Harper Harlow Mystery 19 - Ghostly Endeavor

by Lily Harper Hart

  That elicited a huge smile. “I think I can be persuaded. I might even have a few books that will work for us.”

  “Now that’s what I want to hear.” He winked at her and then sobered. “You don’t need to let what happened today derail your excitement. It’s okay to be happy about your new business despite what happened.”

  Deep down, Harper knew that was true. She simply couldn’t shake the feeling of dread from earlier. “Let’s focus on us tonight, huh? We can deal with the other stuff tomorrow.”

  “You read my mind.”

  HARPER WAS FEELING BETTER THE next morning. Her dreams had been soft, of the lovey-dovey variety, and she had a lot of energy over breakfast the next morning. That only lasted until Zander dropped in to pick her up for work.

  “I thought we would walk,” he said, his eyes briefly landing on Jared. The man hadn’t admonished him for not knocking today and it had thrown his entire rhythm off. “I want to burn as many calories as I can between now and the wedding.”

  “It’s like five blocks to the cemetery,” Harper pointed out. “I don’t think you’re going to burn that many calories.”

  “Don’t steal my thunder,” Zander warned. “I have a plan. I’m sticking to the plan.”

  “You have a plan for the plan, huh?” Harper’s eyes glinted in amusement as she sipped her coffee. “That sounds just like you.”

  “It does,” he agreed. Slowly, he tracked his eyes to Jared. “We’re having a barbecue for dinner tonight.”

  “Harper told me.” Jared’s smile was brutally pleasant. “It sounds great.”

  “We’re going to serve steaks, corn, and potatoes.”

  “Yum.”

  Zander’s frown grew more pronounced. He’d never known Jared to go this long without picking a fight with him. “Shirts will be mandatory because we’re all freaked out by your nipples.”

  Harper let loose an exasperated sigh but didn’t say anything.

  “I can wear a shirt,” Jared replied easily. “I’ll even stop by the bakery and pick up dessert so Shawn doesn’t have to worry about it.”

  Zander worked his jaw. “I ... um ... okay.” He would never admit it, but Jared’s refusal to pick a fight with him was throwing him off his rhythm.

  “Do you have any special requests for dessert?” Jared queried.

  Harper recognized what her husband was doing and even though the last thing she wanted was another fight — honestly, if she could just manage a week where her husband and best friend weren’t hurling insults at one another she would be forever grateful — she found herself amused all the same.

  “Special requests?” Zander looked as if he was going to mouth off and then caught himself. “Cake is good. Like ... if you could find a good angel food cake, we can throw together some strawberry shortcake.”

  “That sounds doable.” Jared went back to his breakfast. “Do you guys have special plans for the day?”

  “Just work,” Harper replied. “If you’re wondering about Cassie’s ghost, we’ll take a loop around the cemetery looking for her. I’ll let you know if we find something.”

  “That’s good.” Jared nodded agreeably. “I’ll do the same after I talk to Cassie’s parents. Now I’m curious if her father will be as obnoxious as you said.”

  “Oh, jerky John Merriweather?” Zander made a face. “He’s horrible. He ruined my Halloween makeup two years running with his stupid sprinklers.”

  “Harper told me.” Jared shook his head. “Being a jerk doesn’t mean he’s guilty of murdering his own daughter.”

  “Of course not,” Harper agreed. “I don’t think he’s the murdering sort. He much prefers belittling people while sucking down beer and watching monster truck shows on Pay-Per-View.”

  “Good to know.” Jared shoved the last bit of his toast into his mouth. “I need to get going. There’s just one more thing.” His expression remained flat as he turned his attention to Zander. “I need a favor from you.”

  “I knew it.” Zander couldn’t hide his excitement. “You’re about to torture me, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t believe so,” Jared replied evenly. “I was just going to ask that you keep close to Harper today when you’re out on the cemetery grounds.”

  Zander was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

  “Somebody was killed out there.”

  Harper immediately started shaking her head. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Of course you don’t,” Jared agreed. “You’re still the most important person in the world to me. I worry that someone might come back to take a look at the scene, maybe see if they forgot something. I simply want you to be careful. As your best friend, I was hoping Zander would stick close to you for the day.”

  It wasn’t what Zander was expecting. Not by a long shot. He nodded all the same. “I’ll stick close. I get what you’re worried about.”

  “She’s going to be out there looking for a ghost,” Jared said. “It would be helpful if we could find that ghost and ask her some questions. I don’t want Harper killing herself in the attempt to find said ghost, though.”

  “Harper is right here,” the woman in question drawled, referring to herself in the third person. “She doesn’t need a babysitter.”

  “Zander isn’t your babysitter.” Jared drained the rest of his coffee and then carried his mug to the dishwasher. “He’s your partner in crime. You guys work together. I would feel better if you stuck close to one another today. If that’s too much, or Zander has other plans, then I’m not too worried about it. Someone would have to be an idiot to go after the new owner of the cemetery in the middle of the day.”

  “I’ll stick close,” Zander said hurriedly. “You don’t have to worry about Harper. I’m an awesome babysitter.” He was still suspicious — and not entirely certain what game they were playing — but he had no intention of letting Jared run roughshod over him. “I’ll take care of our girl.”

  Jared gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Thank you. She’s the one thing we both can’t live without, right?”

  “Definitely,” Zander agreed. “I’ve got everything under control. Trust me.”

  6

  SIX

  “So, Harper let a few things slip regarding John,” Jared said once he and Mel were in a cruiser and heading in the direction of the Merriweather house.

  “I’m sure she did.” Mel’s expression was rueful. “What did she tell you?”

  “Just a story about how John used to time his sprinklers so he got all the neighborhood kids wet and ruined their costumes on Halloween night.”

  “Oh, he still does that.” Mel shook his head. “The kids are all aware of it now and go nowhere near the house. Since that’s what John wants, he basically won that war.”

  “He sounds like a jerk.”

  “He is a jerk,” Mel agreed. “Nobody in town likes him. Even the guys at the Elks Lodge make him sit at a separate table when he’s there. It’s a social club and yet he sits by himself whenever he visits. He drinks his beer and then makes a call to order his wife to pick him up. It’s all very ... weird.”

  Jared kept his eyes out the window, but his anxiety ratcheted up a notch. “Is this guy a wife-beater? If so, I’m not going to have any qualms about taking him in despite the fact that his daughter just died. I’m warning you now.”

  “If I had proof that John was a wife-beater I would already have him in custody,” Mel reassured his partner. “I don’t, though. I’ve never actually seen him lift a hand to Mary.”

  “That doesn’t mean she’s not abused.”

  “No, but she has regular errands she runs. People are always on the lookout — trust me — and they would’ve reported back to me if she showed up with bruises anywhere that were visible.”

  “Maybe John is smart enough to make sure none of her bruises will be visible.”

  “Maybe,” Mel agreed. “The thing is — and I’ve given this a lot of thought — I don’t believe he’s physically ab
usive.”

  “So ... just mentally then.”

  Mel nodded. “He’s definitely mentally abusive. It’s not just to Mary, though. She likely takes the brunt of it, but he’s a jerk to anybody he crosses paths with.”

  “Has he been a jerk to you?”

  “Oh, most definitely. John isn’t the sort of guy who cares if you wear a badge.”

  “If he’s mean to his wife in front of me I’m going to have to say something,” Jared warned. “I can’t put up with that sort of thing.”

  “Oh, I’ve said things to him.” Mel made a clucking sound with his tongue. “He doesn’t care. It’s as if he feeds off the negative attention. He spends all his time listening to conspiracy theory podcasts and planning for the end of the world. He doesn’t care about what people think about him. In fact, he encourages people to hate him.

  “I asked him about it once at a festival,” he continued. “I wanted to know why he was the way he was. Do you know what he told me?”

  Jared shook his head.

  “He said ‘when the end of the world comes, I don’t want anyone thinking they can move in with me to ride it out.’”

  “What sort of catastrophe is he expecting? Like ... does he think the zombie apocalypse will be a real thing?”

  Mel let loose a wan chuckle. “No, he’s not the sort of guy who would go for the science angle. He focuses more on the idea of a plague that wipes out the bulk of the world’s population ... or an EMP ... or some foreign attack on the electrical grid.”

  “That sounds like science fiction to me, not science.”

  “Except it’s possible.”

  “I guess.” Jared rubbed his cheek. “I just don’t like what I’ve heard about this guy. I’m not going to be able to sit back and listen to him be abusive toward his wife.”

  “I don’t know anybody who can just sit back and listen to that,” Mel agreed. “He won’t care if you take a go at him, though. He’s full of himself and perfectly happy being a jerk.”

  “Well, then I guess this is going to be an awkward morning.”

  “Oh, I can pretty much guarantee that.”

  “HE’S GASLIGHTING ME,” ZANDER INSISTED as he and Harper walked to the cemetery. It was a beautiful morning, but only one of them was taking the time to enjoy their walk.

  “Who now?” Harper queried. She’d only been half-listening to Zander’s rant as they headed toward work.

  “Jared.”

  “We’re still talking about him?” Harper shook her head. “I thought you moved on to talking about your mother.”

  “I did, but now we’re back on Jared. I’m telling you that he’s got it out for me.”

  “How do you figure that?” Harper happened to know exactly what game her husband was playing with Zander. That didn’t mean she was going to share that information with her best friend. As far as she was concerned, even if it was painful for her, Jared had earned his revenge. “He was great with you this morning.”

  “That’s why I know he’s out to get me.”

  “Or maybe he’s worried that I’m going to have some sort of mental break because of the constant fights you guys engage in and he’s trying to do what’s best for me.”

  Zander shot her a withering look. “Oh, don’t even. We both know that’s not a thing.”

  “Actually, I think Jared would willingly cut off a hand rather than hurt me.”

  “Yes, because he’s such a saint.” Zander’s eye roll was pronounced. “I’m telling you he’s messing with me.”

  “How so?” Harper was familiar with Zander’s particular brand of mayhem. There was no way he was going to just abandon this conversation. He had to get his full rant out.

  “You saw him.”

  “I saw him ask you to babysit me.” Now it was Harper’s turn to scowl. “Like I need a babysitter.”

  “Oh, you definitely need a babysitter. This is the sort of case where you lose your head and I have to talk you down from a ledge.”

  Harper fixed him with a quelling look. “That has literally never happened.”

  “Oh, it happens all the time. I’m just good at what I do so you don’t notice when it’s happening.”

  “Right.” Harper shook her head as they turned down the path that led into the cemetery. “I think you’re both overbearing morons when it comes to stuff like this. Looking for a ghost isn’t dangerous. He needs to get that through his head.”

  “He’s not afraid of the ghost.”

  “Oh, yeah? Then what is he afraid of?”

  “The guy who essentially created the ghost. If there’s some freak hanging around the cemetery strangling people, you would make an enticing target.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Of course you can.”

  “I sometimes take care of you, too.”

  “Only when a spider needs to be caught. That’s neither here nor there, though. You can’t get your panties in a bunch because your husband doesn’t want you to die.”

  “That’s not why I’m irritated.”

  “Essentially, it is.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Yes, it is.” Zander refused to back down. “You know the smart way to handle this is to take me with you. It’s not like Jared asked you to do something that you weren’t already considering.”

  “It’s the way he didn’t ask. He basically included you in the decision and not me.”

  “He just wants to make sure you’re safe. I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

  Harper worked her jaw. “Since when are you on his side?”

  “Never. I’m on my side. Since you’re my best friend and I can’t live without you — he was totally right about that — then that means I’m going to want to stick close to you.”

  “Unless there are spiders wandering around the cemetery killing people, right? Then I’m on my own.”

  “Why would you even say that?” Zander made a face. “Now I’m going to be having flashbacks to that Lord of the Rings movie. Do you remember that?”

  “Yes, I remember you wanting to carry around a sword wherever you went for two straight months ... even though it was a CGI spider.”

  “Do you remember that Harry Potter movie with the spiders? They’re horrible creatures. They’re vindictive, too. If you kill one, a million of them come to seek revenge.”

  Harper could do nothing but shake her head. “How did we get on this topic again?”

  “I believe we were talking about your husband gaslighting me and it naturally shifted to another horrible place.”

  “Oh, well, I guess that means we should return to the original topic.”

  “Absolutely.” Zander bobbed his head in agreement. “Your husband is a tool and I know he’s out to get me. I’m not going to let him win, though. I’m better at this game than he is.”

  Harper knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that wasn’t true. “Does that mean you’re going to do something to him in return?”

  “Of course. I just haven’t decided what that is.”

  “Well, tell me when you know.”

  “Always.”

  MARY USHERED JARED AND MEL INTO THE quaint ranch house three seconds after they’d knocked. It was as if she’d been waiting and wanted to make sure they didn’t knock more than once.

  John sat at the kitchen table when they joined him, a coffee mug in front of him. His expression was dark, shadows under his eyes, and the grimace on his face told Jared that he wasn’t in the mood to help.

  “I don’t understand why you’re back,” John groused as Mary poured mugs of coffee for Mel and Jared. “It’s not as if there’s anything we can offer to help.”

  “Cassie was your daughter,” Mel pointed out.

  John’s snort was disdainful. “In name only.”

  “Meaning what?” Jared prodded.

  “She wasn’t our daughter in any meaningful sense of the word,” John replied, his eyes drifting to his wife. “Are you somehow grinding the beans with your t
eeth or something? Give them their coffee — you guys get one mug and then you’re out of here so you’d better make it count — and sit down.”

  Mary nodded in obedient fashion before hurrying to the table with the coffee. “We have regular creamer and sugar.” She hesitated a beat. “We don’t have anything fancy. John doesn’t like anything fancy.”

  “That’s how I ended up with you,” John agreed. “Nobody needs anything fancy for their coffee. Those freaking fancy coffee places are ruining the world. When the end comes, those are going to be the first thing to go and everybody is going to realize what a waste they were.”

  “Yes, fancy coffee is certainly a scourge on this world,” Mel drawled in agreement. “As for Cassie, we need to know anything you can tell us about her friends. I mean ... was she dating anybody?”

  John made a face. “She was married.”

  “She was divorced,” Mel corrected.

  “Are you kidding me?” John’s cheeks flooded with color. “I thought you told me that she was going to suck it up and be a good wife.” His gaze was accusatory when it landed on Mary. “I told you to make sure she didn’t embarrass me. The last I heard, she was going to get it together.”

  Mary’s eyes went wide. “I ... .”

  Jared’s heart stirred with pity. “I don’t believe it’s your wife’s job to keep your daughter’s marriage intact. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Cassie and Chuck were divorced. The decree became final a couple months ago.”

  “Nobody told me.” John glowered at his wife. “Nobody tells me anything.”

  “I wonder why,” Jared muttered under his breath.

  Mel shot his partner a warning look and then focused on John. “We talked to Chuck. He said the split was amicable enough — at least as far as these things can be amicable — and that there was no ill will between them.”

  John’s face was blank. “And what do you want me to do about it? I can’t fix what they broke.”

  “I’m just curious if Cassie had moved on to someone else,” Mel pressed. “We need to find a motive for her murder. Chuck doesn’t technically have an alibi, but he also doesn’t seem to have a motive since their divorce wasn’t contested.”