“What’s going on?” Harper asked as she slowed her pace. The slouch of Jared’s shoulders told her the threesome’s conversation on the patio was about more than the gumbo special. “Has something happened?”
Jared flicked his eyes to her. “Well, I guess that depends on who you ask,” he hedged. “Jason was dating Cassie. We’re just questioning him regarding their relationship.”
“You were dating her?” Zander acted scandalized. “Oh, you’re in big trouble now, Mister. You’re going to jail.” He turned to his uncle. “He totally killed her. That’s what thunder-stealers do.”
Jason glowered at Zander. Their relationship was always strained, especially since Zander had been jealous of the restaurant owner in high school. That was something Zander would never admit of course, but it was hardly a secret. “Well, if Zander says it’s true, it must be.”
“That’s the way I roll,” Zander readily agreed. “Take him into custody ... but only after we have lunch. We’re starving.”
“And what have you guys been doing?” Jared asked, his gaze speculative as it roamed Harper’s windblown hair and pink cheeks. “You haven’t been doing anything weird, have you?”
“Define weird,” Zander drawled.
“You haven’t been chasing a murderer, have you?”
“We’ve been talking to a ghost,” Zander replied as he flopped into a chair at the table, making sure to sit next to Jared instead of Jason. “We were looking for Cassie but came up with Edna Robbins instead. She’s all sorts of senile, at least if the stuff Harper was repeating to me was to be believed.”
“She’s not senile,” Harper countered, annoyance coming out to play as she moved toward the only open seat, which happened to be located next to Jason.
Zander reached over and stopped her from sitting. “He’s a murderer. You shouldn’t sit there.”
Harper slapped his hand away and settled next to Jason. “He’s not a murderer ... and Edna isn’t senile. Well, mostly. She’s just enthusiastic.”
“And what did Edna say?” Jared asked.
“She claims there are grave robbers working the cemetery,” Zander replied before Harper could. “According to her, these grave robbers are breaking into mausoleums and digging up caskets and yet leaving no proof of what they’re doing.”
“She just likes a good story,” Harper countered. “She was that way during life, too. I’m more interested in hearing about what you guys are doing here.” She flicked her eyes to Jason, conflicted. “Were you really dating Cassie?”
“Yes.” Jason saw no reason to lie. The secret was out of the bag, and it hadn’t really been a secret anyway. “Not for long, but we had a few dates.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Harper leaned into him and offered a hug. “I knew you reacted weird yesterday, but I couldn’t figure out why. I thought maybe you had a crush on her in high school or something.”
Jason managed a rueful grin. “Unfortunately, the only girl I carried a torch for in high school was you ... and I lost you long ago.”
“Yup,” Jared agreed, although he managed a half-smile. “Jason, we don’t think you’re a killer.”
“Then you’re a moron,” Zander muttered. “I can’t believe you don’t see what he is. I mean ... he has beady eyes and everything.”
Jared pretended Zander hadn’t spoken. “We need to get all the information from you. That’s how we’re going to find Cassie’s killer.”
“I understand.” And, because he did, Jason braced himself. “What else do you want to know?”
“Were you guys intimate?” Mel asked.
“A few times.” Jason looked mortified to be asked the question. “It was a new thing. I ... um ... .”
“Do you really have to ask him that?” Harper asked. “Is it important?”
Jared shot her a look. “Harper, this is a police investigation. We have to ask those questions.”
“There’s one more we have to ask, too,” Mel said. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“Technically I saw her the day before she died,” Jason said. “She stopped in for lunch. I sat with her on the patio, drank some iced tea, and watched her eat. We had plans to do something tomorrow night but ... well ... I guess that’s not going to happen.”
“I’m sorry.” Jared meant it. “It’s awful. Why didn’t you just tell us all of this when we were in here yesterday?”
“I don’t know.” Jason held out his hands. “When I first heard, I think I was in shock. It didn’t feel real. Then, the longer I went without acknowledging that we had been dating, the more uncomfortable it got. I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“He didn’t want to be looked at as a suspect,” Zander hissed. “Do you want to know why? It’s because he’s a murderer.”
Jason pinned Zander with a hot glare. “And what would be my motive for killing her?”
“Maybe you like it. Maybe you came back to town because you wanted to do the same thing to Harper.” His eyes went wide as he focused on Jared. “You should totally lock him up. I don’t want him killing Harper.”
“Well, since I think that’s unlikely, I’m going to let it go for now,” Jared said dryly, his eyes drifting back to Jason. “You can’t leave town right now. I know that probably makes you feel like a suspect, but you have to stick close to Whisper Cove.”
“The county,” Mel countered. “Stay inside the county.”
“That’s not a problem,” Jason reassured them. “I have no travel plans. Out of curiosity, though, do you know when Cassie’s funeral is going to be? I’m going to want to be there.”
“Nobody has made any plans yet,” Mel replied. “The responsibility would fall on her parents and I’m not sure how that’s going to work out. John is ... unpleasant.”
“I was going to say evil,” Jared countered. “That guy is a menace. We really need to get his wife away from him.”
“We can’t force her to leave.” Mel used his most reasonable tone. “You’ve been a cop long enough to know that.”
“I can’t help but be worried for her. John might not have put his hands on her yet, but it feels inevitable. He’s disgusting.”
“He is, but until Mary is willing to get help, there’s literally nothing we can do.”
Jared knew it to be true. That didn’t mean he had to like it. “I’m going to keep my eyes on him ... just in case.”
“I think we both should do that,” Mel agreed. “Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Right.”
8
Eight
Harper’s plans for the day included organizing the office she and Zander would share. She figured, if they both worked together, they would be able to finish it in one afternoon. They were barely into it when Eric showed up at the office door.
“What’s wrong?” Harper asked. She could read his face well. “Has something happened? Please don’t tell me there’s another body on the grounds.”
Eric’s chuckle was light. “No. We do have a request for a job, though.”
“We’re not working this week.”
“It’s an emergency job.”
Harper hesitated and then nodded. “Where?”
“The lighthouse out on the highway.”
Harper brightened considerably. “Are you kidding me?”
Eric matched her grin for grin. “I thought you would be excited. I have the woman who just bought the building on hold. I told her I would have to check with you about our schedule, but I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“Of course it’s not a problem.” Harper happily scampered away from the boxes she and Zander were unpacking. “I’ve been trying to get into that lighthouse for years. The former owner would never let me in.”
“Well, that doesn’t seem to be a problem today.”
Harper shot a giddy grin toward Zander. “Things are looking up.”
Zander merely shook his head. “If it’s a lighthouse ghost you know it’s going to be a salty seaman. We should
pack heavy just in case.”
“I’m fine with that. Let’s head out. I think we could all use a break from the unpacking.”
AFTER LUNCH, JARED AND MEL HEADED to the medical examiner’s office. John Farber was on staff and he merely waved when they entered. He had a male body on a gurney — and what looked to be Cup-A-Soup in his hand — and he seemed distracted.
“Motor vehicle accident from Sterling Heights,” he volunteered at their unasked question. “Seems pretty straight forward.”
Jared made sure to keep his gaze away from the mangled body. “Good for you ... I guess.”
Farber chuckled. “You’ve got such a delicate stomach for a cop.”
“I don’t have a delicate stomach,” Jared shot back, agitation coming out to play. “I just think it’s weird that you eat when there’s a body out ... like this.”
“When do you suggest I eat?” Farber was blasé. “There’s always a body out. This is the medical examiner’s office. I mean ... this is what we do. It’s not all paperwork and court appearances.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jared waved his hand. “We’re here about Cassie Clifton.”
“Right.” Farber switched gears and moved away from the body he was working on, angling over to a desk so he could grab a file sitting out in the open. “I was expecting you guys.”
“We already got the time of death,” Mel said. “What else can you tell us?”
“Her last meal was vegetables. No rice or anything. Just vegetables.”
“That fits with what we know about her,” Jared said. “She seemed to be a fitness freak and watched her food intake.”
“Yes, but ... no rice?” Farber looked pained. “That’s no fun at all.”
“As someone who lives with a woman who hoards Little Debbie’s and dill pickle potato chips, I concur,” Jared said. “We always have crap food in our house and I love it.”
“Yes, how is Harper?” Farber’s eyes sparkled. “I’ve always loved that girl. Even when she was younger, she had a spark. It’s frustrating to me that you’re the one who claimed her.”
“Well, I did.” Jared flashed a predatory smile. “As for how she is, you’ll have to ask her. I believe she’s blissful in her wedding happiness.”
“Because she’s married to you?”
“Of course.”
“And how about Zander?” Farber didn’t miss a beat. “How did he deal without his Harper for two whole weeks?”
“He didn’t deal without Harper.” Jared’s expression fell. “He joined us on our honeymoon.”
Farber blinked several times in rapid succession. “Oh,” he said finally.
“It’s a sore subject,” Mel offered. “You’re probably not going to want to mention it again.”
“That’s not really how I roll.” Farber broke into a broad grin. “So ... did the three of you share a room? That’s how I’m picturing it in my head.”
“Of course not,” Jared snapped. “That’s not how it went. Shawn and Zander had their own room. They just periodically showed up to invade our meals ... and romantic walks ... and there were some missing girls there, too.”
“Oh, well ... fun.” Farber flashed a smile that seemed more deranged than anything else. “And now you’re home. Are you already tired of married life? I’m not asking for me or anything. I’m just a curious student of human behavior.”
“I’m never going to be bored with my wife,” Jared said. “Not even a little, so you can wipe that thought right out of your head.”
“Yeah, come and see me when the honeymoon glow has worn off.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“If you say so.” Farber turned serious. “So, Cassie Clifton was strangled.”
“We figured that,” Mel said. “She had marks around her neck.”
“She did. We did find some tissue under her fingernails. It’s possible whoever went after her lost some skin, likely on the wrists would be my guess.” Farber lifted his arms to demonstrate. “I don’t know how deep the wounds we’re talking would be but there could be something. We’re having the tissue — which there’s not a lot of — typed and tested.”
“What about Cassie?” Mel queried. “How long did it take her to die?”
“Well, that’s another thing.” Farber blew out a sigh. “I think she was strangled twice.”
Jared jerked up his head. “What makes you say that?”
“There were two sets of marks on her neck. The first were darker, which suggests to me that they had more time to bruise before her blood stopped pumping.”
Lines formed across Jared’s forehead. “You’re suggesting that she was strangled but it didn’t take and then strangled again.”
“Pretty much.” Farber bobbed his head. “It’s more common than you might believe, and altogether uncomfortable to spend too much time dwelling on. I think our killer assumed Cassie was dead and then either decided to make sure or was caught off guard when she stirred.”
Jared felt sick to his stomach. “Well, that’s lovely.”
“It’s gruesome to think about,” Farber agreed. “There’s one other thing.” He hesitated, tilting his head back and forth, and then forced a smile. “I don’t want to tell you guys how to do your jobs.”
“But you will,” Mel muttered.
Farber continued as if he hadn’t heard him. “The first set of strangulation marks were at an odd angle. I was bothered by it, so I had one of the interns run through a couple of scenarios with me. The only one that fits the marks suggests that our killer had small fingers and attempted the first strangulation from this angle.” He positioned his hands so they were slightly up and facing forward.
“You’re saying that whoever killed Cassie was shorter than her,” Jared surmised.
“That makes the most sense,” Farber agreed. “The second set of strangulation marks suggest that Cassie was on the ground and our killer straddled her to choke the life out of her.”
“Well ... huh.” Mel rolled his neck. “How tall was Cassie?”
“Five-foot-eight.”
“That’s not overly tall in the grand scheme of things,” Jared said. “Most men would still be even with her or taller.”
“Unless you’re talking about a really short man,” Farber agreed. “Like ... Tom Cruise is supposed to be tiny. He might be shorter than her. In general, though, I would say most men would not only be taller but have thicker fingers.”
“You’re saying we’re looking for a woman,” Mel said.
“I can’t say that for certain,” Farber clarified. “I think it’s likely, though.”
“Well, that changes things.” Mel shifted his eyes to Jared. “We were looking for a predator of some sort, or a man who might’ve wanted retribution. If we’re looking for a woman, though ... .”
“I think we need to interview Chuck again,” Jared volunteered. “Jason, too. Maybe they were dating other women who were jealous of Cassie.”
“Why would anyone Chuck was dating be jealous of Cassie? They were divorced.”
“Maybe the individual in question assumed that Chuck wasn’t over her. Just because he says they mutually agreed to divorce, that doesn’t mean it’s true.”
“I suppose.” Mel rubbed his chin and let loose a deep sigh. “I guess that should be our next stop.” He flicked his eyes to Farber. “You’ll let us know if anything comes from your tests on the skin retrieved from under her fingernails, right?”
“Absolutely. You’ll be the first people I call.”
“Thanks for that. I guess we know where we’re heading next.”
HARPER WAS BEYOND EXCITED WHEN THEY arrived at the lighthouse. The woman standing on the front lawn smiled and waved ... and then tentatively lowered her arm. She appeared nervous.
“Debbie Montlake?” Harper asked as she slowly approached the other woman. She’d been expecting someone older. This woman was in her early thirties at the most.
“That’s me.” She smiled at Harper as she nervou
sly tugged a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “I’m so glad you could come out. I ... um ... have never dealt with a situation like this before and when I mentioned it to the woman at the bakery downtown, she pointed me in your direction.”
“It’s okay,” Harper reassured her. She was used to people being frazzled when they had to enlist the help of GHI. “Just tell me what’s happened and we’ll go from there.”
“Well ... um ... I bought the lighthouse about two months ago,” she started.
“We heard.” Zander beamed at her as he extended his hand. “Zander Pritchett. This is Harper Harlow, Eric Tyler and Molly Parker.”
Harper was mortified. “And I should’ve introduced myself from the start. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Debbie reassured her quickly. “I know you guys just bought the cemetery. Pam at the bakery told me that, too. I didn’t want to bother you when I figured you were busy but ... I’m having issues.”
“It’s okay.” Sympathy coursed through Harper. “Just tell us what you’re dealing with and we’ll go from there.”
“Well, I bought the building — it was one of those things I really couldn’t pass up because I’ve always wanted to live in a lighthouse — but the closing took longer than I thought because the former owner was ... um ... difficult.”
“You mean Old Man Butters?” Zander queried.
Harper shot him a dirty look. “You don’t need to add the ‘old man’ part.”
“He was an old man,” Zander argued. “That made him crotchety. He’s the reason we could never get in this lighthouse even though you were desperate to see the inside. I would think you would agree with me, especially about the crotchety part.”
Harper rolled her eyes and then smiled at Debbie. “You’ll have to forgive him. We’ve lived here our entire lives and we have particular relationships with everybody.”
“It’s fine.” Debbie managed another nervous smile, although it was wan. “Mr. Butters was most definitely crotchety. He made me jump through a bunch of hoops to buy the building. Then he said — this is after the fact mind you — that I couldn’t change anything. I explained how, since I bought the building, I could do whatever I wanted with it. He disagreed. Then he tried to add language into the purchase documents after we’d already agreed on an initial deal that guaranteed I couldn’t update the building. It was a whole big thing.”
Ghostly Endeavor (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 19) Page 8