Ghostly death, p.6
Ghostly Death, page 6
"I'm Stephanie Smith, and you met my husband, Fred." She gestured to the living room. "We can speak in here. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"No, thank you." His gut was churning already because of the lies he was about to tell. Okay, so he wasn't going to really lie, just omit a few things, but it still left him sick to his stomach. This nice couple's world was about to spin out of control as soon as they found out about their daughter. He took a seat on the couch and pulled out his notebook. "I won't take much of your time. I'm just following up on a few things since Gail was good friends with Fiona and Elizabeth."
"We're heartbroken about their deaths. I can't imagine who would want to hurt them. Do you have any leads?" Stephanie asked as she sat down on the love seat with her husband beside her.
"We're working on that." Angus assured them. "You knew both girls?"
"Oh, sure. They've been coming around for years. Liz and Gail were best friends. I didn't know Fiona as well, but she was always nice when she was here. The girls would usually spend most of their time in Gail's room, but they'd stay for dinner sometimes. I'm not sure what I can tell you that might help." Stephanie shrugged.
"That's really why I was hoping to talk to Gail. Had she mentioned any issues or problems she or the other girls had recently?" Angus asked. "Trouble with a boyfriend or someone one of them worked with?"
"No, not that I was aware of. Gail hasn't dated much. I thought she might be interested in that sweet boy, Terrance, but she swore they were just friends. Told me Terrance was interested in someone else. Gail is mostly focused on her job. She works at Fairview Care Center helping with some of the therapy and stuff they do there. She wants to be a physical therapist and thought his would give her a head start. Honestly, she works so much, her time with her friends has been half of what it used to be. And I know Fiona had dance classes that kept her busy. Liz and Gail always make time for each other, but you know how it is at their age. I never know what they're up to. I was so upset when I heard about Liz. I thought Gail would take a few days off work to grieve, but she refused. Said she was needed at work, and it would be easier if she was there instead of home crying all day." She put her hand to her mouth and shook her head. "Listen to me go on."
"It's okay. This is all stuff I need to know." Angus smiled at the woman's embarrassment, then hated himself because he shouldn't be smiling when this woman's daughter was dead, and he couldn't tell her. God, he really hated this. They should be mourning their daughter right now, not laughing about things. It was all he could do not to tell them the truth. "I'll speak with Gail later and find out more about her friendships." It wasn't a lie. He'd interview Gail as soon as he got home. It just wasn't in the way the parents expected. He couldn't stay any longer or he'd be at risk of telling them everything. He slowly stood and offered his hand to Fred. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."
"I'm sorry we aren't more help. I'm always at work, and well, you know how teenagers are. Between work and friends, we're the last to know anything." Fred slid his arm around his wife's waist. "Feel free to call us if you have any more questions, and we'll make sure Gail calls you as soon as she gets home. Well, probably tomorrow morning since it seems she's working late tonight."
"That will be fine. Just tell her to be careful. We don't know who is doing this or why. She needs to be alert at all times," Angus warned.
"Is our daughter in danger?" Fred asked, a look of concern finally showing.
"Yes, right now, everyone is in danger. There is a murderer out there and Gail and her friends seem to have caught his attention. Be alert." He swallowed hard, again wanting to tell them the truth. He turned for the door. "I'll see myself out." He wasn't usually so rushed when leaving an interview, but he needed to get out of the house now before he did something he couldn't take back. He quickly made his way to his car and locked himself inside. He started the car and pulled away, not even giving the home a final look. This went against everything he stood for as a cop, and as a man. What if it was his child? He slammed his fist on the steering wheel as he pulled out of the neighborhood. He'd made a lot of mistakes in his life and done a lot of stupid things, but never had anything made him feel as guilty as this did.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lance walked into the house and gave Gail a warm smile. "Welcome to my home. Please make yourself comfortable. The only room off limits is my bedroom." He laughed as Haunt ran up to greet them. "And this is Haunt. She thinks she owns the place."
"She's so cute." Gail bent down and pet the dog. "She can see me too?"
"And feel your touch," Bethany said from the living room. She walked closer. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
Lance saw the hesitation in Gail as she stood and took a step back. "It's okay. This is Bethany. She's one of the ghosts I told you about who lives with me." He saw Ray step up beside Bethany. While Bethany looked like any woman you'd see around today, Ray was from a different era. Dying over a hundred years ago, he still chose to where his newsboy hat and knicker pants. "And this is Ray." He met Ray and Bethany's curious gazes. "This is Gail. She was pushed off a bridge today and didn't survive. Angus and I are trying to help her, but I thought you two might be able to help her with a few ghostly tips too."
"Oh, honey, you just died? I'm so sorry. You're probably still in shock." Bethany walked up to her and appeared to put her arm around Gail. "Come on in back and we'll talk. I'm glad Lance brought you home with him." She led Gail through the house and into the backyard. Haunt followed, leaving Ray and Lance watching them.
"She's had a rough few days. Her two best friends were murdered yesterday, and then today she was pushed off a bridge. It was labeled a suicide until Angus or I can prove she was pushed. As of right now, Angus and I are the only ones who know her identity since she didn't have any on her when she died. Angus will want to talk to her when he gets home, but for now, maybe you two could help ease some of her fears?" Lance carried the takeout bags to the kitchen.
"Sure thing. Will she be staying the night?" Ray asked.
"That's up to her. I'll drive her to her house if she wants to be with her family once she speaks to Angus. Right now, she's just confused and upset. She asked me on the way home why her two friends weren't around if they'd just died. I tried to explain about the light, but I think you'll be able to help her understand better than I ever could." Lance watched Bethany and Gail appear to sit at the outdoor table. Haunt stayed right by Gail's side as if she somehow knew she needed her support.
"We'll help her adjust. It can be very confusing at first. How long had she been dead before you found her?" Ray asked.
"Maybe an hour or two. Someone saw her falling and called it in, so it wasn't long. Just the time for the police to get there and call us." Lance put the food in the fridge, unsure how long it would be before Angus would get home.
"Ooof, so very new. I'm glad you found her and brought her here." Ray shook his head. "Horrible when the young are dying long before their time. Has Angus got any new leads?"
"Not that I know of, but we didn't have a lot of time to talk. Gail was there and we were focused on her. I'll find out more tonight when he gets home. He wants to interview Gail tonight, but I think time with you and Bethany will help calm her. I wish the other girls had stuck around to be here with us. Maybe one of them saw their killer."
"I trust Angus to figure things out. Gail will be okay once she accepts that she's dead. Once you interview her, she can decide to stick around or move on. Her friends will be in the light waiting for her." Ray smiled. "Go shower. I'll go see what the girls are talking about."
"Thanks, Ray. I don't say it enough, but I'm glad you're here." Lance wished he could hug Ray. "You're the best friend I never knew I needed."
Ray laughed. "I wandered for a hundred years, and it took meeting you to find my home. The feeling is mutual. Now go wash the death off so you can eat." Ray floated through the wall and into the backyard.
Lance headed down the hall to his room and stripped out of his clothes. A hot shower was always first on his agenda after getting home. He didn't get dirty at work really, but he always had the scent of death on him. At least he thought he did. Angus swore that wasn't true, but no matter what, Lance wanted his shower.
He relaxed in the water longer than he should have, leaning against the tile and letting the water run over him. It was going to be a long night. Probably a long week with three murder cases going on. Angus would put in long hours and get little sleep. Lance understood why, but he hated it when they didn't get time together at night. It was when he was able to recharge and just forget everything with Angus by his side.
Refusing to get caught up in negative emotions, Lance shut off the shower and stepped out, quickly drying himself off. He knew what he was getting into when he fell in love with Angus. He wouldn't want him any other way. He cared about his cases and finding the killers. It wouldn't be long before things were back to normal, and they'd be curled up on the couch together again.
Once dressed, he wandered out back and took a seat at the table with Bethany, Ray, and Gail. He was glad to see Gail looking a bit calmer than she had been. The nervous energy was gone as she asked Ray and Bethany more about a ghost's abilities.
"How come you can see us, but others can't?" Gail asked him.
"I'm not sure. I had a bad car accident and soon after, I was able to see ghosts. There are a few of us who can see you. Angus's mother can, and I know a few others who can, but I don't think there are many like us around. I thought I was going crazy and seeing hallucinations at first. Angus's mother came over and talked me through it," Lance explained.
"Are there a lot of ghosts around?" Gail asked Bethany.
"More than you'd think. Did you meet Jeremy at the morgue?" Bethany asked.
"He wasn't there. He went home for the night to be with his family. He should be back tomorrow. Cel is coming over on Friday. She's a ghost who is teaching me to cook. And there are a few others around. Angus's mother has a ghost who lives with her named Betty. They're out of town right now, but if you stick around, you'll meet her."
"I'm not sure if I'm going to stay here. I like the way the light feels, and if Liz and Fiona are in the light, I want to be with them. I'll stay to find out who killed me, but after that, I think I'm going to go." Gail shrugged. "I think I'd get bored here alone."
"The choice is yours. You're welcome to stay here with us until you decide. If you want to go home to your house, I can drive you over later. Just know that you won't be in the way here if you want to hang out with Bethany and Ray." Lance never minded peaceful ghosts around. It was rare he found angry ghosts, but there had been a few he wouldn't invite to his home.
"Thanks. I'm not sure what to do. It's not as if my parents can see me. They won't even know I'm there." She sighed. "They don't even know I'm dead yet."
"We'll try and get your body identified as quickly as we can," Lance promised. "It won't take long once they realize you're missing."
"They'll know something is wrong when I'm not home by ten tonight. I sometimes stay and help get dinner out, then if there's an evening activity, I'll stay for that. I just hope they don't think I killed myself because I was upset over Liz and Fiona dying. Someone has to tell them that I didn't jump." Gail stared at Lance. "You have to make sure they know."
"I think they'll be able to tell something isn't right. Let the police do their job. Angus will do everything he can to show you didn't go there on your own. I don't know where there were cameras, but if there are any, he will look through every single one for video of you." He wanted to assure her they'd prove she was murdered, but he couldn't.
"Thanks for being so nice about this," Gail said softly.
"Of course. You've been through so much the last couple of days with losing your friends, then being kidnapped and killed. I'm glad I could at least introduce you to Ray and Bethany to help you understand things."
"It helps knowing I'm not alone." She smiled at Ray.
"No matter what you decide, you won't be alone. You have us here, and if you go into the light, you'll have friends and family there help you," Ray told her.
They talked a while more, then Lance excused himself and went inside. As much as he wanted to wait for Angus to get home to eat, he was starving. He pulled his lasagna out of the fridge, slid it on a plate and put it in the microwave. While he waited for it to warm, he poured himself a glass of lemonade. He drank half of it before the food was done warming. He refilled the glass and sat down to eat. It was funny how eating alone was now such a lonely thing. He'd gone years before meeting Angus where he'd come home to an empty house and spend every evening by himself. Now, he was so spoiled by having someone by his side, that the few nights they couldn't be together seemed to drag on forever.
He finished eating and grabbed the novel he was reading and curled up on the couch. Haunt hadn't left Gail's side, so for once he had the couch to himself and took advantage of it, lying back as he lost himself in the story so he would quit worrying about Angus.
It was almost an hour later when Lance heard Angus pull his car into the garage. He set his book down and stood, going to the door that connected the garage to the house to greet him. As the door opened and Angus walked in, Lance knew it had been a horrible day. He could see the lines around Angus's eyes deepen, the color of his skin a bit paler than usual, and the slump of his shoulders, bearing unseen weight from whatever information he'd been carrying all day.
"Hey." Angus gave him a small smile.
"Hey back." Lance frowned. "Bad day?"
"Possibly the worst of my life." Angus tossed his keys on the small table beside the door and stepped into Lance's arms.
Lance hugged him, feeling how drained Angus was. He wondered what had happened since he'd seen him just a few hours ago to cause him to be so stressed. "What can I do?" He brushed a kiss over Angus's neck.
"Nothing. No cure for this." Angus sighed as he pulled back. "It's an internal dilemma I have to sort out."
"Let me get your dinner warming and we can talk." Lance started to turn away.
Angus gripped his arm. "No food. If I tried to eat, I might throw up. My stomach is twisted in knots right now. I need to sit for a bit before I even think about food." He made his way to the living room and sank down on the couch.
"What happened?" Lance sat down beside him.
"I can't do this. I just can't." Angus closed his eyes as he leaned his head back on the couch.
"What?" Lance rested a hand on Angus' thigh.
"What I did tonight. I went and spoke to Gail's parents, knowing she was dead, but acting like everything was just fine. They're going to spend the night wondering where their daughter is, if she's okay, and I could have just told them the truth, but because it would label you and me crazy, I couldn't say a word. I can't do that again. It's not right. Maybe I should have sent Mom over to talk to them, but I hate putting that on her."
"She left town this morning anyway, but I get what you're saying. My moral issues aren't as severe as yours. I'm just doing an autopsy on a Jane Doe that really isn't a Jane Doe. In the end, she'll end up in the right hands, but for you, it's different. I don't know how to solve the issue. Maybe I stop telling you when a ghost shows up. I'm not sure. I had no idea when Gail spoke to me today that she would end up being involved in the case you were actively working."
"You had no way of knowing. This isn't your fault. I want you to tell me when a ghost has information. More than once, it's helped me solve a case. This one though…" Angus shook his head. "I've never had to outright lie to a child's parents. They're sitting there right now, still expecting their daughter to walk in the door, and I know she's not going to be doing that."
"You didn't have a choice. You couldn't tell them without making you look either guilty or crazy. Tomorrow, we'll figure out a way to identify her and right this wrong. I get how horrible it is and how wrong it feels, but you really didn't have any other options."
"It makes me want to quit my job," Angus admitted.
Lance didn't know what to say. How was he supposed to respond to that? "This is a rare case. It may never happen this way again. You had no way of knowing it would turn out this way when you set up that interview. Normally, if you knew a person was dead, you'd wait to talk to the family. You could have postponed the interview, but that would have seemed strange to do so late. By the time you wake up, they'll have reported her missing and I'll do her autopsy first thing. She's already on record with a preliminary description. Once she's listed as missing, it will be a matter of a few phone calls to confirm we have her."
"I know. I just felt like shit looking them in the eyes and knowing their daughter was dead. Now I'm going to have to sit down with them again for a much darker interview and watch them grieve." Angus sat up straighter. "I'll work through this. Right now, it just sucks I had to do that. Is Gail here?"
Lance nodded. "In back with Ray and Bethany."
"I need to talk to her. Whoever pushed her probably killed Fiona and Elizabeth too. I want to find out what she knows before she might go into the light, and I lose my chance."
"I'll grab her." Lance stood and went to the back door. He smiled seeing Gail on the ground, petting Haunt. "Hey, Angus is back. He'd like to ask you a few questions if you're up to it."
"Sure." Gail floated up to appear standing. Haunt stood, still staying right by her side. "Can she come in?"
"Of course. She's got full run of the house." Lance grinned at the dog who was supposed to be his, but clearly belonged to the ghosts. If they ever moved on, the damn dog would be heartbroken.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ray asked Gail.
"Please." She nodded.
Lance turned and headed back inside. He found Angus still on the couch, but with his notebook out and ready to get to work.
"Hi again." Gail sank down on the floor beside the coffee table and Haunt settled beside her. "How were my parents?"
