by Rose Pressey
Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? What do we do now?”
“Okay, first of all take a deep breath and let’s not panic. Everything will be just fine.”
“They have to know it was you. Why else would they be here?” Shelby asked.
“What I want to know is how did they find me?”
“Maybe they followed you,” she said.
“How would they know where to follow me from?”
“I don’t know. They have like special skills or something,” Shelby said with a wave of her hand. “They’re evil, I tell you.”
Based on her wide eyes and pacing across the floor, I figured Shelby was really starting to panic. I wasn’t sure if I needed to shake her and get her back to reality or what.
“It’s just a coincidence,” I said. “Perhaps they’ll go away in a minute.”
I raised up the blinds and took another peek. They were still out there, standing by their sleek black Mercedes. As if they sensed me watching them, they turned their attention in the direction of the window.
I quickly shut the blinds again. “We just need to act like we didn’t see them.”
Shelby and I stared at each other. Obviously, she was waiting for me to offer a solution.
“How long do you think they’ll stay out there?” Shelby asked.
“I hope not long.” I scratched my neck and arms.
I was beginning to get a little itchy. When I got anxious sometimes I would shift. I really didn’t want the mermaids to see me as a werewolf again. They would call the police. A few seconds passed, and I wanted to look outside again to see if they were still there. However, I didn’t want to take a chance on being caught either.
Maybe I just needed to wait a few more minutes. I tapped my foot against the floor. Shelby paced while wringing her hands. Time was dragging out forever.
I tossed my hands up. “Okay, I can’t stand it anymore. I have to take a little peek to see if they’re still out there.”
“Good idea, Rylie.” Shelby punctuated the sentence with a point of her finger.
I eased up one of the slats. Shelby stood behind me. As soon as I pressed my face closer for a look outside I got the shock of my life.
One of the women was standing right next to the window and peering in. Shelby screamed and I dropped the slat.
“Do you think she saw you?” Shelby whispered.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure she saw us. Our eyes locked on each other.”
No sooner had I finished my sentence when a knock came at the door. Shelby and I exchanged a look. Shelby grabbed the back of my shirt as she hid behind me.
“What are you going to do?” Shelby whispered.
I stood up straight and pushed my shoulders back. “We’ll answer the door.”
I held my head high as I marched over to the door. I was a werewolf, for heaven’s sakes. I was going to be tough. My clan would be ashamed of me if I didn’t face my fear. The mermaids had no way of knowing that I’d been the werewolf at their house. Of course, how did they know I was here? That had to be a coincidence, right? I suppose I was about to find out.
I wrapped my hand around the door knob and then opened it. The three of them were standing right in front of me.
“Hello,” I said. “We’re actually not open for business yet.”
They didn’t speak for a moment as they eyed me up and down. Then the one in front said, “I’m sorry. We thought you were open already. We need dates.”
This was certainly odd.
“When will you be ready for business?” the one in the back asked.
“Well, I think it will be a few more days before we officially open,” I said.
“But can’t you start early with us? We are really in a pinch.” She crossed her fingers and batted her eyelashes.
I stared at them again, not knowing what to say. Looking over my shoulder at Shelby, I realized she was still in a state of shock. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes were wide. She might have even whimpered a little. I turned my attention back to the women.
“I suppose I could start early,” I said.
I would probably regret this. Nevertheless, I stepped away from the door and motioned for the women to enter. Shelby had moved right along with me like my shadow. She still stood behind me, peeking over my shoulder.
All I had in the room were some metal folding chairs, so I gestured toward them. “Sorry we don’t have the furniture in yet.”
“Oh, that’s perfectly all right,” the tallest one said with a wave of her hand.
The one in the middle seemed to be the leader of this little clique. She had blue streaks in her blonde hair. The other two had blonde hair as well, although they had streaks of pink and purple in their hair. They looked very mermaid-ish. All three wore four-inch heels and coordinating short summer dresses with yellow, pink, and purple floral print. The skirt portions of their dresses were full, and the tops had spaghetti straps.
“How did you find out about our company?” I asked.
“We just drove by and saw the sign.” The gold starfish-shaped charms on her bracelet jingled as she gestured over her shoulder. “We thought it sounded like a great idea.”
“Very retro.” The blonde to her left flipped her hair from her shoulder with a twist of her wrist.
“Well, that’s certainly great for business if the sign attracted attention right away,” I said with a laugh.
I knew I sounded a bit nervous, but I hoped they figured it was just because they were the first customers. Certainly they had no idea that I did this in New Orleans too.
“My name is Melinda Evans, this is Shayla Jordan.” The woman with the blue streaks in her hair pointed toward the one with pink streaks. “And that’s Tori Knight.”
“Nice to meet you all. So is there a special event that you need dates for?” I asked.
Shelby remained behind me, frozen like a statue.
“As a matter of fact, yes, it’s for a company party. We don’t want to be the only guests there without dates, you understand,” Melinda said.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself,” I said. “My name is Rylie Cruz, and this is my assistant Shelby. She’ll be running the business when I go back to New Orleans.”
Melinda raised her sculpted eyebrow. “You don’t live here?”
I sensed that she knew that information already and was trying to pretend as if it was a surprise. But maybe I was reading too much into this.
“Yes, I just came here to open this franchise and then I’ll be going back.”
“But not before finding us dates? We need your expertise. If you’re the one who’s opening this place, then that means you’re the owner.”
“You must be the best in the business, right?” Shayla asked.
They were awfully friendly now. I was still waiting for signs of the evil behavior that Shelby had described before. They didn’t act as if they remembered seeing me in the café. After acting so rudely, how could they forget? Unless that was regular behavior for them and nothing about the encounter seemed unusual.
Maybe they were on their best behavior so that I would find them dates. This would be a challenge for me since no one wanted to date someone so rude. Unless they were like my neighbor Lily and her husband Phil. Rude behavior was at the top of their preference list. Luckily, they’d found each other.
“I have an application online if you all would like to fill that out. As soon as we get your info we can get right to finding you dates.” I handed her a business card.
They pulled out their iPhones immediately and started typing. I’d kind of assumed they would do this later, not right now while we watched. The point of telling them about the online form was to get them out of my office.
“Well, like I said, all the information you need you’ll find online. If you all get that back to me then I will get on it. I’ll be in touch soon.” I walked toward the door.
This was my way of saying, Okay, time to leave, ladies.
Unfortu
nately, they didn’t follow.
Chapter 6
The mermaids watched at me for a long moment as if they had no clue what I was talking about. It was all an act though. Their eyes widened as if it clicked and they figured out that I was trying to get rid of them. I hoped they weren’t expecting an Academy Award anytime soon.
When I didn’t respond they pushed to their feet and headed toward the door. Normally I wouldn’t have been so anxious to get rid of customers, but these three I wanted out of here. Maybe it wasn’t all an act though. They definitely weren’t the fastest mermaids in the ocean. Right before they reached the door it opened and in walked Jack. They immediately stopped in their tracks and stared at him with huge smiles.
“Well, hello there,” Melinda said as she wiggled her eyebrows.
No wonder they didn’t have dates if this was their way of flirting.
“Are you a customer with the dating service?” the blonde asked in a sultry voice.
Oh, please. I rolled my eyes.
Jack smiled at the women. “No, actually, I’m the owner’s boyfriend.”
They looked over at me as if they were stunned. Next, they hurried their attention back to Jack.
“Well, that’s a shame,” Melinda said with a click of her tongue.
“I think it just shows that she really knows her work.” Shelby finally spoke up.
She wasn’t helping. I was hoping to get rid of the women. Now she was only encouraging them and making even more eager for my help with locating dates.
“If you can find us a date like him then I’m definitely all on board.” Shayla soaked in Jack’s appearance.
I didn’t like the way they were looking at Jack. I walked over to the door and opened it. I didn’t want to kick them out, but I would if they kept ogling Jack like that. Yes, I was getting a little jealous. Hair would sprout soon if they didn’t scram.
“Okay, ladies, thank you for stopping by,” I said. “Remember to fill out those forms online.”
The mermaids didn’t budge. Instead they just stood there staring at Jack.
“When we fill out the forms is there a place to add his photo?” Tori twirled a pink strand of hair around her index finger.
They all laughed like that was the funniest joke they’d ever heard. I narrowed my eyes. They were making me even madder.
Jack must’ve realized I was getting upset because he said, “Well, ladies, I can guarantee you she’ll find you a great date. She’s the best. And the best girlfriend ever.” He stepped over to me and draped his arm around my shoulders. I’d have to thank him for that later. It was exactly what I had needed. The mermaids eventually took the hint because they walked over to the door and stepped outside. Before departing though they turned around to face me again. The leader had just parted her lips to speak.
“Thanks again, ladies.” I shut the door.
I locked it behind them so that they couldn’t come back in.
“What was that all about?” Jack asked.
“Those were the mermaids who caught me at the house yesterday. The ones I saw at the café.”
His blue eyes widened. “Are you serious? Did they know it was you?”
I tossed my hands up. “In my opinion it’s not a coincidence that they came here.”
Jack ran his hand through his hair. “It doesn’t seem that way, does it? What do you think they’re really up to?”
“They said they wanted dates,” I said.
“And obviously they had their eye on Jack.” Shelby had moved over to the window for a peek outside.
I sighed. “Thanks for the reminder, Shelby.”
“Oh, don’t worry about the mermaids, honey, you know that you’re my one and only.” Jack kissed me on the lips.
Shelby looked away as if she was studying the hem of her shirt.
When Jack released me from his embrace, I said, “I don’t know, but this just makes me even more concerned that they’re up to something. I think I need to investigate this further.”
Jack sighed. “Normally I would say no, but I think you might be onto something.”
I couldn’t believe he was actually agreeing with me. That was something that didn’t happen often. When it came to sticking my snout into things, Jack thought I shouldn’t be involved.
However, the mermaids had come to me, so I hoped he realized that I was involved whether I wanted to be or not. Yes, technically I had started it by going over to their place, but after what they said, it was definitely worth it.
“Are you really going to find them dates?” Jack asked.
“I suppose I have to if they want my service. Although I could just pretend like I’m bad at my job and can’t find anyone,” I said.
Shelby moved over to the window to see if they’d actually left for good.
“Are they there?” I asked.
“No, thank goodness they’re gone. At least I can’t see them out there,” she said. “I hope they’re still not lurking around somewhere.”
“Me too,” I said.
Shelby turned to face me. “You know, you could find them dates. That would be a way to find out more about what they’re doing.”
I raised an eyebrow. “True. If they don’t have dates, then who was the guy they were talking about? I figured he was a boyfriend to one of them.”
“Maybe that’s how they get rid of their dates,” Shelby said.
“That’s a scary thought. Should I really subject men to that possibility?”
“They could only meet them in a public place?” Shelby folded her arms in front of her waist.
“Where will I find guys willing to date them and get to the bottom of this? They could be putting their lives in danger,” I said.
“I know a few mermen,” Shelby said. “They’re always up for a new adventure.”
I looked at Jack. “What do you think?”
He shrugged. “I guess if the guys are willing to do it. I mean, the mermaids looked innocent enough. I don’t think they’re really dangerous.”
Oh, poor Jack. He still wanted to see the good in everyone. I did too, but sometimes a person needed a healthy dose of skepticism.
***
Shelby and I had spent the rest of the day getting a desk and chairs for the office. Plus a computer and other items that she would need to get everything set up. It was finally time to relax and unwind. I could use a good dinner with a great view of the beach.
However, as I walked down the sidewalk to meet Jack, I happened to see a newsstand. The front page of the newspaper caught my attention. Something about a murder was splashed across the front page—a man had been murdered last night. Unconfirmed reports stated that he’d been stabbed with a wooden stake. The man’s name was Benjamin Thornton, age thirty-eight.
I didn’t know why, but I stepped closer for a look at the article. As I scanned the story, I realized that it had happened right near where the mermaids lived. It couldn’t be, right? They couldn’t have done this. They’d said they wanted to get rid of someone and now a man was dead. That sent a shiver down my spine.
I paid for the newspaper and then hurried toward the restaurant. As I walked I read the article again. Well, I tried to read without bumping into anyone or anything. I would have to find out more about the murdered man.
Jack spotted me as I walked up the sidewalk to meet him. He waved and smiled as he sat at an outdoor table on the patio. I rushed over because I couldn’t wait to tell him about what I’d found. I placed the newspaper down on the table in front of him and tapped the page. He peered down at the article.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“What am I looking at?” he asked.
“I think this murder has something to do with the mermaids.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I thought you’d already given up on that. Weren’t you just supposed to find them dates?”
I sat down at the table next to him. “How can I find them dates when they’re killers?”
“You wen
t from an article about a murdered man to thinking that they killed him?”
“Well, think about it. They were talking about getting rid of someone, then this man was murdered just a short distance from their house. What is the coincidence in that?” I asked.
He stared at me for a moment and then peered down at the article again. “I suppose it could be connected.”
I tossed my hands up. “Exactly. That’s all I needed to know.”
He took my hand in his. “Rylie, I love you, but I just don’t want you to be hurt.”
“And I just want to get to the bottom of this. I already feel like I let this guy down. I could have saved him.”
“Unfortunately, it’s too late for him now,” Jack said.
I frowned. “You’re saying that I could have saved him too?”
“I didn’t say that. How in the world could you have saved him when you didn’t even know who he was?”
“I should have found a way. If I had said something about this sooner, then it never would have happened. If I’d called the police sooner, if. I’d gone to their home sooner…”
“You have nothing to do with this. Maybe they did it before the police ever showed up.”
“I should’ve called the police sooner? Is that what you’re saying?” I asked.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just that you couldn’t have done anything to stop it with the few details you had. You’re hungry. You need food because you’re talking crazy.” Jack pushed the menu toward me.
The waiter showed up at our table, so we had to break the conversation. We placed orders for fish and then as sooner as he walked away I took the newspaper and started poring over at once more.
“I suppose I’ll just have to question the mermaids more. I’ll find out if they know this man.”
“And how are you going to do that? Are you just going to ask them?” he asked before taking a sip of his water.
“No, of course not. I’ll be subtler than that,” I said. “I suppose the first thing I need to do is find the mermaids dates.”
“What about the mermen that Shelby mentioned?”
“I’m putting the mermen at the top of my list.”
