“Oh, you’re such a rube sometimes.”
“Okay, that’s it,” Jared said, shuffling toward Harper’s bedroom. “Sit here and stew all you want. You’re overreacting, though, and it’s a sad state of affairs.”
“Oh, it’s going to be a sad state of affairs,” Zander intoned.
“Goodnight,” Jared called out.
“I’m going to make him cry.”
Seven
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you if you found out anything last night.” Harper flashed a pretty smile the next morning as Jared filled her coffee mug. “You distracted me with your … eyes.”
“Oh, gross,” Zander intoned, making a face as he sat at the table and snapped the newspaper open. “You guys are so sickly sweet in the mornings it makes me want to puke.”
“That bathroom is that way,” Jared said dryly, pointing. “As for the case, her name is Rosie Sawyer. She was a twenty-seven-year-old dental hygienist for that guy out on the highway.”
“Oliver Kennedy?”
“That’s the guy,” Jared replied. “He was surprised when we walked through the door. He said Rosie never showed up for work but that happened twice before so he wasn’t in panic mode because he thought she might have switched with another girl and gotten her wires crossed.”
“How do you get away with that?” Harper asked.
“We get away with it all the time,” Zander pointed out. “We did it yesterday when we opted for ice cream instead of helping Eric and Molly.”
“Yes, but we own the business,” Harper argued. “She works for a man … and in a relatively formal environment, too. I would think a dentist would be a stickler on stuff like that.”
“He has four hygienists and it sounds as if there’s a lot of nitpicking and sniping from the estrogen mafia there,” Jared supplied. “He didn’t come right out and say it, but it was obvious that the women divided into groups of two, with the older women joining together and the younger women joining together. I’m going to see Rosie’s cohort this morning. She was gone by the time we got done with Kennedy yesterday.”
Jared took a bite of his omelet and a sip of coffee before realizing the table had gone silent. He lifted his chin and found Harper and Zander staring. “What?”
“The estrogen mafia?” Harper challenged, narrowing her eyes.
“Oh, dude, you’re in so much trouble,” Zander said, pressing his lips together as he shook his head. “You’re probably lucky you got some loving last night because you’re not getting any tonight after that crack.”
“I don’t understand,” Jared hedged. “What did I say?”
“I don’t know,” Harper said, her shoulders twitching slightly as she reached for her coffee. “I think the estrogen mafia must be deaf. What do you think, Zand?”
“I think I’m back on top in the triangle,” Zander replied, winking at Jared for good measure.
“Okay, it’s clear I said something wrong,” Jared said. “I didn’t realize that the mafia comment was a no-no. Zander says it all of the time.”
“Yes, but I have sympathetic ovaries,” Zander said. “You can’t make that claim.”
“No one would ever want to make that claim,” Jared shot back. “I don’t understand what the big deal is.”
“The big deal is that you relegated those women to sarcastic chickens and insinuated they were willing to peck each other to death because of estrogen,” Harper said.
“Actually, it was more like he insinuated that those women were Jersey chickens who were willing to shove rooster heads in the beds of their enemies,” Zander said.
“No one is talking to you,” Harper warned, wagging a finger.
“Hey, I’m on your side,” Zander said. “Who is going to help you hide Jared’s body when he breaks up with you for having psychic powers now?”
“Okay, everyone needs to calm down,” Jared said, touching the tip of his tongue to his upper lip as he debated how to proceed. “I am sorry for the estrogen crack. I thought it was okay to say because Harper is so enlightened and would never act that way. She’s perfect and I forget other women aren’t perfect.”
Harper knew exactly what he was doing and she didn’t want to soften her stance. She couldn’t stop herself, though. She wasn’t really angry with him to begin with, just mildly irritated. “You’re very sweet.”
“Oh, that was smooth,” Zander said. “I have to hand it to you. That was almost masterful the way you pulled that off.”
“Thanks,” Jared said dryly, rolling his eyes. “Since I respect women so much – especially this one – I would never want to inadvertently hurt her.”
Zander’s mouth dropped open as incredulous disbelief rolled over him.
“Oh, you’re so sweet.” Harper petted Jared’s cheek as he flashed a smug look in Zander’s direction. “I don’t believe one word of that, but I’m going to forgive you for the effort alone.”
“Thank you,” Jared said, planting a loud kiss on Harper’s mouth before snagging a slice of toast from her plate. “What are you doing today?”
“I’m looking for Rosie’s ghost.”
Jared stilled. “I … do you have to do that?”
“Why does it matter?” Harper asked, grabbing the leftover tomato bits Jared ate around from his plate. “I talk to ghosts for a living. This is just a specific ghost I’m looking for.”
“I don’t want to go all caveman, but … .”
“I would be very careful if I were you,” Zander intoned.
Jared licked his lips as he studied Harper’s serious face. “Okay, you’re an adult and you’re going to do what you want,” he said. “I’m not stepping in quicksand twice this morning. Will you at least promise to be careful?”
Harper nodded. “Do you think this is a serial killer or something?”
“No.” Jared wasn’t sure how to explain his trepidation. “Rose was essentially your age, though, and people know what you’re doing when you go to a crime scene. I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job – or not to follow your heart – but I would really appreciate it if you would be careful. I’m kind of fond of you.”
Harper’s expression softened. “I’m kind of fond of you, too.”
Jared pushed a strand of her flaxen hair behind her ear before giving her another kiss. “Now I’m going to go all caveman. I need you to text me every half hour or so because I don’t want to spend the day worrying about you. Do you think you can manage that or do I need to cuff you to the bed?”
Jared was too afraid to risk a glance in Harper’s direction, but Zander’s expression told him everything he needed to know.
“So close, dude,” Zander said, shaking his head. “So very close.”
“HOW DID your night with Harper go?” Mel was all smiles when he climbed into the driver’s seat of the cruiser and taxied Jared out of the parking lot an hour later. “Did she give you crap about accepting Jason’s invitation for the both of you?”
“She was quite forgiving regarding that transgression,” Jared said, rubbing the tender spot between his eyebrows. “She was less forgiving when I used the term ‘estrogen mafia.’”
Mel snorted. “That sounds like a typical woman,” he said. “Was Zander insulted on her behalf?”
“He was playing both sides of the fence,” Jared replied. “He did try to get me to join his avengers group to go after Jason last night, though. He kept referring to Harper as our woman. Our!”
Mel tilted his head to the side, considering. “She kind of is … .”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Jared ordered. “I already know she kind of is and I’ve made peace with it. I would never want to get between Zander and her. That’s not right or fair.”
“But?”
“But he’s always there and he’s often annoying on purpose,” Jared replied. “Last night he was relatively serious when we chatted in the kitchen at midnight.”
“What was he doing up at that hour? He usually demands nine hours of beauty
sleep – and before you think it’s derogatory or sexist that I said that, he’s the one who used those words, not me.”
“He was eating a cookie.”
“Oh, it must be serious,” Mel said. “Zander only eats carbohydrates after eight when the world is coming to an end. If the zombie apocalypse ever happens, he’s going to be so fat we won’t be able to get him out of the house.”
“I just watched him eat his weight in ice cream this weekend … and he had a cone yesterday.”
“Yes, but he says ice cream is empty calories because it’s whipped to get the right texture,” Mel said. “Don’t bother arguing with him. He believes what he wants.”
“Yeah, I’ve pretty much figured that out,” Jared said. “He’s really fixated on that Jason guy, and it’s not because he stole his underwear. Apparently that was a different guy. Darrin Bonkowski. I think that’s what Harper told me, anyway.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Mel said, making an exaggerated face. “I remember that kid. Harper got him out in the lake and then stole his clothes because of that mess and he threatened to … do some not nice things to her.”
Jared jerked his head around. “What kind of things?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mel said. “It was a long time ago. Let it go.”
“Is that guy still around?”
“He lives over in Sterling Heights, but he doesn’t come around here much,” Mel said. “Let it go.”
“I’m not the one who needs to let it go,” Jared argued. “Zander is deadly serious about going after Jason and making him pay for stealing his thunder growing up.”
“Ah, his thunder,” Mel said. “I knew Jason stole something. What about you? Are you worried Jason is going to steal your woman?”
Jared scowled. “No. I trust Harper.”
“I didn’t ask if you were worried Harper would cheat on you,” Mel said. “For the record, though, she would never do that. I asked if you were worried Jason would steal her.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Jared said. “Harper and I are happy. We’re … good. There’s no reason to create a problem when one doesn’t exist. That’s what leads to relationship problems.”
“I’m so glad you’ve gotten the jealousy out of your system,” Mel said. “As for our morning, I found Sarah Littleton, who was Rosie’s friend at Kennedy’s office, and she’s waiting for us at her apartment.”
“Let’s do it,” Jared said. “Harper is insisting on looking for Rosie’s ghost today, and it’s making me a little nervous.”
Mel frowned. He was well aware of Harper’s abilities, although he couldn’t decide whether he believed the rumors or not. He knew there was something different about her – special even – but he was so pragmatic his mind revolted at the mere thought of accepting the supernatural. “Are you worried she’ll stumble upon Rosie’s ghost and be upset?”
“I’m worried she’ll stumble upon Rosie’s ghost and go looking for a killer,” Jared clarified. “I’d rather beat her to the punch this time. Let’s go.”
SARAH Littleton offered Mel and Jared coffee in her small apartment kitchen before joining them at the table.
“I’m not sure what I can tell you.”
“Your boss said you and Rosie spent time together outside of work,” Jared said. “We need to know her regular routine.”
“She didn’t really have a routine that I know of,” Sarah replied, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she nervously fidgeted. “We weren’t really all that close. I mean … we went out to the bar on the weekends, but that was mostly because we were both looking to find someone to settle down with.”
“And you went out together because of that?” Jared asked.
Sarah nodded. “Most of my real friends are married and Rosie had the same problem,” she explained. “I wasn’t nearly as picky as she was, but she had an easier time of finding men … at least at first.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“She could find men fine,” Sarah replied. “She’d hook them in and set up a first date without breaking a sweat. Every single time she would find something wrong with them, though.”
“Like what?” Mel asked.
“Most of the time it had to do with money,” Sarah said. “Rosie knew how expensive shoes were … and cars … and suits. She would always say things like ‘he’s wearing a two-hundred-dollar suit, but he’s got on ten-dollar shoes.’ I never paid much attention to that stuff because I’m more into looks and muscles, but she was really interested.”
“It sounds as if she was obsessed with money,” Jared prodded, ignoring the “looks and muscles” comment as best he could. “Was she dating anyone specific these past couple of weeks or months?”
“She never dated anyone more than a few times,” Sarah answered. “She would either find something wrong with them or they would find something wrong with her. She would always lie and say they didn’t dump her, though, but I knew she wasn’t telling the truth.”
“How did you know that?”
“Because when she found someone she liked she would go all out and kind of … um … follow them around.” Sarah was uncomfortable with her admission. “She wasn’t a stalker or anything, don’t get me wrong, but she’d make sure she always knew what they were doing.”
“I can’t imagine that went over well,” Jared said.
“It didn’t,” Sarah confirmed. “A couple guys caught her and called her crazy. Other guys dumped her because they thought she was obsessed with money. One guy caught her going through his wallet. He thought she was stealing, but she told him she was just running his credit report. He kicked her out right away.”
Jared and Mel exchanged a weighted look.
“That sounds a little more stalker-y than you originally let on,” Jared said finally. “Did she follow these guys around?”
“Yeah, that’s how she found out two of them were seeing other women,” Sarah replied. “She had a fit both times.”
“Do you remember any of these guys’ names?”
Sarah shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.”
“Are you sure?” Jared couldn’t help but be disappointed.
“I’m sure,” Sarah said. “They’re probably all in her online dating profile thing, though.”
Jared stilled. “Dating profile?”
Sarah nodded. “She was part of one of those groups, although I don’t know which one.”
“I don’t suppose you know where she kept her computer, do you?” Jared asked, tamping down his irritation. He couldn’t believe Sarah didn’t volunteer that information earlier.
“She had it all on her phone,” Sarah said. “She didn’t have her own computer and she wouldn’t use the one at work for dating. That was for online shopping.”
“We can’t seem to find her phone,” Mel mused. “That’s a little … convenient.”
“Well, I guess we know what we need to be looking for, huh?” Jared said, forcing a smile for Sarah as he got to her feet. “Thank you so much for your time. If we have other questions, we’ll be in touch.”
“Oh, that sounds nice,” Sarah said, smiling at Jared. “Just so you know, I’m not like Rosie. I don’t care how much people make.”
“That’s … nice,” Jared said, exchanging a quick look with Mel.
“In fact, I would be happy with anyone as long as they’re handsome,” Sarah added. “I could even make it on a cop’s salary.”
Jared froze as he reached for the door, risking a look in Mel’s direction and finding the man’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter as he hung his head. “Um … that’s good to know.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, waving brightly. “I’ll see you around.”
“I’m sure you will,” Jared said, waiting until he was outside and the door was safely shut before exchanging an incredulous look with Mel. “What was that?”
“You’d better hope she doesn’t have any of Rosie’s stalker-ish tendencies,” Mel said, chuckling. “I don’t th
ink Harper is going to be happy if she finds that woman hiding in her bushes.”
“Harper isn’t the only one who wouldn’t be happy with that,” Jared said. “Still … it does sound like Rosie had a bit of a problem when it came to men.”
“It certainly does,” Mel agreed. “I think that’s definitely the place we need to start.”
Eight
Harper sat on one of the large rocks at the base of The Landing restaurant and stared out at the lake. The sun was bright overhead, casting shadows in very few places as the heat index grew.
Harper was frustrated, and the oppressive temperature only had a little to do with it. She was certain Rosie’s ghost was close and yet she couldn’t see her. She could feel the woman, almost as if the ethereal spirit was playing with her peripheral vision, and yet she couldn’t get a clear fix on her location.
“I know you’re there,” Harper called out, internally thankful the crashing waves were enough to drown out her voice over long distances. “I can feel you. You’re looking at me. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Harper sat perfectly still for a moment, her breathing even. The flash at the corner of her eye told her she’d been right, and when she swiveled quickly she almost knocked herself over she was moving so fast. “Ha!”
“Ha, yourself,” Jason said, catching Harper’s arm before she could topple to the sand. “What are you doing?”
It took Harper a moment to collect herself, color rushing to her cheeks as she realized it wasn’t Rosie she’d been sensing after all. “What are you doing out here?” she sputtered, stalling for time.
“I’m pretty sure I asked you first,” Jason said, chuckling as he rested his hands on her shoulders to make sure she was steady. “You’re not going to fall over, are you?”
“No,” Harper said, biting the inside of her cheek. This wasn’t what she envisioned when she came out here – and it certainly wasn’t what she had planned. How was she going to explain her way out of this one? “So, what are you doing out here again?”
“Yeah, we’re not playing that game,” Jason said, flashing a smile as he looked Harper up and down. She was dressed in simple cutoffs and a T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a no-fuss ponytail. His eyes lingered over her long legs for a moment before returning to her face. “What was I saying again?”
Ghostly Worries (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 4) Page 6
