CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lance stared at the letter in his hands in shock. He almost forgot to breathe, he was so surprised by the news. His brother was coming home. Not just coming home, but coming home to stay. Sure, it was still a year away, but it was something to look forward to. Lance had spent so much time over the years worrying about his brother that the thought of having him back, living in the same place, was almost impossible to imagine.

Jackson had been in the military so long that Lance almost forgot what it was like to have him around. The few times he'd visited had been few and far between, never long enough to fall into a pattern like they'd had when they were younger. Now, Jackson was coming home to stay, and Lance couldn't quit smiling.

"Did you win the lottery?" Bethany asked as she came in from the backyard.

"I feel like it. Jackson is coming home to stay. It won't be until next June, but it's something to look forward to." He held up the letter he'd been reading. "He says he's done and ready to find something new to do with his life."

"Oh, that's great news. I bet you're so relieved." Bethany appeared to sit in the chair beside him at the kitchen table. "He'll stay here, right?"

"I think at first, but he won't stay long. He'll want to get his own place. He's welcome here as long as he wants to stay. God, I just can't believe he's really doing this. I figured he'd stay in the Navy until he was either killed or told he was too old to keep going. I know he always said he was thinking about it, but I never really believed him." Lance set the letter down. "It can't come soon enough."

"What can't come soon enough?" Ray and Gail floated into the house.

"My brother is coming home in a year to stay. No more Navy."

"That's great news. I bet it has something to do with that girl he was seeing when he came to visit." Ray took a seat.

"Maybe. Those two have always had something. I'd love for them to get back together now that she's divorced." Lance smiled at Gail. "How are you holding up?"

She shrugged. "I feel lost. Like there is something I should be doing, but I don't know what it is. I'm glad my parents finally know I'm dead, but I can't go there and watch them cry over me."

He understood. Her uncle had come to verify her body and had been upset. He could only imagine how upset her family was. Gail had gone back to the house with her uncle when he'd left the morgue, but showed back up a few hours later. Death was so final for the living, and they took it a lot different than the dead did.

"Want me to put a movie on or something to help distract you?" Lance offered.

"Would you? That would help. I didn't even think about still watching TV. I guess I won't miss out on all the new movies if I stick around here, will I?" Gail laughed.

"Even better that you can go to the movies for free now. No one will even know you're there." Ray grinned. "Bethany and I do that sometimes. We'll go spend the day at the theater, jumping from one movie to another. Works for concerts and plays as well."

"I hadn't thought about that. I mean, you mentioned we could travel places, but I guess I didn't really think about all the other stuff." Gail got up. "What movie?"

"You decide. I'll scan through and you tell me when you see something you like." Lance got up and went into the living room. "What do you like?"

Gail glanced at Ray. "Will you hate me if I say chick-flicks?"

Ray laughed. "I can sit through anything. Curl up on the couch with Haunt and see what was just released. There's got to be something good."

Lance sat on the arm of the couch and started scanning new releases. It didn't take long before the ghosts agreed on one. Lance hit play before setting the remote down and heading back into the kitchen. It was after eight and he was still waiting for Angus to get home. He'd talked to him shortly after Gail had been identified, and Angus and Franks were headed over to Gail's house to talk to the parents.

The media was all over the case, and it was bound to get worse once they linked Gail's death to the others. Thankfully, it seemed the families were being helpful and not putting a ton more pressure on the police to give them answers. Still, with three teenagers dead, it would only be time before people demanded answers.

With nothing to do but wait for Angus to get home, Lance emptied the dishwasher, then sat down at the table and started a letter to his brother. They were exchanging letters more often since Jackson had visited during Christmas. It was a nice change since before that, he would be lucky to get a letter every few months. Like most of his brother's letters, they didn't tell Lance much about what Jackson was up to or even where he was, but it was nice to hear from him and know that he was safe.

Lance filled him in on what he'd been up to and told him about how different it was living with Angus compared to dating. He also updated him on things going on around town and how the area was growing. He wasn't sure if Jackson cared about all of it, but it was something to share to maybe help Jackson enjoy a bit of home. He told him about Haunt and even the ghosts, though he was careful to speak of them as if they were living people just in case anyone read the letters.

Lance smiled, remembering how shocked and unbelieving his brother had been about his ability to see ghosts. Luckily, one of Jackson's friends had been with him — a friend who died a couple of years ago. That had made telling Jackson about ghosts a lot easier than it would have been if he hadn't had his friend here to help convince him. Now, he was able to talk about Ray and Bethany as if they were family friends. Jackson even asked about them in his letters.

The front door opened and Haunt barked once. Lance stood, going to the fridge and pulling out Angus's favorite TV dinner. It wasn't a huge meal, but the two of them seldom bothered cooking on nights they weren't home together. He shoved it in the microwave and turned it on just as Angus walked into the kitchen.

"What a long day." Angus tossed his stuff on the table before coming over and pulling Lance into a tight hug. "I missed you."

"Missed you too." Lance kissed him softly. "Seven minutes and dinner will be ready. What can I get you to drink?"

"Just water. I need to eat, shower, then sleep. I'm beat." Angus sat down. "Sorry I'm not better company."

"Beside me in bed is my favorite way to be with you." Lance grinned. "Don't feel bad. It's been a busy week for all of us. It's been one thing after another. How'd it go at the Smiths' home?"

"Like you'd expect for a couple that just found out their child was dead. They're having a rough go of it. They refuse to believe it was suicide, and I don't blame them. Not with two of her friends killed in the same week. Franks and I will pick up security footage from Gail's work in the morning and go from there. The cameras on the bridge are down. The city hasn't approved funding to fix or replace them." Angus rolled his eyes.

"Is the city funding anything anymore?" Lance sighed.

"The mayor's pet projects are all funded, but nothing that matters." Angus took the water that Lance set in front of him. "Thanks."

Lance sat down. "Can I do anything to help you?"

"Not really. It's a matter of leg work. We'll get the video and see what it shows. I've set up an interview with the guy who saw Gail falling, but from the sounds of it, he only saw her falling, not up on the bridge." Angus took a drink.

"He said the same thing when we went to pick up the body. Hopefully, you can see what the person who took her was driving."

"Hopefully." Angus rolled his eyes. "Nothing is going our way on this case. We had her car towed today, but I don't expect we'll find anything in it. The only reason Franks and I are allowed to look into Gail's case is because of her ties to Fiona and Elizabeth. If it wasn't for that, they'd be happy to call it suicide. They said she was upset about her friends' deaths and wanted to join them."

"Even if I hadn't talked to Gail and known beforehand that she was pushed, I wouldn't have signed off on suicide with the evidence I found on the body. She was injured before falling." Lance was glad he was the last line in defense, because he was sure there were a lot of cases the police may gloss over. Even if he was questioned on his opinion, he was sure that Sam would redo the autopsy and come to the same conclusion he had. "How were the interviews with the boys?"

"We got nothing from them. They're both scared and worried that they're next. I didn't sense guilt from either one of them. These kids were tight. I wish I'd had a group of friends like that in high school. Tom and Terrance are staying together the next few days, so hopefully, they'll be safe. It's Gavin I'm worried most about if someone is coming after the whole group. His home has great security though, so maybe he'll be safe. He said he wasn't planning on leaving the house." Angus got up as the microwave beeped and got his dinner before returning to the table. "How was your day?"

"Good. We hired Amy's sister, Gretta, today. She won't start for two weeks, but everyone liked her. She seems confident and mentally strong enough to deal with the families." Lance smiled. "She has a ton of office experience, which is great."

"If she's anything like Amy, she'll be great with the families. I'm glad you're giving her a chance, and I bet she's excited to get the job. It sounds like she's had a tough time through her divorce. This could be exactly what she needs." Angus cut into his food. "Carrie can't be happy having to work the front desk for another two weeks."

"She's not, but said she'd rather work it now and be done with it than keep going back and forth training people who don't work out. Heard from your parents?"

"Mom sent a photo of them on Fisherman's Wharf, but that's all I've heard. They must be having a good time. I think they're headed south tomorrow and plan to be near San Diego sometime next week. Mom and Betty are excited to hang around Hollywood and see what dead famous people they can find."

"I'd love to talk to someone dead that didn't connect to a murder." Lance sighed.

"Yeah, that would be a nice change." Angus ate in silence for a moment, then glanced at Lance. "I like the thought that someday we might be able to travel around the country like Mom and Dad do. Retirement feels like it's so far away, but it gives me something to look forward to."

"We don't have to wait to retire. We can still afford smaller trips. Maybe once a year. It's a start. It's something we should talk about more and plan for next spring or summer."

"We'll make a list of places we want to see and figure out what we can afford, but later. Right now, I just want to shower and sleep. I need to stop thinking over this case for a while and the only way I'm going to do that is sleep."

"The ghosts are all watching a movie. I'll make sure they're set for the night, then I'll join you. I could use an early night myself."

"You could join me in the shower. Help me relax a little so I'll sleep better." Angus nudged his leg against Lance's.

"I could do that. Give you a little hands-on relaxation." Lance waggled his eyebrows.

Angus laughed. "You know, suddenly I'm not as hungry as I thought I was."

"Nope, you need to eat. The offer to help you relax isn't going anywhere. You can take your time, enjoy your food, then we'll say our goodnights. We won't have to even worry about Haunt. She hasn't left Gail's side since they met."

"I'm glad Gail has her to help her accept everything that happened." Angus finished his water, then took the last bite of his meal. "Do you think she'll move on?"

"I think so. It helps that she knows Fiona and Liz have crossed over and will hopefully be there waiting for her." Lance shrugged. "At least I assume they crossed. I guess there's no way of really knowing."

"Enough about ghosts and cases. It's time to forget work and focus on more important things, like you." Angus stood and threw his trash away. "You see to the ghosts. I'll go get the shower going and meet you there."

"Deal." Lance kissed him softly, then stepped back. Someday they wouldn't have to find time alone together. One day, they'd be retired and able to take advantage of the long days together without thinking about work or murders. That day might be a long way away, but he still looked forward to it.