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CHAPTERSEVEN
Harper curled up on her sofa, her legs tucked under her. Today had been as long as it had been brutal. She was just glad to be home as the wind howled and the rain pelted against the windows. The weather seemed to reflect her own inner turmoil. She pulled a blanket around her shoulders as the fire crackled in the fireplace, casting a warm, flickering glow across the room.
She breathed in the soothing aroma of the tea she held in her hands, its steam rising to warm her face. She’d changed into her favorite flannelette pajamas and a pair of big wool socks. Comfort clothing. Shadows danced along the walls, casting an aura of warmth and solitude. Storms had a way of making the world feel small, encapsulated in the cocoon of her seaside haven. This was what she needed tonight; a balm to her frayed nerves.
The encounter in the library had just about done her in. She’d only just managed to get her hands to stop shaking. She’d thought for sure the man was going to discover what she was up to. Thank God for the ghost. She smiled. She never thought that would be something to be thankful for, but the unexpected noises had proven to be the best distraction. Otherwise, she could have been in real trouble.
She still couldn’t believe she’d gone with her instinct and kissed him. She’d needed to distract him from asking her questions and, well, he was so close and smelled so good that she just went for it. The kiss left her unsteady. The man knew what he was doing. Her knees had gone weak and he had her wanting more in seconds. Intense electricity had arced hotly between them, but she hadn’t expected that they would fit together so seamlessly. Like they were made to be together. She snorted.Hallmark movie much?
The mystery man was too damn sexy. She had no idea who he was and probably didn’t want to know since he had to be a member of the Rainy Day Club. She didn’t want to be near any of that.
But those dark eyes of his. Had her senses been heightened because of the situation? She’d never had chemistry like that before with anyone.
Just as she took a cautious sip of her tea, a knock echoed through the room, pulling her from her reverie. Harper's fingers tightened around the cup. She wasn’t expecting company after midnight, especially not during a storm like this.
Setting her tea on the coffee table, she rose from the sofa and made her way to the door. She glanced through the peephole. Why in the world was Jason Merritt waiting on the other side? She’d changed her mind about telling him about the paint chips and left him a message earlier that she wanted to speak with him tomorrow but that didn’t explain why he was here now.
Her heart lurched. Had something else happened? Was something wrong? She unlocked the door and wrenched it open.
“Jason, is everything okay? What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Jason's tall frame was soaked from the rain, droplets clinging to his blond hair and overcoat. He gave a weary smile as he stepped inside. "Sorry, Harper. I didn’t mean to scare you. Everything is fine. I just got your message as I was passing. I saw your lights were still on so I thought… I hoped it would be okay to stop. Tomorrow is going to be a long one and I wasn’t sure I’d have time to see you.”
Harper put a hand on her chest. “Oh, thank goodness. Sorry for being so abrupt. I’m just a bit on edge. Would you like some tea? Or I can make coffee if you’d like. Or something stronger?” She was rambling. She did that when she was nervous. Why was she nervous around Jason? Because now she had to tell him what she’d found and she knew he wasn’t going to like it, that’s why.
Jason stepped further into the room, raindrops falling from his coat onto the wooden floor. "Tea would be great," he said, his voice carrying a note of gratitude. He removed his coat and hung it on a nearby hook before turning to face Harper. "It’s nasty out there.” He walked over and looked out her glass doors to her deck. “Be careful with your chairs. They could break something if the wind picks up.” He came back across the room and Harper handed him the tea she’d just poured. He smiled his thanks. “Your message mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about Astrid.”
She motioned for him to take a seat on the sofa and then settled into an armchair across from him, her gaze locked onto his. “What were you doing out in this storm?” she asked stalling for time.
“It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation. I was over at the Bradley’s. They couldn’t get in touch with their son Danny and went into a panic since… Well, you know, since we found Astrid today.”
“Is Danny okay?”
“Yeah,” Jason said and then took a sip of this tea and swallowed. “He’d gone over to his girlfriend’s place and fell asleep. He’d plugged his phone in but then the power went out and his phone died.”
She sat back in her chair. “I’m glad he’s okay.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Now you wanted to discuss something about Astrid’s case?”
She took a deep breath. “Today at the bluff, Mandy pointed out a green flake of something on Astrid’s skirt and under her nails.”
“Yes, they came from some kind of green paint.”
“I…I recognized it.”
Jason’s gaze narrowed. “What do you mean you recognized it?”
She licked her lips. This was the tricky part. She knew it sounded farfetched, but she also knew that she was right. “When I was growing up, my father did a lot of work at Everlasting Manor for the previous owners. During my teen rebellion years, I wanted to paint my room black but he and Mom said no way. The compromise was that I could paint one wall a dark color. He brought home a dark green paint that had a touch of sparkle to it and I used that.”
“I’m sorry.” Jason frowned. “I’m not following you. Do you think Astrid went to your parents’ old place?”
“No.” She cursed under her breath. “I’m not being very clear. I used the green paint that he brought home, but he had it because he used it at Everlasting Manor. He painted one of the rooms there in that color.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So, you think Astrid was at Everlasting Manor before she died?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well…I guess it’s a possibility but as you just pointed out, that green paint could be from anywhere. I mean maybe Astrid did go to your parents’ place. She was best friends with their granddaughter, so maybe she ran into the paint there.”
