Page 25 of Ghostly Bother
"Have you called your boyfriend yet?" Eden came through the wall, not pausing to see if she was interrupting anything.
"He's working. I don't call him when he's working. He sent a text telling me he'd be late. That's all I know." Lance stood and tossed the rest of his dinner in the trash. "I bet you'd find out more if you go home or to the police station." He turned to wash his hands. "Have you been by the City Center to see what's going on inside your office?"
"There's nothing there. My office has been under investigation for almost a year now. Anything that could be searched has been searched." She floated over and took a seat at the table beside Ray.
"Are you saying you've moved any evidence of wrongdoing somewhere else?" Lance asked.
"There was no wrongdoing," Eden protested.
"Come on. You've already told us you were taking bribes from Lucas Jenkin and others. There was something going on.There's no point in denying it now. Where did you hide any papers?"
Eden shook her head. "You're crazy if you think I saved any evidence."
Lance figured she was smart enough to keep some evidence around so that if she went down for fraud, she'd take others down with her. Eden wasn't one to take the fall alone. "Someone you were making deals with probably killed you. You'd think you'd want the police to investigate everyone so you could find out who wanted you dead."
"They were friends. None of them would want me dead," Eden told him. "It had to be someone who wanted my job. Someone who knew they couldn't beat me next election."
Lance laughed. "My dog could get more votes than you next election. You've done more to hurt the city than help it."
"I have not. I've always done what's best for the city." Eden looked hurt at his accusations.
"Like buying new cars for your office staff, remodeling the City Center, but not giving even a little extra to the libraries, schools, or parks. And don't get me started on the Medical Examiner's Office. After the hostage situation, updated security should have been a no-brainer." Lance was done being nice. He was going to tell it like it was. "I don't know a single person who planned on reelecting you."
"You spend all your time with the dead. Of course they won't vote for me." She smirked at him. "Plenty of people supported me. Important people."
"People you were tossing business to after accepting their bribes," Lance threw back. "If you'd give us the names of those you were working with, or better yet, those who you refused to work with, then we might know who killed you."
"Why should I give you names if your boyfriend will just arrest them for working with me?" Eden floated up and startedmoving back and forth across the kitchen. "These people trusted me. Sure, I might be dead, but I still don't want anyone sitting in jail for silly stuff. Sure, I want my murderer arrested, but not someone who was just working a few financial deals with me."
"Fraudulent financial deals," Lance pointed out.
"Deals like this are happening in every government office across the country. You don't think companies pay off congressmen and senators to vote certain ways? Seriously? Do you think politicians get rich on their normal paychecks?" She shook her head. "Not a day goes by that someone in a position higher than mine isn't calling my office to try and get me to push an agenda or get the city council to vote one way or another."
"That might be true, but it doesn't make it right or legal." Lance glanced over at Ray. "I'm going to call it an early night. Do you want me to turn on the TV before I head to bed?"
"Yeah, if you'd put that sci-fi series on Netflix on to autoplay, Bethany and I want to watch it." Ray waved to Bethany through the kitchen window to have her come inside.
"No problem." Lance smiled.
"Big problem. You can't go to bed until you call your boyfriend," Eden argued.
"He's working. I'm not calling him. He'll tell us more when he gets home or tomorrow after he gets some sleep. I'm not bugging him because you want information you could have gotten on your own had you gone to the police station." Lance set his glass in the sink.
"Then you won't sleep," Eden said.
"My bedroom is off limits. It's a ghost free zone." Lance really wished he could turn his ability on and off so he didn't have to deal with her.
"Make a phone call and you'll sleep just fine." Eden shrugged. "Simple as that."
Lance was not going to let a ghost tell him what to do. He also wasn't about to bother Angus with a call while he might be in the middle of something important. He'd sent a text and that was enough. Angus would call if there was anything important going on that Eden needed to know. Ignoring the ghost, he went into the living room and got the show started for Bethany and Ray.
"Can we help with anything?" Bethany asked softly, casting a glance over at Eden.
"Not unless you know a way to force her away." Lance sighed. "Thanks, but I'll just ignore her. Lizzy warned me that some ghosts would be like this. I've been lucky up to now." He made sure most of the lights were off and said his goodnights. Eden followed him into the bedroom, smiling innocently at him as he glared at her.
"Call your boyfriend," Eden said.
"My boyfriend has a name." Lance pulled off his shirt, turned on the lamp by his bed, then went back to turn off the main light.
