Ghostly Wrecks (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 6)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  “Do I want to know what a trouser snake is?” Jared asked, his temper wearing thin.

  Zander leaned closer and whispered. “Here’s a hint: It’s in your trousers.”

  Jared scowled as he slapped at Zander’s shoulder. “That was a sarcastic question.”

  “I know. That’s why I answered with snark.”

  Jared’s annoyance was obvious, but he couldn’t help cracking a small smile when he saw the amusement on Harper’s face. He worried the marks on her neck would be something to give her nightmares later and desperately hoped a few laughs would alleviate that problem. “Okay, so you went to the zoo and … what?”

  “There was a ghost in the reptile house,” Harper replied, keeping her voice low. The police officer vacated the immediate area, but she didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing their conversation. “They paid us double to do the job right away.”

  “It was really good money,” Zander interjected.

  “I get that.” Jared ran his hands up and down Harper’s arms. It was a hot day, but the air conditioning in the police station blew without interruption and she had goose pimples on her bare skin. “I don’t care about that.”

  “Zander lied about where it was exactly,” Harper added.

  “I did not lie!” Zander was offended. “I told you it was at the zoo.”

  “Okay, perhaps ‘lie’ isn’t the right term,” Harper conceded. “He led me to believe it was at the zoo and we’d be around cool animals, or cute animals – like I really wanted to hang with the penguins – but he conveniently left out the part where we would be in the snake house.”

  “I see.” Even though it was a serious situation, Jared couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Did you end up with a snake in your trousers? Just for the record, the answer to that question better be no even though I’m the one who asked it as a joke.”

  “Believe it or not, we weren’t in the part of the building with the snakes,” Harper replied. “Er, well, kind of. We were in the lobby area. Have you spent a lot of time at the zoo?”

  “I … can’t say that I have.” Jared had no idea where Harper was going with the story, but so far he was enjoying it. He had a feeling that emotion wouldn’t last long when they got to the part about the attack.

  “When you first walk into the building you’re on the second floor and there’s a big opening in the center of the room as you walk around it,” Zander supplied. “When you look down, there are two big crocodiles.”

  “Rocky and Adrian,” Harper interjected.

  Jared pursed his lips at the names. “Okay. Now I kind of want to see these crocodiles.”

  “No, you really don’t,” Zander said. “I’ve always thought their habitat smells and those creatures never move. They’re boring.”

  “I always find the reptile house boring,” Harper muttered. “Anyway, the ghost was hanging out there.”

  “Because he was killed by the crocodiles?” Jared tilted his head to the side, considering. “I think I would’ve heard about that if it were true.”

  “Yes, we all would’ve heard about it,” Harper muttered. “No, the gentleman in question passed away of a heart attack about a week ago. It was natural causes and yet he stayed behind … to mess with the crocodiles because apparently he was a mean and petty man.”

  “He liked to get them riled up, you see,” Zander supplied. “He thought it was funny. We had to go down there to get rid of him and … well … it was a dirty job because we had to keep hopping out of the way of the crocodiles.”

  Jared ran his index finger over Harper’s cheek and studied the leftover residue. “I’m not going to make a scene because you guys are clearly okay and the crocodiles didn’t eat you. We might, once everything is settled, have a discussion about safety procedures at GHI, though. Tell me about the part that got you sent here.”

  “We were barely outside when a big guy in a suit came up to us,” Harper explained, turning serious.

  “We knew he was a bad guy because it’s far too hot to wear a suit, even one as nice as that,” Zander added.

  “Did he say anything to you?”

  “He asked about the thing,” Harper replied. “He never said what the thing was, but he asked for it a few times. He referred to ‘it,’ too. He also mentioned he knew I was on the boat.”

  Jared widened his eyes, surprised. “The boat? Does he have something to do with the Reiters?”

  “We never got the chance to ask,” Harper answered. “He grabbed me by the throat and slammed me into a tree before I could figure out what was happening.”

  “He slammed her really hard,” Zander added. “It freaked me out.”

  “I wasn’t there and I’m freaked out,” Jared said, rubbing the back of Harper’s neck. “Then what happened?”

  “Zander totally spazzed and jumped on his back,” Harper explained. “He let loose with a war cry of some sort and put his thumbs in the guy’s eyes.”

  “That sounds effective.” Jared smirked as he glanced at Zander. The man often drove him crazy, but Jared knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Zander would die to save Harper if it came to that. He respected him for his loyalty. “Is that when you knocked him out?”

  Zander shook his head. “He was a big guy. I mean … big. He had a lot of muscles but not hot muscles like you and I have.”

  “I’m honestly not sure what that means,” Jared hedged.

  “It simply means that he was big and solid but very sweaty and you just know by looking at him that he had a hairy back,” Zander replied.

  “Ah, well, okay.” Jared remained calm despite his nervous energy. He was used to Harper and Zander’s relaxed attitudes when recounting a story. “So what happened next?”

  “I knew Zander was in trouble so I looked around for a weapon,” Harper answered. “I found a shovel leaning against the building. It smelled really bad and I think it’s the shovel they use to pick up the animal droppings at the petting zoo because we were pretty close to that area.”

  Jared sucked in his bottom lip to keep from laughing at Harper’s disgusted expression. “Okay, well, that’s good.”

  “Then I just smacked him in the head.” Harper swung her arms, as if reenacting the attack. “I closed my eyes when I was doing it and when I opened them the dude was on the ground and Zander was complaining that I didn’t move fast enough.”

  “I could’ve died,” Zander whined.

  “You told me to run and save myself,” Harper pointed out.

  “Yes, but once you decided not to do it, you had an obligation to move fast on my account,” Zander countered. “In other words, it was your job to smack the smelly man in his jowly face faster than you did.”

  Harper narrowed her eyes. “I should’ve left you there to fight him off yourself.”

  “Oh, well, that’s gratitude for you,” Zander groused. “I saved you without any thought to my own safety and you repay me this way. I’m so … tragically despondent.”

  “Oh, what you are is dramatic,” Harper shot back.

  “Hey, you guys can fight later,” Jared interjected, resting a hand on Zander’s chest when the man made a move to close the distance between Harper and himself. “The last thing we need is a big scene. Do you understand that?”

  Zander rolled his eyes but nodded.

  “Great,” Jared intoned, focusing on Harper. “I don’t suppose you got a name from this guy before you knocked him out, did you?”

  Harper shook her head. “He wasn’t forthcoming. While we were waiting for the cops to show up, though, Zander dug his wallet out and looked at his driver’s license.”

  “Really?” Jared brightened considerably. “That was smart thinking, Zander.”

  “I told you,” Zander muttered.

  “Yes, it was smart thinking that almost got us arrested because the cops thought we were trying to steal from him,” Harper corrected. “We had to explain what we were doing four times before that jerk believed us.”

  “He’s young a
nd full of himself,” Jared countered. “We’re all like that when we’re fresh out of the academy and keen to do the job correctly. Don’t let it get to you.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Harper countered. “He tried to strip search me.”

  Jared stilled, pursing his lips. “He wanted to get you naked?”

  “Oh, that did it,” Zander snickered. “Now he’s ready to defend your honor. Good job, Harp.”

  “Okay, let’s forget about that for a second,” Jared ordered, regaining his senses, although only marginally. “What name did you find on the license?”

  “Oh, that.” Harper shook her head, seemingly unhappy. “It’s not a name I recognize, so I don’t know how much help it will be.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “Tim Dalton.”

  Jared sucked in a steadying breath as the name rolled off Harper’s tongue. He wasn’t surprised to hear it – not really, at least – but he didn’t feel better to have his suspicions confirmed. “Are you sure?”

  Harper nodded, pinning Jared with a serious gaze. “Does that name mean something to you?”

  “It does,” Jared confirmed. “The thing is … .” He broke off, glancing around. “We really need to talk, but we need to do it privately. You guys need to make statements for the arraignment, too. It would be better for us if Tim Dalton doesn’t get out on bail.”

  Harper’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. “Are you asking us to lie?”

  “No,” Jared stressed. “I’m asking you both to be really convincing when you explain how terrified you were.”

  Harper and Jared exchanged an unreadable look, nodding in unison.

  “Okay.” Harper let out a breath. “You need to tell us why, though. Who is Tim Dalton and why are you so afraid of him?”

  “He’s a bookie with some very unsavory ties and he has a past with the Reiters, which I just found out this afternoon,” Jared answered, gesturing toward two lobby chairs. “Sit down. I have some news to share and I think when I do things will become clearer.”

  Jared could only hope that was true. Somehow – through no fault of his own – he’d made Harper a target. He wasn’t thrilled with the realization and had a sinking suspicion this would get worse before it got better.

  14

  Fourteen

  “I’m done in the shower,” Harper announced, rubbing her hair dry with a towel as she wandered into the living room shortly before seven. “What are we going to do about dinner?”

  Jared glanced up from the couch, his expression darkening when he saw the bruises blooming on Harper’s throat. “Come here, Heart.”

  Harper had trouble reading his expression, but she did as he asked, sitting next to him as he gently ran his fingers over her neck. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt.”

  “It will … and it hurts me to see it.”

  “Yeah, luckily I saved her before things got out of hand,” Zander said, getting to his feet. “I’m going to hop in the shower. There had better be some hot water left. I only let you go first because you saved my life earlier. I hope you know that.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. “I saved your life twice.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “You almost fell on top of Adrian during the ghost takedown and you would’ve died if I didn’t distract her,” Harper offered. “You know it as well as I do.”

  “Adrian the crocodile?” Jared asked. “Wait … I don’t want to know.” He held his hand up to quiet the conversation. “I’m happy being ignorant. Knowing a brutal bookie grabbed my girlfriend around the throat is more than enough excitement for me for one day.”

  “You’re such a wild man,” Zander teased, shuffling toward the bathroom. “Shawn is supposed to arrive relatively soon – he had to close up the gym today – so let him in when he gets here, will you?”

  “Oh, no,” Harper replied dryly. “I thought I would make him stand on the porch until you’re done. That sounds so much more entertaining than letting him in the house.”

  Zander scowled. “Do you think you’re funny?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you’re not.” Despite his obvious irritation, Zander dropped a kiss on the top of Harper’s head before moving into the hallway. “Let Jared take care of you even if it makes you feel silly, Harp. That’s what he’s here for.”

  Jared watched the hallway until he heard the bathroom door shut and then slid a sidelong look in Harper’s direction. “He’s right. It’s my job to take care of you tonight. What do you want me to do for you?”

  Harper’s sea-blue eyes lit up. “Are you going to do anything I ask?”

  “Oh, here we go.” Jared mustered the first legitimate grin he’d managed in hours. Seeing Tim Dalton in the small courtroom had been jarring, especially given the dark looks he kept lobbing in Harper’s direction. Dalton was angry, out-of-control furious even when the judge refused to issue bail even though Jared was unbelievably relieved. Dalton’s high-priced lawyer Tommy Lupone argued vigorously for his client’s release, but the judge refused. Dalton’s reputation preceded him and the judge noted that when rendering his decision. Both Zander and Harper were very convincing on the stand and the fact that Harper’s neck showed signs of violence only helped matters.

  Jared couldn’t help but be amused by Harper’s enthusiasm. “I think your chances are very good to get almost anything you want.”

  “I think it’s interesting that you added a qualifier,” Harper noted, shifting on the couch. “What if I said I wanted Thai food for dinner?”

  “I would say I’m fine with that.”

  “Whisper Cove doesn’t have a Thai restaurant. If I want Thai, you’re going to have to drive twenty minutes to get it for me.”

  Jared ran his tongue over his lips as he regarded her. He knew it was sending a bad message and yet he would deny her nothing right now if he could help it. “I will drive to get you Thai if you really want it.”

  Harper tilted her head to the side, her damp hair brushing against the shoulders of the pink robe. “I don’t want to be away from you right now so I guess we’ll have to order something that can be delivered.”

  Jared smirked. “That sounds good.” He pulled her to him, pressing his eyes shut as she rested her head on his chest. Love washed over him when her hands tightened around his waist and it took everything he had to hold back the flood of tears that threatened to overwhelm him. Now was not the time to tell her how he felt. He wanted a perfect moment, and while this moment was perfectly them, it wasn’t what he had in mind. “So … pizza?”

  “With wings, breadsticks, salad, and those brownie things that are only good for like two hours before they harden into inedible lumps.”

  “Sold.” Jared kissed the tip of her nose. “Once you stuff your face, though, I want to go to bed early. You’ve had a long day.”

  “So have you.”

  “Yes, but … yours was worse.”

  Harper wasn’t sure that was true given Jared’s reaction. “I’m okay.”

  “I know.” Jared pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m going to keep you that way.”

  The couple lapsed into comfortable silence as they waited for Zander to shower and Shawn to arrive before ordering food. Harper realized she was so exhausted she was close to drifting off when the sound of footsteps on the front porch drew her attention to the screen door.

  Shawn smiled as he stepped inside, offering a cute wave. “Am I interrupting?”

  “We’re simply feeling lazy,” Jared replied. “Zander is in the shower. He’ll be out in a second. We’re going to order pizza.”

  “And wings, salad, breadsticks, and brownies,” Harper added.

  Shawn snorted. “As the owner of a gym, I should be shot for considering eating that stuff, but it sounds really good.”

  “It does indeed.” Jared linked his fingers with Harper’s and fixed Shawn with a quizzical look. “Why are you hovering between the door and porch like that.”

  “Oh, well, I wa
s just wondering if you realized there was a guy hanging around in the driveway,” Shawn replied.

  Jared stilled. “What kind of guy?”

  “The kind who looks like he’s here for a reason,” Shawn answered, shifting his gaze to a spot over his shoulder. “He’s in an expensive suit and he’s kind of big and beefy.”

  Jared’s heart dropped as he hopped to his feet and scurried in that direction, leaning around Shawn so he could study the man in question. His gaze locked with Tommy Lupone’s – something dark passing between them – and he found himself relieved … but only until reality set in. “Son of a … .”

  “Who is it?” Harper joined Jared at the door, ducking under his arm when he tried to keep her from looking through the opening. “Oh … hmm … what is he doing here?”

  “I’m about to ask him that,” Jared said.

  “Then let’s go.” Harper moved to walk out of the house, but Jared shoved her back. “Hey!”

  “You’re staying here,” Jared ordered, wagging a finger for emphasis. “In fact … Shawn, you’re in charge of Harper. I want you to drag her inside and sit on her.”

  Shawn widened his eyes, dumbfounded. “I’m sorry but … what?”

  “I don’t want her out here,” Jared said. “It’s important that she be kept inside of the house while I talk to our … friend.”

  “Okay, but who is he?” Harper had to hand it to Shawn. He was willing to help but wasn’t going to enter into the agreement blindly. He was serious when he asked the question. “Should I call the police?”

  “I am the police,” Jared reminded him. “That happens to be a lawyer.”

  “Oh, well, enough said.” Shawn grabbed Harper’s arm and pushed her inside the living room, putting a little muscle behind the effort when she struggled. “I’ll watch her.”

  “Great.” Jared briefly met Harper’s gaze. “It’s going to be fine.”

  “Then how come you look as if you’re about to cry?” Harper challenged.

  “Because I hate being away from you.” Jared planted a scorching kiss on her lips before pulling back. “You keep her inside. Let her explain what’s going on but … keep her in there.”