Page 33 of Ghostly Bother (Ghostly #9)

Lance's breath caught as he heard the front door open. He'd been mentally preparing himself for it since Angus's call, but it still caught him by surprise. He turned and smiled as Angus walked into the kitchen, followed by Franks. "Hey, guys." Lance smiled.

"Something smells amazing," Franks said as he went to take a seat.

"Hi," Angus said gently as he stepped before Lance. "Missed you." He dipped his head and gave Lance a soft kiss.

"Miss you too," Lance whispered. "You'll stay tonight?"

"Yeah, I will." Angus smiled. "We'll work this out."

"You're back." Eden rushed through the wall and came to a stop near the table. "What have you found out?"

"Girl, do you have no respect? They were sharing a moment." Cel waved her hands at Eden. "Give them time."

Cel had taken an instant dislike of Eden once they'd met.

When Bethany and Betty had come back, they'd all come inside to talk, and Cel learned firsthand what a pest Eden could be.

Cel being blunt had called Eden out of every rude remark, every interruption, and had made it very clear she didn't like her. Lance enjoyed that.

Eden being Eden had ignored Cel and acted as if she hadn't heard a thing the woman was saying, just as she was doing now. "What's the big information?"

Cel interrupted. "Go wash. Dinner is almost ready. We can talk after we eat."

Lance paused and repeated what she'd said.

"Actually, Cel, I would like to speak to Eden first if dinner will hold a bit." Angus moved from Lance's side. "Take a seat Eden, we have some stuff to discuss."

Eden frowned but sat down at the table. "I've told you everything I know."

Lance fell into his normal habit of repeating what the ghost said.

"Did you?" Angus asked as he and Franks sat down at the table. "Did you know your sister was having an affair with your husband?"

Eden's eyes went wide, and Lance was pretty sure if she wasn't already sitting, she would have dropped down.

Eden shook her head. "I had no idea. Do you mean they've gotten together since I died, or that this was happening before I was murdered?"

Again, Lance repeated what Eden asked.

"You tell me," Angus said. "It seems to have been going on for a while. How close were you and your sister?"

Eden shrugged. "As close as any siblings. We got along okay. Had fun when we were together. We didn't share my husband if that's what you think."

Betty stood by the sliding door that led into the backyard. "Not sure what I walked in on."

Lance gave her a shrug as he repeated what Eden told them.

"We've figured out where the money you were accepting as bribes went." Franks stared at his notebook. "Seems your sister has been buying a lot recently."

Eden sat motionless as she stared at Franks.

"She's not responding to that," Lance told them.

"I'm not surprised. I think Eden's been hiding a lot to protect her sister. We've got the money trail, and now we are putting together the murder." Angus stared hard at the place where he knew Eden was sitting. "Your sister killed you, didn't she, Eden?"

Lance sucked in a breath. It couldn't be true.

Eden stared back, but Lance saw her slightly slump in the chair.

"What's her reaction?" Angus asked.

"Still giving you a death glare, but she slumped a bit when you accused her sister," Lance told him.

"Because it's true, isn't it? You've known all along who killed you. You wanted us to believe it was one of the business owners you were working with. You hoped your sister would get away with it. My question is, why? Why would you protect someone who killed you?" Angus leaned back in his chair.

Eden dropped her head down as if resting it on the table for a moment, then looked back up.

"I don't know why she did it, but I knew the second I saw the scarf around my neck she'd done it.

I wasn't wearing a scarf that night. I'd loaned that one to Rachel about a week before I died because it matched one of her dresses.

She knew Michael would identify it as mine because he was the one who gave it to me.

I wore scarves a lot. Nobody would question me having it on that night. "

Lance told Angus word for word what Eden said.

"But why wouldn't you tell us that? Why make it seem like this was connected to the bribery?" Franks asked.

"She's my sister." Eden's voice broke as she spoke.

As Lance repeated her words, Lance saw the confusion in everyone's eyes. No one understood. "Eden, she killed you. Aren't you upset about that?"

"Sure, I am. I'm pissed off, but what can I do about it now? If she's arrested, it does no one any good. She rots in prison and my kids lose an aunt they love. It was better to just let it be."

Angus stood after hearing Lance tell him what she said. "Let it be? You've hounded us night and day to find you answers. Why play this game with Lance and me if you didn't want us digging for the truth?"

"I really thought there wouldn't be enough evidence for anyone to be arrested. Or that you might arrest one of the business owners I was working with. I kept after you because I wanted to be sure you weren't finding out anything about Rachel. How did you figure it out?" Eden asked.

Lance asked her question to the others.

"Once we figured out that only someone close to you would know where you were going that night, and at what time, did we put the pieces together.

If you were close enough to your sister to share the money, then she probably knew everything you were doing.

Then there was the hair on the scarf that matched her color, along with the boot prints in the dirt at the murder scene that we are sure will match a pair of those fancy boots she always wears.

" Frank tapped his pen against the edge of the table.

"We're still waiting on the DNA on the hair, but we're sure it will be a match with Rachel. "

Eden looked defeated. Her shoulders slumped forward, and her eyes shimmered with those odd tears ghosts would get. Not liquid like the living, but something similar. "You were serious about the affair?"

Lance nodded. "They wouldn't come here lying to you. You really didn't know?" Then Lance looked at Angus. "She's asking about the affair."

"I had no idea. I would never have imagined the two of them. They got along well enough, but Rachel has a type and Michael isn't it." Eden turned to Betty. "Was that the news you had to tell Lance earlier?"

Betty nodded. "Bethany and Ray saw them together."

"So this wasn't happening before you died?" Franks asked.

"I don't think so, but I wasn't home a lot.

I guess I can't be mad at Michael for cheating since I'd done the same, but with my sister?

I just can't even…" Eden stood and started to pace the area by the kitchen sink.

"It makes sense though. Michael and Rachel were always there for the kids.

If I couldn't make a school event, Rachel would go with Michael.

She stepped in as their guardian when Michael and I were busy and she'd meet with Michael most of the time to pick up or drop off the kids when she was watching them.

Maybe I pushed them together because I was so focused on what was going on at work. "

"Do you think your husband was aware that Rachel was going to murder you?" Angus asked after listening to Lance translate everything.

Eden's eyes went wide. "I don't…" She closed her eyes, then opened them again.

"I would hope not, but I never saw them having an affair either.

They both knew about the money. Both profited from it.

I had Rachel put things in her name, but in a few years, once my term was finished and life was back to normal, we planned on moving out of the country.

Then the money and property would be split.

I trusted Rachel. I can't imagine my husband would want me dead. "

"Divorcing you, he would lose access to that money. And you told us you told your sister you were pregnant with another man's child. If Rachel told Michael, that could have upset him enough to want to kill you," Betty told her.

Lance struggled to keep up as he quickly told the others what the ghosts were saying.

"My God, do you think she told him?" Eden sat back down, running her hands through her ghostly hair.

"She had to have. That explains so much.

Michael was different. He'd pulled away the last few weeks.

It was like we hardly knew each other. He would put on a show in front of the kids like everything was normal, but when we were alone, he was colder, distant.

He had to know. God, why did I tell Rachel? "

"You thought you could trust her," Cel said softly. "We're supposed to be able to trust our blood, but that's not always how it works."

"And here I was trying to protect her. To keep you from arresting her." Eden closed her eyes. "It was all for nothing. I tried so hard to give them a good life."

"Are you ready to help us now?" Angus asked after hearing Lance tell them everything the ghosts had said.

"No, there's nothing more for you to know. You already know everything I do." Eden stood. "I don't care what happens now." Eden disappeared without another word.

"She's gone into the light," Cel told them.

"Damn that woman. As glad as I am she's gone, she should have stayed to answer a few more questions." Angus glanced over at Lance. "Never mind. I'm glad she's gone. She's caused enough problems with her deceit and lies."

Lance met Angus's stare. "I'm glad she's gone too."

"Well, before you two start getting serious and talking through whatever shit that woman caused you, you need to eat.

Nothing good comes of an empty stomach." Cel turned to the oven.

"Lance, get those meatloaves out before they dry out.

Let's get the mashed potatoes in a bowl and that gravy thickened.

Come on, Franks, you can help too. I need all the living hands I can get since I can't do it myself. You go warm those green beans."

Lance smiled as he told Franks what she'd said.

"Yes, Ma'am," Franks said as he hurried to the stove.

In no time at all they were eating. As if mutually agreed, no one brought up Eden or the case. There would be plenty of time for that. Right now, they all needed to enjoy the food and the company, putting the troubles behind them so they could move forward.

Lance smiled over at Angus. Things weren't okay yet, but he was sure they would be.

They would talk, but they would work through the hurt they both were feeling.

He loved Angus, but even more, he loved his ghostly family who were always there to support him through the good and the bad.

As Angus leaned closer, Lance kissed him.

It was the first step in healing from the woman who'd managed to come between them.