‘I’m trying to identify you.’
‘Well, could you maybe not shine it directly into my eyeballs? I kind of like my retinas working, so I’d prefer it if you didn’t burn them with that damn light.’
‘Sorry.’ I turned the torch to the side so it wasn’t directly aimed at her any more. ‘Look, why don’t you just leave quietly and I won’t take this any further.’
‘Or,’ she replied idly, swimming across from one side of the pool to the other. ‘How aboutyouleave andIwon’t take it any further.’
Realizing we were at a stalemate, I changed tack. ‘OK, seriously, now, who are you? And no, I don’t for a second believe you’re a mermaid.’
‘I’m not telling you.’
‘You’re refusing to tell me your name?’
‘That’s what I said, wasn’t it? Did I not say it out loud?’
I aimed the light in her face again and waited.
‘Ugh,’ she sighed. ‘Fine. Turn the light off andthen, if it’ll shut you up, I’ll tell you my name. I’m trying to enjoy the night sky here, and you’re ruining it.’
‘Deal.’ I clicked the torch off. ‘Name.’
‘Taylor.’
‘You got a last name, Taylor?’
‘You sound an awful lot like a cop – anyone ever tell you that?’
‘Once or twice.’
‘Calderwood,’ she said. ‘My name is Taylor Calderwood.’
It took a few moments for it to register why her name sounded so familiar. ‘Wait, Calderwood as in…?’
‘The lady who owns that big old house up there? Yeah. That Calderwood.’
‘So, she’s your…?’
‘Mother. Yep.’
I connected the dots. ‘You’re the daughter who got married and moved to the city years ago.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘She mentioned you, when I first moved out here.’
‘Moved where?’
‘Here.’
‘Where is here, exactly?’
‘Didn’t she say? Your mother is my landlord.’
‘I’m pretty sure I’d know if you were living in my mother’s house. That’s the kind of thing she’d definitely have mentioned.’
‘Not the house, I’m in the cabin.’
‘Which cabin?Ourcabin?’
