Ghost Mortem (Ghost Detective #1) - Jane Hinchey Page 0,17

and I automatically accepted it.

“Thanks. What’s this?” I sniffed. It smelled herbal.

“The neighbor made it. Thought you could use it, for the shock.”

Mrs. Hill. Figured. She was probably out front, gathering up as much gossip fodder as possible. Thor jumped up onto the sofa next to me, startling me.

“Thor, there you are!” I’d lost track of him in the woods when they’d arrested me.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” he drawled in that thick British accent. It really was adorable.

“Oh?”

“She’s a witch.” He licked his paw, then rubbed it over his face.

“Mrs. Hill?” I asked for clarification.

“Indeed.” He continued grooming.

“Yes, Mrs. Hill,” Sarah answered, and I realized I’d been talking with Thor out loud. Oops.

Leaning forward, I set the mug on the coffee table. I’d take Thor’s word for it. Although witch wasn’t the word I’d use to describe Mrs. Hill. Mine started with a B.

The arrival of the coroner sent the place into a frenzy of activity. Sarah was called away and I sat on the sofa, watching it unfold until my eyes started to droop and eventually I dozed off, the warmth of Thor curled up against my thigh a reassuring presence.

“I’m surprised you can sleep at a time like this.”

I jolted awake to find Sergeant Dwight Clements glaring down at me.

“Now what?” I grumbled.

“Clements!” Galloway’s voice barked from across the room. “Have you finished canvassing the street?”

A tide of red climbed up Dwight’s neck and into his face. I assumed that meant he had not.

“But, sir…” he moaned, his voice taking on a whiney pitch.

“You want to add witness harassment to the wrongful arrest report I’m writing up on you, Sergeant?” Galloway snapped, stalking towards us. He was pissed. It was evident in the way he held his shoulders, not to mention his hands clenched into fists.

“No, sir.”

“Then get to it.”

Dwight swiveled on his heel and stormed out of the house, the front door slamming behind him. I thought I heard Galloway mutter the word “moron” under his breath, but I couldn’t be entirely sure.

Then Galloway glanced at me and did a double-take. “Jesus!” he exclaimed. “Look at your arm!”

7

The scrubbing Sarah had given the scrape on my elbow had made it ooze blood, which had slowly crept down my arm and seeped into my T-shirt and jeans. I too looked like a murder victim.

Galloway hustled me out of the house with a face cloth wrapped around my elbow and into his car, muttering all the while about being surrounded by brainless idiots and why couldn’t anyone see I needed medical attention. He held the passenger door of his car open for me and made sure I was securely strapped in before sliding behind the wheel. He clamped his phone into the hands-free cradle and peeled away from the curb so fast I was flung back against the seat.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” was all he said before hitting a button on the steering wheel and then barking out orders. I’m embarrassed to say it took me a couple of minutes to realize he’d connected the phone via Bluetooth and was actually talking to the officers he’d left back at Ben’s house, and not to me.

“This really isn’t necessary,” I told him in a lull between calls. “I’ll be fine. Ben wasn’t exaggerating when he said I’m accident prone.”

“That cut needs to be cleaned and dressed. When I told Officer Jacobs to take care of you, I hadn’t meant she should let you sit there and bleed all over the place.”

“She did clean it for me,” I felt compelled to tell him.

“Well, she did a crap job,” he growled.

We lapsed into silence for a bit before he glanced at me and offered a small grin, the dimple in his cheek appearing. “Ben tells me you two have been friends since you were kids?”

“When did he tell you that?” I asked, a hint of defensiveness in my tone. I’d met Galloway for the first time yesterday when Ben had left him to join me at the pub.

Galloway’s dimple disappeared. “We talked last night.”

“What about?”

He snorted. “You are a nosy one.”

“Did Ben tell you that too?”

“Didn’t have to. But I’ll give you a pass just this once. Today has been an ordeal for you.”

“Does that mean you’re going to tell me what you talked about with him yesterday?"

He glanced at me before turning his attention back to driving. “I'm working on something and could use Ben's expertise.”

“You were working a case together?” I was shocked. That