Page 26 of The Mermaid Murder

“They,” I repeated.

“Yeah. And she said she wouldn’t have cell service.”

“Word for word, Christy. Did she say she was going somewhere without cell service?”

She moved her eyes left and right, not looking at anything, but looking for a memory. “She said ‘I won’t be reachable by cell phone until I get back. So don’t worry if you can’t get me.’ And she said not to breathe a word to anyone. She gave me one private mermaiding lesson in the middle of the night?—”

Mason cut her off with, “How the hell did you get in here in the middle of the?—”

“The performers all have keys,” she interrupted right back. “They have to rehearse after hours, so?—”

“Not reachable by cell,” I repeated, shutting them both up.

Mason met my eyes and nodded. “We can work with that.”

“No,” Christy said, “you can’t.” She swung her gaze between us. “Misty and I are adult women. We live on our own. We get to have private lives and you don’t get to go snooping in them just because we want a couple of days alone. Jesus, you guys, let go already.” She sat back in her chair. “Do you mind if I eat now?”

I decided to try to enjoy my meal instead of glaring at her, because if I didn’t, she was going to eat it all. In between bites, I said, “Do you think she and Jeremy are over?”

“How would I know? It’s none of my business.” Christy kept eating.

“You’re being a bitch, you know that?”

“You were being a bitch first.” She ate three more appetizers, then shoved her chair back and rose. “Nice visit. I’m outta here. I’ve done my duty for the family tonight. Have a nice drive back.”

“Christy.” She turned to walk away, so I had no choice. “I dreamt about a mermaid before I knew about this place. Don’t tell your mother.”

She turned and met my eyes. I nodded once. She knew the kind of dreams I meant. But just to drive it home, I said, “We are not here on a fucking lark, and we’re not here to pry.

She lowered her head for a second, then she sat back down. “Do you think Misty’s in… danger?”

“I don’t know. That’s what we came to find out.”

She seemed to search inwardly. “She seemed fine. Better than fine, really. She seemed excited. I think she’s okay.” She reached for a popper, took a bite and chewed as if the jaw motion powered the gears in her brain. “You guys want to see behind the scenes after we eat? It’s actually pretty cool, if you’re not the one wearing the tail.” She reached for another appetizer and dropped her mini backpack on the arm of the chair again, but she missed. It hit the floor, toppled sideways, and things fell out near my feet.

I bent to help gather them and came up with the large metal mermaid on the end of a silver chain— the Crisis Companion. I straightened, holding it up.

“Mom’s insane,” she said. “She got us both these crazy things.”

“She got you mermaids,” I said. “Knowing nothing about this place,” I waved an open hand, “she got you mermaids.”

Christy’s eyebrows bent. “That is weird, now that you mention it.”

“Weirder yet that it’s in the bottom of your bag with hairy scrunchies, loose change, and makeup crumbs.” I put the chain over her head. “Fucking wear it. It goes with the getup anyway.”

“It’ll float up and hit me in the teeth.”

“That thing won’t float anywhere. Trust me. I got one too.” I pulled my mermaid out from under my blouse on her chain. “And I wear it, because I love my sister, and when she sees me wearing it, she is reminded of that.”

She closed her big, expressive blue eyes slowly. “I hear you. I’ll wear it.”

“It’s hard on parents when their kids grow up,” I said.

“Harder on the kids,” she muttered. But she put the necklace on. I didn’t really think we needed to wear them, except from time to time in Sandra’s presence. But mine was growing on me, and making the brat wear hers was a lovely little bit of revenge.

You’re welcome, Sis, I thought.

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