“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you got in touch. Also, it sounds like congratulations are in order,” I said.
“Right. Now you’re the president of the whole corporation. That’s really impressive,” said Greer.
Jasper smiled ruefully. Greer and I had taken seats in front of the desk, while he was still standing next to the tea cart in the corner.
He shrugged. “Thanks. It’s going to be a lot of work.”
From the expression on his face I could see that he was conflicted about the whole thing. I clasped my hands more tightly in my lap and said nothing.
“What can you tell us about this development?” I asked.
“I can tell you that we’re getting a new surveyor for big projects. We needed to know long before now that there was a dead body on the premises,” he said.
“Could the body have been placed there recently?” Greer asked carefully.
Jasper shook his head. “That doesn’t make much sense. The body was in the floor and it looked like it had been there for a long time.”
“I agree. I think the body has been there all along,” I said.
“The working theory is that it’s the real estate agent who tried to sell it back when we were in high school. He just up and disappeared one day. His wife thought he might have run off with a younger woman, but she could never identify the woman. And now I hear she’s been found dead too,” said Jasper. He shook his head.
He poured hot water over our tea bags and brought the steaming mugs over, along with a little plate for the tea bags once they had brewed long enough.
“We went over there yesterday to speak with her. Charlie was pretty upset,” I said.
“I can imagine. She had just talked with the woman on the phone, right? Is foul play involved?” he asked.
“It certainly could be. It’s an awfully strange coincidence,” I said.
“You can say that again,” said Greer.
“Can you tell us anything about when he went missing back when we were in high school?” I asked. “We understand that he was very close to selling the property at the time.”
Jasper sat forward and rested his forearms on his desk. “My grandfather said as much. He wanted to buy the property even then, but he was outbid. He thought it was overpriced. He didn’t know why it never sold after the real estate agent disappeared.”
“Does he remember who else was bidding on it?” I asked.
I was thinking that one of those people could have killed the real estate agent. But why they might have done so I had no idea, especially given that they hadn’t followed through with the purchase. The fact that the development just fell into disrepair didn’t seem to fit with the idea of the agent having been murdered.
“I made a list of the names my grandfather remembered being involved,” Jasper said. “He thinks most of them have gone out of business by now. He also didn’t really remember the real estate agent, but he couldn’t see any reason why the guy might have been killed.”
He reached around, pulled a handwritten sheet of paper from a pile on his desk, and handed it over. I scanned the names quickly, but none of them jumped out at me. I put the list in my pocket anyhow, in case I wanted it later. Unless an entirely different explanation emerged, we had to look into all the angles we could find on this mystery.
Jasper was still leaning forward with an intense look on his face.
“How are you going to go about finding the ghost?” he asked.
Greer choked on her tea. Jasper raised his eyebrows.
“I didn’t realize we were going to talk about this openly,” I said.
“Just because I can’t be open about one thing doesn’t mean I don’t want to be open about the rest. We both know why I wanted you involved in this. You might be our only hope. This murder could ruin our whole plan for the development,” he said evenly.
“When you say it like that, there’s a lot of pressure,” said Greer.
“I want that ghost to find peace. We weren’t expecting to find him there, obviously, but when we did, I knew I had to call Lemmi.”
He was making a good point. I was having a hard time answering, but feeling my wand against my arm gave me courage. “I intend to go out looking for him soon. Ghosts can’t travel far away from their remains, so he’s got to be somewhere near the development, and I plan on finding him. You should also know that ghosts do not often remember what happened right before they were killed.”
Jasper made a face. “That’s awfully convenient for murderers.”
“Not when a witch is around. She always seems to find a way,” said Greer proudly.
Jasper nodded again. “I don’t like the idea of you going out by yourself at night, but I suppose I just have to try and live with it?”
“It would be best if you did. I’ve been doing it for a while now,” I said.
He stared at me for a heartbeat. “I guess you have,” he said. “It’s just that you haven’t been doing it on my behalf before.”
“The murder happened in Mintwood. That’s my town. Now that I know about it I would have to investigate it whether you asked me or not,” I told him.
He sighed and nodded, although he still didn’t look like he liked it. But before he could say anything more there came a knock on the door. I silently cursed Tyler Spin.
Sure enough, when the door opened it was Tyler who stuck his head in. He didn’t even look at us as he spoke to his boss. “The next meeting is in a few minutes. Is there anything you need me for?”
Jasper leveraged himself out of his chair. “Thanks for reminding me. No, I think I’m all set. I’m just going to show these two out and then I’ll be there.”
Tyler hesitated. He looked as if he wanted to offer to show us out himself.
“Run along,” Greer commanded him, waving him away in her best bartender style.
Tyler gave her a sort of surprised look, as if he hadn’t realized she was a real person who could speak of her own accord. His eyes darted to Jasper, who grinned in response. “I told you she spoke her mind. Like I said, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Now that his boss had dismissed him, Tyler left.
It seemed like even more people had showed up at the barn while we were meeting with Jasper. I was so preoccupied with walking next to him that their faces didn’t register.
It wasn’t until we had reached the door we’d come in through that I was startled out of my abstraction. Just as we arrived at the door, it swung open to reveal the woman who had driven up to Hayview as we were leaving the day before.
If it were possible, she looked even more incredible than before. Maybe it was just because I was seeing her up close, but I was dazzled. She had huge green eyes and perfectly cascading dark hair. Her lips were ruby red and she looked casual yet classy. It was the sort of look I always wished I had but could never really achieve.
“Oh, sorry. I was in such a rush I nearly ran into you,” she said to me. Her eyes slid to Jasper and she smiled.
“Garnett, I didn’t realize you were coming,” said Jasper, clearly happy to see her.
Garnett threw her head back and laughed, her shiny hair cascading over her shoulder as she did. “My lunch finished early, so I thought I’d come by and do some work here. It’s not every day that I get to spend time with my little brother.”
“You’d get to spend more time with me if you ever came around,” he pointed out.
His sister shook her head. “You know I like the city life. Anyway, are you going to introduce me to your friends or just keep talking to me and being rude?”
Jasper grinned at Garnett, then made introductions. It might have been my imagination, but I thought she gave him a sidelong glance when he said my name. She also recognized Greer’s name.
“You’re Deacon’s girlfriend, aren’t you?” she asked.
“I take it you know him well?” said Greer.
“Of course. He and Jasper used to cause all kinds of trouble when I was in high school
and trying to study and talk to boys. Most of the time I was at boarding school, though, so I didn’t get the chance to enjoy it as much as I could have,” she said. “I’m glad they’ve matured.” She smiled.
“You must be thinking of a different Deacon from the one who’s my boyfriend,” Greer joked.
“You can’t be that irresponsible if you run three apartment buildings,” said Garnett.
“That perfectly describes my Deacon,” said Greer. She clearly like this woman for liking her boyfriend. I thought it was pretty smart of this Garnett, whatever else she was doing here.
“Anyway, sorry for interrupting. you must have places to be. It was great to meet both of you. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon,” she said. With another smile she glided away.
Jasper and I made eye contact. I had spent too much time thinking about meeting his sister, but I certainly hadn’t thought it would be under these circumstances.
“Thanks for coming by. Be careful tonight, okay?” he said in a low voice.
“I’ll be fine,” I said.
“So will I,” said Greer with another grin. “Catch you later.”
Greer never liked awkward situations, and she was an expert at getting out of them quickly. She pulled the door open and stepped through. I followed with one quick glance back and saw Jasper’s sister speaking quietly with Tyler Spin.
Then the door closed and I saw no more.
As if the day hadn’t been long enough already, it was now time for us to head to the Mintwood Real Estate Agency.
I had never visited a real estate agency before, given that the idea of buying my own house was so far out of the realm of possibility that I might as well have said I was going into business with Jasper’s grandfather. It was just something that was never going to happen. Therefore, the location of the real estate agency had been irrelevant to me up to now.
“This looks like nice new pavement,” said Greer as we turned into the driveway.
She was right. The pavement was smooth and dark, a real accomplishment for spring in Maine. Usually pavement ended up cracked and gray after a hard winter where the ground had been frozen and was now thawing.
Not this place. Their pavement was still perfect. Lah-di-dah for them.
“Do you think Charlie’s here yet?” I asked.
“Is she ever late?” Greer asked.
“Good point,” I said.
Sure enough, we found Charlie’s Volvo already in the lot, parked in the midst of a row of shiny, expensive-looking vehicles. At least one of them was a Lexus. I wasn’t sure about some of the others, except that they were all fancy and probably cost a fortune.
Charlie hopped out of her car and demanded, “Where have you two been?”
“We stopped in to talk with Jasper, and we also happened to meet his sister,” said Greer, immediately revealing her priorities. She had added that second factoid for two reasons. One, Charlie needed to know. Two, Greer knew it would needle her terribly.
“I knew it. I knew it was his sister. What’s she like? Tell me everything! No wait, we’re going to be late for the meeting with Mr. Oakley. Tell me everything later,” she said.
“Whatever you say, boss,” said Greer.
We followed Charlie toward a set of glass doors. Embossed in white letters on their polished front was the name of the agency. Under that, in letters that were slightly smaller but still very visible, it was noted that Mr. Oakley had founded the agency.
“This is the kind of place where I’m going to feel out of place. I can already tell,” lamented Greer.
Charlie rolled her eyes. “This is the kind of place where they will recognize your last name and try to get you to buy several properties before dinner.”
“That isn’t going to work either,” said Greer.
The interior smelled like cleaner and fake scent. The receptionist behind the smooth black desk reminded me of the door we had just walked through. She was polished within an inch of her life. Really, who had the time?
When she caught sight of the three of us, her eyebrows raised slightly. That was the only sign she gave of being surprised or maybe of recognizing us in any way.
“Who are you here to see?” she asked.
“My name is Charlie Silver. I have an appointment,” said Charlie.
“Yes, of course. Mr. Oakley is expecting you,” said the receptionist, gliding out of her seat.
I thought she was headed off to get Mr. Oakley, but she wasn’t. She merely wanted to show us to some seats along the wall. Then she returned to her place behind the desk, where she apparently had a button.
She gave us a fake smile, inspiring us to instinctively move closer together. She was so very pale that I found myself thinking how relieved I was that there were no vampires in town.
We had barely had time to settle in before one of the back doors opened and a very well-to-do looking man stepped out. He was dressed in a suit and tie and his shoes clicked on the hardwood floor as he walked. He gave all three of us a beaming smile as he walked forward with his hand extended.
“Oakley. So good to meet all three of you. Whenever I hear from Dana Dice that she wants me to take a meeting, I take it.” His smile got even wider.
“I’m Greer. I’m her daughter. Thanks so much for meeting with us,” said Greer.
In the span of just a moment my friend’s whole demeanor had changed. Suddenly she looked like she belonged in this world where the service was the most important thing. She commanded respect. I felt like I was getting a glimpse of who she might become.
“If you’ll follow me this way, we can chat in my office,” said Mr. Oakley.
As he led the way down a thickly carpeted hallway, I noticed the receptionist looking very hard down at her desk as we passed. Despite her studied indifference, I could feel the curiosity seeping off of her.
Greer’s family was famous locally, and Greer was known around the county as one of the privileged Dice children. Her disappearing off of the face of the earth was also known around the county. The receptionist was probably imagining Greer disappearing to some fancy lakefront property.
“Your mother said you wanted my help with something. What could that be?” Orien Oakley asked as we walked through the door of his office, which was just as spacious as I would’ve expected it to be.
Black leather furniture and dark wood greeted us, set off by rows upon rows of beautifully bound books arrayed on dark mahogany shelves. I found myself wondering if Mr. Oakley had ever read any of them, or if they were merely for show.
As we made ourselves comfortable in our leather chairs, Greer said conversationally,
“Yes, we’re hoping to get your help with something we’re looking into. This is my friend Charlie Silver, the reporter for the Mintwood Gazette.”
“Yes, I read your articles all the time. Very well written,” said Mr. Oakley with an indulgent smile.
“Thanks so much. Always happy to meet new readers,” said Charlie.
Introductions were quickly finished.
If Mr. Oakley realized he was about to be interviewed and was fazed by it, he showed no sign of tension; his manner continued to be easy and relaxed. He leaned back in his chair and waited for Charlie to continue.
“You may have heard that the body of one of your former agents was discovered at the Hayview property. I would like to say, first of all, that I’m sorry for your loss,” said Charlie.
“Ah. So that’s what you wanted to discuss. I guess I’m not surprised. I would be more than happy to talk about Mr. Earle in depth. He was my best sales associate at the time when he disappeared.”
“We also understand that he was about to make a deal on the Hayview development?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, he seemed to be hopeful on that front. He never wanted to talk too big or get my hopes up too early. The agency was a much smaller organization back then. Just me, him, and Vertigo. Only the three of us. It really devastated our business when he disappeared. For a while I had no idea h
ow we’d go on,” he said.
“What did you think happened?” Charlie asked.
“Honestly? I have no idea. If I’m speaking really truthfully I have to admit that I went and checked my money at the bank. I thought he might have run off with it. He had that wife who really wasn’t a pleasant lady. She liked to spend. I thought he might have been trying to get away from her. But when I saw her after his disappearance, she was devastated. I thought maybe they had really loved each other after all, despite appearances. Until then, I’m a little ashamed to say that I had thought she just married him for the money,” he said.
I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I didn’t like the implication that it was the woman who had used the man for money.
“What happened to the development deal when he disappeared?” Charlie asked.
Mr. Oakley sighed. “Nothing good. He was a really good dealmaker. No one else like him. The buyers backed out after he disappeared. Future buyers thought that place was cursed. It quickly became clear that we weren’t going to be the ones who’d be able to sell it.”
“Can you think of any reason why somebody would want to hurt him?” Greer asked.
“I tried at the time. Of course I didn’t think he was dead then. Still, I couldn’t come up with anything. He did good work. He sold properties for profit, obviously, but he wasn’t dishonest. A lot of people in the real estate game are. We’ve earned a reputation for fairness. It’s deserved,” he said.
“What about in his personal life?” I asked.
“I can’t really speak to that. Like I said, I didn’t think they loved each other. She stuck around all these years, though. Same house and everything. Part of me wonders if it wasn’t just in case he came back,” said Mr. Oakley. It was a terribly romantic notion from a man who seemed to care mostly about money.
“Is there anything else you could tell us about that time? You said it was just the three of you, but Earle was successful?” I said.
He nodded. “Yes, he had a way with people all right. Sometimes that’s all it takes. They want to be able to trust you and he had a trust-inspiring face. Like I said, his death really destroyed the sale of Hayview. The devastating effect continues to this day.”
Miraculous Mintwood Magic Page 7