Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3) (10 page)

“Probably,” Josh said. “I came to find you guys because they’re about to discover another body. This one is the mistress of the man who died earlier. It’s going to be very soap opera-y. You don’t want to miss it.”

“We definitely don’t want to miss that,” Jared said, reaching for Harper’s hand. “We’re still going to bed early, though. Don’t forget that.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

J
ared woke
up to the sound of voices the next morning. He figured it was Zander and Harper doing their regular ritual and discarded it as he tried to drift back off, but a rumble of thunder jerked him back to reality.

“Wait a second.”

Jared rolled to his side and found Harper sitting with her back propped up against the pillows. Her cell phone was on top of her bent knees and she was Skyping with Zander.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Jared grumbled. “Even when we’re on vacation he ends up in bed with us.”

“We’re talking about serious business things,” Harper said. “I’m sorry, but he needed a few answers and I promised I would be available to help him if things popped up. You heard us say we were going to Skype every morning. I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Jared offered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I didn’t realize it was business.”

“Well, it is,” Harper said. “Go on, Zander.”

“So, anyway, I call Eric to tell him not to bother coming in to work today because of the weather and … well … we have no clients, which is a whole other issue, and I swear I heard a woman in the background,” Zander said. “She called his name and said that breakfast was ready.”

“Maybe it was his mother.”

“Mothers don’t giggle like that when they’re with their sons,” Zander replied. “It’s unnatural … and potentially gross and illegal.”

“How is this about work?” Jared asked.

“Eric is my employee,” Harper replied, unruffled. “That makes it about work.”

“I don’t ever want to hear you say that you don’t gossip again,” Jared chided shifting so he could prop himself up next to Harper and get a gander at Zander through the tiny screen. He wanted to laugh because Zander was in his pajamas and still in bed. In a way, it was like they all really were in bed together. “Harper claimed she doesn’t gossip last night. How do you feel about that?”

Zander snorted. “If we didn’t gossip, we’d have absolutely nothing to talk about except for your nipples and my good looks.”

“I told you,” Jared said, his eyes flashing as he ignored the dig about his nipples. “How are things in Whisper Cove? Is Mel holding up the fort without me?”

“Uncle Mel is fine,” Zander answered. “He misses your handsome face, but when I told him about your abnormally large nipples he got uncomfortable and hung up. You’ve got that reaction to look forward to when you get back, Jared.”

“I can’t wait,” Jared deadpanned, glancing at the window. “It’s really coming down out there again. When I heard you guys talking I assumed it was another morning in Harper’s bed because I was confused, and then I heard the storm and remembered where I was.”

“We actually do have a legitimate reason to talk,” Harper said.

“Yes, Harper misses me and can’t live without me,” Zander said. “You need to remember that.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Jared said. “Did you have another reason for calling?”

“I did,” Harper confirmed. “I wanted Zander to see if he could convince Eric to run a search on Alice Thorpe.”

“That’s actually a good idea,” Jared said, rubbing his hand over his stubbled jaw. “That’s a really good idea. I thought you could ask Linden if we ran into him today, but you shut me down on that pretty quickly last night. How come?”

“Josh is dealing with enough and if Linden is going through half as much as his son, he’s already got a lot on his plate,” Harper explained. “Besides that, if something terrible happened to Alice Thorpe, asking questions about her is going to rile some feathers if we’re not careful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it,” Harper prodded. “Alice Thorpe’s ghost is here. When I asked her where she was going to be she pointed at the cemetery. If she has no ties to the Stokes family – and she must not if Josh doesn’t know who she is – how did she end up dead out here?”

“That’s actually a very good question,” Jared said. “Maybe the answer is simple. Maybe Alice died in an accident. Maybe Josh doesn’t know about her because no one ever talks about the accident. We don’t know it’s a murder.”

“We don’t,” Harper agreed. “We don’t know it’s not a murder either.”

“Most ghosts hang around because something really bad happened to them,” Zander offered. “We’ve had a few accidents keep people around, and even fewer people die in their sleep and just get confused so they hang on. The vast majority of ghosts remain behind because they died violently and want revenge.”

“Okay, let’s talk about that,” Jared said. “If Alice was murdered, we’re thinking it was sometime in the eighties, right?”

“How old is Josh?” Harper asked.

“He was born in 1988.”

“Okay, if Alice died here in the eighties and Josh was born in 1988, she could’ve conceivably died before Josh’s birth,” Harper said. “Her hair indicates eighties fashion, but when I saw her ghost it was still big but somehow tamed from what we saw in that photograph.”

“The eighties really were unkind to fashion,” Zander mused. “I wonder who thought of ratting hair and overdosing on Aqua Net, took a look in the mirror and said ‘that looks awesome, we should start a trend’ and then showed that hairstyle to other people? It’s just unnatural.”

Harper couldn’t stop herself from giggling and even Jared was amused. “People toned down the ratting late in the eighties but still had big hair, right?” she asked.

“Pretty much,” Zander replied. “I’m not an expert on the era because I think it should be wiped from the history books, but that sounds about right.”

“That would mean she died in the late eighties,” Jared supplied. “Once the nineties and Nirvana hit, the excess of the eighties was a thing of the past and angst and pouting of the slacker generation was the new trend.”

“Ah, the introduction of flannel as a legitimate fashion choice instead of the last resort for lumberjacks,” Zander said. “That was also a horrible time for fashion.”

“I’m guessing Alice died after Josh’s birth, but there’s no way of knowing until we can talk to her,” Harper said. “There’s no way to find her until these storms pass. Do we know more about when they’re going to end?”

“I think they’re supposed to roll through all day,” Zander answered. “I slept like a baby last night. I love a good thunderstorm. Was it loud out on the island?”

“I couldn’t hear over Harper’s snoring,” Jared replied.

“I do not snore,” Harper said, playfully slapping Jared’s arm. “That’s you.”

“I didn’t snore,” Jared argued. “After our bath, I was out like a light.”

“Yes, Harper told me about your baths and the hopping soap,” Zander said. “That’s very original.”

Jared shot Harper a disgusted look. “Do you have to tell him everything?”

“Pretty much.”

“Can’t you leave a few things for just you and me to know about?” Jared prodded. “I’m not talking about everything, just a few things.”

“I guess,” Harper said, giving in. “Do you want to take a shower and not tell him about it?”

“You just told him about it,” Jared pointed out.

“That was an accident.”

“Whatever,” Jared made a face and turned his attention back to Zander. “If you find anything out about Alice Thorpe, give us a call. I’m not sure where to look for information on her and we don’t exactly have access to computers out here.”

“I’m on it,” Zander said. “I’m bored anyway. It will probably be the most fun I have all day, which is a little sad. Maybe I’ll turn a
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
marathon on to entertain myself while I’m doing it.”

“Don’t be a cliché,” Harper said.

“It’s not being cliché when I make fun of them,” Zander said. “I can’t seem to help myself.”

“Okay, well … make sure and mock them for me, too,” Harper said.

“I definitely will.”

“Other than that, I think we’re all caught up,” Jared said, reaching for the phone.

“What are you doing?” Zander asked, wrinkling his nose. “Don’t you even think about disconnecting that phone. I’m not done talking to Harper yet.”

“Oh, you’re done talking to Harper,” Jared said. “It’s time for us to do something private and for you to be cut out of the information highway. We’ll call you if we get anything … and I’m pretty sure Harper will call you this afternoon when she thinks I’m not looking because she’ll want to gossip again.”

“Don’t you hang up that phone,” Zander warned.

“Goodbye, Zander.”

“You still have huge nipples!”

J
OSH
was already seated
at what Harper had come to consider “their” table when she and Jared made their way into the dining room shortly before nine. He greeted them with a wide smile and pushed the carafe of coffee in their direction.

“You two look happy this morning,” he said. “Did you have fun going to bed early last night?”

“I’m not answering that question on the grounds that it might upset Harper and I don’t want to risk that in case I need a nap this afternoon,” Jared answered, pouring mugs of coffee for both of them. “How was the murder mystery event after we left?”

“Oh, well, the guests had fun going through the clues regarding the affair,” Josh answered. “They were pretty spicy. I have to hand it to the guy who wrote them because there was a lot of giggling and suggestive winks.”

“Oh, really?” Harper asked, sipping her coffee. “How did that go over?”

“Let’s just say you and Jared weren’t the only ones to retire early and leave it at that, shall we?”

“I’m fine with that,” Jared said. “What’s the news on the weather? Zander filled us in a little bit, but he’s prone to dramatic fits so I want to hear it from you just to be on the safe side.”

“You already talked to Zander this morning?” Josh asked, his eyes lighting up. “Did you talk to each other as a group, or was this an individual thing?”

“I know what you’re thinking and I don’t care if you make fun of me,” Jared said. “I woke up to Harper and Zander talking and thought I was back at Harper’s house. It turns out they were Skyping – ostensibly about work – and they had gossip to share. We also talked about the weather.”

“How fun,” Josh said, smirking. “Well, as for the weather, we’re definitely stuck here for the day. The storms are supposed to roll through with breaks in between, but even during the breaks it’s supposed to drizzle.

“The ferry is not making any crossings today and there’s a good chance it won’t tomorrow either,” he continued. “It’s probably a good thing that this event is scheduled to go on for a few more days, because if people wanted to leave and couldn’t we would be in a world of hurt.”

“That’s true,” Harper said, leaning back in her chair. “Does this affect that game at all? Were any of the clues outside?”

“We were going to have a body discovered in the stable, but that’s definitely out,” Josh answered. “Instead we’re moving things to the third floor and doing it up there. That allows everyone to spread out looking for clues.”

“That’s probably a good thing,” Jared said. “I have a feeling that this group is going to make me feel claustrophobic after being trapped for a few hours under the same roof together. They’re nice people, but they’re odd.”

“You just told me that you Skyped from bed with your girlfriend and her best friend and you all gossiped together,” Josh pointed out. “Who is weird in that scenario?”

Jared frowned. “You’re right,” he said. “You’ve turned me into a weirdo, Heart. I hope you’re happy.”

“No one made you gossip with us,” Harper pointed out. “You’re the one who told him we were showering together. Now he’s going to want details when he calls this afternoon and you’re going to have to be there to supply them because I’m not allowed to tell him on my own thanks to your new decree about keeping some things in our relationship private.”

“You’re talking to him again this afternoon?” Josh was flabbergasted. “When did you turn into a girl, man?”

“Don’t demean him,” Harper chided. “You shouldn’t use the word ‘girl’ as a derogatory term, by the way. I’m a girl and I happen to like being a girl.”

“I happen to like that you’re a girl, too,” Jared said, his smile charming. “This would be a very different relationship if you weren’t.”

“You can say that again,” Josh said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you. You’re so … smitten. It’s sick.”

“I am smitten,” Jared agreed, fondly tugging on a strand of Harper’s hair. “I didn’t expect it, but it really is great.”

“I guess I’m really happy for you then,” Josh said. “I should probably stop hitting on your girlfriend, huh? If you’re smitten, it would be mean to go after her.”

“I don’t care if you go after her,” Jared said. “You’ll never catch her, though. She’s too good for you.”

“But she’s not too good for you?”

“She’s probably too good for me, too,” Jared conceded. “That doesn’t mean I’m letting her go, though. I haven’t been with her long, but I already know I would be lost without her.”

“Ugh,” Harper intoned, making a face. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I know. I think I’m going to be sick,” Josh deadpanned. “You two have given me indigestion.”

“Well, I’m starving,” Harper said, her eyes locked on Jared’s. “I already know how I’m going to work off this big meal, though, and it has absolutely nothing to do with walking.”

“And that’s why I adore you,” Jared said, shifting his head so he could scan the dining room. “Where is the waiter? We’ve got a schedule to keep.”

“Yup, I’m definitely going to be sick,” Josh said.

“
T
hey look happy
.”

Linden moved up next to Josh and smiled as he watched Harper and Jared snuggle in a corner chair in the lobby later that morning. They had a book open, but there wasn’t a lot of reading going on. Instead there was a lot of kissing and giggling going on, and whatever they kept whispering to one another was amusing both of them enough that they managed to tune out the rest of the guests and forge their own little world.

“They do look happy,” Josh agreed, his expression rueful. “I never thought Jared would be the settling down type. I thought he would find it boring. He always had a restless spirit. He doesn’t look bored, though, does he?”

Linden chuckled. “He certainly doesn’t look bored.”

The two men lapsed into comfortable silence for a moment, smiling in unison when Harper chortled thanks to a shared joke.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Linden asked, turning his full attention to his son. “You seem … sad.”

“Nothing is wrong,” Josh said hurriedly. “I’m glad everyone is here … and I’m especially glad Jared is here.”

“You’re feeling wistful,” Linden prodded. “You thought you had antsy feet until you saw Jared’s feet planted firmly on the ground. You thought he was playing a joke when he told you he was bringing a girlfriend. Even when you first met her you thought it was an extended game.

“You’ve watched them for a few days now and you realize it’s not a game,” he continued. “You were happy with your life because you thought it was what you wanted until you saw Jared living another life and now you’re wondering if you would be happier living another life.”

“That was quite the mouthful,” Josh joked.

“Am I wrong?”

Josh sighed as Jared tickled Harper’s ribs and she bit her lip to muffle a squeal. They really did look euphoric. “You’re not wrong,” he said. “I didn’t realize that I might want a relationship until it became apparent that I was missing out by not having one.

“I’ve never seen Jared this happy,” he continued. “He was a real ladies’ man in college. The women swooned when he was around. He was always pleasant and respectful around them, but you could tell settling down wasn’t on his mind.

“He never had a girlfriend,” Josh said. “He was never in a real relationship. I think Harper is the only one he’s ever really bonded with enough to form a relationship.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Why would it bother me?” Josh asked evasively.

“I’ve seen you with Jared and Harper,” Linden said. “You keep making jokes about going after her, but I think part of you would if she wasn’t with one of your oldest friends.”

“Harper is great,” Josh said. “She’s with Jared, though. I’m only flirting with her to drive him crazy. That’s the way things go between us. It’s a guy thing.”

“I’m well aware of how the male brain works,” Linden said, chuckling. “While I’m not advocating going after Harper – and I’m really not because she’s clearly taken – you could always find someone else to form a relationship with.”

“There’s a lot going on around here right now,” Josh said. “That’s a concern for another time.”

“You can’t run away from love, son,” Linden said. “It will find you no matter what. I get the distinct impression Jared wasn’t looking for love when he found Harper, and yet look at them now.”

“And look at you and Mom,” Josh challenged. “Relationships are great when you’re floating on clouds like Jared and Harper. What happens when things shift and the love disappears? I don’t have time for distractions right now. That might change down the road, but for now I have to focus on the business.”

“I understand that,” Linden said. “Don’t sell your personal life short to propel your business life, though. I learned the hard way about that. You won’t find happiness down that road. You need to find a way to balance both desires.”

“I’ll take that under consideration,” Josh said. “Until then I’m going to see to our guests. If this storm doesn’t ease up soon everyone is going to start committing real murders out of boredom.”

“Well, at least it would be a change of pace,” Linden quipped.

“
T
HIS
being ‘rained
in’ together isn’t such a bad thing,” Jared said, pressing his palm against Harper’s flat abdomen as he snuggled her close and nuzzled her neck. “It’s giving me ideas.”

“You don’t need a storm to give you those ideas,” Harper teased. “You have those ideas twenty-four hours a day.”

“I guess I can’t argue with that,” Jared said, brushing Harper’s hair out of her face. “I still have ideas.”

“Before we get to your ideas, I need to run to the bathroom,” Harper said, playfully nipping the corner of Jared’s mouth. “If you wait for me to finish that task I promise to play whatever game you’re cooking up in that perverted mind of yours.”

“Whatever game?” Jared challenged, arching an eyebrow. “That could be a dangerous assertion, little lady.”

“Whatever game,” Harper confirmed. “I really have to go to the bathroom, though. I don’t know if it’s the sound of the rain coming down outside or what, but my bladder is starting to complain loud enough to drown everything else out.”

“Then go,” Jared said, playfully swatting Harper’s rear end and pushing her to a standing position. “I’ll be here thinking of a game to play. Keep in mind that the longer you take in the bathroom, the more time I’ll have to let my diabolical nature come out to play. You’ve been warned.”

“You have the oddest sense of humor sometimes,” Harper said, dropping a quick kiss on Jared’s mouth before heading toward the restroom.

Jared wasn’t alone long because Josh settled in the nearby chair moments after Harper vacated the area.

“Were you waiting for Harper to leave so you could talk to me privately?” Jared asked, already knowing the answer.

“Of course not,” Josh said, shaking his head. “You looked lonely without your blonde. I was just filling in until she returns.”

“That’s not what you’re doing and we both know it,” Jared said. “You want to know what happened by the road and you’re trying to decide if you should bring it up or let it go. You forget that I know you. You’re a curious guy. You can’t let things like this go, and I get it. It really is nothing, though.”

“Jared, I know you’ve pretty much fallen head over heels for her, but she was talking to air,” Josh said, keeping his voice low. “She was having a conversation with someone only she could see. Are you honestly saying that doesn’t worry you?”

Jared licked his lips as he bought himself time to decide how to answer. “Are you worried that she’s crazy for talking to herself or I’m crazy for being with her?”

Josh’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “I wasn’t insinuating either,” he protested. “I like Harper. She seems fun and she makes you laugh. That’s good enough for me no matter what. I would be lying if I said that her staring at a bare spot in the driveway and talking to someone who obviously wasn’t there as a storm was about to hit wasn’t troublesome, but that’s your business.”

“And yet you’re over here making it your business,” Jared challenged. “Listen, man, I know you’ve only got my best interests at heart, but you really are out of line. Harper is a good person – and I promise she’s completely sane. Er, well, mostly sane. There are times when she gets together with Zander where I’m certain they should be locked up in a mental ward. Other than that, though, she is not only sane but bright and intelligent.”

“I’m happy you’ve found her,” Josh said. “I really am. She makes you smile and you seem almost … delighted … every time she opens her mouth. What I saw out at the road yesterday was really weird, though.”

“I’m sure it was … to you,” Jared said. “I’m not bothered by it.”

Josh’s expression was thoughtful as he looked Jared up and down. “That’s because you know what she was really doing, don’t you?”

Jared feigned ignorance. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“You know what she was doing out by the road,” Josh said. “When you came in from your trip Harper made a beeline for you. You could tell she was upset and when I approached and told you what was going on you were surprised.

“At first I thought you were surprised to hear Harper was talking to herself and you went out of your way to cover for her,” he continued. “That’s not the case, though. You weren’t surprised I told you what was going on. You were surprised by what was actually going on.”

“I have no idea what you just said,” Jared said truthfully. “You lost me somewhere in there.”

“Harper has a secret,” Josh said, knitting his eyebrows together. “Harper has a secret and you know it. Huh.”

“Harper is an open book,” Jared argued. “She doesn’t have a secret.”

“Oh, no, now I’m intrigued,” Josh said. “Harper has a secret. I’m just dying to find out what it is.”

H
ARPER
was
in a good mood when she left the restroom and turned back toward the lobby. Despite the weather and ghost – and the small part of her heart missing Zander, which she would never admit to Jared – she was having a great time.

She’d never been on vacation with a boyfriend before. It seemed weird to say given her age, but it was true. Before Jared showed up in her life, Harper made everything about GHI and Zander. Her parents wandered in and out when they were feeling dramatic or wanted attention, but it was a fairly boring life.

Jared changed all of that.

Harper was lost in her own mind – a few dirty games to play later with Jared flitting through her head – when she passed by the library. She thought it was empty until a flash of movement in the corner of the room caught her attention.

Harper turned back and walked into the library, internally sighing at the sheer beauty of the room as she focused on Hal Baker. She hadn’t seen the man since his fake death to start the game, and he looked downtrodden as he peered out the window.

The lighting in the library wasn’t great, most of the illumination coming from twin antique chandeliers, but Harper didn’t miss the despondent look on Hal’s face as she approached.

“You look like you’ve had better days,” Harper said. “What’s wrong? Does death have you down?”

“You have no idea.” Hal didn’t even bother glancing in Harper’s direction.

“I hear your character was quite the cad,” Harper said, watching Hal closely for clues to his mood. He seemed almost angry. She couldn’t help but wonder if the weather was delaying his departure from the hotel. Since his character was already dead, he might not want to hang around for the rest of the game if he didn’t have to. “Are you stuck here?”

“That would be my guess.”

“The weather is supposed to break tomorrow,” Harper offered. “I think they’ve pushed it off until later in the afternoon, but this will get better. Of course, the problem after that is the ferry. They won’t resume operations until they’re convinced the trip won’t be choppy.”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t have to worry about that,” Hal said, his gazed fixed on a point outside the window.

“Hal, is something wrong?” Harper asked, growing tired of his attitude and chilly conversational tactics. “If you need help with something … or to talk … .”

“That’s pretty funny considering … everything,” Hal said, finally turning and locking gazes with Harper. “What should we talk about? I know. Let’s talk about me being dead.”

Harper was even more confused now than she was when they started the conversation. “Were you supposed to die later in the game or something? Is that why you’re upset? If so, maybe I’m misunderstanding something, but it’s still just a game. There’s no reason to get your nose out of joint.”

“Right. There’s no reason to get my nose out of joint,” Hal said, rolling his eyes with enough force Harper was surprised they didn’t make a break for it and run away from his head. “There’s no reason to be upset. I’m only dead. I should suck it up. Is that what you’re saying?”

“I … .” Harper tried to wrap her head around Hal’s anger and look at things from his perspective. She often found that helpful when dealing with a situation she didn’t fully understand. The problem was, when she did that, she still thought Hal was being ridiculous. “Maybe you should talk to one of the other actors,” she suggested. “They might know how to make you feel better.”

“Unless they’re somehow magical and can bring me back from the dead, I don’t see that happening,” Hal said. “Now, do you mind? I was pouting alone and that’s what I want to return to doing.”

“Listen, Hal, you’re obviously upset,” Harper prodded. “There’s no reason to take it out on me, though. I didn’t decide the order of everyone’s death. It’s not like you’re really dead. Get a little perspective.”

“Perspective?” Hal’s eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. “Perspective?” He lifted his hand in front of the window and thanks to the added light – even though it was still muted – Harper realized what she’d missed upon first inspection.

“Oh, no.”

“Yes, oh no,” Hal deadpanned, wiggling is ethereal fingers in Harper’s face for emphasis. “I’m not just fake dead. I’m really dead, too. Boo!”