Don't Feed the Mermaids (The Mermaid Files Book 1)

by Tiana LaGrone

  “Can I? Can I?”

  “Oh my God, Casey, leave that man alone.”

  “It’s okay,” North says.

  Casey’s red, white, grey, and black wings flap back and forth as she wraps her arms around North’s neck.

  I nearly kill over when she kisses North on the cheek. The sun hides from all over us, casting only grayness and gloom. Except, that Casey didn’t get the memo. All is right with the world. She’s in the arms of her favorite movie star.

  “Let’s get inside,” I say. I look around. I see no signs of anything foul about. But for some reason, I can’t shake my thoughts that something isn’t right as far as that golem, Amy, is concerned. I think it’s way too coincidental that she shows up within 72 or so hours of North’s sister’s death.

  I trudge up to my peeling apartment door, which is painted a baby blue. A couple of potted plants are on one side of the door. I reach down and grab my rusted metal watering can, but I see it’s empty. I let Casey and North into the apartment and fill the water can with water, then I trudge back outside and water my plants.

  I straighten out the welcome home rug, which was a bit eschew. Once I’m back inside of my apartment, I give my other plants a drink, drop my purse, twist my Virgin Mary statue back to her proper position over in the corner of the living room. Someone has been in my house I think, as I move over to rearrange my fuzzy pink flamingo statues back to their proper positions by the couch. I found them at a cute little thrift shop down in Venice a long time ago. I crack open a window. And then I pull out my gun and peruse through my apartment while Casey and North gab and gab.

  My house is kind of dark and gloomy on inside as far as natural light is concerned, and it’s not because my apartment doesn’t get natural light. It’s just that I keep the blinds closed, keeping the light out like a vampire. Usually when Casey comes in she’s flicking all the blinds open, and I’m following behind her flicking them back closed, but she’s too busy chopping it up with North Villa.

  I’m in my bedroom when I hear a cracking sound coming from somewhere in the house. I go to see what it is and I find Casey and North hanging out in my kitchen.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” North says. He holds up a bag of Wonder Bread.

  Casey tosses North a stick of butter. North stands over the stove, testing the frying pan with for heat.

  “Be careful. The hot sneaks up on you,” I say.

  I push my boots off of my feet and carry them over to the hall closet. I shove them inside next to the other five pairs of boots I have that are identical. My butt vibrates. I grab my phone from my front pocket.

  “Howdy, Wolfie.”

  “I’m coming over.”

  “Uh, okay,” I say.

  Wolfie ends the call before I even have the chance to protest. “I guess Wolfie’s coming over,” I announce to Casey and North.

  “Good, maybe he can help figure out how you can get a Private Investigation business on a roll. I’m tired of holding up those stupid signs at the beach. I’m not a fucking chicken.”

  While Casey continues to complain to North about her job, I call my connect down at the precinct. My undercover friend, her name’s Femi. She’s doing an internship at the bureau. She’s a fairy. And she’s quite handy.

  “Hey, Femi, girl,” I say.

  “Honey child.”

  “What’s popping?”

  “Nothing much, a bunch of bullshit.”

  “Can you do me a favor?”

  “Depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On whether you’ll hook me up with your brother once you get him out of jail.”

  I bite the inside of my lip. “What makes you so certain I’ll be able to get him out.”

  “Come on Willow. I know you.”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. This is likely to be my hardest case yet.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Chief Goldman says that I can’t go anywhere near my brother’s case. I’m locked out the crime scene. I won’t have access to the coroner’s report. I can’t just call up all of April’s friends and acquaintances and ask them stuff about her because then Chief Goldman will find out.”

  “What a beesh!”

  I nod as if Femi is in the room with me. Why do people do that, nod on the phone like others are able to see? “Does my brother have a lawyer yet. I don’t go near them, so I can’t recommend any one over another, but if push comes to shove, I’ll find him one.”

  “Hold a second,” Femi says. “Let me check the database. Says here he does have a lawyer, yes, her name is Eloisa Bradbury.”

  “Is she a public defender?”

  “Nope, private.”

  “Hmm, okay, I’ll look her up.”

  “Anything else I can do?”

  “No, that’s it for now, Femi thanks. I’ll be in to visit my brother later.”

  “I’m on till midnight. Maybe we can go out for a coffee? Try to figure out how to get around Goldman.”

  “Sure, sounds good,” I say. I end the call and turn my attention back to North and Casey. Casey has her arm slung around North’s neck, and her wings pulled back together.

  “Smells good,” I say. It really does.

  “Grilled cheese made by a movie star. Taste like magic.”

  “Thanks for the hospitality,” North says.

  I tip my chin upward. “You’re welcome. Let’s just hope you don’t get me killed.”

  Chapter Eight

  We all sit around on the sofa’s in my dusty living room. I usually clean the place thoroughly at least once a week, but lately, I’ve been slacking as I bust my ass to keep Chief Goldman happy. I would have never struck out on my own, I like a guaranteed paycheck, job security and all that, but the more impossible my situation with Goldman seems to develop in my mind, and the more Casey goes on and on about starting a private investigation firm, the more I found myself considering a private investigation business as a possible solution to at least some of my problems.

  There’s a knock at the door.

  “Must be Wolfie,” I say. I jump up off of the couch.

  I pad down the hall. My feet feel nice on the cool hardwood floor. I spot Wolfie’s signature mane of hair and his side burns through the lace curtains that cover the tiny window in my front door.

  I open the door. Casey’s cackle travels down the hall. “Sound’s like you’re having a party,” Wolfie says. I notice that Wolfie has someone behind him.

  “Ginger!”

  “Willow, nice to see you,” she says. Her eyes sort of wander away.

  “So what’s up?” I ask.

  “Wolfie and me are dating,” Ginger blurts out.

  “You are. Isn’t that nice,” I say. I mean it. I mean, Wolfie’s a nice guy. He deserves to be happy as far as I’m concerned. Am I shocked yes, disappointed in anyway no. “Come on in.” Wolfie seems to be avoiding eye contact. “Why didn’t you tell me you had girlfriend?” I ask Wolfie as the two of us walk side by side down the hall.

  Wolfie shrugs. We all head to the living room.

  “Hey, man,” North says. “And miss.”

  “Oh my gosh. Excuse me if I fangirl a bit, Wolfie. It’s just that North Villa is here in Willow’s apartment.”

  “It’s okay. I understand,” Wolfie murmurs. He plays with the gold chain hanging from his pocket on his jeans. The tips of his leather cowboy boots twist up a bit. A flannel shirt covers Wolfie’s white tank top. Ginger is half naked again.

  I sit down on the couch and tell them, “Make yourselves at home.”

  Ginger sits on the other side of North. Casey cuts her the side eye. A succubus does that, releases some sort of message from their bodies that tells competition to step back. I’m impervious to it because the mermaid side of my DNA slices right through it, but for some reason Casey isn’t impervious to the signal at all, and it shows. I hope I don’t end up with a freaking catfight on my hands.

  “So,” North says. “Willow has agreed to help me figure o
ut who murdered my sister. What about you, Wolfie. You in?” Before Wolfie can answer, North’s cellphone chimes. “It’s my mom,” he says, after a while spent staring at him phone. “She’s upset that it’s going to be a while before we can bury my sister. The bureau wants to hold on her the body until the investigation is complete.”

  “It’s fine if you have to go,” I say. “We can get together later, talk about some stuff.”

  “No,” North says, “It’s better if her assistant calms her down. I’ll go see her later. Our relationship is bit complicated. Not to mention that me showing up at her house is going to send the paparazzi into an even worse frenzy than there already is. I’ll sneak over there though, later on.”

  “Your father is Mayor Villa, right?” Casey asks. “Must be cool to be the mayor’s son. I bet you get out of traffic tickets pretty easily.”

  “It’s not all what it’s cracked up to be,” North says.

  I can tell he’s leaving it at that, not including pertinent information that would clarify his statement. I get it. Family shit gets real.

  “I’ll work with you,” Wolfie says to me. “I know what you have to do. Let’s do it together.”

  “Wolfie,” Ginger says.

  He ignores her. I’m not sure if that bodes well for their relationship. “We can rent this place my brother owns downtown. It’s a small suite inside a mixed use building.”

  North claps his hands together. “Now we’re talking,” Casey says.

  “This is my life, sheesh,” I say.

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” North says.

  I shoot him a dirty look. I’m sure that North is used to things being all super magical since he’s a movie star, living the life of million other people’s dreams, but I like my life practical for the most part. Starting a business scares the life out of me. I mean, I was considering it, but having Wolfie agree to join me gives me cold feet. “There’s got to be a thousand things to do to start a private investigation business,” I say. “And when do I have time to do that. I’ve got to find out who killed April.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” Wolfie says.

  “I can help,” Casey says. “As long as I’m promised a job.”

  “I’ll help too,” Ginger says shooting Casey a dirty look. Then she cuts her eyes at me. I’m not sure if that means she’s unsure of what she’s just volunteered for or if she’s angry at me.

  I don’t know how serious her and Wolfie are, but suppose any girlfriend might think it’s risky for her boyfriend to just up and quit his job and start a business with some female partner that he kissed once. Although, I’m not sure if Ginger knows that Wolfie tried to kiss me. She’s a succubus so when she lays with him she takes on the essence of all the others he has laid with, but kisses don’t count. Taking the essences gives her an immense amount of power and prolongs her mortality. I doubt Wolfie told Ginger about our little run in.

  “Fine, you guys start a business,” I say. “Hey, Wolfie. Can I talk to you in the other room for a minute?

  North looks at me with a quizzically. I look past him and say nothing. Wolfie and me go into the front room by the door. This room is where I keep my books, a desk, and little trinkets and keep sakes. I guess you could call my little study even though its a second bedroom.

  “What’s up?” Wolfie asks.

  “We had a golem earlier, North and I.”

  “A golem? Why did the two of you have a golem?” Wolfie asks. He adjusts the collar on his flannel, waiting for an answer.

  “North’s ex-girlfriend.”

  “I should bring the bastard in,” Wolfie says. “Before I quit for having a golem for a girlfriend. You know you’d think a guy like that wouldn’t have a problem getting a date. He has to have one made for him? Pathetic.”

  “It’s not like that, Wolfie. He was trying to help her. But anyway that another story for another day. She shows up at North’s house with a knife. She wants to kill me, and he shoots her.”

  “Wait she came to kill you?”

  “Not exactly. North told her I was there. She pulled out a knife I guess.”

  “He had a golem girlfriend who carries knives around like lipstick?”

  “Uh, yeah,” I say. I think about Wolfie’s question. He has a point. Why did she show up at North’s house with a knife?”

  “I don’t know but he shot her ass with a silver bullet. He saved me, so to speak.

  Wolfie frowns. Silver bullets are just about the only thing that will take Wolfie down. “If the two of us ever get into a scuffle, it’s him or I,” Wolfie says. “And I’ll make damn sure it’s I.”

  “Why would the two of you ever get in a scuffle?” I ask.

  Wolfie scratches his neck. “We know very little about this guy. He turns up missing. Then he turns up found. He’s sticking to you like glue. For all we know he murdered his sister and made it look like Balthazar did it. And now he’s trying to get to you.”

  “Why would he do that?” I ask.

  “You saw that look in his eye when he talked about his father. Maybe they had family problems,” Wolfie whispered.

  “You watch too much television,” I say.

  “So why did a golem show up at North’s door with a knife?”

  “North says she was jealous or something.”

  That’s all I say to Wolfie, but I’m thinking maybe someone was using a golem puppet spell with Amy, but sent her to work on North. If he’s always helping people, maybe the person who sent Amy after him knew that and set it all up. If so, that may be connected to his sister’s murder somehow. If I can find the person who sent the golem, may I’ll be able to find the person who killing April. And If I do that, my brother’s free.

  I’ll also stop Ali from inciting war. I can’t tell Wolfie about the whole war thing. For all I know Wolfie will go back to his clan and tell them about impending war with the underlanders, and then word will spread. The selkies are especially a bit of nuisance to Werewolves. They sort of have a beef.

  Last thing I need is everybody pre-empting stuff with fire. But If I know Ali, he’s going to go on a campaign and get the buy in of other species who live underlands, just to have them ready.

  “I know where to go, to maybe find out about Amy, but I need you to do me a favor.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Find my father for me.”

  “You mean go all the way to New Orleans.”

  “No, no,” I say. “I mean track him down digitally. I’d like to call him or send him an email.”

  “Why do you want to contact Luis?”

  “I don’t,” I say. It’s the truth.

  Chapter Nine

  Casey and I stand together outside in front my apartment door. Wolfie and Ginger are gone. Wolfie and me have already agreed to quit our jobs. We’re definitely starting a private investigation business. North is inside the house, waiting for Casey and me to say our goodbyes so that he can give me a ride back to work.

  “I’ll be by after work,” Casey says. She has a second job, which grates on her more than the first. She’s a go go dancer and she dances in a cage…like a bird.

  “He won’t be here, tonight,” I whisper, referring to North.

  “How do you know,” Casey murmurs. “I think he likes you.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Still, I’ll be over,” she says.

  “Suit yourself. I’ll be sitting up here cradling a bottle of wine.”

  Casey reaches over and rubs my back.“It’s going to be okay. Everything will work out.”

  “I hope so,” I say.

  “Hope is all we have, isn’t it?” Casey asks. She smiles. She wraps her arms around my neck. Her wings flutter. She’s a lot more optimistic than me. I guess that’s why we’re friends. Opposites attract.

  Casey lets go and runs down the steps. “Bye bye, super star! I can’t wait to quit my jobs!”

  “I hope you have some money stashed away for rainy days,” I say. She may need it. I no nothing about private invest
igation firms. I mean I know some of them do well. The one thing Casey has working in her favor is that she’s got an extreme amount of street savvy. She’s outgoing too. I get an idea.

  I call her back. “Casey, I have an idea how we can sniff around April Villa’s life. Why don’t you do some sniffing around the university, find out who her friends were and see who she was hanging out with besides my brother.”

  “I’m on,” Casey says. “Tomorrow. Of course.”

  “Right, tomorrow.”

  Casey heads off towards her car.

  “See you, Casey. Nice to meet you,” North yells from behind me.

  Casey spins around and waves with glee. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look back at North. “Sorry for my crazy friend,” I say.

  He fans me away. “Not a problem. I’m a movie star after all, I’m used to such things. Besides, she’s a cool girl.”

  “Yeah, she is cool. Man, I don’t think I could ever get used to that, people turning into my best friend after a few seconds just because I’ve been in a couple of movies.”

  “More than a couple of movies,” North says lightly flicking my earlobe. “You ready to go Miss Willow?”

  “Uh, sure,” I say.

  I have to be honest with myself in this moment. I do find North attractive. At least physically, I do. And besides having some of the prettiest brown eyes I have ever seen, his face is all around nice to look at. I’ve been checking him out since I met him, almost fetishizing his looks and his fame. I wonder if that makes me like the others who chase him crazy down the street, who ask him for photos, and hug him and kiss him without invitation, who think they know him just because they’ve seen him in a couple of movies. Then again, he gets by on his good looks and charisma and he’s paid a lot for it and he can do things that others of us can’t do, and he can go places others of us can’t go, and we’re drawn to it. It’s why he’s famous.

  But I also have to admit that he’s light hearted and nice, at least as far as I know so far. We haven’t even known each other for more than twenty four hours.