Ghostly Worries (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 4) (19 page)

“Because I didn’t want to point the investigation in a specific direction unless I was absolutely sure,” Mel replied. “The state police took fingerprints at the cottage and they’re running them now. I asked them to put a rush on it given what’s going on.”

“You think it’s Kennedy, don’t you?”

“I think he makes the most sense,” Mel conceded. “We all know what Rosie was looking for in a man and looks weren’t important. Money was, though. Kennedy isn’t what I would call wealthy, but for this area he’s definitely richer than the average resident.”

“Harper and Zander are hiding from the hygienist, though,” Jared pointed out. “They think she’s trying to drill them. That’s what Harper texted, by the way. I wouldn’t use that word and can’t quite figure out why she did.”

Jason snorted, earning a sidelong look from Mel.

“Why is he here?”

“I thought I might need backup if they were really on to something and I wasn’t sure how far out you were,” Jared replied. “Plus … I feel sorry for the guy. He married a terrible woman.”

“Like Rosie,” Mel intoned.

“Kind of like Rosie,” Jared conceded. “I still don’t know what to think of any of this, and I specifically told both of them to stay out of this investigation over breakfast this morning.”

“That was like waving a checkered flag at a NASCAR race,” Mel said. “It’s too late now. Let’s just go in there, save the dumb duo, and then sort out the rest of it once we get the fingerprints information back from the state police. If Kennedy is the guy Rosie was seeing, his fingerprints will hit because his records are on file thanks to the stored pharmaceuticals on the premises.”

“Okay,” Jared said. “I’m still annoyed with both of them. In fact, the second I see them … .” He broke off when he saw a female figure scurry out the side door of the office and hurry in their direction. He recognized her right away. “Isn’t that Cecelia?”

Mel nodded. “She looks … .”

“Terrified,” Jared finished, taking a step forward. “What’s going on?”

“I have no idea,” Cecelia said. “All I know is that a crazy woman and man came in and said they had an emergency, then they disappeared before I could get the doctor to fix a cavity, and now they’re hiding under a table in the side office and Dr. Kennedy is waving around a gun.”

Jared’s stomach flipped at the news. “Excuse me? A gun?”

“I didn’t even know he owned a gun,” Cecelia complained. “I have no idea what this world is coming to, but apparently everything is about to spin off its axis. I just know I’m going to have to find another job after this. Do you know what a pain that’s going to be?”

Jared ignored the question as he reached for his own sidearm and strode toward the door Cecelia used to make her hasty exit.

“Shouldn’t we have a plan?” Mel called to his back.

“I do have a plan,” Jared replied. “I’m getting my girl … and then I’m going to kill her.”

“
I
T WAS
you
.” Harper briefly pressed her eyes shut as Zander gripped her hand and shrank back as far as possible under the table. “You killed Rosie.”

“I didn’t mean to, but yes,” Kennedy said. After his brief outburst he’d taken on a decidedly calmer tone. “She seduced me. You know that, right? I never thought I was the sort of man who would cheat on his wife, but she just wouldn’t stop.”

“I’m sure that’s true, but that doesn’t mean you had to kill her,” Harper said.

“I had no choice,” Kennedy said, his tone weary and sad. “Rosie rented that cottage and insisted I keep meeting her out there. I didn’t want to, but I was caught. She said she was going to tell my wife. I was going to lose everything.”

“You could’ve told your wife the truth on your own,” Harper pointed out. “She might’ve forgiven you.”

“She wouldn’t forgive me for betraying her, and I don’t blame her for feeling that way,” Kennedy argued. “She’s a good woman and I made a promise to her that I didn’t keep. I tried ending it with Rosie so many times I lost count. Finally, I got it together and met her at the cottage to tell her it was over.

“She didn’t take it well and insisted she was going to call my wife,” he continued. “She took photos when we were together and everything. It was sick … and wrong … and I just couldn’t handle it for one more second. I wrapped my arms around her neck and … it was over before I realized what was happening.”

“You strangled her.”

“I did.”

“She thought you were going to leave your wife and be with her,” Harper said. “I think she was going to try and force your hand eventually. You probably realized that, though.”

“I did realize that,” Kennedy said. “She said she was on birth control, but I knew she wasn’t taking it. The joke was on her, though, because I had a vasectomy years ago. She was going to trap me with a pregnancy. I could see the frustration every month when it failed. It was one of the few joys I got out of the entire situation.”

“You know the police are going to track everything back to you, right?”

“I don’t know that,” Kennedy said. “You and your friend thought it was Cecelia. I have one shot of making this right for my wife.”

Realization dawned on Harper and it made her sick to her stomach. “You’re going to kill us and tell the police Cecelia did it. Then you’re going to tell them that she killed Rosie because … what … she had a crush on you?”

“Something like that,” Kennedy replied. “I haven’t figured out all of the details yet, but I will. I’ll do it for my wife.”

“The cops already know we’re here,” Harper said, opting to try fear instead of reason. “We texted once we were under the table. They’re on their way.”

“Then I guess they’ll find the two of you dead and me wounded from trying to fight Cecelia off,” Kennedy said. “I’ll tell them I tried to protect you, but Cecelia was like a crazy person. They’ll believe me because Cecelia has a certain reputation.”

“Oh, this is just bonkers,” Zander complained. “I can’t believe we’re in this situation. This is totally your fault, Harp!”

“I still maintain it’s your fault,” Harper shot back. “You could’ve stopped me.”

“And I think it’s both your faults and I’m going to scream and yell like you wouldn’t believe later tonight,” Jared announced, appearing in the doorway behind Kennedy and pressing his gun to the man’s back. “Put your weapon down.”

Kennedy’s eyes widened as he realized the game was over. “But … my wife.”

“You should’ve thought about that before you let Rosie seduce you,” Harper chided. “You didn’t have to sleep with her.”

“She made me!”

“No, you let her make you,” Harper clarified.

“Put your gun down,” Jared repeated, his voice cold and hostile. “I am not messing around.”

Kennedy stared at his hand for a moment, as if weighing his options, and then he dejectedly dropped the gun onto the floor and held his hands up. Jared retrieved his cuffs from his belt and remained focused as he took Rosie’s murderer into custody.

“You have the right to remain silent … .”

“This is still your fault,” Zander muttered.

“
Y
ou’re
in so much trouble I don’t even know where to start.”

Jared leaned against his police cruiser and crossed his arms over his chest as Harper rested her head on Zander’s shoulder. The mess from the arrest was still sorting itself out and because he had to take multiple statements, Jared could do nothing but offer Harper a hug – and a warning about what was to come later – before spending the next two hours dealing with more pressing issues.

“I still maintain this was Zander’s fault,” Harper protested. “He could’ve stopped me from going inside and didn’t.”

“Really?” Jared shifted his eyes to Zander. “What do you have to say about that?”

“She’s lying.”

“I figured that out on my own,” Jared said, slipping his hand behind Harper’s neck and pulling her away from the safety of Zander’s presence. “Why did you come here after you promised me you wouldn’t?”

“I didn’t promise you I wouldn’t come here,” Harper argued. “I promised I wouldn’t get involved with the work you were doing today. Did I lie?”

“I … .” Jared screwed his face up into an adorable scowl as he tried to decide how to answer.

“Oh, give it up, man,” Jason said, moving to the spot next to Zander. “We all know you’re going to forgive her.”

“We do know that,” Zander agreed, narrowing his eyes at Jason’s proximity. “What are you doing here?”

“Stealing your thunder.”

“You make me want to kick you,” Zander muttered, annoyed.

“How about instead I invite everyone for dinner tonight?” Jason suggested. “It’s on the house … you know, for new beginnings and such.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m busy,” Zander sniffed.

“I’m pretty sure you’ll be there and you’re going to be pleasant and nice,” Jared corrected. “This guy has had a rough go of it, too, and no matter what you thought he was doing in high school … and elementary school … and middle school … I think you might have been wrong.”

“The only thing I have been wrong about is mistaking the crazy hygienist for a murderer,” Zander said. “I still feel kind of bad about that.”

“She was acting weird,” Harper said. “She had it coming.”

“I like your take on matters better,” Zander said. “I’m over feeling bad. Yay!”

Jared rolled his eyes until they landed back on Harper’s angelic face. She was doing her best to bat her eyelashes and cuddle closer to him and he was having a hard time concentrating on the anger he knew he should be feeling instead of the overwhelming urge to hug and kiss her. Thankfully Jason saved him from having to make an immediate decision.

“Did the dentist admit to everything?”

“He did, but he’s not taking any of the blame onto himself,” Jared replied. “He seems to think Rosie is to blame for everything because she went out of her way to seduce him.”

Zander made an incredulous face. “Yes, Rosie is the one that stuck his ... .”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Harper warned, extending a finger. “Did he say why he dumped the body under the restaurant?”

“He said he thought the water reached up that far during the night and since a storm was expected around that time he thought she would be drawn out to the lake,” Jared explained. “He knew the restaurant wasn’t opening for another two days so he thought he had time. He drove Rosie’s car to the parking lot, dragged her under the deck, and then ditched the car at the deli. He also solved the mystery of the women’s club at the ice cream shop. They met one Thursday of the month, not every Thursday. She met her friends there last week, and that’s why he thought everyone would look in that area when he reported her missing. He didn’t count on anyone discovering her body.”

“I wonder what his wife is going to say about all of this,” Harper mused. “He killed Rosie to keep her from finding out and now he’s going to prison for murder and everyone is going to find out.”

“Cecelia admitted she had a feeling about the affair and that’s why she disliked Rosie so much,” Jared supplied. “It seems she had a crush on the good doctor herself but didn’t think he was an option because they were both married.

“When Kennedy started sleeping with Rosie he gave her preferential treatment – including the most desirable shifts – and Cecelia mistakenly thought it was because of the sex and didn’t understand about the blackmail,” he continued. “She’s understandably upset.”

“Yeah, we heard her,” Zander said dryly. “She’s already got an interview lined up for a new job … at my dentist’s office. If that woman thinks she’s going to drill me she’s got another thing coming. Get back in the clown car, crazy!”

“Take it down a notch,” Jared said, absentmindedly slipping his arm over Harper’s shoulders as he stared Zander down. “You’re going to draw unnecessary attention to yourself.”

“That’s the way he likes to live his life,” Harper said. “What about Rosie’s body?”

“It’s being cremated and the ashes are being sent to her mother in Arizona.”

“I can’t believe her mother couldn’t even be bothered to come out here and pick her up,” Harper said. “My mother and I fight like cats and dogs and yet she wouldn’t leave me alone. Not for something like that.”

Jared pressed a soft kiss to Harper’s temple as he considered how to respond. “I think maybe Rosie got her outlook on life from her mother,” he said finally. “I pulled the mother’s record out of curiosity because I knew you were bothered and she’s been through five husbands – each one richer than the previous sap.”

“Well, that explains that,” Harper muttered, turning her head so she could rest her cheek against Jared’s shoulder. “Are you still angry with me?”

“Yes.”

“How long do you think it will last?”

Jared shook his head as he fought the urge to smile. “Not long.”

“Good,” Harper said, brightening. “I was thinking that after dinner we could get some ice cream and have a walk on the beach.”

“Yes, definitely ice cream,” Zander enthused.

“You just spent the entire night throwing up because of ice cream,” Jared reminded her.

“That’s because I ate four servings,” Harper said. “Tonight I’m only going to have one. Er, maybe two.”

“You’re not having any,” Jared countered. “I think that should be your punishment. I’m going to get my own hot fudge sundae and eat it in front of you.”

Harper’s pout bordered on adorable. “You’re not even going to give me a bite?”

“You can share my sundae with me,” Jason offered, earning an ear flick from Jared. “It was a platonic offer, man. Chill out.”

“You can have one bite of my ice cream,” Jared conceded. “You have to eat all of your dinner first, though.”

“And then the walk?”

“And then the walk,” Jared confirmed. “I might even twirl you around the beach once or twice since we had such a limited dancing opportunity the other night.”

“Yay!” Harper clapped her hands and hopped up and down.

“That’s so gross,” Zander muttered. “You two are going to dance on the beach and I’m going to be stuck eating ice cream with the thunder stealer. How is that fair?”

“I’ll spring for extra sprinkles if you stop calling me that,” Jason offered.

Zander tilted his head to the side, considering. “Deal, but I want a really big cone.”

“Done.” Jason extended his hand as Zander warily eyed it. Finally, Zander gripped the hand and gave it a good pump.

“And all is right with the world,” Jared said, grabbing Harper around the waist and spinning her before planting a kiss on her lips. “You’re still getting a lecture. I don’t care how cute you think you are.”

“I can live with that,” Harper said. “Ice cream, dinner, dancing … a lecture will fit right in.”

“And all is strange in this world,” Jason said, shaking his head. “I think I’m going to like it here, though.”