“Shit,” I say, covering my face. I drop down on the floor, underneath the table.
“What’s wrong?” North asks.
“It’s my boss. I can’t be seen with you.”
“It’s okay, that big guy you came in with, he went outside with her.”
“He did?”
“Yeah,” North says.
My face is like right up near his crotch. There’s hardly any space underneath this table. I peak around the table base. I don’t see Chief Goldman, so I come out. I head immediately for the back exit. It’s an emergency exit only, but I don’t care. I happen to know from running from stalker hookup types, that the alarm doesn’t work on the door. I’ve got to get the heck up out of dodge, so I throw the door open. No matter that sun light pours in.
As soon as I’m outside, I huddle near the dumpster. I need to figure out my next move. The back door opens, and for a second, it’s like my heart freezes. I look up and it’s North.
“I’ll go get my car and bring it around,” he says. “We can come back and get yours later?”
“I didn’t bring my car. It’s back at the Precinct.”
“Okay, I can take you back there after we get a drink somewhere else,” North says. “I’d really like to discuss my sister’s murder with you.
“Fine,” I say. I need an escape route. I’m not thinking full and clear.
North disappears down the alleyway and out of sight. I hope Ginger doesn’t have to come out to take out the trash. If she does, I may have to put her in a head lock. I learned a long time ago that Ginger isn’t the best at keeping secrets.
I see a Ferrari. Must be North’s. I tiptoe towards the car. He leans over and opens the passenger side door. I climb in. We zip off.
“Wow, a Ferrari,” I say. I almost hate myself for swooning over North’s car.
“I know,” North says, adjusting the collar on his shirt. “I hate it to be honest. I mean I could feed a small village with this thing, but my agent makes me drive it for my image. I think driving this is bad for my image in some ways, making me appear overly flashy. So where would you like to go?”
“I have no idea. I literally don’t hang out anywhere else besides O’Donnells. Well, besides the beach, but I wouldn’t really call that hanging out.”
“Is that so? Why?”
“Because of my brother,” I say.
“Right,” North says. “I think I know a place.”
We drive for miles. After a while, I say, “Where are we going? To Vegas or something? Because I have to be back at work tonight.”
“No, not Vegas. My house. I’m sorry. It’s a ways out from metro.”
“Yeah seems far,” I say.
“I hope that’s okay. I just thought my house would be more private.”
My skin feels dry. I also feel a bit lightheaded. Traffic is light at least. We’ve missed rush hour. I watch the sky in all of it’s pollution orange glory. The leather seat beneath me feels cool. It’s not long after I settle into the seat ready for a nap, that we get off the freeway. We drive through a secluded neighborhood. All the houses sit far apart from each other with plenty of land in between.
“It’s so weird you know. What happened,” I say.
“Tell me about it,” North says. He looks over at me. There those big black eyes are again, sucking me in. “It feels like only yesterday I was laughing and joking around with my sister.”
“Well, unlike you being close to your sister, I’m not close to my brother at all. Still, he doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy who would murder someone. Plus, the particular House of Mermaid’s that our family belongs to depends on him. He takes that responsibility very seriously actually. It surprises me that he would have such a change of heart about humans”
“What do you mean change of heart.”
“My brother was never particularly a fan of humans before.”
I regret saying that almost as soon as it escapes my mouth. But it’s something to think about. Although, again, killing is not really Balthazar’s M.O. Unless of course it’s all out war. Would he kills the mayor’s daughter as some sort of revenge for the treatment of Underlanders in this region? I don’t know.
I expect North to say something about what I just told him about my brother, but he says nothing. He just continues to driving through this upscale neighborhood.
“You ever been out this way before?” he asks.
“Nope, too far from the beach,” I say. I’m surprised you don’t live in Beverly Hills or something.”
“Too inland for me. I like out where it’s quiet. My sister was different. She liked the hustle and bustle of the city and she loved attending a big school like ULA.”
I nod my head. I think details about his sister will help. The problem is that I’m not supposed to be helping at all.
“So your manager doesn’t have a problem with you living way out here away from the glam.”
North shrugs. “He probably does, but I let him pressure me about the car. When it comes to my house, though, he doesn’t get a say so.”
North stops the car finally in front of a large driveway. “Give me a minute,” North says and he hops out of the car.
I watch him through the side view mirror. I like his frame. He’s lean. Not too buff and not too scrawny. I think. As if I’m that superficial.
And North’s human. That’s probably bad luck, but I haven’t had much luck dating supernaturals either. Dating mermaids hasn’t been really easy in particular. There’s quite the stigma in the House of Mermaids when it mermaid mothers approving of their sons frolicking with the likes of me. I found it hard to make friends too, when I was kid, living amongst the mermaids. Most mermaid parents back then didn’t like their kids playing with a half-breed. Now, from time to time you’ll hear about kids befriend mermaid kids, but it certainly wasn’t like that when I was a kid.
North hops back into the car carrying a stack of mail. He tosses a few coupon papers into my lap.
“Even movie stars get junk mail. Who knew?” He says. Then he pulls the Ferrari up into the driveway and parks it. Next he runs around the car and opens the door for me.
“Hungry? You never got those crab cakes.”
“Oh yeah, right” I say. The hunger pangs had sort of disappeared.
I wait for North to open a side door to his house. As soon as I enter, I hear a dog barking. A tiny brown long-haired chihuahua runs towards me. I step back. I don’t know if it’s going to bite me.
“He’s nice,” North says, swooping the dog up into his arms. “Meet Mercury.” Mercury jiggles and squirms as if he hates North. The dog’s so mad, I’m wondering if he’s going to end up having sexy movie star for breakfast.
“Hi, Mercury,” I say. I wave, laughing. Something about a dog hating its master cracks me up.
North sits Mercury down on the tile floor. Mercury stays in its place mostly but movie forward with each vicious little bark. He doesn’t seem to hate me because he’s focusing his barks North.
“Uh, so I take it the two of you don’t get along?”
“Ah, he’s all bark no bite,” North says. “He’s just mad at me for leaving him for so long. You know that trip to Mexico?”
“He was here by himself all that time?”
“Oh no,” North says. “I have an assistant who housesits for me and looks after Mercury when I’m gone.”
“Oh, okay, makes sense.”
I follow North down a hall into a large open area. I guess this is his living room. It’s decorated with modern furniture and nice huge fireplace.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back,” North says.
I sit down on the sofa, more like plop down. Whether I like Balthazar or not, I don’t think he murdered Mayor Villa’s daughter and North doesn’t either. So the two of us are going to figure out who killed April Villa, or else my brother is going to continue to suffer for a crime he didn’t commit, while a murderer runs free.
Chapter Four
“You mean because he’s a mermaid?” I ask, figuring that’s what North means. Funny how the issue of color racism all but disappeared in the world once the wall broke down and the portal to and from the underlands was exposed.
“Yeah, I mean mermaids don’t have the best reputation right now, especially with all the damage sea witches have caused.”
I frantically scratch my head. “Sea witches are an entirely different species. They have tentacles instead of fins.”
“I know that, but it’s not so much mermaids or sea witches, kelpies or selkies and whatever other kinds of beings exist. I think it’s more a land versus water thing.”
“Makes no sense to me,” I say. “It’s an entirely different realm. Now sure, people from behind the glass can move between both worlds, but the leader of the House of Mermaids has rules and most people follow them. Same thing for the other beings and their clans. Well, the fairies, vampires, and werewolves have their enclaves too, but no one makes a big huge deal when they get into fights. When that happens your father is all kumbaya. No offense.”
“It’s because of the money,” North says. “The vampires, fairies, and werewolves contribute the economy in a way that mermaids don’t.”
I remember there had been some talks about building underwater hotels and touristy type things involving the underland creatures, but for the most part, I think a lot of underland creatures were looking at such endeavors as imperialistic to the waters and fetishistic to their lives.
My cellphone rings. It’s Wolfie. “I excuse myself. I have to take this,” I say, holding up my index finger.
North stretches out his legs and gives me a sort of flirtatious glare. “I’ll be right here, I’m not going anywhere,” he says.
Once I reach the foyer, I answer the phone. “What up, Wolfie?”
“So you got away my little, bandit. Good.”
“Oh my goodness. I can’t believe Chief fuckula showed up at O’Donnel’s. She never comes there. Who tipped her off?”
Wolfie growls. “Apparently, the paparazzi saw North enter O’Donnel’s. And the internet was all abuzz his missing and all that. The whole thing ended up on the news with a nice little story about the Prince of Mermaids being held suspicion of killing the Mayor’s daughter. I guess Chief Goldman wanted to check things out regarding North for herself since he’s the mayor son. She wants to stay on his good side, I know that much from the conversations I’ve heard down at the precinct. I think she’s vying for some sort of political post, like Sheriff or something.”
“Hmm, she’d make a terrible Sheriff.”
“I know,” Wolfie says. “Either you or me would make a better Sheriff than her.”
My chest and throat rattles with a cough. “Speak for yourself, Wolfie. I’d make a terrible Sheriff,” I say.
“You haven’t had your swim yet? I tell by the sound of your voice. Is everything okay?”
“North gave me a ride to his house. It’s nowhere near the beach.”
“Wait, so you’re at his house?”
I sigh. “Yes.”
“Chief Goldman won’t be too happy when she hears about that.”
“Hopefully she won’t hear about it,” I say.
“Maybe,” Wolfie says. That guy has spies on his tail and they got cameras.”
“I know, but I need to see what he knows if I’m going to help my brother.”
“Fine, yeah, so you think your brother’s innocent.”
“You think he’s guilty.”
“I don’t know,” Wolfie says. “I mean I think we should be open to all of the possibilities.”
“He’s my brother, Wolfie!”
“I know,” Wolfie says. “Listen, Willow, I’m your pal, you know that. I’ve got your back through thick and thin. But I worry that you might throw your career away over someone who never really cared about you in the first place. And if you lose everything over this case and he turns out to be guilty, that’s going to be a terrible, terrible, blow.”
The line between Wolfie and me is silent. He’s saying stuff that I don’t particularly want to hear right now. “Can I call you back later? I need to wrap things up with North. Can you cover for me with the Chief in case she wants to know where I am.”
“Uh, okay, yeah,” Wolfie says. “Of course.”
“All right then, cool. Later.”
“Wait, Willow,” I hear Wolfie says, before I end the call. “Please, whatever you do be careful.”
“I’ll do my best,” I say. I end the call and make my way back down the hall. North reclines on the floor flicking some dog toy back and forth.
“Where that yappy dog of yours?”
“I don’t know. He acts like he owns the place. He has his own room here. He’s probably there. Sitting on his little doggy throne.”
“Listen,” I say. “I’ve got to go. I really need to hit the ocean.”
“Right. Sea water, can’t live without it.”
“Right.”
“So, wait are you going to help me figure out who killed my sister or what? I can pay you extra.”
North’s face bunches up.
“I’m not sure if I should really be getting involved. I haven’t decided yet because I could lose my job over this you know, and besides, even though I’d like to believe my brother is innocent, I still don’t know for sure.” As I listen to the words coming out of my mouth, I realize just how much my conversation with Wolfie penetrated my brain.
“What kind of boss is that anyway,” North says, rising up. “I mean, fuck. She tells you not to try to help your own brother? What is she heartless.”
“Nope, just dead,” I say. “Power hungry and stubborn. But don’t tell her I said that.”
“Being dead has nothing to do with it? I’ve got vampire friends who have hearts of gold.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I didn’t mean it like that, but yeah. Me too.”
“Why don’t you just quit?”
“Quit?”
“Yeah, quit.”
“I can’t quit.”
“Why not?”
I think it over. “Well, for starters, I put a lot of effort into learning my job. For seconds I have to pay my bills. It’s not easy for a mermaid hybrid to get a good job around here. The main reason I even have a job with the bureau is because they think I’ve got some sort of inside track on mermaids.”
“So go solo. Become a private detective.”
“Hah, you make it sound so easy,” I say. “Besides, who is going to hire me?”
“Me,” North says. “I’ll be your first client.”
I scratch my head. I suck in a breath. “I don’t know. Maybe you don’t want the answer of who killed your sister,” I say, thinking about her father.
“Oh I do want to know. I have to know and I’d like nothing more than for you to help me find out.”
“Why me?”
North bites his lip. “I have a good feeling about you is all. I trust you. I can’t say that about a lot of people.”
“But why me? You don’t even know me.”
“I have a hunch.”
“Uh huh.” I glance down at my phone. My best friend Casey usually texts me by now. I text her, and wait for a response. Casey’s a siren, wings and all and she’s pissy. She works down at the Pier in advertisement, which means she holds up signs telling people where they can buy good chicken. No costume required. “I really have to go,” I say.
“Okay, but think about what I said. I think if you just put your mind to it, you’ll be able to figure out who killed my sister.”
“How do you know?”
“I told you. I have a
sixth sense.”
As I’m about to go, the doorbell rings. I scatter like a roach to another room that has a door. I close the door behind me. I wonder who it is. Maybe the paparazzi.
North disappears. I glance back down at my phone. Still no word from Casey.
I glance over at the bed in the room. On the bed is a black binder. I chew my lip. Should I look inside and see what’s inside of the binder. I mean, I am investigating a murder after all. Oh, who am I fooling. This is a binder on North Villa’s bed. It probably has absolutely nothing to do with the murder of his sister.
Unable to take it anymore, my curiosity killing me, I snatch the binder off of the bed. I open it. Inside, on the front page is a picture of April, his sister. She’s smiling wide. Her dark brown hair hangs down her shoulders. She’s pretty, or should I say was, pretty, poor lady.
Suddenly, I hear a gun shot. I reach down and pull my small gun out of my boot. I glance back at the window. I could go out of it, but I can’t just leave North. I throw the bedroom door open. I lean against the wall and ease along slowly, so if the shooter’s still in the house I’ve got a fighting chance of surprising them instead of them surprising me.
I peek around the corner. North stands. He appears unharmed.
“It’s okay, you can come out. I got her,” he says.
“Her?” I ask, and I tip toe towards North. North moves aside and I see a woman, with red hair sprawled out on the floor.
Chapter Five
“Who is she? And what the hell just happened?”
“She’s my ex girlfriend,” North says, looking over at the woman sprawled out, obviously dead on the floor. “She was dangerous.”
“Is she breathing?” I ask.
“North shrugs.”
I run over to the body, get down on the ground. I make sure to kick the away the weapon she has in her hand aside. “She came at you with a knife and you shot her?”
“Hey,” North says. “I told her I had a friend over. She asked if it was a woman, and when I said yes, she flew into a jealous rage. She was going to come in the house and kill you. I had to do something.”
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