Ghostly Interests

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jared wasn’t nearly as entertained by the repartee as Harper. “You told a civilian about our murder victim?”

  Mel shrugged, nonplussed. “So what? It’s not like it’s a secret.”

  “When did you tell her? Was it before or after we notified her parents? You remember the people who broke down in tears and sobbed for twenty minutes, right?”

  Mel swallowed hard. “It was before,” he said. “If you think I’m not taking this seriously you’re wrong. It’s just … she asked. People are going to be talking about this. Whisper Cove is tiny. People want to know what’s going on. You’ll find that out.”

  “Whatever,” Jared said, scowling. “Nancy Drew, Joe Hardy, if you will? I think we can take it from here.”

  Harper placed her hands on her narrow hips. “Nancy Drew? If I’m anyone it’s Trixie Belden.”

  Jared was taken aback. It wasn’t the response he was expecting. “I … who is Trixie Belden?”

  “Oh, man, don’t cite the genre if you can’t hold up your end of the argument,” Zander said, wagging his finger in Jared’s direction.

  “I have no idea what that means, but you’re starting to bug me,” Jared said.

  “They weren’t doing anything,” Collin piped in. “They were just asking questions about Annie. We had no idea anything happened to her.”

  Jared exchanged introductions with the group, occasionally glancing at Harper and Zander but otherwise ignoring them. “Did you know Annie?”

  “Only on a superficial level,” Collin said.

  “Meaning?”

  “We had a couple of classes together,” Collin replied. “We were friendly but not close.”

  “I wanted to be close with her,” Jay said, winking at Harper. “She missed out, but it’s not too late for that sweet blonde over there.”

  Jared shot him a dark look. “Are you seriously trying to pick up a woman while we’re questioning you about the death of one of your classmates?”

  Jay’s face flooded with color. “I … .”

  “Don’t bother coming up with an excuse,” Jared chided. “There is no excuse. Besides, she’s old enough to be your … .”

  “Don’t you dare even think of finishing that sentence,” Harper warned.

  “I was going to say older sister.”

  “No, you weren’t. Don’t lie. We both know you were going to say something else. And, just so you know, I happen to be two years younger than you,” Harper said.

  “How do you know how old I am?”

  “Because Whisper Cove could fit on the head of a pin,” Harper replied. “We all know each other’s business.”

  “Well, in that case, I would appreciate it if you took your business over there so I can question these fine, upstanding citizens without an audience,” Jared said.

  “Why can’t I stay here?” Harper pressed.

  “Because I said so.”

  “But … .”

  “Zander, enough is enough,” Mel said. “Take Harper and do … whatever it is you two do. This isn’t one of your fun little cases. This is official police business and it’s serious.”

  “Little cases?” Now Zander was the irritated one. “I’ll have you know … .”

  “Come on,” Harper said, grabbing his arm and tugging so she could lead Zander away from Jared and the college boys. “It’s not worth it. We’ll find our own people to interview.”

  “Fine,” Zander said. “This isn’t over, though. I’m calling Mom when I get home and she’s going to have more than Aunt Shirley’s hair color on her lips when she calls you tonight.”

  Mel visibly deflated. “I can’t wait.”

  “That’s what you get for messing with your favorite nephew,” Zander shot back.

  AS LUCK would have it Zander and Harper didn’t have to wander far to find new college students to question. Once they turned the corner of the university center they found Molly’s familiar face, and she was the center of attention as she regaled her classmates.

  Harper approached her, and when Molly recognized her surprise washed over her face. “I … what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong,” Harper said. “I … well … it’s hard to explain why we’re here.”

  “A student named Annie Dreskin was found dead on the beach out by Lake St. Clair,” Zander said. “Harper is obsessed with finding out how she died and how she ended up out there. We know she was a student here. We’re trying to find someone who knew her.”

  “Apparently it’s not that hard to explain,” Harper said.

  “Annie Dreskin?” Molly furrowed her brow. “I’m not sure I know her.”

  “She was tall and willowy,” Harper explained. “She was a business major.”

  “Well, that would explain that,” Molly said. “I don’t hang around with the business students. They’re far too serious.”

  “Oh, don’t say that,” Collin said, sidling up beside Harper and smiling at Molly. “Just because we want to learn how to make a lot of money doesn’t mean we don’t want to have fun, too.”

  “Did you follow me?” Harper asked, shifting her attention to Collin.

  “The mean cop said he didn’t have any other questions for me and let me go,” Collin said, shrugging. “I saw you over here with your friend. I never got a chance to properly apologize for what my brother said to you over there so I thought I would do it now.”

  “It’s not your fault that your brother is a jerkwad,” Harper said, patting Collin’s shoulder. “You were perfectly pleasant. That’s all that matters. You can’t hold yourself accountable for other people’s actions.”

  “If that’s true how come you always apologize to the grocery clerk when I hold up the cantaloupes to my chest and ask you to squeeze my melons?” Zander asked.

  “Because that’s just … not funny,” Harper replied.

  “Says you,” Zander grumbled. “I happen to think it’s very funny.”

  “And that’s why you’re not allowed to go to the farmer’s market in the summer without an escort,” Harper shot back.

  Molly smirked at Zander and Harper’s antics. She was used to them. Her flirty eyes were fixed on Collin, though. “I’ve seen you around,” she said. “You’re always with that blond boy with the bad attitude, right?”

  “My brother,” Collin said. “If he’s ever said anything inappropriate to you, I apologize.”

  “He just asked to touch my melons,” Molly joked, leaning closer to Collin and twirling her bobbed hair around her finger.

  Harper wasn’t great on picking up body language, but Molly’s was obvious. She was interested in Collin. Unfortunately, while Collin looked friendly, his interest in the fuchsia-haired siren was hard to read.

  “We should get going,” Harper said. “Molly, I’ll see you at work. Collin, it was very nice to meet you.”

  “You, too.”

  Zander followed Harper, surprised to find her moving back in the direction of the university center. “Where are we going?”

  “I’m playing a hunch.”

  “What hunch?”

  “I’m going to hide in the bushes and see if I can listen to Officer Stick-Up-His-Butt and see if he finds anything out.”

  “Is that really a good idea?” Zander wasn’t thrilled at the prospect.

  “Probably not. I’m still going to do it. No one says you have to come.”

  “We’ve already been over this,” Zander said. “We’re a team. Just for the record, though, you really are Trixie Belden.”

  “And don’t you forget it.”

  “YOU saw Annie around campus but never had the occasion to talk to her? Is that what you’re saying?” Jared’s patience with Jay was starting to wear thin. While his brother was open and cordial, Jay was displaying at least three diagnosable personality disorders – and narcissism was the most pleasant one.

  “I talked to her a few times,” Jay conceded.

  “Did you ask her out?”

  “You don�
�t really date in college,” Jay said, talking down to Jared as if he was a pitiable older gentleman who wasn’t quick on the uptake when it came to the comings and goings of a younger generation. “You hook up and then turn it out.”

  “Did you hook up with Annie?” Jared asked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. He almost wished he’d left Harper to her questions when it came to this guy. If he spent five more minutes with him he was going to have to throttle him just to put an end to the drivel trickling out of his mouth.

  “She wanted to, but she also wanted to make me beg for it and Jay Graham doesn’t beg.”

  He apparently talked about himself in the third person, though, Jared internally mused. “In other words you asked her out and she said no,” he said. “Did you just let it go or did you try to force the issue?”

  Jay finally registered an emotion and it was disbelief. “I don’t force anything,” he said. “People beg for the privilege to hang out with me. I don’t beg them for anything. I don’t have to. I’m very popular.”

  “That won’t last very long,” Jared muttered.

  “Excuse me?” Jay was back to being full of himself.

  “Trust me. Once you’re out of a closed environment like this you’re going to find out that the only one you impress with that attitude is yourself.”

  “I don’t have to take this,” Jay grumbled.

  “I’m almost done,” Jared said. “All I want to know is if you ever saw Annie on campus with anyone who would strike you as suspicious.”

  “I don’t know where you hang out, but most people don’t wear their ‘I’m a murderer’ shirts in public here,” Jay replied.

  “Is that a no?”

  “Well … .” Jay broke off, chewing on his bottom lip as he considered how to answer.

  “We’re not going to arrest someone just because you pointed us in their direction,” Jared said.

  “I did see her with someone a couple of times,” Jay conceded. “At first I thought they were talking about class assignments but then … well … I saw them down by the pond and they were making out.”

  “What is this student’s name?”

  “That’s the thing, he’s not a student,” Jay said. “He’s a professor.”

  Jared’s interest was genuinely piqued now. “What’s this professor’s name?”

  “Michael Dalton,” Jay answered. “He teaches a few economics classes and one business advertising course.”

  “How many times did you see him with Annie?”

  “At least three times,” Jay said.

  “Can you point us in the direction of the business building?” Jared asked.

  Jay did as instructed.

  Jared thanked him for his time and as he was about to turn and leave Jay pulled his attention back to him.

  “If you could leave out the part of this where I’m the one who told you about Professor Dalton’s relationship with Annie that would be great,” Jay said.

  “Why is that?”

  “He’s my professor and I really want to pass.”

  Jared smirked. He hated the guy and yet he understood his plight. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us. No one will know where the information came from.”

  As Jared moved past the thick grove of bushes he didn’t look behind the purple blooms. If he had he would have seen Harper and Zander exchanging excited looks.

  “Well done, Trixie Belden,” Zander whispered. “I’ll never doubt your spying skills again.”

  Seven

  Professor Michael Dalton was surprised to find two police officers standing outside of his office when he opened the door. Jared tried to gauge the man from a few feet away, but the only emotion he saw reflected on the handsome instructor’s face was shock.

  Jared could see why a twenty-one-year-old woman would be attracted to the man. At thirty-five years of age, he was young enough to retain all of the physical attributes associated with youth and yet he was still old enough to give off an air of maturity.

  For some reason, Jared didn’t like him on sight. “We hate to bother you, Professor Dalton, but we have a matter of some urgency to discuss with you.”

  “My office hours are over with for the day,” Dalton said, running a hand through his brown hair. It was long enough to give him that “dangerous” look women love so much and yet well maintained so people didn’t mistake him for a student. “I will have open hours again between noon and two tomorrow.”

  Jared had to give the guy credit. He was surprised by the appearance of police officers and yet he wasn’t ceding his power position without a fight.

  “We’re not here to talk about your curriculum, sir,” Mel said, exchanging an amused look with Jared. “We’re here on official business and it doesn’t include whatever textbook you’re hawking in your class.”

  Dalton scowled. “All you had to do was say that your questions couldn’t wait,” he said. “There’s no reason to be jerks.”

  “I wasn’t aware we were being jerks,” Jared replied, his immovable cop face in place. “Can we come inside?”

  “I guess.” Dalton was resigned.

  Once everyone was settled, Jared cut right to the chase. “Professor Dalton, it has come to our attention that you have a romantic relationship with one of your students,” he said.

  “That’s not against the law.”

  “I didn’t say it was against the law,” Jared said, tugging on his limited patience. “We need some information about your relationship … .”

  “It’s no one’s business who I’m dating,” Dalton said, cutting Jared off before he could finish his sentence. “No one here is underage. Everyone here can legally consent. I don’t understand why you guys are making such a big deal about this. Did Jackie complain or something?”

  Jared faltered, confused at the shift in the conversation. He took a moment to regroup and then plowed on. “Professor Dalton, no one cares that you’re dating a student. I have no idea who Jackie is. We’re here to talk to you about Annie Dresden.”

  “Annie?” Dalton leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck as he realized Jared and Mel were in his office for something other than what he was expecting. “What about Annie? She didn’t show up for class today.”

  “You dated her, right?”

  “I don’t think that ‘date’ is the right word,” Dalton said. “We spent a little time together. We were never officially a couple. Is Annie saying I did something to her or something? If so, you should know she didn’t take the fact that I didn’t want a relationship with her very well and she threatened to make a scene because she said I broke her heart.”

  That was a lot of information to absorb and Jared wasn’t sure where to start with his next round of questions. “Are you saying you’re not currently involved with Annie Dresden?”

  “We were never involved,” Dalton said. “I just told you that.”

  “Sir, we have witnesses who saw you kissing Annie down by the pond,” Jared said. He had no idea why the man was lying, but Jared was on alert. Something else was going on here.

  “So what? I said we weren’t dating,” Dalton said. “I never said we didn’t have sex.”

  Jared was floored by the instructor’s cavalier attitude. “Excuse me?”

  As if sensing that Jared’s temper was about to get the better of him Mel stepped in smoothly. “Sir, when did your sexual relationship with Miss Dresden end?”

  “I don’t know,” Dalton said. “We had sex four times. When she called to ask me to dinner I declined and explained I was going out with someone else and she flipped out.”

  “Do you date a lot of your students?” Jared asked, a nerve ticking in his tight jaw.

  “I don’t think ‘date’ is the right word,” Dalton said.

  Jared was at his wit’s end. “Sir, I don’t know if you’re trying to play a game here, but I’m in no mood to put up with any of … this.”

  “You came to me,” Dalton reminded him.

  “I’m not
interested in rephrasing questions to get them semantically right,” Jared said. “I want to know how long you dated Annie Dresden and when the last time you saw her was. Period.”

  “I’m also interested in how many of your students you date at once,” Mel added.

  Dalton was surprised by Jared’s vehemence. “I … don’t know. I told you we slept together a few times. Annie thought we were embarking on a relationship. When I told her that wasn’t the case she accused me of using her and had a fit.”

  “How did you respond?” Mel asked.

  “I suggested that taking someone else’s class next semester would probably be the smartest way to go.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?” Jared asked.

  “Um … I’m going to say the day before yesterday,” Dalton said. “She was in class, but we didn’t speak. She gave me some dirty looks and I ignored them. She was being pretty pathetic, if you ask me. It’s not like we were in love or anything.”

  Jared fought the urge to punch the man. His blasé attitude was beyond grating. “Where were you last night?”

  While the medical examiner was still working on Annie’s body he did provide Mel and Jared with a few tidbits to start their investigation besides her identification. He put the time of death around 10 p.m. the previous evening and said she was dead before she hit the water. The other details would take more time.

  “I … what is this about?” Dalton asked.

  “Answer the question,” Jared ordered.

  “Not until you tell me what this is about,” Dalton replied, holding firm.

  “Annie Dresden was found dead on the beach in Whisper Cove today,” Mel supplied. “We need to know your whereabouts last evening, sir.”

  “Oh, my … .” Dalton looked genuinely shocked. “I … how did she die?”

  “We’re still working that out,” Mel said. “We need to know where you were last night.”

  “I was at home.”

  “Can anyone verify that?” Jared asked.

  Dalton narrowed his eyes until they were dangerous slits. “What exactly are you insinuating?”

  “I’m not insinuating anything,” Jared countered. “I’m trying to ascertain if you have a witness to your alibi.”