Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3) (8 page)

“
D
o
you want to tell me what just happened?”

Josh pulled Harper into a small sitting room located off the foyer and closed the door so prying ears couldn’t hear their conversation.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harper said, forcing her gaze to remain level as she faced off with Josh. “The storm is almost here. We should really check and make sure all the guests are back inside and not wandering around or lost.”

“That’s what the staff is for,” Josh said, cutting Harper off so she didn’t have an easy path to the door. “Who were you talking to?”

“What makes you think I was talking to anyone?”

“Your lips were moving and I heard you,” Josh said. “You said you had to go but you would find whoever you were talking to later so you could help them. Who were you talking to?”

“I was talking to myself.”

Josh narrowed his eyes as he looked Harper up and down. Her hair was a mess, the wind whipping it into a mass of loose waves, and she looked defiant. “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t know what you want me to do with that,” Harper said, opting for honesty. “I’m sorry you don’t believe me, but no one was out there. You saw that for yourself. I talk to myself all of the time. It’s stupid and embarrassing to be caught, but … there it is.”

“Harper, if something is going on … .”

“Nothing is going on,” Harper said, cutting him off. “I don’t understand why you’re so bothered by this. People talk to themselves all of the time.”

“Does Jared know you walk around talking to yourself all of the time?” Josh pressed.

“I don’t know,” Harper replied stiffly. “Perhaps you should ask him.”

“I might just do that.”

H
ARPER
made
a show of checking on guests for the next hour, but she was really hiding from Josh. She had no idea what to do. She could’ve followed Jared’s advice and admitted her secret, but she didn’t feel comfortable baring her soul to a man she’d just met. Of course, she bared her soul to Jared not long after meeting him and that turned out fine. Jared was different, though. He was … special.

The ghost by the road was another problem. Harper was used to lonely souls popping up in strange places. Most of the time they kept to themselves and didn’t hurt anyone. She only heard about pesky ghosts, like Archibald. The quiet ones … the tortured ones … they were a different story.

On a whim, Harper made her way to the library and searched it for wandering guests before pulling her phone out of her pocket. She faced the door so she could see anyone entering and almost cried out in relief when Zander answered.

“You scared me to death, Harp,” Zander snapped. “What happened?”

“The storm hit,” Harper answered, briefly shifting her eyes to the window where the rain splattered in a horizontal pattern. “I’m okay. I didn’t even get wet.”

“Is Jared back yet?”

“No,” Harper replied. “Something else happened, though, and I’m freaking out.”

“Oh, good, a crisis,” Zander intoned. “I thought I was going to be stuck in this house alone for the next two days with nothing to do but watch the rain. If you’re having a meltdown, though, that means I won’t be bored.”

“Ha, ha.”

“Your father stopped in to make sure we had a storm safety kit, by the way,” Zander said. “He says it’s never too late to start leading a responsible life and then he handed me a flashlight and a can of SpaghettiOs.”

Harper snorted. “He’s probably just lonely,” she said. “A storm is going to cut down on his dating options. He can’t crawl out of bathroom windows in the middle of a potential tornado and expect not to get caught.”

Harper’s parents were mired in the world’s most tempestuous divorce. She spent her younger years expecting a divorce. She spent her teenage years fervently wishing for one. By the time she hit adulthood she figured Phil and Gloria Harlow could survive anything. That’s why their divorce announcement came as such a shock.

Now, just like when they were pretending to be happily married, Phil and Gloria insisted on fighting about everything. Their divorce was nowhere near being settled because they spent weeks arguing about who got the toner cartridges for the printer, amongst a myriad of other petty grievances. The most recent fight was about a pair of salt and pepper shakers from Disney World.

“Do you know who won the salt and pepper shakers?” Harper asked.

“They’re still haggling,” Zander replied. “I suggested splitting them up so your father could have Mickey and your mother could have Minnie, but that didn’t go over well.”

“You should know better,” Harper said, relaxing despite herself. Zander always knew how to make her feel better, even when things were spiraling out of control and her boyfriend was missing in a storm. “Josh heard me talking to a ghost.”

Zander was silent on the other end of the phone. It unnerved Harper. He was never silent … well, unless his mouth was full of food.

“Zander?”

“I heard you,” Zander said. “I’m trying to decide how to answer. Why don’t we start with the ghost? Where did you see him?”

“It’s a her,” Harper replied. “She was standing by the road when I came back to the hotel. In fact, a huge bolt of lightning struck in the field across the way and that’s what drew my attention to her. I thought she was in trouble and didn’t realize she was a ghost until I was right on top of her.”

“Did she speak to you?”

“The storm was really ramping up and I told her I had to go and would find her later,” Harper explained. “I asked where she would be and she pointed toward the cemetery.”

“I forgot that place has its own cemetery,” Zander said. “That was always a cool place.”

“Josh is looking for ideas for theme weekends and I gave him a few, including a gay spa weekend for you and a haunted murder mystery for me,” Harper said. “He was excited at the time, but now he thinks I’m crazy.”

“Who do you think the ghost is?” Zander asked, all pretense of messing around gone. “Do you think she’s recent?”

Harper searched her memory regarding her brief encounter with the spirit. “Her clothes were dated,” Harper said. “I would guess they were at least twenty years old – maybe longer.”

“They weren’t eighties clothes, were they?” Zander asked, horrified. “Imagine dying a horrible death and being stuck in a ‘Freddy says Relax’ shirt with Day-Glo shoelaces for the duration of your afterlife.”

Harper giggled at the visual. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

“That’s my job.”

“No, she wasn’t wearing eighties clothing,” Harper said. “I think she was wearing shoulder pads, though.”

“Ugh, that’s just as bad,” Zander said. “Was she wearing one of those silk button-down tops, too? You know the eighties hung around well into the nineties for some people in this area.”

“It didn’t look like a silk shirt, but it was ugly,” Harper replied. “She was youngish. I would say she was in her mid-thirties at the most, although I can’t be sure because I had absolutely no time to get a good read on her.”

“And what happened?” Zander prodded. “Josh came up on you when you were talking to her, is that it?”

“I turned around to run to the hotel and he was standing there,” Harper said. “He asked me who I was talking to and I told him I was talking to myself. He didn’t believe me and hauled me into a little room to question me when we got back, but I stuck to my story.”

“I’m not sure that talking to yourself doesn’t make you crazier than admitting you were talking to a ghost,” Zander said. “How did Josh seem?”

“Bothered.”

“Do you want to expand on that?”

“He just kept pestering me about who I was talking to and then he asked if Jared knew I talked to myself,” Harper said. “I told him he would have to ask Jared and he said he planned to do just that.”

“Well, it could be worse,” Zander mused. “You should’ve said you were talking to me. You could’ve said we were talking and you lost me because of the lightning strike and were trying to get me back on speakerphone.”

“I didn’t think of that.”

“Well, it’s too late now,” Zander said. “I wouldn’t worry about it, Harp. Jared knows you weren’t talking to yourself and when Josh approaches him he’ll understand what happened and brush it off. It’s not a big deal.”

“It feels like a big deal.”

“That’s because you’re naturally dramatic and pessimistic,” Zander said. “You’re at a murder mystery event with a storm bearing down. You talking to yourself is going to be the farthest thing from Josh’s mind once he realizes everything else he has to deal with.”

“What happens if Jared doesn’t make it back?”

“He’ll make it back,” Zander said. “He’ll show up on that island no matter what, even if he has to swim.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“It’s going to be okay, Harp,” Zander soothed. “Just think, though, if Jared does get stranded on this side of the water, he’ll probably come here and I’ll have to entertain him all night. We can compare nipples.”

“I love you, Zander,” Harper said.

“I love you, too.”

A
FTER
another five
minutes of pacing in the library, Harper made her way back to the foyer. The guests seemed unperturbed by the storm – some were even excited for the shift in ambiance – and the staff was working overtime to keep them happy.

Harper positioned herself by the far wall so she could watch the front door. She was desperate for word from Jared. She’d tried calling him three times, but she kept getting his voicemail. She knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything – especially if he was on the ferry and not getting proper cell service – but she was uneasy.

“I’m sure Jared will be back soon,” Linden said, appearing at Harper’s side. “Josh told me he sent Jared to pick up the wine. I’m thankful he went, but I’m sorry you’re so worried.”

“I’m not worried,” Harper said, putting on a brave face. “Jared is very capable. He’s probably taking his time coming back just to be safe.”

“You don’t have to put on an act for me,” Linden said. “I can see your worry. Jared has always been a solid friend for Josh. He’s stalwart and strong. I’m glad he’s in the area. I’m hoping he’ll be a good influence on Josh.”

Harper stilled. “I thought Josh was running everything,” she said. “I was under the impression he was doing a good job.”

“He’s doing a tremendous job given the circumstances,” Linden said. “He’s got grand plans and I hope they work. He still needs someone to center him so he doesn’t fly off into the sky like a balloon. Jared is good like that.”

“Jared is good at everything he does,” Harper said. “He seems to really like Josh. I’m glad he has a friend in the area, too. I worry he gets bored hanging out with Zander and me all of the time.”

“And Zander is the man you live with?”

“I see Josh has been telling you all about me,” Harper said. “Yes, though. Zander is my best friend. We’ve never been romantically involved, though.”

“I understand,” Linden said. “Josh told me about the arrangement. He thought it was funny, I find it intriguing. He says Jared is very happy with you.”

“I hope so.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, my dear,” Linden said. “Jared seems almost blissful from what I’ve been able to ascertain. You’re obviously a big part of that.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sure Jared will be back soon,” Linden said, patting Harper’s arm. “Don’t fret. If you’re bored, though, they’re about to discover another body in the arboretum.”

Harper smirked. “That sounds fun.”

“Yes, everyone enjoys finding a body,” Linden said. “I find I’ve been entertained throughout this entire thing, despite my initial misgivings. I really must go and oversee the next event, though. If you get worried, you can seek me out.”

“I’m okay,” Harper said, forcing a smile. “Thank you for checking on me.”

“Of course,” Linden said. “I know your family and I’m fond of your boyfriend. You’re practically a member of my family yourself. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. That’s what the staff is here for.”

“Thank you.”

Harper watched Linden go, shifting her eyes to Josh once his father left the room. Josh’s expression was hard to read as he talked to a middle-aged woman close to the bar area. She seemed to be engaged in a wild story and Josh was doing his best to appear interested. It was obvious his mind was someplace else, though. Harper knew it was on her, and she had no idea how to handle it.

Three bright flashes of lightning flashed outside the window, causing the power to dim and then fail. The room plunged into darkness and everyone – guests and staff alike – started murmuring amongst themselves.

“Don’t worry,” Josh called out. “We have a generator. It will kick on in thirty seconds. Nothing bad will happen in that time. I promise you won’t miss anything.”

As if on cue the front door opened at the exact moment a rumble of thunder rolled over the area. It was strong enough to shake the floor. The guests screamed and gasped, and Harper pushed herself away from the door and launched herself on Jared as soon as she recognized him.

“I was so worried!”

“
I
’m
glad to see you missed me,” Jared said, chuckling as he wrapped his arms around Harper. “I missed you, too.”

“I was so worried,” Harper said, her voice shaking. “I honestly didn’t think you were going to make it back and I didn’t want to stay here alone.”

Jared rubbed Harper’s back, keeping her close as he shut the door. When the lights flashed back on, he pulled back far enough that he could search her face for clues as to what was bothering her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Harper replied hurriedly. “I’m fine. I was just worried about you.”

“I don’t think that’s all that’s wrong,” Jared prodded. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Harper furtively glanced around. “Not here.”

“Okay,” Jared said, taking her answer in stride. “We can talk upstairs. I have to change. I’m soaking wet … and now you are, too.”

“I’m so glad you made it,” Harper said, throwing her arms around his neck again, paying no heed to the fact that she was drenching her own outfit.

“I would’ve found a way to get to you no matter what,” Jared said, kissing her cheek. He was worried. Something had clearly happened during his absence. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Harper wordlessly nodded and cringed when she turned to find Josh approaching. “Great.”

Jared knit his eyebrows together but otherwise remained expressionless. “Your wine is on the front seat of my truck. You’re going to have to send someone else out to get it because I’m not going back out in that.”

“That’s fine,” Josh said, smiling. “I’m glad you made it. I think Harper was starting to get worried.”

“I noticed that,” Jared said, rubbing his thumb across the back of Harper’s neck. “This is what happens when you’re manly and save the night’s wine supply.”

“I guess so,” Josh said. “I was starting to get worried about her. Then I found her talking to herself by the road right before the storm hit. I was definitely worried then.”

“Talking to herself?” Jared glanced at Harper.

“She said she does it all the time and that you knew about it and nothing was going on,” Josh said.

Harper’s warm feelings regarding the man were fading fast in light of his tattletale nature. “We should get you out of those clothes, Jared.”

Jared ignored the suggestion. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with talking to yourself,” he said. “I do it all the time.”

“Yes, but she was talking about having to leave because of the storm but helping someone once the weather got better,” Josh said. “It didn’t sound like she was talking to herself.”

“I don’t think it matters,” Jared replied, unruffled. “Was she hurting anyone?”

“No,” Josh said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “It was just … odd.”

“I don’t see what’s odd about it, but if you’re upset I guess she can keep her conversations with herself to … well … herself, if that makes you feel better.”

“I didn’t mean to upset anyone, least of all Harper,” Josh said. “I just … was worried about her.”

“You don’t need to worry about her,” Jared said, squeezing Harper’s hand. “She can take care of herself. I’m here to take care of her now, though. Don’t worry about a thing. Everything is under control.”

“I … .” Josh closed his mouth and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Jared said. “Everything is fine.”

“
E
VERYTHING
is not fine
,” Harper practically exploded the second Jared closed their suite door five minutes later. “He thinks I’m crazy.”

“You
are
crazy,” Jared said. “What were you doing talking to a ghost in the middle of a dangerous storm?”

“How do you know what I was doing?” Harper asked.

“Because I’m not an idiot,” Jared replied, tugging his shirt off and dropping it on the floor. “You don’t generally walk around talking to yourself unless Zander has caused you to flip your lid.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” Jared said, nodding knowingly. “Come here.”

“What? Why?”

“Come here,” Jared repeated, his temper wearing thin.

Harper took an uncertain step toward him and then willingly stepped into his embrace when he opened his arms. “I’m sorry I ruined this trip,” she murmured into his shoulder. “Your friend thinks I’m crazy and I ruined everything.”

“You haven’t ruined anything,” Jared countered. “This is why I didn’t want to hide your abilities. You shouldn’t be ashamed of them. You’re amazing.”

“I didn’t know he was behind me,” Harper said. “I didn’t realize I was walking toward a ghost until I was almost on top of her. I thought she was a regular woman and she might need help. The storm was almost on us and … I’m so sorry.”

“Knock it off, Heart,” Jared said, swaying as he rubbed her back. “You have nothing to apologize for. Josh is the one who should feel like an ass. You weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“It didn’t help that I was convinced you were going to be stranded on the other side of the lake,” Harper said. “I was on the phone with Zander and he said he was going to make you spend the night with him so you could compare nipples.”

“If Zander doesn’t stop talking about nipples I’m going to cut his off,” Jared groused. “Everything is okay. I’m here. You’re here. We’re together. This place has a generator so we’re not going to lose power.”

Harper let him soothe her for a few minutes and then finally felt calm enough to step away. “I really was worried.”

“I was worried, too,” Jared conceded. “That ferry ride back over here was choppy and uncomfortable. I made it, though. We’re stuck here for the next two days. I heard the ferry operators talking and they were shutting it down after the last ride. We’re together, though.

“We’ve got a bathtub, shower, wine, and food,” he continued. “What more do you want?”

“We have a ghost, too,” Harper reminded him.

“Do you know anything about her?”

Harper bit her lip and shook her head. “She didn’t speak.”

“Well, until you know something about her, we can’t do anything,” Jared said. “Now that she knows you can see her, she might show up. I’ll protect you if that happens and you’ll be able to talk to her without fear of discovery.”

“You really are wonderful.”

“I know,” Jared said, grinning. “That’s why you’re going to reward me with a shower. You’re already wet so you need to get cleaned up and I need some comfort after my ordeal.”

Harper snorted. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Come on,” Jared prodded. “I’m a hero for retrieving the wine. I deserve a hero’s welcome.”

“Well, who am I to argue with a hero?”

“
T
HIS
smells amazing
,” Jared said an hour later, leaning closer to his plate and inhaling the pasta dish. “This is exactly what I need after my death-defying trip.”

Harper arched a dubious eyebrow. “Seriously? Now you almost died?”

“Yes, and you’re going to have to reward me for that when we get back to our room tonight,” Jared said.

“You’re lucky I was really worried about you because otherwise this would not fly,” Harper said, although she wasn’t particularly irked. She found Jared’s whims adorable. “I forgot they had another fake body discovery this afternoon. Do we know if it went well?”

“It went fine,” Josh answered, taking the spot next to Harper at their table and offering her a rueful smile. “I’m sorry you guys missed it. It was my fault and I feel terrible.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jared said. “The drive wasn’t bad and the only harrowing part was the ferry ride back. I wouldn’t want to do it again, but everything turned out fine. Did you get the wine out of my truck?”

“We did and thank you.”

“No problem,” Jared said. “This food looks amazing, by the way.”

“We’re having surf and turf tomorrow, and that’s really going to be amazing,” Josh said. “I hope you like lobster tails because we have a lot of them and you can have as many as you want.”

“Sold,” Jared said, grinning at Harper. “I absolutely love seafood.”

“You like all food,” Harper said, although she returned his smile. “That does sound good. This looks amazing, too, though.” She averted her eyes so she couldn’t meet Josh’s earnest stare.

“Harper, I want to apologize for earlier,” Josh said. “I was out of line and I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“It’s fine,” Harper said, waving him off and remaining fixated on her plate. “It’s honestly not a big deal.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Josh said. “You’re upset. I can see it on your face … even though you won’t look me in the eye. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable.”

Harper pointedly locked gazes with Josh. “It’s fine.”

“Let it go, Josh,” Jared prodded. “She’s embarrassed and you’re getting pathetic about making amends. Let’s call a truce and move on. It’s over and done with.”

“Okay,” Josh said.

Harper sent Josh a legitimate smile. “It really is okay,” she said. “I was flustered because I lost Zander when we were talking on the phone and you scared me because I didn’t hear you coming up behind me. It’s not a big deal.”

“As long as you’re okay, I’m happy,” Josh said. “I’m never going to be able to steal you away from Jared if you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Harper said, allowing herself to marginally relax.

“And he can’t steal you away from me because I am the ultimate man,” Jared added.

“And that, too,” Harper said, giggling at Jared’s mock outrage.

“Speaking of the storm, it’s bound to get loud tonight,” Josh said, changing the conversational topic to something less risky. “The guests are still buzzing about the death this afternoon. It was a maid, if you’re interested. They’ll be searching for clues all night and there might be another surprise, although I’m not allowed to broadcast the specifics. I’m actually glad about everything ramping up in the game because that will keep everyone distracted and busy.”

“What do you want us to do?” Jared asked. “And when you answer, make sure you realize we’re going to bed early because I need to be treated like a hero after my epic trip this afternoon.”

“You’re a freaking drama queen, man,” Josh said, rolling his eyes. “Just watch everyone and see if they’re having a good time. Tell me if any of the staff isn’t playing the game correctly.”

“I can guarantee your butler Trask isn’t going to play,” Jared said. “He gave us an earful this afternoon about how turning the house into a hotel was undignified.”

“He’s … set in his ways,” Josh said. “I like Trask. He’s been around since I was a kid. He’s never been particularly nice to me, but it’s not like he was mean to me either. If I had my druthers my father would force him to toe the line.

“They’ve got a unique relationship, though, and my dad doesn’t like bossing Trask around for some reason,” he continued. “Trask basically gets to do whatever he feels like doing. If you see him being obnoxious, tell me. Otherwise just ignore him. That’s what I do.”

“What is his deal?” Harper asked. “Is he upset because the house isn’t Downton Abbey any longer?”

Josh snickered. “Pretty much, and that’s an absolutely apt way of putting it. He thinks the house is a status symbol. It’s just a house, though, and if we want to keep it in the family we have to change with the times. He needs to understand it and accept it.”

“Did you know your dad knows Harper’s father?” Jared asked. “I guess they went to camp together as kids.”

“I didn’t know that,” Josh said, shaking his head. “It’s a small world. It’s also another reason she should dump you and choose me. Our fathers already like each other.”

“I’ll have you know that her father adores me,” Jared argued.

“Is that so?” Josh didn’t look convinced.

“I believe his exact words upon meeting me were ‘I guess you’ll do.’”

“Well, if that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is,” Josh said, laughing heartily. “Now I want to meet Harper’s father and her best friend. Whisper Cove sounds like a happening place.”

“You have no idea,” Jared said.