Ghostly Endeavor (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 19)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Harper flashed him a sympathetic smile. “You don’t have to come with us. You can stay here.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not what Jared had in mind when we came to our agreement this morning,” Shawn hedged. “I promised to stick with you.”

  “Then come.”

  He squared his shoulders … and then jutted out his lower lip into an adorable pout. “I don’t want to see the poltergeist. She freaks me out.”

  Harper knew she already loved Shawn — heck, she thought it was possible she realized she loved him before Zander acknowledged he felt the same — but she wanted to cuddle him close and pronounce her love all over again. It took a strong man to admit something like that. “Well ... I don’t know the answer.” She opted for honesty. “We need to talk to Cassie.”

  “And how are you going to do that?” Shawn used his most reasonable tone. “I don’t want to cast aspersions on your instincts or question your methods for doing what you do — you’re the most capable person I know other than your husband — but how are you going to guarantee you can even find her?”

  “Because this is where she died,” Harper replied simply. “I’m guessing there was some symbolism in the fact that she liked to run through the cemetery. Luther said he’d warned her about it. Also, I think maybe we need to put up a fence along the back of the property after all, to control people coming in and out.” She said the last part to Zander.

  “I’ve been thinking about that, too,” he agreed. “I’ll call and have someone come out here to give us a price in a few days. After ... well, after we deal with the poltergeist.”

  “I think that’s a smart idea,” Harper agreed, blowing out a sigh as she glanced around. “We need Eric to go with us.”

  “I’m more than happy to have an extra body with us, but I still don’t understand what you’re planning,” Shawn hedged. “What are you going to do?”

  “We’re going to find Cassie and talk to her.”

  Shawn waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he held out his hands. “And then what?”

  “And then we’ll hopefully trap her in a dreamcatcher and send her to the other side.” Harper paused what she was doing, her hand on some sort of digital reader that Shawn couldn’t identify. “Cassie’s biggest desire was to escape. Being trapped in Whisper Cove after her death must feel like some sort of punishment.”

  “And you think you can fix that?”

  Harper shook her head. “Nothing can fix what happened. Her life was cut short. She never got what she wanted. It’s really sad when you think about it.”

  “It is sad,” Shawn agreed. “She’s still completely freaky. I don’t want to see her in poltergeist mode again. I mean ... is there a possibility she’s no longer a poltergeist?”

  Harper worked her jaw. Under normal circumstances, she would’ve scoffed at the question. Now she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like what we saw last night. We’re going to have to play it by ear.”

  “Yeah, I would rather we know what we’re dealing with going in.”

  “That’s a luxury we don’t have in this business,” Harper replied. “We deal with ghosts. The ones who stay behind rarely do so because they had a good life they’re still clinging to. No, the ones who stay behind do so because they’re being tormented by something on this side, and they can’t let it go and allow themselves to cross to the other side and embrace peace. That’s what we’re dealing with here.”

  Shawn briefly closed his eyes and then nodded. “Okay. You’re the boss. Just know, if I start squealing and running when the poltergeist shows up, I still love both of you. I just ... can’t seem to control myself.”

  “It’s fine.” Harper squeezed his arm. “This is new to you. It’s old to us.”

  “Not that old,” Zander countered, his expression shifting when Harper leveled a quelling look on him. “We’ll figure it out, though. Harper is a master when it comes to this stuff. I have faith she’ll figure this out.”

  “That’s sweet.” Harper patted his cheek. “I’m totally making this up as I go along, though.

  “Ugh.” Shawn made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “That’s not what I want to hear.”

  “You’ll live,” Zander reassured him. “Harper is a pro. She’ll get us through this. Besides, we have no other choice. If you want to sleep easy again without fear of the poltergeist attacking, we have to handle this today.”

  “We have to end this today,” Harper clarified. “We have no other choice.”

  STILL BOTHERED BY WHAT HELEN TOLD THEM, Jared decided it was time to have another chat with John. Mel balked at the idea, but then grudgingly pointed him toward the Whisper Cove Bowling Alley.

  “It’s league day.”

  Jared’s eyebrows hopped. “What?”

  “Oh, don’t give me grief. I used to bowl in a league when I worked the Sunday through Thursday shift. I know about league day.”

  “Not that.” Jared let loose an impatient hand wave. “I’ve fully accepted the notion that I’ll be in some sort of bowling league with Shawn twenty years from now. Harper and Zander will have a regular spa day and we’ll likely bowl. That’s the Whisper Cove way.”

  Mel’s expression was blank. “Then why did you make that face?”

  “I don’t understand how John is in a league,” Jared replied. “I mean ... that guy doesn’t get along with anyone.”

  “Yes, but bowling is the great equalizer.”

  Jared didn’t believe that, but it hardly mattered. “Is he friends with those guys?”

  Mel hesitated and then shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that John is friends with anybody. He does spend a few hours a week with those guys, though.”

  “So, he likely wouldn’t be happy about having his bowling interrupted by the police,” Jared mused.

  Mel caught on right away to what his partner was suggesting. “No. He’ll probably melt down.”

  “I would like to see that particular offering when my wife isn’t the one on the receiving end.”

  Mel nodded in understanding. “It sounds like a plan. Let’s see what John says when he doesn’t have his wife — or your wife for that matter — to point his anger toward. It might be interesting to see how he reacts to us invading his space.”

  “That’s exactly what I plan to do.”

  “WHAT ARE WE DOING?” SHAWN WHISPERED as he crouched behind a tall hedge, Zander at his right and Harper annoyingly out of his reach in case something horrible happened.

  “Watching,” Zander replied. He didn’t bother scanning the grounds, instead keeping his gaze on Harper. “Let Harper lead the way.”

  “I have been, but we’ve been out here for an hour,” Shawn whined. “Nothing has happened, which I’m grateful for. She continues to look, though. I don’t like it.”

  Zander took a moment to study his fiancé’s face. Then he broke out into a wide grin.

  “What is that for?” Shawn demanded, instantly suspicious. “Why are you looking at me that way? Oh, please don’t tell me there’s a poltergeist hiding in the shadows just over my shoulder and ready to pounce.”

  “There’s not,” Zander reassured him, a quick flash of love washing over him as he briefly touched his finger to Shawn’s face. “At least I don’t think there is.”

  “So, what’s with the face?”

  “I just love you.”

  Shawn stilled, surprised. “I love you, too.” He clearly wasn’t expecting the earnest emotion pouring out of Zander. “You’re not dying, right?”

  “I’m never dying,” Zander reassured him. “I’m going to live forever ... even if I have to have my brain frozen in one of those cryogenic chambers so I can have a brain transplant in a hundred years or something.”

  “Yeah, you’re not doing that.” Shawn shook his head. “We’re going to die together and then go to that place Harper has told me about. You know the one I’m talking about, right? She sees it when she engages the dreamcat
cher.”

  “I don’t always see that place,” Harper countered. “I’ve seen a dark place a few times.” Her gaze was busy as it bounced from corner to corner in the cemetery. She was convinced Cassie was close. She just had to find her.

  “Yeah, we’re going to the good place,” Shawn said firmly. “We’re going to be there together. If you freeze your head and somehow get brought back, then your soul will be ripped out of the good place and I might never see you again. I mean ... what if they only let you in once or something?”

  Zander was taken aback. “I ... don’t know.” He eyed his fiancé with cool speculation. “Have you been thinking about this a lot?”

  “Have I been thinking about death? I don’t know.” Shawn held out his hands. “I don’t fear death. I just ... want you with me in that place Harper keeps telling us about. It’s a happy place and you’re the person who makes me happiest.”

  “Oh.” Zander threw his arms around Shawn and held tight. “That might be the sweetest thing anybody has ever said to me.”

  “Yes, it’s delightful,” Harper drawled. She wasn’t in the best of moods, and yet when she switched her attention to the two men, she couldn’t help but be touched. “We’ll all be in the good place together when it’s time. Shawn is right, Zander, freezing your head will ruin everything.”

  “But I want to live forever,” Zander complained.

  “People aren’t meant to live forever.” Finally, Harper felt the familiar tingling sensation along her spine and knew that Cassie was close. Slowly, she tracked her eyes to the right and found the ghost, not a poltergeist — because Cassie wasn’t rippling and glowing like she had been the night before — floating in the exact spot where she’d died.

  “How can you know that?” Zander countered. “I think living forever — the four of us I mean — would be fun.”

  “This life is only one step of the trip,” Harper replied. “We’re supposed to enjoy this step, live it to the fullest, but there’s more out there. It would be a travesty to miss it.”

  “If you say so.” Zander didn’t look convinced. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  “You definitely will.” Harper held up her finger to quiet them when it looked like they might speak again. “Cassie is here.”

  Shawn jerked up his head, his back going ramrod straight. “Is she going to kill us?” He meant to whisper the words, but he spoke louder than he anticipated.

  Harper found she was amused. “You’re going to stay here.” She pressed the dreamcatcher she was carrying into Zander’s hand. “Just out of curiosity, can you see her?”

  “Where is she?” Zander asked, clutching the dreamcatcher tightly.

  “She’s in the same spot where we found her body.”

  Zander craned his neck and then shook his head. “I don’t see her.”

  “What does that mean?” Shawn asked plaintively.

  “I don’t know.” Harper opted for the truth. “I have a theory, but I need to test it.”

  Resigned, Shawn nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

  “No.” Harper’s headshake was firm. “This one is on me. I have to do it myself.”

  “But ... .” Shawn’s cheeks drained of color. Then he collected himself quickly. “I promised Jared I would stay close.”

  “You will be close,” Harper reassured him. “This is something I have to do without you, though.”

  “But—”

  “No.” Harper reached over and squeezed his hand. “I know what I’m doing. Have a little faith.”

  “Yes, stay with me,” Zander agreed, saluting with the dreamcatcher to tell Harper he knew what to do when she issued the signal. “We’ll talk about the possibility of all four of us cutting off our heads and freezing them so we can be brought back later. It will be like vacations from Heaven or something.”

  Shawn scowled. “I’m not cutting off my head.”

  “Never say never.”

  Harper smiled. “I’ll be right back.” She was ready when she straightened. “Tell me what you guys decide.”

  “We’re not going to have our heads cut off,” Shawn replied. “That’s what we’ve decided.”

  “Good to know.”

  THE BOWLING ALLEY WAS BUSTLING with activity, to the point where Jared couldn’t believe his eyes. The alley had at least twenty lanes as far as he could count, and all of them currently boasted four men eagerly throwing balls and gossiping between turns. There were no open spaces.

  “This is ... .”

  “Your future?” Mel teased.

  “I’ve never seen this many old men in one spot before,” Jared replied dumbly.

  Mel pinned him with a disgruntled look. “Um, I hate to break it to you, but bowling isn’t just a sport for old men.”

  “Bowling isn’t a sport at all.”

  “Of course it is.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “It’s on ESPN, isn’t it?”

  Jared was prepared to argue that viewings on ESPN didn’t prove it was a sport when something occurred to him. “You were on a bowling league when I first arrived. I remember because there was a discussion about how I should never rent shoes if I decided to take Harper bowling on a date.”

  “Yes, and your response was that bowling wasn’t a fun activity for a date,” Mel fired back. “I learned my lesson about mentioning bowling after that.”

  “But you bowl.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I have a weekly league,” Mel confirmed, the expression on his face warning that Jared wouldn’t like it if he decided to taunt his partner. “It’s on Thursday nights. It’s for men and women, which just goes to prove that this is not an old man’s sport.”

  “I stand corrected.” Despite himself, Jared couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he glanced around. “I think Harper might like this. I’m guessing Zander wouldn’t, though.”

  “Oh, don’t bet on that.” Mel planted his hands on his hips as he scanned the lanes for John. “He has his own shoes. He had them specially made. They’re pastel pink and blue.”

  Jared pressed his lips together, amused despite himself. “Oh, now I kind of want to see them.”

  “When I worked the Sunday through Thursday shift, back in my younger days, I would take Harper and Zander with me on Fridays, and we bowled when it was raining. They both liked it.”

  “Seriously?” Jared was tickled. “I want to see Harper bowl now.”

  “You want to see that girl do anything. You’re not picky.”

  “That’s true. I ... .” Jared trailed off when a passing man slowed his pace. He recognized John right away from the icy glare that landed on him. “Hello, John.”

  Mel turned quickly so he could see the man in question. “Well, this worked out well,” he drawled.

  “Oh, what are you doing here?” John demanded, annoyance rippling across his hardened features. “Haven’t you guys ruined my fun enough for one week?”

  “Is that what we’ve been doing?” Jared demanded, his temper slipping into place. “Have we been ruining your fun? That feels a bit ... odd ... considering the fact that we delivered the news your daughter was dead a few days ago. I would think that news did more than ruin your fun.”

  “That shows what you know.” John made a haughty sound in the back of his throat. “That girl wasn’t part of my life. She wasn’t really my daughter. I know that. I’m not going to miss her. If you expect me to pretend otherwise, you’re bound for disappointment.”

  “What do you mean?” Mel held up a hand to keep Jared quiet, worried the younger detective would pop off and have John retreating. “Are you saying you weren’t Cassie’s father?”

  “Of course not. Any daughter of mine would’ve been obedient.”

  Mel waited for John to expand on the thought. When he didn’t, he licked his lips and proceeded carefully. “Is there a possibility that Cassie wasn’t really yours?” He wasn’t giving John a pass on anything, but he had to wonder, if the man found out his wife
had an affair and the result was Cassie, could that realization explain some of John’s behavior? None of the behavior was acceptable, but an explanation would’ve been welcome.

  “Mary says otherwise, but I don’t believe her,” John replied. “I knew when that girl was young that she wasn’t mine. She couldn’t carry through on a simple task, like mowing the lawn. I mean ... you should’ve heard her cry. That mower was self-propelled, but she said she was scared of it. Nobody is scared of a lawn mower. Hardly anyone ever loses toes or anything unless they’re an idiot.”

  Jared’s stomach sank. “How old was she?” he finally asked.

  “I don’t know. Five or so.” John waved his hand. “That girl had a terrible personality right from the start, no brains or strength. There’s no way I created a kid like that. Mary had to have cheated on me. She won’t admit it, but I know.” He tapped the side of his head sagely. “You can’t get one past me.”

  “Is that why you terrorized them?” Jared demanded. “Is that why you abused your own daughter?” The question came out louder than he imagined, but he couldn’t contain himself.

  Multiple heads snapped their way at the questions and Mel wasn’t surprised to find that none of the bowlers looked shocked with who the question was being directed at. His theory was true. Everybody knew what John was. They’d looked the other way because they’d simply gotten used to his disagreeable attitude. They were all culpable in what happened to Cassie in some small way.

  “Oh, don’t give me your crap,” John fired back. “Do you want to know what’s wrong with today’s men and women? They’re not tough. They’re coddled ... and soft ... and instead of merits for actual achievement everybody gets a participation trophy. That’s not how I wanted to raise my kid. Well, at least when I thought she might be mine. She wasn’t mine, though. She wasn’t strong enough to be mine. I guess I’m just glad I didn’t have to be disappointed by her. I knew from the start she was a dud.”

  Before anybody could stop him — honestly, even Mel didn’t know what he was going to do in the moment — he had his hands on the front of John’s shirt and he was slamming him into one of the support beams in the middle of the bowling alley.