“I have a feeling my mother is going to face more than one sort of judge,” Chloe said. “I’m not worried about that. This isn’t about her. It’s about the other girl.”
“What other girl?”
“The little girl.”
Realization dawned on Harper and she remembered why she was really in the woods that night. “Zoe.” The name came out on a half-gasp. “Your mother has Zoe, doesn’t she? Oh, my … .” Harper jerked her head back in the direction they came from. “We have to go back.”
“You see, right?” Chloe was insistent. “You see what she is. That little girl doesn’t see. She doesn’t know the rules. You have to get her tonight.”
“Oh, I’m going to get her.” Harper squared her shoulders in determination as she regained her footing and began walking, ignoring the pain shooting through hip as she increased her pace. “We’re going to get her right now, Chloe. Come on. You won’t want to miss what’s about to happen. Your mother is finally going to get what’s coming to her.”
Nineteen
Jared and Mel were at the back of the house trying to look through a window when they noticed movement to their right.
Instinctively, Jared snapped his head in that direction and openly gaped when Harper appeared on the lawn “What the ... ?”
Mel followed his gaze, dumbfounded. “What is she doing?”
“I don’t know.” Jared forgot he was supposed to be quiet and unobtrusive as he stood and straightened his shoulders. “Why was she in the woods?”
“Forget that. Who is she talking to?”
That’s when Jared realized that Harper was indeed talking to herself, something he didn’t notice until Mel pointed it out. Her lips were moving and she seemed agitated as she favored her hip and occasionally looked to her right as she walked.
“She found a ghost,” Jared said after a beat. “It must be Jessica. Maybe she told her what happened and we can officially move.”
The look Mel shot Jared was pitying. “Listen, I know you love your girlfriend and think she can do no wrong, but we can’t secure a search warrant on the word of a ghost. You know that as well as I do.”
“Yeah, but ... .” Jared trailed off, narrowing his eyes when Harper stormed right past them and continued toward the front of the house. “Did she not see us?”
Mel seemed equally puzzled. “I don’t know. I ... thought she did. She didn’t look at us, though. I guess it’s possible she didn’t. We were twenty feet away from her.”
In tandem, they scurried toward the side of the house and peered around. Harper was still stomping toward the front door, her mouth moving a mile a minute as she talked to the ghost that apparently only she could see.
“I promise this will be over soon,” she said. “You’ll be on the other side in time for Christmas dinner.”
“Jessica must not like being a ghost,” Mel mused.
“Yeah, well, we need to figure out what Harper is doing,” Jared said as he hurried to catch up with his obviously determined girlfriend. “She’s going to draw attention and that won’t bode well for us.”
Mel grumbled something under his breath as he attempted to match Jared’s pace. His partner couldn’t decipher exactly what it was, but he didn’t ask because he had other things on his mind. By the time the two men made it to the front porch, Harper was already up the stairs and standing in front of the door.
“Open up, you old witch!” Harper barked, kicking the door with her foot as hard as she could. “I know what you did. I know what you are.”
Jared’s mouth dropped open. “Harper,” he hissed, his eyes flashing. “Get off that porch right now!”
Harper ignored him. “I can’t believe this town treated you like a hero when you’re pretty much the worst person ever,” she groused, kicking the door again. “I mean ... what is the matter with you? Who does what you did? I just want to ... .” She broke off and mimed a violent act that Jared couldn’t quite make out.
“Harper, you get off that porch right now,” Mel ordered, his voice cracking. “I mean it. If she comes out and ... .” Whatever he said died on his lips because the door opened at that exact moment.
Shana, who wore a cotton night dress that zipped from throat to feet, didn’t look happy to be interrupted. “Can I help you?”
“I certainly think you can,” Harper said calmly, affixing a sweet smile to her face as she glared at the woman. “I want Zoe Mathers right now.”
Curious despite himself, Jared watched the woman’s face from the shadows. He expected Shana to feign confusion, or deny having Zoe outright. Instead, she merely glared at Harper with enough hatred to fuel a rocket ship.
“I believe it’s a bit late for a visit, Harper,” Shana said drily. “Perhaps you should stop by tomorrow.”
“And perhaps you should bite me,” Harper shot back. She was so disgusted there was no way she could back down now. “Where is Zoe?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Harper tilted her head to the side, as if listening to someone. “Really?” she challenged finally. “I’m guessing that’s not true. I’m guessing she’s in the basement room nobody knows about, the one without windows. I think she’s down there ... and I think she’s crying for her mother.”
The flash of fear that flitted across Shana’s face caused Jared to take a step forward. He recognized savagery when he saw it, and there was no doubt in his mind that Shana was about to turn her fury on Harper. The question was: Did Harper realize it, too?
“I’m going to ask you to leave now.” Shana’s tone was icy. “If you don’t, I’ll have to call the police.”
“I think that’s a grand idea,” Harper said, her smile more of a grimace as it washed over her features. “You call the police and get them out here. We’re going to need them.”
Jared wasn’t surprised when Shana remained in the doorway instead of retreating into the house to make the call. The woman didn’t want the police at her house. She was bluffing, and now that Harper had called her bluff, there was only one thing to do. All Jared had to wait for was Shana to make a move, then he had just cause for entering the home.
“If you don’t shut your mouth, I’m going to shut it for you,” Shana hissed.
“I’m not afraid of you.” Harper was firm. “I know what you did. I know about Chloe.”
Whatever Jared and Mel were expecting, it wasn’t that. They exchanged a quick look, something unsaid passing between them, and then edged forward so they could hear the next part of the conversation.
Shana wrinkled her nose. “Everyone knows what happened to Chloe. It was a tragedy.”
“Everyone knows what you told them,” Harper countered. “They don’t know that you were abusing Chloe, that you like absolute silence and reverence and are willing to mete out pain to get it. They don’t know you hit her with a frying pan because she wanted to go to prom and then locked her in the quiet place in the woods behind the house.”
Shana’s face drained until she was so white she looked like a ghost herself. “W-what?”
“You heard me!” Harper was furious. “She had a head injury and you left her out there to die. She’s still out there. You killed your own daughter and then played the victim. You make me want to throw up on your face.”
As far as insults go, it wasn’t her best offering, but Jared had to give her credit for holding it together despite everything that had obviously happened over the last twenty minutes. Shana, on the other hand, didn’t look happy.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She moved to shut the door in Harper’s face, but Whisper Cove’s favorite ghost hunter was having none of it.
“Stop!” Harper slammed her foot in the opening so Shana couldn’t lock her out. “You’re done here. This whole thing is done.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Shana screeched, doubling her efforts. “You’re trying to stick your nose in my world and it doesn’t belong. You’re going to be s
orry if you’re not careful. In fact ... .” Shana stopped fighting and eased her pressure on the door, which meant Harper went tumbling inside.
That was enough for Jared. He broke into a run and headed straight for the porch, his weapon drawn. Mel was close on his heels.
“Why couldn’t you just mind your own business?” Shana screeched as she tried to wrestle Harper to the ground. “Why did you have to stick your nose into something that doesn’t concern you? I mean ... what is wrong with you?”
Harper was livid. “You’re a murdering jerk! The things you did to Chloe ... you didn’t deserve her.”
“Chloe couldn’t follow rules,” Shana growled, grabbing a handful of Harper’s hair and tugging viciously. “All she had to do was follow the rules. She was so stupid she kept forgetting. Well, that eventually came back to bite her, didn’t it?”
Jared’s mouth dropped open when he reached the top of the porch stairs and took in the scene. “What are you doing?”
“She’s a murderer,” Harper spat, slamming her hand into Shana’s stomach and causing the woman’s eyes to bug out of her head as she gasped for air. “She killed Chloe. I found her body in a shed in the woods. She has Zoe.”
“Are you sure?” Mel asked, hopping into the fray and grabbing Shana’s arms to keep her from lashing out at Harper. “Are you absolutely sure?”
Harper nodded without hesitation as she hopped to her feet. “I’m sure.” She left Mel to cuff a belligerent Shana as she walked through the house, Jared close on her heels.
“Heart, I don’t want to tell you your business, but I hope you’re right about this,” Jared said as they found the stairs that led to the basement. “If not, we’re all going to be in a world of trouble.”
“I’m right.” Harper was so sure of that, she practically skipped down the stairs. “I know I’m right. In fact ... .” She stilled at the bottom of the steps long enough to scan the basement. It was a hoarder’s wet dream, items piled against each wall in every direction. There was only one additional door, though, and that’s where Harper headed now.
“Zoe?” She called out, reaching for the door handle. It was locked. “Zoe, can you hear me?”
“You can’t be sure she’s in there,” Jared said quietly, his heart going out to her. “I’m sorry. Maybe she’s ... .”
There was a response before he could finish. “I want to go home,” a little voice announced from the other side of the door as tears ate the last word. “I want my mom,” she wailed.
Jared’s eyes widened. “Holy ... .”
“I told you.” Harper wasn’t smug, just determined. “Open the door, Jared. Call her mother.”
Jared simply nodded and leaned forward. “Zoe, I need you to take a step away from the door. I’m going to kick it in and I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand me?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the police.”
“And you’re going to take me home?”
“I am,” Jared promised. “Just as soon as I get you out of there. Are you away from the door?”
“I’m in the corner.”
“Here I come.” Jared raised his foot and planted it on the door directly next to the locking mechanism. It sprung open to reveal a tiny girl in a pink jumper with tears flowing down her cheeks.
Zoe didn’t wait for Harper and Jared to go to her. Instead, she strode straight through the opening and knuckled her eyes. “I want my mom.”
Harper opened her arms and swept up the child without invitation. “Then let’s give her the Christmas surprise to end all surprises, shall we?”
Zoe nodded, tearful. “I didn’t miss Christmas, did I?”
Harper smiled. “Nope. You still have time, and something tells me you’re going to have the best Christmas ever.”
“I hope so.” Zoe wrapped her arms around Harper, seemingly content to trust her, and didn’t speak again until they were walking out of the house. Her gaze was dark when it landed on a furious Shana, who was cuffed and on her knees as Mel read her rights out loud. “She’s mean.”
“She’s going to be punished for it, Zoe,” Jared promised. “She’s not going to get away with it.”
“Good.”
IT ONLY TOOK HARPER and Jared ten minutes to get to Ally’s house. They had to wait for backup so Mel wouldn’t be left alone. The uniformed officers who arrived were warned there was a shed in the woods that required a medical examiner and then informed they weren’t to touch anything until the state police showed up with a crime team.
“I know my rights,” Shana screeched. “You didn’t have a search warrant.”
“We didn’t need one,” Mel replied calmly. “Once Ms. Harlow entered your home and you engaged in a scuffle, we had every right to make sure no one got hurt. If you don’t believe us, I’m sure your lawyer will explain it to you.”
“Oh, this is just ... .” Shana’s glare was searing. “I hate all of you!”
“Somehow I think we can live with that,” Jared said drily.
They had to take it slow during the drive to Ally’s house. Zoe was a small child who was required by law to sit in a special child seat ... something they didn’t have access to. Jared opted to pretend he didn’t know the rule while Harper sat in the backseat with Zoe on her lap.
“Do you think Mommy missed me?” Zoe asked as Harper smoothed her hair.
“I know she did,” Harper replied. “I saw how much she missed you. I think you’re going to be the best Christmas gift she’s ever gotten.”
“I just want to see her.”
“We’re almost there.”
Jared helped Harper and Zoe out of the car before leading them to Ally’s front porch. He checked the steps himself to see if they were icy, and he was just about to raise his hand to knock on the door when it opened. To his utter surprise, Ally wasn’t the one standing on the other side of the threshold. It was Luke, and he looked as if he’d seen better days.
“Why are you here so late?” He looked at Jared, completely missing the presence of Harper and Zoe. “Please don’t tell me she’s gone.”
It took Jared a moment to recover from his surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m with Ally,” he replied simply. “I’m doing what I should’ve done three years ago. I ... is she gone? Is Zoe ... dead?”
Before Jared could answer, Zoe gave voice to a question of her own. “Who is that?”
Luke snapped his head in her direction, his eyes going wide as saucers. “Oh, my ... Zoe.”
“Who is that?” Zoe repeated, looking to Harper for an answer. “I don’t know him. Where is my mom?”
Luke’s mouth worked but no sound came out. Thankfully, Ally picked that moment to join the fray on the front porch. Her eyes immediately went to Zoe, as if drawn there by a power greater than herself. The sound she made when she saw her child was something Harper was likely to never forget.
“Zoe!” Ally barreled past Jared and Luke and aimed straight for the little girl. “My baby!” She collected her from Harper, sobs erupting as she wrapped the child in an embrace so tight Harper worried that Zoe would suffocate. “Where did you find her? Where have you been, baby?”
“A mean lady had me,” Zoe replied, a look of exasperation on her face as she struggled to squirm away from her mother. “The mean lady is with the police now.”
“What mean lady?” Luke asked, flashing an uncertain smile for Zoe’s benefit as the girl continued to stare at him over her mother’s shoulder.
“Shana Hamilton,” Jared replied. “It’s a long story, but we don’t believe Zoe has been hurt ... other than being locked in a basement room.”
“With spiders,” Zoe said on a shudder.
“Shana is in custody right now,” Jared added. “She’ll be charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, and probably murder a few times over. It’s going to take some time to get the full story, but we wanted to get Zoe to you before interrogating her.”
“I don’t know how to
thank you.” Tears coursed down Ally’s face as she rocked back and forth. “You found my baby.”
Jared shook his head slowly and pointed at Harper. “She found Zoe. She found Chloe Hamilton, too.”
“What?” Luke’s mouth dropped open. “She found Chloe, too? How?”
“Chloe is dead,” Jared replied. “Shana killed her.”
“Oh, my ... .” Ally tightened her grip on Zoe. “Thank you so much for finding her.” The look she graced Harper with was enough to cause the blond ghost hunter to choke up. “You’ll never know the gift you’ve given me. I’ll never be able to thank you properly for this.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” Harper was sincere as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I did what was necessary.”
Ally was having none of it. “You went above and beyond.”
“Not really. I just wanted Zoe home with you for Christmas.”
“Well, you definitely did that,” Luke said, smiling at his daughter as Ally straightened. “Do you want to come in for something to drink?”
“I don’t think we should,” Jared replied. “We need to get back to the scene.”
“Of course.” Ally bobbed her head. “Still ... thank you both.”
“Who are you?” Zoe asked Luke, her eyes roaming his face. “I’ve seen you before. You saw me with the pumpkins.”
Luke nodded. “I did. I was watching you.”
“He’s your father,” Ally said simply. “He came to be with me while we were looking for you.”
“Really?” Zoe’s eyes went wide with wonder. “Are you leaving again?”
Luke shook his head, firm. “No. Not again. I’m sorry I took so long to get back to you, though. I’m going to make it up to you.” He was tentative as he opened his arms to her. Zoe, on the other hand, didn’t seem worried about the new man in her life.
“Okay.” She leaned over and let him take her in his arms. She put up with an extended hug, and then let loose a huge sigh as she focused on Harper. “I’m really hungry.”
Ghostly Visions: A Harper Harlow Mystery Books 10-12 Page 38
