“You do?”
He nodded. “I lived with my mother even after I got a job on the west side of the state. She thought it was stupid for me to buy my own place, so I helped with the bills and saved a lot of money. Then I moved over here, got a pay raise, and still managed to save for six months ... until Harper and I bought a house together.
“Originally, I had the money for the house,” he continued. “I didn’t think anything of buying it for both of us. Harper insisted that she contribute, so I spent less than I figured I would. I’ve got enough for the ring.”
“So ... buy it,” Zander prodded, brightening. “If you’ve got the money, you should totally do it. This ring is fabulous and Harper is going to love it.”
“And you think she’ll say yes, right?”
The question caught Zander off guard. “Are you honestly saying you think she won’t? That’s ludicrous. She loves you.”
“I know. It’s just ... with everything that happened.” Jared trailed off. He didn’t want to talk about Quinn Jackson, Harper’s former boyfriend who came back from the dead weeks before. The memory of what happened, the fact that Quinn was never in any real danger and faked his death to get away with any number of illegal deeds, was still at the forefront of Jared’s mind.
Harper had felt betrayed by Quinn’s turn, angry that he bamboozled her. She’d been lovey-dovey since her former boyfriend’s arrest, but she’d also been quiet. Jared worried that she was internalizing too many of her feelings and that would lead to an explosion, which was exactly what he didn’t want on the eve of a proposal.
“Everything that happened merely put things into perspective for Harper,” Zander argued. “She’s fine. You’ll see when you propose. She’s going to fall all over herself because she’s so happy.”
“Are you sure?”
Zander bobbed his head. “I’m sure. You’re what she wants ... even though I’ve tried to tell her you’re a tool trying to steal her away from me. She loves you. She’s going to say yes. And, as for the ring ... it’s perfect.”
Jared exhaled heavily, allowing some of the tension he’d been carrying for the past several weeks to ease. “I’ll definitely take the ring,” he told Laura. “Make sure the jewelry box is blue if you can. I want it to match her eyes.”
“No problem.” This time Laura’s smile was legitimate. “I think your girlfriend is going to have a happy Christmas.”
“I told you it was the most wonderful time of the year,” Zander snapped. “Why does no one listen to me?”
ACROSS TOWN, HARPER GRUNTED as she lowered a huge crate of kitchen utensils and supplies to the counter of her new home. She had the day off — as head of Ghost Hunters, Inc., she’d discovered throughout the years that Christmas wasn’t a busy time when it came to hunting ghosts — so she decided to transport several boxes between her old house (which she shared with Zander) to her new house. Luckily for her, the houses were directly across the road from one another so it wasn’t a long trip.
“Does Zander know you took this stuff?” Shawn Donovan, Zander’s boyfriend and the man who was moving into Harper’s old house with her best friend, eyed the mixing bowls in the crate with a mixture of worry and suspicion.
Harper snorted at his expression. “Oh, you’re looking out for Zander’s mental well-being. That’s kind of cute.”
“He uses these bowls every day.”
“Yes, but those bowls were a Christmas gift from my mother three years ago. She thought it was important I learn how to bake if I wanted to catch a man. They’re mine.”
“Oh.” Shawn was mollified ... slightly. “You’ve told Zander you plan on taking them with you, though, right?”
Harper sighed as she smoothed her blond hair, which was slightly damp from the light dusting of snow that hit as they crossed the street. She couldn’t blame Shawn for being worried. Zander had a tendency to freak out at the strangest of times. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to him. It will be fine.”
Shawn knew Zander well enough to have doubts about that statement. “He’s already stressed about you moving. He might turn your taking the bowls into something to fight about.”
“He’s going to fight regardless. He won’t be able to stop himself.” Harper had already resigned herself to that. “I love him ... but he’s a real pill. It doesn’t matter how we bend over backwards to make him happy, he’s going to melt down. Right now, I’d actually prefer to get it over with.”
Shawn’s expression turned keen. “You’re trying to push him into a freakout on purpose. That’s why you took a set of bowls you don’t care about but he loves.”
“I took the bowls because they’re mine,” Harper said evasively. When Shawn didn’t immediately speak, she blew out a sigh and flicked her eyes to him. “And because I think we need to get the freakout behind us. Christmas is right around the corner. I don’t want him being a pain on the holiday. That’s like the last day we’ll be living in the other house together.”
Shawn wanted to laugh at her hangdog expression, but he managed to hold it back. “You know Zander very well. You always understand how to handle him. I think pushing him to melt down sooner rather than later is a good thing.”
“You do?” Harper couldn’t help being relieved. “He’s been quiet, a little too helpful for his own good since the Quinn stuff. I want him to go back to being himself.”
“What happened with Quinn shook him,” Shawn admitted. “He never liked the man, but he didn’t see the evil that was lurking right there.”
“That shook both of us,” Harper noted. “He can’t internalize it any longer, though. It’s time we got back to normal ... and he needs to melt down for that to happen.”
“Well, in that case, taking the bowls was a masterful stroke.”
Harper grinned. “I thought so. Just to be on the safe side, though, I’m going to take that crystal bowl on the living room table. My father got us that four years ago.”
“That will definitely do it.”
“I thought so. Let’s make one more trip between the houses and then call it a day. We’ve almost transported everything between the houses. It’s starting to get real ... and I want to save a little something for tomorrow.”
“I can handle that.”
SINCE JARED MEASURED HARPER’S finger when she was asleep — something that wasn’t easy and he had to be sly about — he knew the exact size the ring should be. That meant he could wait inside the store with Zander because the jeweler did its own sizing.
Forty minutes after picking out the ring, it was sized down to fit Harper and the two men were ready to leave the store. Jared found his mood buoyed by the fact that Zander thought he was being an idiot for worrying about what Harper’s response to his proposal would be. Since Zander knew her best, Jared was relieved that Zander found the question ridiculous.
“Okay. We’ve got the ring,” Zander muttered to himself as they left the jewelry store. “What kind of wine are you planning on marking the occasion with?”
Jared had no idea how to answer the question. “Um ... the kind that comes in a bottle, right? I’m guessing wine in a box would be a big no-no.”
The look on Zander’s face was priceless. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“That’s just an added bonus.”
“You need champagne,” Zander explained. “A really good champagne, in fact. I’m thinking Bollinger rosé champagne is the way to go.”
Jared thought about arguing with Zander — he wasn’t a huge fan of champagne, after all — but he ultimately nodded as he thought over the statement. Zander would know better what to serve at a proposal. “Can I get that locally?”
“I’ll call around and order some if I have to.” Zander was all business. “Where do you plan on proposing?”
“The new house.”
“Why there?”
“Because that’s where we’re making our life together. I thought I would put together a picnic for just the two of us, tell her how much I love her in front of the fir
eplace, get down on one knee and ... do it.”
“Do it?” Zander was instantly suspicious. “You’re just going to do it? Please tell me you’ve been rehearsing the actual proposal and you’re not going to ‘do it’ off the cuff.” He used air quotes to let Jared know he was serious.
“I’m planning out the perfect words,” Jared assured him. “I just ... haven’t quite got them polished the way I want them yet.”
“Uh-huh.” Zander wasn’t convinced. “Can I see the rough draft?”
“They’re up here.” Jared tapped his temple. “It’s a mental draft.”
“Oh, geez.” Zander rolled his eyes. “Do you want me to write the proposal for you? I’ll make sure it’s romantic and exactly what Harper deserves.”
Jared could picture the sort of proposal Zander would write and he wasn’t about to agree to that offer. “I’ve got it. I know basically what I want to say. I just want it to sound pretty ... and perfect.”
Zander’s expression softened. “Because she’s pretty and perfect, right?”
“Pretty much.”
“Good man.” He clapped him on the back and lifted his eyes to the sky as they exited the store. “It feels like snow. I don’t think it will be a big dump — at least not yet — but it’s definitely going to snow tonight.”
Jared followed his gaze. “I like snow. Maybe I’ll convince Harper to stay at the new house and we can camp out in front of the fireplace. That sounds like a great way to enjoy the first real snow of the year.”
“No. Harper only has a few nights left in our house. I don’t want you stealing one.”
Jared bit back a sigh ... barely. “Fine. I won’t steal her just yet. Does that make you happy?”
“If you wanted to make me happy we would all go in together and buy a castle,” Zander replied without hesitation. “We would live together forever and have a Starbucks attached to a pub right inside the house.”
Jared didn’t miss a beat. “That’s never going to happen.”
“Which is why I’m settling for the new arrangement. I ... .” He didn’t get a chance to finish because an ear-splitting scream filled the air, causing both men to snap their heads to the east. “What is that?”
“Come on,” Jared barked, sliding the ring into his inside pocket and breaking into a run. “Someone is in trouble. We need to help.”
Two
Jared found the source of the screaming fairly quickly. It was a woman, and she was standing in front of the town’s lone coffee shop, a bag clutched in her hand. The noises she was making were unintelligible, more guttural cries than anything else. She was so pale he worried she was about to pass out, so he acted instinctively and grabbed her arm.
“Ma’am, what seems to be the trouble?”
The woman’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as she slowly shifted them to him. For a brief moment, Jared was convinced she wouldn’t answer. Finally, though, she found her voice. Unfortunately, it was only so she could start screaming.
“Ma’am!”
“Her daughter is missing,” another woman supplied as she moved from beneath the awning. “The little girl was inside with her, but she didn’t like the crowd so she went to stand in front of the coffee shop. She’s gone now, though.”
Jared ran the words, which seemed simple enough, through his head, but remained confused. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“This is Karen Brooks,” Zander supplied, stepping forward. “She’s a teacher at the elementary school.”
Karen smiled at Zander and offered him a half-salute. “And Zander and I went to high school together.”
“She once fought with Harper over being class president,” Zander added. “Karen won, and Harper was sad ... although I have no idea why I felt the need to bring that up now.”
“That makes two of us,” Jared said blandly. “I need to know about the missing girl.” His voice gentled as he turned back to the original woman, who had stopped screaming but was sobbing so hard her body shook. “Ma’am ... .”
“Ally Bishop,” Karen supplied.
“What?” Jared was bewildered. “That’s the name of the little girl?”
“No, that’s her name.” Karen pointed at the red-faced woman. “Her daughter’s name is Zoe Mathers. She’s three.”
Jared’s stomach twisted, although he couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. “I’m sorry ... she’s three? Why was she outside on her own?”
Ally’s face was pinched as tears started flowing freely. “I ... could ... see ... her ... through ... the ... window.” The words came out in gusty heaves. “She ... didn’t ... like ... all ... the ... noise. I ... thought ... she ... was ... going ... to ... start ... screaming ... so ... I ... let ... her ... come ... outside. She ... was ... right ... here.”
Jared blinked several times in rapid succession. The mother was almost a complete loss, which was to be expected, but he needed her to pull it together. Time was of the essence.
“What about people leaving the coffee shop?” Jared asked, his eyes on Karen rather than Ally. “Did anyone leave the coffee shop in the time Zoe was outside?”
Karen shrugged. “I don’t know. I wasn’t paying close attention. I do know Zoe was out here. You could see her. She was hopping on the cement and singing a little song. She had her pink coat on, and a matching hat with cat ears. She was adorable.”
Jared exchanged a quick look with Zander, who seemed out of his element. “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen, Zander is going to call my partner Mel and get him out here. I’m going to start searching the street — including the back alley — and we’re going to find her. She probably just wandered off.”
“She ... wouldn’t ... do ... that.” Ally’s lower lip trembled so forcefully it made her words hard to understand. “She ... just ... wouldn’t.”
“We still have to look.” Jared was calm as he met Karen’s gaze. “Take her inside and watch her, if you don’t mind. I’m going to get as many people as I can to start searching. Odds are that Zoe simply saw something that interested her and wandered off. She’s probably not far away.”
Karen nodded, although she didn’t appear pacified by Jared’s words. “Okay. I’ll do that.” She grabbed Ally’s arm and tugged her toward the door. “Keep us updated.”
“We will.” Jared was quiet until the two women disappeared inside the coffee shop and then he focused his full attention on Zander. “Call Mel right now and have him get as many people as he can to help with the search. Then start looking yourself ... and make sure you check everywhere. Little kids will climb under things, hide behind things. Leave no stone unturned.”
“Okay.” For once, Zander didn’t balk at being bossed around. “What aren’t you telling me, though?”
“What makes you think I’m not telling you something?”
“Because you’ve got that look. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s the same look I get on my face when someone claims the Will & Grace reboot is as good as the first run.”
“It’s just ... I don’t understand why anyone would let a three-year-old wander aimlessly by herself.”
“She wasn’t wandering aimlessly. She was standing right in front of the window. That coffee shop is small. It can feel claustrophobic this time of year because it’s always packed with shoppers. I get why the kid wanted some air.”
“Yeah, but ... .” Jared didn’t give voice to his true fears. “We just need to find her. She can’t have gone far. She’s three, which means she has short legs. Get Mel out here and start looking. Hopefully we’ll find her within twenty minutes. If she gets cold, she may wander out from where she’s hiding on her own.”
“Good point.”
THREE HOURS LATER, THERE was still no sign of Zoe Mathers and panic was starting to spread throughout the community. Whisper Cove wasn’t overly large. Given the number of people searching for the little girl, Zoe should’ve been found right away. The fact that she hadn’t filled Jared with dread.
“Did anyon
e search the buses at the elementary school?” Mel Kelsey, Jared’s partner and Zander’s uncle, stood in the center of a group of volunteers and marked things off on a list. “Sometimes those doors can be forced open and a little kid would probably enjoy hanging out on a bus.”
“I’ll go,” a man at the back of the assembled group offered, his hand shooting into the air. “That’s a good idea.”
“Make sure you get on each bus and look at each seat,” Mel instructed. “If she was tired, she might’ve decided those benches would make for a good nap.”
“I’ll go with him,” another man offered. “That’s a big job.”
Mel marked something on his map and focused on Jared as his partner closed the distance. “Anything in the alley behind the market?”
Jared shook his head. “No. We checked the dumpster, too, just to be certain.”
“That was probably smart, although I don’t want to think about that.” Mel lowered his voice. “Ally is still inside the coffee shop. She’s surrounded by a bunch of women trying to make her feel better. She’s almost catatonic, though. I’m starting to think we should call a doctor or something.”
The thought hadn’t occurred to Jared, but now that Mel suggested it, he couldn’t think of a reason not to do just that. “See if they can get someone out here to help us. I’m going to check that store right across the road from the coffee shop.”
“The guitar store?” Mel furrowed his brow. “I think they would’ve said something if Zoe went in there.”
“Probably,” Jared agreed. “They have cameras, though.”
Mel jerked his head in that direction, his eyes lasering in on the telltale dome over the door. “I didn’t even see that. I guess it makes sense because guitars are expensive.”
“I don’t know that the camera would’ve picked anything up, but it’s a possibility I don’t want to ignore.”
“No, that’s a good idea.” Mel brightened considerably. “You might even get a direction to focus on, although I’m starting to think the kid isn’t down here.”
Ghostly Visions: A Harper Harlow Mystery Books 10-12 Page 21
