Page 17

Lance walked back into the kitchen to find Dawn sitting on the floor with Haunt in her lap. Since the dog was solid and Dawn wasn't, it looked as if the dog was standing through her legs, but it didn't matter to anyone since he and Jeremy were the only ones who could see Dawn. Haunt rubbed up against Dawn as she petted him. "Looks like you were right. It's a girl thing," Lance told Jeremy.

"What does that mean?" Franks asked.

"Look at Haunt. She's all over Dawn. She's missing Bethany. Missing a female." Lance bent and gave Angus a kiss before going over and fixing himself a plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

"So why do we have to go to Dawn's?" Angus asked.

"To feed her cat and let her best friend who lives in the same complex know that she's dead. Her mother won't be able to get into the complex. Dawn has it set up that her best friend is supposed to handle things should she die. Sorry, but you'll have to do a second death notice tonight. Dawn is also looking for someone to take her cat if you know of anyone. Her best friend can't, and her mother won't. She doesn't want it to end up at the shelter."

Angus met his gaze, a silent communication passing between them. Angus looked as troubled at the idea as he was. It would be a conversation for later.

"First, before all of that other stuff, let's talk about this murder." Franks pointed to the notes Lance had made. "Tell me about this man, Mel Wickman. Who is he?"

"He's on Mayor Pullman's security team. He's in the office a lot while they plan her events. We got to talking and have gone out a few times. Up until last night, he was a decent guy," Dawn told them.

Lance repeated her words for them.

"What made him go off last night?" Franks asked.

"He kept trying to talk me into taking things farther than I wanted to. I wasn't ready to sleep with him and that upset him. I didn't realize how much until we were headed back home, and he started going off about how big of a tease I was being and how much money he'd spent on me. He said I owed him. I'm not sure what he thinks he spent on me. He did buy dinner and pay for the gas to go to the casino, but that's it. I paid for two of our dates and the other one was to watch his brother play softball. He's got a house somewhere near the mayor's home. I know he does a lot of work at her place. I've never been there. "

Lance again told Angus and Franks what she said. "Did anyone know you were out with him that night?"

"Sierra probably guessed. I never said who I was going with, but she knew I was headed to the casino. Since he was the only one I'd been seeing, she'd assume it was him."

"Did anyone at work know you two were dating?" Lance asked.

"No. He said it would cause problems since we aren't supposed to date other employees. I don't know if that's an official rule or one he just made up, but I agreed it was better not to be the center of office gossip. I guess there's no avoiding it now." Dawn buried her face against Haunt's neck. When she looked up, she asked, "How did my mother take the news?"

Lance asked her question.

Franks shook his head. "It took forever for us to get her to open the door. She yelled at us to go away if we didn't have a warrant. When we said it was about you, she told us she didn't have anything to do with you anymore. We finally got her to open the door and told her you'd been murdered. She looked upset for a minute, but then reached for her drink and waved us off, telling us it didn't matter, and that you were better off dead than living this miserable life."

Angus sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Dawn waved her hand. "I expected that. Did she ask where I lived or even how I died?"

Lance asked and frowned when Angus shook his head .

"She said someone else would have to deal with your things and find the money to bury you," Franks told them.

"It's all taken care of. Sierra has all the papers to handle everything. I'd like to let her know right away. If for no other reason than she'll feed my cat. Or more than likely, she'll ask one of you to do it, so she doesn't sneeze all night."

Lance thought any red eyes and runny nose Sierra was about to have wouldn't be from a cat. It would be from the loss of her best friend. "If these two agree it's the best course of action, we can go when we finish eating."

"I'm sorry to ruin your night. I'm just worried about my cat." Dawn brushed her hand down Haunt's back.

"It's okay. You're not ruining our night. Sierra should know and I don't want your cat to starve. It's already been two days without food." Lance looked at Angus. "Are you okay to talk to her friend?"

"It's best. Someone will have to deal with her cat and be ready to claim her body once it's released," Angus admitted.

"Will either of them take my cat?" Dawn asked.

Lance grinned. "She wants to know if you'll adopt her cat, Franks."

He held up his hand. "I work all day. I can't have a pet."

"But cats don't need a lot of attention. They use a litter box. You don't have to rush home to let them outside like you do a dog. It's the perfect pet for you in your new home." Lance didn't want to consider taking the cat. If he could get Franks or someone else to agree to take it, it wouldn't even be an issue for him to discuss with Angus.

"Nope, I have no clue what to do with a cat." Franks shook his head. "Sorry, but there has to be someone better. I'll even ask around. Maybe one of the dispatchers will take it."

Lance tried to give Dawn a comforting smile. "We'll find your cat a home. Don't worry." He was glad Bethany wasn't there. She would already be pushing Lance to go shopping to get a litter box and toys.

They finished eating, asking several more questions about the murder and Dawn's relationship with Mel. Lance barely had time to eat as he told Angus and Franks everything she said. Thankfully, there were leftovers, and he would come home and eat more once they finished.

They gathered into Franks' car and headed to Dawn's apartment. Lance still wasn't sure how they were going to play off knowing who Sierra was but would come up with something if they had to.

Angus must have been thinking the same thing because he glanced back into the back seat. "Did work know about Sierra? They had your mom as an emergency contact."

"No, that's not right. I had to list someone in my immediate family as a contact, but I know I put Sierra down as my emergency contact. They should have given you her name first. My mom's information was just there as a next of kin type of thing. I didn't want to put her down, but human resources said it would be best even if we didn't talk." Dawn leaned forward. "They didn't mention Sierra?"

"Nope, but that's okay. You told us about her and as long as she's on the paperwork that you gave human resources, we can lie and say that's how we found her. Once we get there, you're going to have to understand that Lance can't speak for you anymore. You can talk to him, but he won't be able to repeat anything you say. If it's important, he'll text me with the information." Angus nodded to Lance.

"So she won't know I'm there?" Dawn looked crushed.

"She wouldn't believe us if we told her that you were. It's easier this way. Trust me, we've done this a lot. Talking about ghosts only makes things worse for most of the survivors. We want to make this as easy on Sierra as we can. Knowing you're still around will keep her from grieving and moving on." Lance hated explaining this, but it was true.

Dawn slumped in her seat and Lance let her have her silence as they drove to her apartment. She still wasn't saying anything as they arrived and she led them to Sierra's apartment. Angus knocked and they all waited. Lance was uncomfortable. He had no reason to be there, but they'd agreed it would be okay for him to come along. They'd needed him to be able to follow Dawn's directions to Sierra's apartment since she refused to tell them the apartment number fearing they would try and do things without her.

The door opened and a red-headed woman opened the door. "Yes? "

"Ma'am, are you Sierra Conner?"

"Yes." Sierra nodded.

"I'm Detective Young." Angus showed his badge. "Could we speak with you for a few minutes."

"Yes, I didn't expect you so soon. I just called." She stepped back. "Please, come in."

"You called?" Angus asked.

"Yes, aren't you here about Dawn Belamy? I called to report her missing about an hour ago." Sierra looked confused. "What's this about?"

"This is about Dawn, but we didn't know you'd called about her missing. We'll explain," Angus told her.

"Yes, come in." She gestured them inside. "Have a seat in the living room." She shut the door and followed them in. "I called because my best friend, Dawn, went out on a date two days ago and never showed back up. She didn't go to work. She isn't answering her phone. I went over to her apartment, and she hasn't been there to feed her cat. I'm worried."

Lance almost felt Angus's fatigue and exhaustion as he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry to inform you that Dawn's body was found today."

Sierra sucked in a breath, then her shoulders slumped. "I knew. I fucking knew. She would never go this long without calling me. We talked several times a day." Tears started to flow, and she stood. "Excuse me a moment." She rushed out of the room and a second later a door clicked shut .

"I'm going after her." Dawn floated down the hallway.

Lance sighed. While he'd talked to a lot of families about their dead loved ones, he'd never had to break the news to someone like this. He knew it was part of Angus's job, but he didn't realize the emotional impact of it. How did Angus and Franks do this all the time? How did they inform people that their loved ones wouldn't be back? He swallowed hard, wishing he hadn't come with them.

"She'll be okay. We'll give her a few minutes to collect herself, then she'll be back in to talk. By the time we leave, the anger will probably have set in, and she'll be demanding we find answers." Franks put a hand on Lance's shoulder.

Angus nodded. "It's never easy, but it's part of our job."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before the sound of a door opening came from the hallway. A moment later, Sierra walked back in, holding a box of tissues. "Sorry. I thought I'd prepared myself for bad news, but hearing my fears confirmed just hit me harder than I figured it would." She sat down, still crying. "How did it happen?"

"We're waiting for the autopsy results before we confirm anything, but her body was found on the side of the road near the raceway. It appears she might have been hit by a car." Angus's voice was gentle as he told her the horrifying news.

"My God. How did she end up on the road? She'd gone to the casino with Mel. At least I assume it was Mel. He was the only one she was seeing. Her last text was simple, but I know her so well I could read between the lines. I was a bit shocked they went out on a weekday, but she loved to hit the blackjack tables when she could. Usually won when we went out there." Sierra sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"Tell us about the man she was seeing. Mel?"

"Yes, I don't know his last name, but they worked together. She'd been out with him a few times. I don't think it had gotten very serious yet. Dawn wasn't the type to sleep around or even give it up until she was in a solid relationship. She said Mel was fun, but thought he was a bit too alpha for her. She didn't like his take control attitude. She liked things more evenly played. She was going to go out with him a few more times to see if he backed off a bit." Sierra looked up. "I don't get why she was on the road at all. He should have driven her home. She trusted him enough to go out there with him. Dawn wasn't stupid. She didn't take risks with guys. If she didn't know a guy well, she'd make sure she met them somewhere public."

"But you're not sure she went there with him, correct?" Franks asked.

"No, she didn't say who she was going with." Sierra reached for her phone. "Her text just said, 'We're headed to the casino. Back late before work. Sorry to cancel tonight'. She wouldn't have gone there with anyone else."

Angus took notes.

"You already know he did it." Dawn paced beside the couch .

Lance met Dawn's troubled gaze but said nothing.

"Do you happen to have a key to Dawn's apartment? She's in this same complex, correct?" Franks asked.

"Sure. I have a key. I was over there earlier to feed her cat. Oh, what will happen to Pixie?" She started to cry again. "I can't take her. She's a good cat, but I'm deathly allergic to her. Dawn will hate me if Pixie ends up at the shelter." Sierra reached for another tissue.

"We can see if we can find someone to take her, but there's no promises," Lance spoke up, hoping he wasn't speaking out of place. But the truth was, if no one else would take the cat, he would. Angus would just have to deal with it. He'd hoped to talk about it, but there hadn't been time.

"Thanks. It would mean everything to Dawn to know Pixie was safe and loved." She refocused on Franks. "I do have a key. In fact, I have a copy of Dawn's will and all that legal stuff. I guess I'm going to have to plan her funeral. God, when we drew up papers together, I never dreamed I'd have to use them. We were supposed to grow old together." She cried harder.

"The medical examiner has her body. We'll leave you the information on how to contact them. Once they release the body, you just need to call a mortuary to pick her up," Angus explained. "For now, we were hoping to get a look inside Dawn's apartment. See if there is anything there to confirm who she was out with."

"Sure, let me grab my keys. I doubt there will be anything there. If I wanted to know what Dawn was up to, I'd look at her phone. If you have that, I know her password and am sure she never deletes anything." Sierra stood. Her hand shook as she reached for her keys which lay on a small table just inside the front door. She had the box of tissues tucked under her arm.

Lance wondered if the tissues would be for tears or for her allergies.

"She lives…" She shook her head as more tears filled her eyes. "Lived over in the next building." She led them out, pausing to lock her door before leading them down the steps and across the parking lot to another group of apartments identical to the ones they'd just come from. "Let me go in first. Pixie might try to run out. I'll leave the door open a bit and call when I have her in my arms."

"Don't touch anything and be alert for anything strange. You've got ten seconds, then we're coming in no matter what," Franks warned her as he pulled on gloves and handed a pair to Lance.

"I was in there a few hours ago to feed Pixie. Things looked normal." Sierra shoved her key into the lock of a ground level apartment and pushed the door open just enough to squeeze through. A light went on, then a moment later she pulled the door open. She held a large gray cat to her chest as she stepped back to let them in. "Shut it tight. If I hold her too long, you'll have to carry me out of here because my eyes will swell closed."

As soon as they shut the door, she dropped the cat gently to the ground and hurried to the kitchen to wash her hands.

Lance looked around the small apartment. It was clean and was furnished with what appeared to be new items instead of used or second-hand stuff he'd expect to find in an apartment in this location. The couch, chairs, and even the flat screen TV on the wall all appeared newer.

"Pix, I'm going to miss you." Dawn sat on the floor, her full attention on the cat who now rubbed up against her ghostly hand. To anyone else it would look as if the feline had lost its mind and was rubbing and purring against nothing, but Lance saw the affection in Dawn's touch and the sadness on her face when she attempted to pick up the cat and couldn't. "These guys are going to find you a good home." She looked up at Lance as if confirming her words.

Lance nodded, since he couldn't speak to her with Sierra around.

"Do you mind if we have a look around?" Franks asked.

"Sure, but what are you looking for?" Sierra asked.

"Anything that might prove who she'd gone out with the other night. Maybe a note with a name and time or—"

"Her journal," Sierra interrupted Franks. "She might have said something there. But honestly, I didn't get the feeling this trip to the casino was planned. I got the impression it was decided they'd leave after work, drive out for a few hours, then be back for work the next morning." Sierra hurried down the hallway .

"Oh, God, not my journal," Dawn groaned. "I don't want you guys reading it."

"If it helps us solve—" Lance started to respond to Dawn but had to stop when Sierra returned with a decorative hardcovered book.

"This would be her most recent journal. She kept one for as long as I've known her. The older ones are in a box in her closet, but I didn't think you'd need those." She handed the book to Angus before pausing to wipe her nose.

Lance noticed that Sierra's eyes had become even redder and were watering. Where tears had fallen before, this was more of an irritating drip she couldn't control.

"Do you know where her will and legal papers are?" Franks asked.

"Yeah, I'll grab those. I have copies of them as well at my place and she's got copies of mine." She hurried back down the hall and Angus followed her.

Franks looked around the living room, then moved to the kitchen. As he did, the cat followed him, weaving in and out between his legs. He laughed as the cat almost tripped him. "Careful, buddy."

Lance watched with interest, surprised at how calmly Franks put up with the cat as she continued to rub up against his legs as he stopped to open a few drawers. "What are you looking for?"

"The clutter drawer. You know, the one we all have with notepads, rubber bands, pens, and miscellaneous other junk we never need, but keep around just in case." Franks opened another drawer and nodded to Lance. "See."

Lance laughed. "Yeah, I call ours the junk drawer. Mostly keep spare screwdrivers and pliers in there. Small tools we need from time to time. But you're right. It does end up with a bit of everything in it."

Franks pulled out a small notepad from the drawer and leafed through it. "Old grocery lists mostly."

The cat jumped up on the counter and started demanding attention from Franks.

"She likes him. He should take her." Dawn stood by the kitchen sink, watching her cat.

"Dawn says Pixie likes you and you should be the one to take her," Lance told Franks. "I agree."

Franks pet the cat and smiled. "She reminds me of my best friend's cat growing up. Same coloring. But I don't need a cat."

As if responding to him, the cat stood on its back legs and pressed her front paws against Franks' chest.

"Seriously, Franks, the cat is bonding to you. Do Dawn a favor and take the cat. I'd take it, but it's not fair to Haunt. Besides, my back door is always open. The cat would run off at my place." Lance laughed as the cat pressed its head to Franks' chest and then jumped up, forcing Franks to catch it in his arms.

"See, she likes him. Please take her. Don't let her go to the pound." Dawn floated over to stand beside Franks. The cat stared up at her from Franks' arms.

"Dawn is begging you to take her," Lance informed Franks.

"She's beside me, isn't she?" Franks asked .

"Yep." Lance nodded.

"I can tell by the way the cat is staring." Franks sighed. "Fine. I'll take the cat. But if she tears up my furniture, I'm bringing her over to your place." Franks narrowed his eyes at Lance. "I have no idea how to care for a cat. You're going to have to help me."

"I think it's as easy as food, water, and a litter box. Give her some love and you'll both be good." Lance smiled at Dawn.

"Right, just love her. Pixie is an amazing cat. I've got her vet records in a file in my room. You can take her toys and what food and litter I have here. There's a cat tree in my bedroom you can have. I know Sierra will be happy to let you come back for everything." Dawn reached out and ran her hand over Pixie. "I usually just call her Pix."

Lance softly repeated everything she said, aware that Sierra and Angus could return at any time. "You won't regret this."

Franks sighed. "I hope not. I'll borrow a friend's truck tomorrow night and come get everything." He gently lifted the cat so they were eye to eye. "You'll be good, right?"

The cat purred as she stared back at him.

Angus and Sierra walked into the kitchen and Angus set down a file box. "We don't need a copy of things, do we?"

Franks shook his head. "No, but is there a file in there on the cat? I'm taking her home with me. Well, I'll come get her tomorrow since it's late tonight." He looked at Sierra. "If that's okay with you. "

"Oh, that's fantastic. I was so worried. She's a good cat. I just can't." She gestured to her swollen eyes. "Just being in the apartment with her is hard. There is a cat tree in the bedroom and a ton of toys around. Her litter box is in the laundry room. I think I saw a container of litter too." Sierra turned and opened a large cupboard. "And there is a ton of cat food. Both dry and wet." She pointed to several stacks of cans.

"Will she be okay alone tonight? I can come get her and her things after work tomorrow." Franks still held the cat against his chest.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll make sure she's got food until then. It will make cleaning out Dawn's things a lot easier for me without her around." Sierra sighed. "I can't believe she's dead. You have to catch the guy who did this." Fresh tears filled her eyes.

"We're collecting evidence and will be speaking with this Mel guy soon. Please don't talk to anyone or try to contact him. Let us handle things," Angus warned her.

"No, I won't. I'm calling in sick to work tomorrow. I'd end up crying all day if I tried to go in. I'll plan her funeral and go through her papers."

Lance gave her a sympathetic smile. "The autopsy will be done tomorrow, and unless the police need us to hold the body for any reason, we'll release her to the mortuary as soon as tomorrow afternoon."

"We? Aren't you the police?" Sierra looked confused.

"Sorry, I guess we didn't introduce Lance, did we?" He's one of the medical examiners. He was with us this evening and decided to tag along," Angus told her.

"Can't you tell her I'm here?" Dawn ran hand down Sierra's arm.

Sierra shivered. "It doesn't seem real. I keep thinking she'll walk through that door any minute."

"It takes time to let things sink in. I wish there was more we could do." Franks set the cat on the counter. "Hold off on going through the apartment and getting rid of anything more than the cat stuff until we make sure we don't need to have a forensics team come in. We'll let you know when it's okay to start cleaning it out. It shouldn't be long."

"Why? The murder didn't happen here. Let her do things," Dawn said.

Lance ignored her since he couldn't respond. He knew what Franks and Angus were doing. No one knew they were aware of who killed Dawn. Sierra had to think this was a normal investigation. They were already cutting corners just coming into the apartment so casually. That was something he was sure Franks and Angus would never do if they didn't know for sure how someone died.

"Okay. But you need to talk to Mel. Either he killed her, or he knows what happened so she ended up walking down that highway. It makes no sense to me. She'd call me to pick her up if she was stranded or wasn't comfortable with Mel for some reason. She would have known I'd come get her. It wouldn't have mattered where or what time." Sierra turned and checked to make sure the cat dish on the floor had water. There was still food in another small bowl.

"I promise we will talk to him," Angus assured her. "For now, let's get you out of here so your allergies don't get worse."

"I'll be back for you tomorrow night," Franks promised the cat as he gave her one more scratch under the chin.

"You have no idea how much it would mean to Dawn to know Pixie is going to a home and isn't going to be stuck in a cage or worse." Sierra took the file box with her as they headed out.

"I'll catch up. I want some time with Pix." Dawn went to her cat.

Lance followed everyone out. They paused in front of Sierra's apartment.

"We'll be in touch tomorrow with an update." Angus handed her two cards. "One is our card. Call us if you hear anything or need anything. The second is the medical examiner's card. Call them after noon tomorrow and they'll let you know when you can arrange to have the mortuary pick up Dawn's body."

"Thanks." Sierra took a deep breath as she turned to Franks. "I'll be home all day tomorrow. Come over whenever you want to get Pixie."

"It will be in the evening." Franks smiled. "I promise to give her a good home."

Sierra just nodded before turning and going into her apartment.

"Well, what next?" Franks asked as they headed to the car .

"We need to see if any of those traffic cams along the highway are working. I also want to call the casino and see if we can confirm Mel and Dawn were there that night." Angus rolled his shoulders.

"I want to run Mel's name through the DMV database and see what kind of car he owns. Sam said there was possibly paint on the body. If we can match the paint on his car… Hell, there has to be damage to his car." Franks unlocked his car.

Lance got into the back seat. He hated that they had to have solid evidence to even investigate Mel. In a perfect world, people would believe in ghosts and would take what they had to say about their deaths as evidence, but the world was far from perfect. To most people, ghosts were still nothing more than stories to scare each other around a campfire. "Dawn's still at her apartment. She wanted more time with Pixie. I don't think we need to wait for her. She'll find her way to me or show back up at the morgue in the morning."

"You sure?" Franks asked before starting the car.

"Yeah. She'll probably stick around with Sierra. There's not much for her to do at my place. Not without Ray or Bethany there." Lance connected his seat belt.

"When are they back?" Franks asked.

"No clue. I hope soon. I miss them." Lance thought about how much easier things were with Ray and Bethany able to talk to the ghosts and help them adapt to their deaths. But it wasn't just their ghostly knowledge that Lance missed. He missed having them around to talk to, joke with, and just kick back with. Then of course, there was Haunt. She missed the ghosts more than anyone.

They stayed silent as they drove back to Lance and Angus's house. It was late and getting dark by the time they pulled in front of the house.

"I'm not coming in. I'm going to get some sleep. We'll start calling around in the morning and see what we can find out about this Mel Wickman."

"And I'll get your autopsy done so you can have that information." Lance got out of the car. "Sleep well, Franks. And thanks for taking the cat."

"Yeah, I'll live to regret it, but I couldn't look into those green eyes and say no." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm serious. You need to help me learn how to take care of a cat."

"I will. And Google is your friend. Do some research," Lance called as he shut the back door to the car. He headed inside, leaving Angus and Franks to talk for a few. He unlocked the house and was greeted by Haunt who sniffed him several times, then seemed to glare at him as if he was a traitor for having the scent of cat on him. "I was just visiting. I came home to you, didn't I?" He pet the dog. "You want a treat?" He headed to the kitchen to get her one.

"Spoiling the dog?" Angus walked in.

"Just feeling a bit lucky to be alive to take care of her." Lance grinned.

"You were going to adopt the cat too, weren't you?" Angus teased.

"I would have asked you before doing it, but I couldn't let the poor thing go to the shelter. I'm glad Franks jumped in so we didn't have to." Lance gave Haunt her treat then turned to Angus. "You home for the night?"

"I am. I need a shower, then I thought we could put on a movie if you're up for it." Angus pulled Lance into his arms.

"Sounds great. I'm going to have a little bit more to eat before we relax. Want me to warm some chicken for you?" Lance held Angus tight, enjoying the closeness.

"I'm good. Go ahead and eat while I shower. I won't be long." Angus gave him a soft kiss before pulling away.

As he watched Angus head out of the room, Lance glanced at Haunt and smiled. "You have no idea how close you came to getting a roommate today."

Haunt wagged her tail, then laid down under the table as if she didn't have a care in the world, leaving Lance to wonder if Haunt would really mind another pet in the house. Now that the thought was there, it was a dangerous one. One he had to push to the back of his mind for another time. For now, Haunt was enough.