Chapter Two. #2
Mitch discovered a nasty look cut on her leg, one on her arm, and she had a head wound. Deftly, he wrapped bandages around them before yanking his phone and dialling Diar.
“That had better not be my yacht that exploded on the loch!” Diar stated as he answered.
“No, some boat went up. I’ve got an injured woman here. She was on board when it blew up,” Mitch replied.
“Lucky you, pulling a mermaid out of the water,” Diar teased.
“She’s unconscious, man. Mind what you say. I need help. I can perform basic first aid, but she needs more than that,” Mitch retorted.
“The RNLI lifeboat crew have rolled out, start bringing her back to shore.”
“Diarmad, I can’t leave her. Honestly, I’m scared she’ll stop breathing.”
“Shit, she’s that bad?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I’ll update them; they’ll head for you. Stay with your mermaid,” Diar teased and cut the line.
Mitch checked her pulse again and sighed. It was steady. Unsure what to do, he sat with her, holding her hand, and babbled away. He told her anything that came to mind; he loved dogs and wanted some; he hated cats, as they were evil creatures, in his opinion.
“Damn, I bet you’re a cat lover,” he complained.
“Actually, I love dogs and tortoises,” the woman muttered.
“Hey, you’re awake! Help is on its way,” Mitch exclaimed.
“What happened?”
“Your boat exploded. You were caught in the blast,” Mitch said.
Jess/Loch Ness Monster
Shit. The moment they identified the wreckage, they’d know it wasn’t her boat. She closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious again as she tried to figure things out. The man’s body would be discovered sooner or later, which then posed the question of why she’d been on board.
Her mind racing, Jess came up with a plausible explanation.
She’d claim she was working for Willow and had learned about this idiot dumping contaminated sewage over the side into the loch.
She’d state she tied a small inflatable up by the bigger boat, which was empty when she arrived.
Then Jess could claim the oil drums had exploded, which was true.
God knows what the fool had been transporting, but it had been very unstable.
Jess heard voices and realised someone else was on the boat.
“Miss, can you hear us?” a man asked.
Jess let out a low moan. Her body was already healing itself, but she made sure it didn’t heal the cuts. The guy who’d pulled her out of the water had wrapped them, and no doubt would be curious if they suddenly healed.
“Yes,” Jess murmured, pretending to be dazed.
“I’m with the RNLI; we’re going to transport you to land. Was anyone else with you?”
“Crap, I never thought to check?” her rescuer exclaimed.
Bless him; he sounded panicked. Well, Jess could set him at ease. “No. The boat had been empty when I boarded.”
“Boarded? It wasn’t her boat?” the crew member asked.
“I don’t know. It exploded, but I saw her and pulled her out.”
“This whole thing seems pretty strange. You’ve got no objections if we call the police?”
“Be my guest. I’ll sail this back to land and meet you at the hospital,” the rescuer said.
“Maybe you ought to come with us,” the RNLI member demanded suspiciously.
“You know whose yacht this is? Yes? Good. If you believe I’m leaving Diar’s baby floating out here alone, think again. Especially since…” he broke off.
“Since?” the lifeguard asked.
“Nothing.”
Wow, he wasn’t going to brag about seeing the Loch Ness Monster. Jess was surprised.
“There was a report tonight that the Loch Ness Monster was seen,” the other guy probed.
“No comment. Let’s get her onto your boat, shall we?”
Ha. That was a clear shutdown and a ‘do as you’re told’ order. This guy believed he had power.
“Certainly, meanwhile, one of my men will sail your yacht back to its dock. Something like this, I’m sure you don’t mind,” the lifeguard replied.
Uh oh. They were about to get their dicks out and wave them about to see whose was bigger. Jess made a pathetic noise, and they both shut up and got her on board the RNLI boat.
“Hang in, Mermaid,” the rescuer murmured.
“Huh?” she muttered, confused.
“The Little Mermaid,” he said, chuckling.
Ah, she got it. Jess kept the smile from her lips and returned to being dazed. It was the best shot she had for now.
Mitch
On arrival at the hospital, nurses whisked the woman away from him, and he spoke to the police, giving them his statement.
There wasn’t much to say, and he left out the sighting of the Loch Ness Monster.
Mitch had no intention of being ridiculed.
A couple of times, the officers pressed him, asking if he had witnessed anything strange, and Mitch kept up his denials.
He’d be the laughingstock of the business world if it got out he’d seen the Loch Ness Monster. He wondered whether it had caused the explosion. What had Mermaid been doing on the boat if it wasn’t hers? Mitch had to admit, it all seemed a bit dodgy.
“Are you the man who pulled Miss Mayhew out of the water?” a nurse asked.
“Yes. Mr Mitch Weideman. How is she?”
“Awake, and she’d like to see you,” the nurse said, motioning for him to follow.
Mitch noticed the police waiting and wondered if he should tell them Miss Mayhew was conscious. Then he decided not to. If she were guilty of something, she deserved a few moments of peace.
Mitch strode after the nurse, who led him to a private room and opened the door. Mitch nodded his thanks and stepped inside. The stranger stared at him from the bed where she was sitting upright in a hospital gown.
“So, you’re the hero,” she teased, and Mitch smiled.
“Mitch will do. I don’t need you to prostrate on the ground and worship at my feet,” Mitch teased. The woman blinked before smiling. “I’m glad to see you awake. You had me frightened for a few moments.”
“Jess Mayhew. And I’m sorry to have worried you.”
“How do you feel?”
“A bit battered and bruised, and a banging headache. Guess that’s expected when a boat blows up. Should have anticipated it with that jerk,” Jess grouched.
He frowned. “Huh?”
“The owner of the boat. He was dumping illegal waste into the loch. I was watching him and went on board to take photo evidence for the police when I saw the burning. I guess I was a little too slow getting clear,” Jess explained.
Relief hit. “You’re a cop?”
“No. As a side activity, I do environmental work, and I really dislike people polluting the loch. I planned to blow the whistle on this guy. I’ve been watching how Willow King does things and took a leaf out of her book,” Jess replied and rolled her eyes.
“Somehow, Miss Mayhew, I think Willow King is a bit out of your league,” Mitch teased.
“No shit! I pictured myself as a suave spy, then, boom! Guess that told me. But at least he can’t dump his crap in the loch anymore,” Jess responded.
Mitch laughed at her being a spy and was relieved it was nothing more nefarious. Something about Jess called out to him; he liked her.
“The owner’s disappeared.”
Jess pulled an unhappy face and winced. “Not a surprise considering what he was illegally dumping. I bet he fled to escape the police. Strange though, that he wasn’t on board when I arrived.”
“Probably just timing. That or he set a trap,” Mitch considered.
“That means he tried to kill me!” Jess exclaimed, sitting up with wide eyes. Mitch immediately moved to calm her down.
“No, I doubt it, honey. More likely, he’s stored things badly, and they exploded. It’s unlikely he even knew you were following him. Anyway, the police are here to talk to you,” Mitch changed the subject.
“Oh hell, are they going to arrest me for being on board without authorisation?”
Mitch smiled. There was a very likeable aspect about Jess. “Who said you didn’t have permission? Until the owner turns up, who knows you didn’t?”
“You!”
“In order to buy my silence, I guess I’ll need something from you,” Mitch drawled, enjoying the conversation very much.
“I’m poor, don’t bother hitting me for money,” Jess retorted.
His laugh burst from him before he could control it. “It’s fine, Jess, I don’t need your savings.”
“Good, because they’re pitiful.”
“However, this will cost you dinner. It makes no difference to me if it’s home-cooked or a restaurant, but that’s my price!” Mitch added. His eyes became intense; would Jess knock him back?
“You’re on!” Jess smiled as a rap sounded, and two police officers entered.