Ghostly Camping (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 16)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Jared was just telling us how you met,” Harris offered. “He said he wasn’t a believer in the paranormal until you came into his life, and now he has faith that all things are possible.”

  Harper slid her eyes to Jared, unable to contain her surprise. “Did you really say that?”

  “I did,” he confirmed, guileless. “I meant it, too. The world is a lot more magical now than it was before I met you.”

  “Oh, that’s kind of sweet.” Harper preened. “Don’t you think that’s sweet, Zander?”

  “No. I think he’s stupid.” Zander forked eggs onto his toast. “I think everything he does is stupid.”

  “I think it’s romantic,” Becky offered on a wistful sigh. “I’m guessing he’s the most romantic man in the world.”

  Harper pressed her lips together and shifted her gaze to Jared, who looked profoundly uncomfortable. “He has his moments,” she said finally.

  “Yes, I have my moments,” Jared agreed, using his napkin to wipe his mouth. “Out of curiosity, what’s on the agenda for today? Do we jump right into things, or do we have time to wander around?”

  “There will definitely be time to wander around,” Harris replied. “We’re starting with a tour, though. Basically, the goal of the camp is to be interactive. So, we will set up weekends, or even five-day events, where the objective will be to solve a mystery. That means there will be various things happening over the course of that time period.

  “There’s more than just this campground out here,” he continued. “There’s an old barn to the west and an old cemetery to the east. We’ve taken over what used to be a campground way station, too. Oh, and there’s an old state police outpost that they said we can do whatever we want with because if they ever want to start working out of this area again they’ll have to build a new outpost.

  “So, we have several actors on the premises — and no, we won’t tell you how many because that’s part of the game, too. We want the guests to explore and uncover clues on their own.”

  Jared bobbed his head in understanding. “That’s smart ... and impressive.”

  “If it all works out,” Becky countered. “This is only the first of what we think will be many test runs. It’s going to take a lot of work to get things running smoothly.”

  “It’s still smart.” Jared rubbed his hand over Harper’s back as she ate. The move was less proprietary and more self-defense than anything. The avid way Becky stared made him distinctly uncomfortable. “Will you have more than one story to solve?”

  “Yes.” Harris was enthusiastic as he rubbed his hands together. “We hope to have ten different stories to work from, at the very least. We’ve been considering doing some ‘ripped from the headlines’ stuff as well, but we’re still debating about that.”

  “I happen to think that stuff is a bad idea,” Becky offered. “I mean ... people want to come to a place like this because they’re looking for an escape. Sure, it’s also meant to be gory fun, but you don’t want the gore to become too gruesome.

  “So, like, if there was a real serial killer running around out there doing terrible things, we wouldn’t want to focus on him because it would upset people,” she continued. “The goal is to entertain through horror, not frighten through real-life trauma.”

  “That seems smart,” Harper noted, her forehead wrinkling. “You’re basically saying you want to focus on people like Jason Voorhees and Michael Meyers versus Ted Bundy and Ed Gein.”

  “Yes.” Harris’ eyes widened. “Like I said earlier, you’re very smart. If you ever want to entertain the idea of a new career, I think I might be able to secure a job for you.”

  “Oh, well, I’m flattered.” Harper shot a nervous look toward Jared, who appeared amused. “I’m pretty happy where I am, though.”

  “With me,” Jared teased, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers. “There’s no way I’ll let you steal my girl.”

  “Oh, wow,” Becky said on an exhale.

  Harper’s cheeks burned as she went back to her breakfast. “Just out of curiosity, you mentioned allowing guests to wander around and uncover clues. Shouldn’t there be an inciting event — like a murder or something — before they start digging for clues?”

  Harris beamed at her. “Oh, I would totally like to steal you away from this guy.” He jerked a thumb in Jared’s direction. “An inciting event is necessary. Things will be slightly different for this event because it’s our first time out, and we want to make sure that you understand the lay of the land. After that, though, it’s anybody’s guess what will happen.”

  “Well, that’s something to look forward to.” Jared kept his hand on Harper’s back and tried to avoid Becky’s penetrating gaze. “Are we leaving right after breakfast?”

  Harris chuckled, genuinely amused. “We are. Probably about ten minutes. Can you last that long?”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Harper reassured the business owner. “We’ll be ready to go when it’s time.”

  “Yes, my wet hair is really looking forward to it,” Zander groused. “It’s going to be quite the day.”

  Harris’ smirk broadened. “I think it’s going to be a day for the record books. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to this.”

  “We all are,” Harper said. “It’s going to be a first for everybody ... and then some.”

  4

  Four

  Technically the campground consisted of multiple acres. The tour didn’t take long, however, because not everything was open on the property.

  “This is still a work in progress,” Harris explained to Harper. He seemed eager to get her take on things, and while she was flattered, she was also annoyed that he kept infringing on her personal space. “We have a lot of ideas. We figured the barn and cemetery were most important.”

  “That’s probably smart.” Harper flashed a smile before focusing on the cemetery. “Is this place real? I mean ... was it a functioning cemetery at one time?”

  “It was,” he confirmed, bobbing his head. “It’s been out of use for years. Still, the older tombstones add a sense of ambiance.”

  “Uh-huh.” She moved closer to one of the tombstones, one where the name had long since faded. “I guess there’s no one left to visit these people.”

  “Probably not.” Harris was a businessman, so his tone was unsympathetic. “I believe the last real body went into this cemetery in the 1950s, so that was quite a long time ago.”

  “Yeah.” Harper dragged her attention away from the tombstone and searched the scattered group participants for Jared. She found him crouched down on the far side of the small cemetery. “I’m going to check in with my people.”

  “Absolutely.” Harris beamed at her. “Just ... um ... you’re having a good time, right?”

  Harper understood his needy nature. He’d invested everything he had into this operation after all. That didn’t mean his determination to get her on board before things had even kicked off didn’t grate. “I am having a good time.” She hoped her smile came off as legitimate rather than forced. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what you have planned.”

  “It’s still a work in progress,” he cautioned, for what might’ve been the hundredth time.

  “I’m well aware.” Harper offered up a half wave and then deliberately moved toward Jared. She needed a break from the overzealous event organizer.

  Zander and Shawn stood a few feet away from Jared as she approached, their heads bent together. She was so hungry for normal conversation that she eagerly shuffled toward them. “What are you guys doing?”

  Shawn smiled in greeting as Zander continued to fuss with his hair. “We’re gearing up for a murder mystery. What are you doing?”

  Harper glanced over her shoulder to reassure herself that Harris hadn’t followed and then sighed. “I’m hiding from our host.”

  Shawn snickered. “He does seem singularly focused on you.”

  “I’m pretty s
ure that’s because he thinks my endorsement will somehow put him on the map.” Harper had been puzzling through the situation for the bulk of the tour. “The more I think about it, though, the more I wonder what I can actually do for him.”

  “You’re prominent in ghost circles,” Zander pointed out, his hand busy as he tried to push his hair down so it was more manageable. To Harper, it almost looked as if Zander’s hair had doubled in size, which made her curious about what sort of product he’d brought. “Your name is growing by leaps and bounds these days. Everyone wants a piece of you.”

  To Harper, that was a sobering thought. “Oh, well ... .”

  Shawn took pity on her and patted her shoulder. “It’s not a bad thing. You’re good at what you do. You’ve helped a lot of people. News like that spreads, and not in a bad way.”

  “Yeah, but ... accolades only last for so long. Eventually the pushback starts. It’s part of the process with every business.”

  “It is,” Shawn agreed. “I’ve discovered it firsthand in my business, and I only own a gym. Most of the people in Whisper Cove are happy I opened my place, but there are a few who give me grief about it.”

  “That’s because you’re gay,” Zander offered, licking his fingers as he continued to manipulate his hair. He was starting to remind Harper of a manic cat grooming himself. “The only people who don’t like that gym are the ones who think being gay is a choice. Ignore them. You’re perfect the way you are.”

  Shawn shot him a fond look. “Thank you, baby.”

  “I’m perfect, too,” Zander continued. “Er, well, I was before you didn’t pack my gel.”

  “And here we go.” Shawn grinned at me. “He’s going to be a real pill for the next few hours. You’ve been warned.”

  “I’m used to this.” Harper was blasé. “What I’m not used to is someone trying so desperately for my approval. It makes me feel weird.”

  “That’s what happens when you’re a famous ghost hunter,” Shawn enthused. “Hopefully he will calm down once the event starts. I think he just has a lot of nervous energy.”

  “Yeah.” To Harper, that made sense. Since the conversation was going nowhere but in circles, she decided to change the subject. “I think his assistant is another problem, though.”

  That had Shawn and Zander snorting in unison.

  “She does seem to have a crush on your man,” Zander offered. “She goes all googly-eyed when she sees him. It’s kind of cute ... even though there are two better specimens for her to set her sights on nearby.”

  “What do you think?” Harper queried, nudging Jared with her shoe. He’d been hunkered down and staring at the same spot since she joined them, and she was starting to get a complex. “You haven’t already forgotten about me, have you?”

  “Hmm?” Jared lifted his head, his eyes cloudy. “Did you say something, Heart?”

  Harper smiled despite herself. “I was just saying that I didn’t think it was possible for you to forget about me so soon, but apparently I was wrong.”

  Jared shot her a baffled look. “Oh, I could never forget about you. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Not even for Becky?”

  “Especially not for Becky. She seems sweet enough, but there’s nothing more annoying than someone who can’t read a social cue.”

  “I agree,” Zander deadpanned. “What social cue am I sending you right now?” He made an exaggerated face, his mouth elongated and his tongue sticking out, that had even Jared laughing.

  “I think this is her first real job, and she doesn’t know how to act,” Jared offered. “Hopefully she’ll settle down. It would be nice if my fan and your fan could settle down at the same time so we could spend a bit of time together, though, huh?”

  Harper nodded without hesitation. “I think your fan has different ideas on what sort of relationship she’s pursuing, though. My fan just wants me to give him a business endorsement. Your fan wants an endorsement of a different kind.”

  That earned a full-fledged smile from Jared. “Well, she’s going to have to be disappointed. There’s only one woman I’ll be endorsing for the rest of my life, and she happens to be standing right in front of me.”

  Harper wrinkled her nose. “So, sweet.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, turning back to the spot he was staring at on the ground. “I’m sweet as pie.”

  “Blueberry pie,” Harper agreed as she crouched down to see what he was looking at. “Is there a snake or something? Just for the record, I don’t like snakes.”

  Jared chuckled. “It’s not a snake.”

  “Just a trouser snake,” Zander offered.

  Jared ignored him. “I think it’s blood.”

  Harper straightened, surprised. “What?”

  “Blood,” Jared replied. “Look here.” He pointed toward the bottom of the tombstone, which looked to be real and yet had that “new car smell” going for it compared to a lot of the other tombstones located on the small patch of land. “You can see the color has seeped onto the stone.”

  Harper stared hard, her heart rate picking up a notch. “What do you think that means?”

  Jared held out his hands. “I think it could be part of the show.”

  “Oh.” The oxygen escaped Harper’s lungs with a terrific whoosh. “That’s probably what it is.” Why hadn’t that been her first guess? “It makes sense, right?”

  Jared flashed her a tight smile, but it didn’t make it all the way to his eyes. “It seems likely.”

  “But?” Harper could read him better than most and knew he was holding something back. “You think it’s real blood, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know.” Jared cocked his head as Harris joined their small group. He was agitated by the man’s constant presence but did his best not to show it. “Here’s the man who can tell us, though.”

  “Oh, were you talking about me?” Harris puffed out his chest and preened. “I’m flattered.”

  “Actually, we were talking about the blood on this tombstone,” Jared countered, studying the man closely for his reaction. “Is this part of your show?”

  “Blood?” Harris furrowed his brow and stared harder, ultimately letting loose a dramatic sigh. “I told them to be more careful with the props. I guess that’s something that’s going to have to be added to the list, too, huh?” He shook his head and made a tsking sound. “It’s a work in progress. I believe I told you that.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jared licked his lips, briefly focusing on Harper before pressing forward. “You’re sure it’s fake blood, right?”

  “Of course it’s fake blood. We looked up the recipe on the internet. There’s a guy who does horror movies for a living who gave us an ingredient list that he swore would make realistic fake blood.”

  “It seems to have worked,” Harper noted.

  “Definitely.” Harris’ smile widened. “Wait ... it really has worked. This is amazing.”

  That wasn’t the word Jared would’ve used to describe what he was feeling, but he nodded all the same. They were at a murder-mystery event after all. Fake blood was supposed to be part of the package. “I’m guessing I wasn’t supposed to find it this soon.”

  “Not during the tour,” Harris agreed. “It’s okay, though. It’s simply something to jot down for future reference. I want to be able to take into account all the pratfalls and potential landmines that we might trip over, and this is a good start.”

  “Well, glad to be of service.” Jared dusted off his hands as he stood. “Should we finish the tour?”

  “Absolutely.”

  This time, instead of letting Harris kidnap her for the walk, Harper deliberately kept close to Jared. As if reading her mind, Jared linked their fingers while offering an indulgent smile to Harris. He seemed friendly enough, and yet his message was clear. He would be walking with Harper this go-round, and he didn’t intend to be separated from her.

  As they advanced toward the cemetery exit, a hint of movement on the south side of the plot caught Harper’s att
ention. She slowed her pace, her eyes drifting in that direction, and she was taken aback by the quick hint of shadow that became clear beneath a crop of trees.

  “What is it?” Jared asked, her distraction confusing him. “Do you see something? Do they have actors out here already?”

  “I ... don’t know.” Harper couldn’t drag her eyes away from the spot. The shadow had disappeared almost as fast as it appeared, and yet she could still feel eyes on her. “I thought I saw something.”

  “A ghost?” Harris asked from the front of the group. He looked positively thrilled at the prospect. “Did you see a ghost?”

  Harper hesitated and then nodded. Harris probably had people following the group, hiding in the shadows, to give the appearance that ghosts were not only present but prominent. It was likely all part of the show. “I definitely saw a ghost.”

  Harris beamed. “This is totally going to work, right?”

  Harper was getting tired of the question, but she didn’t have the heart to crush his dream. “I think it’s going to work. Good job.”

  THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE ACTION after the tour. Harris explained the event would officially kick off in a few hours and urged participants to take some downtime and relax. Harper and Jared jumped at the chance to put some distance between them and the campground and volunteered to run to the general store in town. When Zander found out that there would be a grocery run, he insisted on being included. Harper had a sneaking suspicion he was more interested in perusing the hair-care aisle than anything else, but she knew better than trying to omit him from the excursion. Because he didn’t want to be the only one left behind, Shawn also joined the crew, which meant it was a very familiar foursome that walked through the automatic doors of the smallest grocery store Harper had ever seen in real life.

  “Oh, well ... .” She was taken aback. The entirety of the store could’ve fit in the meat department of the Whisper Cove Kroger. “This is ... cute.”

  Jared shot her a sidelong look. “You really aren’t an outdoor girl, are you?”