Ghostly death, p.4
Ghostly Death, page 4
"We've always been together. We met in seventh grade and started dating right after that." Gavin stared out the living room window. "I was going to propose to her after we graduated."
"Do you know anyone who was angry with Liz or might have wanted to hurt her?" Angus asked.
Gavin shook his head. "Everyone liked her. She was nice to everyone. I don't have a clue who would want to hurt her."
"Was she fighting with her family or anyone that you knew of?" Amy asked.
"No. She got along with her parents for the most part. They'd argue over things like curfew but never anything major. We did everything together. If someone was angry with her, I'd know. The only time we weren't together was when we were at work." Gavin took a deep breath.
"When was the last time you spoke to her?" Angus asked.
Gavin looked up at him, his eyes glistening with tears. "She sent me a text around midnight, but if you mean talking, I called her around ten. We didn't talk about anything important. Just about how our day was."
"What was her text about later?" Amy asked.
"Just to let me know she was going to sleep. She always sent one right before she went to bed." Gavin's shoulders slumped. "I was already asleep, so I didn't respond."
"What about close friends? Who did the two of you hang out with?" Amy asked softly.
"There is a group of us that hang out a lot. Terrance Jefferies. He's my best friend. And Tom Eckhart. We are all on the basketball team together. Then Liz's best friend is Gail Smith, but we also hang around with Fiona Bloomquist a lot. The girls are all on the dance team."
Angus exchanged a look with Amy at the mention of Fiona.
"So you all knew Fiona?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, sure. We've been friends with her since our freshman year. Liz knows her better than I do, but she hangs around with us all the time." Gavin looked confused. "You don't think Fiona killed Liz, do you? She'd have no reason."
Amy shook her head. "No, we don't think that. I guess you've been grieving and haven't had the news on this morning." Amy glanced at Gavin's mother, then at Gavin. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Fiona died last night."
"What? How?" Gavin's mother threw her hand over her mouth.
"It appears she was also murdered. We're waiting for the medical examiner to confirm everything." Angus watched Gavin closely, looking for any signs of guilt, but the poor kid looked crushed and genuinely upset at the news.
The unshed tears finally leaked from his eyes, and he quickly wiped them away. "How?" Gavin asked. "Was she strangled too?"
"No, she was drowned," Amy said softly. "She was found in the family pool last night."
Gavin's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Do you know who did it?"
Amy shook her head. "Not yet."
"Do you think that Liz and Fiona's deaths are related?" Gavin's mother asked as she wiped tears from her eyes.
"We're not sure yet. It is interesting that they were friends. How close was Liz to Fiona?" Amy asked.
"Close. They talked almost every day and any time we went out as a group, Fiona was with us. She was dating a friend of mine until he moved away a few months ago. Liz was closer to Gail than Fiona, but they were still really good friends." Gavin looked over at Angus. "Does this mean Gail's in danger? Is someone going after the girls?"
"We don't know right now, but we'd like to speak to Gail if you know how to get hold of her," Angus said.
"Sure. She tried to call me this morning, but I wasn't up to talking so I didn't answer. I bet she was calling to tell me about Fiona." Gavin reached for his phone. He scrolled through some things, then looked back at Angus. "I have her number." He read it to Angus.
Angus quickly wrote it in his notebook. "You said her last name is Smith?"
"Yeah." Gavin set his phone down.
"Can you think of anyone who would have been upset with both girls?" Amy asked.
"No, seriously, everyone liked them. Fiona could be a bit snobbish at times, but not mean. And lately, we haven't been hanging around other people. We usually just head over to Terrance's house and kick back in his basement to watch movies or play video games." Gavin shook his head. "Someone has to let Gail know to be careful."
"We'll call her as soon as we finish here," Angus promised. They'd have to talk to the girl's parents first since she was underage. He didn't like that the two murdered girls were close friends. That meant the likelihood of their killer being the same person was high. What happened to make someone want them dead? Gavin was definitely strong enough to strangle someone and lift the bucket of cement, but Angus just didn't get that feeling from Gavin. His grief was real. Still, he couldn't check him off the suspect list yet. There were still too many unknowns.
"Help us get an idea of who Liz's life. What was her typical day?" Amy asked.
Gavin shrugged. "She'd work at the bakery until around one, then go home. Then she'd usually come over here after she'd changed. Sometimes I'd pick her up from work. We'd hang out here most of the time until everyone else got off work or done doing whatever they had to do, then head over to Terrance's house. He's got a really great set up in his basement. Kinda a theater setting. We could watch movies or game on the big screen. Other nights, we'd head over to the park and the girls would talk while Terrance, Tom, and I played basketball. It just depended on our mood." Gavin sighed. "I wish I could tell you something that would help, but seriously, we were kind of boring."
"Everything you tell us helps us get an idea of Liz's life," Angus assured him.
"And Fiona's," Amy added.
"Fiona didn't always come over to Terrance's. She had a lot going on. She's big into her dance stuff and would have practices or performances all the time." Gavin ran his fingers through his hair. "Gail could probably tell you more about her."
"So Fiona wasn't dating Terrance or Tom?" Angus asked.
"No, she hadn't seen anyone that I know of for a few months. Not since her old boyfriend moved. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but you're bound to find out anyway. It's just that Tom's parents don't know, but Tom and Terrance are kind of a thing. I don't think anyone outside of our small group really knows about it though. Terrance's family knows, but Tom's would freak out."
Gavin's mother gasped, then covered her mouth for a second. "Sorry. That was news to me. I had no idea, and I see those boys together all the time. They hide it well."
Gavin blushed. "They didn't want anyone to know. I told them you and dad wouldn't care, but Tom is so scared his parents will find out." He looked at Amy and Angus. "You won't tell them, will you?"
"We'll do our best to keep their secret, but if it's important to the case, it may come out." Amy smiled. "I promise to do our best not to bring it to anyone's attention."
"Thanks. They'll hate me for telling you." Gavin sighed.
"It's easier if we know everything." Angus was sure they'd be able to tell if the boys had tried to keep something from them. It would make them appear guilty if they were withholding something like that. It was better to know upfront. Angus would do everything he could to keep Tom's parents from finding out.
"Any other secrets we should know?" Amy asked.
Gavin shook his head. "No. We really just sit around and game most nights. Nothing exciting. We all got along. I seriously don't think any of us would kill someone. The biggest fight we get into is who gets the last slice of pizza."
"Where were you last evening? Did you leave the house at all yesterday?" Angus asked.
Gavin shook his head. "I was here all day with my parents. After I heard about Liz, I sort of lost it. Terrance and Tom came over around four and stayed with me until about eight or so. Gail called to check on me earlier in the day. She was really upset. She didn't find out until she got off work and got a message someone had left her."
Amy nodded. "Anything else you can think of that we should know?"
"Not that I can think of." Gavin glanced over at his mother.
"If we think of anything, we will call you," his mother promised.
"Then we'll let you go. We might contact you again if we have questions. And you can call us anytime." Angus handed Gavin his card. "We're so sorry for your loss."
"Thanks." Gavin took the card.
Gavin's mother stood. "You'll contact Gail, right? Should I call her mother and warn her?"
"No, let us do that. We'll call her as soon as we leave here," Amy promised.
They said their goodbyes and headed out to the car. Once back on the road, Angus glanced over at Amy. "Give Gail a call and see if we can meet with her."
Amy pulled out her phone and took Angus's notebook to get the number. "What does your gut tell you?"
"Nothing, and I hate that." Angus frowned. "I don't think Gavin is our suspect, though he's strong enough to have killed either girl. His grief is too raw. Besides, he was home with his parents, and I don't think they'd lie for him. He also gave the two other boys alibies if they were with him last night when Fiona was killed."
"She was last heard from around three in the afternoon, right?" Amy asked as she dialed. She held up a finger as she focused on the call.
"Gail, this is Detective Amy Burns. We were hoping to be able to sit down and talk to you about Elizabeth Bradly and Fiona Bloomquist. Could you give me a call back as soon as you get this?" Amy left her number, then ended the call. "Voicemail. We'll give her a bit to call us back, but if she doesn't, I think we should head over to her place and at least talk to her parents."
"Agreed. Let's grab something for lunch, then head back to the station. We'll have to get Gail's address. I'd also like to set up interviews with Terrance and Tom as soon as possible." Angus sighed. "We should have gotten their numbers from Gavin as well."
"We'll call him if we can't get them on our own." Amy set her phone in the middle console drink holder. "Hit that taco stand near the station. I'm burned out on burgers."
Angus did as he was told, wishing he could grab lunch with Lance. He hoped he was having a better day than he was. The day was barely half-over and he still had a ton to do.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was just after four as Lance finished his last autopsy for the day. He smiled at Jeremy, the ghost who haunted the Medical Examiner's Office. He'd died at the young age of twenty-four from a massive heart attack. Since then, he decided instead of moving into the light, he'd stick around and learn all about being a medical examiner. By watching over Lance's shoulder, he'd become quite good at diagnosing deaths. Sadly, Lance was the only one who could see or speak with him, and Jeremy couldn't do more than watch since he was a ghost.
"You have plans tonight?" Jeremy asked.
"No. Angus will probably work late. I'm just going to go home and do some laundry. Might mow the front yard if I find the motivation." Lance left the scrub room and headed to his office. Keeping his voice low so no one would think he was talking to himself, he asked, "You want to come over?"
"Not tonight. Going home for a bit." Jeremy walked through the wall of Lance's office.
Lance pushed his door open and joined him. "The offer stands. You know you can drop by anytime. Bethany and Ray are always happy for company."
"Yeah, I'll be there Friday. You said Cel is going to be there?" Jeremy appeared to lean against the wall.
"She's teaching me to make pepperoni pizza pasta. She says we eat too much pizza and need to find other ways to deal with our cravings." Lance grinned as he sat down. "It sounds interesting. So far, she hasn't had me make anything bad, so I have to trust her."
"God, I wish I could eat." Jeremy appeared to pat his stomach.
A knock on his door had Lance sitting up straight. "Come in."
"Hey, Lance. I hate to do this to you, but Sam is already gone. We just got a call for a pick up. Kyle will go with you." Carrie gave him a sympathetic look. "It's under the Fairway Bridge."
Lance groaned. "A jumper?"
"Sounds like it. I didn't get much info. They said to take the utility road on the south end. It's narrow, but you can get the van through."
"Yeah, I've been there a few times. Sadly, it's a common area for pick ups." He'd handled more than his share of suicides from that bridge.
"I'd go with, but it's my mom's birthday party tonight. I want to be there," Jeremy stated.
Lance ignored him since Carrie couldn't see or hear him. "Where'd Sam go?"
"He had a dentist appointment. He thought making it later in the day would be safe. Figures the one time he leaves early, we get a call." Carrie handed him the information she'd written down. "Kyle's out front. Ready when you are."
Lance made sure he had his phone as he stood. "Sooner we go, the sooner I'm home." He nodded to Jeremy as he left the office. He wanted to say goodbye, but with Carrie right there, he couldn't. "You staying late?" he asked Carrie.
"Not unless you need me to do the intake. I'll go as soon as Mack gets here." She glanced over her shoulder at him.
"Nah, I can handle that. No point in you hanging around. I'll do the intake paperwork." Lance grabbed the van keys from Carrie's desk. "Ready?" he asked Kyle who was leaning against the front counter.
"Yep, want me to drive?" Kyle asked.
"You been beneath the bridge before?" Lance asked, knowing the road there was tricky going down from the bridge.
"A few times. I'm good." Kyle caught the keys as Lance tossed them.
"See you tomorrow." Lance nodded to Carrie before following Kyle out to the garage and into the van.
"Hope you didn't have plans tonight." Kyle started the van and hit the button to open the garage door.
"Nope, laundry can wait." Lance doublechecked they had everything they needed, then clicked his seatbelt into place. Once they were on their way, he sent a quick text to Angus to let him know he was working late. When he didn't get a text back right away, he figured Angus was working late as well. He'd expected that. With two murder cases in the last twenty-four hours, Angus would be deep into investigations.
"I don't even want to think about laundry. I'm flying out to Phoenix Friday night and laundry is just one of many things I need to do before I go." Kyle focused on traffic which was heavy due to everyone getting off work.
"Another art show?" Lance had yet to see any of Kyle's paintings, but they had to be good considering the amount of time he spent at art shows.
"Yeah, this one is a pretty big deal too. It's invite only. I'll be back Sunday night late. I've already shipped the paintings there. I just have to approve their placement once I get there." Kyle sounded excited.
"We're going to lose you, aren't we? You'll go off and be some famous artist and leave the dead bodies behind," Lance teased.
"Not yet, but hopefully someday. Right now, I make enough painting to survive, but just barely. I need to keep my job at the morgue for now. I'm not saying I won't ever quit, but it won't be anytime soon." Kyle slowed for a red light. "This is two calls you've been out on in two days. That might be a record."
Lance laughed. "No, when Sam's on vacation I've been busier, but it is rare I'm out this much when he's around. I can't complain. He's good about taking all the calls so I don't have to. I don't mind picking up the slack when I need to. I'm not looking forward to this one though. Jumpers are never fun, but hopefully there won't be family around to have to deal with."
"I'm just hoping this one hasn't been there for days." Kyle grimaced.
"Yeah, me too." Lance didn't want to deal with a body that had been in the heat for days. His phone dinged and he smiled seeing it was Angus letting him know he'd be a few more hours as well. It would probably end up being one of those nights where they got home just in time to slide into bed and say goodnight to each other.
"Must be Angus. You always get that silly grin when he messages," Kyle teased.
"I hope the day never comes when I don't smile at his messages. I know we've been together about a year, but I still feel the same as when it was new." Lance was happier than ever now that they were living together.
"That's the way it should be. Do you think you'll get married someday?"
"I'd like to, but we haven't really talked too much about it. I think he'd like to as well. I wouldn't mind adopting a kid or two down the road and doing the whole family thing." Lance liked the idea of having kids running around the house and yard.
"I can see that for you two. You'd make great dads, though with your careers, you'd both be over-protective."
"Probably. I know how easy it is to die doing stupid, simple things, and Angus knows how easy it is to go down the wrong path into a life of crime. We'd probably never let our kids leave the house." Lance laughed. "Maybe we should stick to having a dog instead."
"You only have the one dog, right?" Kyle turned off the main highway onto the small utility road that would take them to the area below the bridge.
"Yeah, she's enough for now. I hate that we aren't home more often to spend time with her." He wasn't about to tell Kyle about the ghosts who kept his dog, Haunt, company when he couldn't be there. Thankfully, animals could see and interact with ghosts. "Long way down." Lance arched his head to look out the window at the bridge.
"Yeah, I hate suicides, but jumpers are the worst. I wonder what they're thinking as they drop. I'm so scared of heights I wouldn't walk across that bridge, let alone jump from it," Kyle said.
"Yeah, same." Lance took in the bridge. It was an old railroad track that was no longer used. The train used to pick up and drop off at an old refinery that had been abandoned when Lance had been a kid. He'd been to the bridge as a teenager, drinking a few beers with friends as they looked over the area. Beneath it was a narrow gorge, the riverbed dry. He'd only seen water in it a few times in his life when the area saw heavier rain than normal.
Kyle slowed the van, parking behind one of two police cars. "I'll grab the gear."
"Thanks." Lance climbed out of the van and headed toward where two officers stood talking to a man dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. A baseball cap hid half his face from view, but Lance was pretty sure he didn't know the man. A few feet from them, the body of the jumper lay crumpled and bloody on the hard dirt, blood soaking into the ground around a massive head wound. What he didn't expect was the ghost of a young girl pacing back and forth beside the body. He nodded to the men as he came to stand beside them. As badly as he wanted to talk to the ghost, he couldn't with others around.
