Jared’s heart sank. “Jim Stone found out Derek was gay and blackmailed him into selling dope?”
Lexie nodded. “I had to pretend to be in love with Derek to cover for him,” she said. “It worked well for me because Derek was so popular and he didn’t expect sex from me. Mr. Stone approached me to help because my father was always bringing samples home and he never kept track of them like he was supposed to. I had to steal samples and give them to Mr. Stone so he could cut them into stuff we could sell to the kids.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Mostly uppers,” Brandon answered. “No one wants a downer other than pot.”
“What did you do in the woods?” Mel asked.
“That’s where we usually partied and made arrangements to trade off with other kids,” Dylan said. “We got to keep fifty percent of the profit and we turned the other fifty percent over to Mr. Stone.”
“What happened with Derek? Why did you kill him?”
“We didn’t kill him,” David balked. “Mr. Stone wanted a meeting with Derek because he was making noise about wanting to quit and enjoy the summer before going to college. Mr. Stone didn’t like that. He told me to call him and get him out to our regular party spot.”
“We thought he just wanted to talk to him,” Brandon said.
“We all went out there and had a few drinks … and we were having a good time … and then Lexie opened her big mouth,” Dylan said. “She told Derek that Mr. Stone was coming and he got scared. It started this big fight with everyone and she threatened to out him if he didn’t tow the line for the rest of the summer.”
“Derek told her to shut up and he was getting ready to leave when Mr. Stone showed up,” Brandon explained. “We’d been fighting for a few minutes and lost track of time … mostly because we were all pretty drunk.”
“What did Stone do?” Jared asked, already knowing the answer.
“He started berating Derek and calling him names,” David replied. “He called him a faggot and some other stuff and told him he was an abomination against nature. Derek tried to push him to get away … he was crying … and that’s when Mr. Stone just lost it.”
“He grabbed one of our beer bottles and slammed it into Derek’s head,” Lexie volunteered. “Derek just stood there for a moment … kind of like he was dazed … and then he fell over.”
“We all thought he was just knocked out,” David supplied. “Mr. Stone was ranting and raving and kicking beer bottles around. He kept going on and on about how Derek was going to ruin everything for him.”
“When did you realize Derek was dead?”
“It was late,” Brandon answered. “We were getting ready to leave and he still hadn’t woken up. Mr. Stone left us to take care of him. He told us to make sure Derek realized that leaving wasn’t an option when he woke up. The problem is … Derek never woke up.”
“When we realized he was dead we kind of panicked,” Dylan admitted. “We were going to leave him in the woods and run, but we knew other kids in the area knew where we partied and that would be traced back to us.”
“We carried him to the park and put him close to the merry-go-round,” David said. “We thought people would think he was drunk and fell into it and accidentally died. We didn’t think anyone would realize he was … .”
“Murdered?” Jared asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“Pretty much,” David said. “We never meant for any of this to happen. You have to believe us.”
“I’m a good girl,” Lexie said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Jared pushed himself to his feet and glanced at Mel. “Let’s talk outside.” He fixed the teenagers with a dark look before walking out of the room. “I’d get comfortable if I were you. We’re going through all of this again when we get back.”
“What’s going to happen to us?” Brandon asked.
“I honestly have no idea.”
Twenty-Three
“So, tell me about yourself,” Jim said, leaning back in his chair and wiping his hands on his napkin.
“You know me,” Harper said, dipping a French fry in ketchup. “We live in a town the size of a postage stamp. There’s not much to tell.”
“Oh, I don’t believe that,” Jim said, smiling as he watched her. For some reason, he reminded Harper of the shark from Jaws for a moment. She tried to shake the worry niggling the back of her brain, but it refused to go away. “People talk about you all the time.”
“I’m sure they do,” Harper said. “I’m kind of … over it.”
“Over it?”
“That’s what I said,” Harper replied, her hackles rising. “I used to care what people thought about me and now I just … don’t.”
“Oh, now, let’s not start a new fight,” Jim suggested. “I’m just trying to get a feel for how your life is. You were always kind of a loner in high school.”
“I wasn’t a loner,” Harper corrected. “I had Zander.”
“Yes, you two were joined at the hip,” Jim said. “Are you still tight? I mean, I know you are. I hear you two even live together. Is he still the love of your life, or has the cop taken his place?”
“He’s my best friend and he always will be,” Harper said, narrowing her eyes.
“Does that mean you’ll always live together?”
“No.”
“Are you going to move in with the cop … what’s his name again?” Jim asked.
Harper was uncomfortable with his keen interest. “Jared,” she supplied. “We haven’t been dating long enough to move in together. If it becomes an issue down the line we’ll deal with it then.”
“And he doesn’t mind sharing you with Zander?”
“I think Zander is the one sharing me with him,” Harper clarified. “Jared and Zander get along. They like each other. I’m not worried about them having a fight over me. It’s kind of a ludicrous thought.”
“But Zander has never wanted to share you with anyone,” Jim pressed. “I know when I asked you out way back when that he had a fit.”
“He did not.”
“Of course he did,” Jim argued. “That’s why you wouldn’t go out with me. Are you going to deny it?”
Harper was starting to tire of Jim’s attitude. “I didn’t go out with you because of what you did to Zander,” she said. “He never told me not to go out with you. He wouldn’t do that. I didn’t want to go out with you because I was pretty sure you were a skeezy jackass. I’m starting to think that again.”
“You’re so testy,” Jim teased, making a face. “I’m merely asking questions in an attempt to get caught up on your life. I didn’t realize that was against the law.”
“No, you’re suggesting that Zander somehow has control over me,” Harper countered. “He doesn’t have control over me. We’re friends.”
“Okay,” Jim said, holding his hands up in a placating manner. “I’m sorry I upset you. Trust me. That’s the last thing I want to do.”
Harper wasn’t so sure. Jim’s demeanor was … sketchy. That’s the only word she could come up with to describe it. “Well, thank you for dinner and the catch-up session,” she said. “We should really be going. Zander will be waiting for me at home and I’m supposed to spend the night with Jared. I would hate for him to start looking for me.”
“You really like him, huh?”
“I really do.”
“Okay,” Jim said, a pleasant mask moving over his face. “Just let me pay and we’ll get out of here.”
“Thanks.”
“WE need to let the prosecutor sort out these charges,” Jared said, going over the signed confessions in his hand as Mel poured a mug of coffee. “I don’t even know what to think about all of this.”
“We also need to process all of the kids and put them in holding cells for the night,” Mel said. “They can’t be arraigned until tomorrow morning now, and I’m not risking letting any of them out of here in case they bolt.”
“I agree,” Jared said. “Do you want to be the one
to tell them, or should I?”
“Oh, please let me do it,” Mel said. “I want to see Tim’s face when I slap the cuffs on David.”
“I know you don’t like him – and I really don’t blame you – but I don’t think he knew about the drugs,” Jared offered. “I think he suspected his son covered up Derek’s death. I think he thought one of the other kids did it and David accidentally found himself in a bad situation.”
“I think he’s a jerk,” Mel said.
“He’s definitely a jerk,” Jared agreed. “I … .” He didn’t get a chance to finish his statement because the sound of the bell over the outside door caught his attention. When he shifted in that direction, he found Zander striding toward him. “What’s up?”
“What’s up with you?”
“Um … we’re in the middle of a murder investigation,” Jared replied, nonplussed. “Why are you here? I thought you would be home with Harper.”
Zander made a face. “I thought she was here with you,” he said. “I went looking for her when she didn’t come home. I figured she was at your place. Jeff is settled in nicely above the garage, by the way. I took him burgers.”
“That was nice of you,” Jared said. “Why would Harper be with me? I told her I was working late.”
“When?”
“I called her about three hours ago,” Jared replied. “I knew this was going to run late and I didn’t want her waiting up for me. She told me where your extra key was so I could let myself in later.”
“Oh, you guys are so cute you can’t even be away from each other for one night,” Zander said, rolling his eyes. “If she’s not with you, where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Jared answered, racking his brain. “She was at the high school when I called her, but she was leaving.”
“Why was she at the high school?”
“She’s the one who came up with the drug theory, isn’t she?” Mel asked. “I thought it was weird you came up with that out of nowhere and nailed those kids with it. It appears you’re not the genius I thought you were. Harper is.”
Jared’s smile was sheepish. “She did float a theory by me.”
“That’s great,” Zander snapped. “Why did she go to the high school?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” Jared replied, his stomach twisting as realization set in. “She said she wanted to talk to Jim Stone and check on the drug tests administered to the kids. Holy crap.”
Mel and Jared exchanged a worried look.
“What’s wrong?” Zander asked.
“I didn’t even think about it because she said she was leaving the school when I called,” Jared said. “I … we have to find her right now.” He started moving toward the front door.
“What is going on?” Zander asked, frustrated. “Where is my Harp?”
“Jim Stone has been using the kids at the high school to sell drugs,” Mel explained. “We just got their confessions and they all fingered him.”
“He’s also the one who killed Derek Thompson,” Jared said, throwing open the door but not walking through it. “He has Harper.”
“You don’t know that,” Mel said. “You said yourself she was leaving.”
“To go home,” Jared exploded. “I thought she was safe at home with Zander all this time. I … where would he take her?”
“Maybe the kids know,” Mel suggested.
Jared stormed back through the building. “If he hurts her, I will hunt him down and kill him with my bare hands.”
“I THINK you’re going the wrong way,” Harper said, keeping her voice even as she stared out of the window of Jim’s car. They were supposed to be heading back toward Whisper Cove. Instead, Jim blew right past the road that led to the downtown area and kept going farther out. They were on the far side of town, and Jim was speeding like a maniac.
“I know where I’m going,” Jim replied, his eyes focused on the road. He gave all appearances of being relaxed, but Harper’s inner danger alert pinged to tell her she was in real trouble.
“My house is back the other way,” Harper said, hoping she didn’t sound shrill. “I’m really tired and I need to get home. Jared will be looking for me.”
“God, is that all you talk about?” Jim asked. “Jared this and Jared that. When it’s not Jared it’s that fruit Zander monopolizing the conversation.”
Harper scowled. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“I never said I did,” Jim said.
“You said you regretted what you did to Zander,” Harper charged. “You don’t regret it. You’re a bigot … and an asshole, for that matter. Turn around and take me home.”
“I did regret what I did to Zander,” Jim countered. “It kept me from you, so of course I regretted it.”
“Take me home!”
“Shut your mouth,” Jim snapped. “There’s no reason to scream.”
Harper wasn’t so sure. She glanced over her shoulder, the darkness swallowing the road and leaving everything blank. There wasn’t even another car in the general vicinity. She inadvertently jumped when Derek popped into view in the back seat. She opened her mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. Now was not the time to tip Jim off about Derek’s ghost.
“You need to get out of here,” Derek said, his voice raspy. “I remembered what happened to me.”
Harper pressed her eyes shut briefly before turning to Jim. “You killed Derek Thompson, didn’t you?”
Jim was taken aback. “Why would you ask me that question?”
“Because you did it,” Harper said. “Why?”
“I think you’re confused,” Jim said, turning his eyes back toward the road. “You should probably just sit there and be quiet. I think we both would prefer that.”
“I was running drugs for him,” Derek explained. “He blackmailed me into doing it for him because he found out I was gay. It seemed like the worst thing in the world when he threatened to out me. I guess that’s not true, is it?”
Harper felt sick to her stomach. “You blackmailed Derek into selling drugs for you,” she spat. “He was gay and instead of helping him you threatened to out him.”
“Who told you that?” Jim hissed.
“I figured it out on my own.”
“That’s a lie,” Jim said. “If you knew that you wouldn’t have gotten in a car with me. If you knew that you wouldn’t have come to the school today. Someone told you. Who?”
Harper opted to go with the truth. “Derek told me.”
“Derek is dead,” Jim shot back. “He didn’t tell anyone outside of his little circle because he was terrified of being judged. He was a faggot and he didn’t want anyone to know it. I don’t blame him.”
“You’re just … horrible,” Harper said, her eyes glued on the murky scenery as it flew by the car window. They were moving too fast for her to attempt a jump. “You’re the one who spearheaded the movement against Zander in high school, aren’t you? You only used Dominic as a scapegoat, and he was too dumb to see what you were doing.”
“Yeah, Dominic was an idiot,” Jim agreed, chuckling. “I thought if we made things rough enough for Zander he would switch schools. That would’ve left you all alone and in need of consoling. It didn’t really work out that way, did it?”
“I hope you die.”
“Don’t push me, Harper,” Jim warned. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re not leaving me many options here.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“To a safe place,” Jim replied, the corners of his mouth tipping up. “You’re going to like it there.”
“He has a cabin out in the middle of nowhere,” Derek said. “If he gets you out there you’ll never leave. You have to try and escape now.”
Harper had already figured that out on her own. She narrowed her eyes at the approaching intersection, hope flaring. She knew where they were … and she knew exactly how to escape if he would slow the car.
She carefully undid her seatbelt, keeping her eyes fixed forward. She was t
hankful Jim was driving fast enough that the rough road absorbed the sound of her undoing the seat belt. She held it in place to give the illusion it was still fastened … and then waited. They were almost at the intersection and it was a four-way stop. Jim was going to have to slow down at the very least.
“You’re never going to get away with this,” Harper said. “Jared knows I was at the school with you today.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re making that up.”
“I was on the phone with him right before you showed up by my car,” Harper said. “I … you stole my keys, didn’t you?”
“Guilty,” Jim said, grinning. “I took them when you were in the bathroom. I wanted to have some time alone with you.”
“Well, that worked out well for you,” Harper said. “Now I hate you more than I ever did and Jared knows what you’ve done.”
“Jared doesn’t know anything,” Jim said.
“All those kids were in the precinct today. They either had to confess or go to jail.”
“On what evidence?” Jim asked. “The cops in this town couldn’t find their own asses with both hands. They’ve got nothing on any of us.”
“They’ve got more than you realize,” Harper countered. “I wasn’t lying before either. Jared knew I was at the school with you. He’ll come after you … and he’ll kill you.”
“I think you’re overestimating your worth,” Jim said. “Jared has known you for a month. I’ve known you for most of my life. Who do you think wants you more?”
Jim lifted his foot from the accelerator and the car started to slow.
“I think Jared wants me more,” Harper replied, readying herself. “I also think he’s definitely going to kill you.” She didn’t give thought to what she was about to do, instead throwing the door open and flinging the seat belt off as she rolled to the side and out the door.
Jim realized what she was attempting at the last moment and tried to speed up, but it was already too late.
Harper hit the ground hard, the force of the collision knocking the breath out of her. She pushed herself to her feet, her hip screaming in protest. Derek appeared on the street next to her and together they watched Jim slam on the brakes.
Ghostly Issues (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 2) Page 18