“Definitely,” Jared agreed. “You need to bulk up on the carbs. It’s going to be a long day.”
Twelve
“I need the notes from the interview with Quinn Jackson.”
Jared didn’t bother greeting his partner when he walked into the office they shared, instead getting right to the heart of matters.
Mel slowly lifted his eyes and snagged his partner’s gaze. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Yes.”
Mel waited for him to continue.
“I’m sure it’s what I have to do,” Jared clarified after a beat. “I don’t buy his story ... and I don’t particularly believe he’s here for altruistic reasons.”
“When did he say he was here for altruistic reasons?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” Mel confirmed, bobbing his head. “You’re upset because you think he’s moving on your woman. I get that.”
“If you think I’m doing this simply because I’m jealous ... .”
“I would be right,” Mel finished.
“No, not completely right.” Jared refused to back down. “I am worried he’s here for Harper ... but not in the way you think.”
Mel drew his eyebrows together and scratched at his chin. “Wait ... you think he wants to hurt her? That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why come back after years away and go after the girlfriend who has very clearly moved on?”
“I don’t know.” Jared edged his hip on the corner of his desk. “Maybe he didn’t come back to town because of Harper at all. Maybe he came back for a different reason and she’s simply collateral damage.”
“What reason?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have an answer … yet. Maybe he had ties to Judy Lange.”
Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. Mel’s eyebrows migrated north as he abandoned whatever he was looking at on his screen and focused entirely on Jared. “Are you kidding?”
“I don’t often find murder funny.”
“No, you don’t,” Mel agreed. “The thing is, why would Quinn have ties to Judy? It doesn’t make any sense. Judy was a grifter who scammed money from people. I’m going to bet, when this all shakes out, that we find she had financial ties to whoever killed her.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I have a problem with your theory,” Jared said. “First off, Judy’s mother didn’t even know she was in the hospital. According to Patty, Judy only came back to the area because she was broke and wanted her mother to fund her lifestyle. I don’t think she was here running a con.”
“She stayed, though,” Mel argued. “She must’ve had a reason for that. I’m guessing she found a partner of some sort. Even though we haven’t followed up on the information Quinn provided, I’m going to guess that he hasn’t maintained ties to this area during his absence.”
“Why?”
“Because, if what you’re saying is true and Quinn is lying about this amnesia thing, why would he maintain ties to an area where his true identity could be discovered? It’s not just Harper and Zander who could ruin things for him. Most everyone in town either met him or became familiar with his image because photos were spread all over the news shows. He wasn’t famous, but he had a recognizable face.”
“I guess that’s true.” Even though he was loath to admit it, Jared had no choice but to concede that his partner had a point. “I simply find it hard to believe that Quinn just happened to be in the middle of nowhere when an accident occurred in the same spot he supposedly died years before.”
“So ... what?” Mel was truly at a loss. “Do you think he was out there to fake Judy’s death?”
“Maybe.”
“Then why leave her behind to talk to us? What point is there to do anything of the sort? Nothing makes sense about that story.”
Jared worked overtime to tamp down his agitation. “So, you believe him?”
“Regarding what?”
“He says he was out there to relive his past,” Jared pressed. “Supposedly he visited the spot where Quinn Jackson ceased to be simply to see the accident site. That smells a little fishy to me.”
“Uh-uh.” Mel folded his arms over his chest. “That would mean he’s the sentimental sort, right?”
“Yes.”
“And men can’t be sentimental, can they?”
“I didn’t say that,” Jared protested, annoyed. “I simply find it weird.”
“I understand that.” Mel’s tone was entirely too rational, something that set Jared’s teeth on edge. “Just one question, though.”
“What?” Jared practically barked out the word.
“Whenever we go past the interrogation room, the one right around that corner over there, you always touch the chair at the far end.”
“So?”
“So, that happens to be the chair Harper sat in the night you brought her in for questioning before you started dating,” Mel noted. “You told me over beers a few weeks ago that you thought you fell in love with her at that exact moment, although you weren’t ready to admit that so soon ... even to yourself.
“So, I’ve noticed over the past six months, that every single time you go into that interrogation room, you touch the chair Harper sat in when she was here,” he continued. “It’s like a little ritual you go through. If you were a hockey player, I would think it’s your version of a playoff beard.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“No, it’s sentimental,” Mel corrected. “I think it’s kind of cute, although I had no idea you were so superstitious.”
“I’m not superstitious.”
Mel remained silent, waiting.
“Fine.” Jared blew out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t want criminals sitting in her chair. Sue me.”
Mel couldn’t hold back his smile. “It’s not her chair.”
“It is in my head.”
“Fair enough.” The older police officer held up his hands in defeat. “There’s nothing wrong with being sentimental. My question is, if you get that way about a chair, why doesn’t it make sense for Quinn to go to the spot where his life irrevocably changed?”
“I don’t know.” It was rare for Jared to feel at a loss for words. “He bothers me. He went to her office yesterday to talk to her and ended up hanging out with the entire crew for the afternoon.”
“And you’re jealous because you want to spend more time with Eric and Molly?”
“No, I’m not jealous.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“It’s just ... he’s always around.” Jared recognized that he sounded whiny and attempted to adjust his tone. “He was at the office yesterday. He showed up at the house this morning. I made a total idiot of myself when he showed up, too. I said I wasn’t going to work.
“I didn’t come right out and say it because I didn’t want to admit it, but Harper knew why I suddenly didn’t want to leave the house,” he continued. “Thankfully Zander was mean enough to Quinn that he didn’t want to hang around and he took off. That allowed me to maintain the bare minimum of dignity and leave for work.”
“Yes, Zander is lovely when it comes to being mean to people,” Mel drawled. “He won trophies for it in middle school. As for Harper and Quinn, do you really think Harper is the type to cheat?”
“No. Absolutely not.” Jared vehemently shook his head. “She and I had a very long talk last night. Things are good between us. Even before we talked, though, I never thought she would cheat on me.”
“So, what’s the problem? Are you worried that she might want to cheat on you with the old flame? If so, trust me, you’re being an idiot. Harper loves you. She’s so wrapped up in you that it’s a little disgusting, especially to a guy who has known her since she was a small child.”
Despite himself, Jared chuckled. “She doesn’t want him. I know that. We’re good ... other than the fact that I’m going to have to explain why I acted like a ninny this morning, of course. It’s him that I’m worried about.”
“What do you think he wants?”
“Her.”
Mel studied the younger man for a long beat. “He said the exact opposite to you.”
“Yes, well, Zander had a good point this morning.”
“Oh, well, if you’re taking Zander’s word for something, you’re worse off than I envisioned.”
Jared ignored the dig. “Zander pointed out that Quinn was playing all of us in exactly the right way. Playing the sympathy card with Harper, playing the ‘I’m not into her’ card with me. All the while, he keeps hanging around.”
“Technically, he has no choice but to hang around,” Mel reminded him. “We told him he can’t leave town until we okay it.”
“I know but ... .”
“You’re going to obsess about this no matter what,” Mel surmised. “I get it. While I think you’re being ridiculous, I actually don’t blame you for feeling the way that you do. She’s your girlfriend and you love her. Being protective comes with the territory.”
“I simply feel that it’s a good idea to start digging into Quinn’s story.”
“Then we’ll do it.” Mel was blasé as he turned back to his computer. “The information needs to be confirmed anyway. I don’t see the harm in focusing on that today.”
“I’m glad you agree.”
“WHAT IS THAT?”
Harper stared at the gourd Zander held with overt disdain, the activity in the bustling produce section at their local store threatening to cause her head to implode.
“This is a ... squash thing,” Zander said knowingly, clutching the oddly-shaped vegetable tighter. “We need it for our Thanksgiving preparations.”
Harper wasn’t convinced. “What are you going to cook with that? I thought we got the acorn squash for eating.”
“We did.”
“So ... what’s that for?”
“Ambiance.”
“Of course.” Harper rolled her neck as she avoided a frazzled-looking woman collecting yams. “I should’ve realized that ambiance was high on your list.”
“There’s nothing wrong with ambiance.” Zander’s gaze was speculative as he watched Harper pick through the decorative gourds on display. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Harper snapped her head in his direction, the question catching her off guard. “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“Because you have your ‘I’m having deep thoughts’ face on,” Zander replied without hesitation. “I love your face — you know that — but your deep thoughts face is my least favorite.”
“I’m not having deep thoughts.”
Zander tossed another gourd in the cart without breaking eye contact. Harper took it as a dare.
“I’m not having deep thoughts,” she repeated, her temper fraying.
“Right, because you’re always in such a foul mood when it comes to shopping for the holidays.”
Harper stared and blinked for what felt like forever. Then, inexplicably, she shook her head and offered a lame chuckle. “You are a complete and total pain when you want to be. You know that, right?”
“I’m well aware,” Zander agreed, resting his elbows on the cart handle. “What’s wrong? I thought things were good between you and Jared. You seemed goofy and in love again this morning.”
“We are in love.” Harper moved away from the gourd and yam display because she sensed it was about to be overrun. “We talked last night, and I realized I wasn’t doing right by him.”
Zander balked. “You treat him better than me. You do right by him. I’m the one getting the shaft.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Not that. Also, I don’t treat him better than you. Stop being a baby.”
“How can you possibly think you’re not doing right by him?”
“I meant with the Quinn thing,” Harper clarified. “I never once considered how it would affect him. All I could think about was myself, how weird it was to see him, and how he felt so far removed from my life it was like talking to a stranger.”
“We’ll get back to that ‘removed’ part in a second because I’m officially intrigued by that,” Zander said. “Regarding the other stuff, Jared should know you love him. You tell him every five seconds, so much so that I want to retch whenever I’m around you guys. I don’t, of course, because I’m a gentleman. I want to, though.”
It was impossible for Harper to hide her eye roll. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. You’re the king of the world.”
“Only our little corner of the world.”
“We’re talking about Jared and me, though,” Harper pressed. “He was worked up because of Quinn’s return and I didn’t even see it.”
“Because he thought you would take off with Quinn and leave him in the dust?”
“Which is ridiculous.”
“Totally,” Zander agreed. “I pretty much told him that. You didn’t even love Quinn.”
Harper pressed her lips together, her face burning. “You don’t have to say that so loudly.”
Zander glanced around, oblivious. “I didn’t realize it was a secret. Everyone I know is aware of it, and that includes you.”
“I’m aware.” Her expression plaintive, Harper rubbed her hands together. “I told Jared the same thing. He was relieved. That’s when I realized I should’ve given more consideration to his feelings.”
“Hey, your former boyfriend came back from the dead,” Zander drawled. “When Jared’s former girlfriend comes back from the dead, then we’ll talk about his feelings being more important than yours.”
“He never said his feelings were more important than mine.” Harper felt as if she were talking to a wall. “He was worried, though, and I feel bad about it. He should never worry about how I feel.”
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t think he doubted your love. It was more that he worried you would be overwhelmed with feelings of responsibility where Quinn is concerned, since Quinn came first and all.”
“I do feel a bit guilty about that,” Harper hedged, chewing on her bottom lip. “Not guilty enough to do anything about it, mind you, but guilty all the same. He disappeared and I moved on as if nothing happened.”
“No, you were frozen in time for months,” Zander countered, his eyes traveling to the far side of the produce section where a lone man stood, back against the wall, and stared directly at them. “Do you know that guy?”
Harper followed her best friend’s gaze and slowly shook her head. “No. Do you?”
“I can’t say as I do, but he seems very intent on staring.” Zander puffed out his chest and waved. The man, apparently embarrassed to be caught, turned his head and focused on the pie display. “Huh. That was sort of cute. His cheeks are turning red.”
“You can’t see his cheeks turning red from this far away,” Harper protested.
“You don’t know. I might be able to see it. I’m gifted in many ways.”
“Yes, you’re the gift that keeps on giving,” Harper agreed. “Back to our conversation regarding Jared. I think he had a right to be upset. I thought long and hard about it last night. I wouldn’t be happy if he had a former girlfriend pop up out of nowhere. I would like to think I would be gracious, but I’m not sure I have it in me. I think there might be some hair pulling.”
Zander snorted, amusement rolling off him. “You’re all talk. There’s no way you would pull hair in public.”
“I could pull some hair.”
Tickled, Zander grabbed a container of caramel apples and dumped them in the cart. “There’s a difference between those two scenarios. If one of Jared’s ex-girlfriends showed up, it would be awkward for a different reason. She’s an ex, after all. That’s kind of stalkerish.
“As far as Quinn is concerned, you guys were still dating at the time of his disappearance,” he continued. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think your relationship would’ve survived. His disappearance didn’t allow for a natural conclusion, though. That’s what worries Jared.”
Realization
dawned on Harper. “Oh, like he’s worried that Quinn will want closure. Like maybe one more tumble for old time’s sake.”
Zander chuckled, his eyes going back to the man leaning against the wall, who just so happened to be watching them again. “Something like that.”
“I’ll just make sure Jared knows that’s not going to happen.”
“Uh-huh.” Zander was thoughtful as he watched the man for signs he was up to something nefarious. “Do you think that guy is after you or me?”
Harper shrugged. “Why does it matter?”
“I have no idea. He’s a little intense, though.” Zander dug in his pocket for his phone and hit the camera app. “I wonder if he thinks he’s flying under the radar. If so, he needs to take a chill pill.”
Harper wrinkled her nose. “What are you doing?”
“Um ... filming him so I can show Shawn how desirable I am to other men.”
Even though Harper knew she shouldn’t be offended by the simple statement, she couldn’t stop herself from bristling. “I think he’s looking at me.”
“You’re dreaming,” Zander scoffed. “He’s wearing a baby blue shirt. Straight guys don’t wear baby blue shirts.”
“I think that’s sexist and derogatory.”
“And I think you’re a pain.”
“He could totally be here for me,” Harper argued. “He’s looking at me just as much as he’s looking at you.”
“That’s because he’s trying to ascertain if we’re together,” Zander volunteered. “He doesn’t want to flirt if I have a girlfriend.”
“Uh-huh. What about your boyfriend at home?”
“I didn’t say I was going to date this guy,” Zander pointed out. “I’m merely filming him so I can mess with Shawn. Our relationship is playful.”
Harper could think of a few other words to describe it, but there was no point starting a fight in the middle of a busy store. “Can we please finish shopping and get out of here? This place is giving me a headache.”
“Sure,” Zander replied, shoving his phone into his pocket. “You might want to pick up a pie, though. If you want to make Jared feel safe and loved this evening, comfort food is a must. He loves blueberry pie.”
Ghostly Despair (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 10) Page 12
