Page 30 of Ghostly Bother (Ghostly #9)

"Not yet. The city's legal team is fighting us on everything.

They're claiming confidentiality issues and that calls to and from the Mayor's Office could hold confidential information.

We'll get the call logs, but it's just going to take longer than normal.

The roadblocks we're running into make me question everyone who works there.

Too many secrets for a place that is supposed to serve the community.

The governor is aware of these issues and has his staff investigating.

I'm hearing he might work with the city council to totally restructure things.

The problem with that is that the council is almost as dirty as the mayor was.

It's going to take time for this city to recover from the damage she's done.

And while she was taking bribes from business owners in the area, many think she was skimming money from the city as well.

We know she's remodeled her office, leased new vehicles for her and her staff, and focused money on things that affected her life while the rest of the city went without, but many I interviewed hinted that she was also skimming off what they called petty cash.

Being it was the city's petty cash the amount wasn't so petty at times.

" Amy leaned back. "I can't say that she wasn't close enough to someone in her office and might have shared her plans to meet Mr. Jenkin that night, but I couldn't begin to guess who, if there was someone. "

Again, simple questions Eden could answer if she wasn't fighting them on everything.

He'd never known a ghost who refused to help find their killer.

This was crazy. He pulled up the evidence log and the forensic results on those items. "Eden's hair was on the scarf.

Her husband confirmed it was hers. But there was also another hair, just a shade darker than Eden's. "

"Could be one of her kids', or even her husband's," Amy pointed out.

"Too long to be her husband, but maybe the kid's.

They're running DNA on it. Nothing was found on her clothing other than the dirt from where she was found.

There is little physical evidence to work with.

Her GPS on her car doesn't show anything unexpected.

Mostly home to work, then a few trips to her sister's house.

During the day, she had her staff drive her around when she was doing official mayor's duties.

" Angus turned as Franks walked into the office. "Hey, didn't expect you in today."

"I felt guilty knowing you were working, and I wasn't." Franks headed toward his desk only to have Detective Burns stand in his way. "Whoa, what?" He took a step back.

"My sister? Seriously, Franks? Of all the women around, you have to go after my sister?" Amy glared at him. "She just got divorced. She's not ready to date."

"Did she say that? Because she didn't hesitate to say yes when I asked her out.

Perhaps you should talk to her about what she's ready for?

" Franks stepped around Amy. "Your sister told me to tell you to mind your own business if you got in my face today.

So that's what I'm telling you. Whatever is going on between me and Gretta is between me and Gretta.

It has nothing to do with work or my professional relationship with you. "

"So, there is something going on between you too?" Amy asked.

"Talk to Gretta. I'm not going to get into this with you." Franks took a seat at his desk, then looked over at Angus. "Has she been like this all morning?"

Angus lifted his hand and tilted it back and forth. "A bit."

"Can you blame me? She just moved here. She's not ready to start dating again." Amy stood over Franks.

"You keep saying that, yet she went out on a date last night.

Are you sure you know what Gretta wants?

Geeze, Amy, I'd expect this from your father, or even an older brother, but from you it's a bit insulting.

Is it the fact Gretta is dating or the fact that she is dating me that bothers you most? " Franks stared up at Amy.

"Dating at all." Amy hands flew up in frustration. "She needs time."

"Are you sure? Have you talked to her about what she needs or are you just assuming?

Have you taken a step back and looked at the situation?

She leaves an overbearing husband to move here and now has an overbearing sister treating her like she's fifteen years old.

Maybe for once Gretta just needs to do what Gretta wants to do. " Franks turned away.

Amy didn't move. "What's going on? Is it serious? Are you going to see her again?"

"Talk to your sister. I'm not doing this with you." Franks looked over at Angus. "Anything new on the case?"

"Franks!" Amy pushed his shoulder, causing his chair to swivel around to face her.

"Easy there. Assaulting an officer is a hefty charge." Franks smiled.

Amy glared.

"Seriously, talk to your sister tonight when you get home.

This isn't a conversation you and I should be having.

I will go as far as saying I know what Gretta has been through, and I have no plans on hurting her.

Our friendship is our business, but I give you my word, I'm treating her with complete respect. End of conversation."

"Nothing new." Angus fought back a smile as he watched Amy's shoulders go ridged. "Still following the money trail. Amy and I were discussing physical evidence, but there's not much there."

"Is Gretta home now?" Amy asked.

"When I left her, she was having coffee on my back porch. I have no idea how long she'll be there or where she'll go when she leaves." Franks didn't look up at Amy as he typed something on his keyboard.

"You left her at your place?" Amy's voice rose a bit.

"I promise she's safe there. She and my cat are bonding."

That drew a laugh out of Amy. "She was always a sucker for cats. That's the first thing you've said that makes sense. She used to bring strays home all the time growing up."

"Like I said, Gretta's a big girl and knows what she's doing. Give Franks a break and talk to your sister later. She'd be horrified if she heard you right now," Angus told Amy.

Amy sighed and stepped away from Franks. "You're probably right. It's just hard. Now that I know how horrible her marriage was, I want to protect her."

"You can't think I'd ever treat her the way he did." Franks sounded offended.

"No, I know you wouldn't. I just thought she'd take more time before dating anyone. I've been trying to help her find herself and relearn who she is without a man in her life." Amy sat back at her desk.

"Maybe you need to let Gretta figure that out for herself," Franks said. "She's strong. She'll find her way."

Amy nodded but pointed at Franks. "You hurt her and I'll take all my training at the gun range and use it on you."

Franks rolled his eyes. "She'll be just fine. Now can we get back to the case?"

Amy didn't say anything, so Angus jumped in.

"Let's move this to the conference room.

I want to lay out everything we know about Rachel Reese.

I know it's not solving our murder, but I can't help thinking that following the money trail may lead us somewhere.

Exactly how much did Rachel know about Eden's activity?

Did she just handle hiding the money for Eden or was she more involved?

I want the whiteboard and room to lay everything out. "

Franks shrugged.

"Fine with me." Amy started gathering her files.

Angus smiled. It was one small step, but every step led them closer to answers, and eventually, something would show them a path to find who murdered Eden Anderson.