Ghostly Wedding (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 17)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Peter was the individual hit.”

  Denise remained absolutely frozen, to the point where Mel briefly wondered if she’d had some sort of stroke. Finally, after a full twenty seconds at least, she shook her head. “No, there’s been some mistake.”

  “We don’t believe there has,” Jared said gently. “We are waiting for confirmation from the medical examiner, but both Detective Kelsey and I saw the body. We’ve matched it with his driver’s license photo.”

  “But ... no.” Denise’s lower lip trembled. “That’s not right.”

  “We’re very sorry,” Mel supplied. “We’re positive it’s him, though.”

  “But ... .” Denise pulled out a chair and sank into it, her eyes focusing on nothing. “This can’t be happening.”

  “We understand this is a blow for you,” Jared said. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. We have a few questions, though.”

  “Questions about what?”

  “Peter. Did he have any enemies?”

  “Enemies?” Denise shook her head. “He sold insurance. We’re talking car insurance, home insurance. Heck, he sold renter’s insurance. He lived a very boring life.”

  Briefly, Jared wondered if that was one of the things that led to the divorce. Denise said they’d been young. Perhaps Peter settled into a life that was incapable of titillating Denise. It sounded like the exes had made the mature decision to put Cami first and remained at least reasonably close. That reflected well on both of them in his eyes.

  “He must’ve upset somebody at some point,” Mel insisted. “Nobody is perfect.”

  “Peter is definitely not perfect,” she agreed. “He’s not a bad man either. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. I just ... don’t understand how this could happen.”

  Because he believed her, Mel merely nodded and flicked his eyes to Jared. “Maybe we should talk to the people at the insurance office.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Jared laid a gentle hand on Denise’s shoulder. “Is there anything we can do for you?”

  “Can you bring Peter back?”

  “No.”

  “Then there’s nothing you can do for me.” Denise looked as if she was going to burst into tears at any moment, but she didn’t crumble. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain this to Cami.”

  “Where is she?” Mel asked.

  “She’s hanging out with her friends. She’s sixteen. It’s impossible to keep her here for more than a few hours at a time.”

  “She’s at that age,” Mel agreed. “Can you ask her if she knows of anybody Peter was having trouble with? We’ll leave cards so you know how to get in touch with us.”

  “I can ask her. I’m sure she would’ve already told me if she knew something, though. She’s going to be broken-hearted over this. She and Peter were extremely close.”

  “At least she has you.” Mel searched in his wallet for a card and placed it on the table. “You’ll want to get in contact with the medical examiner’s office. They’ll transport the body to whatever funeral home you pick.” He hesitated. “According to the records we have, both Peter’s parents are dead.”

  “They are.” Denise cleared her rusty throat. “His father died when he was in high school. Heart attack. His mother died two years ago from cancer. He was devastated. I helped him plan the funeral.”

  “We’re really sorry,” Jared said. “If you need anything, you know where to find us.”

  “Thank you. I ... thank you. Right now I just have to figure out how I’m going to tell Cami her father is gone. I will ask her if she knows anybody who would want to hurt Peter. I guarantee she doesn’t know anything about that, though.”

  “We still have to ask, which means we’ll be grateful if you ask as well.”

  “I’ll ask. Thank you for telling me what happened. I ... just don’t know what to make of it.”

  Since Jared and Mel had nothing to offer, they let themselves out of Denise’s home, leaving her with only grief and memories to keep her company. There was nothing else they could do for her.

  6

  Six

  Chelsea Crawford was only in her thirties — she’d inherited Statham Farms from her mother less than a year before — but Harper recognized her as high maintenance the second they landed on the property.

  “I want it gone.” Chelsea wagged a wild finger as her gaze bounced between faces. “I want it gone right now!”

  “Absolutely,” Harper agreed, her smile never wavering. “We’re just going to need a little bit of information. For starters, do you have any idea who it is?”

  “It’s a ghost.”

  “Yes, but ghosts were people at one time, too. It would be helpful if we knew who this ghost used to be.”

  “How should I know?” Chelsea tugged a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She had the sort of pristine skin that only comes from exorbitant lotions and a pair of lips that looked close to exploding from too many fillers.

  “You’ve lived here your entire life, right?” Harper challenged.

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  Harper was close to losing her patience. “Has the ghost always been here? Is it a recent thing? Maybe there are stories going back years about a ghost haunting the stable.”

  “Oh.” Chelsea popped her lips and tilted her head, considering. “I get what you’re saying. Um ... supposedly, if you ask the stable crew, the ghost has been around for years. It’s never been a problem up until the past six months or so.”

  Harper did the math in her head. “Your mother died about six months ago, right?”

  Chelsea’s eyes went wide. “You’re not suggesting it’s my mother, are you?”

  “No. You said the ghost was hanging around before then but not acting up. I’m suggesting whoever it is might be upset that your mother is no longer around.”

  “Oh, that makes sense.” Chelsea swished her hips and stared at a spot over Harper’s shoulder, making the intrepid spirit hunter realize the woman was interested in something other than the people she was hiring to handle her ghost problem.

  When Harper glanced over her shoulder to see what had caught Chelsea’s interest, she found a mirror. Apparently what Chelsea was interested in was herself. “What about your father? Could the ghost be him?”

  “I doubt it. My father died ten years ago and he didn’t like the horses. They were my mother’s thing.”

  “Okay, well ... you signed the contract. We’ll take it from here. If we have any further questions, I’m assuming we can find you at the house.”

  “Yes, that’s fine. As soon as the ghost is gone, come up to the house and I’ll have your payment. Just make sure it’s gone.”

  “Sure.” Harper waited until the woman was out of earshot to speak. “She’s real piece of work. She barely made eye contact through all of that because she was too busy staring at her own reflection.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Zander drawled, checking his hair in the exact same mirror. “I happen to think it’s healthy to stare at yourself for long periods of time.”

  “You would,” Eric drawled, setting his bag down on the ground. “We should probably get started.”

  “Probably,” Harper agreed, flicking her gaze to one of the stable hands, a man who looked to be in his forties and was watching them with overt curiosity. “Just one second.” She padded over to the man, a friendly smile on her face. “I’m assuming you heard the bulk of that conversation.”

  “I did.” The man’s tone was gruff as he folded his arms over his chest. “What about it?”

  “I think you know something.” Harper saw no reason to hold back. “I’m Harper Harlow, by the way.”

  “I’m Jim Beckett. I handle the horses.”

  “I figured. Do you know who the ghost is?”

  Jim hesitated before looking around. “I might have an idea.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “I think it’s my father.”

 
; Harper wasn’t nearly as surprised as she might’ve been under different circumstances. “And why would your father be haunting the stable?”

  “Because, before I had this job, he did.”

  Harper nodded in understanding. “When did he die?”

  “About ten years ago.”

  “And you’ve had this job ever since?”

  “I have.” Jim was standoffish, but he seemed interested in the conversation. “Why?”

  “Because I have a theory, and I’m wondering if you can confirm it for me.”

  “And what theory is that?”

  “Were your father and Margaret Crawford involved?”

  Jim hesitated and then nodded. “They were. Why does that matter?”

  “Because I’m willing to bet that your father hung around after his death because he wanted to stay close to Margaret. He was a benevolent ghost during that time. Margaret loved the horses, right?”

  “She did.”

  “And your father associated the horses with her. He was fine just hanging around. All he wanted was to get a glimpse of her. Then Margaret died. He might not realize she’s gone. He might simply be throwing a fit because he hasn’t seen her in a long time.”

  “That sounds all well and good, but I haven’t seen my father.”

  “Have you felt him?”

  “I ... .”

  Harper narrowed her eyes. “You have, haven’t you?”

  “I might’ve had an inkling a time or two that he was near,” Jim conceded. “It was just one of those feelings you get, though.”

  “I think it was more than that. He’s still here and Margaret has passed on. He misses her.”

  “And how are you going to fix that?”

  “I’m going to help him cross over.”

  “You can do that?” Jim was understandably dubious.

  “I can. You might miss being able to feel him, but I think it’s better for him to be with Margaret for the time being. You’ll be able to join him later.”

  “I just want to know that he’s okay.” Jim momentarily choked up. “He was a good father. He taught me everything I know. He loved animals and instilled that love in me. It’s just ... what about my mother?”

  “Oh.” Harper rubbed her forehead. “Maybe Margaret and your mother can agree to share on the other side.”

  Jim chuckled at the notion. “Yeah, I think that’s unlikely. I never got the feeling that my parents liked each other all that much anyway. If Heaven is real and you can pick who you want to spend time with, then I’m going to guess that my mother is hanging out with the women from her card group. She’ll be more than happy to allow my father to be with Margaret. It’s just ... will I be able to see them both when it’s my time?”

  The emotion on the man’s face had Harper liking him a whole lot more. “I think you’ll be able to visit whoever you want. The most important thing right now is helping your father cross over.”

  “Then I’d like to help you do it.”

  “Good, because we’re going to need to draw him out of the stable and I think you’re the best man for the job.”

  “Why do we need to draw him out of the stable?”

  “Because I don’t want to freak out the horses.”

  “Oh, right. Good call.”

  EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NO REASON to visit Lila Montgomery, Mel and Jared found themselves at the overblown manor on the bluff after leaving Denise’s house. Mel came up with a million arguments for why they shouldn’t visit. Jared was resolute, though. If they wanted answers, they had very few places to check. The insurance office couldn’t fit them in for a few hours. That meant Lila was essentially the only lead they had.

  “We’ll be quick,” Jared insisted as he knocked on the door. “You’ll see. It will be over quickly.”

  Mel didn’t look convinced. “How are you going to explain what we’re doing here?”

  “I’ve got it. Don’t worry about it.” Jared planted a friendly smile on his face as the door swung open.

  The man on the other side looked to be in his sixties and wore an expensive suit. “May I help you?”

  Jared introduced Mel and himself. “We had an incident in Whisper Cove yesterday,” he explained. “We would like to speak to Mrs. Montgomery if she can spare a moment.”

  The butler’s forehead creased. “I don’t understand. Mrs. Montgomery didn’t leave the house yesterday.”

  “I know. Our victim mentioned Montgomery Manor in a store right before he was killed. We simply want to ascertain if she knew him.”

  “I guess I can see if she’s up for visitors.” The butler looked between them and then indicated a set of chairs near the door. “Wait here. I’ll be back shortly.”

  “Absolutely.” Jared immediately planted himself in one of the chairs and shot Mel a haughty look. “And you thought I didn’t know what I was doing.”

  “I’m not convinced yet.” Mel looked over the ornate foyer. “It’s a nice room. I haven’t been in this house before. My mother used to come to parties out here, but that was a long time ago, before it happened.”

  Jared found he was intrigued. “What happened?”

  “It’s one of the local stories that won’t quite die.” Mel leaned forward so he could make sure the butler couldn’t hear them. “In a nutshell, Lila lost her daughter Penny at some point.”

  “How did she die?”

  “That’s just it. We don’t know if she died. It makes sense that she did but ... she went missing. No body was ever found.”

  “That’s sad.”

  “What’s even sadder is that Penny was pregnant when she disappeared, due to give birth in a few weeks. She went out one day — I forget exactly why — and never came back. Nobody ever saw her again.”

  “What about the father of the baby?”

  “I don’t believe she ever named the father. It was quite the scandal, even though it was like twenty years ago. I can’t remember the exact time frame. Given Lila’s standing in the community, the fact that her daughter showed up pregnant and didn’t get married had tongues wagging in certain circles.”

  “Maybe she took off,” Jared suggested. “I mean ... I don’t know this woman, but given the wealth we’re talking about, she might’ve felt like her best shot was to start a new life somewhere else.”

  “That was one of the stories,” Mel acknowledged. “One of Penny’s friends admitted that she’d been making noise about wanting a life without everybody in town talking about her.”

  “That’s better than being dead, right?”

  “I don’t know. From Lila’s viewpoint, I can see why she might think otherwise. I mean ... losing her daughter and grandchild to murder would undoubtedly be terrible. Losing them because her daughter decided to take off and allow her to worry is another matter entirely.”

  “Which way do you lean?”

  “I think Penny is dead. I was a uniform at the time she went missing and we searched high and low. She would’ve had to do a lot of planning to disappear the way she did and not leave a trace.”

  “Still, there’s always a chance.”

  “There is,” Mel agreed, getting to his feet when a dignified woman appeared in the foyer. She wore a simple pantsuit and her long gray hair was pulled back in a severe bun. Her eyes, an odd shade of gray that almost matched her hair, moved between the two men. “Can I help you?”

  “We certainly hope so,” Jared replied, taking control of the conversation. “We don’t want to take up too much of your time, Mrs. Montgomery, and this might be a wasted effort, but we feel we have to chase every lead.”

  “And you’re chasing a lead to my house?” Lila hiked a thin eyebrow. “What lead are you chasing?”

  “A man died in Whisper Cove yesterday. He was crossing the road and was struck by a car.”

  “I saw that on the news. What do you think it has to do with me? I wasn’t in Whisper Cove yesterday.”

  “According to witnesses, it appears he was intentionally struck. Whether
that means he was targeted or simply hit because he happened to be in the road, we can’t say. Before he was killed, our victim was in several stores. He mentioned Montgomery Manor. We’re not sure if he planned to visit or if he had ties to you. That’s what we’re trying to ascertain.”

  “I see.” Lila worked her jaw. “And what was this man’s name?”

  “Peter Humphrey.”

  She took a moment to consider and then shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize that name.”

  Jared had to control his disappointment. “Could we show you a photo?”

  “Certainly.”

  Jared pulled out his phone and held it up so Lila could study Peter’s face. “Anything?”

  “I’m afraid not. I’m not familiar with him.”

  “He sold insurance.”

  “My insurance is done by Paul Belcher out of Shelby Township. He’s handled my insurance for years.”

  Jared nodded in understanding. “Okay. We had to check.” He handed the woman a business card. “If you happen to remember something after the fact, please don’t hesitate to call.”

  “I will, but I’m pretty sure I would remember him if we’d ever met.”

  “Probably. We’re just looking for answers.”

  “I hope you get them.”

  “Me, too.”

  “ARE YOU READY?”

  Harper hid behind a bush and fixed Jim with a pointed look.

  For his part, the stable hand had been reticent at the start but embraced the plan after a few minutes of explanation. “I’m ready.” He wiped his sweaty hands on the front of his jeans. “You don’t think he’ll attack me or anything, do you?”

  “Has he ever attacked you before?”

  “No. He was a wonderful father. You said he was upset about Margaret, though.”

  “Even though he’s upset, he’s done little more than make some noise. That agitates the horses. He’s not an evil spirit. He’s just a ghost with a broken heart. Hopefully we’ll be able to fix that for him.”

  “And you’re sure this will work?” Jim looked dubious. “I mean ... I’ve seen those things at the flea market. I don’t think they’re magical.”