Read Online Marriage & the Mermaid (Hapless Heroes) by Louise Cusack - Free Book Online Page B

he saw…
    Her eyes were silver.
    For a split second before she reopened them they weren’t blue, they were glistening silver. The whole eye. No pupil in sight. Then she blinked and her lashes swept up from clear blue irises with perfectly normal pupils sitting slap–bang in the centre.
    As if nothing had happened.
    “Miss… Dalrymple…” Moore said in a voice that echoed Baz’s own shock. “Are you wearing contact lenses?”
    Her smile faltered. “Contact… ?” She shook her head.
    “Your eyes,” Moore went on. He took a step closer and leant his head towards her, gazing into them. “Did you just… feel anything odd?”
    Venus wriggled suggestively and gazed up at him, her smile back, and that snapped Baz out of his shock. Moore was way too close.
    “I’ll get you a chair!” he said and dragged up the chaise lounge from beside the wardrobe. “Here. Here it is,” he said and pointed. Moore turned to look at him and Baz pointed at the chair again. “You sit here,” he commanded, beyond manners, desperate to get some distance between them.
    “Fine,” Moore said, raising his voice slightly to keep pace with Baz’s rising hysteria. He was clearly still shaken by the silver–eye thing but he sat, and Baz felt some of his tension ease. “All I want is information about the shark,” Moore added, then leant closer to Baz and said softly, “She’s too tall to be our pickpocket suspect, if that’s what’s concerning you.”
    “No, I …” Baz had completely forgotten about that, which was bad. He had to focus, so he forced himself to take a slow breath, to try and be analytical. Moore was intent on protecting people. That was his job. And he didn’t appear to be flirting back, so maybe he wasn’t interested in Venus, incredible though that idea seemed.
    The blond constable used Baz’s temporary silence to add, “If Miss Dalrymple shows her ID at the station within the next fortnight, that will be all we need from her, apart from this interview.”
    “That’s good,” Baz said, then when Moore raised an eyebrow he added, “Because … she’ll be busy with housekeeping.”
    “Of course,” Moore said dryly, and after a beat added, “So can I continue?”
    “Sure.” Baz waved towards the bed. “Ask away.”
    Moore turned back to Venus and repeated, “Could you tell me what time you entered the water?”
    Her smile wavered, and she continued to gaze at Moore as though she hadn’t heard.
    “Venus,” Baz said, coaxingly, “Do you remember what time you went for a swim?”
    The last shreds of her smile disappeared. “Dawn?” she said, clearly unsure. Her hand was lying limply on the sheet beside her and Baz noticed it was trembling.
    Moore was looking at it as well. Closely. But his voice was casual enough. “So how did you get to the beach, Miss Dalrymple?” he asked.
    She shook her head again and looked back to Baz.
    “You don’t have to remember the number of the bus,” Baz told her. “Just that it was a bus out of Bundaberg, like you told me. The police can look that up if they need to know.” He glanced across at Moore. “I think she’s worried that she can’t remember it all. This morning has been a shock.”
    Moore nodded, then looked back to Venus and asked, “Can you tell me what happened in the water this morning?”
    She frowned again and glanced at Baz before saying, “I was swimming? A man came to rescue me. I don’t …” She shook her head.
    “Maybe he was pulled back,” Baz cut in. “By the shark.”
    Moore ignored that completely. “Did you see the shark, Miss Dalrymple?” he asked.
    Again, Venus shook her head. “I don’t remember.” She glanced at Baz. “I was… frightened,” she said, and Baz nodded for her to go on. “Maybe I blocked it out.”
    Well done!
    Baz was exultant, but Moore was less than impressed. “That’s unfortunate,” he said, and turned to give Baz a penetrating glance.
    Baz quickly hid his smile. “If she remembers