Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3) (4 page)

“Ten minutes.”

“Fine,” Jared said. “Wake me when you’re done talking about my nipples.”

“
T
his place is beautiful
,” Jared said a few hours later, slowing his truck so he could take in the breathtaking Stokes Hotel as he coasted onto the driveway. The grandiose estate was four stories high, square in design with gargoyles sitting at each corner, and highlighted by gray stones that allowed the building to cut an imposing figure against the Lake St. Clair backdrop. “I can’t believe this place. I had no idea it would be like this.”

“Haven’t you ever been here before?” Harper asked, smiling as she watched Jared’s reaction. He’d taken the entire trip in stride – including riding the ferry – but he couldn’t mask his youthful exuberance. He really was excited. That made Harper happy and determined to make sure he had a good time.

“Josh told me about it when we were at college, but I guess I never understood what he was saying,” Jared replied. “He said he grew up in a big house on an island. I was picturing a beach house for some reason. This place is a mansion. Heck, this place is four mansions.”

“It’s amazing,” Harper agreed. “Zander and I used to come here from time to time when we were teenagers. He loved the art museum and I loved the water. We always used to stare at this place – it wasn’t always a hotel like it is now – and dream about what it would be like to be rich enough to own a place this big.

“Zander’s fantasy involved muscular pool boys and mine involved the world’s biggest library,” she continued. “We figured the house was big enough for us to live together and still get everything we both wanted.”

“When did it become a hotel?” Jared asked, turning his attention back to the road so he didn’t inadvertently careen off the cobblestone driveway. “Josh didn’t really talk about much of that.”

“It was a big deal on the news a few years ago,” Harper hedged. “I … well … the news reports said that the Stokes family was in financial trouble and the state was going to take the land so they had no choice but to turn it into a hotel.

“I guess they were hit hard by the economic downturn in the early part of the century and they lost a lot of the money they had put away and never fully recovered,” she continued. “This is all gossip, mind you, but I believe there was also talk of the Stokes family losing more money in the bank collapse which came a few years after that.”

“That’s too bad,” Jared said, pulling into the parking lot on the east side of the building. “I’ll bet it was cool to live in a house that has forty bedrooms. That makes hide and seek fun.”

“I think it sounds like overkill,” Harper replied. “When Zander and I used to come out here we envisioned ourselves in stocking feet sliding across hardwood and marble floors and never running out of new places to investigate. We were kind of geeks.”

“I think you guys are wonderful,” Jared said, meaning every word. “Go on.”

“Anyway, when we started really talking about it, though, the idea of a house this big seemed lonely,” Harper said. “It’s very ostentatious and gorgeous, but I think a home should feel cozy. You should feel comfortable in the space. How could you ever get comfortable in something this big?”

“That’s a good point,” Jared said. “What does your dream house look like?”

Harper shrugged. “I don’t know. I like an older house that has electrical updates. I like the idea of being close to a river. I like the lake, don’t get me wrong, but a river is more fun and gives you a more rural feeling. I want a big yard and garden. I just want something … homey.”

“I think that’s a good dream,” Jared said, killing the engine of his truck and reaching over to snag Harper’s hand. “Are you ready for this?”

“I’ll be fine,” Harper said. “I’m sorry I was so nervous before. I feel a little silly about it now, but … I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“Harper, you could never embarrass me,” Jared said. “I like you just the way you are. That’s why I couldn’t stay away from you, if you remember correctly. People here are going to see exactly what I see: A beautiful woman they want to get close to. If someone tries to hit on you, though, I’m going to pop them. That includes Josh. They may want to get close to you, but I’m the only one allowed to get close to you.”

Harper giggled. “Is Josh a ladies’ man?”

“I think we all fancied ourselves ladies’ men back in the day,” Jared replied. “I’m not sure we realized how ridiculous we were, but he’s a good guy. He’ll hit on you to irritate me, however. Trust me. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, though. It’s all an act.”

“Well, let’s do this,” Harper said, slapping her hands against her knees to motivate herself. “We’re going to a murder mystery event and I have new clothes. This has disaster written all over it.”

“You’re so stinking cute,” Jared said, cupping the back of Harper’s head and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Stick with me,” he whispered. “I’m going to give you the time of your life.”

“
J
ARED
!”

Harper snapped her head to the top of the circular stairway and smiled when she saw the handsome man descending. His face was flushed with excitement as he approached Jared, and Harper took a step back to let the men greet each other on their own terms.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” Josh said, giving Jared a one-armed man hug and grinning. “I never thought I would see the day. I missed you, man.”

“I can’t believe you live in this place,” Jared said. “I thought you were exaggerating when you described it. Apparently not.”

“I don’t exaggerate,” Josh said. “You’re the one who exaggerates.”

“That is such crap,” Jared chuckled, smiling fondly at his friend. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I missed you, too.”

Josh Stokes was pretty much what Harper envisioned. He was tall like Jared, although his hair was blond instead of dark. He was well built and muscular, his jeans hugging his hips as he amiably chatted with his friend. Unlike the staff at the hotel, who were dressed in uniforms and stiff when greeting guests, Josh was friendly and welcoming. Harper instantly liked him.

“And who is this?” Josh asked, shifting his attention to Harper. “This can’t be the girlfriend you were going on and on about over the phone, could it?”

“No,” Jared deadpanned. “I picked her up on the street during the drive.”

“Always the comedian,” Josh said, shaking his head. “I’m Josh Stokes. You must be the famous Harper Harlow.”

“I’m not sure I’m famous,” Harper hedged, extending her hand in greeting. “The Harper Harlow part is correct, though.”

“You are … freaking hot,” Josh said, grinning as he looked Harper up and down. “Jared always did like them beautiful.”

“Um … okay,” Harper said, her cheeks burning.

“Leave her alone,” Jared instructed, slipping his arm around Harper’s waist. “She’s mine. Keep your filthy hands to yourself.”

“I can see why you’re claiming her like a Neanderthal,” Josh teased, beaming at Harper. “I can’t believe you managed to get him to settle down. I thought for sure he would be a bachelor for life.”

“I’m not sure he’s settled down,” Harper hedged.

“I am,” Jared interjected. “I’m happily settled to boot. What about you? Do you have a lady love here this weekend?”

“I’m keeping my options open,” Josh replied. “You know me. I can’t settle down until I’m sure I’ve found the perfect woman. Since you’ve already locked the perfect woman up, I’ll probably end up being a bachelor for life. It’s a hard job, but somebody has to do it.”

“Ha, ha,” Jared intoned, rolling his eyes. “What are you doing these days?”

“Working for the family,” Josh replied. “I do charity events and occasional business meetings. Most of the time I handle the hotel and put out employee fires and listen to complaining guests. It’s all very boring.

“What about you, though?” he continued. “Is being a police detective everything you thought it would be? Whisper Cove can’t be much of a hotbed of activity.”

“You’d be surprised,” Jared countered. “I’ve been in town two months and already solved two murders. I also met a certain blonde … so I guess you could say life in Whisper Cove is better than I ever envisioned.”

“Good for you,” Josh said, slapping Jared’s shoulder and laughing. “What about you, Harper? What do you do?”

“Oh, my life is pretty boring,” Harper replied. “I basically run haunted tours with my best friend. We do those cemetery visits and stuff. It’s not much, but it pays the bills.”

Jared’s eyes momentarily flashed and Harper felt a ball of guilt land in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t really a lie and yet it felt dishonest. She didn’t know why she was being so evasive, but she couldn’t help herself.

“That sounds fun,” Josh said, his eyes lighting up. “You’ll be great for the game.”

“Yeah, about the game, I’m not sure we want to play,” Jared said. “I’m a cop. That gives me an unfair advantage.”

Josh derisively snorted. “I think you don’t want to play because you don’t want anyone else showing you up,” he said. “The people coming this week take these murder mysteries very seriously. They have a club and they travel all over the U.S. attending these events. I’ll bet they solve it before you even realize what’s happening.”

“I’ll take that bet,” Jared said, narrowing his eyes.

“I take it you guys are competitive,” Harper said, smirking. “Does this mean I get to watch you thump your chests and secrete testosterone all week?”

“I’m not comfortable with that secreting testosterone thing,” Jared answered. “I will be thumping my chest … but I’m waiting until we’re alone in our room to do that.”

Harper pressed her lips together and lowered her eyes, horrified by the mirthful expression on Josh’s face. “Jared,” she hissed, shifting uncomfortably.

“Oh, she’s shy,” Josh said, laughing. “I love her already. I’m going to steal her from you. I can’t believe she’s been so close and I didn’t stumble across her first. I think it’s a sign.”

“It’s definitely a sign,” Jared said. “That sign reads ‘closed.’ She’s mine. Don’t go hitting on my girl. I’ll have to beat you.”

“Promises, promises,” Josh said. “Well, come on. We’ll get you two checked in and let you get settled. I have a surprise waiting for you upstairs that I think Harper is going to love.”

“
I
CAN’T
believe this
,” Harper said, exhaling heavily as she glanced around the humongous suite. “I … Jared, did you know they were going to give us one of the four corner rooms?”

Jared lifted his eyebrows and smirked as he watched Harper flit from one end of the suite to the other. She was enamored with the room and everything in it, including the antique furniture.

“I didn’t know that corner rooms existed,” Jared admitted. “I asked for a beautiful room because I wanted to impress you, but I was not expecting this. It’s pretty nice, huh?”

“Nice?” Harper widened her eyes to almost comical proportions. “Nice? I feel like a princess.”

“You’re my princess,” Jared said, snagging Harper around the waist and twirling her. He pressed her body against his and kissed her, loving the way she melted against him. When they finally separated, they were both out of breath. “Well, princess, what do you want to do first?” Jared had specific ideas, and he hoped Harper was up to the challenge.

“I want to check out the balcony.”

Jared frowned. “I thought we would check out the bed first.”

“Oh, we’re going to do that,” Harper said. “I want to check out the balcony first, though. Once we’re in that bed, I know we’re not coming up for hours.”

“Okay,” Jared conceded, linking his fingers with hers and letting her lead him to the ornate French doors on the far side of the room. “Let’s check out the balcony.”

Harper threw open the doors, her excitement contagious as she stepped through them. She gasped when the lake sprang into view and then sighed as she took in the rest of the surroundings. “Look at this.”

Despite himself, Jared was impressed. “This is … wow. I didn’t know Michigan had views like this so far south.”

“Can we hang out on the balcony after dark?” Harper asked, her eyes twinkling. “No one will be able to see us because we’re isolated on the corner and … well … I’ve had specific fantasies about these balconies since I was old enough to have
those
kind of fantasies.”

“Heart, you had me at fantasies,” Jared teased, kissing the tip of her nose. “It’s too bright to do that out here right now, though. I’m a cop. I would hate to have to arrest myself for lewd behavior.”

“I know,” Harper said.

“Does that mean we can check out the bed?” Jared was hopeful.

“That means we can check out that awesome claw foot tub that’s big enough to swim in and take a bath,” Harper countered. “Then we can check out the bed.”

“Hey, there’s nudity involved in both of those options,” Jared said. “I’m up for whatever you want to do.”

“Does that include bubbles?”

Jared grinned. “What’s a bath without bubbles?”

“Boring,” Harper said, shuffling excitedly toward the bathroom. “This is already the best vacation ever.”

“It really is,” Jared said, following her. “Let’s take a bath. Bubble me up, baby.”

“
I
don’t know
if I should wear this.”

Harper stood in front of the mirror and studied her black dress. It was a simple frock, boasting thin spaghetti straps, a modest neckline, and a skirt that ended three inches above her knees, but she still felt overdressed.

Jared shifted his tie knot into place as he looked her up and down. “You look amazing.”

Harper lifted her blue eyes to Jared’s and bit her lip. He’d never seen her unsure of herself in any situation. Her reticence now was cute. “I have an idea,” Jared said, grabbing his cell phone off the table and punching in Zander’s number.

Zander didn’t bother with small talk. “Is she freaking out?”

Jared chuckled. “She looks like a dream and yet she doesn’t think the dress looks good on her,” he said. “I thought you could handle this situation.”

“Absolutely,” Zander said. “Put her on the phone.”

Harper knit her eyebrows together and scowled as she took the phone from Jared. “He’s exaggerating.”

Jared smirked as he watched Harper talk to Zander, enjoying the way she fidgeted and twirled in front of the mirror. She had no idea how beautiful she looked, which was one of the things he liked best about her.

“I’m not being a pill, Zander,” Harper snapped. “I just … you know I have issues with dresses. Do you remember what happened at the senior dance when I wore that pink dress I found at the mall?”

Jared crossed his arms over his chest and patiently waited while Harper listened to whatever diatribe Zander launched into on the other end of the call.

“Oh, that’s not true,” Harper said. “That dress was beautiful. It wasn’t doing me a favor when you stepped on it and it ripped resulting in no one seeing it. You’re crazy.”

After a few more minutes of sparring, Harper ended the call and handed Jared his phone.

“Better?” Jared asked.

“I guess,” Harper hedged. “I’m not a big fan of you turning Zander into your ally and my enemy, though. He’s my best friend.”

“Which means you trust him to tell you the truth when you’re still wondering if I’m schmoozing you to boost your ego,” Jared said. “It’s okay. That’s how a relationship works. You look beautiful, though, and I don’t want you thinking otherwise.”

“And it’s just dinner first, right?” Harper pressed. “We don’t start the game right away, do we?”

“My understanding is that the game doesn’t start right away,” Jared replied. “That means you can enjoy your food – and get to know everyone – without your competitive side taking over.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You like to win,” Jared said. “You can say whatever you want about playing the game because we’re guests, but you want to win. I know you.”

Harper frowned. “I hardly think … .”

Jared held up his hand to cut her off. “I want to win, too,” he said. “At first I thought the game was going to be a distraction that I didn’t want when I could be holed up with you. Now I realize we can do both. With us working as a team, no one is going to be able to touch us.”

Harper fought the urge to smile … and lost. “You know there aren’t going to be any real ghosts here to help us win the game, right?”

Jared shrugged. “I know there’s a really beautiful woman here to entertain me no matter what, so I think we’re going to be okay.”

“You’re full of charm,” Harper said, taking a step toward Jared so she could kiss his cheek. She wiped away her lipstick remains and smiled. “Thank you for being you.”

“Oh, no,” Jared countered. “Thank you for being you. Now, come on. I could use some appetizers. We worked up an appetite this afternoon.”

“That was you,” Harper said, laughing as Jared ushered her toward the door. “I’ve never seen anyone that excited to take a bath before.”

“Just wait until it’s time to take another one,” Jared said. “I’m going to add more bubbles and see where the night takes us. I have a feeling it’s going to be soapy Heaven.”

“I can live with that.”

“
W
OW
,”
Harper said, exhaling heavily when she got a gander at the busy foyer. “Did you know they were going to invite so many people?”

Jared shrugged as he glanced around the room. “No, but it doesn’t surprise me. They have forty rooms, right? This is supposed to be a charity event, so why not fill every room? Josh said that a lot of the people visiting go to murder mystery events all over the place. They treat it like a sport.”

“I don’t think murder mysteries are a sport,” Harper said. “Of course, I don’t think NASCAR is a sport either.”

“Why not?” Jared asked. “I’m not a big NASCAR fan, but why don’t you like it?”

“I don’t care about it either way,” Harper replied. “It’s not a sport, though. It’s a hobby. Basketball is a sport. Hockey and tennis are sports. NASCAR is driving. That’s not a sport.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jared said, chuckling as he slipped his arm around Harper’s waist. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Sure,” Harper said. “I don’t want to get drunk in case you try and take advantage of me, but a drink sounds nice.”

“I don’t need to get you drunk to take advantage of you,” Jared scoffed. “I’m hot and manly. You want me to take advantage of you whether alcohol is involved or not.”

“Now you sound like Zander,” Harper said, smiling at the waiter as he stopped in front of the couple with a tray full of drink choices. “Um … I just want a simple glass of wine. Is that what this is?”

The waiter nodded.

Harper took the drink while Jared opted for a whiskey sour. The couple made their way to the far side of the room so they could watch the crowd without feeling overwhelmed. They stood that way for almost ten minutes before Josh approached.

“You guys aren’t fighting, are you?”

Jared was surprised. “Why would we be fighting?”

“I don’t know,” Josh said, his gaze bouncing between Harper and Jared. “I’ve been watching you. You haven’t been talking and you’ve been paying attention to everyone else.”

Jared chuckled. “That’s strategy, man,” he said. “We’re trying to get a feeling for our opponents so we can win. Isn’t first prize a weeklong stay in one of the corner suites? Harper loves the tub, by the way. You went above and beyond when giving us a room.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Josh said, breaking into a wide grin. “I wasn’t sure if it would be your thing, but I wanted to give you a fair shot because most women love those rooms.”

“It’s beautiful,” Harper said. “I used to come out here with my friend Zander when I was a teenager. We’d always stare at your house. It sounds weird to say now, but we absolutely loved it.”

“Was Zander your boyfriend?” Josh asked.

“He’s my best friend,” Harper clarified. “We’ve never dated. We still live together, though.”

Josh arched an eyebrow. “Your girlfriend lives with another man and you don’t have a problem with it?”

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Jared said, knowing exactly what Josh was getting at. “He’s gay, but that’s beside the point. He and Harper are ridiculously close. He’s a fun guy – except when he’s picking on my nipples.”

Harper bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

“Your nipples?” Josh was puzzled. “Why does he care about your nipples?”

“You would have to meet him to understand,” Jared explained. “Now that I know we’re so close, hopefully we’ll be able to meet up more often. I can come out here and you can come to Whisper Cove and meet Zander.”

“Do all of the women in Whisper Cove look like Harper?” Josh looked hopeful.

“Oh, they broke the mold with her,” Jared said, sympathetically patting Josh’s shoulder. “You’re fresh out.”

“You are a cold man,” Josh said, although his mischievous smile told Harper he was joking. “So, what are you guys doing over here? You know you can mingle with the other guests, right?”

“We’re honestly happy watching everyone for right now,” Jared replied. “You can learn a lot about a person from seeing how they interact when they think no one is looking.”

“That’s that cop thing you do,” Josh said. “I’ve never liked it.”

“I think it’s cute,” Harper said, slipping her arm around Jared’s waist.

“She thinks it’s cute,” Jared said, beaming. “I’m going with her take on this, not your take.”

“Whatever,” Josh said, rolling his eyes. “Did you grow up in Whisper Cove, Harper?”

Harper nodded. “I was born there.”

“Did you go to college?”

“I did,” Harper confirmed, nodding. “Zander and I went to Central Michigan University together.”

“So how did you end up back in Whisper Cove running ghost tours?”

“Oh, um … .” Harper had no idea how to answer. She didn’t want to admit her gift – even though she liked Josh – because it often made people uncomfortable. She also wasn’t keen on lying. “It’s one of those things that just happened.”

Jared studied her for a moment, his face conflicted. “She’s very good at what she does,” he said finally. “She and Zander turn it into outright entertainment several times a week.”

“So you work and live with Zander?” Josh asked. “That seems a bit … intense.”

“You have no idea,” Jared said. “They’re extremely loud when they’re around one another. I haven’t seen them at work often, but I can imagine it gets … rowdy.”

“I’ll have you know that Zander and I are professionals,” Harper said, making a face. “We don’t get rowdy.”

“Two nights ago you two came home covered in mud and arguing about nipples,” Jared pointed out.

“Your nipples!” Harper’s voice carried and a few people shifted their attention, causing Josh and Jared to snicker while Harper’s cheeks turned crimson.

“Way to make a scene, Heart,” Jared said, squeezing her hip. “If you were trying to go under the radar, I think you just lost your edge.”

“Thanks to you,” Harper muttered.

“Oh, my poor girl,” Jared said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

Josh watched, dumbfounded. “You really are off the market, aren’t you?”

“I really am,” Jared said, guileless. “That’s what happens when you find a … magical … woman.”

“Ugh. You’ve turned into a schmaltzy schmuck,” Josh said, rolling his eyes. “I’m glad you’re happy, but come on. What happened to the Jared I used to know? No offense, Harper, but Jared Monroe was quite the lothario back in the day.”

“I’ll bet,” Harper said, smirking. “I could tell the minute I met him that he thought he was something special. He thought I should fall at his feet and worship.”

“I didn’t think that … and you kind of
did
do that all on your own,” Jared said.

“Oh, whatever,” Harper scoffed.

“Hey, I know what you were thinking the first time you saw me,” Jared said. “It was written all over your face.”

“I thought you were kind of full of yourself,” Harper said.

“I know,” Jared said. “It was written all over your face. I still managed to win you over.”

“After arresting me.”

Josh stilled, surprised. “You arrested her?”

Harper realized her mistake too late. “Oh, um … .”

“My very first case in Whisper Cove was a murder,” Jared explained. “A girl’s body washed up on the beach. Harper and Zander decided to help with the investigation because their assistant Molly was a student at St. Clair Community College and they were worried about her. I caught Harper trespassing at the victim’s house when she was investigating.”

As far as lies go, it was a good one. It wasn’t completely isolated from the truth, and it didn’t leave Harper looking like a crazy person.

“Oh, so you’re a busybody,” Josh said, laughing. “I like that. Did he really arrest you?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t arrest you,” Jared clarified, smiling at the memory. “I took you into custody and immediately released you when your mother and Zander showed up screaming for an end to your inhumane incarceration.”

“Oh, that’s so cute,” Josh said. “When you guys have kids you’ll be able to tell that story to them and it will be one of those family tales that lives on forever.”

Harper and Jared both shifted, talk of kids making them uncomfortable.

“Oh, sorry,” Josh said, realizing what he’d said. “It’s too soon for that.”

“Way too soon,” Jared said, although he risked a glance at Harper to see what she was thinking. Her face was unreadable. “We already have a child as it is. His name is Zander and he even climbs into bed with us to tell us about his day.”

Josh snorted. “Please tell me you have a photo of that.”

“Thankfully, no,” Jared said.

“Zander takes selfies while you’re still sleeping all of the time,” Harper countered. “I don’t let him put them on Facebook because of my bedhead, though.”

“I think your bedhead is cute,” Jared said. “I’m going to break Zander’s phone when I see him next.”

“He backs up the photos in an online cloud,” Harper said. “We’re stuck with them.”

“Well, that’s great,” Jared said, rolling his neck until it cracked. “So tell us about the game. How does it work?”

“It’s pretty simple really,” Josh said. “After dinner everyone will go into the library for a small speech by my father – he really gets off on being the center of attention – and then a body will just happen to be discovered tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, I thought the game started tonight,” Jared said, mildly disappointed.

“No, my father wants to lull people into a false sense of security before dropping a body,” Josh answered. “He loves the drama involved with this whole thing. I can’t explain it.

“Most of the workers here are straight workers, but we’ve intermixed actors in, too,” he continued. “Some of the staff wanted to act and some didn’t, so we left it up to them. Most of them are playing and they’re excited.”

“So are the guests suspects?” Harper asked.

“The guests are suspects in the fact that a handful of them aren’t really guests,” Josh replied. “They’re paid actors and part of a traveling mystery group. You’re not supposed to be able to tell who is an actor and who is a guest. If you figure it out, though, tell me. I’m curious if they can fool a real cop.”

“That almost sounds more fun than the murder mystery,” Jared said, tightening his arm around Harper’s waist. “How soon until dinner?”