Sammy debated the work vs take it easy point of view for the rest of the day with Harper and finally they reached a compromise. They would take a walk on the beach, go have a nice tourist style dinner and IF Sammy found a suitable person, she would interview them. She changed into a clean black tee shirt and pulled a black and white striped sweater from the closet<br/>“It isn’t cold, exactly, as a matter of fact the sun feels pretty good, but if we walk on the beach, the sea air will have a chill to it and I am always cold. Better to be prepared than to freeze. I can always tie it around my waists.” Sammy said as she climbed up to get her iPhone from her top bunk.<br/><br/>“By the way, the top bunk is bitchin’. I feel like I’m in a tree house. And I don’t have to worry about you stuffing a dirty sock in my mouth during the middle of the  night.”<br/><br/>Out of the beach, the gulls were crying, high and plaintive as they skimmed the shore for bits of crab or left over sandwiches. Sammy used the camera on her phone to snap pictures of the flotsam on the sand: a lone sandal, ropes of seaweed, crushed crab shells, pebbles, sand dollars.<br/><br/>“Just think, Harper, this pebble might have started out in Spain and now it is here. The ocean currents..” and she was off and running about ocean trivia. Sammy was happy to snap pictures and rattle on about her favorite subject. “ and, I plan to go out with a crew from the British Petroleum company on one of their sub rovers. There have been reports of sightings of merpeople at incredible depths, one reason why we don’t see many of them. Just like with other wild animals, their habitats have been compromised, driving them deeper and deeper into the crevices in the ocean floor.”<br/><br/>On a distance jetty, Sammy saw a man with rolled up white pants scanning the horizon with binoculars.<br/><br/>“There is a likely candidate for an interview.” She said, plowing on down the shoreline with Harper protesting behind her. When she reached the man, a handsome, playboy type with flip flops, a tight white tee shirt and a brilliant white smile, Sammy called out,<br/><br/>“Excuse me, excuse me.”<br/><br/>He turned and pointed to himself with a pantomime of “Me?”<br/><br/>“ Yeah, you. Hi,” Sammy put out her hand to shake while Harper grumbled behind her.  “I’m Samantha Tremaine. This is my associate, Harper. We are graduate students from California doing our thesis on Mermaids. You were scanning the water with binoculars and I wondered if you would answer a few questions for me as part of my research.”<br/><br/>“You trying to get the million dollar reward too?” he asked, giving her a look that suggested he found her Goth looks a little less refined than he liked.<br/><br/>“No, well, I mean, a reward would be great but seriously, I’m just writing a thesis paper.”<br/><br/>“Yeah, sure, My name is Richard Cohen. I did see a mermaid. I did, which is why I come back every day to see if I can catch another glimpse of her. She looked like a cross between a fish and a young girl. The  only time I have ever known her to appear is at sunset. The old girl performs a few tricks for onlookers before disappearing for the night. “<br/><br/>“Where were you when this happened?” Sammy asked, recording this on her phone.<br/><br/>“Right here on this beach. I was with friends when suddenly we saw a woman laying on the sand in a weird way. At first I thought she was just another sunbather, but when we approached she jumped into the water and disappeared. We were all in shock because we saw she had a tail. That sighting  began several months ago but I haven’t seen her in a while. I told Michael that we should have circled around and caught her, but everyone was so busy watching her tricks. Now, I’m busy. “ He snapped the lenses back to his eyes and ignored them.<br/><br/>The girls walked along in silence. Finally Sammy said,<br/><br/>“Not only do I need a good meal. I think I need a drink.”