Ghostly Fears

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jared pinned her with a hard look. “I don’t like you,” he announced, not caring in the least that it could be construed as rude. “Do you know what I just heard with that little speech? You were jealous of Harper in high school because you wanted all the attention and couldn’t understand when someone else garnered it. I don’t really care about your issues.”

  Madeline opened her mouth to argue, but Jared held up his hand to silence her. “I’m talking now,” he insisted, pinning her with a look before turning to Byron. “I don’t want to be difficult. This is Harper’s gig and I’m basically along for moral support because she knew Jennifer and feels guilty for not looking for her earlier. However, there are certain things I won’t put up with.

  “The first is insults to her,” he continued. “And before you open your mouth, Madeline, an insult against Zander is an insult against Harper. They’re just that close. You don’t have to get along with them, but you do have to show them a modicum of respect. That only seems fair.”

  “Well, I don’t care what you think is fair,” Madeline shot back.

  “I do,” Byron interjected, his expression never changing. “I understand what you’re saying, Mr. Monroe, and I happen to agree. If my wife cannot be pleasant, then she will not be part of the action.”

  Jared smiled as Madeline’s mouth dropped open. She clearly expected her husband to side with her, to the point where she was furious when it didn’t happen. “That’s all I ask.” He skirted around Madeline. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to see the show. Have a lovely rest of your evening.”

  7

  Seven

  Jared could hear Madeline complaining to Byron as he returned to Jennifer’s room. For his part, Byron didn’t appear to have much sympathy for the woman’s plight. He told her, in no uncertain terms, that she was to shut up and get out. Then he left her to fume and returned to the group. He seemed keen to watch the action.

  “I sense a great deal of strife,” Harris intoned, adopting a creepy voice as he closed his eyes and looked to the ceiling. “The spirit who lived here for the entirety of her life was not a happy one.”

  Harper frowned at the man. She didn’t enjoy the theatrics. “You don’t know she’s a spirit,” she countered. “There’s no way to tell that from what we have in this room. It’s not as if Jennifer’s spirit is in here.”

  “You don’t know that,” Harris shot back, agitation on full display. “She could be here ... simply hiding.”

  “But ... she’s not.” Harper wasn’t in the mood for games. “This room doesn’t even feel like her. Are you sure this was her room since she was a kid?” She pinned Byron with a probing look. “This doesn’t feel like Jennifer to me.”

  Instead of being offended, Byron appeared genuinely intrigued. “I was not aware that you were that close with my daughter.”

  Harper refused to let the comment grate. “I don’t know that ‘close’ is the appropriate word. We hung out a little bit. We knew each other well enough to talk from time to time. I know that this isn’t the sort of stuff she liked.”

  “And what sort of stuff did she like?” Harris asked, haughty.

  “Books,” Harper replied simply. “She loved reading ... and she had this shirt, something about books being new adventures. I can’t remember the exact saying.”

  Byron nodded his head, impressed. “You’re right, of course. This was her bedroom, but she only slept here. She wanted to change it when she got older, but my mother decorated it and insisted it had to stay the same. Jennifer spent all her time elsewhere.”

  “And where was that?” Jared asked.

  Instead of answering, Byron motioned for everyone to follow him. The trip through the massive house took a full four minutes. When they arrived at their destination, though, Harper sighed and started nodding as she stepped into the ornate library.

  “This feels like her,” she intoned, glancing around. Her gaze immediately fell on the comfortable couch and chairs positioned in the center of the room. “She spent all her time in here, including sleeping when she could get away with it, right?”

  Byron nodded, his eyes appraising as he looked Harper up and down in a new light. “She did. I never understood it, but she always loved this room.”

  “What’s not to love?” Zander enthused, moving to the couch and looking up. There was a skylight overhead. “I bet she lied here every night and dreamed about what her life was going to be like when she finally got out.”

  Byron stiffened at the words, and the look Harper shot in his direction was apologetic.

  “He didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” she offered quickly. “It’s more that ... every kid stares at the sky and dreams how his or her life is going to turn out. Jennifer was probably no different.”

  “Except she is different,” Byron countered, recovering. “My daughter never got a chance to grow up. She never got a chance to even try to make the dreams come true. That’s why all of you are here. I want to know what happened to her, and where I can go to find her body. I want to put her to rest.”

  Harper didn’t take the man’s gruff tone to heart. She understood he was covering. Part of him wanted to explode all over Zander. The other part recognized there was truth in the words. That was even harder for him to accept, because it was clear he was a man struggling with duty and regret. Even though Harper didn’t particularly like the man, she could see he was torn apart by what happened to his family ... whatever that was.

  “Tell me about the last time you saw Jennifer,” Harper instructed, changing the subject. “How did she seem?”

  Byron was taken aback by the question. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “More than you might think,” Jared offered. “I know you’re convinced your daughter has to be dead, but we have no proof of that. Is it possible she was upset with you, that she wanted to run away and managed to carry it out?”

  Byron made a series of protesting sounds with his mouth. “That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard,” he said finally, his temper coming out to play. “I mean ... how could a child manage to stay hidden for so long? Even if you’re right and she did run away, she couldn’t have stayed hidden for such a long time. It’s simply not possible.”

  That wasn’t a denial, Harper realized. “That’s not what I asked.” She was firm as she held the older man’s gaze. “What was your last interaction like?”

  “I don’t remember.” Byron’s demeanor was stiff as he straightened his shoulders. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other tasks to attend to around the house. You’re free to look around as long as you wish. Breakfast will be served at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. I expect you to be prompt ... and find the answers I’m looking for. Tonight was a simple introduction. Tomorrow will be much more.”

  He turned on his heel to leave and Harper opened her mouth to call after him, an apology on the tip of her tongue, but Jared offered her a subtle head shake. She snapped her mouth shut and nodded, silently agreeing with him. Begging Byron to stay and share information with the group wasn’t the way to proceed. The man needed to participate of his own free will. It was the only way this would work.

  “Goodnight,” Harris called to his back. “I’ll find your daughter tomorrow.”

  Delphine waited until she was certain Byron was no longer in hearing distance and then dropped a withering look on the psychic to the stars. “You are such a suck-up, Harris. How do you breathe with your head so far up our benefactor’s behind?”

  Harris’s expression was dark. “You’re a troll, Delphine. I can’t believe you even got tapped for this one. It’s as if the man has no taste. I mean ... look at this one.” He gestured toward Harper, causing her to balk. “She’s a local who has only found a few missing people. She hasn’t talked to any dead celebrities or anything.”

  Delphine snorted. “We can’t all be more interested in the performance than the outcome.”

  Harper’s frown was so deep the lines ingrained in
her forehead looked etched. “I don’t like the way you guys are talking. We’re not here to put on a show. We’re here to find out what happened to Jennifer.”

  Delphine and Harris snorted in unison.

  “If that’s what you need to tell yourself,” Harris drawled. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m heading back to the parlor to have a few drinks. I might as well get as much out of this trip as possible, because I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to milk it overly long thanks to you imbeciles.”

  Harper took offense at the remark. “I don’t need to take your crap.”

  “You don’t,” Harris agreed. “I think you should pack your hurt feelings and attitude and leave this island. You’re harshing my vibe.”

  Harper looked to Zander to confirm that was an insult. “Should I smack him for that?”

  “I’ll do it for you,” Zander offered, stepping in that direction.

  “Nobody is smacking anybody,” Shawn warned, sliding in front of Zander. “In fact, I think this conversation has gone on long enough for one night. If the rest of you want drinks in the parlor, that’s certainly your prerogative. We have an early morning, though, and I’m betting it’s going to be a long day. We’re heading back and getting some sleep.”

  Jared shot the calm man a grateful look. “That’s exactly what we’re doing,” he agreed, keeping Harper secured at his side. “We’re all going to bed and getting a good night’s sleep. Hopefully we’ll be able to approach this fresh tomorrow.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Harris was derisive. “I have plans to make friends with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black tonight. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

  Jared wasn’t in the mood for a pissing contest. He reminded himself that Harris wasn’t his responsibility. “Knock yourself out.”

  “I intend to.”

  HARPER SLEPT FITFULLY, DREAMS OF ODD GHOSTS – not Jennifer – tumbling through her head. She woke rested but edgy, although her ragged emotions smoothed at the edges when she opened her eyes and found Jared staring at her.

  “Hey.” Her voice was a warm murmur.

  “Hey.” He tightened his arms around her and graced her with a gentle kiss. “How are you feeling?”

  She wasn’t expecting that particular question. “Am I supposed to be feeling a specific way?”

  He shrugged, noncommittal. “I don’t know. I figured you might be a little agitated about what happened last night.”

  “Which part?” She was rueful. “Are you talking about Harris being a world-class jerk? Or how about Madeline admitting she was sleeping with Byron before Jennifer disappeared? She essentially confirmed she was having an affair with an older man when she was underage.”

  “I heard that.” Jared rubbed his stubbled cheek against her soft skin, thoughtful. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to think about that, but I find it interesting.”

  “I know what to think about it. It’s gross. Can you arrest and lock him up or has the statute of limitations passed?”

  Jared wasn’t sure how to answer the question. “The age of consent in Michigan is seventeen. There’s literally nothing I could do ... even if she was still seventeen and they went at it in front of us. He didn’t technically break the law.”

  Harper was horrified. “He dated his daughter’s friend. That’s totally gross.”

  “I happen to agree with you. I’m guessing that Madeline had an inkling what she was doing when that went down, though. I don’t get the feeling that she was some innocent girl taken advantage of by a lecherous old man.”

  Harper immediately started shaking her head. “Um, no. Madeline may have been worldly. She might even have befriended Jennifer with the strict intention of seducing her father. That doesn’t mean that Byron’s hands in this are clean. Whether it was against the law or not, it was morally corrupt and I find him disgusting.”

  Jared chuckled, genuinely amused. “Tell me how you really feel.”

  “That is how I really feel. I think Byron is gross. Besides, you saw Madeline last night. She’s acting out because this didn’t turn out how she thought it would.”

  She’s obviously a very unhappy woman,” Jared supplied. Why do you think she had that photo made up and put in Jennifer’s room like that? I mean ... that is weird.”

  “It is.” Harper rolled her neck until it cracked, causing Jared to move his hands to her tense muscles so he could work out some of the kinks congregating there. “I wonder if she did it to alleviate some form of guilt she’s carrying around.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s obvious Madeline befriended Jennifer in the first place to get close to Byron. She probably had a plan from the start, wanted to seduce him and maybe get some money out of him. She got everything she wanted ... except a real partner. I’m guessing she thought Byron would go weak in the knees because of her age and beauty and give her whatever she wanted. That’s not exactly what happened.”

  “No, Byron most definitely has no love for her,” Jared agreed. “I don’t know if he ever did. He probably had lust at one time, but I’m still unsure why they got married. Byron treats her like a possession more than a partner. Do you know if that’s the way he treated Jennifer’s mother? Speaking of that, what happened to her? Where is she?”

  “She died when Jennifer was a kid.” Harper took on a far-off expression as she tried to remember. “I think she had breast cancer but actually died in a car accident on the way to the treatments or something. I remember that Byron funded a lot of experimental treatments for her because I heard my parents talking. They couldn’t believe the specialists he was flying in.”

  “He had money,” Jared pointed out. “If you have money and someone you care about is sick, you’re going to pull out all the stops.”

  “Yeah. I obviously didn’t know them back then. I got the impression that Byron loved her and was devastated when she died. She was sick a long time ... and there wasn’t a lot of hope for her. The accident, though, stole her before they were ready. I think it was a terrible death.”

  “I think all death is terrible if you love someone.” Jared stroked his hand down the back of Harper’s head. “Do you think I wouldn’t do whatever I possibly could to keep you with me if I were in that position?”

  “I don’t like thinking about it at all.”

  “Me neither.” He brushed his lips against her forehead and involuntarily shuddered. He definitely didn’t want to think about that. “The mother’s death might explain Byron’s demeanor. He’s a cold man, detached from the world. Perhaps he’s that way because the worst has already happened to him. Maybe he simply never got over his wife’s death.”

  “I get that, but he still had two children,” Harper pointed out. “Richard and Jennifer were still there ... and young. They needed someone to take care of them, to love them. He owed them that. They didn’t ask to be brought into this world and neglected.”

  “I see you have some strong feelings on the subject.” Jared was amused despite himself as he held her gaze. “How do you know they were neglected?”

  “Because Jennifer mentioned being raised by the house matron. That’s what she called her. Mrs. Steuben, the house matron. It was very weird ... and I had no idea what a house matron was. I’m still not sure I do.”

  “Ah.” Jared’s heart gave a little roll. “Still, it had to be hard on Byron. He obviously loved his wife, to the point where I don’t think he’s gotten over her death to this day. That could be why he treats Madeline the way he does. She’s not responsible, but he’s bitter about having to live a non-authentic life with someone else and he takes it out on her.”

  Harper tilted her head to the side. “I never considered that, but it makes sense. Still, I don’t understand why Madeline would put up with this. She’s still a young woman. Why not divorce him and find someone who will actually love her?”

  “I think that answer is obvious. The money.”

  “Right.” Harper made a face. “I bet she
signed a pre-nup because she assumed she would be able to soften him up at a later date and get him to throw it out.”

  “My guess is that’s why most people sign pre-nups. Still, if she’s truly miserable — and she appears to have an awful life — wouldn’t it make sense to abandon the money and move on?”

  “Some people think money is more important than love.”

  “I’m glad we don’t feel that way.” He snuggled close and gave her another kiss. “I can’t imagine not loving you so much that it puts a little ache in me,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t want to anchor myself to someone for an extended amount of time if I didn’t love them. That seems like such a waste.”

  “I’m right there with you. Not everyone believes like we do, though. There’s nothing we can do about it. In fact ... .” She trailed off when there was a knock at the door, lifting her head as Zander threw it open and crossed the threshold.

  “That was very good,” Jared encouraged. “The knocking was a nice touch. Next time, wait for us to tell you to come in. That will complete the effect.”

  Zander ignored the dig and focused on Harper. “You guys need to get up. Our presence is requested at the main house.”

  That sounded ominous. Harper struggled to a sitting position and held Zander’s gaze. “Why do I think something bad happened?”

  “Because you’re a smart woman,” Zander replied. “Bates just dropped by. He’s informed us that we’re required at the main house because Madeline has gone missing.”

  “What?” Harper was flabbergasted. “How did she go missing? We’re on a freaking island.”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. We’ve been summoned, though. My guess is there’s going to be trouble if we don’t head down there.”