Ghostly Ordeal

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Did you ever ask your father why he did what he did?”

  “Ask? No. I confronted him when I was in high school. I never told her that, but I did. She was in the hospital. She passed out. Thankfully it was nothing serious. She simply fainted because she was dehydrated and overworked. I heard the doctor telling her she would die if she didn’t start taking better care of herself. I was so mad that night I drove to his house and confronted him.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said that eventually I would learn some people were better than others. He said my mother was one of the people who didn’t matter. He said that she would die one day and no one would care. It made me really angry.”

  “Did you hit him?”

  “No. I wanted to but … I was still afraid of him. By that time I was four inches taller and I’d been working out with the football team. I knew I could’ve taken him. I was still afraid, though. I grew up afraid of him.”

  The more Junior talked, the more uncomfortable Harper grew. “Did he ever abuse you?”

  “Not physically.”

  “He did mentally, though, right?”

  “Oh, he would never look at it that way.” Junior trailed his fingers along the window frame as he looked toward the vast darkness outside. “He told me he was toughening me up. He called me names when I was a kid, said I was a wuss. He called me a ‘mama’s boy,’ as if that was an insult given who my father was.

  “I know now, as an adult, that she was the best parent I ever could’ve asked for,” he continued. “I also know that I carry his name. Part of what’s inside me came from him. I don’t want to be his son.”

  That’s when reality set in for Harper and she abandoned her idea to grab the taser. “Is that why you’re here? You want to talk to his ghost and tell him that you’ll never be the man he wanted you to be, don’t you?”

  Junior nodded, and when he turned, Harper realized he had tears glistening in his eyes. “I didn’t know you talked to ghosts when I first met you. I mentioned your name to my mother when I got home last night and she knew all about you. She said she saw you on television a few times.”

  “Yes, I’ve become quite the celebrity,” Harper agreed dryly.

  “That’s why I came here. I actually wasn’t sure I would have the guts to walk through the door and ask for your help. Then I saw you were alone and I figured now was as good a time as any. The thing is, I don’t have any money to pay your fee right now. I will, one day, but I would have to give you an IOU until then. If that’s not enough, maybe you need some help around the office or something. I don’t know what I could do, but I’m sure there’s … something.”

  A huge ball of guilt smashed into Harper’s chest as she immediately started shaking her head. “You don’t have to pay me. I’ll gladly help you.”

  “You will?”

  “As a matter of fact, your father has been hanging around in his ghostly form. I’ve spoken to him a few times.”

  “You have?” Hope flashed across his handsome face. “Is he here now?”

  “No. I’ve talked to him enough to figure out what kind of man he is, though. By the way, he’s a crappy man.”

  “He definitely is,” Junior agreed. “What did he say to you?”

  “Oh, well, nothing good.” Harper wasn’t sure how much truth the young man could take. Honestly, though, she didn’t think lying would make things better. If she did, she would’ve done it without a second thought. In this particular case, though, it was best Junior’s beliefs be held up rather than torn down.

  “He doesn’t have anything nice to say about anyone,” she started. “The first time I met him he asked if he could have ghost sex with me.”

  Instead of being embarrassed, Junior’s mouth dropped open and he burst out laughing. “Are you serious?” He wiped at the tears in the corners of his eyes. “That’s so … him.”

  “Yes. That was before he realized who my mother was. When that happened, he asked me with more gusto.”

  Junior laughed again and this time Harper joined in. “That is the legacy he left me.”

  “Not entirely,” Harper said, sobering. “I don’t know if I should tell you this. I’ll probably get in big trouble because Jared and Mel will want to tell you, maybe feel you out to gauge your potential guilt. I’m going to tell you anyway.”

  “My potential guilt?” Junior drew his eyebrows together. “They think I killed my father?”

  “No more than the other suspects they have,” Harper reassured him quickly. “The truth is, they don’t know why your father was killed. It could’ve been a former client … or someone related to a former client.”

  “That’s what I was assuming. My father made a lot of enemies throughout the years.”

  “Yes, but he was stabbed five times. I’m not a police officer, but I’ve seen enough detective shows to know what that means. You’re going to be a lawyer. I think you know what it means, too.”

  “A crime of passion,” he deduced, bobbing his head. “I figured that out myself. To me, though, that doesn’t rule out the husband or wife of one his former clients.”

  “Definitely not,” Harper agreed. “However, there is one other thing … and I just know Jared is going to be mad that I told you.”

  “Then don’t tell me. I’ll go to the police station tomorrow and ask him to tell me.”

  “That would probably be easier. It’s just … well … I want to tell you.”

  Junior chuckled. “Then tell me. I’ll try to act surprised when Jared brings it up so you don’t get in trouble.”

  “Oh, no. I’ll own up to my idiocy. He’ll be angry, but he won’t stay that way. Besides, he took my mother in for questioning this week. It kind of seems I’ve got a freebie built in somewhere.”

  “Fair enough. Tell me the thing.”

  Harper sucked in a breath. It was now or never. He’d given her an out and she’d blown it off. There was no reason to drag things out. “What do you know about your father’s will?”

  “We already talked about that,” Junior replied, blasé. “I’m not going to be in my father’s will. I never assumed I would be.”

  “But you are. Or, at least you were.” Harper explained about the wills, leaving nothing out. When she was finished, Junior looked legitimately surprised. “So, you see, you might have a motive and not even realize it.”

  “I would never kill for money, not even him.”

  “I know. I was just saying that because Jared and Mel will argue it when they bring you in for questioning. I want you to be ready.”

  “There’s nothing to be ready for. I didn’t know about the old will. I don’t really care about the new will.”

  “You don’t want a million dollars? Or, I guess it was originally less than that because he gave your grandmother a hundred grand. Still, though, that’s a lot of money.”

  “It is,” Junior agreed. “I plan to make that much money … someday. Do you know what I’m going to do when that happens?”

  “What?”

  “I’m going to send my mother on a cruise. She’s always wanted to go on a cruise. She claims they’re magical.”

  Harper had never given it much thought, other than from a business perspective. “I heard the rooms on cruise ships are small.”

  “I’ve heard that, too. My mother won’t care, though. She loves the idea of being on the ocean.”

  “Well, that sounds like a fabulous gift.” She meant it. “You could give it to her now if you inherited that money.”

  “And trust me, that’s something I would do. I would also make it so she could retire … or at least cut down to forty hours a week.”

  “That seems fair.”

  “I don’t believe that he was changing that will for my benefit,” Junior pressed. “That’s not the sort of person he is. You said two months ago? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s about the time I got in a fight with him about Grandma.”

  “You fought with him about your grandmother?”


  “He was trying to cut her monthly allowance. She gets to stay at the home for free thanks to government assistance, but my father still gives her money each month. It’s not much. Two hundred bucks. It’s enough for a few treats and she plays nickel poker with her friends at the home.”

  “And he was going to take that away from her?” Harper was horrified. “Why?”

  “He said she didn’t need it, that the home gave her everything she needed.”

  “I take it you argued with him about it.”

  “I did. I told him that my grandmother gave birth to him, that he wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for her, and that he needed to suck it up and be a man.”

  “And how did he respond?”

  “Not well. He called me a few names, one a derogatory term for female genitalia I won’t repeat in mixed company, and told me I was too old to be so naïve. He said that I would end up doing the same to my mother. I told him that was never going to happen.

  “It didn’t matter, though,” he continued. “He said he was taking the money from Grandma. He said she was talking smack about him down at the senior center. I guess someone asked if he was really born with both female and male parts. Grandma tells a story where that happened and they let him choose if he wanted to be a man or woman. Then she always adds on that he chose to be a woman.”

  Harper pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “I see. That’s … um … .”

  “It’s funny,” Junior supplied. “You can say it. I know it’s funny, too. My grandmother doesn’t have much to laugh about, but she absolutely loves that story.”

  “I can’t believe your father would take away her allowance over something like that.”

  “Yeah, well, he was a jerk.”

  “Maybe he was taking away more than that,” Harper mused, absently scratching the side of her nose. “I don’t suppose he would’ve told her if he planned on cutting her out of his will, would he?”

  Junior shrugged. “Why would it matter? I’m sure she assumed he would outlive her.”

  “Yeah, but he didn’t.”

  Junior’s eyebrows hopped. “You’re not suggesting my grandmother killed him, are you?”

  Harper held out her hands and shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you think she’s capable of it? I mean … I know she had a stroke, but if she managed to get one good blow in he would’ve probably been incapacitated and she would’ve had an easy enough time finishing him off.”

  “Yeah, but … huh.”

  Harper watched him as the wheels turned. “Can she pick up and leave her home whenever she wants?”

  “She can. She does it quite often. She makes runs to the liquor store just because she likes getting the nurses at the home stirred up. They’re not supposed to have liquor, although they never take it away from Grandma. I sneak stuff in for her, too.”

  “So, she could’ve gotten out of the home,” Harper mused. “Do you think your father was mean enough to take your grandmother out of his will just because he was embarrassed?”

  “Most definitely. The thing is, I’m betting he took me out, too. He was really mad when I confronted him.”

  “Well … how late can your grandmother receive guests?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn’t even seven yet.

  “For another hour,” Junior replied. “Do you really want to go over there and question her?”

  “Yeah, and I want to bring Mel and Jared along for the ride. I think they’re going to want to hear this new information.”

  “Okay, but I’m telling you, there’s no way she’s capable of this.”

  “For your sake, I hope you’re right.”

  Nineteen

  Jared met Junior and Harper in the parking lot of the assisted living center and the first thing he did when he caught sight of his fiancée was to flick the spot between her eyebrows. She was expecting a hug — and maybe a kiss — so she was understandably taken aback.

  “What’s that for?” she asked.

  “That’s for meeting with a guy who could potentially be a murderer after dark without backup.”

  Harper jutted her lower lip out. “I didn’t plan it.”

  “It’s not her fault.” Junior raised his hand quickly. “If you’re going to be mad at someone, be mad at me. She didn’t have any choice in the matter. And, to be honest, I didn’t think about it.”

  “Well, think about it.” Jared refused to back down. “She was alone and vulnerable. You could’ve been a dangerous individual for all she knew. I love her. I don’t want her hurt.”

  “I don’t want her hurt either. I have no intention of hurting her, in fact. It’s just ... I had some questions to ask and I thought maybe she could help.”

  Jared rubbed at the mounting tension in his forehead. “Questions about your grandmother?”

  “No.” Junior was solemn. “Questions about my father.”

  “And how did you think she was going to answer them? She didn’t know your father.”

  Harper cleared her throat and hopped from one foot to the other. “Um ... the thing is, he’s talking about what I do for a living.”

  Realization dawned on Jared and he felt like an idiot. “Oh.” He instinctively moved his hand to Harper’s back. “I guess that makes sense. I didn’t even think about it.” He made a rueful face as he regarded his girlfriend. “Did you help him there?”

  Harper shook her head. “Not yet. It’s not as if Carl was hanging around my office. I’ll have to handle that meeting once things settle a bit. As for now, well, I thought it best we talk to Agatha. The fact that Carl was cutting her allowance is a new wrinkle in the wallpaper.”

  “He was? Then it is,” Jared agreed, drawing his hand through his hair. “I still don’t know how she would’ve managed it. Mel will be here in a few minutes. I want to know everything you know about this situation and then I want the two of you to wait in the parking lot until we’re done questioning her.”

  Harper immediately started putting up a fight. “You can’t shut me out now. That’s not fair.”

  Jared cocked an eyebrow. “Life isn’t fair.”

  “Jared.”

  He wanted to hold strong, cut her out of the final takedown ... if that’s what this really was. He wanted her safe and warm at home. One look at her face told him that wasn’t going to be an option, though.

  “Okay, here’s the situation,” he said after a beat. “I’m going to allow you to go in with me but you can’t talk. You have to let Mel and me handle all the questions. Do you understand?”

  Harper nodded gravely. “Yes. I’ll be good.”

  “You’d better be.” Jared slid his arm around her shoulders and tugged her close so he could kiss her temple and focused on Junior. “What about you? Do you want in on this? You might be able to help us trap her under the right circumstances.”

  Junior nodded, thoughtful. “I don’t think she did this, but I want to be with you to question her if she did. I ... I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “I guess we will.”

  AGATHA WAS IN A HOUSE ROBE and slippers when Mel knocked on the door. The look on her face when she answered was harsh enough to peel the skin of a potato that hadn’t been boiled.

  “Oh, what do you want now?” she groused, her temper on full display.

  “We want to talk to you,” Mel replied, his voice light and easy. “There are a few things that have come up.”

  “I see.” Her eyes floated between faces before lingering on Harper. “I know who you are. You’re the one who can see and talk to ghosts.”

  “I am,” Harper agreed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I would say the same to you but when you get to be my age, you don’t want a ghost whisperer darkening your doorstep.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Why are you here?” Agatha didn’t usher them inside, instead glaring from her spot. “I’m getting ready for bed. I don’t think I have the time or inclination to be a hostess tonight.”
>
  “Grandma, you should let them in,” Junior prodded. “They want to talk to you about Dad’s death.”

  “Uh-huh.” Agatha worked her jaw. “Fine,” she said finally and turned on her heel. “This had better be quick, though.”

  Harper made sure to lag at the tail end of the group, frowning when she caught sight of Carl. He stood in the kitchen, his expression dour, and barely looked up when the others entered the space. His gaze was fixed solely on his mother.

  “She did it, didn’t she?” Harper kept her voice low when she asked the question, her eyes boring holes into Carl.

  “She’s evil,” Carl replied, his tone gravelly. “Why do you think I turned out the way I did?”

  “I think you made your own decisions and enjoyed being evil,” Harper replied without hesitation. “Your son was partially raised by evil and he turned out nothing like you.”

  “He’s weak,” Carl muttered. “He’s always been weak. Fran made him that way.”

  “No, he’s strong.” Harper refused to back down. “He’s the man you should’ve been.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Carl almost looked sad when he met Harper’s steady stare. “I remember what happened.”

  “Was it her?”

  “She surprised me. I thought she was going to disown me, maybe threaten to curse me or something. She used to threaten that when I was a kid. Instead she had a knife. It was already too late when I realized what was happening.”

  “If only you hadn’t tried to screw her out of two hundred bucks a month, huh?”

  “She didn’t need that money. She was wasting it.”

  “Who are you to say that?”

  “Oh, stuff it.” Carl moved away from Harper and positioned himself behind Junior so he could openly glare at his mother.

  When Harper turned, she found Mel, Jared, Junior, and Agatha watching her. She straightened quickly, squared her shoulders, and then moved to the chair Jared had left open for her. He clearly wanted to make sure she wasn’t in Agatha’s swing zone should the woman lose her mind and attack.