Diver Down (Mercy Watts Mysteries) by A.W. Hartoin Page B

tell me anything. Two can play at that.  
    “Hey. Why’s your hair all nice?” I asked. “And you don’t have any marks on your face at all.”  
    “Good genes. Let’s go to the bar.”  
    “I have your genes. I’m a carbon copy of you.”  
    “I put conditioner on my hair before I went. It keeps the seawater off,” said Mom.  
    “Why didn’t you tell me to do that?”  
    “I assumed you knew.”  
    “How would I know that?” I asked.  
    “Well, I knew it.”  
    Groan.  
    Mom hooked her arm through mine. “Let’s get some Monkey Lalas. Dixie says she’s going to do the limbo tonight.”  
    “Pass. I can’t be seen like this.”  
    “Mauro’s already seen you.”  
    I made a face at her and ran up the stairs, flung open the door and felt the rush of icy air-conditioned air. Ahhh.  
    “Hey, Mercy.”  
    Shriek. Aaron sat on the sofa, still wearing his hairnet.  
    “How’d you get in here?”  
    He shrugged.  
    “Ewww. It smells like a taco shop.”
    “You hungry?” Aaron held up a bulging bag with water dripping off the bottom onto the white tile floor.  
    I cringed. “What is that?”
    “Lionfish. Mauro gave it to me. Let’s cook it.”  
    “How about you go cook it far away and I take a shower.”  
    “Nope.”  
    “Why not?” I asked.
    “Cause I got to help you.”  
    “What makes you think I need help?”  
    Aaron ignored my question and jiggled his fish bag. “Gotta cook it now, while it’s fresh.”  
    “I’m not cooking anything. Look at me.” I pointed at my head.  
    Aaron looked, but as usual I wasn’t sure if he actually saw me through his thick smudged glasses. He sat there, holding his bag, and for some reason I had the urge to tell him about Oz Urbani and the rest of it. But if I did, he’d call up Dad and tell him I’d gotten myself into a situation as he would call it. Oz was expecting me to take care of Lucia, whether I agreed to it or not. If she got killed…I didn’t even what to think about it. If Aaron told Dad that Lucia was a Fibonacci, he would come to the rescue. She wouldn’t die, but I just might. Mom would kill me for ruining our girl trip and Lucia wouldn’t be thrilled when she found out about Oz trying to hire me.  
    I grabbed Aaron’s wrist and hauled him to his feet. I opened the door and booted him through. “Go fry your fish.”  
    “But Tommy said—”  
    I slammed the door and locked it. Then I propped a chair under the knob and wedged it closed. That should hold him for a while. I had to think and the best place for that was in a hot shower. But since my life is my life, the shower was luke warm and smelled like bad well water. I did what Dad called a sea shower and jumped out as fast as possible. The thirty seconds of conditioner didn’t do my hair much good, but it didn’t look quite so angry. My nose had moved back into its normal position and the red lines on my face had diminished. I fixed the rest with coverup and powder.  
    It was nearly six o’clock and time for the limbo contest. I picked up my purse and got one of Dad’s cards. Lucia had to be told about the regs. I didn’t expect her to believe me, but Dad’s reputation might make an impression on her, even if I didn’t. I put on my favorite cutoffs and a tank. For once, Mom wouldn’t be able to say they were inappropriate. I left the bedroom and got a whiff of smoke. I jerked open the front door and found Aaron squatting in front of a hibachi. There was a whole lionfish, complete with spines and eyeballs, sizzling on it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could’ve been less appetizing than that fish. It was still orange and kind of looking at me.  
    “You ready?” asked Aaron, poking the side of the lionfish.  
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but no.”  
    I edged around him and ran down the stairs. The light was on in Lucia and Graeme’s bungalow. The sun had dipped low and there were shadows everywhere. I walked across