“Uh-huh.” Olivia led them to the kitchen and went straight to the counter, where she looked to be mixing ingredients for cookies. “You want to know about the brothel.”
Harper was taken aback. “You knew?”
“Of course I knew.” Olivia made a face. “It wasn’t exactly a secret. Cars were parking behind her house at all hours of the night. Men would go in and come out about an hour later. There weren’t a lot of options to consider.
“Sure, she could’ve been a drug dealer, but I have to imagine that women would be entering the house under those circumstances, too,” she continued. “I saw a few women — they were all young — but they would go in for a few hours before coming out. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was happening inside those walls.”
Harper was dumbfounded. “Why didn’t you say something to Mel? I mean ... it seems to me that you wouldn’t want stuff like that in your neighborhood.”
Olivia merely shrugged. “Hey, they weren’t bothering me. I happen to know that Patty was desperate for money to keep that house. It was in her family a long time. Her parents left her a decent amount of money, which was why Hank married her in the first place, but with his drinking problem ... well, it went fast thanks to the gamblers.”
Harper had never heard any of this so it was difficult to wrap her head around what Olivia was saying. “Hank was a gambler?”
Olivia bobbed her head. “Patty met Hank through her daddy’s contacts. He was a gangster back in the day. He was big during prohibition times. They used to run alcohol through that house. My mother told me all about it. She had little love for Patty’s family, but I was fascinated with the stories. That’s why I was adamant about seeking her out and making friends back when we were both young newlyweds.”
Her shoulders heavy, Harper sank into one of the dining room chairs. “I am so confused.”
“Me, too.” Zander sat next to her. He seemed much more excited at the prospect of gossip than she did, though. “So ... you’re really saying that Patty’s father was a gangster ... like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel. Ooh, and Al Capone.”
Olivia’s amusement was on display as she chuckled. “How did I know that you would glom on to that detail? You seem the type to enjoy movies about well-dressed men with slicked-back hair and tailored suits.”
“Hey, that’s a good look.” Zander winked at her and then sobered. “I know you didn’t report her and you could have. What about the other neighbors?”
Olivia shrugged and turned back to her mixing. “I don’t know that anybody else knew. I mean ... there aren’t a lot of houses around here and she was discreet. Well, I mean for the most part. There were a few arguments behind the house occasionally. I heard men fighting from time to time.”
“The men were fighting with each other?” Harper queried, recovering her senses. “Why?”
“I honestly have no idea.” Olivia’s expression was somber. “If I had to guess, maybe there were fights over who got what woman ... or who got what rate. I mean ... people have the best of intentions when they go into sexual relationships with no strings, but something always happens to ruin things, right?”
“I guess.” Harper absently scratched at the side of her nose. “Do you think Patty was comfortable getting into the brothel business because of her father?”
“I think that Patty tried to be an upstanding citizen, but the DDA kept coming after her and it wasn’t fair,” Olivia replied. “There was a time Patty and I were close. That sort of fell by the wayside because she was so secretive. I was fine with the skeletons in her closet. However, I didn’t like always feeling as if I was begging to be included in her life.
“Not everyone has a friendship like the two of you,” she continued. “You two tell each other everything. Patty never told me anything ... until one night when she got a little drunk. The next day, it was obvious she regretted what she said. She started putting distance between us after that. I was hurt at first but ... I kind of get it now. She was afraid all of this would come out.”
“All of what?” Zander was practically salivating. “She’s dead. It doesn’t hurt to tell us her big secret.”
Olivia snorted and shook her head. “You’re a trip. I’ve always liked you. People complain that you’re loud and opinionated, but I happen to think we need more of that. And as for you ... .” Her eyes drifted to Harper, who felt suddenly uncomfortable. “You’re different in a unique way. You’re strong and you fight for those you love. You’re exactly the sort of woman we should all strive to be.”
“I ... um ... .” Harper’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“You’re also humble,” Olivia added. “As for Patty, I guess it can’t hurt to tell you the big secret. She has no family left to my knowledge and the information is likely to come out anyway. You’ll pass it on to your boyfriend and hopefully they’ll be able to track down who did this.”
“So you know that she was murdered,” Harper mused.
“I do. Mel was at McDonald’s this morning and told Lorna, who happened to be working the counter.”
“And Lorna told everybody who she crossed paths with.” Harper’s smile was rueful. “She has a huge mouth.”
“She definitely does, so almost everybody probably already knows.”
“Go back to Patty,” Zander instructed. “What was the big secret?”
“You have zero patience,” Olivia noted. “I like that about you. I’m the same way. I figure I only have so many years left and I don’t want to waste them.”
“Exactly.” Zander bobbed his head. “Tell me.”
“Patty’s father left her a lot of money when he passed, which I’ve already told you. The thing is, Hank squandered all of it. Patty should’ve been set for life. She at least shouldn’t have had to worry about losing that house. Hank couldn’t keep it together, though, and by the time she was in her thirties she was always struggling.
“Hank couldn’t keep a job because of the drinking and Patty wasn’t exactly trained to bring in a lot of money,” she continued. “What she did know was through watching her father run a business.”
A sick feeling filled the pit of Harper’s stomach. “Oh, geez. She was a prostitute, wasn’t she?”
Olivia nodded. “She did it on the side for years, and with Hank’s blessing ... which caused a bit of bitterness in the relationship. When I heard Hank died in his sleep, I couldn’t decide if it was the bottle that did him in or Patty. She hated him by the end ... even though we’d fallen out a bit by then, I could see it in every expression when she looked at him.”
“She was a prostitute in Whisper Cove?” Zander was positively giddy. “How does that even work?”
“I have no idea,” Olivia replied. “She managed to hide it for years. That’s why, when I realized she was running a brothel, I wasn’t surprised. It made sense in a weird way. She needed money and she went back to what she knew.”
“And kept it a secret until she ticked off the wrong person,” Harper mused. “Now we just need to figure out who that person is.”
6
Six
Harper and Zander pumped Olivia for as much information as they could manage and then returned to stalking the house. Unfortunately for them, the fire investigator’s truck was still on the premises ... which left them with no other options but to wait.
“Doesn’t this guy have something better to do with his time?” Zander complained as he gave the tree next to him a dirty look. “And why are we hiding here? Why can’t we get coffee and watch from across the street?”
“Because then people would see us,” Harper replied. “If all of a sudden we get up and race across the road so we can break into a crime scene at the convenient moment when a vehicle leaves, that’s probably going to look suspicious.”
“Oh, like I thought we would race across the road.” Zander rolled his eyes. “You know I can’t run in these shoes. They’re for light walking and looking good. If we’re running I’ll have to go home and ch
ange, which will mean picking different jeans, too. I can’t run in these jeans.”
Harper attempted to hold back a sigh ... and failed miserably. “I almost forgot how much work you are when it’s time for a surveillance job.”
“I’m not work. I’m ... worthwhile effort.”
“If you say so.”
“Oh, I know so.” Zander leaned against the tree again and then immediately bounced away, glaring. “There is sap all over this tree. You know how I feel about sap.”
“Yes, it’s the Devil’s elixir.”
“And it makes me all sticky. I only like getting sticky for a good cause, and this isn’t it.”
“Yes, well ... .” Harper trailed off at the sound of a snapping twig behind them and she swiveled quickly. She wasn’t fast enough to stop an arm from coming around her, though, and when a hand descended over her mouth her eyes went wide ... until she realized it was Jared. “You scared the crap out of me,” she complained as she slapped at his arm and moved away.
Jared barked out a laugh at her obvious distress, which wasn’t the response she was expecting.
“You almost gave me a heart attack,” she hissed, her eyes slitted. “Do you want me to die before we even get to walk down the aisle together?”
“Of course not.” Jared brushed the hair away from her face, his smile never diminishing. “I wasn’t trying to frighten you. I was just ... seeing what you were doing.”
“We’re spying on the house,” Zander offered. He hadn’t jumped when Jared came through, which made Harper wonder if he’d seen the police detective’s approach or was simply a better actor than she gave him credit for.
“I figured that out myself,” Jared acknowledged, his eyes never leaving Harper’s face. “Why?”
“No reason,” Harper replied hurriedly, brushing her hands over the seat of her jeans as she tried to recover. “We just ... like looking around.”
“Yes, we love hanging in the woods,” Zander drawled. “There’s nothing better than tree sap falling on us as our ankles hurt from standing too long. I read a news article once that said standing too long is just as dangerous as sitting too long.”
“And what magazine did you read that in?” Harper challenged.
“It was Men’s Health, which you don’t read because you’re not a man.”
“Whatever.” She made a face before focusing on Jared. “What are you doing here?”
“I got a call about two weirdos hanging out in the trees and spying on a house that was used as a brothel. One of the neighbors suggested you two were up to illicit things.”
“No way.” Harper was horrified. “I ... you know that’s not true.”
“Of course I know it’s not true. I didn’t really get a call either. I was making that up.” Jared cocked his head. “You seem flustered, and it’s not just about getting caught spying on the house. I’ve caught you doing stuff like this before and you’re always much cooler. What’s going on?”
“Nothing is going on.” Harper suddenly found herself distinctly uncomfortable as she shifted from one foot to the other. She had no idea why she was so flustered. “I was just ... um ... looking for a ghost.”
“Which is exactly what you told me you were doing this morning. I take it you haven’t had any luck.”
“Not so much.” Harper’s eyes drifted back to the house. “How long is that fire inspector going to stay?”
Jared followed her gaze. “Sorenson? Probably a decent amount of time. We found some interesting stuff in there.”
“Like what?” Harper was officially intrigued. “Did you find like ... creepy ... stuff in there?”
“What do you mean?”
“She means like whips and chains,” Zander volunteered. He was over the entire outing and wanted to say goodbye to the trees. “Now that we know it was really a brothel her mind is running wild.”
“I can see that.” Jared rubbed his thumb over her soft cheek. “I’m not quite sure what to make of this. Generally Zander is the one to fly off the handle in cases like this.”
“I never fly off the handle,” Zander shot back. “I always have the exact appropriate response to everything.”
Harper and Jared shot him twin looks of doubt.
“You just spent five minutes complaining about sap to me,” Harper reminded him.
“And that was the exact correct response because sap is stupid.”
Sensing he might lose control of the conversation, Jared decided to redirect them. “And what are you doing here again?”
“Just looking,” Harper answered, much more smoothly this time. “I thought if Patty was hanging around it would be here, but I haven’t seen her yet. Perhaps if I could get inside ... .”
“Uh-huh.” Jared wrinkled his nose. “You can’t while the inspector is in there ... and I figured that’s what you were trying to do. You know it’s going to reflect poorly on me if my wife gets caught breaking into a crime scene, right?”
“Fiancée,” Harper corrected. “You can always say my meds are off.”
“I would prefer not casting aspersions on the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with,” Jared argued. “You can’t go into the house until the inspector cedes it to us ... and given the things we found, I don’t expect that to happen for at least a few more hours, maybe longer.”
“Oh.” Harper couldn’t hide her disappointment. “That sucks. We just spent an hour with Olivia Dasher and she gave us the skinny on all of Patty’s misdeeds. I can’t help but feel that house is full of secrets as well as potential ghosts.”
Jared felt as if he’d suddenly fallen behind in the conversation. “Who is Olivia Dasher?”
“Patty’s neighbor,” Zander replied, pointing toward the pretty colonial on the corner. “She and Patty used to be tight so we thought she might have some insight for us.”
“Did she?”
“Actually, yeah.”
“Well, I have some stuff to share with you, too, Heart. I don’t particularly want to do it in the woods, though. How about we head to Jason’s restaurant and we exchange information there?”
Harper wanted to put up a fight — she was still irritated he managed to sneak up on her, after all — but the lure of warm chili and a grilled cheese sandwich was more than she could ignore. “Okay, but I’m going to make you pay for scaring me later.”
Jared’s grin was sly. “Are you going to punish me with kisses?”
“I’m going to punish you both with vomit if you’re not careful,” Zander warned.
Even though she was determined to stay angry, Harper couldn’t manage it. She ultimately gave in and leaned closer to Jared so she could absorb a bit of his warmth. “How about you buy me lunch and we’ll call it even?”
Jared held her tight for a beat, generally curious about her over-exaggerated reaction. “Deal.”
ONCE TUCKED INTO A COZY BOOTH at Jason’s restaurant, menus in their hands, Jared had the opportunity to look Harper over more closely. The color was back in her cheeks and she appeared normal, beautiful as always, and yet haunted shadows lurked in the depths of her eyes.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he prodded as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. If he didn’t know better he would think she was sick, although she wasn’t overly warm and didn’t show outward signs of any ailment.
“Nothing is wrong,” Harper reassured him quickly. “Why do you think something is wrong?”
“Because you’re pale ... and I’ve never seen you react the way you did when I came up behind you in the woods.”
“You frightened me.”
It was more than that. Jared inherently knew that to be true. “Harper ... .”
“She’s struggling with what we learned about Patty,” Zander volunteered. He was annoyed they were caught up in each other and seemingly forgetful that he was part of their happy lunch trio. “The stuff we found out about Patty was ... weird.”
Jared moved his hand to the back of Harper’s neck and started ru
bbing at the tension there. “How so?”
“Well, for starters, Patty’s father was a gangster and she had to work as a prostitute for like ten years to save her home. She did it right in Whisper Cove. I think Harper is upset because she feels something should’ve been done to help Patty before it came to that.”
“Huh.” Jared squeezed at the muscles a little tighter. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
“Kind of,” she admitted, lowering her eyes. “While Olivia was telling us the story about how Patty’s husband squandered all the money her father left her — money that was garnered illegally, but that’s a whole other thing to think about — all I could wonder about is what would I do if suddenly I had to take care of myself without any help. It kind of depressed me, although I’m not sure why.”
“I’m not sure why either.” Jared opted for honesty. “You’re never going to be alone. You’re always going to have me.”
“Do you think Patty felt that way about her husband?”
Jared faltered. “I don’t know. You don’t have anything to worry about, though.”
“Olivia made it sound as if Patty had a motive to kill her husband,” Zander offered. He didn’t look nearly as broken up about Patty’s sad life as Harper. “She said she wasn’t sure if she believed the heart attack story.”
“I can pull the file.” Jared stroked his chin. “I’m more interested in the prostitute thing. Did she somehow confirm that or was it just a suspicion?”
“Patty admitted it to her,” Harper replied. “Apparently Patty held her secrets close to the vest, but they got drunk one night and she let it slip. After that, she started putting distance between Olivia and herself ... probably because she was embarrassed.”
“Well, I hate to say it, but that kind of makes sense given the things we discovered,” Jared supplied. “I mean ... an older woman doesn’t simply decide she’s going to open a brothel in her home out of the blue. Most people wouldn’t even attempt that.”
“She probably realized she wouldn’t be able to act as a prostitute for long and she needed the money,” Harper mused. “Still, she couldn’t have been working as a prostitute much past forty-five or so. What was she doing between that age and when she started the brothel? There’s no way she was running a business like that out of her home for that long. People would’ve noticed.”
Ghostly Business Page 6