A Witchy Valentine (Harper Grant Mystery Series Book 4)

by D. S. Butler

  A few minutes later, Chief Wickham and Joe came back out of the house, propping up John Gastineau between them. John’s legs were bowed as though he couldn’t quite walk properly and he still had the helmet on.

  He certainly looked a sight.

  Monty chuckled. “They are going to have trouble getting that off. It was quite a tight fit. I’ve never been able to wear it myself.”

  I grinned. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer man.”

  Officer Tardy got into the front of the police vehicle and turned around to face us. “Are you all okay?”

  We all nodded. “We’re fine. How did you know John would be there?” I asked.

  “And how did you know he killed Monty?” Grandma Grant asked.

  “A short while ago, Laura Carmichael came out of her coma. She told us it was John who tried to kill her. He’d hit her on the head and then dumped her body in the sea. Luckily for Laura, she regained consciousness, and the tide pulled her in.”

  “What a nasty piece of work,” Grandma Grant said.

  Officer Tardy grunted in agreement.

  “But why did he kill Monty?” I asked.

  Officer Tardy looked at me sadly. “Laura asked Monty to take a look at John’s prenup. She wanted John to leave his wife, but when John found out, he was furious with her and demanded she get the contract back. He was terrified his wife would divorce him and leave him without any money. Laura suspected he killed Monty, but instead of coming to the police, she tried to blackmail him. John decided to make Laura pay instead.”

  “You were right, Harper,” Monty said softly.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled at him. I didn’t care how odd Officer Tardy thought my behavior was.

  We watched as Chief Wickham and Joe dragged John towards the second police vehicle just in front of us.

  Grandma Grant smothered a yawn. “I’m feeling quite tired. I don’t suppose we could go home now, could we? I’m an old lady, and I need my sleep.”

  “Nice try,” Jess commented dryly to Grandma Grant. “I have a feeling we’re not going to get away with it that easily.”

  Officer Tardy licked his lips and looked nervous. “I don’t think you can go home yet. Chief Wickham is going to want to ask you a few questions. For a start, he’s going to want to know why you were in Monty’s house tonight?”

  When none of us answered, Officer Tardy climbed out of the vehicle and went to speak to Chief Wickham. The chief took a deep breath and then narrowed his eyes as he stared at the three of us in the vehicle.

  Beside me, Monty shuddered. “He looks angry. I hope you are not going to get into too much trouble.”

  “So do I,” I said.

  Chief Wickham strode over and opened the door, summoning us all out with a crook of his finger. “Now, who’s going to tell me what happened tonight?”

  We all started to talk at once, and Chief Wickham eventually held up his hands and said, “Enough! I’ll deal with you three tomorrow.” He turned to Officer Tardy. “Could you give them a lift home, please?”

  “No need,” Grandma Grant said brightly. “My truck is just around the corner.”

  I winced at her words. The fact that we had parked a short distance away from Monty’s house revealed that we were trying to hide what we were doing. It proved we’d made a premeditated rather than a spur of the moment decision to go to Monty’s house. I thought that would make Chief Wickham even angrier.

  But it appeared he had used up his quota of fury for tonight.

  He waved a hand at us in exasperation and said, “Fine. Just go straight home and keep out of mischief. I want to speak to you all first thing tomorrow morning.”

  We walked past Joe, who was standing by the second police vehicle, trying to get John into the back of it. Grandma Grant snorted with laughter as Joe struggled to remove the helmet, and John hit his armored head on the door of the police car. The helmet was well and truly stuck.

  Joe shot me a very disappointed look, and I cringed. I wasn’t sure he would forgive me for this. Chief Wickham had known Grandma Grant practically all his life, and as such, he’d come to realize he would never fully understand or approve of her behavior, but he tolerated her well enough and was even fond of her in his own way.

  Joe was different. He was from the city and wasn’t used to quirky, local characters. I don’t think he found me quirky or interesting. I think he just thought I was an oddball who couldn’t keep out of trouble.

  We made it back to Grandma Grant’s house by two a.m. Although it was late, we were all too wired to sleep. Grandma Grant raided the pantry and found a couple of packets of chocolate chip cookies. I poured us all glasses of milk, and we took them through to the living area. The fire had long gone out, so we put patchwork blankets over our laps to keep warm.

  “What you did with the helmet was a stroke of genius, Monty.” Grandma Grant said as she picked out a cookie from the plate.

  “Well, thank you,” Monty said and flushed with pleasure.

  “Do you think we’re going to get in big trouble over this?” Jess asked.

  “Chief Wickham will probably give us a bit of a telling off tomorrow, but we didn’t really do anything too terrible,” Grandma Grant said. “And we did apprehend the suspect for him.”

  Jess pulled a face. “I hope he sees it like that.”

  She pulled out her cell phone and began tapping a message.

  “Who are you messaging at this time of night?” I asked.

  “Pete. He might be asleep, but I figured he’d want to know that John Gastineau has been arrested, and he is in the clear.”

  “I can’t believe John was so devious,” Monty said. “I didn’t suspect him at all.”

  “It is awful,” I said. “Monty was only doing Laura a favor. His kindness and offering to give people free legal advice ended up getting him killed.”

  Again, I felt that lump in my throat and struggled to swallow. Monty’s murder was affecting me more than all the others had. It seemed so unfair.

  Monty reached out and touched my arm. I jumped, and my eyes widened.

  Monty frowned and looked concerned, and Jess leaned forward and asked, “What’s wrong, Harper?”

  I blinked and shook my head. “Monty just touched my arm…and I felt it.”

  “Emotions are running high,” Grandma Grant said. “And emotions are a form of energy. Having powerful feelings means Monty’s ghost can interact in a stronger sense than normal.” Grandma Grant passed me the plate of cookies. “It’s nothing to worry about, Harper. It could just be that you’re more in tune to Monty than you have been with any other ghost in the past.”

  Monty gave me a shy smile, and Smudge came to curl up on the arm of my armchair.

  Grandma Grant stood up and yawned. “Well, I suppose I’d better get to bed. Chief Wickham is going to want to speak to us bright and early tomorrow, and we need to keep our wits about us.”

  Jess nodded. “What’s our story?”

  “The truth, I guess,” I said. “Just avoid mentioning Monty’s ghost.”

  “You know,” Grandma Grant said with a smirk, “sometimes I think it might be quite nice to tell Chief Wickham about the ghosts. Just to see the look on his face.”

  I shivered. “I don’t. I get enough funny looks from the townsfolk of Abbott Cove without admitting to that.”

  Chapter 31

  The next morning, Chief Wickham wanted to question us all individually, and I could only hope my story held up when it was compared to Jess and Grandma Grant’s. I was disappointed that Joe wasn’t the one to question me. I was still holding out the vain hope that I could explain things in a way he would understand. It was silly really.

  When Chief Wickham finally finished his questioning, it felt like a weight had been lifted. He told us they’d found evidence that proved John was the one to murder Monty. John Gastineau had purchased a highly-concentrated shipment of nicotine a few short weeks ago, and the container had been found stashed in an ou
tbuilding on the grounds of the huge mansion.

  Confronted with the evidence, John had confessed to letting himself into Monty’s house to access the armor and coat the inside with nicotine. He wanted to get rid of Monty before the truth came to light about his affair with Laura Carmichael.

  His wife, Lucille, apparently knew nothing about it. Chief Wickham told us she was filing for divorce and intended to leave for New York as soon as possible.

  Laura Carmichael was probably going to get away with her attempt to blackmail John Gastineau. I hoped the fact she’d only narrowly escaped with her life would keep her on the straight and narrow from now on.

  A few minutes after Chief Wickham left us, Archie and Sarah arrived, carrying a box of cupcakes.

  “We went to your cottage first, Harper,” Archie said. “But when you weren’t there, we guessed you’d be at your grandmother’s.”

  I welcomed them into Grandma Grant’s house, and Smudge, whom I’d brought with me for moral support during the questioning, curled around Archie’s ankles happily. Athena, on the other hand, remained in her chair by the fire, watching the newcomers haughtily. I was just pleased she’d stopped darting to hide under the furniture whenever I came near. We were making progress. Slow progress, but that was better than nothing.

  Grandma Grant made a huge pot of tea, and we all sat around in the living area, sipping from steaming mugs, and biting into the deliciously soft cupcakes.

  Pete had arrived when Chief Wickham was questioning me this morning. He’d looked so relieved as he’d thrown his arms around Jess. I was glad he was in the clear and wondered whether this event would bring him and my sister closer. They were sitting together on the couch. It was nice to see Jess so happy.

  Although it was lovely to see Pete, Archie and Sarah, it did mean, of course, that I couldn’t talk to Monty, and I could sense he was restless. He hovered to and fro beside the window, looking out at the rustling trees and gray sky. After polishing off a cupcake, I decided to put Monty before my stomach and refused the offer of a second cake.

  I announced to everyone I was going to go for a walk.

  “Really? In this weather?” Archie asked. “It’s not very nice out there.”

  “I know, but I need some fresh air. I won’t be long.”

  As I put on my coat and boots, I looked fondly at my family and friends gathered around the fire, laughing happily.

  I buttoned up my coat and glanced at Monty, hoping he’d get the message to follow me. He did.

  I trudged outside and headed straight for the trail. I thought Monty and I could talk for a while, and if he needed ghostly company, I could take him to the diner where he could chat with Loretta.

  Once we were amongst the trees and sheltered from prying eyes, I felt comfortable enough to talk to Monty.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Monty shrugged. “It’s a bit strange, to be honest. I was so focused on finding out who killed me, I didn’t really think what was going to happen next.” He shot me a sideways glance. “You said I would move on.”

  “Yes,” I nodded. “That’s what’s always happened in the past.”

  Monty frowned and ran a hand through his shaggy, dark hair. “Then why hasn’t it happened yet?”

  “Sometimes, it takes a while. It doesn’t always happen immediately.”

  I knew Monty would move on because that’s what all the ghosts before him had done, except Loretta. She was a special case. I didn’t even know how she died.

  “You know, I was thinking, it wouldn’t be too bad to stay around here with you and Loretta. Despite everything, I’ve liked getting to know you over the past few days.”

  Monty’s words tugged at my heartstrings. I was really going to miss him.

  I smiled at him. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

  Monty smiled, and we walked together in companionable silence. We were almost at the end of the trail when I glanced at Monty and noticed he’d started shimmering.

  I gulped and reached out my hand, even though I knew I couldn’t really touch him. “I think it’s going to happen now,” I said.

  Monty turned to me, his eyes open wide with wonder. “I think you’re right. I can feel it.”

  As the shimmering intensified and began to disperse, Monty called out, “Thank you for everything, Harper. I’ll never forget what you did for me.”

  I put a hand to my mouth, and tears filled my eyes.

  “Goodbye,” I mouthed as Monty’s figure dissolved into sparkling, crystalline fragments in front of me and drifted upwards in a slow, steady spiral.

  I stood there for ages, even after every trace of Monty had disappeared. I took in a deep breath of the chilly February air and tilted my head back to look at the sky. The cold air stung my cheeks, and I wiped away my tears.

  Eventually, I turned on my heel and began to trudge back up the trail toward Grandma Grant’s house. I didn’t want to be on my own right now.

  When I reached the edge of the trail and began to walk the short distance to Grandma Grant’s house, I saw Joe McGrady pulling up outside.

  I sighed. When he got out of the police vehicle, I called over to him. “More questions?”

  He gave me a half smile. “No, I think the chief is satisfied for now.”

  “Oh,” I said, surprised. “What are you doing here then?” The words had left my mouth before I realized how rude they sounded. “Not that you aren’t welcome to drop in,” I added hurriedly.

  Joe grinned. “I came to check on you and make sure you are all okay.”

  “Well, that’s kind of you. We’re fine. Why don’t you come in and have a cup of tea? Archie and Sarah brought cupcakes.”

  “How could I resist?” Joe grinned. “But now I feel bad for coming empty-handed.”

  “As long as you don’t have any more questions, I think everyone will be happy to see you, empty-handed or not,” I said and opened the door.

  We walked inside, took off our coats, and everyone turned to say hello to Joe as I removed my muddy boots. Grandma Grant watched Joe warily until she was sure he wasn’t going to launch into a fresh interrogation or give her a ticking off.

  I stood in front of the fire to warm up, and Jess poured Joe a cup of tea. He took a cupcake with chocolate icing when Archie offered him the box.

  Archie came to stand beside me by the fire and said in a low voice, “It’s nice to see he’s forgiven you.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said. “He was furious last night.”

  “He cares about you,” Archie said. “That much is obvious.”

  I glanced over at Joe who was halfway through his cupcake and licking the chocolate icing off his fingers.

  After a few minutes, Grandma Grant got to her feet and declared she needed Jess and Pete’s help in the kitchen. Archie and Sarah suddenly remembered they had a pressing engagement they’d forgotten about, and Joe and I were left sitting in front of the fire, with only Smudge for company. Athena was sitting on the windowsill now, as far away from the guests as she could get.

  I felt my cheeks flush with heat, and it wasn’t due to the fire. My family and friends were not exactly subtle.

  “Can I?” Joe asked pointing to the box of cupcakes.

  “Fill your boots,” I said as he reached for a second cake. “As long as you’re not going to get mad at me anymore.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “How about you stop giving me reasons to get mad?”

  “I’ll try,” I said. It was the best I could do. I wasn’t going to make a promise only to break it later.

  He shook his head and grinned. “I’m not sure you intend to try very hard. What am I going to do with you?”

  I smiled back. “So, you’re not angry with me anymore?” I reached forward to take another cupcake.

  Joe frowned for a moment and paused, the icing from the cupcake melting on his fingers. “I know you’re not doing this for the glory or because you’re nosey. I don’t understand why you’d
risk your life like you did. It’s not even as though you knew Monty that well.”

  I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. There was no way I could explain without admitting my deepest, darkest secret, and that was not happening. I’d rather Joe stay mad at me than let him think I was a crackpot.

  When I didn’t answer, he continued, “In future, I’d prefer it if you left the investigating to Chief Wickham and me.”

  I nodded. It was a reasonable request. Too bad I had no intention of honoring it. If another ghost needed my help, I wouldn’t turn my back. But really, I was sure I’d had my fair share of ghosts by now. Abbott Cove was a small town. The murder rate this year was unheard of. I was reasonably confident we’d used up our murder allocation for the next fifty years at least.

  “I’m pretty sure we won’t have any more murder cases in Abbott Cove for a while, so I don’t think you need to worry about me interfering.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Joe said and then polished off his second cupcake.

  We chatted for a little longer, and just as I thought we were getting on really well, I heard raised female voices outside.

  I frowned. Who could that be? I thought Grandma Grant was in the kitchen with Jess.

  Jess came running out of the kitchen, looking concerned.

  “Who is making all that noise?” I asked as Joe and I got to our feet and made our way over to the window to investigate.

  Jess grimaced. “It’s Grandma Grant and Adele Silver.”

  “I thought Grandma Grant was in the kitchen with you.”

  “She was, but then we saw Adele pull up outside, and she wanted to go out the back door, so she didn’t disturb you.” Jess gave me a knowing look.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Joe opening the door and stepping outside. He hadn’t heard Jess’s comment.

  I rolled my eyes. “What are they arguing about this time?”

  “Take your pick,” Jess said. “How they are ever going to organize the spring bake-off together without killing one another, I’ll never know.”

  I grabbed my coat off the hook, stuffed my feet into my boots and went outside.