Ghostly Business

by Lily Harper Hart

  “She was sick,” Brett shot back. “You’re the one who told me that. She was losing her mind. Her time was limited.”

  “That didn’t mean it was okay for you to kill her,” Natalie shot back. “You ... murdered her. You stuck a knife in her. I knew it was you when I heard what happened and it made me sick. I just ... how could you?”

  Rather than explode at the young woman, Brett turned into a pleading schoolboy. “Don’t you understand? I did it for us. We talked about running away together, starting a new life. When you mentioned Patty’s plan to take the money she’d put together and live out the rest of her days on a tropical beach, I knew what I had to do.”

  “Kill her?” Natalie was incredulous. “What is wrong with you? That was just talk. I never had any intention of going anywhere with you. I just played into your fantasies because you gave me more money if I pretended to have feelings for you outside of what we were doing. I’m trying to build a life for myself. You were never going to be part of that.”

  Anger, quick as lightning, flashed in the depths of Brett’s eyes. “Don’t say that! I know you loved me. You said it.”

  “I was lying,” Natalie spat. “I was playing a part. None of what happened in that house was real. Patty helped me. She taught me about investing money. She told me that what I was doing could be forgotten once I moved past it. I was just trying to reach a financial goal so I could get out of here. You were the delusional one who thought we could run away together.”

  “Did you know about his wife?” Harper asked, legitimately curious. “Did you know she was expecting a baby?”

  Natalie nodded stiffly. “I knew. If you think I’m proud of what I did, you’re wrong. I felt bad for his wife. I just ... didn’t feel I had any other options. I knew he was becoming obsessed so I made sure he had no choice but to interact with some of the other girls a few nights a month, but there was only so much I could do.

  “Patty was the only person who ever risked anything for me,” she continued. “She really tried to do right by me. I thought I was doing right by her. It turns out, I wasn’t.

  “I’m the one who kept her meds regulated.” Natalie took on a far-off expression. “I made certain she got physical exercise because the doctor recommended at least an hour of aerobic activity every day. I was going to stay until ... well ... there was nothing left to stay for. I loved her.

  “It’s my fault, though.” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t think anything of it when I mentioned the money. Patty said she was going to take me with her when she went. I knew it was probably a pipe dream, but I wanted to make sure it happened for her.

  “I did this.” Slowly, Natalie bobbed her head. “This is all on me. I wish I could tell her I was sorry.”

  Harper glanced back at Patty, who looked distressed. “She knows,” she reassured the young woman. “She knows you’re sorry. I don’t think she holds it against you.”

  Patty absently nodded in agreement. “It’s not your fault, girl. I wish I would’ve known what was going on with him, but you didn’t tell me. You were probably trying to keep me from getting stressed. I ... get it. I still wish things would’ve been different.”

  Natalie obviously couldn’t hear the words so Harper repeated them to her.

  “She says she understands and it’s okay.” Harper’s voice was plaintive. “She doesn’t blame you.”

  “And what does she say about me?” Brett challenged. “I’m betting she can’t even remember who I am. That’s how gone she was. She wasn’t worth saving.”

  Patty’s temper ratcheted up a notch and she made a growling noise. “He’s the worst of the worst.”

  “He is,” Harper agreed. “He’s going to jail, though. I promise you that.”

  For the first time since Natalie entered the stable, Brett returned to reality. “Oh, I’m not going to jail. Why do you think I followed you here? I’m going to end you in this ... place. I’m going to make sure that you can’t tell anyone what you know. Then Natalie and I are going to leave and start our new life.”

  “You truly are delusional if you think I would ever touch you again,” Natalie snapped. “You’re ... disgusting. If you want to know the truth, whenever I was with you, my skin crawled. You make me sick.”

  “Don’t say that!” Brett was close to losing it. “We belong together. We’re going to be happy forever. We’re going to have children ... and a life. If you want to live on a beach, I have enough money for that now. We can go right now. I just have to get rid of the ghost hunter and then we’re good. She’s the only thing that can stop us.”

  “No.” Natalie shook her head. “I can stop us. I should’ve stopped us long before this happened and it will be one of the great regrets of my life. This is over, though. We’re done.”

  “Stop saying that!” Spittle formed at the corners of Brett’s mouth. “You’re just saying that because you’re afraid of what the ghost hunter will say. I’m going to fix that. I’m going to fix everything.”

  “You’re not.” Natalie shook her head. “There is no fixing this. It’s over.”

  “Shut up!” Brett’s rage took over as he started toward her. “You’re coming with me whether you like it or not.”

  In a split second, Harper’s fear for herself had turned to terror for Natalie. “Don’t touch her.” She moved to give chase, although she had no idea what she was going to do when she caught him. It was already too late, though.

  “Leave that girl alone!” Patty roared, the spectral energy she’d been throwing about earlier to scare the horses returning with a vengeance.

  The lights flickered as her form reverberated, lost shape, and then re-formed even stronger.

  “What was that?” Brett asked, slowing his pace and lifting his eyes to the light fixtures.

  “Was that ... Patty?” Natalie’s forehead wrinkled.

  “You heard her?” Harper couldn’t help being impressed. “Yeah, that was Patty. She’s really here ... and she’s not happy.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Patty.” Natalie broke into tears. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  Harper knew Patty was beyond hearing the apology. She was too focused on Brett to allow anything else to sink in. “Natalie, get out of the stable,” Harper ordered, taking a step away from the furious ghost. She still had the dreamcatcher clutched in her hand and debated throwing it. Ultimately, she kept hold of it and took another step toward the opposite entrance. “You need to run now.”

  “What?” Bewilderment flooded Natalie’s features. “Why?”

  “Because Patty is about to take her vengeance.”

  Realization dawned on Natalie’s pretty face. “But ... can’t you stop her?”

  Harper shook her head. “I don’t want to. He has it coming. I’ll come back to help her cross over after. Just ... get out.”

  Patty roared a second time. She was almost on top of Brett. He couldn’t see her, but the shudder that ran through his body made it clear he could feel her.

  “Run now!” Harper barked the order and then turned on her heel to run. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natalie heeding her warning and racing toward the other entrance. Harper didn’t turn around even when she heard Brett screaming. Instead, she put her head down and didn’t stop until she burst through the opening ... and ran directly into Jared, who was obviously coming to her rescue.

  “Don’t go in there,” Harper panted as he pulled her into his arms.

  Confused, Jared held her tight. Screams were coming from the stable, of the male variety, but he had the most important thing in his grasp. “What is it?”

  “Patty is making Brett pay for what he did.”

  Jared flicked his eyes to Mel, conflicted. “What do we do?”

  Mel merely shrugged. “I guess we wait. I’m not exactly keen to run into that barn and take on a murderous ghost. Are you?”

  “I can’t say as I am.” Jared pressed his lips to Harper’s forehead and tightened his grip. “You’re okay, right? He didn’t put his hand
s on you, did he?”

  “Patty didn’t give him the chance.”

  “Then I guess he really is getting what he deserves.”

  “And then some.” Harper pressed her eyes shut. “Natalie ran out the other door,” she volunteered to Mel. “You should probably collect her before she takes off for good. She has a few answers you’ll need for when it’s time to close your report.”

  “I’m on it.” Mel immediately started in that direction. “Don’t go in that stable without me, partner. We’ll do it together ... in a little bit.”

  Jared nodded. “Yeah. In a little bit.”

  The screams suddenly ceased and everyone took a moment to stare at each other, the weight of what happened hanging heavy.

  “Just give me a few minutes.” Mel was grim. “I’ll get Natalie and then we’ll clean up the mess.”

  Jared nodded, his bandaged hand stroking Harper’s hair. “That sounds good to me. I’ll be right here.”

  19

  Nineteen

  Harper met Natalie outside the police station the next day. Zander was with her — still lamenting the fact that Jared arrived too quickly and stopped him from pulling a Batman maneuver — but he wisely gave the women room to talk without interruption, instead leaning against Jared’s truck, arms crossed, and pretending to stare at the water.

  “How’s it going?” Harper asked as she offered up a weak smile. “Are you ... okay?”

  Natalie held her hands out and shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to wrap my head around ... and I’m not just talking about the fact that the ghost of my former boss — who also happened to be the closest thing I ever had to a mother — managed to kill the guy who thought he was in love with me but was really just a client.”

  “Well, when you put it that way.” Harper let loose a harsh laugh. “Don’t think about it too much. It will give you nightmares.”

  “It’s hard not to think about. All of this happened because of me.”

  “No.” Harper vehemently shook her head. “You didn’t cause this. Brett was ... well, I don’t know if ‘messed up’ is the right term. I can’t help feeling that somehow eases the burden on him. He was clearly at fault. I’m not sure he was entirely right in the head, though.”

  “He always requested me. He wouldn’t settle for anyone else. I always had to come up with an excuse to foist him off on someone else, like what happened the night of the fire. Otherwise he melted down if I didn’t have time for him. It was that way from the first night.

  “Well, that’s not entirely true. The first time he visited I was the one with him. He seemed nervous, really sweaty, and I kind of eased him into things. After that, he didn’t come around again for a full month.

  “That time he was with one of the other girls,” she continued. “Then he came back again two weeks later and was with one of the other girls. It was only three days after that he requested me ... and then it was a twice-weekly thing unless I could come up with a good lie to dissuade him.”

  Harper frowned as Jared strolled out of the police department. “Twice a week?” She lifted her eyes and found Jared’s gaze. “I thought he was only going once a month.”

  “That seems to be one of the many lies he told us,” Jared replied. “We believed him because he appeared forthcoming. That was a mistake on our part. In hindsight ... it was really stupid.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Mel countered, easing behind Jared and moving toward his nephew. “I never wanted to trust him in the first place.”

  Jared rolled his eyes. “I don’t remember you putting up a fight.”

  “Then you’re not remembering it right because I was totally against it.”

  “Whatever,” Jared muttered under his breath as Harper and Natalie exchanged small smiles.

  “This really isn’t your fault, Natalie,” Harper reassured her, returning to the original conversational topic. “Brett was clearly ... unhinged. What’s going on with his wife, by the way?”

  Jared shrugged. “She’s not talking. They’ve moved her into the hospital because her blood pressure is so high. Apparently that’s dangerous for the baby. They’ve got her on medication and they’re inducing labor tomorrow.”

  Harper’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, no. She’s not in danger of losing the baby on top of everything else, is she?”

  “No.” Jared shook his head. “The doctor says they’re monitoring her. The baby is strong. They want to keep it that way. That’s why they’re inducing tomorrow.”

  Harper wasn’t convinced. “Maybe I should swing by the hospital to see her.”

  “I don’t think that’s high on her lists of wants and needs, Heart,” Jared offered ruefully. “I know you have the best of intentions, but she’s very upset. She knew Brett was cheating on her but the rest of it ... well ... it wasn’t easy for her to swallow. Especially the part about him wanting to run off with Natalie.”

  “I guess that means she doesn’t want me to stop in either,” Natalie joked hollowly.

  “I wouldn’t recommend it right now.” Jared was serious. “I don’t know that down the road she won’t want to talk to you, though. Right now, she’s trying to do what’s right for her baby. When the dust settles ... .”

  Natalie nodded and stared at her feet. “I knew he was married. I guess the least I owe her is any answers she might discover she needs.”

  “You don’t owe her anything,” Jared argued. “If you want to talk to her, though, it might do you both some good. Just wait a few weeks.”

  Natalie silently nodded, her hand automatically going to her forehead to rub at the tension there.

  Harper decided to redirect the conversation. “What’s going to happen to her now? You said Brett was in deep with gambling debts. Is she going to lose her house?”

  “That I can’t say,” Jared said. “I just don’t know.”

  “I do.” Mel raised his hand as if he was a student in a classroom, eliciting a snort from Zander.

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Jared prodded.

  “The house is in her name. Her parents bought it and gifted it to her as a wedding gift. Brett’s name was never on the deed. Apparently that was a point of contention between them because Brett wanted her to change that when she was on bed rest. One guess why.”

  Zander’s hand shot in the air, mimicking his uncle. He didn’t wait to be called on. “He wanted to put up the house to cover his gambling debts.”

  Mel jabbed a finger in Zander’s direction. “Exactamundo.”

  Jared made a face and shook his head. “You two are freaky.”

  Harper chuckled. “Well, at least the house is okay. The rest of the finances probably aren’t. That’s going to be rough with a new baby.”

  “Actually, Brett had a life insurance policy,” Mel supplied. “Technically, according to the medical examiner, he died of a heart attack.”

  The group fell silent for a moment. They knew the truth, but it wasn’t something they could share with outsiders.

  Mel cleared his throat to chase away the pall. “Anyway, I think she’s going to be okay. We did find the money he stole from Patty’s safe. He hid it under the floorboards in his office. It was all there.”

  “What’s going to happen to it?” Harper queried. “I mean ... did Patty have a will?”

  “She did,” Mel confirmed, his lips curving. “She filled it out not long after she found out about her condition. She had to jump through some hoops and have a special counselor with her so it would be legal.

  “As you know, she didn’t have any close family,” he continued. “She had some shirttail cousins on the west side of the state, but they don’t have a claim.”

  “Who does have a claim?” Harper was legitimately curious ... and she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

  Mel inclined his head toward Natalie. “Just one person.”

  Natalie let loose a wild gasp. “No way.”

  “Yes way.” Mel’s smile widened. “It seems you’re th
e sole owner of Patty’s house. The money she left you should help you maintain it ... that is if you want to do it.”

  “I don’t know.” Natalie rubbed her hands together and glanced in the direction of the house. It cut a striking figure against the setting sun. “How much would it cost to fix it?”

  “She had insurance,” Mel reassured her. “All the reconstruction will be covered by the insurance. Now that the DDA knows what it was being used for, you’ll probably have to do a little work on the inside, but I don’t know that it would be an exorbitant amount of money to spend.”

  “Does she really have to turn it back?” Harper asked. “I mean ... can’t she turn it into a bed and breakfast?”

  Natalie’s eyes widened. “Like ... a hotel?”

  “It’s kind of already set up that way,” Harper explained. “You could hire a cook, put a little money into making the rooms nicer, and then play off the history of the house. I mean ... gangsters have lived there. It’s been a brothel. There are tunnels. People will eat that stuff up.”

  “You know, she’s totally right.” Zander turned thoughtful. “You can also play on the fact that the house is haunted. People will line up in droves.”

  Natalie hesitated. “I thought Patty was gone. You said you helped her pass over.” Her eyes landed on Harper and there was a little hitch in her breathing.

  “I did help her pass over,” Harper reassured her. “She’s gone.”

  “That doesn’t matter.” Zander waved off the statement as if it were a pesky bug. “People don’t need to know that part. If they believe it’s haunted they’ll see and hear what they want.”

  “I don’t know. It all seems like so much.” Natalie went back to rubbing her forehead. “Do you think that’s what Patty would’ve wanted?”

  Harper felt put on the spot. Despite that, she opted to answer honestly. “I think everything Patty did was to keep that house. It was her legacy and she loved it.”

  Natalie was silent for a beat and then nodded. “You’re right. I have to get the house back to what it was for her. I just ... have no idea how to do it.”