Ghostly Interests (7 page)

“You dated her, right?”

“I don’t think that ‘date’ is the right word,” Dalton said. “We spent a little time together. We were never officially a couple. Is Annie saying I did something to her or something? If so, you should know she didn’t take the fact that I didn’t want a relationship with her very well and she threatened to make a scene because she said I broke her heart.”

That was a lot of information to absorb and Jared wasn’t sure where to start with his next round of questions. “Are you saying you’re not currently involved with Annie Dresden?”

“We were never involved,” Dalton said. “I just told you that.”

“Sir, we have witnesses who saw you kissing Annie down by the pond,” Jared said. He had no idea why the man was lying, but Jared was on alert. Something else was going on here.

“So what? I said we weren’t dating,” Dalton said. “I never said we didn’t have sex.”

Jared was floored by the instructor’s cavalier attitude. “Excuse me?”

As if sensing that Jared’s temper was about to get the better of him Mel stepped in smoothly. “Sir, when did your sexual relationship with Miss Dresden end?”

“I don’t know,” Dalton said. “We had sex four times. When she called to ask me to dinner I declined and explained I was going out with someone else and she flipped out.”

“Do you date a lot of your students?” Jared asked, a nerve ticking in his tight jaw.

“I don’t think ‘date’ is the right word,” Dalton said.

Jared was at his wit’s end. “Sir, I don’t know if you’re trying to play a game here, but I’m in no mood to put up with any of … this.”

“You came to me,” Dalton reminded him.

“I’m not interested in rephrasing questions to get them semantically right,” Jared said. “I want to know how long you dated Annie Dresden and when the last time you saw her was. Period.”

“I’m also interested in how many of your students you date at once,” Mel added.

Dalton was surprised by Jared’s vehemence. “I … don’t know. I told you we slept together a few times. Annie thought we were embarking on a relationship. When I told her that wasn’t the case she accused me of using her and had a fit.”

“How did you respond?” Mel asked.

“I suggested that taking someone else’s class next semester would probably be the smartest way to go.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” Jared asked.

“Um … I’m going to say the day before yesterday,” Dalton said. “She was in class, but we didn’t speak. She gave me some dirty looks and I ignored them. She was being pretty pathetic, if you ask me. It’s not like we were in love or anything.”

Jared fought the urge to punch the man. His blasé attitude was beyond grating. “Where were you last night?”

While the medical examiner was still working on Annie’s body he did provide Mel and Jared with a few tidbits to start their investigation besides her identification. He put the time of death around 10 p.m. the previous evening and said she was dead before she hit the water. The other details would take more time.

“I … what is this about?” Dalton asked.

“Answer the question,” Jared ordered.

“Not until you tell me what this is about,” Dalton replied, holding firm.

“Annie Dresden was found dead on the beach in Whisper Cove today,” Mel supplied. “We need to know your whereabouts last evening, sir.”

“Oh, my … .” Dalton looked genuinely shocked. “I … how did she die?”

“We’re still working that out,” Mel said. “We need to know where you were last night.”

“I was at home.”

“Can anyone verify that?” Jared asked.

Dalton narrowed his eyes until they were dangerous slits. “What exactly are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything,” Jared countered. “I’m trying to ascertain if you have a witness to your alibi.”

“I was alone,” Dalton said, crossing his arms over his chest and releasing a shaky sigh.

“What about this Jackie?” Mel pressed. “Were you with her?”

“I was on campus until about six and then I went home,” Dalton said. “I was alone. I don’t have a witness and I don’t need one because I didn’t do anything.”

“Is this like when you weren’t dating Annie?” Jared asked, his belligerence getting the better of him.

“You know what? I think we’re done here,” Dalton said, his tone shifting from nervous to angry. “I don’t have to tell you anything. I’m an innocent man. You can get out of my office right now.”

“We still have questions,” Jared argued.

“Take them up with my lawyer,” Dalton spat. “We’re done.”

“THIS
is all so creepy,” Molly said, her eyes wide after Zander finished catching her up on the day’s events. “Do we know how she died yet?”

Despite her interest in Collin, and his half-hearted invitation to a party, Molly begged off and let her curiosity drag her back to the GHI offices. She had to know how Zander and Harper were drawn into Annie Dresden’s murder investigation.

“I don’t know if the cops even know how she died yet,” Zander said. “We only got Annie’s identification because my mother bugged Mel until he gave it up. I don’t think that’s going to happen again since the new cop was not happy when he found out.”

“He’s a tool,” Harper said, her gaze focused on her computer screen as she followed Annie’s digital footprint on Facebook.

“I think you like him,” Zander teased.

“Who does Harper like?” Eric asked, strolling into the office. He gave the appearance of being relaxed, but Zander could read the rigid set of his shoulders from five feet away.

“The new cop,” Zander said. He felt bad for Eric, but it was never going to happen with Harper. No matter how long the man lusted after his best friend she was never going to return the feelings. Jared Monroe was another matter entirely. While Whisper Cove’s newest police officer was prickly he was also attractive, and whether Harper realized it or not, she was reacting to Jared in a way she probably didn’t comprehend.

“How did you meet the new cop already?” Eric asked.

Instead of giving Zander a chance to answer Molly did it for him. If Eric’s crush on Harper was unrequited, Molly’s crush on Eric was eternally doomed. She didn’t see it, just like Eric didn’t see his crush was never going to be returned. When Molly was done Eric was flabbergasted.

“How come nobody ever comes to get me for these little outings?” Eric asked.

“Harper and I were eating lunch when it happened,” Zander replied. “When we came back to the office you weren’t here. She wanted to go to the campus right away. What were we supposed to do?”

“Have you heard about these newfangled cell phone contraptions?” Eric pulled his out of his pocket and waved it in Zander’s face for emphasis.

“No,” Zander said, turning his attention back to Molly. “We need you to keep your ears open on campus. If you hear anyone talking about Annie, find out how well they know her and anything else they can tell us about her day-to-day activities.”

“We already know she was dating a professor,” Harper added.

“She was?” Molly perked up. “Which professor?”

“Michael Dalton.”

Molly’s interest waned. “I wouldn’t get too excited about him,” she said. “Rumor has it that he’ll date anything with the right parts. He’s not particular. He has sex with any co-ed who even smiles at him. He’s got quite the reputation as a ladies man. I think he’s the one who spreads those rumors, though, because he likes people to think of him as some un-gettable lothario.”

“You just said he was gettable,” Harper pointed out.

“Fine. You’re right,” Molly conceded. “Getting him isn’t the problem. Keeping him for more than three or four rolls in the hay is the problem.”

“If everyone knows about his reputation, why does the college keep him on?” Zander asked.

“He’s hot,” Molly said. “His classes always fill up, so as long as no formal complaints are filed against him, he’s golden.”

“That’s just … wrong,” Harper said, making a face. “If he’s notorious on campus, though, I’m not sure what his motive for killing Annie would be. It doesn’t sound like they were serious.”

“Probably not from his end,” Molly said. “I know several girls have gotten their noses out of joint about being dumped by Dalton, though. Everyone thinks they’re going to be the one to tame him and they take it rough when it doesn’t happen.”

“The motive is in what Molly just told us,” Zander pointed out.

Harper furrowed her brow. “It is? I must have missed it.”

“Well,
Trixie Belden
, Molly said that Dalton gets away with dating his students as long as no formal complaints are filed,” Zander said. “Maybe Annie threatened to file a complaint because of the way he dumped her in the dirt.”

The theory intrigued Harper. “That’s a good point,” she said, rubbing her index finger against her cheek thoughtfully. “That does give him a pretty solid motive.”

“It does,” Zander agreed. “What we need to do is find out what Dalton’s status with Annie was at the time of her death.”

“We also need a firm time of death,” Harper added.

“I’ll call my mom and have her bug Uncle Mel for whatever tidbits she can glean tonight,” Zander said. “Molly, your mission is to find out whatever dirt you can on Dalton. Find out who he is sleeping with now and see if you can find any exes who will be willing to talk to us.”

Molly clicked her heels together and mock saluted. Despite her reaction, the excitement on her face was obvious. “This is going to be so much fun,” she said. “It’s like we’re detectives.”

“We’re like Sherlock and Watson,” Zander agreed.

“We’re more like Scooby-Doo,” Eric said.

Zander pondered the thought. “That means Molly is Thelma, Harper is Daphne, you’re Shaggy, and I’m Fred.”

“I’m Fred,” Eric corrected.

“Who wants to be Fred?” Harper asked. “He dressed like an idiot and he was clearly gay. Oh, wait, that means Zander is definitely Fred.”

“I told you,” Zander said, winking at Eric triumphantly.

“I don’t want to be Shaggy,” Eric argued.

“Then you’re Scooby-Doo,” Zander said. “I love it. Do you want a Scooby-Snack?”

“How did I end up being a dog in this scenario?” Eric was frustrated.

“We all have our lots in life,” Harper replied. “Now everyone get to work. We need to do some research and the best way to do it is going to be at the candlelight vigil on campus tonight.”

“There’s a candlelight vigil?” Molly asked. “How do you know that?”

“Someone posted it on Facebook,” Harper said. “That’s where we’re starting so everyone get your dinner and gear up because we have a murder to solve and a ghost to put to rest.”

“She might be more Thelma than me,” Molly said.

“No, she’s Shaggy,” Zander said, tousling Harper’s hair affectionately. “All she’s missing is the constant pot buzz and shower aversion.”

Eight

“Does anyone else find candlelight vigils creepy?” Eric asked a few hours later.

The St. Clair Community College campus was buzzing with activity, word of Annie’s death spreading like wildfire. While the police weren’t releasing a cause of death, the student population was already passing news of Annie’s brutal murder along as if it was fact. Harper had a feeling they were right, but she didn’t like it when people jumped to conclusions.

“How are they creepy?” Molly asked, her gaze focused on the spot in front of the administration building where people were placing roses before the ceremony. “I think it’s nice. People want to mourn the loss of their friend.”

“That’s just it,” Eric said. “Are we really supposed to believe all of these people were Annie’s friends? I can’t help but feel some of them are here because they like the spectacle of death and want to be a part of something … big.”

“That’s pretty jaded,” Molly chided.

“I think it’s realistic.”

Molly and Eric turned to Harper expectantly, as if she was their mother and the deciding factor in their little argument. “I think you’re both right,” Harper said. “I think that whenever death hits young people they can’t help but react because they see themselves as untouchable and someone their age being taken before their time jars them.”

Molly stuck her tongue out in Eric’s direction.

“I also think a lot of these people showed up because there’s a ghoulish factor to media-covered deaths,” Harper said, pointing at the television reporters as they set up on the other side of the action. “People want to be where the excitement is. I’m sure a lot of these people have no idea who Annie is and they don’t really care because they’re more worried about whether or not they can get on television.”

Eric sneered at Molly as she deflated.

“I think it’s a mixture of people,” Harper said. “Like all things in life there are good and bad aspects of death and the way people react to it.”

“Are you in fortune cookie mode tonight?” Zander teased.

“I’m merely waxing poetic,” Harper shot back. She clapped her hands together to draw everyone’s attention away from the spectacle and back to her. “I want everyone to split up and see what they can find out. Don’t wander too far away and Molly, if you see this professor, come and find me. I’m dying to meet him.”

“Will do.”

JAY GRAHAM
was holding court amidst his fan club when he caught sight of Harper. She was winding through the crowd and she looked lost in thought. He didn’t care what the dour cop said about how old she was. He liked what he saw and older women were better to play with because they knew what they were doing and were often grateful for the attention from a young stud like himself.

He told his friends he would be back in a few minutes, winked at two girls who had been trying to flirt with him all night, and then started moving in Harper’s direction. He didn’t want to alienate the girls in case he struck out with Harper. He was definitely more interested in her, though.

“Where are you going?” Collin asked, stepping into his brother’s path.

“That hot blonde from earlier today is over there,” Jay said, pointing. “I want to talk to her.”

“She’s way out of your league.”

“No one is out of my league,” Jay countered.