“Harper definitely makes me happy,” Jared agreed. “I could take or leave Zander, though.”
“Do you know what makes me happy?” Zander challenged, ignoring the dig.
“I’m going to guess cookies,” Shawn automatically answered.
“That would be it,” Zander confirmed without hesitation.
Harper snorted and pressed another kiss to the corner of Jared’s mouth before turning back. “I guess my presence is needed in the kitchen. The world will surely end if I don’t sprinkle like I’m supposed to. I am curious what you’re doing home so early, though. I thought you would be a few more hours.”
“There’s nothing I can do right now,” Jared admitted. “I have files for sex offenders in the area and I’m going through them. The state police have dogs at Jessica’s house trying to pick up Zoe’s scent. Days after the fact, they probably won’t pick up anything if she was only outside or in the driveway. If she was in the house, though, they should know.”
“What will it mean if she was in the house?”
“I have no idea.” Jared tugged a frustrated hand through his hair. “We don’t know where to look. I would like to say otherwise, but we’re circling. I’m going through the sex offenders. If anyone sticks out, they’re sending the dogs to that property to sniff around.”
“Can you do that without a search warrant?”
“I guess that’s up for debate, but if a trooper just happens to be walking by with a dog and it alerts ... then we can get a search warrant. It’s a vicious cycle.”
“Well, at least it’s something.”
“Other than that, we’ve got nothing to go on. Mel is going through Jessica’s phone records. There’s a possibility she was involved in the kidnapping and her partner turned on her. There’s also a chance she was killed as a distraction. We simply don’t know which way it’s leaning.”
“I’m sorry.” Harper meant it. “With your mother here, this is the worst time for things to go cold like this.”
“My mother understands about being a cop. She also has you and Zander to entertain her.”
“And we’ll do that.” Harper forced a smile. “Let me know if you need any help. Reading about sex offenders has to be better than putting sprinkles on cookies.”
“Don’t bet on that.”
AN HOUR LATER, the kitchen crew had moved on to chocolate chip cookies that were making Jared’s mouth water from afar as he waded through one horrific file after the other. He was bothered by the things he was reading, didn’t want to allow horrible things like that in the home he shared with Harper, and yet he wanted to be close to the action. Therefore, he continued working in the living room. Even though he didn’t add a lot to the conversation, he enjoyed watching Harper interact with his mother.
“How are you doing?” Harper asked as she delivered a mug of hot chocolate to him and perched on the arm of his chair to read over his shoulder.
“It’s dull and disgusting work.”
“I bet.” Harper frowned as she read the file. “That guy raped his elderly neighbor.”
Jared nodded. “She was ninety-five.”
“How is he still alive?”
“You’ll have to ask him. He only got seven years for it and is free. However foul he is, though, he’s not who we’re looking for.” Jared hit a button to go to the next file.
Curious despite herself, Harper tilted her head. “How do you know he’s not the one you’re looking for?”
“Because he committed rape as part of a home invasion scheme. He was mostly interested in robbing people. He’s not a pedophile.”
“Oh.” Harper made a face. “You don’t think Zoe was taken by a pedophile, do you?” The possibility was almost more than she could bear.
“I hope not. We simply don’t know, Heart. This is the first time since I moved here where I wished Whisper Cove had more technology going for it. Other downtown areas have cameras at every corner. Not Whisper Cove. What happened that day outside the coffee shop couldn’t have happened in other cities and towns.”
“It could’ve happened,” Harper countered. “You would simply have a lot more to go on.”
“We would probably already have her back.”
“Maybe. You don’t know that, though.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed his forehead. “I guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself. The longer we go without finding her, the darker my thoughts get.”
Harper could see that. “Listen ... .” She grabbed the computer from his lap and moved it to the coffee table so she could take its spot. She slid close to him, tugging a blanket from the arm to cover them both and snuggled in close. “I think you’re being too hard on yourself. There’s no way you can singlehandedly solve this. We need a little help.”
“And where do you suggest we get this help?” he asked, his hand moving over her back as he inhaled the scent of her. “You smell like vanilla, by the way.”
“Zander put some behind my ears because he claims it’s an aphrodisiac. Apparently he read in some magazine that men associate vanilla with cookies and that makes them happy … and horny. He said that in front of your mother, by the way.”
“I can’t argue with that.” He kissed her cheek. “I do kind of want to ... do this.” He rubbed his nose against her neck, causing her to laugh. “Seriously. If you were a cookie, I would be dunking you in milk right about now.”
“That is a really weird thing to say.”
“It’s also true.”
“Yeah, well ... what was I saying again?”
“You were explaining that I’m taking things to heart too much, that I can’t solve a mystery when I don’t yet have enough clues, and that I’m the most handsomest man in the world.”
“I’m the most handsomest man in the world,” Zander corrected from the kitchen, causing them to look in his direction.
Pam, who was standing by the counter, smiled so broadly Harper was convinced her face might actually split in half. “You guys are so cute,” she exclaimed, causing Shawn to smile and Zander to roll his eyes.
“They’re not cute,” Zander argued, wildly waving a spatula for emphasis. “They’re annoying. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to watch them paw each other every single day?”
“Well, that won’t be an issue for much longer,” Pam said pragmatically. “Harper and Jared have their own house. You guys are moving right after Christmas, right?”
Harper nodded as Zander’s scowl deepened.
“I don’t want Harper to move,” he complained. “I think Jared should move over there and she should stay with me. She can visit him across the street and things will stay the same between us.”
“I think you’re worried that Jared is supplanting you in Harper’s life,” Pam noted, her smile soft as she patted Zander’s arm. “You’ve been her closest confidant since you were children, and Jared’s appearance in your life seems somehow threatening.”
Zander’s expression was withering. “I am not threatened.”
“In your head, you’re picturing a substantial shift occurring when Harper moves in with Jared,” Pam continued, ignoring his petulance. “You think she’s never going to visit because Jared will want to keep her close. I don’t happen to believe that’s reality.”
“Oh, yeah?” Zander cocked an eyebrow. “You just met us. You don’t know how things will go.”
“Why don’t you tell me how you think they’ll go.”
“I think that once they have their own place Harper is going to spend more and more time over there and then we’ll suddenly turn into work acquaintances rather than friends.”
“You don’t really believe that.” Pam was matter-of-fact. “You know that’s a fabrication your mind has come up with because you’re terrified of change. The thing is, change can be good or bad. You’re assuming this change will be bad. What happens if things get even better?”
Suspicion lit Zander’s eyes. “How are things going to get better?”
“Well,
for starters, you’re going to build a stronger relationship with Shawn,” Pam explained. “Sharing a roof opens possibilities for a relationship. You and Shawn will be able to broaden your intimacy and set up boundaries for your own home. Jared and Harper will be able to do the same.
“It’s not as if Harper is moving to another town,” she continued. “In fact, she’s not even moving across town. She’ll be across the road. That seems to be a strategic move to me. Whoever thought of that was a genius.”
Jared preened as Zander glared at him.
“I’m sure you know that moving across the road was your son’s grand plan,” Zander complained.
“I do know that,” Pam confirmed, her lips twitching. “I’m sure if he had his druthers, he would’ve picked a house with a little more distance because you and he irritate each other. However, he had Harper’s needs in mind when he selected it.
“He wanted what was best for all concerned parties,” she continued. “That’s why you guys are still going to be close but not on top of each other.”
“I should’ve known you would take his side,” Zander muttered.
“It’s not about taking sides. It’s about ... possibilities. You have a lot of possibilities with this set-up. Think about when you have children. They’ll be able to race across the road to see each other and you won’t have to worry, not like that poor child who is out there right now.”
“Ugh.” Zander’s distaste was palpable. “You’re basically telling me to stop being a baby and suck it up.”
“Oh, look at that,” Pam teased. “You do listen. I was starting to wonder.”
“I don’t find you all that charming any longer,” Zander complained. “You’ve lost everything that made you a delight.”
“You’ll get over it.” Pam wasn’t the type to put up with Zander’s shenanigans so she left him to pout in the kitchen and moved into the living room. “As for you, Jared, you’re being a defeatist. I understand this particular case must be difficult — no one wants to think of a child being taken in this manner — but there has to be something you’re missing. Nothing is unsolvable.”
“We’re doing the best we can,” Jared said. “Right now, though, we don’t know where to look. Going through the sex offenders is something that’s necessary, but I don’t think it’s going to lead us to the right place.”
“So ... what do you think is going to lead you to the right place?”
“If I knew that, I would be putting Zoe in her mother’s arms right now.”
“I think it’s someone who wanted a child,” Harper volunteered, drawing multiple sets of eyes to her. “I’m being serious. The more I think about it, the more I think we’re dealing with a lost soul who was trying to make herself feel better by taking a child to love.”
“You’re assuming it’s a woman,” Jared pointed out. “Statistically, if what you’re theorizing is true, then the numbers would hold that out. We simply have no proof of that, though.”
“Is there a way to narrow down possible suspects?” Pam asked, getting into the spirit of the conversation. “I mean ... are there any mothers in the area who recently lost children? It probably doesn’t even have to be by death. Maybe someone lost custody of a child.”
“Or maybe someone splits custody of a child and the other parent has that specific child this holiday season and that caused the non-custodial parent to snap,” Shawn suggested.
Jared jerked his head in Shawn’s direction, intrigued. “Hmm. That right there is an angle that I didn’t think about. Does anyone know a mother — or father, I guess, but it would probably most likely be a mother — who fits into any of those scenarios?”
“Um ... there’s Denise Dixon,” Harper offered after a beat. “She split with her husband last year. She had her daughter Kelsey last Christmas and her ex-husband has her this year. I know because I heard her complaining about it in the coffee shop about a week ago.”
“That’s good.” In his haste to lean forward and reclaim his computer, Jared accidentally knocked Harper from her perch on his lap. “Sorry, Heart, but I need to make a list.”
“No problem.” She waved away the apology. “This is important. Who else can we think of?”
“Chris Butler comes into my gym all the time,” Shawn volunteered. “He’s been complaining that his ex-wife is taking their son to Hawaii this year so he won’t even be able to see the kid. I know you think it’s probably a woman — and I would guess that the child in question would probably be a girl — but you never know.”
“That’s good.” Jared bobbed his head and typed information into his computer. “Who else?”
“There’s Kasey Blankenship,” Zander volunteered. “Her daughter died of cancer two years ago. It was two days before Christmas. Remember that, Harp?”
Harper’s smile vanished as she nodded. “It was really sad. They thought they could get the little girl through her final Christmas, but it wasn’t to be. The funeral was the day after Christmas, and it was basically the worst funeral I’d ever been to.”
“What about Kasey now?” Jared asked. “Do you think she’s moving on, or is she dwelling on the past?”
“Last time I checked, she was spending a lot of time at the bar,” Zander replied. “I saw her there a few times when I was first meeting Shawn for drinks. She made me sad. That was months ago, though. I know the bartender was giving her a break on the drinks and arranged for an Uber to drive her home every night. He was essentially enabling her.”
“That’s probably not helpful,” Jared noted. “That’s a good lead, though. Anyone else?”
They spent the next hour coming up with names, which allowed Jared to send a list of addresses to the state police so they could search for signs of Zoe. Once the names were sent, it was a waiting game. They didn’t have enough evidence for formal searches and until they found something, they were dead in the water.
“Who wants to help me make roast beef for dinner?” Zander asked at some point.
“I think we should go out,” Jared countered. “It’s getting late, and Jason’s restaurant is right down the road. I think it would be simpler.”
“I don’t want to go to Jason’s restaurant. He’s a thunder-stealer.”
Pam snickered. “You have a problem with a lot of people, don’t you?”
“It’s all them, not me.”
“I think we should talk about that.”
Harper pursed her lips as she watched the scene and turned her attention to Jared. “What’s the deal with your mother?” she whispered. “Why does she keep psychoanalyzing us?”
“She’s a former social worker. Didn’t I tell you that?”
“No, but it explains a lot.”
“She was good at her job.”
“She’s driving Zander insane.”
Jared beamed. “That’s why I love her.”
Sixteen
Pam was having a good time despite the heavy discussion occurring in the other room. Jared and Harper had their heads bent together, clearly intrigued at the prospect of following a thread that could possibly lead to Zoe being okay, and they seemed excited as they jotted down notes.
“They’re cute, huh?” she mused to Zander and Shawn, who were helping her in the kitchen.
Shawn followed her gaze and smiled. “They’re very cute,” he agreed.
“I find them annoying,” Zander countered.
Pam didn’t take the comment to heart. “I think you’re all talk.”
Zander shook his head. “No, they’re definitely annoying.”
She snickered. “You crack me up.” She wiped her hands on a towel and pinned him with a hard gaze so he had no chance to look elsewhere. “I also think you’re exaggerating how you really feel because that’s what you do.”
Zander refused to back down. “No, I really find them annoying.”
Pam let loose an exaggerated sigh. “You love Harper.”
“Of course I love her. We’ve been best friends since we were kids. We�
�ve always been there for each other.”
“You love Jared, too.”
Zander worked his jaw. “I find Jared incredibly annoying,” he said after a beat. “I know he’s your son and you don’t want to hear that, but he should honestly be smacked around he’s so annoying.”
Instead of being offended, Pam chuckled. “Oh, you’re hilarious. You talk big, but you love them both.”
“I believe you’re mistaken,” Zander said primly. “I love Harper and tolerate Jared.”
“No, you love them both and put on a show because you have a certain reputation to uphold,” she corrected. “I happen to know that you helped my son pick out a special gift for Harper this Christmas and he’s very excited to put it to use.”
Zander stilled, surprised. “W-what?”
“Oh, I see I’ve taken you off guard for the first time. That’s kind of cute.” Pam beamed as Shawn slid his boyfriend a sidelong look.
“Did you actually manage to finish picking out the gift before you got caught up in Zoe’s disappearance?” Shawn asked. “I just realized I forgot to ask.”
Zander sent a furtive look into the living room to make sure Harper and Jared were still caught up in each other and not listening. “Just ... shh.” He pressed his fingers to his lips as he glared. “Are you trying to kill me with this? I mean ... seriously.” His eyes flashed with annoyance. “It’s a secret, and you’re going to ruin it for Harper if you’re not careful. If you do that, I don’t care how much I like you, I’m going to be really angry.”
Pam’s smile only widened. “I have no intention of ruining it. Why would I want to ruin it?”
Zander held his hands palms out and shrugged. “I don’t know. Some mothers — I’m not saying you, but some mothers — don’t like it when their sons get married.”
Shawn found himself unbelievably amused by Zander’s reaction. “He got the ring, didn’t he? Is it pretty? Do you know how he’s going to propose?”
The look Zander shot him was withering. “Shut your hole. I will ... .” He trailed off and mimed strangling his boyfriend. He was so caught up in potential outrage that he didn’t notice Harper and Jared were on their feet in the other room until he heard the door open. “Where are you going?” he called out, straightening.
Ghostly Holiday (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 11) Page 15