Page 52 of Ghostly Bother
"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 andRachel 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.
