Skye's Lure

Chapter 13: Unsettled

AS FRANCINE WALKED UP, her windblown chestnut curls swirling around her face, I couldn't help but cringe. Vince told me she had a reputation for aggressively pursuing sensational stories, and my own experience only served to deepen my misgivings. Would this story be to her liking? I didn't know, but we had to try.

I stood, and the smug smile on Francine's face faded. She didn't miss a step, though, as she made her way up the ramp. Phil, her cameraman, followed.

"Where should we set up for the interview?" Francine asked as she neared.

"I was thinking on the back deck." This was also Vince's idea. He knew Francine would be looking for a nice location for the interview.

Francine nodded, and I led the way. It only took a few minutes for Phil to set up. I sat as we waited, a tight, half smile plastered on my face. Francine pulled out a mirror and began retouching her makeup. My hand drifted to my neck, and I soon began fidgeting with my hair and clothes.

"Where's the playboy?" she asked, staring at her reflection.

"Vince? Oh, he's out . . . playing, I guess." Vince wanted to make an appearance with his tail, but I worried that might complicate our story. Better to keep things simple.

Phil held up three fingers, retracting them one by one. He shot his pointer finger at Francine, and the red light began flashing. Francine's face lit, her smile cloying, and she threw her shoulders back.

"I'm here with Skye, the woman who was photographed in a tank inside the Danielson mansion looking remarkably like a mermaid. As you can see, she has no fins or flippers. Skye, can you tell us what happened?"

"It was all part of a trick—" I shook my head, "—I mean, prank that Vince wanted to play. It got out of hand. When the maid found us, she was convinced I was really a mermaid. Vince couldn't convince her otherwise. Then the pictures got leaked to the media. It all blew up from there."

"You and Vince were seen running away, and you clearly had a tail. Are you telling me that on that day you were just dressed up to look like a mermaid?"

"Of course. As you can see, I'm not a mermaid. See? Legs and feet, just like the other humans." A quick, high-pitched laugh escaped my drying throat, and I tried to smile.

"If this little stunt wasn't intended to fool the general public, then why not set the record straight sooner?"

I looked down at my pretty pink toenails peeping out of silver pumps and took a breath. "We had some urgent matters to attend to," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, but you were going to handle urgent matters on a boat in a mermaid suit?" Francine leaned in, a smirk spreading across her face.

My heart began racing. "Well, no. I—"

"You could have taken that tail off at any moment. Was there some other motivation for this little 'prank' of yours?"

"No! I—"

"What exactly is your relationship with Vince? Did he pay you to pose as a mermaid?"

"No. I— I—" I stood there sputtering, trying to find a plausible answer to her rapid-fire questions. Vince had coached me on what to say, but nerves chased away everything we rehearsed.

At the end of the dock I spotted Vince's head bobbing. He flashed me a smile and thumbs up. My mouth hung open. What was he doing here?

Francine spun around as Vince plunged back into the water. "Was that Vince?"

"I don't think so . . ."

Francine's eyes narrowed. Making her way to the edge of the deck, she motioned for Phil to follow. She scanned the water, but after a few moments, came back.