Ghostly Wrecks (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 6)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  “Perhaps it was a bear,” Harper suggested.

  “That’s not funny.” Jared wrinkled his nose. “Oh, man. Now I’m picturing a bear hunting us even though I know that none hang out in this area. Wait … I’m right, aren’t I? There aren’t any bears in this area. I’m sure of it.”

  Harper didn’t answer but someone else did. A male voice, this one full of mirth, filled the air with the raucous sound of chuckling. “I guess the fish are going to hear you two coming from miles away.”

  “Who is that?” Jared asked, his voice raising an octave.

  “That’s Andrew Farmer.” Harper smiled as she peered toward the riverbank. “Where are you, Andrew?”

  “You didn’t tell me he fished this close,” Jared complained. “If I knew he was this close I would’ve stayed in the hammock.”

  “Oh, well, that would’ve been a shame,” a craggy voice said, a silhouette appearing about ten feet away. “I would’ve hated to miss this enlightening conversation.”

  “Andrew.” Harper moved through the water, taking long and careful steps as she jerked a bit thanks to the heavier water flow. “I was hoping to find you out here.”

  “This is where I fish when it’s hot,” Andrew said, holding out his hand to help Harper to shore. “You know that, Ms. Harlow.”

  “I do know that,” Harper confirmed. “I … .”

  “Son of a … .” Jared realized too late that the water got progressively deeper in his part of the river and tipped forward, going under.

  “Whoops.” Harper glanced over her shoulder, making a face. “I forgot to mention that dip to him.”

  Jared resurfaced, sputtering. “What the heck was that?”

  “That’s my fishing hole,” Andrew replied, grinning. “You’re wet, boy.”

  “Oh, gee, I wouldn’t have noticed. Ugh!” Jared was furious as he wrung out his shirt. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Heart. I could be hammocking right now … or something even better.”

  “What’s better than hammocking?” Andrew asked, legitimately curious. His well-lined face was lit with mirth as he watched Jared climb onto dry land.

  “Something involving those boots and no water,” Jared muttered.

  “Oh, you’re a pervert.” Andrew made a dubious face as he glanced at Harper. “What are you doing out here, girl? You’re not generally a fan of night fishing.”

  “I’m not here to fish,” Harper replied. “I’m here to ask you about Jack Corgan. Jason Thurman mentioned in his restaurant that you’ve been talking about him and I can’t really remember the story.”

  “And you came all the way out here to ask me about Jack Corgan?”

  Harper nodded.

  “Why do you care?”

  Harper held her hands palms up and shrugged. “Because I can’t remember the story and I want you to tell it to me.”

  Andrew stared at her, long and considering, and then shrugged. “Okay, but I’m not doing voices or anything to entertain you like I did when you were a kid.”

  Harper stilled. “What?”

  “You don’t remember that?” Andrew snickered. “Your grandfather and I used to take you and your little friend – the fussy one who was always worried about his clothes getting dirty – fishing all of the time. We told you stories. Don’t you remember that?”

  Harper tilted her head to the side. “I remember Zander complaining about his clothes getting dirty. I’m not sure I remember the fishing.”

  “That’s because you didn’t like fishing even then,” Andrew said. “I told you the story of Jack Corgan way back then, though. I can’t believe you don’t remember.”

  “I … feel as if I should remember,” Harper admitted, rolling her neck. “I think that’s the thing that’s been bothering me most all day. I knew someone told me the story and yet my mind wouldn’t recall it. That drives me crazy.”

  Jared rested his hand on the small of her back, resigned that they would be stuck on the river for a long period of time. “Let’s get comfortable so we can both hear it,” he suggested.

  Harper nodded, letting Jared lead her to a fallen log so they could sit. “I’m sorry you got wet.”

  “It’s fine.” Jared waved off the apology. “It’s so humid I don’t even really notice.”

  “I’ll still wear the boots for you later.” Harper squeezed his knee.

  “Good.” Jared pressed a kiss to her cheek and focused on Andrew. “I’ve never heard the story of Jack Corgan. Tell it to me as if it’s the first time and you’re telling it to Zander and Harper for entertainment.”

  Andrew snorted. “Boy, I’m eighty-five years old. I don’t have the energy for that. Jack Corgan was a big name around these parts in the twenties. That was almost a hundred years ago. Do you remember why he was such a well-remembered figure, Ms. Harlow?”

  “I … .”

  “He married often,” Andrew prodded.

  That was all Harper needed to hear for things to slip into place. She exhaled heavily, leaning closer to Jared. “Oh, now I remember,” she intoned. “His wives kept going missing, but he was never arrested because everyone thought he was too good of a guy to be a murderer.”

  “Very good.” Andrew beamed. “He had three wives, no divorces, and no bodies were ever found. He helped people on the lake, though, gave his time out of the goodness of his heart to those in need. People looked the other way … which was probably a mistake.”

  Jared rubbed the back of his neck, confused. “How could he keep getting married if his former wives were never found dead?”

  Andrew shrugged. “That’s a good question. I have no idea how that was possible.”

  “His ghost, though,” Harper prodded. “You’ve been talking about his ghost. Have you ever seen him?”

  Andrew shook his head. “I haven’t. I’ve heard from other people who have. He helps lost boaters on the lake. He shows them the way to the shore. Hundreds of people have seen him over the years.”

  “What does he do to women wandering the shoreline alone?” Jared questioned, pulling back slightly when Harper scorched him with a dark look. “What? It’s a legitimate question. The guy probably murdered multiple wives. It sounds as if he likes men and hates women.”

  “Now that right there is an interesting theory,” Andrew said. “I guess I should start from the beginning.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it,” Jared deadpanned.

  “Then listen close,” Andrew ordered. “I’m only telling this story once. Now, get comfortable, because it’s a doozy.”

  9

  Nine

  “I don’t want to get up.”

  Jared made a grunting noise the next morning, rolling to his side rather than follow Harper’s gentle prodding and slide out from underneath the covers.

  “I’m going to spend the day in bed,” Jared announced, resting his forearm over his eyes to shield his face from the sun filtering in through the window. “And you’re going to stay with me.”

  Harper widened her eyes as she stared at him, amused by his antics. “I have work to do today.”

  Jared barely stirred. “I know you do. Me. I’m your work.”

  “You’re not my work. You’re my reward.”

  “Aw, that’s kind of sweet.” Jared shifted his eyes and locked gazes with Harper. “You haven’t said much since Andrew told us that story last night about the ‘much loved although he might be a three-time murderer’ Jack Corgan.”

  “That’s because you made me keep my promise and dress only in the boots when we got home and I was distracted,” Harper pointed out.

  Jared’s smirk was lazy and self-satisfied. “Yes, that was the highlight of my evening. Now I’m looking forward to going fishing with you again, and that’s something I was fairly certain I would never say.”

  “I don’t like fishing,” Harper noted. “I think it’s boring and the end product smells.”

  “The same can be said for pregnancy,” Jared pointed o
ut, causing Harper to snort.

  “I’m sure women everywhere will love your take on their reproductive endeavors,” Harper drawled, plucking his hand from on top of the blanket and flipping it over so she could study the lines along the palm. “Thank you for going with me last night.”

  Her voice was small so Jared almost didn’t hear her. He slid a gaze in her direction, surprised. “Of course. You know I’m not keen on letting you wander around after dark by yourself. That being said, if I knew Andrew Farmer was that stinking close, I probably would’ve remained in the hammock and let you tackle the ghost story on your own.”

  “You never told me what you thought about the story,” Harper prodded.

  “I’m not sure what to make about the story,” Jared admitted, curiously watching Harper as she traced his palm lines with her fingertip. “It sounds as if Jack Corgan was a solid businessman who did a lot for the families in the area. I never met him, but if I had to guess, he was a sociopath.”

  Harper raised her eyebrows, surprised. “Why do you say that? He helped people.”

  “He helped people with money and volunteering his workers,” Jared clarified. “He did enough so he looked like a decent guy – by outward appearances, at least – and everyone thought he was a saint because he gave money. We both know that giving money isn’t the same as giving of yourself.”

  “Hmm.” Harper tilted her head to the side, considering. “I never really thought about that.”

  “From the sounds of it, you forgot the story about Jack Corgan,” Jared prodded. “Why do you think that is?”

  “I was young.”

  “Yes, but you loved your grandfather very much,” Jared argued. “You told me the story. He was very important to you, and you to him.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  “Maybe you didn’t want to think about stories that involved your grandfather,” Jared prodded. “Maybe they made you sad. You see the dead, after all, but when it’s someone close to you it still hurts.”

  Harper exhaled slowly as she tapped her finger in the center of Jared’s palm. “I don’t think that’s it,” she said after a beat. “I think I forgot because I was so young and had so much going on after the fact. You might not realize it, but Zander is a handful and he needed a lot of attention when we were young.”

  Jared snorted, delighted. “I never would’ve guessed.”

  “Yes, well … .” Harper squeezed Jared’s hand. “Do you believe in fate?”

  The conversational shift threw Jared for a loop. “Are you asking if I believe we were destined to find one another?”

  “That really wasn’t what I was getting at, but sure,” Harper replied. “Do you believe we were always going to cross paths no matter what?”

  Jared studied her a moment, conflicted. “I don’t know.” He opted for honesty even though he wasn’t sure if the answer would upset her. “I want to believe that I was always supposed to meet you, but so many small things come into play for that I’m not sure if I can believe. What I can say is that now that I’ve met you – now that I’ve fallen under your spell, so to speak – I can’t ever imagine not being with you.”

  Harper’s cheeks turned pink as warmth washed over her. “Oh, well, that’s a really good answer.”

  “Is that going to get me another night with the boots?”

  Harper shook her head. “I’m definitely going to find that seashell bikini top, though.”

  “Sold.” Jared kissed her cheek, studying the pleasing angles of her face as he enjoyed her proximity. “What do you think about the story Andrew Farmer told us last night?”

  “I’m bothered by it,” Harper admitted, rubbing her thumb over her bottom lip. “How come no one ever bothered to look for his wives?”

  “It was a different time,” Jared replied. “I’m not saying it’s an acceptable excuse, but back then women weren’t exactly revered in certain circles. They were second-class citizens at best … and no-class citizens at worst. This would’ve been an industrial area with access to the lake. Jack Corgan was clearly more important to the economic health of the area than his wives.”

  “But … someone had to care about those women,” Harper pressed. “They had mothers … and fathers … and siblings.”

  Jared stared at her a moment, unsure how to proceed. “I can’t speak to what happened then because I wasn’t there. It was a long time ago and if those women are dead, no one ever paid for their murders. I’m sorry about that.

  “I can speak to how I would feel if you were the one to go missing,” he continued. “You know I wouldn’t stop tearing apart this town until I found you, right?”

  Harper bit the inside of her cheek and nodded.

  “I would tear apart every town in the world to find you,” Jared added. “I don’t know what to say about Jack Corgan and his many wives. I’m fairly certain he has nothing to do with what we’re working on right now, though.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because I believe in you more than I’ve ever believed in anyone,” Jared replied, squeezing Harper’s hand. “If Jack Corgan was really hanging around the lake, wouldn’t you have seen him by now?”

  “I … don’t know. I guess so but … other people have seen him.”

  “I tend to believe you would’ve seen him because you have a gift, which leads me to believe the legends regarding Jack Corgan and his exploits are just that … legends.”

  “But what if he’s out there?” Harper pressed. “What if he knows something? What if he was there that night?”

  “Then he did a good thing and made sure that Jessica, Chad, and Hayley Reiter made it to the beach,” Jared replied. “We can be thankful for that. He didn’t fire a gun on that ship, though.”

  “Have you heard back from the state police crime lab?”

  Jared nodded and gestured toward his phone, which was plugged in and charging on the nightstand next to the bed. “There are at least five bullet holes – possibly six, but the team can’t say definitively on the last mark, so we’re going with five – and someone needs to answer for those holes.”

  “So that means you’re going back to the hospital?”

  “Yup. I will be pressing Chad and Jessica Reiter on exactly what happened on that boat. What are you going to be doing today?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll text you when I figure it out. Maybe we can catch lunch.”

  “That sounds good.” Jared planted a firm kiss on her lips. “Now, about those boots … .”

  CHAD REITER looked healthier than he had the previous day, although the look on his face when he saw Jared hovering in his open hospital room doorway wasn’t one of welcome.

  “How are you feeling?” Jared asked, opting not to waste time as he strode into the room and sat in the open chair next to Chad’s bed.

  “I’m feeling better, although my head remains sore,” Chad replied, mustering a wan smile. “How are things going on your end?”

  “We’re still investigating.”

  “I didn’t realize the police spent so much time on boat accidents that didn’t result in death.”

  “Yes, well, you had the misfortune of crashing your boat in front of a restaurant that happened to be housing a state police officer’s retirement party so you were bound to be investigated from multiple angles.” Jared hoped the lame joke would put Chad at ease but the man seemed anything but as they locked gazes. “Where is your wife?”

  “Hayley was released from the hospital this morning,” Chad replied. “We didn’t feel it was right for her to stay at the hospital when she was still recovering and needed rest so Jessica went to find a hotel room.”

  “Oh, that makes sense. How is Hayley doing?”

  “She seems okay, maybe a little scattered,” Chad hedged. “The doctor says she doesn’t have a head injury or anything, but she’s saying some wacky things and I’m not sure how to react.”

  “Wacky things, like insisting that someone else was on the boat with you right be
fore the accident?”

  Chad nodded, his expression dour. “Yeah. Stuff like that.”

  “Are you still suffering from memory lapses regarding that time?”

  “I don’t know if I would call them memory lapses,” Chad clarified. “I remember being on the boat. I remember it being a nice day until the storm seemed to come out of nowhere. I do not remember anyone else being on the boat. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay.” Jared exuded calm confidence as he leaned back in the chair. “Hayley went through an ordeal on the beach. We have to cut her some slack. She was out there, alone, and she was terrified for her parents so it’s quite possible she let her imagination run wild.

  “When Harper first found her, Hayley wasn’t keen on being rescued,” he continued. “She was even more upset when she saw me. I think it was easier for her to trust Harper.”

  “Because she’s a woman?”

  “Because she’s got a certain ability to make people warm up to her,” Jared replied. “She’s the most trustworthy person I know.”

  “I guess that’s why she’s your girlfriend, huh?”

  “Only one of the reasons.” Jared hoped he was coming across as friendly and chatty rather than suspicious as he eased further into the conversation. “As for Hayley, my partner and I have talked about it and we think she was probably dreaming and somehow overlapped what happened in the dream with what happened in the real world.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” Chad almost looked relieved that Jared provided him with an easy excuse. “We’ve decided that telling her the story is ridiculous is the wrong way to go. Jessica thinks not talking about it is the smartest thing to do.”

  “Uh-huh.” To Jared, that sounded like the absolute worst course of action, but he kept that observation to himself. “When do the doctors say you’ll be out of here?”

  “It all depends on how my tests go,” Chad answered. “If they’re clear tomorrow morning, I’ll be cut loose in the afternoon. If not, I’ll have to stay another night. It’s pretty much up to the doctors.”