“My answer to that remains unchanged. Anyone can be fooled, especially when their emotions are involved. There’s no correlation between what happened with Ryland and the excellent work you’ve done with patients.”
“But I’m a proponent of Rational Therapy, for chrissakes. Somehow, researching an old murder based on my own delusions doesn’t seem all that rational.”
“Rational Therapy works for your patients, but what you need to do in this situation is take a leap of faith.” Carol’s tone was astonishingly matter-of-fact.
“You can’t honestly tell me you believe in ghosts.”
“Why not? Our professional training has nothing to do with believing in the possibility of alternative energy forms. I think you’ll be dynamite at profiling, and investigating an old murder is the perfect interim project for you.”
Jordan gave the phone a dirty look, then jammed it between her chin and her neck so that she could use both hands to climb onto the railing. Wrapping one arm around the column for support, she swiped at a hanging paint chunk with the spatula, missing by several inches.
“Speaking of investigating, your pal Detective Drake has been sniffing around, asking questions.”
Jordan tensed, almost losing her balance, then barely managed not to shriek when she felt a warm, steadying hand on her calf. Jase stood below her, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.
Hell. “What did Drake want to know?” she asked Carol, keeping her tone neutral and her wary gaze on Jase.
“Whether I thought the divorce would’ve gone through without a hitch, whether you were having financial problems, whether I’d witnessed any recent fights between you and Ryland, stuff like that. I told him I couldn’t answer without violating doctor-patient privilege.”
Jordan relaxed a bit.
The night of the accident, she’d called Carol and her divorce attorney, wanting both of them present when Drake questioned her. But Carol—whom she’d confided in later that night—was the only person who knew the details of what had really happened just before Ryland’s death. If Drake ever found out, Jordan had no doubt an arrest warrant would be issued within hours.
“Thanks,” she told Carol now, her tone heartfelt.
“No problem. But if I were you, I’d start thinking about replacing your divorce lawyer with a criminal defense attorney. Conspicuously absent from Drake’s list were any questions regarding the victims of Ryland’s rampant libido.”
Jase held out a hand to help Jordan climb down, then handed her a latte. She smiled her thanks, though her stomach had started doing flip-flops at Carol’s mention of a defense attorney. “I gave Drake plenty of names to investigate.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think he was listening. Have you talked to your family about all this?”
“Of course not. You know what their reaction would be—Mom would fret and lose sleep and drive Dad nuts in the process, and Lindsay would harangue me about how bad choices lead to bad consequences.”
Carol harrumphed. “Your sister could take a few lessons in how to be supportive. I was hoping something this serious would bring her around.”
“Maybe.” She and Lindsay had been on the outs for years; Jordan’s expectations on that front were far lower than Carol’s.
The dog finally awakened, leaping to his feet and barking at Jase. Jordan grabbed him by the ruff. “Sit.” He ignored her, placing his massive paws on Jase’s shoulders and licking his face. Jase chuckled and rubbed behind the dog’s ears.
“Is that a dog?” Carol asked.
“Yes.”
“So someone’s there with you?”
“No,” Jordan lied.
“Well then, whose dog is it?”
“Oh. Mine, I guess. He seems to have come with the house.”
“You’ve adopted a dog.” Carol sounded positively smug. “How psychologically healthy of you. Ghosts and a dog.”
“You aren’t exactly being supportive here.”
“Consider this a growth experience,” Carol suggested in her best therapist voice. “Talk to the ghosts, get to know the ghosts, bond with the ghosts.”
“And to think you are my closest friend,” Jordan said bitterly, causing Jase to grin.
Carol’s tone turned serious. “Watch your back, sweetie. Drake wants to close the book on you, and he’s a by-the-book kind of guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had you under surveillance.”
“If he does, the local cops don’t know about it,” she said, then winced when she realized how that must sound to Jase.
She was fairly certain Darcy would’ve mentioned any surveillance, but then again, perhaps she was trusting Darcy more than she should. Being under surveillance did jibe with her feeling of being watched, unless—and she’d wondered about this during the night—her edginess could be attributed to the presence of the ghosts. But that assumed there actually were ghosts, which there weren’t.
Her brain hurt.
“Gotta go—patient’s here,” Carol said. “Seriously, do you need me to come up there?”
“No.”
“You’re okay?”
“Everything’s under control,” Jordan lied, then said goodbye. Flipping the phone shut, she turned to face Jase. “Just how much of that did you hear?”
“Quite a bit,” he said cheerfully. Slouching against the railing with latte in hand, ankles crossed, he looked comfortably at home on her porch. This morning’s Henley T-shirt was faded, his jeans ripped. His strong jawline was shadowed with day-old beard.
“I felt bad about how things were left last night,” he said by way of apology, “so I thought I’d offer my services.”
She took a sip of her coffee, giving him a sidelong glance as she went back to tearing off paint chips. “You’ll help me find a ghost buster?”
“’Fraid not.” He smiled. “I gather Hattie and Charlotte want you to investigate the murder?”
“Assuming you buy the premise that they exist, yes.”
“Hmm.” He drank from his cup thoughtfully. “Why doesn’t Hattie already know who murdered her?”
Jordan had asked the same question last night. “From what I gather, there’s this whole afterlife process—” She stopped, realizing how crazy she sounded. “Let’s just say it takes a while to … metamorphose, so Hattie wasn’t immediately available to see her murderer.”
Jase accepted her explanation without blinking. “Was Charlotte in the house?”
“Yes, but asleep. And before you ask, so was the housekeeper. She heard nothing until Frank Lewis, the union man, woke her to tell her what had happened.” Jordan shrugged. “Odds really are good that Frank did it—he was in the house when it happened.”
“But logically speaking, if he did, Hattie wouldn’t need you to solve her murder. Ghosts typically remain on our plane for a reason.”
Jordan gave him a “get real” look. “Even if I have been asked to investigate Hattie’s murder, it would be virtually impossible. It’s not as if any potential witnesses are still alive, and the court records probably aren’t even available.”
“It was common practice back then to keep diaries—even for men, right? I’m betting if you can lay your hands on Tom’s great-grandfather’s, you’ll find he wrote about the case in detail. After all, it would’ve been a high point in his career to catch the perpetrator of a society murder.”
“Maybe.” Jordan was unconvinced.
“Plus, there will be old newspaper accounts available,” Jase pointed out. “It’s really too bad the Hapleys are out of the country. The historical society is the obvious place to start your search, what with its archives of newspapers, photos, and family documents.”
“But you said yourself there’s no one around who can get me inside the building.”
He frowned. “It’s possible we could sweet-talk Darcy into it … wait. Charlotte has to know something about the original investigation, right? She would’ve still been alive during the trial.”
“Yeah, what the hell,
just ask the ghosts,” Jordan grumbled. “I’m trying to rationalize my way out of this.”
He managed to look amused and sympathetic at the same time. “Probably won’t be successful with that.”
Jordan shot him a narrow look and picked up the spatula with the intent of going back to her scraping, but he leaned in close, gently prying it from her grasp. “Philosophically, I’m against gouging hundred-year-old wood, no matter what the provocation. And you should be wearing a mask—this old paint probably has lead in it. Which brings me to the reason I dropped by.” He tossed the spatula into the bucket, then pushed away from the railing. “I’ve only got a couple of hours before suppliers start making deliveries, so let’s get a move on.”
“Where are we going?” she asked warily.
“I’m going to advise you in the purchase of a hammer.” His voice was grave, but his eyes held a definite twinkle.
He jogged down the steps and held open the passenger door of his pickup, one eyebrow raised. The dog trotted over and jumped in without a backward glance, but Jordan already knew what kind of scruples he had.
She hung back. “Are you certain you want to help me purchase tools that can be wielded as deadly weapons?”
He smiled, but his gaze remained serious. “I’ll take my chances.”
Dammit.
Chapter 6
THEY returned from the hardware store just before noon with a truckload of tools, Jordan’s bank account balance substantially depleted.
Jase had introduced her to Ed, a small, wizened man with a handlebar mustache who had greeted Jase as if he were a long-lost friend. Despite Jase’s personal avowals, Ed had eyed her with deep suspicion.
“You sure about her?” he’d asked Jase outright.
“She’s already talked to Hattie and Charlotte.”
“Oh, well then.” Ed had nodded, and Jordan had resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.
She was now the proud owner of three ladders—a six-foot, a ten-foot, and an extension; a pile of books on historical renovation Jase had insisted were required reading; at least four hammers, each of which—he had patiently explained—served very different purposes; and a few large, lethal-looking power saws and drills that he’d made her promise not to turn on until he could demonstrate their safe use.
“I can follow instructions,” she said as they unloaded the shiny red tool chest she would use to store the smaller tools, a little miffed by his lack of confidence in her skills.
“Instructions are iffy, and I don’t want to be the one hauling you into the ER, so humor me.”
She would’ve continued to protest, but they were interrupted by the arrival of a middle-aged woman, conservatively dressed in cotton slacks and a short-sleeved knit top, walking across Jordan’s front yard, carrying a foil-covered casserole dish.
“Hey, Felicia,” Jase greeted her.
“Hey yourself.” She returned his grin, then turned to Jordan, thrusting the casserole dish into her hands. “I’m Felicia Warren, your neighbor to the east.” She waved at the pretty white bungalow next door surrounded by a white picket fence. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
“Thanks.” Jordan had an immediate impression of cheerful, energetic, and down-to-earth. “Your yard is gorgeous.” She’d noticed it the day before as she sat on her front stoop reading, wincing when she’d contrasted it with her overgrown, weed-ridden jungle.
Felicia’s yard looked chaotic, but there the similarities ended. An artfully designed riot of flowers overflowed onto meandering stone paths, encouraging visitors to wander through and linger awhile on one of several bent-wood benches. No doubt Felicia was thrilled that someone would finally be taking care of the yard next to hers.
She beamed at Jordan’s compliment. “I’m so pleased with it! Amanda, my daughter, handled all the planting and design. I taped her business card to the foil right on top of your dish.” She pointed. “Amanda specializes in historical restorations.”
Jordan retrieved the card, reading it. “I’ll be sure to give her a call.”
“No need—she’ll be in contact,” Felicia assured her.
“Felicia is a member of the Port Chatham Historic Preservation Committee,” Jase put in.
Jordan perked up. “Really? Did you restore your own house?”
“Yes, with the help of my husband, who is an architect.” Felicia smiled. “Of course, its time period is different from yours—Arts and Crafts, early 1900s. Once you’re settled in, come by and I’ll give you a tour.”
“Actually, Felicia is the person you’ll want to talk to, if you decide to apply to have Longren House listed on the historic register,” Jase said. “And even if you don’t go that route, she can provide all kinds of resources relating to historic preservation.”
Felicia waved a hand, looking a bit embarrassed. “It’s just that our group is connected with most of the other regional and national groups working on historic preservation,” she explained. “Anyone on the committee can help you get started with all the paperwork.”
“I’m just getting started,” Jordan warned, a bit overwhelmed by their suggestions, “but I’m sure I’ll have questions for you as I progress with the restoration of Longren House.”
Felicia smiled reassuringly—no doubt she was used to seeing the growing panic on people’s faces. “Restoring a home like Longren House is really a community project. We love our old homes here in town!” She was obviously warming to her topic. “And the prior owners … well. Let’s just say they weren’t interested in preserving history. We all cheered when Hattie and Charlotte ran them off.”
Jordan hadn’t really thought about the remodel in those terms, but Felicia was right—the restoration of Longen House would affect the entire neighborhood, as well as enhance the town’s appeal to visitors. If she could pull it off, and she was beginning to have doubts on that score.
“But really, Hattie and Charlotte will be far more able to answer your questions,” Felicia continued, not seeming to notice Jordan’s startled reaction. “And we all want you to know we think it’s simply wonderful Hattie and Charlotte will now have someone to stand up for them.”
Jordan slid her eyes toward Jase, who didn’t look as if he thought she’d said anything out of the ordinary.
“Of course, we’ve been aware of how unhappy Hattie and Charlotte have been over the years,” Felicia added. “I mean, we’ve all sensed it. But now that you’re here, they’ll be able to tell us what they need.” When Jordan failed to respond, she rushed on a bit more nervously. “This, of course, represents a very unique opportunity. We won’t be solely dependent on surviving documents or construction plans for the restoration.”
Jordan cleared her throat. “Okay, wait a minute—”
“You’ll have to excuse Jordan’s reticence; she’s still getting used to the idea of having Hattie and Charlotte around,” Jase interrupted, ignoring Jordan’s glare.
“Oh.” Felicia looked momentarily confused. “Ohhh. You mean you didn’t see ghosts when you lived in L.A.?”
“No. I saw a lot of strange things in L.A., but ghosts were not—”
“Well, that puts a new spin on things.” Felicia frowned. “You must find this all very disconcerting.”
“That would be an understatement,” Jordan muttered. “Look, I’m still not convinced—”
“I’m sure Jordan would be glad to discuss this more with you after she gets unpacked,” Jase said smoothly.
“Oh, of course.” Felicia beamed at him. “Well then, I’ll just be going.” She turned to Jordan. “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to trot over and knock on the door.”
“Thanks again for the casserole,” Jordan managed. “I’ll be sure and return the dish.”
Once Felicia was out of earshot, she looked at Jase. “Gee, thanks.”
“No problem,” he said, his expression amused. “Probably not a good idea to start off on the wrong foot with the local preservation group.”
“So who e
lse knows that I supposedly talk to ghosts?” she demanded.
“By now, I’d say most of the town. People have had most of last evening and this morning to get out the word. I’d already received several calls this morning before I dropped by, asking for details.”
Jordan gaped at him. Clearly, living in a small town was going to take some getting used to. Even with the paparazzi tracking her every move in L.A., she’d had more privacy than this. Apparently, she’d moved from being in a fishbowl to being under a microscope.
“What did you tell the callers?” she asked uneasily.
“That if they wanted to know more, they should talk to you,” he replied. “I don’t gossip.”
“Oh.” She relaxed a bit. “Well. Okay, then.”
“But I’m sure they found someone from the pub last night who would tell all,” Jase added, dashing her hopes.
“So let me get this straight: Roughly half the town thinks I may have killed my husband, but everyone thinks I’m crazy and can see and talk to ghosts.”
Jase nodded. “Though I’d phrase it slightly differently … People probably don’t think you’re crazy if you talk to ghosts.”
“Oh, sure—that makes sense.”
He eyed her, looking concerned. “You okay?”
“I’ll get back to you on that.” Shaking her head, she carried the casserole into the kitchen, then returned to help him unload the rest of her purchases from the truck.
Hattie and Charlotte watched avidly from the parlor window as she and Jase made trips from the truck to the front hall. He showed no indication that he had seen them, which had Jordan grinding her teeth.
“Are you sure something isn’t wrong?” he asked while ripping open packages of screwdrivers and wrenches and organizing them in the tool chest.
“Not a thing.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t push the issue, handing her the shredded packaging. “These are the basic tools you’ll need available for most small projects. As you prioritize and start the actual work, I can help you put together lists of additional supplies.”
She mustered a smile. “I seem to be thanking you a lot.”
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