Ghostly Fears

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jared frowned. “I can’t imagine your mother cutting hair. That doesn’t seem like much of a power position.”

  “Oh, well, that’s where you’re wrong.” Harper laughed at his dubious expression. “For women, that is a power position. It means she’s right in the center of all the gossip. Women love to chat while getting their hair done. I learned that from my mother.”

  “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it. I would imagine being a hairdresser is stressful because you’re completely dependent on the whims of others to make your livelihood. I’m guessing, when times get tough, haircuts and dye jobs are among the first things to go.”

  “Maybe not go, but pared down,” Harper corrected. “That’s the thing. I was thinking about Madeline back then and she always had the best of everything. We’re talking coats, purses, and shoes. Her mother made sure she never went without. That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Or wise,” Jared noted. “Madeline’s mother basically taught her that things were important. Maybe not more important than people, but still important. It’s probably no wonder that she opted for an unhappy life in the lap of luxury rather than a comfortable one without the money.”

  “Yeah.” Harper rolled her neck. Something about the situation continued to niggle at the back of her brain, although she couldn’t put her finger on exactly why. “Just because you decide to go for the money, that doesn’t mean that you completely turn off the emotions.”

  Jared arched an eyebrow, confused. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

  “I’m saying that I think I would’ve always fallen in love with you. Imagine somehow our lives were different and there were different circumstances when you arrived in town. What if I was married to Quinn or something?”

  Jared scowled at mention of her ex-boyfriend, who was currently in jail awaiting trial for threatening her life. “Let’s not imagine that, huh?”

  “I’m not saying I want that life. I’m just saying that if something absolutely ridiculous had happened and I was already with someone else when you came to town, I’d like to think that our pull is too great and we still would’ve found our way to one another.”

  Things finally clicked into place for Jared. “Oh. You’re wondering if someone crossed paths with Madeline over the years and she tried to figure out a way to hold onto the money and somehow embrace the love, too.”

  “Basically,” she agreed. “There’s nothing that could keep me from you. I’m not the sort of person who needs obscene wealth. Not at all. I do need love. Maybe Madeline needs love, too.”

  “You think she might be holed up with a man somewhere.”

  “It makes sense. She’s living a very lonely existence. Maybe it’s not as lonely as we think and that’s how she survives.”

  “I like where your head is at. That makes sense. She still had to get off this island somehow without anybody noticing.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve been thinking about that, too. How difficult would it be for someone to bring their own boat out here and dock at the far side of the island? I’m guessing not as difficult as we’re making it out to be. Heck, if someone was really dedicated, they could’ve rowed out here. It probably wouldn’t take more than twenty minutes or so. This is barely an island.”

  Jared looked dubious. “Rowing is a lot of work.”

  “It is ... but if I was out here and you wanted to see me, would that work keep you from seeing me?”

  She had a point. “No. Nothing would keep me from you. Still, I don’t know many guys who would put up with being the side piece. That’s an ego thing.”

  “Unless she found someone willing to compromise his ego for money. If the female version of that individual exists, I guarantee the male version does, too.”

  “Fair enough. What does that have to do with Jennifer’s disappearance?”

  “Maybe nothing. Probably nothing,” she corrected hurriedly thanks to his expression. “The timing still bothers me, though. Jennifer knew about Madeline’s relationship with her father before she disappeared. That’s already been established. That means Byron dated Madeline when she was still in high school. Sure, she might’ve been eighteen, but that’s still frowned upon.”

  Jared was thoughtful as he sipped his juice and thought about the scenario Harper was setting up. “Do you think Madeline had something to do with Jennifer going missing?”

  Harper shrugged. “I’m not ruling it out. If she did, I think it’s far more likely a fight broke out and whatever happened was an accident. Madeline may be a money-hungry viper, but she doesn’t strike me as a murderer ... mostly because she wouldn’t want to do the work associated with being a murderer.”

  “I think, if you really want to pursue this angle, we need someone who is part of the family but not exactly close to Madeline. Someone who would have skin in the game and want to protect Byron. Most of the people here probably don’t care about Byron ... other than the fact that he signs their paychecks.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Harper’s eyes shifted over the room until they found the person she was looking for. Evangeline. “Byron is her son. Jennifer is her granddaughter. I think she pays attention to what’s going on under this roof more than people give her credit for.”

  Jared followed her gaze. “I have no issue if you want to hit her up for information. I am concerned that you seem fixated on the fact that Madeline’s disappearance is most likely tied to Jennifer’s disappearance. Odds are they have nothing to do with one another.”

  “I get that. It makes sense.”

  Jared sighed. “But you’re going to stick with your theory.”

  “I am.” Harper nodded without hesitation. “I just have a feeling. I can’t explain it.”

  “Then I have faith in your theory.”

  EVANGELINE WAS READING THE NEWSPAPER and drinking coffee when Harper and Jared approached. She seemed surprised by the intrusion, but she didn’t act out of sorts. George, on the other hand, was already drinking bourbon in a coffee mug and seemed to be in a foul mood.

  “Oh, good,” he muttered. “More ghost hunters. I can’t tell you how happy I am this is the last day I have to spend with you folks.”

  Harper slid him a narrow-eyed look but didn’t respond. Instead she focused on Evangeline. “Anything good in the newspaper today?”

  Evangeline was a smart woman. She clearly sensed that Harper had an agenda for approaching. “Lots of little tidbits,” she replied, handing over the A section. “You’re welcome to it if you’re interested.”

  “I’m fine.” Harper forced a smile. Now that she was in the thick of things, she felt out of place. “So, I was with Bates yesterday and he told me about the attic room that can’t be entered. That room belonged to your mother, right?”

  Evangeline arched an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the conversational shift. “That was my mother’s room,” she confirmed after a beat. “Nobody has been up there in years.”

  “I know.” Harper exhaled heavily. “The thing is ... I’m curious how it worked. Was this house left to you following the passing of your parents?”

  Evangeline darted a quick look toward George, who was looking unbelievably surly, and then nodded. “Technically, yes, but George and I were married when I inherited so everything was split between us. That’s how it should be between a husband and wife.”

  “Unless you have a wife like Madeline,” George muttered.

  “Of course.” Evangeline folded her hands in her lap, discomfort practically rolling off her in waves. “That goes without saying.”

  Harper was genuinely uncomfortable with the way the couple interacted. “But Evangeline’s family is the one that had the money, right?” she prodded. For some reason, she enjoyed poking George. He was one of the most disagreeable people she’d ever met and there was joy to be found in messing with him. “She was the one who passed the house on to Byron ... although I’m wondering why you did that before your death.” Harper’s gaze was heavy when it landed
on the uncomfortable woman.

  “I never liked this house,” Evangeline admitted, letting loose a nervous laugh. “I always thought it was haunted when I was a kid. My mother told me I was being ridiculous, but I always felt it.”

  “How old were you when your mother died?”

  “Eight.” Sadness washed over Evangeline’s features. “I always loved my mother more than anything. My father was a good man, mind you, but he traveled on business a lot. They were the ones who built this house.”

  “And we were the ones who perfected it,” George offered, sipping from his glass of bourbon. “We’re the ones who made it great and then you just gave it away to Byron as if it was nothing. You didn’t even ask me what I thought about it.”

  Harper sensed a very interesting story. To get it out of Evangeline, though, she was going to need to get rid of George. She sent Jared a pleading look, one that he clearly wanted to argue with. After a few moments of staring at one another, he let loose a sigh and got to his feet.

  “I hear you have an antique gun collection here, George,” he offered through gritted teeth. “People say it’s the best collection in the entire state. I happen to love antique weapons. I don’t suppose you want to show it to me, do you?”

  Jared might not have been keen on being the sacrificial lamb but he understood his part in this set-up and he recognized the one thing that would propel George to perk up.

  “We do.” George’s eyes lit with interest. “Do you have knowledge of antique weapons?”

  “Some. I’m sure you can teach me a lot, though.”

  “I’m sure I can, too. Come on.”

  Harper shot Jared a profoundly grateful look as he disappeared with George and waited until she was sure the two men were gone to start speaking again.

  “George is very lucky to have found a woman like you,” she offered. “I mean ... most men can’t say they married into riches like this.”

  Evangeline’s expression was hard to read. Finally, she heaved out a world-weary sigh. “You’re not very good at this, are you?” She almost looked amused. Now that her husband wasn’t breathing down her neck, she was much more relaxed. “You can just ask me whatever it is you’re curious about. We promised Byron we would cooperate with you — yes, even George — and I’m willing to open myself up to the process simply because my son asked.”

  Harper nodded, pursing her lips. “That’s good. The thing is, I want to see your mother’s sewing room. My understanding is that it’s locked and no one can find the key. Everyone has given up even trying to find it. I think that’s kind of odd.”

  Evangeline’s eyes sharpened. “Why do you care about my mother’s sewing room? Why would that possibly be of any interest to you?”

  “Because I’ve seen your mother.” Harper decided to lay it out there. “You said before that you always thought this house was haunted. That’s why you didn’t like it. I’m betting your husband didn’t like the fact that you gave the house to Byron before it was necessary. I’m not going to pretend I’m not curious about that, but it’s really none of my business.

  “What I’m more interested in is the ghosts,” she continued, opting for honesty. “Your mother is most definitely here. I’ve seen her twice now. The first time was down by the cemetery. The second was in the library last night. She had two other women with her, both in dated dresses. None of them spoke.”

  Evangeline worked her jaw. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked finally, her voice raspy. There was a hint of anger that couldn’t be ignored. “What’s your angle?”

  “I don’t have an angle. My only angle is wanting to find Jennifer. I went to school with her. You know that, right?”

  “So? It’s not as if you were friends. She always liked you, but you were all about your friend Zander. When you actually could’ve helped, you were too busy to be bothered.”

  Harper found the statement odd. “She talked about me back then?”

  An emotion Harper couldn’t identify flitted across Evangeline’s features and then it was quickly shut down into polite disinterest.

  “I don’t believe in ghosts,” Evangeline volunteered. “I know what I said, but I was a child then. I only believed in ghosts because of the constant fog and the fact that the house looked like a castle. I remembered reading stories about haunted castles when I was a kid and my mother fed my imagination.”

  “It’s good to have a parent who feeds your imagination,” Harper offered, earnest. “My mother never fed my imagination. In fact, she was often embarrassed by what I could do. My father was better. He didn’t give me as much grief as she did. He wasn’t easy either, though.

  “My grandfather was the one who fueled my imagination,” she continued. “He was the first ghost I ever saw. After he died, he came to visit me.”

  Despite herself, Evangeline was intrigued. “What did he say?”

  “Just that he loved me, that I was going to be okay, and he didn’t want me to be afraid. He said he was leaving much sooner than he envisioned and there were things he wanted to tell me. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized what those things were.”

  “Was he like you?”

  Harper nodded. “Yeah. Maybe you are, too. Have you ever considered that you thought this house was haunted because you’re sensitive to certain things?”

  “Ghosts aren’t real.”

  “I think you’re just saying that because George says it. He’s a real jerk, by the way. You could do much better.”

  “He’s ... the father of my son.”

  Harper understood what Evangeline wasn’t saying. “Your son is grown and he’s saddled himself with a loveless marriage, too. It must have been difficult for you. His first marriage was probably more than you could’ve hoped for. He loved her and it sounds like she was a wonderful person. His second wife, however, was the exact opposite.”

  Evangeline’s expression turned dark. “Madeline was a mistake.”

  “I have no doubt. She’s still missing, though, and I’m bothered about the fact that no one seems to care about her. You might not like her as a person, but she’s still a human being. What if something happened to her?”

  “Nothing happened to her. She’s just looking for attention.”

  That seemed to be the Jessup family mantra. “You’ve kept an eye on her since she married Byron. I know it. Is she involved with someone else?”

  Whatever question she was expecting, that wasn’t it. Evangeline immediately started shaking her head. She was too fast, though. Harper realized she was on to something within a split second.

  “She is seeing someone, isn’t she?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Evangeline lied. “I ... .” Whatever she was going to say died on her lips when Bates appeared at the door to announce breakfast was ready.

  “Wait.” Harper tried to grab the woman’s arm, but she was too fast. She was out of the parlor before Harper could drag the answers she was looking for from her clenched lips.

  “What was that?” Zander asked, appearing at his friend’s side. “That looked intense.”

  “It’s not finished, is what it is.” Harper’s annoyance was on full display. “We’re nowhere near done. I think I’m going to need a ghost to help me with this one, though.”

  “That sounds intriguing.”

  Harper could only hope it would turn out fruitful as well.

  16

  Sixteen

  Harper couldn’t shake the feeling that Evangeline was the key to figuring things out ... at least as far as Madeline was concerned. The woman was clearly hiding something. But what?

  “You look agitated,” Jared noted as he wiped the corners of his mouth after breakfast. “I’m the one who should be agitated. I mean ... I had to spend thirty minutes with George and his gun collection. No one has suffered like me.”

  Despite the deep thoughts threatening to bury her, Harper couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “I’ll make it up to you later in a very f
un and inventive way. I promise. I might need you to do it again, though.”

  Jared frowned. “Why would you need me to do it again? I figured you got what you needed.”

  “Not even close.”

  “And what are you looking for again?”

  “Information,” Harper replied simply.

  “And you think Evangeline has it?”

  “On Madeline? Absolutely. She said she never liked this house because she thought it was haunted. She’s right. It is haunted. There are three ghosts running around, maybe more. None of them are Jennifer as far as I can tell, though.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Jared pressed. “We’re here because of Jennifer.”

  “But Madeline is missing, too. Have you heard from Mel?”

  Jared scowled as he shook his head. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t. He said he would be in touch as soon as he had information. That was last night, though.”

  Harper nodded absently. “I doubt she’s with her parents. If she’s with anyone, it’s someone else.”

  “You mean like a boyfriend. Listen, we had this talk already. I’m right there with you. I think it’s likely she has a boyfriend. We need to figure out where she met this guy ... and how they manage to interact.”

  “And what their overall plan is,” Harper added. “Byron isn’t going to rip up that pre-nup. Madeline cannot inherit unless he does. Byron’s money will be split between Jennifer’s estate and Richard. Madeline is fresh out.”

  “Which brings up an interesting theory,” Jared noted, his eyes traveling across the room, to where Richard chatted with Bertie and laughed gregariously, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I wonder how Richard feels about half his father’s money being left to a ghost.”

  Harper followed his gaze, surprised. “I never really thought about that. Still ... half Byron’s money is more than enough to live on comfortably for the rest of his life.”

  “Greed is a funny thing. What would be more than enough for some people isn’t even close to enough for others.”