A Watery Death (A Missing Pieces Mystery Book 7) (9 page)

That didn’t really surprise me. I could tell they were attached to each other because they were so happy together.

“I know. It’s okay. You both deserve to be happy.”

“The thing is, honey, I can’t keep thinking about your grandmother and let myself feel anything for MC. It feels like I’m cheating on Eleanore when I kiss her.”

That was depressing. “So you don’t want me to try to bring her back?”

He rubbed his hand over his freshly shaved face. “I don’t know what to think about it. Do you think I should push MC away until we figure out if your grandmother is coming back?”

“No. Of course not. Grandma Eleanore says she can’t come back, not without some catastrophic event happening. Mom either.” I sighed and felt like crying. “I guess we go on without them.”

He rubbed my arm. “I don’t know what else to do but move forward. You’re the only one left of my family. I’ve had to put a lot of loss behind me. The only way I know to do that is to keep making fresh starts.”

“I understand. I won’t bring it up again.”

“I don’t mean that like it sounds,” he amended. “I’ll always love Eleanore, but in a different way than I love MC right now. I suppose that’s hard for you. I’m sorry.”

“I understand.” I kissed his cheek. “You’d better get going so you can summon the troops. Any word on Chief Michaels?”

“Actually, I was already there this morning. He’s still isn’t awake from his surgery, but the doctor said everything went well. Agnes Caudle and Betty Vasquez are down there now so Ladonna and Marjory can get some rest.”

“That’s good news. I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. I hope you get to see some of the parade.”

After he went downstairs, I went back to my room and got dressed.

Gramps’s relationship with Mary Catherine wasn’t something I’d thought about in my quest to bring Grandma Eleanore home. I supposed it would be awkward for them, but surely it was worth it too. I didn’t want to think about how it would affect everyone. If there was some way to get her back from where she was trapped in the past, I knew I’d do it and then deal with the fallout later.

Despite Grandma Eleanore’s warnings, I felt the same way about my mother. Maybe I couldn’t bring her back, but I could warn her through the psychic. She’d know not to go home the day she died. I couldn’t see where that could hurt anything.

But as much as I wanted to find the rainbow unicorn and warn her, I had to deal with the Fourth of July first. It was right here, right now. Everything else would have to be on hold until it was over.

I smiled as I dressed, thinking that time was a relative thing to me anyway. I had gone back forty years to see my grandmother last night. I’d gone back further in other visits when I’d touched objects from the past.

My white shorts were a little shorter than I usually wore them, but with the heavy wool Mayor’s coat I’d have to wear over them, I thought they’d be comfortable. I wore my shorts with a patriotic red, white, and blue-striped tank top. Both items looked good with my early summer tan.

My slimmed-down version of the Duck mayor’s coat was waiting for me at my office in town hall, according to a text I’d received from Darcy. She was our local dressmaker who’d also made Trudy’s wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses. I couldn’t wait to see the coat. I hoped it fit me better than the last time I’d worn it.

I put on some lip gloss and sunblock and then slipped my feet into tennis shoes for the running I’d be doing that day. My phone promised clear skies and mild temperatures, at least for the morning during the parade. I left Mary Catherine a note telling her where Gramps and I had gone and then skipped out of the house with my parade clipboard in hand.

It was still dark, and Duck Road was quiet. The air was misty and cool with the milky crescent moon floating in the sky above me. I was looking forward to the parade and even the hectic part of the day.

The parade route was starting at town hall this year. We had a huge parking lot for staging the event. It had always started at the Duck Shoppes. Because it meant not having customers in and out during the two hours of the parade, the real estate company that owned the shops had never been happy about it.

I had never understood their complaints since traffic was stopped on Duck Road for that time and cars couldn’t get through anyway.

It didn’t matter anymore, I thought, as I passed the coffeehouse and bookstore, the only lighted building in the area. The new town hall had been wonderful for many different reasons. And soon the footbridge that would go over Duck Road would be finished too. Chris Slayton was a wizard when it came to great ideas—and money to get them accomplished.

I heard a sound to the right of me in the grassy area next to the coffeehouse where Chris’s wife, Jamie, would be up getting things ready for the day. As I turned my head to see what was going on, someone wrapped their arms around my midsection, lifted me, and began moving very quickly toward the sound.

Chapter Eight

For a moment, I was so surprised that I didn’t move or resist. That’s how long it took me to realize that this shouldn’t be happening.

Once I understood the situation, I began kicking and beating at the person who was holding me. I tried to find eyes to gouge and skin to scratch, but I kept missing. I was amazed at how fast we were moving. I’d seen the firefighters training—they never moved this fast.

But they probably weren’t as strong as this man either. I could feel it in the careless way he held me. There was no strain at all.

“Let me go!” I yelled and finally started screaming for help.

“Quiet, please.” The voice was familiar and didn’t seem angry that I was trying to hurt him.

“Put me down. If you have something to say, I can listen on my feet. You don’t have to carry me away.”

“I won’t hurt you. We’re almost there.”

I realized when he spoke again that it was the naked man from last night. I should have talked to someone about him.

Too late now.

His shoulders was cool and clammy under my hands. They had a spongy consistency that was unusual for normal skin. I couldn’t stop myself from questioning—merman? Was that possible?

He ran up the ramp to the boardwalk. His muscles bunched tightly together just before he jumped across the rail and landed on the sandbar adjacent to the shops.

History said that this had been a popular place for parties back in the 1930s. The historical society had dug up dozens of old whiskey bottles and other artifacts. But why come here?

My heart pounded as I renewed my efforts to escape.

The man, who held me like a baby in his arms, abruptly set me down on my feet. I could feel the water and sand ooze into my tennis shoes. The light from the crescent moon shone on his face. The shops were quiet and dark behind him.

“Why are you doing this?” I felt more secure since I was standing. I glanced around for a weapon of some sort. There was a broken wooden oar beside me on the sand, but it didn’t look like much.

“You must hear what I have to say. I know you are the ruler of this place. I am here to help you.”

“Ruler? I’m the mayor, if that’s what you mean.” Was this just some weird way of complaining about something he didn’t like? I was sure I had never seen him before—except for last night. He was still naked, and a little greenish in the moonlight.

Merman
, my mind whispered.

Shut up!

“Yes. Whatever your term is for your authority. I am Tovi. I have come on behalf of the sea folk to tell you that we are not responsible for the death of your ship captain.”

I was mesmerized by his strangely moving eyes as they shifted from green to blue to brown. How could anyone’s eyes move that way? They looked like an old lava lamp, sending gold sparks through the colors. He was so strange, and yet so beautiful. His accent was strange too. Where was he from?

Under the sea
, my imagination replied.
Travis called him with the horn.

Shaking off the fascination, I tried to set him straight. “Look. I’m the mayor. That’s true. But I think you need to talk to the police. I’m not in charge of people dying, and if you know something about Captain Lucky’s death, you should report it. But not to me.”

“Are you listening to what I say?” he asked in an impatient tone. “I only have a short while remaining this day before I must go. I have lived centuries, and I know the ways of man. I know of your captain’s death, but I wasn’t the cause of it. Do not look for me. Only war between us can ensue if they hunt for us.”

Not really sure if I should laugh at him—he might be more than a little disturbed—I tried to keep a straight face when I spoke. “Captain Lucky’s death is tragic, but I don’t think anyone is going to war over it. Are you from around here?”

He shook me. It wasn’t hard, more like you’d shake someone to wake them up.

“Are you listening to me, woman? Or are you insane?”

Funny, since I’d been partially thinking that about him. The other part that made my skin creep and my brain race was thinking that he was a merman.

“I really think you should come with me to talk with our police chief. It will only take a few minutes.” I carefully enunciated every word, hoping he would understand.

He glanced sharply at the horizon. “The sun is coming. Meet me here at sundown. We can speak with your police chief then. But mind you, do not try to follow me. This could mean your death.”

Inside, I was thinking,
you don’t have to worry about it
. I could always send Tim or Scott after him. Outside, I just maintained my composure and nodded that I understood.

“Good. I go to my rest.”

As soon as he’d said the words, he slipped into the water. There was no splash. He didn’t dive or fall in. It was almost as though he melted into the Currituck Sound and merged with it.

I caught my breath as there was no other movement. I waited a few minutes. He didn’t re-surface from the gray water.

Merman! I knew it!

“Tovi?” Should I jump in after him? He could have just committed suicide if I was wrong about him. “Tovi?”

Quickly, I took off my shoes and grabbed the life preserver that was always hanging from the rail on the boardwalk. I stepped into the water on the edge of the sandbar and would have dived in after him, but just as suddenly, his head surfaced.

“What are you doing? I told you not to come after me.”

“I can’t let you kill yourself. Come back up here. Let’s talk about it. I’m sorry if I didn’t listen carefully enough. It’s okay. I believe you about Captain Lucky. I’m sure someone else killed him.”

He smiled at me slowly. “You are one of the good humans, aren’t you? I thought as much when I spoke with you. My people praise me for having an understanding of the land dwellers.”

“I like to think that I’m a good person. Now, please come out of the water. We can go to my shop, right there on the boardwalk.” I pointed to Missing Pieces. “I’ll make you some tea, and we can talk.”

“I cannot return to the land at this moment. But I will be back tonight at sundown. Please meet me there, and we shall drink tea.”

“Okay. Just come up out of the water. Please. I don’t want you to drown.”

He laughed at me. “At sundown. Farewell until then.”

He ducked his head again below the water, but this time there was a splash as a large, blue, gold, and orange tail flipped straight up in the water and then sank beneath it. The movement threw water on me. I put up my hands uselessly to try to keep my outfit dry.

As I kept watching, I saw his head again followed by the movement of the tail as he dove underwater.

“No one is ever gonna believe this.” I sat right down on the wet sandbar, my legs giving out from under me as I realized what I’d seen.

A merperson. Merman. Seafolk, he’d called his people.

I remembered Captain Lucky saying the coral horn could call the seafolk. After that moment, I began to give credence to what Tovi had said. I tried to recall every word and dissected it over and over again in my mind.

There were really people who lived in the water. All the legends were true. I was excited and frightened. I couldn’t tell anyone. They’d all think I’d lost my last hold on reality.

My shoes squished, and my butt was wet as I forced myself to get up and walked down the quiet street to town hall. I wanted to shout to the town that I’d met a merman. I wanted everyone to know.

But what proof did I have?

There were dozens of people at town hall already, working on the big pirate ship float that was being built on the back of Mad Dog’s flatbed truck. I’d been surprised that he’d volunteered to let us use it—until I found out that he’d traded Chris Slayton the use of the truck for a ride in the parade.

I didn’t blame Chris for accepting, and I didn’t care if Mad Dog still thought of himself as being on the town council. He wasn’t—that was all that mattered.

“You’re squishing, Dae,” Nancy said as the early morning breeze blew her straight, reddish brown hair into her blue eyes. “Take a shower and forget to take off your shoes?”

I met a merman!

“No. I was splashed by a truck that went by on Duck Road as I was walking here.”

She looked into my face intently. “Are you okay? You look kind of strange. And you might want to rethink that story since there haven’t been any puddles on the road in weeks.”

I thanked her and moved away to speak with Chris and Jamie Slayton. Nancy sometimes knew me too well. Not that my story wasn’t a little crazy sounding. I’d been so busy thinking about people living in the water that I hadn’t thought of a good reason that I was wet and sandy.

“Morning, Dae,” Chris said. “The weather report is sunny, ninety degrees, and dry for this morning. Good news, huh?” He put another piece of black tissue paper on the hull of the pirate ship float.

“Very good news,” I agreed as I put tissue paper on the float too.

I wanted to ask him and Jamie what they thought about mermaids and mermen, but I couldn’t talk about it yet. There had to be some intelligent way to get the subject out in the open.