Seeing Blue: A Mermaid Mystery [EXCERPT]

2. Monday, 16:43

It was still light outside. Though she'd spent most of the day at the station and the hospital, Inessa still had a few hours before she settled for the night.

Hammond offered to give her a lift back to the harbour, but she declined. She knew Hammond was suspicious of her already, but what could she do when Inessa refused to tell the truth? The best thing she could do at the moment was avoid her.

Inessa followed the signposts down the hill back to the harbour. The tide was rising fast as she went back to her boat. By all comparison, the vessel was old and discoloured, but that didn't make it mean any less to Inessa.

She wondered if Sarah had noticed she was missing yet. Would she be mad that she took the boat? Since their father died, it was legally hers now anyway.

The morning's events left Inessa feeling tired, but she wasn't ready to go to bed. Not just yet. In the cabin, she took that moment to change into some more beach-worthy clothes. She ran a damp cloth over her face, hoping to remove some of the evidence that she hadn't slept much that night.

She reached for her purse and inspected the money inside. It was barely enough to live by, but at least it meant she could feed herself tonight.

She slipped the purse into her backpack and made her way to shore. From what she'd seen of it, Luther's Rock looked to be a charming little seaside town, and so a nice eatery shouldn't be too difficult to come across.

Sergeant Hammond was right—the town had certainly filled up with tourists since earlier that morning. Thanks to the warm weather, the beach swarmed with giggling children and relaxing parents. It reminded Inessa of the days her family would spend on the beach back in her home town.

Her shades lowered, Inessa strode along the sea-front, taking in all the various shops. Like any other typical British seaside town, buildings from all eras lined the streets. One in particular caught her eye.

Behind the counter of the Tudor shop front, a burly man sat in a striped deckchair, a handkerchief sitting lopsided on top of his balding head. In front of him was a colourful array of delicious-looking ice-creams.

"Good afternoon, young lady," he said in a heavy accent. His warm smile only broadened as Inessa proceeded to order a raspberry ripple ice-cream with a double flake. She even smiled herself as she took her order from the infectiously chipper vendor.

The row of shops lining the sea-front carried on further down. Inessa followed the street along as she finished her ice-cream, admiring the many colourful facades. From here, she had a spectacular view of the families enjoying themselves on the beach below. It felt almost . . . nice. Like a vague sense of normality trying to push its way into her otherwise turbulent life. If only she could lower her barriers enough to allow it in.

She read the shop signs as she passed: A jeweller's, a drug store, a couple of clothing shops, and a couple of quaint little tea shops. It was all rather similar to her own home town, but in a different kind of way.

Right at the end of the street, with barely enough room to exist, a small art gallery was tucked away. Inessa stepped a little closer and peered in through the front window to admire the work on display. One painting on show drew her eye. It was a view of the whole of Luther's Rock's sea front. Viewed from the ocean, the painting was large-scale and used the most incredible colours. With its focus on the glorious beach huts in front, the rest of the town tapered off into a colourful horizon.

What other creations lay beyond the window display? She moved towards the door to find out, only to find disappointment when she saw the "closed" sign. Oh well. Perhaps some other time.