“You’re a good person,” Quinn said. “You don’t want anyone to suffer, and that includes me. If you testify that I was innocent, that there was a mistake, they’ll let me off. I promise to never bother you again if you do this one thing for me.”
“No.”
“Harper, you owe me.”
“How do I owe you?”
“You moved on from my death rather quickly. Heck, without a body, you basically moved in with another guy even though you had no idea if I was still out there fighting to get back to you. That was hurtful, my dear.”
“Oh, that’s rich.” Harper shook her head as the reality of what Quinn truly was washed over her. “You’re worse than a sociopath. It really doesn’t matter, though. I’m not helping you. You’re a murderer, and I have no doubt you’ll kill again if you get the chance. If you thought you would be able to charm me ... well, I guess you’re mistaken.”
“If you’re not willing to help, why did you bother to come?” Quinn snarled.
“Because I wanted to see the monster in his cage. I’ll sleep better at night knowing that you’re in here and never getting out.”
“You’d better hope that I don’t. You’re the first one I’ll go after if I get out of this hole.”
“Well, then I guess I need to tell the truth in my testimony so you don’t get out of here, huh?”
“This is your last chance to help me,” he hissed. “If you leave now, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Good. I guess that means we’re finally on level footing. It only took years for me to wise up and make sure that happened.”
FELICIA HAYDEN SEEMED SURPRISED to find two police detectives standing on her front porch. Still, she didn’t as much as question Jared or Mel before ushering them inside.
“It’s getting cold out there,” she commented, wiping a light dusting of snow from Mel’s coat. “I guess it’s that time of year, isn’t it? Do you want some coffee?”
“That would be nice,” Mel said, following Felicia into her cozy kitchen. He waited until she delivered warm mugs of coffee to him and Jared before speaking again. “We have some questions, Felicia.”
“I figured as much.” The woman cocked her head to the side, considering. “I saw the news about that poor Mathers girl. I’d assumed you would be working on that until you found her. Did something else take precedence?”
“No.” Mel shook his head and sipped. The coffee tasted heavenly after a long morning of searching and questioning. “We’re still looking for Zoe. In fact, as part of that search, we were trying to talk to Jessica. We haven’t been able to track her down, though.”
“Jessica?” Felicia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t understand.”
“She was involved with Luke until recently,” Jared started. “We need to ask her a few questions about the dissolution of that relationship.”
This time the face Felicia made was right out of a sitcom. “Oh, of course. I should’ve put that together myself. I knew that dating Luke was going to come back to bite her. Would she listen to me, though? Oh, no. She knew better … and look what it got her.”
“I take it you weren’t a fan of the relationship,” Mel noted drily.
“I was embarrassed by the relationship is more like it,” Felicia replied. “I mean ... Luke Mathers? He’s worse than the gum you find stuck to the bottom of your shoe. He’s a terrible man. I mean ... a really terrible man.”
“How did Jessica and Luke hook up?”
“They met at the gym. Well, I guess they knew each other before that, but just in passing. They worked out together one night and the next thing I knew Jessica was constantly smiling and giggling as she told me about what a great guy he was.”
“How long did they date?”
“Several weeks. Thankfully, I didn’t have to see them together very often. Jessica was smart enough to keep him away from me.”
“Was she worried Luke would be rude?”
“She was worried I would smack him over the head with a golf club. I still have her father’s old set laying around because he never took it with him after the divorce. I’ve been debating what to do with them.”
Jared swallowed the mad urge to laugh at the woman’s deadpan delivery. Now was not the time.
“What about their breakup?” Mel asked. “My understanding is that Luke dropped the bomb on Jessica with very little notice. He said she was upset but accepted it quickly. Was that your take on the matter, too?”
“She thought she could change him,” Felicia explained. “I’m sure that every woman who has taken him on over the past decade thought the same thing, and that includes Ally. None of these women ever learn until they’re forced to grapple with his selfishness on their own terms.
“She thought things were going her way right up until he ended things,” she continued. “She was so stunned, all she could do is call him a few names before storming out. Because he’s the world’s biggest jerk, he actually had a box with her stuff — items she left at his house during overnight visits — ready for her. He wanted to make sure she had no reason to come by again. Told her that would make it uncomfortable for her and he was really doing her a favor.”
“He sounds like a real prince,” Jared supplied. “What about after, though? You said she was surprised and didn’t have a chance to react. What about after she settled?”
“She was angry and hurt, although I think she realized she dodged a bullet,” Felicia replied. “Things could’ve been much worse. He could’ve knocked her up and abandoned her like Ally. He could’ve given her a venereal disease. The man is not picky when he chooses his partners. Things definitely could’ve been worse.”
“Yes, well .... we still need to find Jessica,” Mel pressed. “We need to be able to cross people off our suspect list if we’re going to find Zoe.”
“Why would she have anything to do with Zoe’s disappearance?”
Mel shrugged, noncommittal. “Maybe because Luke dumped her and Zoe is a tangible tie to him. Sure, he hasn’t raised her, but he is her biological father. Even he would have no choice but to capitulate to the will of a kidnapper to save that little girl.”
“And you think Jessica is capable of kidnapping a three-year-old child?” Felicia was incensed. “I think you should get out of my house.”
Mel held up his hands in surrender. “I don’t think Jessica had anything to do with it. I have no choice but to formally rule her out, though. We have a missing child. Time is of the essence.”
“Well, I don’t know where Jessica is,” Felicia said. “She’s been angry with me since the breakup because I might’ve been more unsympathetic than she expected regarding her feelings. She’ll get over it, though. She’s probably moved on to some other guy already. I mean ... I love my daughter, but she has bleeding tragic taste in men.”
“When was the last time you talked to her?”
“A few days ago, right after Luke broke up with her. She was a sobbing mess and I told her to suck it up and get over it. I mean ... everyone knew he was going to dump her. That’s what he does.”
“And you’re positive she wouldn’t take Zoe, right?” Jared asked, ignoring the anger flitting across the woman’s face. “We have to ask. I’m sorry.”
“I can guarantee she wouldn’t take that kid,” Felicia said. “She doesn’t even like kids. She never wanted them. She started telling me that when she was ten and I thought it was something she would grow out of, but she never did.
“That’s one of the reasons she thought she was such a good match for Luke,” she continued. “He didn’t want kids; she didn’t want kids. That was a romance for the ages in her book. She thought she had a good chance of snaring him for that reason alone.”
“And you have no idea where she is?” Mel tried one more time. “We don’t want to arrest her, simply rule her out.”
“I honestly don’t.”
Mel wasn’t convinced. “Would you tell me if you knew?”
“Probably not, but it doesn’
t matter. I really don’t know.”
“Okay, well, if she calls, it’s important you get in contact with us. We need to find that little girl. The sooner we can rule out Jessica, the better.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Seven
Harper texted Jared that she was free and clear of the jail and would talk to him about what transpired later. She stressed she was fine, that there was nothing to worry about, and insisted that he focus on work rather than her.
Jared did none of that.
“What do you think happened?” He stared at his phone as Mel navigated through the familiar Whisper Cove streets. “Do you think he tried to get her on his side?”
Mel shot Jared a dumbfounded look that was somewhere between sympathy and frustration. “Seriously? Of course he was trying to get her on his side. He doesn’t have a lot of moves to make. If Harper were to change her testimony ... well ... that’s pretty much his only option.”
“She’s not going to do that.”
“Of course she’s not going to do that. He has to try, though, doesn’t he?” Mel pulled into Luke’s driveway and killed the engine to his cruiser. “Look, I get why you were upset. Whether you want to admit it, Quinn had a huge impact on your life.”
“I wouldn’t say huge.”
“I would. When you came to town, Harper was starting to come around again,” Mel said. “She spent a long time focusing on work and Zander — they were essentially each other’s worlds — but that changed when you arrived.
“You two have been good for each other,” he continued. “Heck, you’ve been good for Zander, too. I worried he was going to melt down when Harper finally decided to take back her life.”
Jared was incredulous. “Where have you been? Zander does nothing but melt down when he doesn’t get his way. He’s still whining about us moving across the street.”
“See, but that’s only one of the reasons you’ve been good for him,” Mel said. “Harper and Zander can’t live together forever. They’re not Bert and Ernie ... or the Golden Girls. Not only did you find a solution that worked for you and Harper, but you found a solution that worked for Zander.
“Of course he’s going to stomp his feet and kick up a fuss,” he continued. “That’s what he does because ... well ... he’s a whiner. He’ll be fine after the fact, though, and by keeping him close to Harper, you’re proving that you understand what’s best for both of them.”
Jared’s sigh was long and dramatic. “And what does that have to do with Quinn calling Harper to visit him?”
“Oh, right.” Mel returned to the here and now with a sloppy grin. “Quinn knows that he’s in real trouble and his options are so limited that his only shot is trying to lure Harper to his side.”
“That’s not going to work.”
“No, but he has to try something. Otherwise he’s going away for the rest of his life.”
Jared muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Mel recognized it as a string of curses, which caused him to smile.
“Fine.” Jared finally threw up his hands in defeat. “I’m obsessing about nothing. Can we get back to questioning the world’s worst father? I can’t tell you how happy I am to be spending time with him again.”
IT TOOK FIVE KNOCKS for Luke to answer the door, and when he did, it was obvious to both detectives that he’d only heard the noise because they’d been so insistent. His eyes were red-rimmed, dark shadows haunting them, and his face was unusually pale.
“What do you want?” he asked, his temper on full display. “I answered all your questions yesterday. Unless ... did you find her? Where did you find her?”
Mel and Jared exchanged a quick look.
“We haven’t found her,” Mel said finally. “We need to ask you a few more questions, though. Something interesting has turned up.”
Luke frowned but opened the door to allow them entrance. Once in the kitchen, Jared couldn’t believe his eyes. There had to be at least eighteen beer bottles strewn throughout the room. It was obvious Luke tied one on the previous night. The question was, why.
“What insightful questions do you want to ask me now?” Luke asked, heading straight for the coffee pot. “Let me guess, you want to search my mother’s house in case I’ve stashed Zoe there. Well, I can guarantee my mother doesn’t have her either. She’s in Florida already for the winter, and before you ask, she left a month ago. She doesn’t have Zoe.”
“We already checked on your mother’s whereabouts,” Mel offered, ignoring the way Luke rolled his eyes. “We’re reasonably assured she didn’t return to the area to take Zoe.”
“Oh, well, if you’re reasonably assured ... .”
“We’re more interested in Jessica,” Mel admitted, watching Luke’s face closely for a reaction. “As far as we can tell, no one has seen her since yesterday afternoon. Her neighbor says she left with a bag and hasn’t returned and her mother says she hasn’t talked to her in days because Jessica was upset over your breakup ... and Felicia basically thought it was funny.”
Luke rubbed his chin as he absorbed the information. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he said finally. “If you’re asking if I think Jessica is capable of taking Zoe, I don’t. That’s not how she operates. No matter how mad she was, she wouldn’t take Zoe.”
“Her mother said she never wanted children.”
“That’s true.” Luke bobbed his head. “She thought we’d bonded over that. She assumed that I didn’t want children, so she laid it on thick with the kid hate when we were hanging out.”
“You know why she assumed you didn’t want children, right?”
Luke balked. “What happened with Ally wasn’t my fault. She trapped me.”
“You probably don’t want to go there right now,” Mel warned. “People are up in arms about Zoe’s disappearance. If you start your nonsense about attacking Ally again, the pitchforks might actually come out.”
“Whatever.” Luke screwed up his face into a harsh glare. “She knew I wasn’t ready and yet she got pregnant anyway. If that’s not a trap, I don’t know what is.”
“We’ll have to leave that discussion for another day,” Mel said. “Right now, we’re focusing on Jessica. She hasn’t been to work, although they call her when they need her and only one call has gone unanswered so that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. We need to know if there’s any place you can think of that Jessica would go to hide.”
“No.” Luke was earnest. “Listen, I honestly don’t think she would do anything to hurt Zoe. What would be the point?”
“Maybe she wants to erase your mistake,” Jared suggested, his eyes never leaving Luke’s face. “Maybe she thinks getting rid of Zoe will win you back.”
“No.” Luke vehemently shook his head. “She wouldn’t do that. Even if she was angry with me — which she probably is, I won’t deny that — she wouldn’t hurt Zoe. That’s not who she is.”
Jared held his gaze for a long beat and then nodded. “Okay. We still need to find her, rule her out. Where would she hang out?”
“If she’s not home, I honestly don’t know.”
“Then think about it. This is important.”
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, Luke still had no suggestions on where to look for Jessica. Mel and Jared were no further ahead than they had been when they arrived. They waited until they were back in the cruiser to give voice to their thoughts.
“What do you think?” Mel asked, turning the ignition key.
“I don’t know what to think,” Jared admitted, holding his hands in front of the vents so he could feel the warmth the second it came. “He’s a mess, though. He’s not holding together very well.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s being eaten alive by guilt. That’s why he’s drinking the way he is.”
“What kind of guilt?” Mel was legitimately intrigued at the prospect. “Is he feeling guilty for not being there when his kid needed him, or guilty because he’s done something he can
’t take back?”
“That is the question.” Jared pursed his lips as he stared at the house. “I don’t know what to believe. I find it interesting that no one has seen Jessica in twenty-four hours, though. What are the odds she would disappear at the exact same time Zoe was taken? I mean ... that’s weird, right?”
“I’ve known Jessica on and off for a long time,” Mel countered. “She’s never struck me as unbalanced.”
“Fair enough. The thing is, Luke strikes me as the sort of guy who can derange a woman in five seconds flat. Maybe she wasn’t unbalanced until he broke up with her.”
Mel opened his mouth, a denial on the tip of his tongue, and then he changed course. “It’s weird that she’s suddenly gone. I can’t argue with that point. I would feel a lot better if we could find her.”
“We need to look elsewhere.”
“I’m open to suggestions.”
“That’s the problem. I have no idea where to start.”
HARPER MET ZANDER AT the coffee shop upon leaving the county jail. She knew Zander would melt down if he didn’t get an update ... and fast. She was also determined to be involved in the search for Zoe, so it made sense to kill two birds with one stone since the coffee shop had become something of a makeshift command center.
“What’s going on, Rose?” Harper asked as she waited for the woman to make her drink. “Any news?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Rose replied. “I’ve seen the state police running all over town with dogs today, but they don’t seem to be going far.”
“They’re probably double-checking yesterday’s results.”
“Which were?”
Harper wasn’t sure she should be spreading police business far and wide, but Jared hadn’t admonished her not to tell, so she didn’t see the harm in it. “The dogs stopped right in the middle of the intersection. That probably means, whoever it was lured Zoe into a vehicle and then drove off with her.”
Ghostly Visions: A Harper Harlow Mystery Books 10-12 Page 26
