Marriage & the Mermaid (Hapless Heroes) by Cusack Louise

Author:Cusack, Louise [Cusack, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: novel, love, street kid, romantic comedy, love story, Fiction, Romance, mermaid, scam, hapless, Contemporary Romance, romcom
Publisher: Flirt Press
Published: 2014-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty–One

Moore walked up to Waikeri’s desk and sat on his guest chair again. “Shark get anyone today?” he asked.

“No, but it’s only noon,” Waikeri replied, turning away from his computer to nod at the half demolished box of donuts on his desk.

Moore waved it away. “Did you get the marine biologist’s report? The Dalrymple girl is off the hook.” He took the lid off Waikeri’s cooler under the desk and helped himself to a stubby of ginger beer. “Scales found on the victim’s body were off a fish. Told you so,” he added before Waikeri could get a dig in.

“No you didn’t.” Waikeri opened his email and started reading the report so Moore unscrewed the bottle and took a swallow. A second later he was coughing his heart out.

“It’s the ginger,” Waikeri said, not looking up.

“Hot, “ Moore said through tears when he could speak again.

“Home made.”

That was a half–arsed apology if ever he’d heard one. “You often poison your visitors?” Moore wheezed.

“Only the bastards who take things without asking.”

Moore shut up and let Waikeri read. The dark head eventually rose. “Report says the fish is rare. Never spotted in these waters before.”

Moore shrugged, not wanting to hurt his throat by talking if he didn’t need to.

“Well,” Waikeri said, leaning forward. “Maybe the girl found one in the Atlantic, and she stuck its scales on her fingernails.”

Moore decided it was worth the pain to say, “Yes, I’ve heard all the best manicure salons are starting to buy up fish scales.”

Waikeri smiled, showing off the gaps between his teeth. “What can I say? I’m onto the trends.”

“Anyway, the girl’s gone —”

“So the Wilson boy says.” Waikeri gave him a measured stare.

“You think she’s still at Saltwood?” It had never occurred to Moore that Wilson would lie about that.

“No idea.”

“I want to go back.” If there was the slightest chance she was there, he should try, because damn it if he wasn’t still convinced there was something strange about her.

Waikeri shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“The roads are drying up,” Moore said, “and I was talking to a local this morning who reckons there’s a coastal track that runs all the way down from Bargara. I might be able to get into Saltwood that way.”

“To get a sample of the girl’s nail polish?”

“If she’s not there I can search her room.”

Waikeri seemed to think about that. “You know old man Wilson will ring his friend the District Supervisor.”

Liam nodded. “If he tells me to stop investigating I will. But he hasn’t. Yet.”

Waikeri surprised him by saying, “Fair enough. Then you can take the sample to your biologist and she can tell us if it matches the one on the victim.”

Moore had to admit he liked the sound of his biologist. “And this time I’m taking the four wheel drive with the working winch.”

“Whatever. But listen, if Wilson is telling the truth about her leaving two nights ago, she might be camped along that road, walking north. You might spot her campfire.”

“I’ll take marshmallows.

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