CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Lance smiled at Betty as she sat beside Angus's hospital bed.
Like him, she barely took her eyes off Angus.
It was as if they were both scared that his spirit might float from his body again.
It had been long enough since Betty had left Angus's side that it probably wouldn't happen, but Lance couldn't push that fear completely away. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to.
"You should go for a walk and get something to eat," Betty told him.
"I'll get dinner soon. I just don't want to leave him.
" Lance shifted gently in his chair. His cuts were healing, but that meant they were itching and uncomfortable, stretching awkwardly every time he moved.
He would have to swallow his pride and ask Christine to look at the ones on his backside tomorrow.
"I know, but I'll be with him. I won't let anything happen to our boy." Betty smiled. "We talked a lot about you while I was with him. He loves you so very much."
Lance swallowed a lump of emotion. "I love him too. He's everything to me. I'll never be able to thank you for saving him for me."
"I don't need thanking. I'm just glad I had the ability to do it and the mind to react as quickly as I did. A few seconds more and I might have been too late."
Lance thought about that often. How close they'd come to losing Angus. "Did you see him first or did you check on Betty and Martin first, then notice Angus?"
"I'm not sure. Everything happened so fast. The explosion didn't hit me the way it did the living.
It sort of just blew through me. I was able to watch things happen.
I guess I just kind of scanned the area and when I saw Angus, I flew toward him.
I never questioned that everyone else was okay, so I must have seen that you guys were.
I was so focused on wrapping my spirit around Angus's cord that I don't even recall the trip to the hospital.
He was in surgery before I was really able to focus on what was going on around us.
I had no idea if what I was doing would work.
I was so afraid if I eased my hold, he'd be gone.
I don't even know why I flew at Angus and pushed him back into his body.
I don't recall thinking about it. I just reacted.
Luckily, it worked." Betty smiled. "Once I was sure it was working, I just settled in, my soul against his, and held on. "
"Thank you. I mean that. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost him." Lance glanced at Angus. "I know he'd probably stick around in ghost form, but I'm not sure that would be enough."
"It was nice. Angus and I were able to visit and talk.
It was something we'd never been able to do before.
We spent a lot of time reliving our past, talking about things that happened when he was young.
He was able to see me, able to hear me. I hate the reason it happened, but I am grateful we had the chance to connect that way.
I always thought I'd have to wait until he died to sit and visit with him.
To do so now was a gift I will cherish. I just hate that I made everyone worry about me.
You should all know I'd never cross over without telling you goodbye.
I promised Betty and Martin we'd cross together. Hopefully, many years from now."
"We just weren't sure that you—"
"Knock, knock," Franks said softly from the doorway. "I brought dinner."
Lance stood and grinned. "Hey, Franks. Come on in. You didn't need to bring me anything."
"Gretta insisted. She made some amazing chicken dish. I forget what she called it, but it's delicious." He handed a bag to Lance. "I also grabbed a couple sodas and a few bottles of water for you to have."
"Thanks." Lance took the food over and set it on the table beside his chair. He started to pull the Tupperware from the bag. "Any news on the case?"
"Big news." Franks walked over to Angus's bed. He gently rested his hand against Angus's. "We caught the person who caused the explosion."
"Who?" Betty stood.
"Betty and I want to know who." Lance forgot about the food and gave Franks his full attention.
"Betty's back?" Franks looked around the room as if he expected to see her. "When? Where's she been?"
"I'll explain everything about Betty in a minute, but first, tell us who caused that explosion and why." Lance moved closer to the bed, standing on the other side from Franks. He hoped Angus could hear them talking. He wanted him to know that the person who caused this had been caught.
Franks sighed. "The wife of the owner, Hillary Hilton. She was pissed off that her husband wouldn't take the night off to go out to dinner with her parents. She thought a small gas leak would shut the restaurant down for the night and take away his reason for not going."
"You're kidding me? People died over a couple's fight?" Lance wanted to scream. The love of his life was fighting to live because a woman was upset with her husband. He just couldn't believe that. He was stunned. "You've arrested her?"
"A couple of hours ago. It hasn't hit the news yet, but it will. I took the time to go home and change clothes before coming to tell you. I'll drop by Lizzy and Martin's next." Franks traced a finger over Angus's hand. "I swear, just when I think I've seen it all."
Lance couldn't speak. He was furious at the reasoning. He wanted to confront this woman and tell her what she nearly cost him. What she had cost others. He sank down in his chair and focused on the food, needing something to do to keep him from losing his mind.
"She's being charged with murder?" Betty asked.
Lance looked up and repeated the question for Franks.
"That and a whole lot more. It will be up to the D.A.
to decide on what charges she faces, but for sure the deaths.
It's possible she could face attempted murder for every person in the blast range.
The murder charges will be enough to make sure that she never gets out.
I doubt she'd get the death penalty as she didn't intend to kill anyone.
She thought they'd simply smell the gas and shut things down. "
"But even if that happened, her husband would have been busy with the fire department and not gone out to dinner anyway. I can't believe this." Lance pulled out the fork and knife. "You always thought someone caused this, didn't you? You didn't think it was an accident."
Franks shook his head. "No. Accidents like this don't happen often.
If they did, we'd all second guess having gas lines for our homes and businesses.
I was betting on it being human caused. I just never guessed at the maliciousness of the crime.
I'd figured someone left gas on or a human had broken a line somewhere.
This was cold-blooded murder, even if she didn't mean it to end that way. "
Lance's anger boiled, but he refused to react because he didn't want anything to bother Angus.
If he started screaming or bitching about what happened and Angus heard him, it might upset him and cause his blood pressure to sky-rocket or something.
He wasn't even sure Angus was aware, but he had to act as if he could hear everything. "So what happens now?"
"We let ATF build their case and go from there.
It will take time. Hopefully, the area can start rebuilding.
Nothing can make this easier for those who lost people or for those with life-changing injuries.
" Franks looked down at Angus. "Now we focus on recovery.
On healing." He looked over at Lance. "Any news? "
"Nothing new. He's stable. They say he's doing exactly what he should be doing.
Everything is normal. We just wait for him to heal.
I keep asking how much longer he'll be kept in a coma, but no one has the answers.
They just tell me he's not there yet." Lance focused on the food Franks had brought.
A delicious looking chicken breast with rice and mixed vegetables.
"Tell Gretta thank you. This smells amazing. "
"I'll let her know. She's a great cook. I know she wishes she could do more to help." Franks finally stepped away from the bed. "Where's Betty? I don't want to sit in her lap."
Lance pointed to where Betty sat and Franks took the other chair.
"Now tell me where Betty's been." Franks looked over to where Betty was and raised a brow. "You had everyone scared."
"We've already yelled at her for scaring us, but her reasoning was justified.
She saved Angus's life." Lance went on to tell Franks what Betty had done and why she hadn't been around for several days.
"I can't believe it's only been a few days.
It feels like I've been sitting here for weeks waiting for him to wake up. "
Franks smiled at where Betty was. "Thank you for saving him. I don't know how you knew what to do, but thank you isn't enough. I wish I could hug you and buy you dinner or something."
Betty laughed. "Knowing he's going to live is enough reward."
Lance repeated what Betty said, then smiled at Franks. "I'm sure Angus will find a way to thank you once he's awake. I don't know if he'll remember anything, but I hope he does. Betty said they were able to see each other and talk while she was holding him together."
"Just when I think the world can't get any stranger." Franks laughed. "I'm sure Lizzy and Martin are ecstatic that you're back and so thankful for what you did."
"We're all thankful for what you've done. In less than a week you found the person responsible. That's a big deal."