Silent Harbour

Chapter 22: P.I. for Hire

November 8, 2025

"Hey! Stop right where you are!" I yell as I chase after Jasper's fleeing figure. He shows no signs of slowing down his pace, so I break out into a light sprint. "I know it's you, Jasper." That seems to capture his attention and bring him to a sudden halt.

"Erm. Hello there, Ms. Pierce. Fancy running into you in this neighbourhood," Jasper's trembling voice reflecting his obvious nervousness.

"Yeah, it sure is such a coincidence." The sarcasm oozes from my words. "Oh wait, I live here; a fact you're very much aware of. I don't have time for your games and lies, Everhart. What are you doing lurking around my front yard?"

Jasper's eyes shift over his right shoulder in the direction of his beat-up Toyota Corolla. No doubt, he's debating whether he can pull off a quick escape. Silently squandering his internal debate, I take a not-so subtle step towards him, further closing the gap between us. It seems to do the trick, as he returns his full attention back towards me.

"I was just scouting the area. Business is slow at the moment, so I figured I'd walk around and scavenge my next case or client firsthand." It's clearly a lie. I don't know what ever led him to believe he'd make a decent private investigator. The man sure can't lie to save his behind. How he managed to get this far in his career is a mystery of its own.

"Emery!" shouts Henri, who has been standing idly by on the front porch observing the interaction. "Need any backup?"

"I'm good, Henri! Go back inside and put the kettle on, would you? Mr. Everhart here is going to come in for some tea." I look back towards Jasper to observe his reaction to my compulsory invitation. If there's one soft skill that I'm glad to have learned from my job, it's the power to be assertive and leave no room for questions or second-guessing. Others in my field always wonder how I manage to secure interviews with individuals who have a known history of being flighty. They never believe me when I tell them that it's all in the delivery of the invitation and the eye contact. Jasper's yet another victim to fall prey to my skill.

I take a step back to place myself behind Jasper, and gesture for him to head towards my house. He begins the short walk without a trace of hesitation.

"Is earl gray okay with you, Jasper? I also have chamomile and lemon ginger."

"Earl grey is fine. A splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar too, if it isn't too much trouble."

Oh, how quickly they fall into line. "It's no trouble at all."

**********

"Now that you've got your tea, would you like to fess up the real reason you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Henri? I figured, after our last conversation, your interest in him ceased to exist."

He fidgets with the string on his tea bag as if contemplating his options.

"A good private investigator doesn't share his secrets," he replies flatly, watching me out of the corner of narrowed eyes.

I smile thinly. "I know you won't be persuaded by my charm and good nature so I'll jump straight to the point. If you don't tell me what you're up to, I'll have to report you for unlawful surveillance of a minor. If you're as good as you say you are, you know that Henri's only seventeen."

Jasper narrows his eyes further and sets the tea bag aside. "You don't have any proof of that Ms. Pierce, nor did I ever admit to that. It was just a hunch of yours wasn't it? He-said-she-said kind of thing–not too well received in court I'm afraid."

He's smirking now: a wide arrogant sort of grin. "I think you've gravely underestimated me and my capabilities as an investigator Mr. Everhart.

His face falters just a bit, but he recovers quickly.

"Am I?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "You see, I've done my homework too, and you're not the only one with friends in high places. Do you really want to test me?"

He shifts uncomfortably, but the smirk remains.

"What do you want, Ms. Pierce?"

"Who hired you," I say, my tone firm.

"That's confidential," he replies, shaking his head. "I can't give away my client's identity."

"Ah, so you were hired to spy on me then, eh." It's a statement, not a question.

He shrugs. "That's neither here nor there, Ms. Pierce. It's not against the law to cross the street in this neighborhood the last time I checked, or am I mistaken?"

"Actually it is in my books, when you have a history of terrorizing a young man who is just going about his business and trying to make the best of a terrible situation. Henri and Peter were close. Again, I'm sure you're well aware."

He curls his lip. "I would never act in any way that would put young Mr. Morin in harm's way, I assure you that."

"Oh well based on your assurance, I'm relieved, I'll be able to sleep much better."

I continue, "Confidentiality is a two way street Mr. Everhart. If you want me to trust you, you'll have to give me something more to go on than that."

He looks at me knowingly. "This stays between the two of us," he hesitates, "Maybe you ought to reassess who you choose to trust in this town."

"What are you trying to tell me, Jasper?" He has the annoying talent of knowing how to phrase things to entice my curiosity. It's actually something that nearly got me in trouble a couple of times towards the start of my career. Criminals and their abettors know how to carefully craft the perfect alibi that you can't help but entertain and investigate as if they were real. After a period of time, you start believing the story and forget to ever call into question its validity.

"From the outside, Silent Harbour sure looks like a town that physically stood the test of time. Sure, maybe a couple new playgrounds or houses have popped up over the years, but the integrity of town remains the same as it was when you last lived here. You can't say the same about its people though. Or perhaps, you just never knew the full extent of their personality way back then."

"I don't have time for your vague remarks. Are you going to tell me who hired you to spy on me or not?"

Jasper stuffs his hands into the pockets of his pin-striped trousers. "Don't shoot the messenger, especially when the messenger doesn't actually know who sent the message."

"What do you mean? Are you trying to tell me that you don't actually know who hired you?"

"Look, it wasn't my finest moment. Usually I do my due diligence in vetting potential clients, you know – if their story is legit, if they can afford me – basic parameters to weed out prankster teenagers and scammers. I haven't exactly been juggling a full roster lately, so I was desperate for any case. Someone contacted me through my website, and wired me money as a makeshift hiring bonus. It was enough to make me shut my mouth and accept their case, which led me to your porch."

"That has to be the most ridiculous story I've ever heard from a potential suspect."

"I can show you the messages and the bank statements. I already tried to trace back the wire to the sender's bank account, but all I got was the name of some shell corporation, H.S. Rutra."

In an instant, I feel the blood drain from my face. Unfortunately, I can't manage to hide my reaction well enough, evidenced by Jasper's string of questions. I take a quick mental inventory and conclude there are three things that I absolutely cannot tell Jasper.

One. He should ask for a refund from whatever program or service he used to complete his PI training. H.S. Rutra. Harold Stewart Artur, well minus the 'h' but close enough.

Two. Just because Arthur has gone MIA doesn't mean he hasn't been keeping tabs on the happenings in the town. What better way to stay updated on the investigation than to pin a PI on the rookie investigator?

Three. I owe Erin an apology for doubting her convictions against Arthur.