“And what did you do?”
“We forced him over.” Harper’s grin broadened for an instant, and then she remembered the body on the ground and sobered. “He didn’t stay because he loved his wife. He didn’t want to remain close to his family. All he wanted to do was torture people. That happens more often than you might expect.”
“That just makes me inexplicably sad,” Shawn noted, his eyes drifting toward the trees, to where flashlights bounced to signify more people were incoming. “I guess I’ve always hoped there was something better on the other side for everybody.”
“Oh, there is,” Harper reassured him, squeezing his hand as she straightened. “Have faith. This is only one life. There’s another one out there waiting for us when all is said and done.”
JARED MET THE INCOMING POLICE OFFICERS at the edge of the clearing, introducing himself before gesturing toward the body.
“She’s a member of our group.”
Leo Portman, the head detective for the Evergreen Shores Police Department, nodded in greeting. His expression as he eyed the body was one of fear more than determination, though. “I see. How did she die?”
Jared studied the detective for a long beat and then shook his head. He had a sinking feeling that the Evergreen Shores Police Department didn’t deal with a lot of murders. That would make things more difficult. “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that close. Once we ascertained that she was really dead — and not just part of the show — I ordered everyone to stand back and not touch anything. I figured you would want to bring in your own people and take over.”
“Right.” Leo rubbed his cheek, bafflement joining disgust in the depths of his eyes. “Um ... maybe you could give me a hint or something. You’re a police detective, right?”
“In Whisper Cove,” Jared agreed, darting a quick look toward Harper. She was obviously listening to the conversation, and she looked as worried as Jared felt. “If I may ask ... um ... when was the last time you guys dealt with a homicide?”
Leo puffed out his chest. “A year ago. I was the one who closed it. Delores Jenkins smacked her husband over the head with a cast-iron skillet because she found out he’d been gambling with their retirement money.”
“Uh-huh. Did she try to cover her tracks?”
“No. She just sat in a chair and waited for us to come to her. She never denied what was done.”
“I see, well ... this will be different.” Jared tried to force a smile for the other detective’s benefit. “I do know that this individual was here with her husband.”
“Do you know a name?” Leo asked, digging in his pocket for his notebook. “I guess we should start with that.”
Jared looked to Harper for an answer.
“Leslie Duncan,” Harper replied automatically. “Her husband’s name is Sam. I’m not sure if that’s short for anything.”
“I don’t see how much shorter the name Sam can get,” Leo replied blankly.
Harper swallowed hard. “Um ... I meant that Sam might be short for Samuel or something.”
“Oh, right.” He nodded. “What’s your particular involvement in this case, ma’am?”
Jared swooped in before Harper could answer. “She’s my fiancée. We’re here as a group.” He gestured toward Zander and Shawn, too. “This was supposed to be a vacation of sorts. We’re serving as testers for the new campground event they have planned.”
“That would be the murder-mystery thing, right?” Leo queried. “We hear it’s supposed to be like Friday the 13th or something, with fake murders and monstrous killers running around.” He leaned closer to Jared and continued in a conspiratorial whisper. “Most of the folks who live in these parts aren’t happy about it, but they don’t want a development going in here either so we’re just sitting back and watching at this point.”
“I don’t know that the event had anything to do with this,” Jared cautioned, although his mind was already spinning with possibilities. “Has anybody made their concerns regarding the murder-mystery events public? I mean ... is anybody really upset?”
“A lot of people are upset. I don’t know what that matters, though.” Leo was silent for a beat, realization finally dawning. “Oh.”
“I’m not saying that’s what happened,” Jared offered quickly. “I’m just saying that ... it could be more than one thing.”
“Right.” Leo nodded in understanding. “We should probably talk to the husband, right?”
The way he phrased the question told Jared that he was going to need a lot of help. “I would definitely start with the husband. We also need to get Harris in here. He’s the one running the event.”
“Do you think he did it?” Leo almost looked hopeful.
“I think that he’ll be able to tell us who was positioned where for this little game.” Jared chose his words carefully. “We need to know what was supposed to happen and how Leslie ended up where she did.”
“Good thinking.” Leo flashed a smile for Harper’s benefit. “I’m sorry you had to see this, ma’am. It must be stressful for you. There’s no need to worry, though. We’ll have this figured out in a jiff.”
Harper stared at him for a long beat and then simply nodded. Really, what was she supposed to say to that? “I’m sure you’ll figure things out.” Briefly, her gaze flicked to Jared. “One way or another.”
SHAWN AND ZANDER TRACKED DOWN HARRIS. Even though Zander wasn’t keen to traipse through the woods after dark, he knew better than letting Shawn wander around on his own when there was a potential killer in their midst.
“I’m not saying you can’t take care of yourself,” Zander groused as they returned. “I’m just saying that killers flee from me.”
“Really?” Shawn drawled. “I seem to remember a time or two ... or ten ... where that wasn’t the case.”
“They say memory is the first thing to go.” Zander smiled when he caught sight of Harper. “I found our benefactor.” He risked a glance over his shoulder
