Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Linden was dumbfounded. “What are you talking about?”

  “God, you’re so stupid,” Trask spat. “Even now you’re lost. Why am I not surprised?”

  HARPER focused on regulating her oxygen intake so she didn’t pass out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Her mind didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. She tried to wrap her head around Trask’s appearance – and what it meant in the grand scheme of things – but all she could think about was the knife.

  She lifted her eyes and locked gazes with Jared. He looked petrified. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay. She didn’t think she could make that promise, though. She knew something was wrong when they entered the family suite, and for some reason she ignored her inner danger alarm. She had no one to blame but herself.

  Alice appeared at her side, causing Harper to jolt.

  “This doesn’t look good,” Alice said.

  “What was your first clue?” Harper muttered.

  “Did you say something?” Trask asked, jerking at Harper’s throat. “Are you mouthing off?”

  “I was just … talking to myself,” Harper replied, forcing herself to remain calm even though she really wanted to panic.

  Understanding flitted across Jared’s face as he shot Harper a reassuring smile. “She talks to herself all the time,” he said. “It helps her calm down.”

  “So you’re saying she’s crazy?” Trask challenged. “That doesn’t surprise me. I knew something was off about her from the moment I saw her.”

  “That’s because she’s low class,” Janet said.

  “Probably,” Trask agreed.

  Harper made a face but otherwise remained still. She shifted her eyes to Alice, who watched Trask with an unreadable face.

  “What’s the plan here, Trask?” Jared asked. “Why did you even get involved in this?”

  “I have to protect the mistress of the house,” Trask replied. “That’s my job.”

  Harper wet her lips, an idea forming. “You killed Alice, didn’t you?”

  Alice nodded. “He did.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “He’s the one who snuck into my room that night. He wasn’t alone, though.”

  “Alice was a problem,” Trask intoned, his voice taking on a theatrical quality. “She was a nice girl who didn’t understand her station. This was a grand house with a grand lineage. You let it fall by the wayside, Linden. I tried to tell you back then, but you wouldn’t listen.”

  “What is he talking about?” Josh asked, confused.

  “When I decided to marry your mother I talked to my father first,” Linden answered, searching his memory. “He was pleased with my decision, but my mother was … less than thrilled. She thought Alice was nice but not ready to take on the importance of the Stokes’ family name.

  “Harsens Island is small and the Stokes family was considered royalty on a very tiny island,” he continued. “That never mattered to me and it didn’t matter to my father. It mattered to my mother a great deal and she fought my engagement to Alice.

  “My father talked to Alice’s father and they both agreed to the marriage right away,” Linden said. “I proposed with my father’s blessing and I thought that was the end of it. My mother put in a pouty appearance at the wedding and then went back to her life of … teas and whatever else she did.

  “Four years after the wedding my mother took ill and died,” Linden said. “Up until that point, Alice and I were allowed to do whatever we wanted and were left out of most of the social gatherings that went on here. That all changed after my mother died.”

  “How so?” Josh asked.

  “Alice had to take on the role of social matriarch and it didn’t fit her well,” Linden explained. “Alice was happiest in her garden. We were planning a family, although she didn’t get pregnant as early as we hoped. Still, when my father asked her to take on the duties, she did it without complaint.

  “Unfortunately she didn’t do it to everyone’s liking,” Linden said, inclining his chin in Trask’s direction. “She switched over my mother’s stuffy garden parties to charity events. She didn’t see the point of holding Daughters of the American Revolution parties because she thought they were antiquated. Alice wanted to bring the Stokes family into the present day, and Trask didn’t like that.”

  “Alice was beneath this family,” Trask said. “We all knew it. Romance is fine when you’re young and dumb, but you had responsibilities, Linden, and picking a suitable mate was one of them.”

  “I married for love,” Linden said. “The only one who thought this family was supposed to be special was you. My father didn’t believe that. He loved Alice.”

  “Your father didn’t see the big picture, just like you and Josh don’t see the big picture,” Trask seethed. “The only one who sees the big picture is Janet. She always has. She was meant for the position she holds. You just didn’t see it.”

  “You drugged Alice’s drink at dinner and then snuck into her room and smothered her when she was out,” Harper said. “She was too drugged to fight back, and no one bothered to do a thorough autopsy. I’m guessing it had something to do with the Stokes’ family station.”

  “You have no proof of that,” Trask argued.

  “You weren’t alone,” Harper said, locking gazes with Jared. “You had Janet with you that night. Alice made a mistake when she became friends with Janet. She didn’t realize how big of a mistake it was until it was too late.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Janet scoffed, although she looked mildly alarmed. “How can you even spout nonsense like that?”

  “You glommed on to Alice in high school because she was dating Linden,” Harper said, working through the clues as she talked. “You wanted to be close to Linden because you always had dreams of living in the big house. You wanted to figure out a way to make Linden fall for you.

  “The problem was that you didn’t have much of a personality, did you?” she continued. “You weren’t fun like Alice. You weren’t beautiful like Alice either. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t make Linden notice you. Even worse, when you weren’t around Linden and Alice made jokes about your crush on him behind your back.”

  “That’s a lie!” Janet exploded.

  Harper ignored the outburst. “When you found out Alice and Linden were going to be married you panicked,” she said. “You knew you had to do something. I’m betting you approached Linden’s mother and explained why Alice wasn’t a suitable mate. Am I right?”

  “Alice wasn’t a suitable mate,” Janet shot back. “I didn’t do anything untoward. I was honest. I told Alice she didn’t belong in this house. She laughed it off as if it was a joke. She didn’t deserve to be a part of this family. She refused to listen to me.”

  “At some point you realized Trask was the best ally you had in this house,” Harper said. “You approached him with a plan and he gladly accepted it. When was that? Was it before or after Alice realized she was pregnant with Josh?”

  “It was before actually,” Janet said, refusing to stand on pretense. “I still wanted to kill her so I could provide the Stokes’ heir, but Trask refused. He said we had to wait until Alice gave birth in case Linden never moved on and had another child. We had to be sure the Stokes’ line was safe.

  “I hated Trask for insinuating that Linden and I would never have a child at the time, but it looks like he was right,” she continued. “I got everything I thought I wanted after Alice died and none of it meant a thing.”

  “That’s because Linden didn’t love you,” Harper said, risking a glance at Alice. She looked angry. “Alice was the love of Linden’s life and he never got over her. He eventually agreed to marry you because he needed help with Josh and you seemed eager to take over the house – something he couldn’t be bothered with.

  “You thought you were going to convince him to fall in love with you eventually,” she continued. “You thought he would see you with Josh and realize he’d overlooked you, maybe even forget all ab
out Alice. That never happened, though, and it made you mean and bitter.

  “Still, you managed to put up with things because you didn’t have any other options,” Harper said. “You were the master of your domain, after all. It just wasn’t the life you envisioned. Josh grew up to be the apple of his father’s eye and you hated him because you couldn’t provide an heir to cement your position in the family. Was that because you were incapable, or did Linden refuse to touch you?”

  It was a calculated gamble, but Harper was tired of waiting for something to happen. She was ready to force the issue.

  “Wait a second,” Josh said, realization dawning. “Are you saying … oh, wow.”

  “What are you saying?” Alice asked, confused.

  “I’m saying that Linden and Janet never consummated their relationship,” Harper said, knowing she should rein in her smugness and failing. “She couldn’t provide an heir if Linden wasn’t up for the challenge, so to speak.”

  “Holy crap,” Jared said. “That’s probably why she’s so bitter.”

  “I know I would be that bitter if I had to go so long without … comfort,” Harper said.

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Janet was shrill. “You’re not supposed to talk about things like that in public.”

  “What does it matter now?” Linden challenged. “Everyone is going to find out what you did. You killed my wife. You killed her! You and Trask worked together to … ruin … this family. I hope you’re happy.”

  “Why would I be happy?” Janet spat. “You turned my life into a living hell. All I had was the money and then you took that away. Why would I possibly be happy?”

  “You got everything you ever wanted, though,” Harper said. “You got the house and the husband. You just didn’t get the love. That didn’t play into your game, and you still don’t understand how a real marriage works. It’s almost sad.”

  “What about Hal?” Josh asked. “How does he fit into this?”

  “I’m guessing that Trask made sure Hal’s group was the one hired for this event because it was supposed to go wrong,” Harper supplied. “Trask said the event was beneath the family and he obviously wanted it to fail. Unfortunately for him, his brother was a deadbeat and lowlife and he didn’t like to play by the rules.”

  “Hal actually demanded more money,” Trask said. “He was supposed to make sure everyone had a rotten time. I thought the storm would only add to that. Instead everyone had the audacity to enjoy themselves. I knew that would encourage Josh to try more of this … nonsense.

  “This is a home, not a hotel,” he continued. “It was never meant for the masses. It was meant for the privileged few. I confronted Hal and told him he had to do something to rock the boat and he demanded more money. It was money I didn’t have ready access to in the storm. He threatened to go to Linden so … he had to go.”

  “Where is his body?” Jared asked.

  “I have no idea,” Trask replied. “I seem to have forgotten where it is. You can’t convict without a body. I saw it on television.”

  Harper glanced at Alice for confirmation.

  “He’s lying,” Alice said. “I found a body in the wine cellar. He wrapped it in a tarp and put it behind the casks in the far corner.”

  “Hal’s body is behind some wine barrels in the basement,” Harper announced.

  Trask tightened his grip on her throat. “How do you know that?”

  Harper’s face reddened as she gasped for breath.

  “Get your hands off of her!” Jared bellowed. “Don’t touch her!”

  Trask ground the tip of the knife into Harper’s neck in a circular motion. “Don’t tell me what to do! I’m in charge here.”

  Harper briefly pressed her eyes shut so she could gain control of her panic and when she flipped her lids open again she saw Jared watching her. For some reason she was more worried about him – how he would react should something happen to her – rather than her own plight. It was a sobering thought.

  “What do you want, Trask?” Jared asked, his voice cracking. “There’s no way out of this. Too many people know what you’ve done. Are you going to kill all of us?”

  “I am,” Trask confirmed.

  Jared stilled. “And how do you think you’re going to get away with that?”

  “I have the solution in the basement,” Trask answered. “I’m going to kill you and blame it on my missing brother. He was jealous of the Stokes family, you see. He always has been. They banned him from the property years ago because he was a thief.

  “That will leave Janet and I to save the family legacy,” he continued. “We’ll build the Stokes family back to what it should’ve been all along. Of course we won’t have an heir, but we can always adopt a ward down the line.”

  “There’s no money, you idiot,” Josh snapped. “We’re not hiding money from you. Where do you think you’re going to find money to run this place?”

  “I’m sure something fortuitous will happen,” Trask replied blandly.

  “They already have money socked away,” Harper interjected, the rest of the puzzle slipping into place. “They’ve been hoarding money for years. That’s why Janet was so upset when you put her on an allowance and sold most of her things.

  “It wasn’t that she didn’t want to give back her purchases – although I’m sure that chafed – but she really didn’t want to lose access to the money she’s been putting aside for herself,” she continued. “Janet is a survivor, and once she realized she was never going to convince Linden to fall in love with her, she had to come up with a backup plan.

  “Think about it,” Harper prodded. “In the back of her head Janet always knew there was a chance Linden would come to his senses and give her the boot. She had no real standing in this house or family without an heir.”

  “That does make sense,” Josh mused. “When I looked at the books I couldn’t believe how much money she burned through over the years.”

  “That’s because she didn’t burn through it all,” Jared said. “Still, you could’ve left after the financial collapse and no one would’ve been the wiser, Janet. Why stay?”

  “The house,” Harper answered. “She’s always been infatuated with the house.”

  “It’s my house,” Janet said. “It’s going to stay my house. We’ll blame your murders on Hal, I’ll go through a very public mourning period, and then we’ll right this sinking ship.”

  “It’s a great plan,” Harper said.

  “I know.”

  “There’s only one problem,” Harper said. “We’ve been in touch with a Whisper Cove police detective and one of my business associates and they’re aware of what’s going on out here. They know Hal is dead so you can’t use him as a scapegoat.”

  Trask stilled, surprised. “How?”

  “I told them.”

  “How do you know?”

  Harper smiled at Alice. It seemed her big secret was about to be everyone’s saving grace. “Because I can see and talk to ghosts.”

  “What?” Trask was flabbergasted. “That’s not a thing. No one believes that.”

  “Everyone in Whisper Cove believes that,” Jared challenged. “You don’t have a play here.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let her go,” Trask snapped, grabbing Harper’s hair and giving it a vicious yank as he turned her. “I want to see you when I kill you.”

  Jared moved quickly. He knew he was out of time. He grabbed the knife before Trask could slash it against Harper’s throat. Jared didn’t have a good angle, but he put up one heck of a fight as he worked to protect his blonde.

  Harper took advantage of the situation and slammed her knee in Trask’s groin, taking him by surprise. When he didn’t relinquish the knife she sank her teeth into the soft flesh next to his wrist, causing him to yowl in pain.

  He dropped the knife and it clattered to the floor. Harper kicked it away with her free foot while Jared slammed his fist into Trask’s face, causing the older man to buckle t
o his knees.

  “Don’t ever touch her again!” Jared yelled, pounding his fist into Trask’s face a second time. “I will kill you if you ever try and touch her again!”

  “I think he gets it, man,” Josh said, appearing at Jared’s side and placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from hitting Trask a third time. “He won’t touch her again. I promise.”

  Jared regained his senses and turned to find Harper watching him. He took two steps and grabbed her, dragging her into his arms as he buried his face in her flaxen hair. “I thought I was going to lose you there for a second.”

  “That can never happen,” Harper said, returning the embrace. “I don’t like to lose and we haven’t solved the case of the hopping soap yet.”

  Jared weakly chuckled, although the laughter shifted to a sob as he tightened his arms around Harper’s back. “Don’t scare me like that again.”

  “Ugh, I think I’m going to throw up,” Janet said, rolling her eyes from her spot next to Linden. She didn’t make a move to flee or fight. She seemed resigned.

  “Just for the record, I would like to point out I had a bad feeling when we walked into this room,” Harper said. “I told you and no one listened to me.”

  Jared leaned back his head, incredulous. “Really? You’re going to bring that up now?”

  “I told you I like to win.”

  “I’m going to … hug the crap out of you and then kill you,” Jared said, pulling her back against his chest. “You’re going to be the death of me, Heart.”

  “But what a way to go,” Josh teased.

  Twenty-Four

  Jared woke to the sound of chirping birds the next morning, shifting his eyes to the window and smiling when he saw the sun peeking through. It had been so long since he saw it, he almost forgot what it looked like. Then memories of Harper’s ordeal flooded his mind and he turned, worried he would discover her side of the bed empty. Instead he found her Skyping with Zander.

  “I can’t believe you solved a case without me,” Zander said, his pout pronounced. He was in bed, too. “I feel so neglected, Harp. When are you coming home?”