Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “The ferry is not making any crossings today and there’s a good chance it won’t tomorrow either,” he continued. “It’s probably a good thing that this event is scheduled to go on for a few more days, because if people wanted to leave and couldn’t we would be in a world of hurt.”

  “That’s true,” Harper said, leaning back in her chair. “Does this affect that game at all? Were any of the clues outside?”

  “We were going to have a body discovered in the stable, but that’s definitely out,” Josh answered. “Instead we’re moving things to the third floor and doing it up there. That allows everyone to spread out looking for clues.”

  “That’s probably a good thing,” Jared said. “I have a feeling that this group is going to make me feel claustrophobic after being trapped for a few hours under the same roof together. They’re nice people, but they’re odd.”

  “You just told me that you Skyped from bed with your girlfriend and her best friend and you all gossiped together,” Josh pointed out. “Who is weird in that scenario?”

  Jared frowned. “You’re right,” he said. “You’ve turned me into a weirdo, Heart. I hope you’re happy.”

  “No one made you gossip with us,” Harper pointed out. “You’re the one who told him we were showering together. Now he’s going to want details when he calls this afternoon and you’re going to have to be there to supply them because I’m not allowed to tell him on my own thanks to your new decree about keeping some things in our relationship private.”

  “You’re talking to him again this afternoon?” Josh was flabbergasted. “When did you turn into a girl, man?”

  “Don’t demean him,” Harper chided. “You shouldn’t use the word ‘girl’ as a derogatory term, by the way. I’m a girl and I happen to like being a girl.”

  “I happen to like that you’re a girl, too,” Jared said, his smile charming. “This would be a very different relationship if you weren’t.”

  “You can say that again,” Josh said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you. You’re so … smitten. It’s sick.”

  “I am smitten,” Jared agreed, fondly tugging on a strand of Harper’s hair. “I didn’t expect it, but it really is great.”

  “I guess I’m really happy for you then,” Josh said. “I should probably stop hitting on your girlfriend, huh? If you’re smitten, it would be mean to go after her.”

  “I don’t care if you go after her,” Jared said. “You’ll never catch her, though. She’s too good for you.”

  “But she’s not too good for you?”

  “She’s probably too good for me, too,” Jared conceded. “That doesn’t mean I’m letting her go, though. I haven’t been with her long, but I already know I would be lost without her.”

  “Ugh,” Harper intoned, making a face. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “I know. I think I’m going to be sick,” Josh deadpanned. “You two have given me indigestion.”

  “Well, I’m starving,” Harper said, her eyes locked on Jared’s. “I already know how I’m going to work off this big meal, though, and it has absolutely nothing to do with walking.”

  “And that’s why I adore you,” Jared said, shifting his head so he could scan the dining room. “Where is the waiter? We’ve got a schedule to keep.”

  “Yup, I’m definitely going to be sick,” Josh said.

  Fifteen

  “They look happy.”

  Linden moved up next to Josh and smiled as he watched Harper and Jared snuggle in a corner chair in the lobby later that morning. They had a book open, but there wasn’t a lot of reading going on. Instead there was a lot of kissing and giggling going on, and whatever they kept whispering to one another was amusing both of them enough that they managed to tune out the rest of the guests and forge their own little world.

  “They do look happy,” Josh agreed, his expression rueful. “I never thought Jared would be the settling down type. I thought he would find it boring. He always had a restless spirit. He doesn’t look bored, though, does he?”

  Linden chuckled. “He certainly doesn’t look bored.”

  The two men lapsed into comfortable silence for a moment, smiling in unison when Harper chortled thanks to a shared joke.

  “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Linden asked, turning his full attention to his son. “You seem … sad.”

  “Nothing is wrong,” Josh said hurriedly. “I’m glad everyone is here … and I’m especially glad Jared is here.”

  “You’re feeling wistful,” Linden prodded. “You thought you had antsy feet until you saw Jared’s feet planted firmly on the ground. You thought he was playing a joke when he told you he was bringing a girlfriend. Even when you first met her you thought it was an extended game.

  “You’ve watched them for a few days now and you realize it’s not a game,” he continued. “You were happy with your life because you thought it was what you wanted until you saw Jared living another life and now you’re wondering if you would be happier living another life.”

  “That was quite the mouthful,” Josh joked.

  “Am I wrong?”

  Josh sighed as Jared tickled Harper’s ribs and she bit her lip to muffle a squeal. They really did look euphoric. “You’re not wrong,” he said. “I didn’t realize that I might want a relationship until it became apparent that I was missing out by not having one.

  “I’ve never seen Jared this happy,” he continued. “He was a real ladies’ man in college. The women swooned when he was around. He was always pleasant and respectful around them, but you could tell settling down wasn’t on his mind.

  “He never had a girlfriend,” Josh said. “He was never in a real relationship. I think Harper is the only one he’s ever really bonded with enough to form a relationship.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “Why would it bother me?” Josh asked evasively.

  “I’ve seen you with Jared and Harper,” Linden said. “You keep making jokes about going after her, but I think part of you would if she wasn’t with one of your oldest friends.”

  “Harper is great,” Josh said. “She’s with Jared, though. I’m only flirting with her to drive him crazy. That’s the way things go between us. It’s a guy thing.”

  “I’m well aware of how the male brain works,” Linden said, chuckling. “While I’m not advocating going after Harper – and I’m really not because she’s clearly taken – you could always find someone else to form a relationship with.”

  “There’s a lot going on around here right now,” Josh said. “That’s a concern for another time.”

  “You can’t run away from love, son,” Linden said. “It will find you no matter what. I get the distinct impression Jared wasn’t looking for love when he found Harper, and yet look at them now.”

  “And look at you and Mom,” Josh challenged. “Relationships are great when you’re floating on clouds like Jared and Harper. What happens when things shift and the love disappears? I don’t have time for distractions right now. That might change down the road, but for now I have to focus on the business.”

  “I understand that,” Linden said. “Don’t sell your personal life short to propel your business life, though. I learned the hard way about that. You won’t find happiness down that road. You need to find a way to balance both desires.”

  “I’ll take that under consideration,” Josh said. “Until then I’m going to see to our guests. If this storm doesn’t ease up soon everyone is going to start committing real murders out of boredom.”

  “Well, at least it would be a change of pace,” Linden quipped.

  “THIS being ‘rained in’ together isn’t such a bad thing,” Jared said, pressing his palm against Harper’s flat abdomen as he snuggled her close and nuzzled her neck. “It’s giving me ideas.”

  “You don’t need a storm to give you those ideas,” Harper teased. “You have those ideas twenty-four hours a day.”

  “I guess I can’t argue
with that,” Jared said, brushing Harper’s hair out of her face. “I still have ideas.”

  “Before we get to your ideas, I need to run to the bathroom,” Harper said, playfully nipping the corner of Jared’s mouth. “If you wait for me to finish that task I promise to play whatever game you’re cooking up in that perverted mind of yours.”

  “Whatever game?” Jared challenged, arching an eyebrow. “That could be a dangerous assertion, little lady.”

  “Whatever game,” Harper confirmed. “I really have to go to the bathroom, though. I don’t know if it’s the sound of the rain coming down outside or what, but my bladder is starting to complain loud enough to drown everything else out.”

  “Then go,” Jared said, playfully swatting Harper’s rear end and pushing her to a standing position. “I’ll be here thinking of a game to play. Keep in mind that the longer you take in the bathroom, the more time I’ll have to let my diabolical nature come out to play. You’ve been warned.”

  “You have the oddest sense of humor sometimes,” Harper said, dropping a quick kiss on Jared’s mouth before heading toward the restroom.

  Jared wasn’t alone long because Josh settled in the nearby chair moments after Harper vacated the area.

  “Were you waiting for Harper to leave so you could talk to me privately?” Jared asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Of course not,” Josh said, shaking his head. “You looked lonely without your blonde. I was just filling in until she returns.”

  “That’s not what you’re doing and we both know it,” Jared said. “You want to know what happened by the road and you’re trying to decide if you should bring it up or let it go. You forget that I know you. You’re a curious guy. You can’t let things like this go, and I get it. It really is nothing, though.”

  “Jared, I know you’ve pretty much fallen head over heels for her, but she was talking to air,” Josh said, keeping his voice low. “She was having a conversation with someone only she could see. Are you honestly saying that doesn’t worry you?”

  Jared licked his lips as he bought himself time to decide how to answer. “Are you worried that she’s crazy for talking to herself or I’m crazy for being with her?”

  Josh’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “I wasn’t insinuating either,” he protested. “I like Harper. She seems fun and she makes you laugh. That’s good enough for me no matter what. I would be lying if I said that her staring at a bare spot in the driveway and talking to someone who obviously wasn’t there as a storm was about to hit wasn’t troublesome, but that’s your business.”

  “And yet you’re over here making it your business,” Jared challenged. “Listen, man, I know you’ve only got my best interests at heart, but you really are out of line. Harper is a good person – and I promise she’s completely sane. Er, well, mostly sane. There are times when she gets together with Zander where I’m certain they should be locked up in a mental ward. Other than that, though, she is not only sane but bright and intelligent.”

  “I’m happy you’ve found her,” Josh said. “I really am. She makes you smile and you seem almost … delighted … every time she opens her mouth. What I saw out at the road yesterday was really weird, though.”

  “I’m sure it was … to you,” Jared said. “I’m not bothered by it.”

  Josh’s expression was thoughtful as he looked Jared up and down. “That’s because you know what she was really doing, don’t you?”

  Jared feigned ignorance. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “You know what she was doing out by the road,” Josh said. “When you came in from your trip Harper made a beeline for you. You could tell she was upset and when I approached and told you what was going on you were surprised.

  “At first I thought you were surprised to hear Harper was talking to herself and you went out of your way to cover for her,” he continued. “That’s not the case, though. You weren’t surprised I told you what was going on. You were surprised by what was actually going on.”

  “I have no idea what you just said,” Jared said truthfully. “You lost me somewhere in there.”

  “Harper has a secret,” Josh said, knitting his eyebrows together. “Harper has a secret and you know it. Huh.”

  “Harper is an open book,” Jared argued. “She doesn’t have a secret.”

  “Oh, no, now I’m intrigued,” Josh said. “Harper has a secret. I’m just dying to find out what it is.”

  HARPER was in a good mood when she left the restroom and turned back toward the lobby. Despite the weather and ghost – and the small part of her heart missing Zander, which she would never admit to Jared – she was having a great time.

  She’d never been on vacation with a boyfriend before. It seemed weird to say given her age, but it was true. Before Jared showed up in her life, Harper made everything about GHI and Zander. Her parents wandered in and out when they were feeling dramatic or wanted attention, but it was a fairly boring life.

  Jared changed all of that.

  Harper was lost in her own mind – a few dirty games to play later with Jared flitting through her head – when she passed by the library. She thought it was empty until a flash of movement in the corner of the room caught her attention.

  Harper turned back and walked into the library, internally sighing at the sheer beauty of the room as she focused on Hal Baker. She hadn’t seen the man since his fake death to start the game, and he looked downtrodden as he peered out the window.

  The lighting in the library wasn’t great, most of the illumination coming from twin antique chandeliers, but Harper didn’t miss the despondent look on Hal’s face as she approached.

  “You look like you’ve had better days,” Harper said. “What’s wrong? Does death have you down?”

  “You have no idea.” Hal didn’t even bother glancing in Harper’s direction.

  “I hear your character was quite the cad,” Harper said, watching Hal closely for clues to his mood. He seemed almost angry. She couldn’t help but wonder if the weather was delaying his departure from the hotel. Since his character was already dead, he might not want to hang around for the rest of the game if he didn’t have to. “Are you stuck here?”

  “That would be my guess.”

  “The weather is supposed to break tomorrow,” Harper offered. “I think they’ve pushed it off until later in the afternoon, but this will get better. Of course, the problem after that is the ferry. They won’t resume operations until they’re convinced the trip won’t be choppy.”

  “I’m pretty sure I don’t have to worry about that,” Hal said, his gazed fixed on a point outside the window.

  “Hal, is something wrong?” Harper asked, growing tired of his attitude and chilly conversational tactics. “If you need help with something … or to talk … .”

  “That’s pretty funny considering … everything,” Hal said, finally turning and locking gazes with Harper. “What should we talk about? I know. Let’s talk about me being dead.”

  Harper was even more confused now than she was when they started the conversation. “Were you supposed to die later in the game or something? Is that why you’re upset? If so, maybe I’m misunderstanding something, but it’s still just a game. There’s no reason to get your nose out of joint.”

  “Right. There’s no reason to get my nose out of joint,” Hal said, rolling his eyes with enough force Harper was surprised they didn’t make a break for it and run away from his head. “There’s no reason to be upset. I’m only dead. I should suck it up. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “I … .” Harper tried to wrap her head around Hal’s anger and look at things from his perspective. She often found that helpful when dealing with a situation she didn’t fully understand. The problem was, when she did that, she still thought Hal was being ridiculous. “Maybe you should talk to one of the other actors,” she suggested. “They might know how to make you feel better.”

  “Unless they’re somehow magical and can bring me back from the
dead, I don’t see that happening,” Hal said. “Now, do you mind? I was pouting alone and that’s what I want to return to doing.”

  “Listen, Hal, you’re obviously upset,” Harper prodded. “There’s no reason to take it out on me, though. I didn’t decide the order of everyone’s death. It’s not like you’re really dead. Get a little perspective.”

  “Perspective?” Hal’s eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. “Perspective?” He lifted his hand in front of the window and thanks to the added light – even though it was still muted – Harper realized what she’d missed upon first inspection.

  “Oh, no.”

  “Yes, oh no,” Hal deadpanned, wiggling is ethereal fingers in Harper’s face for emphasis. “I’m not just fake dead. I’m really dead, too. Boo!”

  Sixteen

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jared said, striding down the hallway a few minutes later as he tried to put distance between himself and Josh. “Harper doesn’t have a secret. She’s the most honest person I know.”

  “You can say that with a straight face because you know the secret,” Josh persisted. “I promise I won’t tell anyone. You have to tell me what’s going on. I think I’ve earned it.”

  “You’re making stuff up in your head,” Jared said. “There is no secret.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “That’s certainly your prerogative, but the fact remains that Harper is an open book,” Jared said. “She doesn’t have a secret. You’re desperate to drum something up about her, though, so you’re making up a secret to placate yourself.”

  “Then why are you running from me?” Josh asked, increasing his pace in case Jared tried to make a break for it. “If Harper doesn’t have a secret, why did you all of a sudden develop a dire need to find Harper once I asked the question?”

  “If you haven’t noticed, Harper and I like to spend time together,” Jared replied, choosing his words carefully. “If I’m out of her presence for more than a few minutes I start missing her.”

  “That makes you something of a wuss.”

  Jared scowled. “I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work,” he hissed. “There is no secret. Stop thinking there’s a secret. You’re imagining a secret when there’s absolutely nothing there.”