Ghostly Ordeal

by Lily Harper Hart

  “You barely know him.”

  “I know enough. He’s way more pleasant to be around than you.”

  “He’s boring. Don’t kid yourself.” Carl made a face as he inclined his chin in the direction of the hallway behind Harper. “Here comes your boyfriend.”

  Harper glanced over her shoulder and smiled as Jared closed the distance between them. “Hi.”

  “Hello.” He swooped in and gave her a kiss, not caring in the least that he was supposed to be working and Mel could be watching. “How are you?”

  “My butt hurts from sitting on the ground and I’m already tired of reading files. Other than that, I’m just peachy.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jared immediately reached for her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “You don’t have to keep going if you don’t want to. I just thought … .” He left it hanging.

  “You thought you wanted me close because we had a bad day yesterday,” she finished, understanding perfectly well. “It’s okay. I want to be close to you, too. I’m not complaining. Er, well, I’m not complaining a lot.”

  He chuckled as he pulled her in for a hug. “You don’t have to keep going through the files. It’s not your job.”

  “It’s not Junior’s job either.”

  “Junior has no life,” Carl pointed out as he watched Jared with dark eyes. “He’s kind of neutered, huh? He basically does whatever you want because he only cares about making you happy. What a loser.”

  Harper shot the ghost a death glare. “Shut up!”

  Jared arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

  “Not you.” She patted his chest and went back to selecting drinks from the vending machine. “I cannot stand our friendly neighborhood ghost. He’s a complete and total tool.”

  “Ah.” Jared made a face as he stared at the empty spot where she glared. “I don’t know how to fix this for you. It’s not as if I can beat him up.”

  “You can’t do anything.” Harper selected a Coke for Junior and a Diet Coke for herself. “He’s just a jerk. You should’ve seen the look on his face when Junior mentioned the will. I think he did something bad with that will, by the way. I would recommend talking to his estate lawyer as soon as possible.”

  “Really?” Jared was officially intrigued. “Ask him what he did with the will.”

  “I can hear you myself,” Carl challenged. “I don’t need her to tell me what to do.”

  The look Harper shot him was withering. “What’s the deal with your will?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re being evasive. They’re going to find out eventually.”

  “Well … good for them. Until then, it’s none of their business.”

  Harper made a disgusted sound deep in her throat and shook her head. “He won’t say. He’s acting like it’s a big deal, though.”

  “Then I guess I need to track down that estate lawyer after all. I assumed he left everything to Junior. It’s not as if he was dating your mother long enough to leave her anything … and he has no other children.”

  “He had a vasectomy and didn’t tell Fran because he’s the world’s biggest … I can’t even think of a word bad enough to describe him.”

  “I’m sure you will come up with something by the time I get back.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Until then … I’m off to see an estate lawyer.”

  “Good luck.”

  Harper offered a half-wave as Jared left to collect Mel.

  “They’re going to see Elliot.” Carl barked out a raucous laugh. “They’re going to have so much fun.”

  Harper didn’t like the sound of that.

  ELLIOT TAUBMAN WORE AN EXPENSIVE suit and what looked to be the world’s cheapest toupee. It was so distracting that Jared found he had trouble tearing his eyes away from it.

  “Did you say something?” Jared asked when he realized the room was completely silent and Elliot and Mel were watching him.

  “I asked if you were the one engaged to the ghost hunter,” Elliot replied, amused.

  “That would be me.” Jared shifted in his chair and forced himself to look away from the bad hairpiece. “Harper.”

  “I’m mildly familiar with her,” Elliot said. “Mel and I used to golf together in a league and he often had Zander and Harper with him when they were kids. They were odd little ducks.”

  Jared wasn’t sure how to take the comment. “She’s a beautiful soul.”

  “I’m sure she is. When she was a kid, she and Zander were terrors. They used to run Mel ragged … although that was more Zander than Harper and he didn’t seem to mind.”

  “Oh, I minded,” Mel intoned, making a face. “There simply wasn’t much I could do about it. My mother doted on them … as did my sister. It was either kowtow to their whims or live in fear.”

  “Hey.” Jared extended a warning finger. “There’s no way my Harper was ever the terror you’re describing.”

  Mel’s smile was rueful. “You’re right. Zander was definitely the terror.”

  “He’s still a terror.”

  “And I doubt the two of you are here to talk about Zander,” Elliot noted. “Is this official business?”

  “It is,” Mel confirmed. “It’s about Carl Gibbons.”

  “I figured as much. His death has been all over the news.”

  “It must be a slow news cycle.”

  “That and the fact that Carl was a notorious figure in certain circles,” Elliot acknowledged. “He made a lot of enemies over the years … and he was proud of it. I’ve known him for twenty years and he loved bragging about the people he’d screwed over for the duration of that time.”

  “No one we’ve talked to has been especially fond of him,” Jared agreed.

  “I would like to say that he was misunderstood and very few people knew the real Carl, but with him, what you saw was what you got. He was a bad man and he didn’t care that people knew that about him. There is nothing that can explain away the horrible things he did.”

  “We understand that you’re handling his estate,” Mel noted, digging in the pocket of his coat. “We have a warrant and want to see Carl’s will.”

  “I have no problem with that.” Elliot didn’t even bother checking the warrant to make sure everything was in order. “The thing is, I don’t have his most current will. I only have the one he filed with me two years ago.”

  Jared was understandably confused. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you have the most recent will? Did he go through someone else?”

  “No. I gave him the paperwork. It’s basically a template. He said he wanted to fill it out himself and that he would get it back to me when he was finished.”

  “How do you know he finished?”

  “He called and said he had. He even had it signed by a notary. He was going to send me a copy, although I don’t know if he ever got it in the mail.”

  Jared rubbed the back of his neck, a myriad of possibilities going through his head. “Do you know what he was changing about the will?”

  “He didn’t say. He was adamant about it, though. He said the old one wouldn’t suffice and he needed to do it right away.”

  “And when was this?” Mel queried.

  “He told me he wanted to change the will two months ago. I sent him the template. About a month ago he said he was finished and had to get it notarized. About two weeks ago he sent an email and said he’d finished everything up and would be sending out the new paperwork any day.”

  “And you never got it.”

  “No.”

  “Well … that’s something of a coincidence, huh?” Mel looked to his partner. “What do you think?”

  “I guess we can’t know what the new will said unless we find it and I don’t remember seeing anything close to that when we searched the office.”

  “No. I guess that means we need to know about the first will,” Mel said. “What can you tell us about that?”

  “It was fairly standard … when you take i
nto account the fact that Carl had more than a million dollars hidden in secret bank accounts.”

  Jared’s mouth dropped open. “A million dollars? I don’t understand. Did he make that serving as a divorce lawyer?”

  “If so, I definitely went into the wrong field,” Mel groused.

  “Carl wasn’t a normal divorce attorney,” Elliot explained. “He was a coveted attorney because he was willing to play loose and fast with the rules. He demanded twenty percent of every divorce decree he won. A normal divorce attorney takes ten percent. Carl, on the other hand, got bigger settlements for his clients and they were willing to pay him more.”

  “I guess so.” Mel let loose a low whistle. “A million bucks is probably a motive to kill someone.”

  “Perhaps, but I’m not sure most people realized that Carl had that much money,” Elliot noted. “He liked to play as if he was a big shot, but he also came across as a braggart. He knew that. He played into it. He wanted some people to think he was making up how much money he was worth because it benefitted him.”

  “I can’t believe he was worth a million bucks and he managed to get out of his marriage without giving his wife a dime,” Jared muttered, disgust washing over him.

  “That’s not entirely true,” Elliot cautioned. “He gave Fran fifty grand and the house. Granted, he hid all his assets and the house was underwater at the time so there was no way she could keep it, but he didn’t get off exactly scot-free in that divorce.”

  “That’s not the way Fran made it sound,” Mel argued.

  “She put all the money she got into Junior’s education,” Elliot explained. “She didn’t benefit in the least from being married to Carl. Junior, however, got an education out of it.”

  “That’s something Carl should’ve been willing to pay for no matter what,” Jared pointed out.

  “I happen to agree with you.” Elliot held up his hands in capitulation. “Like I said, I’m not pretending that he was a good guy. In fact, he was pretty much the worst guy I’ve ever known. All he did was talk about money and sex. Apparently he was a dynamo in the sack.”

  “Thanks to Viagra,” Jared countered, taking perverse satisfaction in outing Carl’s secret after the fact.

  “That wouldn’t surprise me in the least.” Elliot looked amused. “Fran wasn’t the only one who Carl screwed, though. The guy was notoriously cheap. He also screwed over his own mother.”

  “Seriously?” Jared knew he shouldn’t be surprised, but he couldn’t stop himself. “How did he do that?”

  “Well, she had a stroke about five years ago, and instead of putting her in a nice assisted living center while she recovered, he put her in a county home … which was essentially the Devil’s armpit, although not as nice.”

  Jared felt sick to his stomach. “Oh, geez. Is she still there?”

  “No. She got out when she recovered. She’s not completely living on her own, though. She has an apartment in that building over by the county seat in Mount Clemens. It’s assisted living but minimal oversight.”

  Mel furrowed his brow as he tried to picture the building in question. “That one that looks like it’s sagging on one side?”

  “That would be the one.”

  “Ugh. And she’s there?”

  “She is. If you want insight into Carl, I would start with her. She was in Carl’s will before he changed it. I have no idea if she still is.”

  “What about Junior?” Jared asked. “Was he in the will?”

  “He was,” Elliot confirmed. “He was getting the lion’s share of the inheritance, meaning he should’ve gotten about seven hundred thousand dollars. Carl’s mother was supposed to get another hundred grand.”

  “That doesn’t seem like much considering what he put her through,” Mel noted.

  “I honestly don’t think Carl cared about things like that,” Elliot explained. “When he first sat down and we were going through his options, I suggested it might be a nice gesture to leave something for Fran. I never knew her well. She always seemed nice, though. She was kind of timid and I felt bad for her. Carl was having none of it, though. He said she didn’t deserve anything.”

  “The guy had no loyalty,” Jared complained, remembering the way Harper warned him about Carl’s smug attitude. “Do you think it’s possible he took Junior out of his will?”

  “When dealing with Carl, anything is possible. The thing is … I don’t know what he would do if that’s the case. Carl was not the type of guy who wanted to donate to charities and he didn’t have a significant other that I’m aware of. The only two people he had to leave money to were his mother and Junior.”

  “Speaking of that, were you aware of his relationship with Gloria Harlow?” Mel queried.

  Jared managed to rein in his temper and keep a bland expression on his face … but just barely. He wanted to shake his partner even though he knew Mel was merely asking the questions that needed to be asked.

  “I’m aware of his relationship with Gloria,” Elliot confirmed. “I thought it was a weird pairing. Everyone in the county knows Gloria. She is … all kinds of wacky.” He remembered that Jared was going to be Gloria’s son-in-law at the same moment the younger detective shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Oh … I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” Jared heaved out a sigh. “I’ve met Gloria. I know she’s not exactly the easiest woman in the world to deal with.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Elliot said. “She’s got a certain reputation in lawyer circles. She likes to date them but not commit. In fact, anyone of a certain age who is looking for a good time is advised to go to her because everyone knows she’s not in it for the long haul.”

  “That is lovely,” Jared deadpanned.

  “I’m just telling you how people look at her.” Elliot was sympathetic. “I’m not saying Harper is like her. In fact, everyone I know happens to adore Harper. She’s the exact opposite of her mother.”

  Jared wasn’t sure if the statement was meant as a compliment, but he decided to take it that way. “Harper is an angel.”

  “Let’s not go overboard,” Mel countered. “As for Gloria, did Carl say anything about his relationship with her?”

  “They hadn’t been dating all that long.”

  “No, but they’d been together at least a month. You mentioned you talked to Carl two weeks ago. Did he say anything?”

  Elliot swallowed hard and darted a look in Jared’s direction. He was clearly uncomfortable. “Just that he was having a good time, that Gloria liked fine dining and never argued about going to bed with him.”

  Jared pressed his lips together and raised his eyes to the ceiling as he tamped down his frustration.

  “Anything else?” Mel asked.

  “Just that. I very much doubt he was going to add Gloria into his will. There would be no reason. He knew the relationship with Gloria wasn’t going to last over the long haul. He was simply enjoying the time they had together and then had every intention of moving on.”

  “That also seems to be the general consensus regarding Gloria’s relationship intentions,” Mel noted. “If that will shows up, I would appreciate knowing what’s in it. As it is, we’re going to have to go over his computer and do another search. A will change is definitely a motive.”

  “I wish I had more information to give you,” Elliot offered. “The thing is, Carl talked big, but he shared very little about himself. I have no idea who would hate him enough to kill him.”

  “That’s what we have to find out. Thank you so much for your time.”

  Fifteen

  Agatha Gibbons was a formidable woman, which was quite impressive because she didn’t clear the five-foot mark and if she weighed a hundred pounds, Jared would’ve been surprised. That didn’t mean she was the sort of woman who could be taken advantage of ... and she recognized Mel and Jared for what they were the second they appeared at her door.

  “I guess I should’ve realized you would get to me eventually,” she said, shoving o
pen the door and gesturing for the detectives to enter her small assisted living apartment. “Come on. We might as well get this over with.”

  Jared and Mel exchanged quick looks but did as she asked.

  Agatha pointed them toward the living room and sat in a well-worn chair — one that looked to be her favorite — and inclined her chin at the couch. “Sit. I know you’re here about Carl. I figured you would get to me eventually.”

  “We weren’t even aware you were alive, ma’am,” Mel admitted. “You weren’t listed on Carl’s ‘in case of emergency’ information. You don’t live in Whisper Cove. I’m sorry for getting our wires crossed.”

  “I don’t care about that.” Agatha slid a sidelong look toward Jared before focusing on Mel. “You’re clearly in charge,” she said. “What can you tell me about my heathen son’s passing?”

  It took everything Jared had not to dissolve into laughter. The woman was funny. He had to give her that. She was also resigned. She clearly had a strained relationship with her son, but he was still the child of her body ... however badly things had gone between them.

  “He was stabbed, ma’am,” Mel answered. There was no reason to lie. The truth was out there and she would stumble across it eventually. “Someone went into his home and ended his life.”

  “I see.” Agatha worked her bottom jaw. “Do you know who did this dastardly deed?”

  Jared had the distinct impression she was playing with them. That was the reason she picked the words she did. “No, ma’am. We’re trying to figure that out. That’s why we’re here.”

  “You came to see me because you think I killed him?” Agatha arched a drawn-on eyebrow. “I’ll admit that I’ve considered it a time or two over the years, but I’m not sure I have the strength to pull something like that off.”

  “You could’ve hired someone,” he pointed out, seeing no reason to placate her. Agatha seemed like a straight shooter and Jared figured approaching her on an even level was the smartest way to go. “You might’ve hated him enough to hire a professional, figuring you would get something in his will to pay off the shooter.”