Ghostly Charms

by Lily Harper Hart

  “The prosecutor doesn’t believe that,” Harper noted. “He believes that the way all the kids lawyered up is a dead giveaway that a coverup was involved. If she had nothing to hide, why not own up to it?”

  “Because the prosecutor was looking for someone to blame. He didn’t care who. If any of those kids had broken from the pack, he or she would’ve been the one locked away. I’m not denying that there was a killer amongst those kids. It wasn’t my sister, though. It’s not in her to hide something like that.

  “You have to understand, since it happened, Rain has been plagued by horrible dreams,” he continued. “She blames herself for what happens. She thinks she should’ve done something to save Lucas even though she had no idea what was happening. My sister isn’t perfect, but this isn’t on her. She’s a good girl.”

  Harper pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. She felt as if she was banging her head against one of the blank walls. “You can’t be that naïve, Ezra.”

  “I’m not naïve, but I trust my sister. She was a sweet kid. I’m not going to pretend she’s perfect now. She’s a teenager. There’s no such thing as a perfect teenager.”

  Zander raised his hand. “I was a perfect teenager. No joke. All the teenagers wanted to be like me. That’s neither here nor there, though. Lucas is here for a reason.”

  “Lucas is dead,” Ezra fired back. “I feel sorry for him. No one deserves to die at such a young age. Rain shouldn’t have to pay for something she didn’t have a hand in, though. She’s innocent.”

  “Lucas could’ve lived if someone had called an ambulance,” Harper argued. “If one of those kids had stepped forward and did something, he could’ve been saved. Instead, he died alone in the woods. He was on his knees, cowering, and he knew his attacker. He was afraid enough not to run. He deserves some justice.”

  “And how are you going to get it for him?” Ezra’s frustration was profound. “How are you going to help a boy who died almost a year ago? He’s long gone.”

  “His spirit remains.”

  “I’m sorry but ... I don’t believe that. I think you’re just trying to cause trouble.”

  “And what motive would we have for that?” Zander challenged. “Why would we possibly want to mess with you? We don’t even know you.”

  “Maybe you get off on it. You guys seem to have a lot of time on your hands. I’ve never seen you work or anything. Perhaps you get your jollies this way.”

  “Or perhaps we’re trying to do the right thing by a tortured soul,” Harper countered. “I’m not going to just let this go. As long as Lucas is here, begging for help, I’ll be offering it. I don’t want to hurt Rain, but the truth is going to have to come out eventually.”

  Ezra’s expression was weary. He looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Before he could respond, though, a flurry of movement appeared at the door and Rain came rushing into the room. She’d obviously been eavesdropping.

  “Stop it! Just stop it! If you don’t stop right now, I’ll make you pay. I promise you that.”

  And just like that, things got worse.

  13

  Thirteen

  Harper faced down the teenager without batting an eyelash.

  “Your brother won’t help us,” she started. “Perhaps you will. What happened to Lucas?”

  Rain’s fury was palpable. It reverberated through the room, and the genuine anger she was unleashing was the sort that resulted in mistakes ... and perhaps dead bodies. “Don’t ask me about Lucas,” she seethed, her eyes flashing with malevolence. “Don’t even mention his name.”

  “I have to mention his name.” Harper refused to back down. “He’s here. He followed you from Grand Rapids. There has to be a reason for that.”

  “He didn’t follow me. He’s dead.”

  “And yet his ghost remains.”

  “You’re making that up! Stop saying that!”

  “I’m not making it up.” Harper folded her arms over her chest, resolute. “I’m sorry you’re upset — I genuinely am — but Lucas was murdered and he deserves some justice. Either you know what happened to him, or you’re responsible for what happened to him.” She thought back to the image from her dream, the one without a face. “I’m guessing you know something. If you’re afraid, it’s okay. I can call Jared. He’ll protect you.”

  “I’m not afraid of anything,” she shot back. “I don’t know what happened to Lucas. I never did. I didn’t see anything ... or hear anything. I wasn’t part of it. Why won’t you people believe me?”

  “Because the story is preposterous,” Zander answered. “He wasn’t very far away from you guys. Someone must’ve seen something, even if you only saw him leave with another person. You can’t keep this secret forever. Sooner or later, it’s going to catch up with you.”

  “Once you’re eighteen, the prosecutor is going to go after you,” Harper added. “He’s not just going to let this go. Lucas’s death was a tragedy, the sort that leaves a mark on the community. This won’t just disappear. Until justice is served for Lucas, you’ll never be able to put this behind you. Even then ... you’ll always be haunted.”

  “You don’t know anything.” Rain puffed out her chest. “You just want to upset me. I get it. You’re jealous.”

  Harper furrowed her brow, confused. “Jealous of what?”

  “The fact that your boyfriend likes me better than you.”

  “Rain, I think you need to come back to reality.”

  “It’s the truth. He came on to me when he walked me back to the gallery last night. He flirted with me, touched me.”

  The anger she’d been trying to tamp down grabbed Harper by the throat ... and it had teeth. “That’s not going to work on me,” she insisted. “I’m not going to let you turn this conversation. I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s the truth. Who is the naïve one now? It’s not me. It’s you. Your boyfriend doesn’t love you like he pretends. He likes me better. He told me. We’re going to be together. Just you wait.”

  Zander made an aggravated sound deep in his throat. “Don’t even think about spreading that story. No one is going to believe you.”

  “It’s the truth. I can spread whatever I want.”

  “It’s not the truth.” Zander was adamant. “Anybody who has ever met Jared knows he’s completely in love with Harper. You can’t just say whatever you want to say without repercussions. You could ruin lives.”

  “What would I ruin? He might not want her to know just yet that he likes me better, but it will be public eventually. Just you wait.”

  Zander flicked his eyes to Ezra and saw the man looked to be legitimately horrified by the things coming out of his sister’s mouth. “You’re not just going to sit back and let her spout nonsense like this, are you?”

  Ezra looked caught. He swallowed hard. “I ... .”

  “It’s the truth, Ezra!” Rain shrieked. “He held my hand and we kissed. He wants me. You saw him when he dropped me off. He couldn’t stop looking at me.”

  “That’s not true.” Harper’s voice was low. “If you keep saying that ... .”

  “You’ll what?” Rain challenged. “There’s nothing you can do to me. I’m a minor. When I’m an adult, I’m going to take everything that you think is yours and I’m going to have fun doing it. I promise that I’m going to hurt you the same way you’re trying to hurt me.”

  The danger imminent in the conversation was enough to make Harper leery. She knew when to extricate herself from a discussion, and it was obvious the time had come for that. “I’m not going to let you hurt Jared.” She was matter-of-fact. “He’s a good guy and he tried to help you last night.” She shifted her eyes to Ezra. “I think you know that deep down. Your sister is out of control. If you let her continue to do things like this, that life you want her to have is never going to happen. She’s just going to keep going and going until she goes up against the wrong person. Is that what you want?”

  Ezra hesitated before answeri
ng, and then squared his shoulders. “I don’t believe that Jared made a pass at Rain.”

  “But he did!” Rain stomped her foot. “I’m not lying. Why does everyone believe that I’m lying all the time? I’m telling the truth.”

  “You’re not.” Ezra sounded pained. “I saw him when he dropped you off. He was concerned because you were hanging around with that kid. He wanted me to know what was going on, but he was anxious to get back to Harper. You can’t say things like this, Rain, just because you want payback. It’s not fair to people.”

  “Oh, you’ve never been on my side.” Rain’s eyes were ember coals of hate. “You never believe me. You’re just like everyone else. I’m telling you right now, I’m going to get what I want and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. Just you wait. It’s going to happen, and you’d all better look out. I’ll make you cry before it’s all said and done.”

  There was no sense in continuing the conversation, Harper acknowledged. Rain was beyond help. She was an emotional mess and she could make things very difficult for all of them if she truly put effort behind her accusations.

  It was time to go, so that’s what she did.

  HARPER WAS STILL TROUBLED WHEN Jared returned home after his shift. Unlike the previous evening, Harper went through the effort to cook a special dinner. She made all of his favorite foods, including the potato salad that was so much work, but he devoured like handfuls of candy.

  His eyes went wide when he walked into the house and scented the air. “Oh, man. I thought we would order pizza or something but you cooked. It’s a Whisper Cove miracle.”

  Harper cocked an eyebrow from behind the counter. She was marinating steaks and had her world-famous garlic potatoes in a cast-iron skillet on the stove. “I cook. It’s not exactly miracle territory.”

  “You rarely cook,” he countered, kicking off his shoes and moving behind the counter so he could greet her with a proper kiss. “How is my favorite girl?”

  Harper found the question hard to answer so she delayed her response. “How is my favorite guy?”

  “I’m with you, so I’m perfect.”

  His answer was so simple, so heartfelt, it caused a lump to form in her throat. “Oh, I totally screwed up,” she complained, discarding the spatula in her hand and throwing her arms around his neck. “I totally ruined your life.”

  Jared caught her, surprise coursing through him as he pressed her tight. “What are you even talking about? How did you ruin my life?”

  She told him about her afternoon, leaving nothing out. When she was finished, she expected him to go on a righteous diatribe. Instead, he seemed thoughtful.

  “Huh. I guess you were busy, huh?”

  “Busy ruining your life.”

  He chuckled, catching her off guard, and pulled back far enough to stare into her eyes. “Heart, you could never ruin my life. You’ve made my life better with every word, every gesture, and it’s going to be okay.” He pressed a firm kiss to her forehead and hugged her again before releasing her. “I knew Rain had issues, but I really didn’t expect this. I guess you did, though, huh? You warned me about being alone with her. Thankfully I was only alone with her for five minutes and we were in full view of the public the entire time. There’s nothing she can accuse me of and get away with.”

  “Except just the accusation will stain your reputation,” Harper argued. “I know how it works. You can deny it but there will always be people who believe her over you.”

  “I’m sure there will be.” He chose his words carefully. It was obvious she was upset. “The thing is, I know for a fact that Ernie Holmberg and Dan Dickinson saw me. They were sitting in front of the coffee shop gossiping and we talked for a few minutes. They were out there the entire time and they had a full view of the area between the Chinese restaurant and the gallery. Rain really has no leg to stand on.”

  Hearing the news settled Harper a bit, although she was still frazzled. “Are you sure I didn’t ruin your life?”

  “Heart, you are my life. Stop this.” He smoothed her hair and pressed his lips to hers, sinking into a kiss so sweet it practically made her teeth ache. “It’s okay,” he whispered as he swayed back and forth, holding her for all she was worth. “Nothing is going to derail this life. I promise you that.”

  “Even if Rain makes public accusations?”

  “Even if. It will be okay.”

  She hoped with everything she had that was true. “Okay.” She nuzzled him for a moment and then pulled back, reclaiming her spatula. “I still made you a fabulous dinner.”

  “I can see that. Potato salad and your garlic skillet potatoes? It’s going to be a carb overload for both of us. I think we’re going to have a lot of energy to burn later.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I wonder what we’ll do with that energy.”

  She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. “I bet you have a few ideas.”

  “Just a few.” He moved to the refrigerator and pulled open the door, planning to grab beers for both of them. She needed to relax, and that would be his top priority before the end of the night ... no matter how much work he had to put into it. Luckily, this was the sort of job he loved. He pulled up short when he saw the pie inside, though. “No way. You made that salted caramel-chocolate pie I love so much, too?”

  “Yeah. I was feeling really guilty.”

  “Man, this is awesome. Not the feeling guilty thing, but the rest. I say we have some beer and see how much food we can put away. How does that sound?”

  “Like the perfect night.”

  “I happen to agree.”

  HOURS LATER THEY WERE IN BED, their clothes left behind and strewn about in the living room. The lamp next to the bed was on and Harper was showing him the news stories Zander discovered on her laptop. He read them with interest even though he wasn’t exactly keen to focus on Rain. He knew better than shutting down Harper when she had an idea, though.

  “It does sound to me like Rain knew something,” he admitted. “That also explains why Lucas followed her out here. You’re certain the killer you saw in the dream was a man, right?”

  She nodded without hesitation. “I’m absolutely positive. There’s no way those shoulders and legs belonged to Rain. He was way too tall.”

  “Not that I’m questioning you, but is it possible that you were seeing Lucas’s perception of the event? What I’m getting at is that the individual who killed him might’ve seemed bigger in his mind. Or maybe what was happening was so overwhelming it skewed his memory.”

  Harper honestly hadn’t considered that and she needed to take a moment to think about what he was suggesting. “I guess it’s possible,” she hedged after a beat. “It doesn’t feel right, though. It feels ... too convoluted. I don’t think that’s what happened.”

  “But you can’t be sure.”

  “Not until I can get Lucas’s ghost to open up to me in something other than dreams. He’s obviously fearful, timid to the point of it being painful. I don’t know what to do to fix that, though.”

  “Well, then we’ll figure it out. No one is better than you at getting ghosts to open up.”

  “You’re only saying that because I’m the only person you know who can talk to ghosts,” she pointed out. “Who else have you seen glean information from the dead to help solve investigations?”

  “Fair point ... but I still think you’re the best.”

  “And it’s nice to have you on my side. I’m going to do my best. In fact, that’s what I’m going to focus all my attention on tomorrow. I’m going to get him to talk to me, even if it kills one of us ... which will have to be me because he’s already dead. Wait ... that might not have been the best thing to say.”

  “I agree because I don’t want you dead no matter what. I get what you were saying, though. I definitely think you should focus on that. I don’t want you doing it alone, however. Keep Zander with you.”

  Harper knit her eyebrows together, flummoxed. “Why? It’s not like Lucas can hurt me. I don’t
think he would want to anyway. He’s a tortured soul, not the sort of soul who likes to torture.”

  “I get that and I happen to agree. I’m not worried about Lucas, though. Rain knows you’re aware of her past. You said yourself that she seemed off the rails, one good push away from embracing violence. I don’t want her to come looking for you with some misguided notion that this will all go away if she shuts you up.”

  “Huh. That’s a good point.”

  “Just keep Zander with you. Rain wouldn’t dare try to take on the both of you.”

  “Except we were together when we confronted Ezra.”

  “Yeah, but you told Ezra enough to make him think about his sister and what she might be involved in. I bet he’s sleeping with one eye open tonight. You said he stood up for me. That seems to indicate that he realizes something very wrong is going on with his sister. He’s not just going to forget that.”

  “And he might push Rain to lengths she’s not equipped to deal with,” Harper surmised. “Yeah. I can see that happening.” She blew out a sigh. “I promise to keep Zander with me. I’m sure he’ll want to hang close anyway. We had fun today, up until the Rain thing.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Jared rolled so he was facing her. Her shoulder-length hair was mussed from playtime, but her eyes were bright. He was anxious to talk about something, anything really, that was above and beyond Rain. “What did you guys do?”

  “I tried on wedding dresses.”

  “Really?” He hadn’t been expecting that answer. “Did you find some good options?”

  “I bought the perfect dress.”

  The haste with which she’d managed such a feat worried him. “You don’t have to buy the first thing that you see. I want you to have the dress of your dreams. If money is a consideration ... ,” he trailed off. Money was sometimes a thorny conversation between them. When it came time to buy the house, he planned on swinging it entirely himself. She insisted on pitching in, even though she didn’t have a lot of liquid funds. They’d worked it out, but he knew better than acting alpha when it came to money.