Ghostly Distress (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 9)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I want to talk to this Jay Forrester,” Jared replied without hesitation. “If he really was plotting with Maggie, he might be the one who killed her to cover up that fact.”

  Harper tilted her head to the side, considering. “I get that. At least I kind of get that. If they hadn’t carried out the plan, though, why would Jay need to kill her? I can see killing her to cover his tracks if they really managed to pull it off. I can’t see killing her before they ever stole anything.”

  Jared hated to admit it, but Harper had a point. “We still have to talk to him. This is the first really solid lead that we’ve gotten. I don’t have all the answers yet.”

  “Then talk to him.” Harper rolled to the balls of her feet and gave Jared a firm kiss. “Let me know if you find out anything. I’m as eager to put this one behind us as you are.”

  Jared wasn’t sure that was true. “I’ll call you when I know more. You do the same if you get in trouble at the barn. In fact, text me when you get there and when you’re leaving so I don’t worry.”

  “Yes, sir.” Harper offered up a saucy wink as she mock-saluted and grinned.

  “Very cute.” Jared ran his hand down Harper’s arm and smiled. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “I’m looking forward to you being in touch.”

  Jared couldn’t help but smile. She was too bubbly and adorable not to grin. “I love you.”

  Harper sobered. “I love you, too. Don’t worry about the other stuff. It’s going to work itself out. I promise.”

  “I’m not worried.” That wasn’t completely true. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  JARED AND MEL TRACKED down Jay Forrester at his father’s car dealership. The kid was out to lunch, but the father – Joe Forrester – happened to be in his office and was more than willing to entertain two police officers until his offspring returned.

  “Cripes. What did Jay do now?” Joe seemed resigned as he took his seat at his desk.

  “We want to talk to him about his relationship with Maggie Harris,” Mel supplied, causing Joe to furrow his brow.

  “Why does that name sound familiar to me? I swear I’ve heard that name … and recently.”

  “She’s the woman we found in the Whisper Cove Cemetery the other night,” Jared replied, his voice even. “We understand she had ties to your son and we want to sort out exactly what those ties were.”

  Joe’s mouth dropped open as realization washed over him. “You can’t be serious. You think Jay killed that girl? My understanding is that you had no leads on that. At least that’s what they’re saying at the coffee shop.”

  “Well, if you heard it at the coffee shop,” Mel drawled, shifting on his chair.

  “You know what I mean.” Joe refused to back down. “Everyone says there’s no motivation for killing that girl – that she wasn’t raped or anything – so it’s a big mystery. I can’t understand how that leads you to questioning Jay.”

  “We’ve been following some leads.” Mel chose his words carefully. “One of those leads directed us toward some kids Maggie was spending her time with. It seems she was going to Dave & Buster’s twice a week and meeting with this one particular group, which happened to include your son.”

  Joe almost looked relieved at the explanation. “Oh, so you’re talking to everyone in that group, right?”

  “We’ve talked to at least one other member at this time,” Jared hedged. “He’s the one who told us a rather interesting story about Jay.”

  “Story?” Joe pursed his lips. “I’m almost afraid to ask. I’m sure Jay has quite a few stories to tell these days.”

  “I’m sure he does, too. I’m specifically talking about the story where he let himself into your safe and grabbed cash to spend at the bar.”

  “Oh.” Joe exhaled heavily, his face twisting. “I guess I should’ve known it was impossible for that story to stay secret.”

  “One of the kids who was hanging around Jay said that he was acting like a big shot at Dave & Buster’s,” Mel offered helpfully. “He was essentially flashing a big wad of cash for a time and that’s how he lured Maggie.”

  “She was only interested in people with money,” Jared added. “She thought Jay had money until the truth came out and she realized he didn’t have funds of his own and was merely letting you bankroll his extravagances. I believe that caused some strife.”

  “I didn’t know Maggie other than to wave when I was at the bank.” Joe stroked his chin as he considered the predicament. “She seemed nice enough, but I didn’t know her. I certainly didn’t know she was messing around with Jay.”

  “What did you know?” Mel asked.

  Joe held his hands out and shrugged. “I knew that money came up missing from my safe and that I couldn’t figure out how … at least at first. It never even occurred to me that it was Jay. I guess you probably find that naïve … but I didn’t even consider him.”

  “I don’t think most parents would immediately jump to the conclusion that their kid was ripping them off.” Mel was sympathetic to Joe’s plight. He understood why the man was so upset … and reticent. “You must have uncovered the truth at some point, though.”

  Joe bobbed his head. “I did. I set up a camera. I assumed I would catch a secretary or one of my other salesmen breaking into the safe. I wasn’t sure how anyone was getting into my private office, but I figured the camera would show me how and I could plug that hole after the fact. I got an eyeful of something else.”

  “What did you do when you realized what was going on?” Jared asked.

  “I confronted Jay. At first, he denied it – acted all wounded and everything that I would dare consider him – and then I showed him the camera. He had the gall to threaten to sue me for filming him without his knowledge. It was … so ridiculous.”

  “You could’ve turned him in to the police,” Mel pointed out. “He was stealing from you. You were well within your rights to have him carted off. It might’ve taught him a lesson.”

  “It might have,” Joe agreed. “I was actually going to do that, wipe my hands of him. Then his mother got involved. Things haven’t been great between us for the past two years – we’ve even talked about divorce – but she was so broken-hearted I couldn’t send the kid to prison no matter how angry I was.

  “We came to a meeting of the minds instead,” he continued. “She agreed to go to counseling with me to try to save the marriage and I agreed not to press charges against Jay. I even kept him at the dealership, although I took away his keys and changed the combination on the safe. He’s strictly an employee now. He no longer gets perks for being the boss’s son.”

  “How has that been working out?”

  Joe shrugged. “It’s a work in progress. I would be lying if I said there were times I didn’t want to pop that kid’s head like a zit. He’s my son, though. I’m trying to get past it.”

  “Well, I don’t think what’s about to happen is going to help that zit thing.” Mel’s smile was rueful. “In fact … .” He didn’t get a chance to finish because Joe’s office door swung open to reveal a sullen-looking young man in an ill-fitting gray suit.

  “I’m back from lunch, Dad,” the man drawled. “As per your request that I check in with you before doing anything … I’m going to walk the lot now and see if I can find someone looking to buy a car.”

  “Thank you for your succinct report, Jay,” Joe drawled, his eyes firing with animosity as he glared at his only son. “I also want to thank you for not knocking.”

  Jay rolled his eyes. “I don’t remember you instructing me to knock.”

  “It’s simple courtesy.”

  “Oh, well, I’ll do better next time.” Jay didn’t back down, instead shaking his head as he muttered something under his breath that no one could make out. “Can I go now?”

  “No.” Joe immediately started shaking his head. “I need you to come in here and talk to these fine police officers from Whisper Cove. They’re here to see yo
u, not me.”

  Jared didn’t miss the way Jay’s demeanor shifted, the young man’s eyes turning furtive as his shoulders slouched.

  “Come sit over here, Jay,” Mel instructed, gesturing toward a third chair at the edge of the room. “We have some questions for you.”

  “What kind of questions?” Jay remained rooted to his spot, as if he were close to panicking.

  “Well, why don’t you wait until they ask them and go from there?” Joe suggested, frowning. “Sit down, Jay.”

  The young man made a face as he scuffed his shoes against the linoleum and took his seat next to Mel. It was obvious Jay was furious at the turn of events, but he was in no position to start demanding answers so he merely sat and placed his hands on his knees.

  Jared inclined his chin to prod Mel into asking the first question.

  “So, Jay, we understand you had a relationship of sorts with Maggie Harris,” Mel started.

  Jay immediately balked. “We didn’t have a relationship. We knew each other to say ‘hi.’ That was it.”

  “So, you didn’t entice her with your father’s money and then get forced to own up to the fact that you were broke?”

  Jay’s eyes widened to comical proportions. “No … yes … I … who told you that?” Jay’s eyes narrowed to glittery slits.

  “It doesn’t matter who told us that,” Jared replied, drawing Jay’s attention. “We want to hear your side of it.”

  “I don’t have a side.” Jay folded his arms across his chest. “I mean … I really don’t have a side of it. I barely knew Maggie.”

  “And yet the two of you were making plans to rob the bank together,” Mel noted, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the way the color drained from Jay’s features. “My understanding is that it was still in the talking phase, but I’m sure you can understand that we have a few questions.”

  “Oh, for the love of … .” Joe slapped his hand to his forehead, dumbfounded.

  “I was not going to rob the bank!” Jay turned so shrill he almost sounded like a panicking teenage girl. “Whoever told you that is crazy … and dead.”

  Jared and Mel exchanged a weighted look, something unsaid passing between them.

  “I’m going to tell you how I think it went down,” Jared said after a beat, leaning forward and positioning himself so Jay had no choice but to look into his eyes. “You tell me if I’m wrong and we’ll go from there.”

  “I was not planning on stealing from the bank,” Jay screeched. “You were wrong about that.”

  Jared held up his hand to quiet Jay. “You were pretending to be a big man with the group at Dave & Buster’s. You had money and that made you popular. You bought a lot of drinks and food and your friends basically worshipped you because of it.

  “Then your father caught you in the act of stealing and overnight all of your funds dried up,” he continued. “You were still hanging with the same group of friends, but you were no longer the big hero. You were just one of the gang, and you didn’t like that.

  “On top of everything else, Maggie started losing interest when she realized you didn’t have money because that’s all she cared about,” Jared said. “You realized, if you wanted to keep her close, you were going to have to come up with money. That’s why you suggested the bank robbery.”

  Jay made a squeaking sound.

  Jared barreled forward, ignoring the pathetic noise. “I don’t think you really intended to rob the bank. Honestly, you don’t have the stones. Maggie was intrigued enough to plot, though, and that meant she continued hanging around … which is all you really cared about.”

  “I was not going to rob the bank!” Jay was firm. “Do I look like an idiot?”

  Mel and Jared exchanged another look, causing Joe to sigh.

  “That’s a loaded question, son,” Joe snapped. “I think, from their perspective, you look like a massive idiot. I’m hopeful they’re right and you were just talking big, though. If not, you’re dumber than I thought and I just know I’m going to break your mother’s heart when I tell her this one.”

  Jay made an exaggerated face as he worked his jaw. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he said finally. “I am not going to admit to plotting to rob the bank.”

  Mel bobbed his head in understanding. “Well, that’s probably the smartest thing you’ve said or done in weeks.”

  “Robbing the bank was just something you talked about to pass the time, right?” Jared prodded. “You didn’t have a real plan, did you?”

  Jay held his hands palms out and shrugged. “I didn’t have a plan. I just wanted to keep spending time with Maggie. She was pretty.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  “That doesn’t mean Maggie didn’t have a plan with someone else,” Jay added, taking Mel and Jared by surprise with the offhand comment. “She was fickle and went after whoever could offer her the best way to get her hands on that money. That’s why I’m not even a little bit sorry that she’s dead.”

  Joe made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “Watch your mouth, boy. That’s no way to speak of the dead.”

  “It’s not my fault that she was a whore who would go after anyone who had a plan to actually rob the bank,” Jay snapped. “I didn’t make her that way.”

  Jared straightened in his chair. “And who are you talking about?”

  “Danny Wood.” Jay wasn’t reluctant in the least to turn over on someone he formerly considered a friend. “He and Maggie were plotting a way to get their hands on the vault key, and according to him, Maggie was extremely close to accomplishing it. Then she turned up dead and Danny stopped coming around. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

  “Huh.” Mel rubbed the back of his neck as he considered the statement. “I guess we’re going to need to hear the rest of that story.”

  Jay realized too late what he’d blurted out. “Oh, man. This is going to come back to bite me, isn’t it?”

  “Not as much as it could have under different circumstances,” Jared replied. “You need to talk, though. We need to hear the rest of it.”

  “Fine. I’m doing this under duress, though.”

  “Duly noted.”

  17

  Seventeen

  Harper and Zander stopped by the office long enough to gather supplies for their trip to the barn. Even though they paid for the space, in truth, they didn’t spend a lot of time at the office. It had become Eric and Molly’s domain and that was clearly on display upon entering the storefront location and finding the younger half of the GHI team cuddling on the couch.

  “Oh, I’m going to throw up,” Zander complained as he slapped his hand over his eyes. “Someone point me toward the bathroom. I think I’m blind.”

  Harper ignored Zander’s theatrics and pressed her lips together as Eric and Molly scrambled to detach from one another. She didn’t miss the fact that Molly’s shirt appeared to be untucked and askew. “Um … hey, guys.”

  Eric recovered first. “Hi. I … did we know you guys were coming?” His face was unbelievably red as he smoothed Molly’s shirt and did his best to appear professional. “We were just taking a break, by the way. This is not how we’ve been spending our afternoons while you guys have been busy with tours.”

  “Not at all,” Molly added, hurriedly combing her fingers through her short hair. “We treat this place like a business and are always professional. I … we were simply on a break.”

  “Uh-huh.” It took everything Harper had to refrain from laughing. “Next time you guys are on a break, you might want to lock the front door. We have a sign that says when we’ll be back from a break and everything.”

  “Right.” Eric looked as if he wanted to find a hole to crawl into and disappear. “I’ll definitely try to remember that next time we’re on a break.”

  “Which won’t be until tomorrow,” Molly added, her cheeks flushed with color. “We only take one break a day for lunch.”

  “Then you should defi
nitely lock the door,” Zander encouraged. “That way you would hear us fiddling with the lock when we enter and you’ll have time to arrange your clothes and pretend you weren’t groping each other on the office couch.”

  Molly’s forced smile slipped. “We weren’t groping.”

  Harper helpfully leaned forward and adjusted Molly’s top so her brightly-colored bra wasn’t on display. “Just lock the door next time.” She cleared her throat and ignored Molly’s mortification as she straightened. “Other than taking a break, do you guys have anything going on today?”

  “We have a few things,” Eric muttered as he pushed himself to a standing position and ran a hand through his hair. He met Zander’s amused gaze with a hard one of his own. “I know what you’re thinking and I don’t care. We weren’t doing anything.”

  Zander held up his hands in a placating manner. “I didn’t say you were doing anything. In fact, I think what you were not doing was kind of cute … although also traumatic for me because Molly looks like a little kid sometimes.”

  “I am not a little kid,” Molly snapped, her fiery temper on full display. “Don’t say things like that to him because then he’ll start thinking about it and it will turn into a whole big thing. I’m an adult. I can drink and everything.”

  Last time Harper checked Molly could barely drink, but she decided to let it go. “You said you had a few things to work on. What are they?”

  “Research,” Eric answered, shuffling to his desk and taking the chair behind it so he could focus on his computer. “The people from that old theater in Mount Clemens called because they think they have a ghost. They don’t want to pay for our full line of services until they decide how likely it is that they have a bad haunting, though, so I’m doing a run on the building and sending it to them.”

  “Oh.” Harper was intrigued. “I’ve always wanted to see inside that building. I get a feeling that someone is watching me whenever I pass. It’s been empty for years, though. Did someone just buy it?”

  Eric nodded. “Yeah. Some guy is going to turn it into a club or something. He’s got workers in there now but swears people keep hearing whispering. Oh, and a few things have fallen over. The workers think it’s a ghost, he’s irritated, and I’m doing research to see what I can find.”