The Murdered Mermaid (A Brimstone Witch Mystery Book 6)

by April Fernsby

  “I have told you all that you need to know about Nerita. Tell your colleague to release me immediately. I won’t say another word until he does.” He clamped his mouth shut to emphasise his point.

  I looked at Jeremy who still had his hands raised towards Rex. “Jeremy, release him before you burst with the effort of holding him in place.”

  Letting out a loud sigh of relief, Jeremy dropped his hands and collapsed into the nearest chair. I heard a scrape of chair legs at my side and saw Rex leaping to his feet. He raised his fist in Jeremy’s direction and snarled, “You’ll pay for this! Stand up so I can knock you down!”

  As Rex advanced on the quivering Jeremy, I declared, “That’s enough! There won’t be any fighting in here; that’s an order.”

  Rex’s fist hovered in the air and he looked uncertain as to what he should do.

  I repeated, “That’s an order. Rex, sit down while I question you about Nerita and your relationship with her.”

  Rex’s hand dropped to his side and he gave me an angry look. “My relationship with Nerita is none of your business. It’s a private matter. I’m not staying here to be asked questions about my private life.” He turned on his heel and was about to march away.

  I recalled Oliver’s last words to me the previous day and decided it was time to be more assertive. I raised my hand and announced loudly, “Enough. I’ll decide what’s relevant to my investigation, not you.”

  I sent magic to my hands and aimed them at Rex. To my amazement, I managed to raise Rex and guide him back towards the chair he’d just vacated. It was like moving a man-sized balloon. I lowered my hand which made Rex settle into the chair. Continuing to use my magic, I immobilized his body beneath his head.

  “What have you done to me?” he shouted. “Why can’t you witches leave me alone? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  I walked closer to him and folded my arms. My voice was calm as I said, “I want to know about your relationship with Nerita. When did it start? How long did it last? Who ended the relationship, and why? Rex, I’m not asking you this to be nosy, but I’m dealing with a murder investigation, and for all I know, you could have been the one who killed Nerita. You’re not leaving this café until you’ve answered every one of my questions.” I gave him a stern look to let him know how serious I was. Stanley came to my side and he glowered at Rex to show him how serious he was too.

  Rex let out a sigh and said, “Alright, I’ll tell you everything. Nerita and I had been a couple for a few years and we were getting along very well. She didn’t want anyone to know about our relationship, especially not her father. Mermaids are not supposed to mix with other creatures in a romantic way. We both knew this, but we couldn’t deny the attraction between us.”

  From his seated position, Jeremy said, “A doomed relationship. It’s a tragedy waiting to happen.”

  Rex continued, “Things became serious between us. I proposed to her a few months ago and she said yes.” A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. “But a few weeks after that, she changed her mind. She said she didn’t have time to have a normal life like the other merpeople. She said she had to concentrate on being a leader especially now that her father was getting older. I told her I understood about her responsibilities and that I would support her. She said it wouldn’t be fair to me if we married because she’d never be able to give me the full attention that I deserved.” He lowered his head. “She said it was for the best that we separated. There was nothing I could do to change her mind.”

  “That’s so sad,” Jeremy said. “Did you kill her because she wouldn’t marry you?”

  Rex’s head shot up. “Kill her? Why are you asking me that? I didn’t kill Nerita. I loved her; I still do.”

  Jeremy stood up and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a notebook and handed it to me. “This is one of your mum’s notebooks. She’s got some comments in it about Rex and his terrible temper. He’s caused many fights in his time.”

  “That was years ago!” Rex boomed. “Those fights happened when I was young and foolish.”

  Jeremy tapped the front cover of the notebook. “That’s not all your mum wrote about Rex. There’s a secret way into your world and Rex knows where it is. Your mum told him about it years ago in case he needed to go there in an emergency.”

  I narrowed my eyes at Rex. “Is this true?”

  Rex nodded. “It’s an underwater passageway. I’ve been through it a few times with Rosalyn.”

  “Did you tell Nerita about this secret passageway?” I asked.

  “I did. As soon as I did so, I realised it was a mistake and I told her not to tell anyone.”

  I went on, “Does anyone else know about the passageway?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.” He hesitated and looked towards the sea. “That’s not true. I suspect the sirens might know about it. I’ve been searching for them for days and can’t find them anywhere. The only explanation is that they’ve gone into your world.” He looked back at me and continued, “Before Nerita ended our relationship, she told me about the black cloud that had been hovering over the sea a month ago. The cloud turned into rain and it fell into the ocean in one particular area. Nerita went to that area and discovered that the black rain had turned into a small, black rock.”

  “What did she do with the rock?” I asked.

  “Nerita told me she’d put it somewhere far away from Brimstone so that we’d be safe from whatever evil power lurked inside it. I fear she may have used the secret passageway and taken the rock into your world, Cassia. I don’t know why she would do such a thing, but it seems the only explanation.”

  I looked down at Stanley and said, “What do you think about that? Does it make sense?”

  Stanley said, “If Nerita put that rock in our world, what’s going to happen to it there? And why have the sirens gone there too?”

  I said to Rex, “Where does the secret passageway lead?”

  “It leads to an area called Knotty Cove. I believe you used to visit that area with your mum and Gran.”

  I took a small step back in surprise. “Knotty Cove? Are you sure about that?”

  Rex nodded.

  I explained, “I used to go there with Gran after Mum passed away. We always had a marvellous time. It’s a lovely place. Why would Nerita take that rock to Knotty Cove? Where did she put it?”

  Stanley added, “And why did she order the sirens to go there too? Cassia, I don’t like the sound of this at all.”

  “Me neither,” I told him. “We need to get to Knotty Cove as soon as possible and find that rock.”

  Rex said, “I can take you there on my back. It’s the quickest way to get there. We’ll travel beneath the waves.”

  I waved one hand at him and removed the immobilising spell. I said, “Ok, let’s do this straight away. I can use magic to allow me to breathe underwater. Stanley, you stay here with Jeremy.”

  Stanley puffed his little grey chest out and said, “No way. I’m coming with you. You can use the underwater spell on me too.”

  Chapter 25

  Stanley refused to change his mind about coming with me and said in a brave voice, “I’ll meet you at the water’s edge. Can we be quick about this before I change my mind, please?”

  He trotted out of the café and I had no option but to go after him.

  Rex strode past me with his long, muscular legs and ordered, “Follow me.”

  Jeremy jogged at my side and said, “I’m not sure about Stanley going with you. Do you think he’ll be alright?”

  “I hope so. He’s a stubborn little thing. I’ll use that underwater spell on him and make sure it works before we set off. Jeremy, is it possible to use it all over Stanley so that his fur doesn’t get wet? He hates it when his fur gets wet.”

  “Yes, we can do that.” He quickly told me the words to use. “Do you want me to come with you? I’ve never been to that part of your world before and I’d love to see it.”

  I gave him a swift smile as I remembere
d the happy times I’d had at Knotty Cove. I said, “It’s not a big town but the people there are very welcoming and friendly. It used to be a fishing village a long time ago, but when the fishing trade died out the people decided to do something else to ensure money still came into the community. There’s a fishing museum there now and an aquarium. I’ve been to both of them many times with Gran and we always make a donation. They also run workshops on knot making.” I stopped talking to see what Jeremy’s reaction was to that piece of information.

  “Knot making? Like a reef knot? And a rolling hitch? That sort of thing?”

  “I don’t know the names of the knots, but yes, those kinds of knots. In fact, Knotty Cove is a nickname that the residents came up with years back to increase tourism. They’ve even got a website and Facebook pages. I can’t see the fascination myself with knots, but some people seem to like it.”

  Jeremy stared into the distance. “I love knots and all the different varieties you can get. I’ve got a book on them. That workshop sounds amazing. How often do they have classes? Do you think I could enrol in one of them?”

  I smiled at him as we walked along. “I’m sure something can be arranged. I’ll sort it out for you after this investigation.”

  “Thank you,” Jeremy said, with a huge smile on his face.

  We came to a stop at the water’s edge. Stanley was standing as close as he dared. He was giving the water a suspicious look and his whiskers were twitching in an irritated manner as if the water was offending him.

  I said to him, “You don’t have to come with me. You can stay here with Jeremy and tell him about the comb business.”

  Stanley lifted his little chin and said, “I’ve made my mind up. I’m coming with you. I trust your spell-casting abilities and know that no harm will come to me.”

  I was touched by his faith in me and hoped I wouldn’t let him down.

  Jeremy said, “What’s all this about a comb? I thought that got sorted out.”

  I reached into my pocket and retrieved the hair comb. I told Jeremy where I’d found it as I handed it over to him. I said, “Could you talk to Isla about this? I think it’s hers.”

  Jeremy’s nostrils flared in anger. “Someone has been inside the lighthouse when you’ve been asleep? I definitely closed the door on my way out and I used magic to lock it.” His nostrils flared again and his hand tightened around the comb. “I can’t believe someone did that! Wait till I get my hands on them.”

  I placed my hand on his arm in an effort to calm him down. “I don’t think whoever left it there meant us any harm. They’re leaving us a message of some sort. Would you be able to look into this, please?”

  Through gritted teeth, Jeremy said, “Yes, I’ll deal with it alright. I’ll find out who’s been sneaking into the lighthouse in the middle of the night.”

  During my conversation with Jeremy, I hadn’t notice Rex turning into his horse form. As impressive as he was in human form, he was magnificent as a horse. His white mane caught the wind and billowed behind him like a sheet on a washing line.

  He turned his black eyes my way and said, “Are you ready? You’ll have to climb onto my back.”

  Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. I whispered to Jeremy, “How do I get on his back? He’s enormous. Should I magic up a pair of ladders? I’ve never ridden on a horse before. What do I do? What do I hold onto?”

  Jeremy replied, “Stop panicking. I’ll help you onto his back. Your mum was just the same when it came to riding a horse. She conjured up a saddle so that she had something to hold onto. I remember the spell she used. Would you like me to use it now? I could even add a seat belt to keep you firmly in place. I think you’ll need it; I’ve seen how fast Rex goes.”

  Stanley padded over to us and said, “I heard you saying something about a seatbelt. Can I have one too, please?”

  Jeremy put the comb in his pocket and then waded through the water and over to Rex. He said to something to Rex before raising his hands at his back. Tiny, green sparks shot from his hands and landed on Rex’s back. A brown saddle appeared there and I was pleased to see there were two seat belts on it; a large one for me, and a smaller one for Stanley.

  Jeremy beckoned us over and then clasped his hands together and told me to put my foot into them. My legs shook as I did so and I thought there was no way Jeremy was going to be able to lift to me. He was going to cause damage to his back if he wasn’t careful.

  Jeremy made a low grunting noise as he heaved me onto Rex’s back. I saw him wincing in pain as he did so and I could have sworn I heard something crack. Jeremy placed Stanley in my arms and I secured the little seatbelt around him. My hands were trembling as I fastened my own seat belt. Was it normal to be so high up on a horse?

  Jeremy gave my leg a reassuring pat and said, “You’ll be fine. I’m almost sure of it. Enjoy your trip.”

  My voice was too scared to come out so I gave him a swift nod and then gave Stanley a quick stroke of his head. It was more to comfort me than Stanley.

  Stanley looked over his shoulder. “Cassia, you haven’t done the underwater spell on us yet! Don’t forget that!”

  I took a steadying breath and then began to chant the spell. The only way of knowing whether or not it had worked was to go into the water.

  I said to Rex, “Can you take us under the water slowly? I want to make sure my spell is working correctly.”

  “Of course, let’s go.” Rex took a few steps further into the sea.

  I put my hand on Stanley’s side and could feel his heartbeat going at an alarming rate. He was being so brave.

  Rex cautiously moved further into the water until the sea flowed over his back. Stanley stiffened as water trickled over his paws. After a few more of Rex’s steps, the water reached his chin.

  Stanley said, “Cassia, I can’t feel the water on me at all! I can see it going all over me, but I can’t feel it. You spell is working.”

  I let out a sigh of relief and told Rex to go fully into the water.

  He did so, and I was pleased to see Stanley breathing normally as we became submerged. I even heard him chuckle to himself. He was enjoying this.

  Rex called out, “Are you ready to travel at speed now? Hold on tight.”

  Without any further warning, Rex took off running through the water at an impossible speed. It reminded me of being on an aeroplane when it suddenly speeds up and you leave your stomach five hundred yards behind you. The sea creatures around me became flashes of colour as we shot through the water.

  In front of me, Stanley whooped with delight and raised his paws in the air. He called out, “Whoo! Yay! Go faster!”

  I shook my head at my brave little cat. I wish I felt as brave. I was not enjoying this trip at all. It called to mind a horrible rollercoaster ride I’d been on once. It had gone up and down, back to front and even upside down. I’d been sick for hours afterwards. I decided the best course of action now was to close my eyes. I instantly felt better even though I was buffeted from side to side as Rex charged onwards.

  Rex began to slow down after a few minutes and Stanley’s shouts of joy began to subside. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see we’d arrived at Knotty Cove. Rex carried us out of the water and along the sand.

  Rex said, “I’ll drop you over at the side here where no one can see us. It wouldn’t do for the humans to see me in this form.”

  He took us a short way down the beach and lowered himself so that I could climb off his back. I got off first and then reached for Stanley.

  Stanley’s mouth was pulled back in a smile and his eyes were wide with excitement. “Can we do that again? I want to do it again right now.” He turned to Rex. “Thank you. That was amazing. So amazing. When can we do it again?”

  Rex replied, “We can do it again when I take you back to Brimstone.” He shook his mane and then turned back into his man form. He pointed ahead of us. “The sirens are here. I can see them. They’re mixing with the humans. They shouldn’t be doing that
.”

  I looked towards the cove and the promenade at the top of it. Houses and shops lined the promenade and I recognised every building. Outdoor tables and chairs were occupied by the residents of the town. I knew them all. But I didn’t know the long-haired women who were sitting with the residents and talking to them. Each woman was wearing a long, blue dress and they were barefoot. Unease grew in my stomach as I noticed the residents staring silently at the woman as if mesmerized. A slight humming noise drifted over to us and I realised that the women were now singing.

  I said to Rex, Those women in the blue dresses, are those sirens?”

  He gave me a tight-lipped nod.

  “They look as if they’re hypnotising people. Is that what they’re doing?”

  Rex couldn’t hide the worry in his voice as he said, “That’s exactly what they’re doing. And they do that just before they lure humans to their deaths.”

  Chapter 26

  I stared in horror at the scene in front of me. Normally, the people of Knotty Cove would be working in the shops and cafés or walking along the beach. The sight of them sitting silently in front of the singing sirens was sending chills racing down my spine. It was like watching a horror film when you know something awful is going to happen and all you can do is gawp at the screen.

  I gave myself a mental shake and said, “I have to stop this immediately. Come on Stanley.”

  Stanley didn’t reply and when I looked down at him, I saw a glazed expression on his face. He was moving from side to side as if listening to a song.

  Rex explained, “He’s under the sirens’ spell. He must be able to hear their songs from here. The sirens will affect you soon.”

  “Not if I can help it.” I quickly recalled all the spells I knew and thought a protective spell would be the best one to use. Magic rushed to my fingers and I moved them quickly over myself while reciting the spell’s words. I did the same to Stanley and he immediately came out of his trance.