Page 2 of Ghostly Bother
"You just said what everyone else is thinking." Lance kissed him again. "Love you."
Angus pulled back and bent to run his hand down the back of Haunt's neck. "You take care of things around here for me, okay?"
The dog looked up at him as if agreeing.
"Call me when you can and let me know what happened," Lance told him.
"I will, but I don't want to wake you, so if I don't call by midnight, call me in the morning if I'm not home yet." Angus turned and grabbed his notebook, pen, phone, then his gun. He turned back and pulled Lance into his arms once more. "Love you."
"Love you too. We'll be fine." Lance walked him to the door of the garage.
Angus got into his car, giving Lance a final wave as he pulled out. His heart ached to be leaving him once again, but he needed to forget about his life and refocus on the murder he was about to find himself investigating. This case was going to be huge.
He made his way through the late traffic. It wasn't bad enough that he needed to run his lights and siren, but he'd thought about it. There was nothing he could do right now that wasn't already being done. Detective Madison would already be collecting information, and the forensics unit would be on the way to get pictures. Mack would have been called from the medical examiner's office first thing, and his death investigation would probably already be underway if not finished.
Angus saw the flashing lights as he approached the area. He took the first parking spot he saw on the side of the road, pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to get any closer. As he climbed out of his car, he noticed the crime scene tape cordoning off the area. He approached, pulling out his badge so he could cross under the tape. He didn't know the officer securing the area but gave him a polite nod as he ducked under the tape and made his way closer to the scene. The medical examiner's van was parked behind one of the police cruisers, telling him they had yet to remove the body.
"What do we know?" He approached Captain Marshall and Detective Phil Madison. They stood several yards away from where Angus could see the body. From this distance, he wasn't able to see the person's identity, but he could make out pale legs and bright yellow high heels. He wondered for a moment how she managed to walk through the field without her heels stuck in the soft dirt.
"We're waiting on the M.E., but it appears she was strangled. There is a scarf around her neck that seems to have been used." Captain Marshall rubbed the back of his neck.
"I didn't see any other obvious injuries," Phil told him. "She looked like she'd come from work, dressed professionally. Her purse was beside her body. Her car is parked over there." He gestured to a silver BMW that now had crime scene tape around it.
"I'm guessing our cameras are still not working?" Angus gestured to the cameras that were supposed to observe the bridge. He'd needed those cameras for another case only to find out the city didn't have the budget to fix them.
"I've called in to get footage and haven't heard back." Phil sighed. "My guess is there won't be anything for us. I've also called in to have her car tracked from the City Center when she left work this evening so we have an idea if she came straight here or went home first."
"What about her husband?" Angus asked.
"I'm sending you and Franks over there once Franks arrives. I'm hoping we can keep it off the news until you've notified him of her death." Captain Marshall glanced back toward the body. "Find out where he's been all night and if he knows what she might have been doing out here. Forensics will move in as soon as the medical examiner is done. We'll update the husband as information becomes available. I'm praying he has a solid alibi. Unlike his wife, I like her husband."
"They have young kids, don't they?" Phil asked.
"Two girls, both young," Captain Marshall confirmed.
Angus watched as the medical examiner took pictures of the body. Everyone here knew that this was a major case and to make sure everything was done as thoroughly and professionally as they could. Not that they skimped on any case, but this one was going to be national news by morning.
"What kind of nightmare is this?" Franks walked up to the group.
"The worst kind." Captain Marshall sighed. "The chief just arrived. I'm going to go over and update him. Angus, I want you and Franks to go talk to the husband. Phil and Amy can handle the scene." He looked around. "Where is Detective Burns? I called her before I called you two and she lives closer."
"She was probably out to dinner with her husband. She mentioned it earlier today. I'm betting she ran home to change before coming here," Franks told him.
"Detective Madison, update her when she arrives. I'll be with the chief." Captain Marshall turned and headed to where the chief was talking to a group of officers.
"The family?" Franks raised a brow.
"Looks like we drew the small stick." Angus nodded. "We get to notify the husband his wife is dead. Come on, I'll update you on what little we know on the way." He glanced at Phil. "Call if you find out anything more."
"Will do." Phil nodded.
Angus led Franks back to their cars. "Looks like you're driving." He nodded to his car which was now blocked in by several others who had parked in the road.
"That's fine." Franks headed down the sidewalk toward his car. "It's really the mayor?"
"I could only see legs, but Phil identified her." Angus glanced back at the scene. "The chief is here. Can't think of anything else that would bring him out."
"True." Franks unlocked his car.
