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 beforesmiling. “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.
