Ghost Mortem (Ghost Detective #1) - Jane Hinchey Page 0,57

not as a suspect. We need them for Ben's case, so we can rule out your prints and Ben's and see what's left."

He was right. I was meant to do that and I'd been putting it off until I'd conveniently forgotten about it. I was surprised they hadn't been on my case before now. Reading my mind, Galloway grinned. "I was going to call you in on Monday. When Officer Jacobs is on. I don't want you having to deal with Mills." Meaning Officer Mills was working this weekend.

I inclined my head. "I appreciate that."

"So I'll see you Monday. Providing you can stay out of trouble that long." He touched his hand to his brow in salute and climbed into his car. I stood and watched until the SUV was out of sight, noticing Mrs. Hill's curtains twitch when I finally turned to go back inside.

20

"How did it go with the grass?" I asked Ben once I'd closed the front door.

"Don't think you can distract me that easily!" He floated along beside me, sitting in an armchair opposite when I slouched back onto the sofa. Thor was nowhere to be seen and I figured he'd scampered outside when Steven had started shouting.

"Look, I'm fine." I protested. While it was nice to be around men who cared, it could also get just a little smothering. "I dealt with it. He didn't take me by surprise, I could tell by his body language that he would probably attack at some point, and he did. Plus, I'd taken that self-defense class you recommended, remember?"

Ben didn't look happy about it and I knew it must be frustrating for him not to be able to protect me. "I assume he was here because of Sophie?" Ben said.

I nodded. "He dug his own grave there. He's terrified of his wife finding out, yet now word is bound to leak with him being arrested for assault. Also, I don't think he killed you."

"Oh? He's male. Roughly the same size and build as me. It could have been him Mrs. Hill saw through the window."

"He seemed genuinely distraught that someone had found out about his affair with Sophie. It was an instinctive reaction for him, to come forcing his way inside here and unleash his emotions on me. And while he did attempt to hit me, he didn't come with a weapon to kill me. If he's behind your murder, then a: he would already know that people know and he would have reacted differently. Angry? Yes. But not surprised. He'd have been more in control. And, b: he wouldn't have confronted me the way he did. If he'd wanted to silence me he'd have done better to wait until it was dark and then make his move. Like he did with you—if he was the killer."

"You have a point. You have a talent for reading people, Fitz."

I shrugged. "A skill you subconsciously pick up with temping. You get pretty good at summing people up. It can be brutal in the workforce, resentments and jealousy run rife." The temping life reminded me a lot of dating. You'd turn up to an assignment and it was like you were the only single girl at a party—all the other wives thought you were there to steal their husbands—only at work, they thought you were going to steal their jobs. Everyone was so darn insecure, it was sad when you thought about it.

"That bruise looks pretty bad." Ben motioned to my arm. The blow had landed on the underside of my forearm and still throbbed, despite that I'd told Galloway it didn't hurt. He'd have made me go to the hospital if I let on I was in pain, and I had no intentions of another emergency room visit over a simple bruise.

I peered at it. Ben was right though, the bruise was pretty nasty. The red was changing to purple and dark blue blotches were appearing. "I think I'll ice it." Grabbing a packet of peas out of the freezer, I held them to my arm.

Ben was trying to pick up one of Brett's journals but having no luck. "I don't know about those." I sank back down onto the sofa and nodded at the journals strewn across the coffee table. "They're boring. Mostly fashion commentary. I've not come across anything remotely resembling witchcraft. I'm starting to wonder if Brett doesn't have some sort of mental disorder?"

"I wonder why I took the case then?" Ben leaned forward, elbows on knees,