Ghostly Fears

by Lily Harper Hart

  He nodded without hesitation. “So … duty calls, huh?”

  She nodded. “Next weekend, though, we’re doing the ‘stay in bed all day and live on love’ thing. I’m going to insist on it.”

  “I’ll be right there insisting on it, too.” He gave her a soft kiss and then sobered. “Tell me what you’re thinking about the ghosts. I know we talked about it last night, but I never really got a feel for what you think is going on.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on.” Harper rolled to her back and dragged a hand through her hair as she stared at the ceiling fan. “I need to talk to Beatrice.”

  “To be fair, you don’t know that’s who you’re dealing with. You have a feeling – and I tend to think all your feelings are golden – but we don’t have proof yet. Maybe we should check the house for photographs. That, at least, would be something.”

  Harper brightened considerably. “I hadn’t thought of that. I … .” She trailed off when there was a knock at the door, propping herself on an elbow as Jared sighed and called for whoever was trying to invade their morning to come in.

  To absolutely nobody’s surprise, it was Zander.

  “Oh, good, you’re up.” He hurried into the room on bare feet and climbed in on Harper’s side of the bed without invitation. “It’s freezing this morning. It’s so cold it’s foggy again.”

  Jared shifted his eyes to the window and frowned when he realized Zander was correct. “I don’t think there’s any sun in our forecast today.”

  “Which sucks,” Zander supplied. “If you’re going to live on an island, don’t you think it should be sunny all the time? I know all those stories we read as kids talked about fog outside of castles, but this is getting ridiculous.”

  “It’s still technically winter in Michigan,” Harper pointed out. “I think this is normal if you’re going to live here.”

  “Then maybe we should move.”

  “I think Jared and Shawn might put up a fight.”

  “I know I will,” Jared agreed. “I happen to like Michigan. Yeah, the winters are brutal sometimes, but the spring, summer, and fall are great. You can live with a little cold.”

  “Whatever.” Zander rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “By the way, you guys missed quite the show last night. Harris and Delphine got absolutely blasted and started calling each other frauds in front of the Jessup family.”

  Harper didn’t always understand Zander’s penchant for gossip but this was news she was eager to hear. “Really? What did the Jessups do?”

  “Well, George called them both frauds – and added Margot in for good measure – and stormed off not long after you guys left. Evangeline hung around for about an hour and then quietly said her goodnights. Richard hung around for the duration. So did the lawyer.”

  Harper was officially intrigued. “Does anyone else wonder why the lawyer is hanging around? I mean … that’s weird, right?”

  “I would think it’s weird,” Jared agreed, rubbing his chin as he thoughtfully deconstructed the Jessup family in his mind. “Of course, I don’t think they’re a normal family. I mean … does anyone think these people love each other?”

  Harper slid her eyes to him. “I think they’re a family who struggles … and often. We don’t know what they were like before Jennifer disappeared, or Byron’s wife died. It sounds to me as if her death was the catalyst that changed everything.”

  “Maybe. You said Jennifer was unhappy in high school, though. You said her father was never around.”

  “We don’t know that he wasn’t around before her mother died. Maybe he wallowed in grief so far that he simply couldn’t climb out of it. I mean … I like to think that I would be strong if the same thing happened to me, but I’m not sure I could ever get over losing you.

  “Think about it: Say we have two kids and ten years from now something happens to me,” she continued. “Do you think you would be the same person with our kids if you had to raise them alone?”

  Jared wasn’t a fan of the game. “I would prefer not talking about this.”

  “It’s a legitimate question.” Harper refused to let him off the hook. “If I died, do you honestly think you would be the same person?”

  “Just for the record, your answer should be ‘no,’” Zander offered helpfully. “You’re supposed to say that you would never get over the loss of her.”

  Jared glared at him. “Thank you for telling me how I should feel, Zander,” he drawled. “I don’t know how I managed to get through the day before you were a regular part of my life telling me how to feel.”

  Harper sensed trouble and quickly backtracked. “You know what? You don’t have to answer. It was a stupid question.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” Jared caught her hand before she could escape and sucked in a breath. “You want to know if I would be like Byron and shut down if something were to happen to you. That’s not an easy question to answer.

  “The thing is, you’re the love of my life,” he explained, earnestness on full display. “I mean … the absolute love of my life. There is no one I will ever love like you. Not ever. Losing you would cripple me and I know I wouldn’t be the same man.

  “That being said, if we have kids – which I’m looking forward to doing one day – I would understand that I have a responsibility to those children,” he continued. “I would hope that I was capable of pulling myself together to take care of our children the way you would want me to. I would always miss you, and long for the day when we’re reunited, but I would not neglect my children in the process.”

  Harper beamed at him. “That was a good answer.”

  “It was,” Zander agreed. “You wouldn’t be alone, though. You would have me. I would help you.”

  Oddly enough, Jared took comfort in the offer. “Thank you. I don’t want to play this game any longer, though. You’re not going anywhere. In sixty years, it’s still going to be you and me together.”

  “And me,” Zander added.

  “And Zander.” Jared grinned as he pressed a kiss against the corner of her mouth. “We’re going to have endless days where we don’t have to get out of bed. That’s all still in front of us.”

  “We just have to get through this first,” Harper noted, sighing. “I guess that means we should get ready for breakfast, huh? I think this is basically the last day for the investigation. We’re supposed to leave tomorrow morning.”

  “And I’m looking forward to it,” Jared said. “I’m a little worried that you’re not going to let it go if you don’t find answers.”

  Harper’s smile was rueful. “You know me too well. I can’t let this go. Not yet.”

  “Because you feel guilty about not helping Jennifer more when you were in school?”

  “Partially. I also feel guilty for not thinking about her enough since she disappeared. She deserved someone to remember her.”

  Jared let loose a long-suffering sigh. “That doesn’t necessarily fall on you.”

  “No, but I still want to help. I’m not ready to give up yet.”

  “Then we won’t give up.” Jared was matter-of-fact. “We’ll keep plugging away until we find answers. That will start at breakfast again. I’m going to call Mel and ask him to check with Madeline’s family to see if she’s shown up back on the mainland. I’m still not convinced her disappearance should be ignored.”

  “That’s a good idea. While you’re doing that, I’m going to hop in the shower. I don’t want to be late this morning. I would like a chance to talk to Byron alone, before Harris and Delphine show up and start putting on another show.”

  “I’m sure that can be arranged. I’ll handle interference if need be.” He leaned closer to her, ignoring the fact that Zander was watching them. “It’s going to be you and me forever,” he whispered. “You’re never getting rid of me … and I won’t let you go.”

  She smiled. “I think we’re going to be happy for a long time. You don’t need to worry.”

  “I know we’re going to be happy
for a long time. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

  TRUE TO HIS WORD, JARED MANAGED to isolate Byron when they reached the main house. He stood in the doorway, standing guard, and allowed Harper to sit down in private with the man without the threat of one of the two idiots – which is how he was mentally referring to them now – interrupting.

  “How are you feeling?” Harper asked as she sat down across from him. She couldn’t help noticing he seemed paler and more wan than normal.

  “I’m fine,” Byron replied, forcing a smile for her benefit. “I hope you didn’t spend the evening worrying about me.”

  “Maybe just a little.” Harper held her index finger and thumb about an inch apart and offered him a rueful smile. “I wanted to talk to you about a few things. I feel as if I might be talking out of turn here, but I feel it’s important that you not get taken for a ride.”

  Byron’s expression didn’t change. “And you’re worried that Delphine and Harris are doing exactly that.”

  He was more observant than Harper gave him credit for. “Maybe a little,” she conceded. “Last night they were putting on a show. I need you to understand that Jennifer wasn’t there. I don’t know what that means, but I’m bothered by what I saw.”

  “Harris tried to track me down after I retired last night. He said you were the one putting on a show.”

  “I’m sure he did.” Harper wasn’t surprised by the statement. Jared, however, scowled from his spot in the doorway.

  “She’s not putting on a show,” Jared argued. “I know this is hard for you to believe, but she’s the real deal. I’ve seen her in action more times than I can count. She’s not lying to you.”

  Byron flicked his eyes to Jared, seemingly amused. “You’re very loyal to her. It helps that you’re a police detective in good standing. Your opinion matters. And, yes, I researched you just as thoroughly as Harper.

  “That being said, this whole weekend is something of an experiment,” he continued. “I don’t know what I expect to happen. I’m not an idiot, though. I knew when I invited all of you here that it was likely there would be a fraud or two in my midst.”

  His gaze was heavy when it snagged with Harper’s sea-blue eyes. “There are stories about you in this area. Some people speak about you reverently. Others think you’re a grifter. I’ve read every story on you I could find.”

  Jared bristled. “She’s not a grifter.”

  Byron chuckled. “No. I don’t believe she is. For her to inspire such loyalty in you is a testament to who she is. I don’t know what I believe about Jennifer. I go back and forth, my emotions all over the place. It’s hard for me to even admit to myself what I want.”

  Harper licked her lips, uncertain how far she truly wanted to push things. She’d come this far, though. Turning back now seemed a mistake. “We’re worried about Madeline,” she admitted, going for broke. “I know you’re not, but we are. Jared called his partner this morning and Mel is going to check with Madeline’s family to see if she’s shown up over there.”

  “You really don’t have to worry about her,” Byron countered. “She does this all the time. She’s looking for attention. She doesn’t care if it’s negative or positive. That’s who she is. She thinks she can emotionally blackmail me into giving her what she wants.”

  “And what’s that?” Jared asked, legitimately curious.

  “She wants me to rip up the pre-nup. She’s been after me to do it practically since the moment we married. I told her before she signed it that I would never destroy it. She apparently thought she could convince me otherwise.”

  “Do you even love her?” Harper asked, the question escaping before she thought better of it. “I’m not judging you or anything,” she added hurriedly. “You don’t seem to love her, though.”

  “Not everyone is blessed with true love.” His smile was small but genuine. “You and your friend here obviously love each other. It’s written all over your faces whenever you look at one another. I had that sort of love with my first wife. You don’t get blessed twice.”

  “You don’t know that,” Harper argued. “I can guarantee you don’t get blessed twice if you don’t open yourself up to it. Have you considered divorcing Madeline, letting her go? She might be better off.”

  “I’ve been considering that a great deal of late. I don’t know what I’m going to do. You don’t have to worry about her, though. She’ll turn up. She always does.”

  “And you’re sure this is all about money?” Jared queried. “If you’ve told her over and over you won’t tear up the pre-nup, why does she persist?”

  “At this point I believe she’s under the impression she’s wasted ten years of her life,” Byron replied. “She’s convinced I’ll come to my senses and leave her Jennifer’s half of my estate. That’s not going to happen, though.”

  Harper couldn’t contain her surprise. “Are you going to leave half your estate to Jennifer even now? I thought you believed she was dead.”

  “I do. It’s too much for me to consider the alternative. I believe she’s dead … but there’s a chance she’s not. As it stands now, my estate will be split in two. Richard will get one half. Jennifer the other. It will be held in trust for twenty years after my death to see if she surfaces. If she doesn’t, then the money will be doled out to her favorite charities after the fact.”

  Harper was impressed. “That’s a good thing,” she enthused, impulsively reaching forward to grip his hand. “That’s a really good thing. That’s something Jennifer would’ve really liked.”

  “I thought you didn’t know her very well.”

  “I didn’t, but I know that about her. She had a giving soul and I think she would’ve liked knowing that you were helping people because of her after the fact.”

  “Yes, well … .” He rolled his neck and collected himself. “Part of me is angry with her. If she really did take off, it was cruel of her to treat me this way. I don’t pretend to have been the perfect father, but she didn’t even give me the option of correcting my mistakes.

  “Whenever I think about that too hard, though, I hate myself,” he continued. “I feel she’s dead. She wasn’t the type to take off that way. Something happened to her … and that makes me feel guilty for a different reason. I need to know what happened.”

  His eyes were cool, clear, when they locked with Harper’s conflicted orbs. “I meant what I said the other night. I believe you’re the one who is going to find her. You don’t have to worry about me falling victim to Harris or Delphine. I’m not a moron. Just … find what happened to Jennifer. I need that from you.”

  “I’m going to try,” Harper promised. “There is one thing I need from you before I can move forward, though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Do you have a photograph of your grandmother?”

  The question obviously caught Byron off guard. “I’m sure I do. Why?”

  “Because Jennifer’s ghost may not be hanging around, but I’m pretty sure your grandmother’s ghost is … and she’s not alone. She’s skittish and won’t talk to me, but I’m going to change that. I simply want to confirm I’m dealing with who I think I’m dealing with before I tackle trying to communicate with her again.”

  “Fair enough. I don’t know why she would be hanging around, though. She really did die in her sleep. It was peaceful.”

  Harper felt in her heart that wasn’t true. For now, she kept her opinion to herself. “Let’s take it one step at a time and see what we can come up with, huh?”

  “That sounds like a fine idea.”

  15

  Fifteen

  Harper’s conversation with Byron left her with more questions than answers ... and the big ones revolved around money.

  “Can I ask you something?” she asked Jared as he poured juice from the small drink cart in the parlor.

  “Generally I would say yes without even thinking about it, but you have your serious face on.”

  Harper merely stared at him and blin
ked, eliciting a sigh.

  “What’s your question?” he prodded.

  “Can you ever imagine marrying strictly for money? I mean ... can you imagine a life of being with someone that doesn’t revolve around love?”

  “Not even a little.” He answered without hesitation. “Not all people are alike, though. Money doesn’t mean as much to you and me. We want enough to be comfortable and not constantly struggle, don’t get me wrong, but we don’t need what they have here.”

  “And what do they have here?”

  “Comfort but not happiness. I would much rather have the happiness.”

  Harper couldn’t disagree with that assessment. “I’ve been thinking back to high school a lot.”

  Jared had already figured that out himself. “Are you thinking about Jennifer again? Heart, I don’t think obsessing about what you didn’t do back then is smart.”

  “I’m actually not thinking about Jennifer. I’m thinking about Madeline.”

  “Oh. That makes sense.” Jared handed her a glass of juice. “Are you wondering if she was always the sort of person who was willing to throw happiness out the window for money?”

  “Kind of,” Harper hedged. “She was never a nice girl, though. That’s probably not a surprise to you, but she was never the sort of person you simply wanted to hang around and have a good time with.”

  “I’m guessing there was static between her and you over Zander.” It was a statement more than a question.

  “Probably not like you’re thinking,” Harper countered hurriedly. “She didn’t give him a hard time because he was gay. She gave him a hard time because, much like her, he always wanted to be the center of attention.”

  Jared was thoughtful as he led her to one of the small settees. “Basically you’re saying she was always starved for attention. Tell me about her home life. When I asked Mel to check in with her parents, he made an odd groaning sound.”

  Harper chuckled. “Yes, well, her mother is very much like my mother. She owns the hair salon in town.”