Ghostly Issues (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 2) (18 page)

“I can’t give them any answers,” Derek exploded. “I can’t do anything but watch my mother cry and my father drink. I’ve spent hours trying to reach out to them. They can’t see me. They can’t hear me.”

“They can still love you,” Harper interjected. “They’re your parents. They weren’t meant to outlive you. If they’re going to have a chance to move past this then they’re going to need closure. You’re the only one who can give them that.”

“And what if I never remember?”

“Then someone is going to get away with murder,” Harper replied, unruffled. “You have to decide what’s more important. If it’s protecting so-called friends who are running around and pretending to be sorry about your death instead of legitimately mourning you, then I guess that’s on you.

“Whatever you decide, you know where I live and where to find me,” she continued. “Until then, I don’t know how to help you. We’re stuck. I won’t come back here again. If you want help, you’re going to have to come to me. I’m done bending over backward to help someone who obviously doesn’t want to be helped.”

Derek was flabbergasted. He watched Harper walk away, Jared at her side, and felt helpless. He had no idea what to do.

“That was pretty terrifying, Heart,” Jared said, squeezing Harper’s hand as they trudged away. “If I wasn’t already impressed with you, that would’ve sealed the deal.”

“He needs a kick in the pants,” Harper said. “You can’t be petulant, pouty, and annoying and expect answers to miraculously appear. He needs to be proactive if we’re going to get anywhere.”

“You amaze me.”

Harper mustered a genuine smile. “Just wait until I get you in that hammock.”

“Be still my heart.”

“What are you doing today?” Jared asked the next morning, drying his hair with a towel as he watched Harper shimmy into a pair of blue jeans. For a moment, he considered trying to get her back out of the jeans, but he knew he would be late for work if he tried and Mel wouldn’t find his libido an acceptable excuse for missing work.

“Well, I had an idea,” Harper admitted, absentmindedly running her hand over Jared’s flat stomach. “How often do you work out?”

“As often as I can,” Jared replied, chuckling. “If you keep doing that I’m going to be late for work and you’re going to have to explain to Mel why because he’ll throttle me if I do it.”

Harper giggled. “Sorry. Your stomach is like a work of art, though. It boggles my mind someone could be this perfect.”

“That’s what I think every time I look at you,” Jared said, dropping a quick kiss on her mouth before taking a step back. “You’re going to distract me if you don’t keep your distance.”

“Okay,” Harper said, gracing him with a rueful smile. “I can’t wait until this case is solved and we can spend a day together without having to go to work.”

“I’m right there with you,” Jared said. “Tell me about your idea.”

“You just said I couldn’t distract you.”

Jared smirked. “Not
that
idea, trouble. Tell me about the other idea you had regarding work.”

“Oh, that,” Harper said, making a face. “I think I might have worked something out in my head while I was sleeping last night. I didn’t wake up again, by the way. You’re definitely magic.”

“Or I’m just giving you a workout and you’re too exhausted to wake up,” Jared countered. “Either way I look like a hero … carry on.”

“Someone has been breaking into the old Donnelly house,” Harper said.

“So?”

“It’s only ten minutes from the park if you’re walking in a straight line,” Harper said. “What if you were right and kids – our kids – are the ones breaking into the house?”

Jared stilled. “That’s an interesting theory,” he said. “To what end? They’re not cooking meth in there no matter what your friend Jenny thinks.”

“No, but they could be drinking and partying in there,” Harper said. “They could be doing other stuff. We have no idea who is breaking into the house. Very few people would do it, though. The cottage is in close proximity to the park. I think it’s worth checking out.”

“What are you going to check out?” Jared asked, confused.

“The house.”

“I don’t understand,” Jared admitted. “If the house is being broken into, it’s happening when it’s dark out. What do you think you’re going to find during the day?”

“We don’t know that the house is being broken into at night,” Harper countered. “We know the house is being broken into when Jenny isn’t there. There’s a difference.”

“And I’m still not getting it.”

“Jenny works for Martin Real Estate,” Harper supplied.

“Good for her.”

“You’re starting to bug me,” Harper gritted out. “Tim Martin owns Martin Real Estate. His oldest son is David Martin.”

“Oh,” Jared said, realization dawning. “You think that David could know when the house is being shown and using it when it’s empty. You’re a smart cookie.”

“Thank you.”

“I have a question, though,” Jared said. “If David has access to his father’s office, why wouldn’t he just steal the key to get into the house? Why go in through the back?”

“His father would notice if he stole the key and kept it,” Harper replied. “Maybe he stole it once and left the back door open. You said it looked jimmied, but it’s old. That might be normal wear and tear.”

“I like this idea except for one thing,” Jared said.

“What’s that?”

“If you’re right, I don’t want you going to that house alone,” Jared replied. “Those kids outnumber you and we have no idea what they’re capable of. They might’ve killed Derek.”

“I’m just going to spy and see if I can catch a glimpse of them going inside.”

“Not alone you’re not,” Jared argued. “I can’t go with you because Mel secured an interview with David and his parents. I know he won’t be at that house today. I still don’t want you going alone.”

“I’ll take Zander with me.”

“And Eric.”

Now it was Harper’s turn to be surprised. “You want me to take Eric with me? Since when?”

“Since I want you having as much backup as humanly possible,” Jared answered. “I’m pretty fond of you, Harper Harlow. I don’t want you in danger. You either agree to take Zander and Eric with you or I’m handcuffing you to the bed.”

“That would sound kinky under different circumstances.”

“That’s the deal,” Jared said. “If you go there alone we’re going to have our first big fight … and, Heart, it’s going to be a doozy.”

“I STILL
don’t understand why we all have to do this,” Eric complained an hour later, shoving Zander to the side so he could get comfortable on the hard ground beneath the large willow tree on the east side of the Donnelly house. “Isn’t this a one-person job? Two at the most?”

Harper sighed. “I promised Jared we would all come together. If you don’t like it, call him and complain. I’m sure he would love to hear from you.”

“Maybe I will.”

“I think it’s fun,” Molly enthused, crossing her legs over one another and reaching into her box of Milk Duds. “It’s like we’re at a movie.”

“Yeah, one of those really boring art house ones that no one cares about,” Zander said, resting his back against the tree. “I think it’s cute that Jared wants to protect you, Harp, but this is a little ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous about it?”

“There are four of us sitting under a tree hoping that one big bush is going to hide us,” Zander replied. “We’re waiting for possibly murderous teenagers to break into a house that until yesterday was thought to be haunted.”

“You’re giving me a headache,” Harper grumbled, rubbing her forehead. “Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence that Martin Real Estate is handling the sale of this cottage and that it’s only ten minutes away from where Derek was killed?”

“Not really.”

“I agree with Zander,” Eric said. “If this was such a great lead I think Jared would be out here doing surveillance himself.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t want to do surveillance with Harper so they could make out all afternoon,” Molly said. “That’s sounds like a better way to do something like this.”

“That
does
sound like a better way,” Harper agreed. “He’s meeting with the Martins. David is still technically a minor, so his parents managed to keep Mel and Jared from questioning him yesterday. They worked out some arrangement to do it today.”

“Do you really think Derek was murdered by his own friends?” Molly asked. “If you ask me, that’s the worst way to go.”

Harper cast her a sidelong look, searching for hints Molly was worried or uneasy. On the contrary, she looked happier than she had in weeks. Harper realized Eric was right when he said Molly just wanted to be part of the group. She was the only one not complaining about their current predicament.

“It does sound like the worst way to go,” Harper said. “I don’t know if his friends killed him. I do think those kids know something that they’re keeping to themselves. I have no idea why. You would think they’d want to help the police.”

“Not if they’re guilty,” Zander countered. “All they care about is covering their own butts. They weren’t really friends with Derek so his death is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. There’s a reason that most teenagers profile as sociopaths.”

“Did you see that on
Dateline
?”

Zander grinned. “I like true crime. Sue me.”

“It’s sad to think Derek didn’t have any true friends,” Harper lamented. “High school sucks when you have people to love. I had my best friend in the world and I would’ve been crushed if something happened to him. None of these kids really seem to care that Derek is dead.”

“Oh, I would’ve been crushed if something happened to me, too,” Zander teased, pressing a quick kiss to Harper’s cheek. “I would’ve killed myself if something happened to you.”

“I know,” Harper said, patting his knee. “I … .” She broke off when a hint of furtive movement at the corner of the cottage caught her attention.

“What were you going to say?” Molly asked.

Harper lifted a finger to her lips to silence everyone and then pointed toward a shadowy figure as it moved toward the sliding glass door. Everyone peered in the direction Harper indicated, the only sound ragged breathing as they watched a hoodie-clad figure play around with the lock and open the door. The person disappeared inside after a moment, dragging the door shut and leaving them able to talk again.

“What do you think?” Molly whispered.

“I think there’s only one of them and I’m dying to see who it is,” Harper said, getting to her feet. “We need to split up. Eric and Molly, you go by the front door in case he tries to escape. Zander and I are going to go in through the back.”

“We are?” Zander whined. “Shouldn’t we call Jared instead?”

“I don’t want to wait. I have to know.”

“Fine,” Zander grumbled, pushing himself to a standing position. “If this goes badly, though, I’m going to smack you around.”

“Duly noted.”

The group split up, Eric and Molly creeping toward the front of the house as Zander and Harper hurried toward the back door. They didn’t want to give the individual time to hide. Harper glanced inside the kitchen, immediately finding what she was looking for when the figure opened the refrigerator and looked inside. He – and Harper was sure it was a man given his broad shoulders – appeared unaware that he was being watched.

Harper pushed the sliding glass door open, cringing at the noise, and walked inside. Zander followed, his heart pounding as he took a protective position at Harper’s side. The person at the refrigerator apparently didn’t hear the noise.

Zander cleared his throat. “Who goes there?”

Harper made a face at the odd greeting, and when the individual swiveled she expected to find a familiar face. Instead, the one that greeted her had more lines than any teenager would ever boast and a terrified expression on his grizzled face.

“I’m sorry,” the man said, instantly contrite. “I didn’t mean to break in. I was just … hungry.”

Harper took a moment to look over the stranger, her heart rolling when she realized what she was seeing. She should’ve noticed the aged denim and mismatched boots from outside. This wasn’t some hardened criminal. It was a homeless and starving man looking to survive.

“It’s okay,” Harper said, sympathy washing over her. “We won’t hurt you.”

“No,” Zander agreed. “In fact … how does pizza sound? I’ll order a few and we’ll have a party.”

If Harper ever needed to be reminded why Zander was her best friend, she knew she would pick this moment in time to reflect upon. Zander saw what she did and immediately decided to help. That’s what made him a great man … and the only friend she would ever truly need.

“That sounds great,” Harper said, smiling. “We’ll get pizza for everyone and talk. How does that sound?”

The man opened his mouth and closed it, stunned and overwhelmed. “Aren’t you going to call the police?”

“No way,” Zander replied. “They’ll eat all of our pizza. We can’t have that.”

“What’s your name?” Harper asked.

“Jeff Clarke.”

“Well, Jeff Clarke, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Harper Harlow and this is Zander Pritchett. We have two other friends here, but they’re nice, too. Let’s order some pizza.”