“That’s what separates the lions from the lambs, Miss Grant.I saw potential there and bought it.Nothing more.”
“Cut the bullshit, I know you did it,” Mac accused, not willing to play nice anymore.
“Did what?”He seemed to look baffled by the accusation.
“You are responsible for the sharks disappearing in that cove.”If he was responsible for the bottom trawling, the boats could have picked up the sharks by accident or drove them out by overfishing that area.
“How do you figure that?”
“Once you started building here, they’ve been disappearing.What is there that you needed to get rid of them to get to?”
“Do you have proof I’m doing this?”
Proof of trawling, but it was by illegal means.“No, but I will.”
Miles gave her a condescending smile that said he knew he had her beat.“Miss Grant, I can assure you, I have nothing to do with the shark population decline, if that is even happening,” he explained in a calm smooth voice.He didn’t give a hint that he was lying, but Mac didn’t believe him for a second.
“It is,” she snarled.
“I couldn’t be behind it.”He pointed at himself then leaned back in his chair.“In fact, I am trying to help save the species.”
“You are?”That was news to her.
“Yes, I’ve just donated four million dollars to the research department.Now why would I be trying to get rid of them if I just spent that kind of money to help them?”
It was a trick.It had to be.He was just saying that to keep her off his tracks.“Liar.”
Miles took a drag of his cigar.“I am many things, Miss Grant, but a liar isn’t one of them.”
She doubted that very much.Lies probably came easier than breathing to him.“You could donate your money to anything; why sharks?”
“They are important in this area and all oceans.We must do everything we can to preserve the species.”
“You go from a businessman to a philanthropist?”
“It’s smart business, nothing more.”
“How are you helping the species by bottom trawling and driving the sharks out?”
Miles’s face turned hard and his cheeks flush with anger.“Where are you getting this information?”
Shit, she couldn’t tell him it was because she had dived there.He could have her arrested.“Which species?”she asked, changing the subject.
Miles froze with the cigar halfway to his mouth.“I’m sorry?”
“You said preserve the species.There are over a thousand species of sharks, so which ones?”
“All of them?”Was he telling her or guessing?
“And how are you coming up with the funds to do this?That hotel is so far behind, it has to be bleeding money.Or are your other investments going to pay for it?”
“Are you a reporter, Miss Grant?”
“Researcher.”
“Ah,” he replied as if that explained her probing questions.“There, you see, we’re on the same side.”
They couldn’t be more polar opposite.“Tell me, Miles, if you’re so interested in the preserving of shark species, why did you ban researching on the cove by the hotel where sharks migrate to the most?”
