Ghostly Holiday (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 11)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Harper was livid. “You’re a murdering jerk! The things you did to Chloe ... you didn’t deserve her.”

  “Chloe couldn’t follow rules,” Shana growled, grabbing a handful of Harper’s hair and tugging viciously. “All she had to do was follow the rules. She was so stupid she kept forgetting. Well, that eventually came back to bite her, didn’t it?”

  Jared’s mouth dropped open when he reached the top of the porch stairs and took in the scene. “What are you doing?”

  “She’s a murderer,” Harper spat, slamming her hand into Shana’s stomach and causing the woman’s eyes to bug out of her head as she gasped for air. “She killed Chloe. I found her body in a shed in the woods. She has Zoe.”

  “Are you sure?” Mel asked, hopping into the fray and grabbing Shana’s arms to keep her from lashing out at Harper. “Are you absolutely sure?”

  Harper nodded without hesitation as she hopped to her feet. “I’m sure.” She left Mel to cuff a belligerent Shana as she walked through the house, Jared close on her heels.

  “Heart, I don’t want to tell you your business, but I hope you’re right about this,” Jared said as they found the stairs that led to the basement. “If not, we’re all going to be in a world of trouble.”

  “I’m right.” Harper was so sure of that, she practically skipped down the stairs. “I know I’m right. In fact ... .” She stilled at the bottom of the steps long enough to scan the basement. It was a hoarder’s wet dream, items piled against each wall in every direction. There was only one additional door, though, and that’s where Harper headed now.

  “Zoe?” She called out, reaching for the door handle. It was locked. “Zoe, can you hear me?”

  “You can’t be sure she’s in there,” Jared said quietly, his heart going out to her. “I’m sorry. Maybe she’s ... .”

  There was a response before he could finish. “I want to go home,” a little voice announced from the other side of the door as tears ate the last word. “I want my mom,” she wailed.

  Jared’s eyes widened. “Holy ... .”

  “I told you.” Harper wasn’t smug, just determined. “Open the door, Jared. Call her mother.”

  Jared simply nodded and leaned forward. “Zoe, I need you to take a step away from the door. I’m going to kick it in and I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand me?”

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m the police.”

  “And you’re going to take me home?”

  “I am,” Jared promised. “Just as soon as I get you out of there. Are you away from the door?”

  “I’m in the corner.”

  “Here I come.” Jared raised his foot and planted it on the door directly next to the locking mechanism. It sprung open to reveal a tiny girl in a pink jumper with tears flowing down her cheeks.

  Zoe didn’t wait for Harper and Jared to go to her. Instead, she strode straight through the opening and knuckled her eyes. “I want my mom.”

  Harper opened her arms and swept up the child without invitation. “Then let’s give her the Christmas surprise to end all surprises, shall we?”

  Zoe nodded, tearful. “I didn’t miss Christmas, did I?”

  Harper smiled. “Nope. You still have time, and something tells me you’re going to have the best Christmas ever.”

  “I hope so.” Zoe wrapped her arms around Harper, seemingly content to trust her, and didn’t speak again until they were walking out of the house. Her gaze was dark when it landed on a furious Shana, who was cuffed and on her knees as Mel read her rights out loud. “She’s mean.”

  “She’s going to be punished for it, Zoe,” Jared promised. “She’s not going to get away with it.”

  “Good.”

  IT ONLY TOOK HARPER and Jared ten minutes to get to Ally’s house. They had to wait for backup so Mel wouldn’t be left alone. The uniformed officers who arrived were warned there was a shed in the woods that required a medical examiner and then informed they weren’t to touch anything until the state police showed up with a crime team.

  “I know my rights,” Shana screeched. “You didn’t have a search warrant.”

  “We didn’t need one,” Mel replied calmly. “Once Ms. Harlow entered your home and you engaged in a scuffle, we had every right to make sure no one got hurt. If you don’t believe us, I’m sure your lawyer will explain it to you.”

  “Oh, this is just ... .” Shana’s glare was searing. “I hate all of you!”

  “Somehow I think we can live with that,” Jared said drily.

  They had to take it slow during the drive to Ally’s house. Zoe was a small child who was required by law to sit in a special child seat ... something they didn’t have access to. Jared opted to pretend he didn’t know the rule while Harper sat in the backseat with Zoe on her lap.

  “Do you think Mommy missed me?” Zoe asked as Harper smoothed her hair.

  “I know she did,” Harper replied. “I saw how much she missed you. I think you’re going to be the best Christmas gift she’s ever gotten.”

  “I just want to see her.”

  “We’re almost there.”

  Jared helped Harper and Zoe out of the car before leading them to Ally’s front porch. He checked the steps himself to see if they were icy, and he was just about to raise his hand to knock on the door when it opened. To his utter surprise, Ally wasn’t the one standing on the other side of the threshold. It was Luke, and he looked as if he’d seen better days.

  “Why are you here so late?” He looked at Jared, completely missing the presence of Harper and Zoe. “Please don’t tell me she’s gone.”

  It took Jared a moment to recover from his surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m with Ally,” he replied simply. “I’m doing what I should’ve done three years ago. I ... is she gone? Is Zoe ... dead?”

  Before Jared could answer, Zoe gave voice to a question of her own. “Who is that?”

  Luke snapped his head in her direction, his eyes going wide as saucers. “Oh, my ... Zoe.”

  “Who is that?” Zoe repeated, looking to Harper for an answer. “I don’t know him. Where is my mom?”

  Luke’s mouth worked but no sound came out. Thankfully, Ally picked that moment to join the fray on the front porch. Her eyes immediately went to Zoe, as if drawn there by a power greater than herself. The sound she made when she saw her child was something Harper was likely to never forget.

  “Zoe!” Ally barreled past Jared and Luke and aimed straight for the little girl. “My baby!” She collected her from Harper, sobs erupting as she wrapped the child in an embrace so tight Harper worried that Zoe would suffocate. “Where did you find her? Where have you been, baby?”

  “A mean lady had me,” Zoe replied, a look of exasperation on her face as she struggled to squirm away from her mother. “The mean lady is with the police now.”

  “What mean lady?” Luke asked, flashing an uncertain smile for Zoe’s benefit as the girl continued to stare at him over her mother’s shoulder.

  “Shana Hamilton,” Jared replied. “It’s a long story, but we don’t believe Zoe has been hurt ... other than being locked in a basement room.”

  “With spiders,” Zoe said on a shudder.

  “Shana is in custody right now,” Jared added. “She’ll be charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, and probably murder a few times over. It’s going to take some time to get the full story, but we wanted to get Zoe to you before interrogating her.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you.” Tears coursed down Ally’s face as she rocked back and forth. “You found my baby.”

  Jared shook his head slowly and pointed at Harper. “She found Zoe. She found Chloe Hamilton, too.”

  “What?” Luke’s mouth dropped open. “She found Chloe, too? How?”

  “Chloe is dead,” Jared replied. “Shana killed her.”

  “Oh, my ... .” Ally tightened her grip on Zoe. “Thank you so much for finding her.” The look she graced Harper with was enoug
h to cause the blond ghost hunter to choke up. “You’ll never know the gift you’ve given me. I’ll never be able to thank you properly for this.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.” Harper was sincere as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I did what was necessary.”

  Ally was having none of it. “You went above and beyond.”

  “Not really. I just wanted Zoe home with you for Christmas.”

  “Well, you definitely did that,” Luke said, smiling at his daughter as Ally straightened. “Do you want to come in for something to drink?”

  “I don’t think we should,” Jared replied. “We need to get back to the scene.”

  “Of course.” Ally bobbed her head. “Still ... thank you both.”

  “Who are you?” Zoe asked Luke, her eyes roaming his face. “I’ve seen you before. You saw me with the pumpkins.”

  Luke nodded. “I did. I was watching you.”

  “He’s your father,” Ally said simply. “He came to be with me while we were looking for you.”

  “Really?” Zoe’s eyes went wide with wonder. “Are you leaving again?”

  Luke shook his head, firm. “No. Not again. I’m sorry I took so long to get back to you, though. I’m going to make it up to you.” He was tentative as he opened his arms to her. Zoe, on the other hand, didn’t seem worried about the new man in her life.

  “Okay.” She leaned over and let him take her in his arms. She put up with an extended hug, and then let loose a huge sigh as she focused on Harper. “I’m really hungry.”

  “Now would probably be the time to ask for pizza,” Harper suggested, grinning at the flash of delight in the girl’s eyes. “Something tells me you’re going to get whatever you want tonight.”

  Zoe flashed a thumbs-up. “Awesome. Who wants McDonald’s?”

  “Come on, hero,” Jared whispered in Harper’s ear as he slung an arm around her shoulders and drew her away from the warm family scene. “I think it’s time we made our escape.”

  Harper agreed. “We got her home in time for Christmas.”

  “We did, although you did the heavy lifting.”

  “We worked as a team.”

  “Yeah.” He kissed her temple. “Now and forever. Come on. Let’s see what Shana has to say for herself and then put this night behind us. It’s almost Christmas. I can’t wait to spend it together.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Twenty

  Jared was in a good mood when he let himself into the house the next afternoon. He had to report for work during the morning hours — mostly because he wanted to be part of the team that interrogated Shana — but he was officially clear until after Christmas now, and his mind had turned to other things.

  The house was bustling with activity, Christmas carols booming from the speaker in the corner as Pam and Zander toiled over what looked to be a huge meal. He took a moment to watch the interaction, grinning when Zander barked at Pam regarding her attempts to baste the turkey.

  “You’re doing it wrong.”

  “I’ll have you know that I’ve been basting turkeys since before you were born,” Pam shot back.

  “Apparently not the right way.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She waved off his complaints and rolled her eyes. “I think you should leave the turkey to me and worry about the sides.”

  “Or you could leave the turkey to me and I’ll handle the sides, too.”

  “You’re something of a control freak, aren’t you?”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  Jared chuckled as he shrugged out of his coat, his eyes going wide when the door behind him opened to allow Harper entrance. He had no idea she’d left the house. “Where have you been?” His tone was more accusatory than he intended, but he couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “I was handling a bit of work for Santa,” Harper replied as she kicked off her boots.

  “What work?”

  “I took gifts over to Zoe.”

  “Oh.” Jared was momentarily chastised. “I didn’t know you were going to do that. I wish you would’ve waited for me.”

  “I wasn’t sure when you would be back and I didn’t want to add to your day. Besides, they’re spending their first Christmas together as a family and so many people have stopped by with gifts that Zoe believes she’s being rewarded for putting up with the mean lady.”

  Jared smirked, legitimately amused. “Well, I don’t think that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened.” He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. “Is Luke still there?”

  Harper knew what he was really asking. “Yes. It looks like he slept on the couch. There was a pillow and blanket stacked there, although no one volunteered information no matter how hard I dug. I think they’re taking it slow.”

  “Maybe Luke will get his act together.”

  “He was sitting on the floor in front of the tree when I got there,” Harper supplied. “Zoe was on his lap reading a Christmas story. She seems comfortable with him, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world for him to be there.”

  “And Luke?”

  “He had apparently listened to the same story four times in a row. It’s the only one Zoe knows by heart according to Ally. He told her she was the best reader ever when she finished. He might be better at the father thing than he ever gave himself credit for.”

  “I hope it works out.” Jared carefully ordered Harper’s hair as she tugged off her hat. “You’ve been outside.” He pressed his hand to her cheek. “Your skin is a lot colder than it should be if you only ran a quick errand. Where else have you been?”

  “I can see why you make the big bucks, Detective,” she teased as she hung her coat on the rack. “You’re right, though. I’ve been out to two other places.”

  “Where?”

  “The woods by Shana’s house and the park.”

  Understanding dawned on Jared. “Did you find both your ghosts?”

  “I did, and they’re gone now. I gave them a Christmas gift, too.”

  “That’s because you’ve got a huge heart.” He pulled her into his arms, swaying back and forth as he kissed her temple. “They’ll be happier on the other side, right?”

  “I’ve never been there, but that’s my guess. Either way, it’s better than clinging to this life when it can’t give them anything. Chloe was happy to cross when I explained her mother would never be getting out of jail. She asked me to say goodbye for her.”

  “Are you going to?”

  Harper shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t think it really matters. Shana is obviously a sociopath and she doesn’t feel remorse for what she did.”

  “She definitely doesn’t,” Jared agreed, resting his cheek against her forehead as the music changed to a slower number. “She’s not sorry for what she did. She blames Ally for being a bad mother and letting Zoe out of her sight. She said she had things she wanted to teach Zoe, and she had big plans. Luckily for us, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. She wasn’t planning on instituting her curriculum until after Christmas.

  “It probably helped that she had to make appearances around town, too,” he continued. “She locked Zoe in the basement room when she was out of the house. That gave her less time to focus on Zoe and her inability to follow rules. She killed Jessica because she assumed we would focus on her. She wanted to make it look like a suicide, but Jessica put up a fight. She thought she could still get away with it once she planted Zoe’s hat in Jessica’s car. She was so focused on Jessica that she had no time to focus on Zoe.”

  Harper involuntarily shuddered when she got a mental image of what he wasn’t saying. “How could we not know that a monster like that was in our midst?”

  “I don’t know. She was a good actress. She mimicked emotions.”

  “Yes, but we should’ve seen.” Harper was adamant. “People recognized there was something wrong with her. We should’ve looked closer. Heck, I’ve never been comfortable around her. I just wish I would’ve found Chloe’s ghost be
fore last night.”

  “I very much doubt you were wandering around the woods behind Shana’s house very often,” Jared noted pragmatically. “You can’t blame yourself.”

  “If we’d known ... .”

  “If we’d known then there’s every possibility Luke wouldn’t have realized what a jerk he was being and tried to adjust his attitude,” Jared interjected. “The way things went down might’ve saved a family.”

  “I don’t believe that.” Harper’s smile was wan as she leaned back to study his face. “Jessica and I had a long talk before I helped her pass over. She says that Luke was considering asking Ally for a second chance before they broke up.

  “You heard Zoe,” she continued. “She saw Luke watching her at the pumpkin festival. He did it from afar, but he was already caving.”

  “Only three years too late.”

  “Better late than never, though, right?”

  Jared sighed. “You’re right.” He rested his forehead against hers. “If we don’t allow people the opportunity to change there’s no reason for them to adjust their behavior. If Luke really wants to be a father, Ally is the one he needs to convince. It’s not on us to act as judge and jury.”

  “Well said.” Harper’s lips curved as she leaned closer to him. “It’s almost Christmas. We should focus on each other instead of the horror of the last few days. We’ve done everything we can do.”

  Not everything, Jared immediately thought. Not quite yet, but soon. “You’re right.” He graced her with a soft kiss. "When are your parents getting here for dinner?”

  “I’m sure we’ll hear the hell hounds barking around the neighborhood as a warning when they draw near.”

  “What do you want to do until then? Zander and my mother are taking over the kitchen, which means we have some time to ourselves.”

  “Let’s watch A Christmas Story.”

  It was the one answer Jared wasn’t expecting. “Seriously? That’s my favorite Christmas movie.”

  “I know. You told me. I haven’t seen it in years.”

  “And that’s all you want to do?”