A Witchy Valentine (Harper Grant Mystery Series Book 4)

by D. S. Butler

  Loretta nodded. “I suppose I could help you out since you asked so nicely. Tell me what he looks like so I can recognize him.”

  I looked at Loretta in disbelief. “Well, for one thing, he’ll be partially transparent and floating a foot off the ground. I don’t think you’ll miss him.”

  Loretta folded her arms over her chest. “No need to be sarcastic, Harper. It doesn’t suit you. I just wondered what he looks like, that’s all.”

  Loretta was right. I was being mean, and as I needed her help, I really needed to be nicer. “Sorry. Monty is quite a big man, tall and broad, and he was wearing a suit of armor when he died, so his ghost is still wearing the armor.”

  “How peculiar,” Loretta commented, and I could only nod in agreement.

  I got to my feet, having come to a decision. “I’m going to hang around here for a while. I’ll wait and see if he turns up. He looked very upset when I last saw him.”

  Loretta nodded and smiled at me. “That’s kind of you.”

  Chapter 6

  When I walked back into the main area of the diner, I saw a lot more customers. The lunchtime rush had started. Rather than sit down at a table and stuff myself with lemon muffins, I decided to help Archie.

  We didn’t have any more tourists arrive, but the regulars kept me busy enough to take my mind off things a little. Although, I couldn’t stop glancing at the door, hoping that Monty would turn up. After two hours, I was starting to worry. He could be anywhere. I wished I’d made more of an effort to talk to him at the time. I should have at least tried to explain that he was a ghost, but I hadn’t wanted to drop a bombshell like that on him without being able to talk things through properly.

  As the diner began to quieten down, I gazed out of the wide windows onto the street. My odds of being able to help Pete would diminish rapidly if Monty didn’t show up. I wondered how Pete was getting on at Cherrytown police station. Maybe Chief Wickham and Joe McGrady would come to their senses and realize that Pete couldn’t have anything to do with Monty’s murder.

  I’m sure Pete had to be innocent. We didn’t know much about him, but he’d always been so friendly and kind. I wanted to believe he was innocent for Jess’s sake. Despite that, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Joe McGrady had said. How well did we really know Pete?

  After I had loaded the last of the plates into the dishwasher, I said goodbye to Archie and Sarah and left the diner. As soon as I stepped outside, I bumped into Betty from the Lobster Shack. Next to her, stood Grandma Grant’s current arch nemesis Adele Silver.

  I’d forgotten exactly why she was Grandma Grant’s enemy. It was over something silly and trivial. I recalled one of their arguments had arisen over who had grown the best daffodil display for last year’s Spring Show.

  Still, I wasn’t about to get involved in one of Grandma Grant’s feuds, so I smiled at both Betty and Adele.

  Adele Silver lived up to her name. She had silvery-gray hair, carefully coiffed and wore silver bangles and rings, and a silver locket was draped around her neck.

  Her lips were painted a bright shade of pink, and she gave me a cool smile.

  Betty smiled tentatively at me. “Good to see you, Harper. I just heard the news about Jess’s boyfriend, Pete. I am sorry.”

  “It’s all a misunderstanding,” I said. “He’s not been arrested. He is just helping the police with their enquiries.”

  Betty nodded. “Of course, dear.”

  Adele’s smile widened, and I had a feeling that neither of them believed me.

  “How is your grandmother?” Adele asked in a syrupy sweet voice.

  I must have looked surprised at the question because Betty added, “Adele wants to put all that nasty business behind her. She wants to get along with your grandmother. In fact, she’s been thinking of asking your grandmother to help organize a bake-off for Abbott Cove’s Spring Show. Isn’t that a lovely idea?”

  I thought it was a terrible idea, but I wasn’t about to say so.

  Just as I was about to reply, I saw Monty float by on the other side of the street. He was a dramatic sight. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall, and with his clunky armor, he looked menacing.

  After overcoming the initial shock of seeing ghosts for the first time, I’d never really been afraid of them. I saw them just as I saw regular people, but Monty looked like the perfect cliché of a scary ghost in a horror movie.

  I gulped and tried to remind myself that he was a person who needed my help. I tried to beckon him closer with my hands, intending to indicate he should follow me home. I needed to get out of town so I could finally speak to him properly. But Monty just stared at me blankly, and Betty blinked and looked startled.

  “Are you quite all right, Harper?” Betty asked, watching me carefully.

  “I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

  “You seemed to have developed quite a twitch,” Adele commented dryly.

  I tried to smile, but I was sure it came out more like a grimace. “No, it’s not a twitch. I was just trying to relieve the tightness in my shoulders.” I did a couple of shoulder rolls and arm stretches for good measure.

  I tried to communicate with Monty with my eyes this time, looking at him and then the direction I wanted him to go, but Monty still didn’t move.

  “Do you have something in your eye, dear?” Betty asked, stepping closer to me and peering up into my face.

  I shook my head. “No, really, I’m perfectly fine. Honestly.”

  I opened my mouth to say goodbye so I could get Monty somewhere away from prying eyes when I saw the Townsends approaching. I smothered a sigh. That was all I needed.

  They marched towards us, looking very pleased with themselves, and I assumed that was because they’d been busy spreading gossip all around town.

  As they approached Betty, Adele and me, the Townsends’ Pomeranian began to yap and growl.

  I looked down at the small dog in surprise. It was normally very docile and sweet-natured, except when it needed to pee, of course. Was the dog barking at Monty or Adele?

  It’d never reacted that way in the past to Betty or me.

  Now that Monty was a little closer, he didn’t look so scary, despite his full suit of armor. His scruffy brown hair fell over his face, almost covering his sad brown eyes.

  Rather than get into another conversation with the Townsends, I decided to excuse myself.

  “I must rush. I need to get back to Jess,” I said and began to walk away.

  I made a small gesture to Monty and hoped he got the message.

  I was only a few feet away when I heard Adele’s voice say, “What an odd woman, just like her grandmother.”

  If Monty hadn’t been following me, I would have replied with a sharp retort and given Adele a piece of my mind. Instead, I kept walking swiftly through the town with my head held high. I didn’t want to get involved in Grandma Grant’s feuds, but I had more sympathy for her aversion to Adele Silver now. The woman was unpleasant.

  I didn’t talk to Monty as we walked through the town because there were far too many people around, and I never knew when someone would be peering out of their windows. But I did turn to Monty and smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way. Luckily the slush had now melted, and the sun shone on the road, which glistened with moisture from the melted snow.

  He obediently hovered beside me as I walked, and I tried to work out how I was going to deliver the news to Monty. It must be so confusing to suddenly find out you’re a ghost. As well as telling him that piece of bad news, I also had to try to find out if he had any idea who’d wanted to kill him. Unless we found another suspect, it looked like Pete was the only one in the frame.

  At the top of the High Street we turned, walking past the road that led to the residential district, and finally entered the trail. The forest trail was the quickest way to reach our cottage and Grandma Grant’s house. It cut a direct line up the hill. Although it was steep and could be muddy and treacherous at times, it was far qu
icker than walking by road.

  Beneath the tree canopy, with nothing but birds tweeting for company, I felt safe talking to Monty.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been acting so strangely, Monty. The thing is nobody else can see you, and I have to be very careful to make sure no one sees me talking to you.” I let out a long breath and then stopped walking and turned to face him.

  “You are a ghost, Monty. You were murdered at the battle re-enactment.”

  I waited with bated breath for his reaction, and he surprised me by nodding. “I figured.”

  “You did?” I was glad he was taking it so well. Sometimes ghosts weren’t particularly pleasant to the bearer of such news, as I’d found out to my cost.

  “Do you remember anything about what happened?”

  Monty nodded. “I remember the battle was going very well. I had started to fight John, and then I started to feel a little peculiar…I don’t remember anything after that.”

  “Well, you got hit on the head with John’s sword, and at first we thought that’s what killed you, but then the doctor arrived and said there was something strange about the chain mail part of your armor.”

  Monty nodded. “I heard him. I didn’t realize he was talking about me at first and then I realized I was the only one wearing armor at the battle.”

  “I don’t suppose it was something you did to the armor accidentally?” I asked, knowing it was a long shot. “Maybe trying a new cleaning method?”

  “No,” Monty said. “I love this armor.” He put a hand on the metal breastplate. “It is my pride and joy. I keep it in tiptop condition and would never go near it with steel wool.”

  “Then it looks like somebody else did. Do you have any idea who wanted to kill you?”

  Monty shrugged. “No, but they arrested Pete Bell, so I suppose he must have done it.”

  I shook my head. “They haven’t arrested Pete. They’ve taken him for questioning. I don’t think Pete is capable of murder. Is there anyone else you can think of?”

  Monty turned to look at me with his sad brown eyes. “No. I’m an easy-going guy who has a lot of friends. I don’t have any enemies.”

  I frowned. I should have guessed this wasn’t going to be easy. It never was.

  Chapter 7

  When I opened the door to our cottage, Jess came running up to me before I had even managed to shrug off my coat.

  Her face fell when she saw it was me. “Oh, I thought you might be Pete.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Does Pete have a key?”

  Jess shook her head impatiently. “Of course, not, but I heard someone at the door and hoped it might be him.”

  I hung my coat on the stand by the door and tried to walk into the living area, despite Smudge’s best efforts to trip me up by winding around my ankles. I leaned down to stroke her soft fur, giving her the attention she wanted.

  “You haven’t heard from Pete then?” I asked Jess, stating the obvious.

  Jess sighed and looked toward the window. “No, surely they can’t still be questioning him. It’s been hours. Did you find Monty?”

  Monty, who had been hovering behind me, moved forward with his hand outstretched. “Lovely to see you again,” he said.

  “I did,” I said to Jess and then turned to Monty. “Jess can’t see you. My sister knows I can see ghosts and communicate with them, but she can’t see you or hear you, I’m afraid.”

  Monty’s face fell, and as I looked up into his sad brown eyes, I felt a wave of pity for him. I’d already decided he was the quietest and most easygoing ghost I’d had to deal with so far.

  “So, they are still holding Pete,” Monty murmured. “Are you sure he didn’t do it?”

  I was glad Jess couldn’t hear Monty’s question. I picked Smudge up, carried her over to the chair beside the fire and sat down, placing her on my lap.

  Jess looked at the empty spot next to me and began to ask Monty questions. Unfortunately, she was looking in completely the wrong place. I didn’t have the heart to tell her.

  “Obviously, Pete had nothing to do with your murder, Monty. It’s very important you tell us everything you remember,” Jess ordered sternly.

  Monty looked a little agitated, hovering backward and forward in front of the fire. “I’ve already told you everything I remember, Harper. I’m sorry it’s not much help.”

  “It’s all right,” I said to reassure him.

  “It’s not all right,” Jess said wringing her hands. “If Chief Wickham and Deputy McGrady think Pete is responsible… they might never change their minds.”

  Monty watched Jess carefully and then he turned to me and said, “They are obviously very close. I wish I’d had someone to care about me as much as Jess cares about Pete.”

  Smudge shifted in my lap, and I looked down at her as I considered Monty’s words. I made a mental note to ask him about his love life later. I didn’t want to pry, but if a relationship had turned sour recently that could be a motive.

  But right now, I was more worried about Jess. She was very upset, and I hadn’t realized she and Pete were so close.

  “We’ll get to the bottom of it, Jess, I promise,” I said. “Chief Wickham and Joe are honest and hardworking law enforcement officers. I’m sure they won’t let an innocent man be charged with murder.”

  Jess nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. She began to pace back and forth, and before I could warn her, she walked straight through Monty.

  Monty gave a little shout of surprise and shuddered. “That felt very strange!”

  “Jess, can you sit down?” I said. “You just walked through Monty.”

  “Sorry,” Jess said, looking a little flustered. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

  “It’s not a problem. I just wasn’t expecting it,” Monty replied, still looking a little rattled.

  “I hadn’t realized you cared so much about Pete,” I said as Jess sat in the armchair next to mine. “It wasn’t that long ago that you were hiding under the counter in Grandma Grant’s kitchen, trying to avoid him.”

  Jess flushed. “That was ages ago. I’ve gotten to know him better since then.”

  I nodded. “I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but are you positive Pete couldn’t have done it? Do you know him well enough to know that?”

  Jess’s eyes flashed as she glared at me. “You’re right, Harper. That isn’t what I want to hear right now. Pete is a good kind man, and he would never murder anyone. Why would he?”

  I shrugged. “He wasn’t very happy with Monty today.”

  “That’s true,” Monty chipped in. “He gets very irritated with me sometimes and starts harping on about historical accuracy.”

  Jess looked absolutely furious. I’d pushed her too far.

  I held up my hands. “I’m sorry. I’m just concerned about you. But if you say he didn’t do it, I believe you.”

  Jess nodded stiffly. “Good.”

  Although I knew she had as many questions she wanted to ask Monty as I did, I thought perhaps it would be better to try and get Jess’s mind off things for a little while. I wanted to distract her until Pete was released from Cherrytown police station.

  “I saw Adele Silver as I left the diner. She was horribly rude. I can understand why Grandma Grant doesn’t get along with her.”

  “Grandma Grant doesn’t get along with anyone,” Jess said blandly, getting up and walking away from the fire, toward the window. She could keep watch in case Pete showed up.

  “I’m sure he’ll call you as soon as he’s released,” I said. “We might have some trouble with Adele, though. Apparently, she and Betty, from the Lobster Shack, think it’s a good idea to have a bake-off at the Spring Show, and they want Grandma Grant to help organize it. I’m pretty sure that’s a recipe for disaster.”

  Jess turned away from the window and rolled her eyes at me. “Harper, I know exactly what you’re doing, and it isn’t going to work.”

  “What?” I asked, trying to look like the pictur
e of innocence.

  “Your distraction technique is amateurish.”

  I scowled. “I’m only trying to help. Besides, I wasn’t making it up, I really did see Adele Silver.”

  Monty drifted forward. “Yes, and I have to agree with you, Harper. She’s not a very nice woman. On the other hand, your grandmother sounds like quite a character. When do I get to meet her?”

  I hesitated before saying, “Yes, Grandma Grant is certainly a character. Perhaps we’ll go and see her after Pete’s been released. Of course, she won’t be able to see you, but I’ll be able to act as a go-between.”

  “I don’t know why it’s taking them so long,” Jess moaned, staring out of the window.

  “It’s like Grandma Grant always says, a watched pot never boils. Come away from the window. Let’s have some tea.”

  Jess reluctantly followed me into the kitchen, and Smudge tagged along, too.

  Monty stayed in the living area, and it was nice for once to have a ghost I could trust to leave alone. We had recently had a powerful ghost to deal with, who had the ability to pick up objects and that had caused no end of trouble. Usually, new ghosts didn’t interact well with solid objects, so they were no danger to the public.

  Monty took up Jess’s old position at the window.

  The afternoon sun shone down on him, making his ghostly form glow with light. He almost glittered. He’d been a very attractive man, tall, dark and handsome. Watching him, it occurred to me if I dug into his romantic life, I might discover the clue to who killed him. Maybe a jealous husband? Or a scorned lover?

  I turned away and picked up the tea caddy. I’d only just filled the kettle when Monty exclaimed, “There’s a police vehicle coming up the hill.”

  I relayed the information to Jess, and before I could utter another word, she had rushed to open the door. I joined Monty by the window, trying to stay out of the cold air flowing in through the front door. We watched as Joe McGrady pulled up outside the cottage.

  Pete climbed out of the passenger seat, and Jess squealed with relief.