Ghostly Distress (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 9)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Harper was dumbfounded. “But … Colin was with me when we discovered Maggie’s body. He said he didn’t look at the body so he didn’t immediately recognize her, but he didn’t say anything about knowing her when Jared and Mel showed up on the scene.”

  Lacey carefully extricated her wrist from Harper’s grip and shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. I know they were spending time together. There was a big group of kids hanging out – mostly the ones Colin graduated with, mind you – but Heather and Maggie were both hanging out with them, too, along with a few other people. At least that’s what I heard around town.”

  “Huh.” Harper’s expression turned thoughtful as she watched the boisterous young men entertain each other with what looked to be grandiose tall tales. “Thanks for the information. I need to track down Zander.”

  “Sure.” Lacey offered a mock salute. “I’ll try to keep Mikey off your tail since you seem keen to solve a murder. I’m not sure I’ll be capable of doing it, though. The kid is like a cat with a spider when he wants to be. He doesn’t stop until the spider is missing legs.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s a delightful image.”

  “Just wait until you have a son. You’ll realize I’m telling the truth.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

  It didn’t take Harper long to track down Zander. He put up a fight when she dragged him away from his under-aged fan club, but once she launched into the information Lacey had to share he was understandably intrigued.

  “Really?” Zander gave Colin a long look with fresh eyes. “Do you think he was putting on an act?”

  Harper shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s the question of the day, though. Do you think he was putting on an act?”

  “I’ve never understood that kid’s wide-eyed shtick anyway. I always think he’s putting on an act. Now that I know this, though, I can’t help but wonder if it’s a different act from what I initially envisioned.”

  “You and me both.” Harper was lost in thought as she watched Colin high-five one of his friends. “Do you think I should call Jared?”

  “Or you could just wait to tell him at the tour tonight.”

  “But he might want to follow Colin.”

  “Colin is registered for the tour,” Zander volunteered.

  That was news to Harper. “He is?”

  “Oh, come on.” Zander rolled his eyes. “You know Colin’s pattern. He goes on at least three tours every season. He’s completely in love with you.”

  “I didn’t realize he was going to be part of the tour tonight,” Harper admitted. The news made her uneasy, although she couldn’t put her finger on exactly why. “I guess I can wait to tell Jared. We should keep an eye on him for the rest of the afternoon, though.”

  “If he stays here where the food is, I have no problem with that. If he takes off and forces me to abandon the party before Charlene Dennehy cuts that delicious-looking chocolate cake, I’m totally going to melt down.”

  “Fair enough. I—” Harper didn’t get a chance to finish her statement because a body moved in at her right and caused her to jolt. When she recognized the face that was leering at her, her heart rate increased rather than decreased. Gary Conner always had that effect on her, though. He was a walking advertisement for raised blood pressure. “Hey, Gary.”

  “Ms. Harlow.” Gary didn’t look any happier to see Harper and Zander than they were to see him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  Harper cocked an eyebrow, confused. “Why is that fancy?”

  “Because this isn’t a cemetery.”

  Harper glanced toward Zander for help. “Do you understand what he’s saying?”

  Zander shook his head. “I haven’t understood a word he’s said since he showed up for his tour. You’re the front man of this operation. I’m leaving you to deal with him.”

  Harper made a grab for Zander’s arm, but he managed to evade her. “Don’t you dare leave me, Zander!” she hissed, frustration bubbling up.

  “I’ll be around,” Zander called out. “I’ll keep an eye on you know who.” He offered an exaggerated wink. “You handle Gary and I’ll handle the rest. I think that’s a perfect tradeoff.”

  Harper could think of a few other things to call it. “Zander!”

  Zander didn’t bother looking over his shoulder and when Harper risked a glance at Gary she found him standing with his arms folded over his chest and an expectant look on his face.

  “What do you want?” Harper asked, resigned.

  “I want to talk to you about why ghosts aren’t real. I’ve been doing some research about the afterlife and I want to hear your thoughts. I think I finally have information that will convince you I’m right and you’ve been going about this the wrong way.”

  Harper was resigned. “Oh, well, I can’t wait.”

  12

  Twelve

  Harper and Zander met Molly and Eric in the cemetery parking lot about an hour before dusk. The freshly-minted couple were all smiles as they occasionally locked gazes and readied the equipment, forcing Harper to shake her head as she watched them from across the way.

  “Why are you shaking your head like that?” Zander asked, legitimately curious. “Do you see Maggie or something?”

  “What? No.” Harper reluctantly tore her gaze from Eric and Molly, the latter of whom had dyed her hair bright orange to mark the holiday season. “What do you think when you look at them?”

  Zander followed Harper’s gaze and shrugged. “I think that I never knew Eric had teeth before he finally started getting some and smiling.”

  Harper lightly smacked her best friend’s forearm. “Don’t give him grief. I think they’re kind of cute together. I’m just wondering what you think of them.”

  Zander shrugged as he took in the smiling twosome. “I think they both seem happier than before. I think they’re in the honeymoon phase of the relationship and some of that will probably bounce back, but they seem content. I’m happy for them.”

  Harper smiled. “I’m happy for them, too.”

  “You’re just happy that Eric seems to have forgotten his crush on you and the office is no longer the most uncomfortable place in the world,” Zander corrected.

  “We’re all happy about that,” Jared announced, silently moving in behind the two friends and smirking at the way they both jumped. “By the way … boo.” He exhaled on a whisper close to Harper’s neck and delighted in the gooseflesh that popped up as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed a soft kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear. “Hi, Heart.”

  Harper did her best not to squirm as she shot a pointed look over her shoulder. “You’re not supposed to sneak up on the ghost hunters and scare them.”

  “I didn’t realize that was a rule. How come that’s outlawed? Is it against the ghost-hunting rules?”

  “No, it’s just in bad taste.” Harper smoothed the front of her shirt before swiveling and giving Jared her full attention. “You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you for another thirty minutes.”

  “Well, we ran the names you gave us and came up empty so there wasn’t a reason to stay at the office.” Jared turned serious as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against Zander’s truck. “All five of those kids you mentioned are working and seem to keep their noses out of trouble.”

  “That doesn’t mean one of them isn’t hiding something,” Harper pointed out. “What did you think about the story Lacey told me?”

  “I can’t say I’m surprised. That story seems to go hand-in-hand with what Mark Crowley told Mel and me yesterday. Maggie was essentially a young woman who wanted money. I’m guessing she was looking for a way out of Whisper Cove, but I have no confirmation on that. Mel and I are going to have another sit down with Heather now that she’s had time to adjust to Maggie’s death. She might have thought of something she forgot before.”

  “So, you think I’m barking up the wrong tree with the tidbit ab
out Maggie and Heather hanging out with Colin’s group of friends,” Harper mused. “And here I thought I was helping.”

  “Oh, you helped.” Jared slipped a strand of Harper’s hair behind her ear. “We needed a place to look, even if it’s just to rule out people. You definitely helped. There’s nothing odd about those boys that we can find, though. They all seem to have either entry-level or gap jobs and none of them have been arrested or anything.”

  “That doesn’t mean that one of them isn’t a psychopath,” Zander noted. “Psychopaths are good at hiding their true feelings. One of those kids may be so good that he’s bamboozled Whisper Cove’s finest into thinking he’s an innocent kid minding his own business.”

  Jared made a face. “And I suppose I’m ‘Whisper Cove’s finest’ in that scenario, huh?”

  “You or Mel. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not picky.”

  Sensing trouble, Harper smoothly stepped between the two men and held her hands up. “No fighting. This is a no-fighting tour. We need to work together if we expect this to work out.”

  Jared’s gaze lingered on Zander a moment longer before he focused on Harper. “No one is going to fight. We’re just messing with each other. There’s no need to get worked up.”

  “Yeah, don’t get worked up, Harp,” Zander teased. “Jared and I had a long talk and agreed that us arguing isn’t in your best interests so instead of fighting, from now on, we’re going to strip out of our shirts and flex to see who wins when we disagree.”

  Jared rolled his eyes. “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

  “You did just to shut me up.” Zander’s grin was impish. “As for Colin and the others, I don’t know that I believe any of them are killers. They seem simple enough, quiet enough, and Colin’s crush on you is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”

  “I don’t know if I would take things that far,” Jared hedged. “I think his crush is a little creepy and irritating. That’s why I’ve really looked hard at him. I can’t find anything on him, though. There’s just nothing there.”

  “So, we’re right back where we started.” Harper heaved out a sigh, her lips curving when she heard Molly squeal as Eric gave her a little chase and tickled her ribs. “They’re kind of cute, huh?”

  “I definitely like them as a couple,” Jared replied after a beat. “He’s more mature than her, but that’s okay. Every relationship needs a calming presence and he’s that for them.”

  Harper knit her eyebrows. “Who is the calming presence in our relationship?”

  “Do you even have to ask?”

  “I think she does, which is why she asked,” Zander offered helpfully, causing Jared to scowl.

  “I’m the calming presence in our relationship,” Jared explained. “There’s nothing wrong with being the excitable one, for the record. That simply means you’re the more interesting half of our particular dynamic duo.”

  “Oh, nice save,” Harper muttered, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I agree you’re the calm one in our relationship.”

  All Jared could do was chuckle. “Really? You think you’re the calm one in our relationship? How do you figure?”

  “I don’t know,” Harper admitted. “I’m going to need some time to think about it.”

  “You’ve got five minutes.” Jared flicked his eyes back to Molly and Eric. “I’m just glad he’s gotten over his thing for you. I thought I was going to have to beat him up at one point. Now he’s so wrapped up in Molly it’s not even an issue.”

  Harper snorted. “Oh, you did not think you were going to have to beat him up.”

  “I did so. He was always giving me the evil eye even though you were my girlfriend.”

  Harper was amused despite herself. “He was harmless.”

  “I believe that’s what you said about Colin not twenty-four hours ago,” Jared pointed out. “Now you’re starting to wonder if he had something to do with Maggie’s death. No one is ever truly harmless, Heart. That’s why you always need to watch out for yourself.”

  “I promise to be careful.” Harper squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to worry about me tonight. It’s a haunted cemetery tour. What could possibly go wrong?”

  “Ugh.” Jared slapped his hand to his forehead, disgusted.

  “You totally jinxed us, Harp,” Zander complained. “Now something bad is going to happen.”

  Harper didn’t believe in jinxes. “Everything will be fine. Trust me.”

  “OH, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE worst night ever.” Harper made a horrified face when she recognized Colin’s entire crew loitering in the parking lot waiting for the tour to start almost an hour later. To make matters worse, Gary Conner was back as well and Harper thought for sure she was going to be taken out by a vicious case of heartburn if she was forced to have another philosophical discussion with the repugnant man.

  “What happened to your unflagging spirit?” Jared asked as he slung an arm over her shoulders and stared at the men in question. “I’m starting to think this night is going to be even better than I initially envisioned.”

  Harper slid him a sidelong look, suspicious. “Why do you say that? What do you have planned?”

  Jared adopted an innocent expression. “Why do you think I have something planned? I’m just an innocent man completely in love with his girlfriend who just so happens to want to watch her put on a show for her fans. Are you insinuating there’s something wrong with that?”

  Harper wasn’t about to kowtow. “Oh, don’t do that. I know you’re up to something. I’m going to be watching you to figure out what it is.”

  “Don’t watch me so much you don’t pay attention to your tour,” Jared teased. “I would hate for your customers to feel ripped off.”

  “Whatever.” Harper zipped her hoodie and frowned. “Why would Gary Conner possibly come back after he hated the last tour so much? In fact, I swear this is like the fifth tour over three or four years that he’s been at. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Maybe it has a little something to do with the tour guide,” Jared suggested.

  “Or maybe he just likes to complain and this is an easy place for him to have a captive audience,” Harper grumbled. “I honestly can’t believe I’m going to have to put up with him again.”

  “You’re selling a service,” Jared pointed out. “You need to remember that the customer is always right.”

  Harper snorted. “In this case, the customer is always a tool. Try to keep up on the tour and don’t act like my boyfriend the cop. As far as the other guests are concerned, you’re just a normal guy enjoying a nice night in the cemetery.”

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  “You do that.”

  “I’M TELLING YOU that I did a lot of research and you’re wrong. There’s no scientific way for ghosts to remain behind and haunt people. It’s impossible.”

  Ten minutes into the tour Harper was already at the point of no return with Gary. The middle-aged man latched onto her the second they set out … and he hadn’t shut up since.

  “Gary, I’ve never pretended to be a scientist.” Harper chose her words carefully. “I don’t know how some souls stay behind. I just know that they do.”

  “It’s not possible.”

  “Right.” Harper licked her lips and increased her pace, desperate to get away from Gary and his science talk. She had no idea what she was going to focus on, but she imagined she would figure it out as she went along. “So, we’re coming up on one of my favorite mausoleums. This is the Burnette mausoleum, and it’s home to a rich history … including a nice old lady who killed off three husbands with knitting needles before getting caught.

  “Now, what’s interesting about Helen Burnette is not that the husbands she killed are still hanging around, but Helen herself is,” she continued. “Before we get into the story of her afterlife, though, we need to talk about her life. It’s a long story, but totally interesting.”

  From the back of the group, Jared smiled as he watche
d Harper interact with the crowd. Zander remained close – interjecting when necessary – but Jared couldn’t help but be impressed by the way Zander stood back and allowed Harper to be the one who shined. He wasn’t even sure Zander realized he was doing it, but Jared was beyond grateful for the flamboyant man’s giving nature.

  “What are you thinking?” Shawn asked, falling into step with Jared.

  “I’m thinking that Harper looks really pretty when she tells a ghost story,” Jared answered honestly. “I mean … look at her. She’s practically glowing.”

  Shawn smiled as he focused on Harper’s face. “She is. If I didn’t know better, I would think she was pregnant because of that glow.”

  Jared’s smile slipped. “Let’s not hurry things along before it’s necessary, okay? I’d like to enjoy living with her a little bit – perhaps even marrying her – before the talk of babies takes over. I’m not ruling out babies, mind you. It simply isn’t something that has to occur right now.”

  Shawn chuckled, genuinely amused. “I was teasing you. Don’t get worked up. I know you guys aren’t there yet. I would be a little worried if you were already there, quite frankly. I think things are fine the way they are.”

  “Yeah?” Jared wasn’t convinced. “Have you talked to Zander at all about the changes that are coming? I’ve wanted to sit him down a few times, but I’m afraid that if I do that he’s going to turn it into a big scene and the last thing I want is for Harper to have to play peacemaker between us.”

  “Zander is … okay.” Shawn surprised himself with his word choice. “He’s not exactly what I would call happy about the change, but he understands it’s necessary. Zander’s biggest problem is that he likes things his way and now that Harper is going to have her own house he recognizes that things will no longer be done to his way of thinking and that’s the bitterest pill for him to swallow.”

  “Is that why he’s so adamant we have a pink kitchen?”