaid, few as they now were in the Gulf Coast. The toxic oil spills had chased away most of those lingering in the area.

      “I saw a body being dumped about three miles out in the ocean, near the mussel beds.”

      “You mean—a dead body?” Jet asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

      “Yes.” She took a deep breath and spoke again, the bottled words tumbling out. “I felt the pulse of the water change and when I looked to the surface I saw a tall object falling. And...and there was a boat, too, but it left.” Her mouth quivered violently and Shelly clamped her jaws, trying to still her chattering teeth.

      Lily laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You’re okay now,” she murmured in a voice that held the echo of an ocean wave.

      Shelly nodded. “I knew, as soon as it dropped, that it smelled human even though it looked all wrong. You know? Just a long, cylindrical object with no arms or legs moving.

      “I dragged the thing up and realized the plastic had interfered with my sense of smell. When I tore open the bags, the human smell overpowered me and I saw...” Her whole body convulsed. “I saw a face with missing eyes.”

      “Just like the body found a few months ago,” Lily whispered. “Oh, honey, no wonder you’re so upset. How awful.”

      “That’s not the worst part,” Shelly confessed. “I was seen. In mermaid form.”

      A stunned silence settled in the kitchen.

      “Don’t tell me the killer saw you,” Jet demanded.

      Shelly hung her head. She’d screwed up big-time. “He got close enough to stab me in my tail fin as I tried to get away. The damn thing stuck.”

      Jet’s hands fisted at her sides. “Son of a bitch. Wish I’d been the one who killed him.”

      They thought she’d killed him.

      “Don’t be upset.” Lily stroked her arm. “You did what you had to do. It’s over now.”

      “It’s not over,” Shelly confessed. “He got away.”

      Jet slammed a fist down on the kitchen table. “He can’t know our secret. I’ll take him out myself.” She took a determined step toward the back door. “Just tell me what direction he went and I’ll find the bastard.”

      Lily stood. “Let me do it. I’ll sing to him. No man can resist me when I sing. It’ll be easier that way, and less violent.”

      “But he’s gone.” Shelly stood, grimaced at the shooting pain in her right foot and sat back down. “Besides, you don’t know what he looks like.”

      Jet faced her, hands on hips. “So. Describe him and the boat.”

      Shelly shook her head and lowered her lashes. “It’s too late to do anything about it now.”

      “So...what? Are we supposed to sit around and chance that he’ll find us?” Jet paced, running her hands through her short hair.

      Lily’s musical voice interrupted. “He doesn’t know who we are. It was dark. A human’s eyesight isn’t as good as ours. We should be safe.”

      Shelly again felt the killer’s fierce eyes boring into hers. “Maybe,” she said doubtfully. “But Bayou La Siryna is a pretty small town and he got a close-up view of my face. What if I run into him on the streets? Will I have to watch my back every day for the rest of my life wondering if he’s recognized me?”

      “We’ll find him first,” Jet said. “Find him and kill him.”

      Shelly regarded her cousin warily. Jet’s bloodthirsty nature surfaced at the first threat of danger to her family. Once aroused, Jet was more like a tiger than a mermaid. She didn’t resemble a typical mermaid anyway with her tall, athletic body and bold brown eyes.

      Lily, on the other hand, was all feminine grace and mystery. A petite but voluptuous body, golden hair to her waist and large ocean-blue eyes that could be kind with her family, coy with the men and a bit calculating with everyone else.

      Lily’s eyes fixed on Shelly as she tapped her full lips with graceful fingers. “We don’t have to find him ourselves. We’ll let the police do it for us.”

      Jet snickered. “They didn’t catch him the first time. What makes you think they will now?”

      The first stirrings of hope warmed Shelly. “Because we’ll lead them to the killer,” she said slowly, with a slight smile at Lily. “I know where the body is and I know what he looks like.”

      Jet was already shaking her head. “We can’t go to the police. No way. They’ll either think we’re the killers or that we’re some kind of accomplices. Besides, what can you tell them? Hey, I was out swimming miles from shore, alone at night, and—guess what?—I found your killer for you.”

      “We can do this,” Shelly said, with more enthusiasm. “I haven’t told you the best part yet. That knife he stabbed me with? I’ve got it. Along with a hat that blew off his head. Maybe with all that, the police can find him.”

      “Those local yokels? Don’t bet on it.” Jet folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “I guess it’s worth a try. But I’m still going to do some searching on my own.”

      “Don’t. СКАЧАТЬ