Ghost Mortem (Ghost Detective #1) - Jane Hinchey Page 0,24

a long-term argument between us, and for once I agreed with Ben. It was too much of a coincidence for his three cases to be related—especially now that he was dead. Something in one of these files had driven someone to kill him.

“You don’t have much on Brett. You couldn’t have started his investigation yet.”

“Which is odd.” He peered over my shoulder again, his closeness bringing with it arctic conditions. Shivering, I pushed him away, only to have my hand disappear wrist deep inside him. With a yelp, I snatched my hand away and clambered to my feet. Ben looked contrite. “Sorry,” he said.

“Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who just shoved my hand inside you!” I studied him, head cocked to one side. “Can you feel it, when that happens?” What I really wanted to ask was if it hurt when someone passed through him.

He studied me for a second before a slow grin spread over his face. “It doesn’t hurt, Fitz. I can’t feel it, I can’t feel anything.”

“When I touch you, I feel cold. Icy cold.”

He nodded. “Ahhh, that explains why you’re constantly shivering.”

10

“He’s what now?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I glanced at Ben out of the corner of my eye, seated next to me in front of John Zampa’s giant mahogany desk, the plush tub chair curling around me in an oddly comforting embrace.

“Left you his entire estate,” the lawyer repeated. “With some stipulations,” he added.

I sucked in a deep breath, calming myself. This was unexpected. Yes, I fully expected to take custody of Ben’s cat, but that was the extent of my involvement in his estate. How wrong was I?

“Which are?” It seemed only logical I should ask. Ben patted my knee, sending an icy chill down my leg and making me jerk. The lawyer looked at me, probably thought I was about to have some sort of seizure with the sporadic jerking I kept doing because Ben kept patting my leg to calm me down.

“You are the new owner of his business, Delaney Investigations. And—once the paperwork is complete—you will have power of attorney for his father, William Delaney.”

Tears sprang to my eyes, blurring my vision. I’d forgotten about Ben’s dad in all of this. Ben was an only child to Beryl and William Delaney. His mom died of cancer ten years ago, and his dad had been stricken down with Alzheimer’s and had spent the last three years in a nursing home.

The lawyer continued. “McConnell’s, as executors of the will, will provide you access to a trust fund Mr. Delaney had set up to cover his father’s expenses. All remaining assets—the house, vehicle, bank accounts—will be transferred to you. I believe you already have possession of Mr. Delaney’s cat?”

“Yes,” I croaked, cheeks wet with tears and snot starting to dribble out of my nose. A box of tissues was nudged toward me and I grabbed a handful, pressing them to my face. I had never considered Ben would leave me everything. It was difficult to get my head around.

After I’d signed a ton of paperwork, I was free to go. I stood, shook the lawyer’s hand, slung my purse over my shoulder, and promptly knocked the box of tissues off his desk.

“Oops. Sorry.” I quickly snatched them up from the floor and placed them carefully back on the desk.

“Not a problem at all, Miss Fitzgerald.” Despite my telling him to call me Audrey, he’d persisted with calling me Miss Fitzgerald throughout the entire proceedings.

“You okay?” Ben asked as we left the offices of McConnell Law Firm and headed to my car parked out front.

“I think I’m in shock,” I whispered, aware that to onlookers it appeared as if I were talking to myself. Sliding behind the wheel, I clasped it with both hands and sat for a moment, gathering my thoughts.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I finally asked, starting the engine and pulling out into the flow of traffic.

“What? That I had a will?”

“No, that you left everything to me in that will!”

“It’s okay, I’m sure the cops don’t think you’re a suspect, that you knocked me off for the inheritance.”

I blanched. “I hadn’t even considered that!” But now that he mentioned it, it dawned on me that in the cops’ eyes, I had motive. “Ben.” I glanced at him before turning my attention to the road. “I don’t even have a will. It was a huge shock that you made me your only beneficiary.”

“You really should have a