by D. S. Butler
“Thank goodness you’re okay. I was really getting worried.”
Pete looked thoroughly worn out. His hair was all mussed up from where he’d been raking his hands through it, and he was pale and drawn. “I’m sorry for making you worry, Jess.”
I stepped away from the window and walked towards the front door. “Do they know who the killer was?”
“I should have known that would be your first question, Harper. I hope you’re not thinking about getting involved in this investigation.” Joe McGrady’s deep voice made me start as he appeared in the doorway.
“I just wanted to know if everything was sorted out,” I said, defending myself. “I don’t want Pete to get into trouble for something he didn’t do.”
Joe raised an eyebrow, and I could tell he didn’t believe I would stay out of this case.
“Why don’t we all have some tea?” I suggested. “I was just about to make some.”
Joe looked surprised at being invited in, but he nodded and said, “That would be nice. Thank you.”
Everyone else headed into the living area and sat down as I went off to make the tea. Monty hadn’t moved from his position by the window and was watching Pete as he tried to reassure Jess that everything was going to be okay.
I could hear the conversation from the kitchen. I already knew Jess was angry with Joe, but I bit down on my lip as she began to scold him. It was a little unfair. Joe was only doing his job.
“I hope you apologized, Deputy McGrady, for dragging poor Pete through that traumatic experience unnecessarily.”
I shouldn’t have worried about Joe, though. He was more than able to take care of himself.
“I won’t apologize for doing my job. Pete helped us by answering our questions. It may not have been a pleasant experience, but it was necessary, and we made the questioning go as smoothly as we could under the circumstances.”
Even from the kitchen, I could feel the scorn in Jess’s silence.
I put a couple of oatmeal cookies on the side of the tray and then carried the tea into the living area and set the tray down on the coffee table.
“I still think you should apologize,” Jess persisted. “Pete has done nothing wrong, and you treated him like a common criminal.”
“No,” Joe said patiently. “I treated him like a man who was helping us with our enquiries.”
“I think we should just let Deputy McGrady get on with his job, Jess. He let Pete go after questioning, so he knows Pete didn’t have anything to do with Monty’s murder,” I said, trying to keep things civil. “Now, who takes milk?” I asked brightly, holding up a tiny porcelain jug.
“Actually, Harper. We haven’t come to any conclusions yet, and we’re still investigating. Pete knows not to leave the area while the investigation is ongoing.”
“What?” Jess glowered at Joe. “That’s ridiculous.”
Pete spoke up, looking embarrassed. “It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t planning on leaving town anyway.”
Jess stood up abruptly and grabbed hold of Pete’s hand. “Come on, we’ll drink our tea in the kitchen. I don’t like the atmosphere here.”
She looked pointedly at Joe, and I sighed. I could intervene again, but there wasn’t much point. Once Jess was in a fit of temper, it was usually better to let her come to her senses in her own good time. I knew she wasn’t behaving this way because she was angry at Joe. She was scared. And that was perfectly understandable.
Chapter 8
“Do you want me to leave?” Joe asked as Pete and Jess stalked off to the kitchen.
I shook my head. My sister was furious with him, but I knew he was only doing his job. Besides, if he left now, I wouldn’t learn any new details on how far they had progressed with their investigation.
“At least stay for your tea,” I said, passing him a teacup and then offering him the plate of oatmeal cookies.
He took a cookie and said, “These look good.” He went to take a bite and then frowned. “Is this a bribe?”
“A bribe?”
“Yes, are you feeding me tea and cookies to sweeten me up before you ask for something?”
I put on my best innocent expression. “Of course not, I’m just being hospitable.”
Joe studied me for a moment, and I was sure he didn’t believe me. “Right, well, I’m sorry for doubting your intentions. I’m sure they’re strictly honorable.
I smirked as I picked up my own cup of tea and took a sip. “So, how’s the investigation going?”
Joe grinned. “I knew it! I knew you had an ulterior motive.”
“Me? I’m just making conversation,” I said a little huffily.
“You know I can’t talk to you about an ongoing case, Harper.”
“Couldn’t you even give me a hint? Just a small one.”
Monty hovered closer to us and peered at Joe. “He certainly plays his cards close to his chest, doesn’t he?”
Despite my best efforts to act normally while Joe was talking to me, my eyes flickered up to Monty. I generally try to ignore ghosts if they talk to me when people are around. For some reason, people find it disconcerting when you stare blankly off into space in the middle of a conversation. At least I didn’t respond to Monty out loud. I’m pretty sure that would have convinced Joe I was both nosy and weird. He already thought I was odd, so I didn’t need to add any more fuel to that fire.
“I’m concerned about Pete. Well, Jess really,” I admitted.
Joe nodded. “She does seem very emotionally attached to Pete. How close are they?”
I thought about his question for a moment as I took another sip of my tea. I wasn’t really sure how to answer that. Jess clearly considered Pete to be a good friend, but I didn’t know if she was still dating him or interested in him romantically. Their first date had been a disaster. Pete had bored Jess to tears by talking about his hobby. Maybe she’d had a change of heart, but she hadn’t confided in me. Or maybe she just felt sorry for him.
“She’s fond of him,” I said. “I don’t think it’s a heavy relationship, but…”
I broke off, realizing that instead of getting Joe to reveal details about the case as I had intended, he was getting information out of me.
I frowned. Wow, that was cunning. He was good at this interrogation thing. I hadn’t even realized he was pumping me for information.
“I really shouldn’t be talking about Jess and Pete’s relationship,” I said. “It’s nothing to do with me.”
I decided to turn the tables. “Are you looking at any of the other people who were at the re-enactment as possible suspects?”
“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” Joe said. “We are not ruling anyone out at this stage.”
Well, that hadn’t been the wealth of information I was hoping for, but at least Joe and Chief Wickham were still considering other suspects.
“And what about the post-mortem? Did that show how Monty was killed? Was it poison?”
Joe shook his head in exasperation, and I thought for a moment he wasn’t going to answer, but then he said, “The post-mortem hasn’t been completed yet. We won’t get the results of that or the toxicology screen until tomorrow.”
“I see. I suppose that takes time.”
“It does.”
I set my teacup on the table and tried to ignore Monty as he hovered beside Joe on the couch. I had so many questions to ask, but I couldn’t appear to be too inquisitive.
“Look, Harper. The chief asked me to make sure you stay out of this case. As Pete is involved with your sister, that means you have a personal involvement, and I know you’re going to be tempted to do a little digging of your own.”
I narrowed my eyes and frowned at Joe as he continued. “You need to stay away and leave this to the professionals. Do you understand?”
I know that Joe didn’t know the whole story. He had no idea I could communicate with ghosts, so it was logical that he just assumed I was interfering because I was nosy. But his tone irritated me.
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br /> “Chief Wickham thinks you might cause us some trouble if you decide to try and clear Pete’s name. But I have to remind you how it worked out last time you interfered in an investigation. We only have a limited number of resources, and we need to concentrate on finding criminals, not keeping you safe because you like to pry into things that don’t concern you.”
I’m not sure how I resisted pouring my tea over Joe’s head, but somehow, I managed to keep control. I put my teacup on the table as Monty looked between Joe and me and said, “So, you two have history?”
This time, when Monty spoke, I didn’t look at him. I was too busy glaring at Joe.
“Is that what Chief Wickham thinks, Joe? Or is that what you think?”
Joe had the decency to look a little uncomfortable.
“You have to understand, Harper. We are trained to deal with situations like this. You’re not, and whoever killed Monty, if he was poisoned, is still at large and could be a danger to you and others.”
“I don’t expect you to rescue me, thank you. I have no intention of getting involved in your investigation.”
Monty looked at me in shock. “What do you mean? You said you’d help me!”
Monty’s sad brown eyes looked at me beseechingly, and it was really hard not to respond. Surely, he could understand I was just saying this to Joe to get him off my back. I would help Monty track down the killer and clear Pete’s name.
If Deputy Joe McGrady thought this little pep talk would make me stay away, he needed to think again.
“The chief and I both agree, Harper. We want you to stay out of the investigation, so you’re kept safe.”
“How touching,” I said, sarcasm lacing my tone. “I didn’t realize you were so concerned about my safety, aren’t I fortunate?”
“Well, I’m not giving you special treatment. I’m concerned for the safety of all the residents in Abbot Cove.” Joe said sounding flustered. “Not you in particular.”
“Charming,” I said getting to my feet.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant I’m not singling you out… I didn’t mean…” Joe broke off and raked a hand through his hair, frowning.
I knew this conversation hadn’t gone the way he intended, but I was vexed and didn’t want to make it any easier for him.
He quickly drained his tea and then stood up. “Thank you very much for the tea and the cookies. Don’t take this personally, Harper. Just let us do our jobs.”
I walked to the door in silence and waited while he put his coat back on and then headed out to his truck. I shut the door quickly as the wind had picked up and sent a chilly breeze swirling through the cottage.
I watched him drive away as I stood by the window, and Monty hovered beside me.
“I take it there’s some history there,” Monty commented. “You were lying to him, weren’t you?”
I turned around to Monty and smiled. “Of course. I’m still planning to help you.”
Monty looked impressed. “I hadn’t realized you were the type of person to lie to a law enforcement officer.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly lie. I indicated I would stay out of his investigation, not that I wouldn’t start one of my own.”
A broad grin spread across Monty’s face. “Very devious, Harper.”
After Joe had left, Monty followed me into the kitchen. Jess and Pete had been talking in hushed voices but stopped as soon as I entered the room.
“Don’t stop on my account,” I said as I crossed over to the sink to wash the cups and rinse out the teapot.
But Jess and Pete wanted to keep what they’d been talking about private because they didn’t continue their conversation.
“Thank you for the cookies, Harper. They were delicious,” Pete said after a moment’s awkward silence.
I smiled, but I could see from the plate of cookies in front of him, he and Jess had barely touched them. Pete had lost his appetite, and I couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t every day you became a prime suspect in a murder investigation.
“Did Chief Wickham or Joe tell you anything about the case?” I asked.
Pete looked a little shifty, as though he wasn’t sure whether he should confide in me. He shot a glance at Jess.
She nodded, encouraging him. “You should tell Harper all about it. She is great at solving murders. You must have heard about the murders in Abbott Cove. Harper pretty much solved them all single-handedly.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, Jess,” I protested.
“I have heard about the murders, and I’m sure Harper has a very good track record.” Pete blinked and looked a little uncomfortable. “But I’m not sure Harper getting involved is a very good idea after Deputy McGrady warned her off.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t going to push Pete to confide in me if he didn’t want to.
Jess said, “Harper just told Joe what he wanted to hear. She didn’t mean she was really going to stay out of the investigation. Did you, Harper?”
I was starting to feel guilty. Joe wasn’t really the bad guy. For some reason, I felt bad about lying to him.
“I won’t cause any trouble, Pete,” I assured him. “It’s just that sometimes the police have quite a blinkered way of looking at things and…” I tried to think what to say to encourage him to confide in me and let me help.
Jess chipped in, “Exactly. Harper is a fresh pair of eyes. She can look at the case in a different way. The police are bound by certain rules and procedures, and it isn’t as if you owe them anything, Pete. They have been interrogating you for the past few hours.” Jess scowled.
Pete shook his head. “I can’t say being questioned was a nice experience, but they were just doing their jobs. I think we should leave them alone so they can focus on finding the real killer without any interference.”
Jess frowned and looked like she was going to argue the point with Pete, but I met her gaze and shook my head.
“It’s fine. I understand, Pete. I’m going to go out for a little while and leave you and Jess to talk.”
Jess looked surprised. “Where are you going?”
“To see Grandma Grant. I figured I should warn her about the Spring Bake-off she is supposed to organize with Adele Silver. I thought if I gave her a heads up, she might be able to think of an excuse to get out of it before the Spring Show Committee asks her.”
Jess rolled her eyes. “If you think Grandma Grant will back out of an organizational role in the Spring Show, you should think again, Harper. You know what she’s like. She’ll accept their offer and then steamroll them into going along with all her ideas.”
Despite the circumstances, that made me smile. Grandma Grant could be a little bossy, and I had a feeling Jess was spot-on. “You’re probably right. But I still think I should warn her.” I left the kitchen muttering, “I just hope she doesn’t shoot the messenger.”
Chapter 9
As Monty and I traveled up the path towards Grandma Grant’s house on the hill, I tried to find out a little more about him.
“So, Monty. Tell me a little about yourself,” I said as I wrapped my scarf a little tighter around my neck to keep out the February chill.
“What do you want to know?” Monty asked, looking down at me.
It was funny how quickly I’d gotten used to a ghost like Monty hanging around. He was absolutely huge and looked menacing, but when I looked into his eyes, I could see a kindness there that belied his scary appearance.
“Were you married? Children? Or any other family?”
Monty shook his head sadly. “I never married or had children. I was an only child, and my parents died in a traffic accident when I was twenty-two.”
“Oh, I am sorry.” I didn’t want to hurt Monty’s feelings or dredge up bad memories, but I needed to know more about him if I was to have any chance of finding out who killed him. So, I pushed on with my questions.
“Have you lived in Cherrytown long?”
“Almost a year,” Monty said. “I grew up in Boston, but decided
I wanted a change.”
“Well, Cherrytown is certainly different from Boston. It’s much quieter.”
Monty smiled as he drifted along, and I had to walk faster to keep up with him.
“It is. But it suited me. I was really enjoying living there. I used to work as a divorce attorney in Boston. I was very successful financially, but I didn’t find it fulfilling. I quit my job and bought an old house in Cherrytown. I planned to renovate it while deciding what to do next with my life.”
“Did you fit in well in Cherrytown? Any problems with the locals?”
Monty sighed. “Well, if you had asked me that a couple of days ago, I would have said no, but I guess I have annoyed somebody enough to kill me, so I obviously didn’t get along with the locals as well as I’d thought. You know, living in Cherrytown had been the happiest time of my life. People were friendly and always happy to chat, and some even came to me to pick my brain for legal advice. I can’t believe one of the locals disliked me enough to kill me.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets and said, “We don’t know if it was somebody local who killed you. It could have been someone from your past who came to Cherrytown.”
Monty stopped abruptly and nodded. “Yes, you could be right.”
When he started moving again, I asked, “Who do you know who could have accessed your armor? If the doctor was right and there was some steel wool laced with poison inserted into the chain mail, then the killer would have needed to get their hands on it before the re-enactment, wouldn’t they?”
Monty nodded. “Yes, but I can’t think who it could be. I keep my armor upstairs in the attic room, where it is stored along with all my other re-enactment gear. I’ve collected quite a lot, you know.”
I nodded and tried to look impressed, or at the very least, interested. “How long have you been involved in the historical re-enactments?”
“Oh, not long. I only took it up as a hobby when I moved to Cherrytown. I thought I’d better make an effort to get to know some of the locals, and I saw a poster for the re-enactment group in the hardware store. I thought it might be fun and a good way to meet new people.” Monty looked a little sheepish as he looked down at me and then said in a low voice, “I’ll tell you the truth. I wasn’t really interested in the historical side of things. I suppose the battles made me feel like a kid again, playing soldiers.”