Ghostly Ordeal Read online

  “I know but ... I’ve never seen you in action.”

  “Then you’re in for a treat.” Harper was determined as she started doling out hash browns on plates. “We’ll have breakfast and then find Carl’s ghost. That’s definitely the plan for today.”

  “And when that fails we’ll call Donnie Lakeland,” Phil said. “He’ll help us get out of this mess.”

  Harper could do nothing but growl in the face of endless hours with her parents. This was so not how she planned to spend her day.

  Five

  Mel was in the interrogation room with a woman when Jared arrived at the station. Since he wasn’t sure what to do, Jared ate his McDonald’s breakfast at his desk and waited until Mel motioned for him to join the party.

  “This is Cheryl Wagner,” he said by way of introduction.

  Jared shook the woman’s hand and took the open seat next to his partner. “Hello.”

  “She’s one of Carl Gibbons’s former clients,” Mel explained. “She heard about his death on the news and has some information for us.”

  Jared brightened considerably. Any suspect that wasn’t Gloria was cause for celebration. “Really?”

  The woman, a pretty blonde in her forties, bobbed her head. “Yes. Carl was my attorney when I divorced my ex-husband. He was a shark, which David didn’t like. That’s my ex, by the way. David Wagner. He’s the scum of the earth.”

  Jared kept his expression neutral. “Are you saying you believe your ex-husband killed Carl?”

  “Most definitely. He threatened Carl with castration when the mediator came back with the settlement numbers.”

  Jared exchanged a quick look with Mel. Gibbons was stabbed, not castrated. Still, it was a solid lead. “You’re probably going to have to start from the beginning.”

  “There’s not much to tell,” Cherry replied on a shrug. “I found out that David was cheating on me with his secretary. I knew something was going on with them for months before I finally confronted him. He didn’t even bother denying it. He said that it was a side thing and I shouldn’t worry about it.”

  “How did you react to that?”

  “How do you think? I told him I was going to take every dime he ever made. That’s why I got Carl as my attorney. I put a retainer down before I even confronted David because I wanted to make sure that I had the best attorney in the area already locked down before he could try to get Carl on his side.”

  “Was Gibbons considered the best divorce attorney in the area?” Jared queried.

  “Oh, most definitely.” Cheryl’s smile was smug. “He always wins. I still remember the look on David’s face when I told him I’d already retained Carl as my attorney. He was furious, said he would end the affair and we could go back to the way things were. It was far too late for that.”

  Jared was officially intrigued. “And how much money did you get out of your ex-husband in the divorce?”

  “I got half of everything even though he tried to hide assets. I got the house ... and his BMW ... and I got the kids. He has to pay two grand a month in child support, which he freaked out about because the kids are both teenagers now. It was really funny.”

  Cheryl seemed to be reveling in her storytelling, which Jared found uncomfortable. He couldn’t imagine loving someone enough to marry him or her and then essentially throwing a party when that relationship fell apart. He had no intention of ever letting anything like that happen with Harper. As far as he was concerned, he was marrying for life. He knew she felt the same way.

  “And what makes you think David would actually follow through on his threat?” Mel pressed. “I would guess that people say a lot of things they don’t really mean in the heat of a divorce. I’ve never personally been through the process, but I’ve heard horror stories through the years. Most of the time, if violence is to occur, it happens right away. Your divorce has been finalized for months.”

  “David is smart,” Cheryl replied without hesitation. “He knows all too well that he would be the prime suspect if he didn’t wait. He was still grumbling about what Carl managed to pull off last time I saw him.”

  “And when was that?”

  “About two weeks ago, he was dropping off my daughter’s backpack because she forgot it at his apartment. Oh, he has to live in an apartment now because he can’t afford a house. His young secretary girlfriend dumped him because he can’t shower her with gifts, too. I know about that because my son told me. I guess David was ranting and raving.”

  “Well, that sounds ... terrible.” Jared rubbed his chin, considering. “What precise threats did your ex-husband make?”

  “He said he was going to cut off Carl’s testicles and feed them to him,” Cheryl replied. “He was convinced Carl and I had something going on, which was ridiculous because ... have you seen his hair? You can see his scalp through it and he used a pen to darken some areas to hide it. I would never date a guy who did that.”

  “Were you having an affair?” Mel asked the woman pointedly. “It’s important that you tell the truth.”

  “I had no interest in having an affair.” Cheryl appeared earnest. “I wanted the money. I don’t care if I ever have another relationship. David broke my heart ... and I paid him back. Those were the things I cared about.

  “As far as I’m concerned, everything turned out exactly how I wanted it to turn out,” she continued. “Carl had a reputation for sleeping with clients, but I told him that was off the table from the start. He was fine with that as long as he got his payment. That’s all there was to it.”

  “Okay, well ... we might have more questions at a later time.” Mel’s gaze was heavy when it locked with his partner’s conflicted orbs. “For now, we’re going to question David and see what he has to say.”

  “Oh, I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.”

  DAVID WAGNER WAS A CPA AT an accounting firm in New Baltimore. Jared and Mel headed to his office right after wrapping up their interview with Cheryl. Both of them were flummoxed by the turn of events.

  “How was Harper last night?” Mel asked as they exited the cruiser in the parking lot. “Did she ask questions about her mother?”

  “Yeah, but I deflected them as much as possible.”

  “You don’t want to tell her the truth?”

  “That her mother is a murder suspect? No, I don’t want to tell her that.”

  “I think you should.”

  “And I think you should mind your own business.” Jared fought hard to tamp down his anger. “It will upset her.”

  “Harper is a big girl.” Mel wasn’t the sort to back down under normal circumstances and he certainly wasn’t going to start now. “It will be better for her over the long haul if you tell her the truth now.”

  “There is no truth to tell. Her mother isn’t our prime suspect right now.”

  “She’s not,” Mel agreed. “I don’t want you focusing on David Wagner to the detriment of common sense to make sure that stays true, though. Can you promise me that?”

  Jared was offended. “Do you really think I would frame a guy to keep Harper happy?”

  “I think there’s very little you wouldn’t do to protect Harper. You can’t save her from this if Gloria is a murderer, though. You have to realize that.”

  The problem was, Jared realized exactly that. The realization was eating at him. “We don’t know anything yet,” he pointed out. “There’s no sense getting her worked up until we have an actual direction to look.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Well ... I say so.”

  Jared was morose as he followed his partner into the building. It was a three-story brick facade with multiple windows and zero personality. The detectives stopped at the front desk to talk to the secretary, who was young and blonde. She batted her eyelashes at Jared as they waited for David to come to the lobby to collect them.

  “You live in Whisper Cove?” she asked.

  Mel knew she wasn’t talking to him, but he answered any
way. “We do.”

  “I’ve always liked Whisper Cove. It’s ... cool.” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she regarded Jared with flirty eyes. “What do you do in Whisper Cove for fun?”

  Jared was in no mood for games. “Spend time with my fiancée.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment practically flowed off the young woman in waves. “That’s a bummer.”

  “Not from my perspective.”

  Thankfully for both men, David picked that moment to save them from an unfortunate conversation. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed confused why the police would want to see him.

  “Can I help you?”

  “David Wagner?” Mel asked, flashing his badge.

  “Yes.”

  “We’re with the Whisper Cove Police Department. We have a few questions to ask you regarding your relationship with Carl Gibbons.”

  Surprise washed over David’s features — and a momentary glint of hatred — but he recovered quickly. “I see. Um ... come into my office.” He flicked his eyes to the blonde. “Sassy, hold my calls.”

  The girl shot him a withering look. “Whatever you say, Mr. Wagner.”

  Jared had no doubt that Sassy — seriously, who named their kid that? — was the secretary Cheryl mentioned when talking about her husband’s affair. They clearly had a history ... and it wasn’t one that was full of roses and puppies.

  David didn’t speak again until Mel and Jared were seated in his office. He offered them refreshments, which they politely declined, and then turned to business. “If this is about something Cheryl said ... .”

  “What makes you think she’s the one who sent us here?” Mel queried.

  “We have what you would call a tempestuous relationship.”

  Jared figured that was a mild word for what these former lovers felt for each other. “We’re here to ask about your history with Carl Gibbons,” he supplied. “It’s our understanding that you didn’t like him.”

  “Would you like the man who basically bankrupted you?” David challenged. “I hate that guy. I make no bones about it. If he filed a complaint about the letter I sent him ... well ... I’m still not sorry. I meant everything I said in that letter. He’s a total bottom-feeder.”

  Jared exchanged a quick look with Mel and then adjusted his tack. “Sir, are you aware that Mr. Gibbons was murdered in his home yesterday?”

  David’s face went slack. “W-what?”

  “He’s dead,” Jared repeated. “He was stabbed inside his home.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “We don’t generally make jokes about murder,” Mel replied dryly.

  “I see.” David steepled his fingers on his desk and then burst out laughing. It wasn’t the reaction Jared was expecting. “Oh, this is the best thing that’s happened in ... I don’t know how long. Please tell me he didn’t die right away. Did he linger? Did he suffer?”

  Jared was caught off guard by the CPA’s bloodthirsty reaction. “We don’t have the full medical examiner’s report yet. That seems unlikely, though.”

  “What a bummer.”

  Mel cleared his throat to get David’s attention. “You realize you’re a suspect in his murder because of your recent threats against him, right?”

  The smile disappeared from David’s face. “What threats? I didn’t make any threats.”

  “So ... you didn’t threaten to castrate the victim and feed his testicles to him?” Jared asked.

  “Oh, that.” David rolled his eyes, hard. “That was just normal venting. I didn’t really mean it. Do you have any idea how much money that guy cost me? Of course I was going to threaten him. He had it coming. He didn’t even seem bothered by it.”

  “I don’t think threatening to castrate someone is normal,” Mel countered.

  “Then you obviously haven’t been divorced.” David was back to smiling. “There’s nothing to get worked up about. I said that, but I didn’t follow-through. I mean ... what would be the point? It’s not as if killing him would get my money back. That’s all I care about.”

  His words made sense, which caused the ball of despair taking up residence in the pit of Jared’s stomach to return with a vengeance. “We’re still going to need to know your whereabouts last night.”

  “What time?”

  “Between ten and four.”

  “That’s a big window.”

  “We’ll be able to narrow it down later this afternoon. If you prefer waiting until then, that’s your prerogative.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” David leaned back in his chair and smirked. “For the first time since getting divorced, I feel lucky. I’m covered for all that time last night because I was with a woman.”

  Jared pictured the secretary. “Sassy?”

  “Oh, no. She dumped me when she realized Cheryl took all my money. It turns out she was only interested in me buying things for her. Go figure. I was with another woman.”

  “And who might that be?”

  “Sally Beaufort. She’s Sassy’s mother. I don’t think Sassy knows yet. I’m looking forward to her finding out, though.”

  Mel gulped down his disgust. “And you were with her all night?”

  “I was.” He bobbed his head. “It went well enough that I’m seeing her again tonight. Go ahead and give her a call. I have nothing to hide.”

  “We’ll check out your alibi.” Mel turned his rueful gaze to Jared, sympathy for his fellow detective’s plight rushing through him. “I’m sure we’ll be in touch.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  HARPER WAS IN A PICKLE WHEN she landed on the street in front of Gibbons’s house. Police tape covered the front door, a stark warning that she wasn’t to enter the premises, but the ghost was most likely inside if he’d remained behind so she needed to cross the threshold if she expected to find him.

  “Well, that sucks,” she muttered as her mother and father joined her on the sidewalk.

  “What’s wrong?” Gloria readjusted her fur coat so the shoulders were square. “Do you see him already? If so, tell him I’m very mad at him.”

  “Oh, tell him I’m mad at him, too,” Phil intoned. “He should’ve watched himself better so we wouldn’t have to deal with this crap.”

  Harper rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off an oncoming headache. “Why did you insist on coming with us again, Dad? It’s not that I’m not thrilled to be spending time with you or anything, but I am curious why you’re here. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

  Phil shot her a look. “If I’m not here, who is going to babysit the two of you? I don’t really care if your mother gets in over her head. You’re my daughter, though. It’s my job to take care of you.”

  “Since when?” Harper muttered under her breath.

  “I heard that.” Phil extended a warning finger. “I don’t need your lip, young lady. I was a good father to you. I went to all your school events ... and helped you with homework ... and took you fishing after your grandfather passed because you insisted it was necessary.”

  That was true, Harper realized. He did all those things. He also grilled any boy who had the guts to date her in high school, insisted she hide what she could do in case people laughed and pointed, and once threatened her with an asylum when she insisted they had a ghost living in their basement. That was true, although thankfully the ghost grew tired of listening to the elder Harlows fight and moved to a different house for some peace and quiet.

  “I’m sorry.” She held up her hands in mock capitulation as her father glared at her. “I wasn’t trying to be difficult. It’s just ... we’re making a spectacle of ourselves.” She pointed toward a set of moving curtains across the road. “I’m pretty sure we have an audience.”

  Gloria’s forehead wrinkled as she stared at the lacy curtains. “That’s Annette Foster’s house. She’s a busybody. Who cares what she thinks?”

  Harper found the question hilarious because her mother was the queen
of caring what other people thought. “I think we should adjust our tones.” Harper was firm. “We don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

  “The solution to that is going inside,” Phil suggested. “If we’re off the street, nobody will be looking at us.”

  “I’m with you on that,” Gloria said. “Let’s get out of this cold.”

  Harper snagged her mother’s arm before the woman could break any additional laws. “You can’t cross the police tape. We can be arrested if you try.”

  “Oh, that’s preposterous. I have a key.”

  “It’s still a crime scene.”

  “I don’t understand,” Phil said, his hands landing on his hips. “Why did we come out here if it’s not to head inside and talk to a ghost?”

  “We need to lure the ghost outside,” Harper replied. “We can’t go inside. Annette will call the cops if she sees us crossing that tape and Jared won’t be happy if he has to arrest me. That hasn’t happened since that first time and he still gets irritated when I bring it up.”

  “That’s because he’s a whiner,” Gloria supplied. “You shouldn’t hitch yourself to a whiner forever, Harper. That never ends well. I should know.” She cast a pointed look in Phil’s direction.

  “At least I’m not a murderer,” Phil shot back. “This whiner will be here in a few years when our first grandchild is born. I’ll be the one spending time with him or her — or them, most likely, since I think Harper and Jared are the types to have more than one child — and they won’t know who you are. You’ll just be that woman who is in prison for killing a divorce attorney.”

  “Stop saying that!” Gloria’s eyes filled with fury. “I’m going to make you cry if you don’t stop saying things like that.”

  “You’ve already made me cry quite enough for one lifetime.”

  Desperate to tune them out, Harper focused her attention on Gibbons’s side yard. She was almost positive she saw a hint of movement behind a bush at one point and she decided to focus there ... because anything was better than listening to her parents carry on.