Ghostly Wedding (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 17) Read online

  “Son, nobody can. You need to control Harper, though.”

  Jared pictured himself going home to tell Harper she couldn’t investigate the Humphrey case, and then cringed when he imagined her reaction. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen and you know it. Nobody can control her, and I don’t actually want to.”

  “Don’t pretend things wouldn’t be easier for you if she minded her own business.”

  “I didn’t take her on to change her.” Jared meant it. He loved everything about her, and it wasn’t something he would ever feel differently about. “I love who she is. I just wish she would occasionally spend an entire week without finding trouble.”

  “If you put your foot down, she would.”

  “If I attempted to put my foot down, that would make me the sort of man she doesn’t want to be with. It’s not going to happen.”

  “Oh, well, fine.” Gloomy, muttering about stupid men being led around by their emotions, Mel flipped open the file on his desk. “I don’t see how Montgomery Manor plays into this. At all. The house has been there for almost a hundred years. It’s gone through a multitude of renovations. Peter Humphrey has no ties to it, though.”

  “No,” Jared agreed. “Montgomery Manor does, however, have one mystery attached to it.”

  “You’re talking about Penny.”

  “I am. I’ve been through her file. I’m ... confused.”

  “What are you confused about? The girl went missing. It happens.”

  “Yes, but from everything I can tell, she had no reason to run.”

  “I don’t think she ran,” Mel said. “I mean, I might’ve jumped to that conclusion the first week or two, but we’re talking seventeen years here. I have to think if that were the case, as she got older, she would’ve wanted to ease her mother’s torment.”

  “The file suggests she had a good relationship with her mother.”

  “I believe she did. Nobody ever came forward to say otherwise.”

  “What about friends?” Jared couldn’t let it go. Technically they had two mysteries. Harper’s dream visit had him believing those two mysteries could be connected. How, though? He wasn’t certain, but the niggling suspicions crowding him refused to dissipate. He had to know more.

  “She was friends with Julie Newsom, Laura Stevens, and Amanda Dixon. I was present when all of them were questioned. They all stated that Penny was nervous about being pregnant, expressed fear when having to tell her mother, but was pleasantly surprised when Lila didn’t melt down.

  “I don’t remember all the specifics, but the girls said that Penny would still be able to finish high school and go to college — although it would have to be locally — and that Lila was planning on getting a nanny to help,” he continued. “Penny’s situation was different from that of other girls her age. Lila’s wealth smoothed the way for her.”

  “There’s not much in this file about the specifics of Penny’s disappearance,” Jared insisted. “It just says she came to town and never made it home. How did she get to town? Did she have a vehicle? Was the vehicle found?”

  Mel rubbed his chin, considering. “She drove to town. She ran errands. Um, she got a fruit smoothie at the shop that used to be on the corner. It’s gone now, but they had amazing smoothies. She went to the library. She stopped at the pharmacy. All those things were confirmed with the people who worked there.”

  “Was her vehicle ever found?”

  “It was at the library, in the lot.”

  “So ... why would she leave her car behind if she fled?”

  “First off, most people don’t believe she fled. Secondly, if you want people to believe something bad happened and you didn’t run, then you leave the car behind, especially if you have access to money.”

  “What about her purse? Her identification?”

  “That was all gone. Whoever took her didn’t leave that stuff behind.”

  “And I’m assuming there were no cameras at the library.”

  “Not back then. We have them now, but the library is tucked away. Someone could easily approach a woman in that parking lot without anybody seeing. If I remember correctly, that was the working theory.

  “Someone parked in the lot, waited for Penny to exit, approached her and ... took her,” he continued. “There were theories about chloroform and a weapon. There were theories she was struck on the head. That’s all they are, though, is theories. We have no proof. She just disappeared.”

  “What about the baby’s father?” Jared pressed. “Isn’t it possible that he’s the one responsible for or what happened to her? If it was another kid, he might’ve panicked.”

  “I don’t disagree,” Mel replied. “The thing is, I don’t know that a panicking teenager could’ve hid the body all that well.”

  “We don’t know that it was hidden well. It could’ve been dumb luck. Maybe he took her to the woods, dumped her, and nobody ever walked in that specific spot.”

  “It’s possible,” Mel said. “I just don’t know how likely it is. Besides, Penny never told Lila who got her pregnant. At the time, Lila said she pressed Penny on the issue, but the girl refused to budge. If it was another teenager, why did she work so hard to protect him?”

  “Maybe she was afraid whoever it was didn’t have such a forgiving parent.”

  “That’s a possibility.” Mel cocked his head, considering. “I hadn’t really thought about that, but I guess it makes sense in a weird way. I always leaned toward the likelihood that it was someone older, though.”

  “Like a married man?”

  Mel nodded. “I remember we looked at the principal hard. He was married and some of the girls claimed he was a pervert. Nobody ever witnessed him approaching Penny, and she wouldn’t make the best victim in my book if you’re dealing with an older predator.

  “I mean, Lila is loaded and could make somebody’s life miserable,” he continued. “Older predators usually go after girls with bad home situations, look for people with uninvolved parents. That was not Penny.”

  “Right.” Jared exhaled heavily. “There’s no way to narrow it down.”

  Mel was silent a beat.

  “Right?” Jared prodded.

  “There might be one way,” Mel countered. “Lila hired a private investigator when she felt the investigation was stalling on our end. My understanding is that he kept at the case for years after it went cold.”

  “Really? Do you know which private investigator we’re talking about?”

  “No, but I could probably find out. I’m not sure we should spend our time chasing this one, though. I mean ... shouldn’t we be focusing on Humphrey?”

  “Do you have a suggestion where to look to help with that investigation?”

  “No.”

  “Then let’s focus on Penny for a few hours. Maybe that investigation will provide answers on Humphrey. I mean ... there’s nothing to lose by talking to this investigator.”

  “I guess.” Resigned, Mel made a groaning sound as he retrieved his phone. “I have to call my sister for his name. I know Lila confided in her regarding the investigation.”

  Jared watched him for a moment and then made a series of impatient hand gestures. “Well, are you going to do it or not?”

  “I’m doing it. I just know I’m going to have to listen to more wedding plans for Zander and Shawn when I call. That’s all my sister wants to talk about these days. You have no idea how sick I am of hearing about this wedding.”

  Jared rolled his eyes. “I guarantee I’ve had to listen to it more than you. Suck it up and make the call.”

  “You’re pretty intent on this, huh?”

  “I can’t shake the feeling that it’s important.”

  “Then I’ll make the call. Like you said, we have nothing to lose.”

  10

  Ten

  “What do you think?”

  Zander waited until they were returning to their car to ask the obvious question. He’d watched Harper interact with the woman, and for once he coul
dn’t find a joke. Both of them seemed sad and determined, although what that meant in the days moving forward was beyond him.

  “I think I want to help her,” Harper replied simply.

  “I already knew that.” He sent her a wry smile. “I mean about Penny. What do you think happened to her?”

  “I have no idea. Why would I suddenly know the answer to that question?”

  “Because I’ve seen you work actual miracles and I guess I’m spoiled.”

  “Well ... I don’t know. There are multiple possibilities.”

  “Which do you lean toward?”

  “I want to know who the father was.” Harper was matter-of-fact. “I mean ... why was Penny hiding the identity of the father of her baby? Her mother seemed okay with her situation. I mean, I’m sure Lila wasn’t happy when her teenaged daughter showed up pregnant. She had a good attitude about it, though.”

  “She did,” Zander agreed. “I can’t imagine your mother being that chill if you were the one who turned up pregnant.”

  “My mother would’ve publicly shamed me.”

  “I don’t know if I would go that far.”

  “Oh, she totally would have.” Harper thought hard about the situation. “She also would’ve forced me to reveal the father so she could publicly shame him, too.”

  “Now that I could see.”

  “The question is, would I have told her the information if I thought it could hurt someone I potentially cared about?”

  “You’re assuming the father was age appropriate. I mean, at seventeen, Penny was old enough to consent. What if her boyfriend was nineteen, though? He still could’ve gotten in trouble. Maybe she was only keeping it a secret for a year or something.”

  “Maybe.” To Harper, that didn’t add up. “Lila strikes me as the sort of person who would’ve worked with her daughter. She’s completely reasonable.”

  “Something we’re not used to when it comes to dealing with parents,” Zander mused. “Maybe Penny was fearful all the same. I mean, she was young. Her entire life was changing.”

  “Yeah.” Harper rubbed her cheek. “Or maybe the other theory is correct. Maybe it was an adult who would’ve looked like a predator if the news got out. Maybe he killed her to hide what he’d done. DNA tests were available when Penny disappeared. They were more expensive, but Lila had money to pay for one.”

  “Now that there is an interesting theory,” Zander mused as they arrived at Harper’s car and stared at each other over the roof. “Maybe we should go back and try to talk to the friends Lila mentioned. They might’ve been afraid to tell the truth when they were teenagers. They’re adults now, though. They likely have families of their own ... and we’re talking kids who were the same age as Penny when she disappeared. They might have a different worldview.”

  “That’s not a horrible idea,” Harper agreed. “I need to think. Oh, hold on.” She grabbed her phone when it dinged to signify an incoming text message. “It’s Jared.”

  “Is he getting his nipples shaved for you as a wedding gift?” Enjoying the way Harper glared at him, Zander decided to push the issue, as was his way. “What? That’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

  “Stop with the nipples. His nipples are perfectly fine. Good grief.” She tilted her head as she considered the brief message Jared had sent. “Lila hired a private investigator once the case went cold. Jared and Mel have set up a lunch with him at Jason’s restaurant. We’re invited.”

  “Well, there’s your new door to walk through. That guy probably gathered a bunch of information that isn’t in the police file.”

  “Yeah.” Harper started typing. “I’m telling him we’re on our way.”

  “That’s good.” Zander’s smile turned mischievous. “I haven’t razzed Jason about the setup for your reception in a few days. We’re due.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. “What does it say about you that you get perverse pleasure from messing with Jason?”

  “That I’m a man who ought not to be trifled with.”

  “What has Jason ever done to you?”

  “He stole my thunder.”

  “That was forever ago, and you really should get over it. We’re adults and Jason has been good to us. Besides, if he ever gets really annoyed with you, he might bar you from eating there and then what are you going to do when you’re craving that avocado salad you love so much?”

  “Um ... force you to plead my case and get me back in.”

  “What if I say no?”

  Zander rolled his eyes and laughed. “You can’t say no to me and we both know it. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Because she knew at her core he was right, she merely tilted her head toward the car. “Let’s head over and see what they’ve got, huh? I’m sure they’ll want to hear about our conversation with Lila, too.”

  “Let’s do it. Now you’ve got that salad in my head.” Once in his seatbelt and waiting for Harper to pull out, Zander decided to needle her one more time. “I’m still messing with Jason. You’ve been warned. I have to get my jollies somewhere.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Harper rolled her neck. “Have I ever mentioned you’re a pain?”

  “That’s why you love me.”

  She couldn’t argue with the statement so she focused on the road. “You’re lucky I love you.”

  “I’ve felt lucky since the day I met you.”

  The sentiment was sweet enough she couldn’t maintain her angry facade. “I feel the same way.”

  “Oh, I know.”

  JARED AND MEL WERE ALREADY SEATED when Harper and Zander made their way into the restaurant. Jared jumped to his feet when he saw them, pulling out a chair for Harper and leaning in for a kiss.

  “We didn’t get a call, so I guess you got away with your mission,” he said on a grin as they sat.

  “Oh, no.” Harper shook her head. “We totally got caught. We didn’t realize we were as close to the grounds as we were and Lila heard us talking. She was out in her rose garden and poked her head through the bushes. It was pretty embarrassing.”

  That wasn’t what Jared wanted to hear, but he managed to hold it together. “I take it she didn’t threaten you with prosecution for stumbling onto her property. Did you use the ‘we’re lost’ ruse?”

  “We tried, but she heard us talking about Penny.” Harper’s smile was rueful. “She was actually really nice. She had iced tea brought out and we talked for a good hour. She knew who we were, mentioned she even considered trying to pay me to help find Penny when news got out about me as a teenager, and was extremely pleasant.”

  “Well, I guess things could’ve gone worse.” Jared rubbed the back of his neck and flicked his eyes to Zander, who was sitting next to his uncle and eyeing Mel’s patterned shirt with overt dislike. “I take it you let Harper do the talking and that’s why Lila invited you for iced tea.”

  “Please.” Zander made a face. “Don’t be an idiot. Lila took one look at me and decided she wanted me to be her boy toy. I have a certain effect on women.”

  Now it was Mel’s turn to grimace. “I don’t see how that would be true. Lila knows your mother. They’re in a card club together. They all know you’re gay.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m not handsome.”

  “But—”

  Harper shook her head to cut Mel off. “Don’t bother. He’s in a mood. He’s determined to torture Jason, so I would just let him be or he’ll expand his efforts and torture us all.”

  “Is this because of the nipple thing?” Zander challenged. “Twenty minutes ago we were telling each other how lucky we were to have found each other and now you’re acting like Regina George. What’s up with that?”

  Jared leaned closer to Harper. “Who is Regina George?”

  “From Mean Girls,” Harper replied. “Zander likes to throw out dated movie references when he feels as if a conversation might be getting away from him. You know that.”

  “I do know that. I don’t think I’ve seen Mean Girls, though.”
r />   “What?” Zander’s eyebrows practically flew off his forehead.

  “Oh, geez.” Harper slapped her hand over her eyes. “Here we go.”

  Jared sensed trouble due to Harper’s reaction, but he didn’t back down. “Why would I watch Mean Girls?”

  “Because it’s the best movie in the world,” Zander replied. “I mean ... come on.”

  “It’s a chick movie.”

  “It’s a study of the human condition,” Zander fired back, annoyance on full display. “Harper, you cannot marry this guy if he doesn’t know what Mean Girls is. I forbid it.”

  “Oh, well, you forbid it,” Jared muttered. “I guess that means we all have to drop everything and do whatever you want.”

  “That’s right.” Zander bobbed his head. “We’ll start with a premiere showing of Mean Girls this evening. I’ll bring the popcorn and pink shirts. You bring the tiaras, Harp.”

  “I just ... .” Jared shook his head, debating how to put an end to the conversation. Thankfully, the front door opened at that moment to allow entrance for a burly man in his fifties. Jared recognized him from the photo on the private investigator’s website he’d been perusing an hour before. “There he is. We’ll have to save the Mean Girls conversation for later.”

  “Oh, you can bet we will.”

  Mel and Jared both stood to greet the man, who carried a stack of folders with him. Even though Sal Hoffman was one of those guys who didn’t have a neck, his smile was friendly and open enough that everybody relaxed almost instantaneously.

  “Hey, Sal.” Mel had met the private investigator a few times and knew him to be upfront and personable. “Thanks for taking time out of your day.”

  “Actually, I’m happy to do it.” Sal glanced between faces. “I know you,” he said when his gaze landed on Harper. “You’re the ghost girl.”

  Harper’s expression lit with amusement. “I guess I am.”

  “Harper is my partner’s fiancée,” Mel explained. “She’s kind of involved in this one, in a roundabout way.”

  “And Harper is my sidekick,” Zander volunteered. “We totally wanted to be private investigators when we were kids. It’s too bad we didn’t meet you back then.”