Ghostly Distress (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 9)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Shawn shrugged. “I think he really does like the idea of a pink kitchen and he feels he can’t get away with it because it would be stereotypical for us to do it. I mean … think about it. A gay guy with a pink kitchen is going to get all sorts of guff. Zander doesn’t want to be that guy.”

  “I never even thought about that,” Jared admitted. “It’s not as creepy when you put it like that. Of course, I’m still not painting the kitchen pink so he’s going to have to get over it.”

  “He will. Give him time.” Shawn’s smile widened when he watched Zander chime in to Harper’s story with sound effects. “They’re really quite good. They play off each other well. You can tell they’ve been at this a long time.”

  “I think they’ve been at this since kindergarten,” Jared noted, his eyes bouncing over the crowd. “They’re definitely entertaining, though. They have everyone focused on them. Our good friend Colin, in fact, is practically drooling as he watches Harper tell her story.”

  Shawn followed his gaze. “Yeah. He’s clearly in love with your girlfriend. I’m guessing you don’t like that.”

  “Would you like that?”

  Shawn made a dismissive gesture. “I’m not sure that I would really care. On one hand, it’s flattering to see people falling over your mate. It’s pure biology that you want the person you choose to be attractive to others because then it validates your choice.”

  Jared wrinkled his nose. “Are you making that up?”

  Shawn chuckled as he shook his head. “It’s true. You get validation when others find Harper pretty. I get the same validation when people look at Zander a certain way.”

  “Yeah, but … I don’t want to share my woman with anyone else so part of me would prefer if no one found her pretty,” Jared argued.

  “I think you honestly believe that, but it’s not true,” Shawn countered. “Be honest. If someone told you Harper wasn’t pretty, how would you respond?”

  “I would tell him he needed his eyes checked.”

  “Exactly.” Shawn crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Colin dreamily followed Harper as she drifted closer to the mausoleum. “He is a little obvious with his adoration, isn’t he? I swear he looks as if he’s about to drop at her feet and pledge his undying love.”

  Jared’s small smile turned into a pronounced frown. “Is it wrong that I want to beat him up for that even though I know he can’t help it and is probably harmless?”

  “That’s another part of biology,” Shawn replied. “As a man, you want to mark your territory.”

  “Like a dog?”

  “If you like. Just don’t go over there and lift your leg on Colin. I don’t think Harper will like it and she’s not going to take biology as an excuse and just let things go.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Yeah. I’m a fountain of useless information.”

  Jared narrowed his eyes as he watched Colin lean closer to one of his comrades and whisper something, the other young man’s eyes lighting up as he laughed at whatever Colin said. “Come on. Let’s get closer. I want to know what they’re talking about.”

  “Because you want to mark your territory?”

  “Because no matter what I told Harper, I can’t ignore the fact that Colin was supposedly hanging out with Maggie not long before she was murdered,” Jared answered grimly. “I can’t help but wonder why he hasn’t volunteered that little tidbit yet, especially if he’s as innocent as he pretends to be.”

  “Now that right there is a good reason.”

  “I thought so.”

  13

  Thirteen

  Harper was tired after the tour concluded and the last thing she wanted to do was talk to Colin, who strategically placed himself close to Zander’s vehicle and left her no option but to talk to him or flee. He was bending Shawn’s ear at the moment, something she hoped he would get tired of, so she ducked behind a nearby storage building to catch her breath.

  The tour went well. She had no complaints about that. Some of the attending faces were familiar, but many were new and Harper always loved seeing the wonder on a new fan’s face. There was joy in the telling of the same old stories when you had fresh faces in the mix. Of course, the fact that Colin and his crew attended set Harper’s teeth on edge – even though she couldn’t exactly say why – and Gary was turning into a real pill. She had no idea why the man insisted on attending a ghost tour when he wasn’t a believer, but Harper was starting to think that it was because he wanted to be right. There was a desperate need in the man to turn Harper to his way of thinking … and she couldn’t wrap her head around why he was so desperate to change her mind when it came to an enduring human spirit.

  To settle her heart and mind, Harper kept her back to the building – the cemetery’s ground crews kept lawnmowers, rakes, fertilizer and the like inside – and shut her eyes as she sucked in steady breaths to calm herself. Gary was annoying, but it wasn’t as if he was capable of shaking her belief system. Harper knew who she was. She was well aware of what she could do. That wouldn’t change.

  As if on cue, Harper felt a burning gaze on her and slowly returned to reality. When she opened her eyes, she found Maggie’s ghost standing about twenty feet away. The ethereal woman was staring, and she didn’t look happy.

  “Well, I guess that answers that question,” Harper muttered as she pushed herself away from the brick wall, being careful to keep her voice low in case any of the tour guests decided to come looking for her. “I knew I saw you.”

  “You’re the ghost woman.” Maggie’s comment was simple, matter-of-fact. “I always thought what they said about you was a bunch of crap but now … well … not so much.”

  “I am the ghost woman,” Harper agreed, looking the weary woman up and down. She wore the same outfit Harper recognized from when Maggie’s body was discovered, although the shirt looked different. It was bright, probably because of the Halloween party she attended before her death. “What was your costume?”

  “I didn’t really have a costume. I just wanted to look pretty.”

  “Right. To meet a rich man?”

  Maggie narrowed her eyes. “Who have you been talking to?”

  Since Harper wasn’t familiar with Maggie’s personality in life, she decided to dive in feet first and see if she could tread water with the persnickety ghost rather than beat around the bush now that one of them was mired in a traumatic death. She figured feeling her way around would be quicker than playing games. “Everyone pretty much said the same thing about you. Apparently you were looking for a rich guy to fund your shopping habits and maybe even get you out of Whisper Cove. Is that what you were looking for?”

  “Who doesn’t want out of Whisper Cove?”

  Harper raised her hand. “I happen to like Whisper Cove. I don’t ever want to leave. I like it here. I’ve always liked it here, though. I guess it’s probably different for those who want to be close to a bigger city.

  “Still, it’s not as if you’re out in the middle of nowhere here,” she continued. “You’re within thirty minutes of bigger cities and malls. That’s not so bad.”

  “It’s not good either.” Maggie floated a bit closer. “I don’t understand why I’m here. I mean … I get that I’m dead. I knew the second I woke up in this … hell hole … that I was dead, and that was before I tried to find my phone in my pants and realized my fingers kept disappearing into my butt.”

  Harper made a face at the mental picture Maggie painted. “Nice. Um … I want to help you – despite the fact that I just know I’m going to have nightmares about trying to grab my cell phone later – but I’m going to need more information to work with. What can you tell me about that night at the barn party?”

  “There’s not much to tell. I got dressed up, headed there with Heather, talked to a bunch of a people and then … nothing. I don’t remember what happened after that. It’s not even a blur. It’s darkness.”

  Maggie was the morose sort and it took everything Harper had
not to comment on her attitude. “What about Colin? I understand you were hanging around with his group.”

  “Colin?” Maggie screwed up her face in concentration. “Are you talking about Colin Thompson? Why are you asking about him?”

  “Because I heard he was at the party with you. I heard you guys were spending time together. He was also tagging along on my tour the night we found you. That’s a little too coincidental for me to ignore.”

  “Who told you I was spending time with Colin?”

  “Lacey Kaiser.”

  “Ugh.” Maggie’s distaste was obvious as she shook her head. “I should’ve figured. She’s been out to get me for weeks. Actually, it’s more like months.”

  “Out to get you? How?”

  “Um … she called the police on me two weeks ago and told them I was driving drunk. If that’s not being out to get me, I don’t know what is.”

  Harper was understandably confused. “I’m not sure I understand. Lacey called which cops to report you for drunk driving?”

  “It wasn’t the locals, so don’t bother asking your boy toy,” Maggie sneered. “He’s hot and I thought about going after him, by the way, but then I found out what a cop makes and I ruled that out.”

  Harper was disgusted by Maggie’s attitude. “I like how you just assume that you could’ve snagged Jared.”

  “I like how you assume I couldn’t.” Maggie was clearly spoiling for a fight. “It doesn’t really matter now, does it? I’m dead and your boyfriend is free from my clutches.”

  “You are dead,” Harper agreed, tugging on her limited patience. “The thing is, I still want to help you despite how obnoxious you’re being. I need to know what happened to you.”

  “I don’t remember what happened to me. I already told you that.”

  Harper pictured the dreamscape from the previous night. “Were you chased in the woods? Did you drive yourself here after the party? Were you with someone? I need you to think.”

  “And I can’t think because there’s nothing there!” Maggie exploded. “I don’t remember. I’ve been trying to remember since I woke on the ground by a freaking tombstone, but there’s nothing there. I just … why are you pushing me?”

  “Because I want to solve the mystery of your death and help you cross over,” Harper replied honestly. “I don’t think hanging around here is going to help your attitude.”

  “And I don’t think you can help me.” Maggie made a show of moving her foot, as if she were scuffing it against the ground, perhaps a nervous habit carried over from life. “I don’t even know why I followed you. There’s nothing more for me than this.”

  “That’s not true. There’s more out there.”

  “How would you know?”

  “I’ve … seen it.” Harper didn’t know how to explain the flashes of the other side she’d witnessed. The only thing she did know was that those flashes left her feeling content, warm all over. “You can have something better than this, Maggie. Sure, you can’t have what you thought you were going to get out of life, but that doesn’t mean this is it.”

  “I think it is.” Maggie turned in the opposite direction and headed toward the woods. Harper noted that she was moving away from the area where her body was discovered and found that odd.

  “I can help you,” Harper called out.

  “I don’t think you can, but you need to worry about yourself more than me. I can’t die twice. There’s someone watching you from the trees on the other side of that building. Over there.” Maggie vaguely waved as she departed. “I would be careful because … well … I’m not getting a very good vibe off him. Perhaps you’ll be joining me in this terrible place after all.”

  Harper jerked her head to the left and stared hard at the trees, which suddenly felt larger than life and intimidating. She clasped her hands together and took a step away from the wall, hoping the increased distance between her and the light on the corner of the small brick building would allow her to make out a form in the trees.

  She didn’t immediately see anyone … but she sensed someone close.

  “Who is there?” Harper did her best to appear brave as she gazed into the darkness.

  No one responded, but Harper was almost positive she heard the rustle of fallen leaves and it made her blood run cold as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

  “Who is it?” Harper repeated, taking a step away from the sound. She was technically moving away from Jared, Zander, and Shawn, but that somehow felt safer than plunging into the woods and trying to outrun whoever was there.

  No one answered again and Harper essentially forgot to breathe when she sensed someone staring at her. She imagined she could hear whoever it was breathing even though she knew that to be ridiculous.

  Harper’s voice was barely a whisper when she spoke again. “Who are you?”

  This time Harper saw a hint of movement, but she didn’t get a chance to stare hard enough to make out features because Jared picked that moment to come looking for her.

  “Harper?”

  She heard him call out and moved her eyes slightly to the right as she looked for his familiar face. She didn’t see him immediately, and when she looked to the left again, the shadow she saw before was gone. She almost believed she’d imagined it because the spot was so wide open and empty.

  Harper finally managed to breathe as Jared stepped into her vision field and she rested her hands on her knees as she sucked in gaping mouthfuls of oxygen.

  “What’s going on?” Jared asked, instantly alert. “What happened?”

  “I want to go home,” Harper replied without hesitation. “I just … want to go home.”

  Jared held out his hand, worry coursing through him even as he scanned the area for an interloper … to no avail. “Then we’ll go home. Come on. I’ll get you out of here right now.”

  JARED FILLED A BATHTUB with hot water and a fragrant bath bomb before leaving Harper in the bathroom by herself to soak. He joined Zander and Shawn in the living room shortly after they returned to the house, thankful for their presence and steady camaraderie. All three men sensed something was up with Harper, although none of them seemed to agree on what that something was.

  “How is she?” Shawn asked, handing Jared a beer as the weary police officer sank into the chair at the end of the room. “She seemed quiet when you brought her back to the parking lot after the tour.”

  “She was quiet.” Jared took a long drag on his beer before continuing. “She was also a little shaky.”

  “Did she say anything to you?”

  “She said that she saw Maggie’s ghost and the woman is unfriendly and she doesn’t like her,” Jared replied. “She also said that Maggie doesn’t remember what happened to her.”

  “That can’t be the only thing that happened,” Zander argued. “She was more upset than that when she came back.”

  “I would agree with you there,” Jared said. “She didn’t say a lot for the ride home, but she finally opened up a little bit when I was getting the bath ready. I could tell she didn’t want to share, but I reminded her that we’re a couple and that means telling each other the truth.”

  “So, what did she say?”

  “She said that Maggie announced someone was watching from the trees,” Jared replied. “Harper says she can’t be sure, but she’s almost positive she felt someone there, right in the spot Maggie indicated, watching her.”

  Zander leaned forward, somber. “Why didn’t she yell for help?”

  “I guess she was still debating what to do. She said she didn’t want to make a scene if it was just one of the people from the tour because she thought it would ruin her street cred.”

  Shawn snorted. “Only Harper would say something like that after being spooked in a cemetery.”

  “Exactly, right?” Jared took another drink. “I’m trying to remember who was in the parking lot when I went looking for her. Do you guys remember?”

  “Um, not really,” Shawn said after a beat
. “I didn’t pay attention to the faces before that, though. I was more interested in watching the Harper and Zander Show. I would be lying if I said otherwise.”

  “The Zander and Harper Show,” Zander automatically corrected, cocking a challenging eyebrow when Jared shot him a look. “What? We all know I would be the lead if Harper and I had our own show.”

  Jared made a dismissive sound in the back of his throat. “Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Harper tried to play it off and say she was probably imagining things because Maggie put the idea in her head, but I can’t shake the idea that maybe someone was out there watching her.”

  “Why do you say that?” Shawn asked. “I mean … who would be watching her?”

  “It could’ve been anyone. Colin and his group were there and I’m giving serious thought to isolating him and asking some questions tomorrow. If he knows who killed Maggie, he might be willing to talk to save himself.”

  “What if he’s the one who killed Maggie?” Shawn pressed.

  Zander held up his hand to garner attention before Jared could answer. “Listen, I’m not going to pretend Colin isn’t annoying, but I swear he’s harmless,” Zander said. “We’ve known that kid for years … and I mean freaking years. He’s been hot to trot for Harp since the start. That doesn’t make him a murderer.”

  “I didn’t say he was a murderer,” Jared snapped. “He might know something, though. He was hanging around Maggie and didn’t volunteer that information. That strikes me as odd.”

  “He was also on the tour tonight and hanging around with me toward the end,” Shawn added. “I think he thought he might get a chance to talk to Harper if he stuck close. She disappeared, though.”

  “That’s right.” Jared bobbed his head. “You were talking to Colin. How long was he bugging you next to the truck?”

  Shawn held his hands palms out and shrugged. “I don’t know. Ten minutes, I guess. At a certain point, I think he realized Harper wasn’t going to come over and he made a break for it. That was a few minutes before you said you were going to find Harper.”

  “Where did Colin go after he broke away from you?” Jared asked. “Did he leave with his friends? Did he head into the woods?”