Free Elemental Enchantment by Bronwyn Green Page A

right-hand side of the photo, she enlarged the image. There, standing next to the bride’s uncle was the same ghostly girl.
    Eli leaned forward and looked closer. “She’s not as defined in this shot.”
    Meaghan moved nearer to the screen. “I think it’s because there’s more ambient light in this one.”
    He clicked to the next photo—a nearly nude one of Eli sleeping, one arm tucked behind his head and the sheet draped low over his hips.
    She closed her eyes as a nuclear-strength flush exploded up her chest and over her cheeks. She heard the sound of the next picture advancing. And the next. And the next. She knew that last one was a close up of his face. The one she’d thought of as her last goodbye. Boy, had she been wrong.
    “Will these be making it into the final wedding album?” he asked, his voice heavy with amusement.
    Her eyes flew open, and she refused to look away. “Yeah, I thought the one where the outline of your cock is visible would be perfect for the cover,” she snapped. “In fact, maybe they’ll use it on the thank you notes, too.”
    She took a deep breath. “I have a theory about this.” She gestured at the screen then cringed. “Not that , but about the little girl…and since you’re a cop, maybe you could possibly check it out.”
    “What is it?”
    She moved to the computer and clicked back to one of the photos of Ava with the bride’s uncle. “I know you’re not sold on the whole spirit thing, but often, people who die violently…” She swallowed hard, hoping that she was wrong. “Often, their spirits attach themselves to either the place where they died or to the person who killed them.”
    He narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you saying you think Bob killed that little girl?”
    “If that’s his name, then yeah, I think it’s very possible.”
    Eli laced his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t just haul the guy in for questioning. There has to be some kind of evidence to point in his direction. As much as you want this to be the evidence, photographs of what may or may not be a ghost aren’t the kind of evidence I need.”
    “I know. I’m not stupid.” Her fists tightened at her sides. She had been stupid to tell him anything. There was no way someone in law enforcement would take her seriously. She should have kept her mouth shut and just taken the ticket.
    He looked away from the ceiling to stare at her. “I didn’t say you were.”
    Refusing to back down, she leaned on the table and met his gaze. “You didn’t have to. It was pretty clear from your tone of voice.”
    “I’m sorry. This is so far out of my comfort zone; I don’t even know what to do with it.” He scrubbed his hand across his face then met her gaze, actually appearing contrite. “Let’s try this again. What is it you want me to do?”
    “There was another little girl kidnapped recently.”
    A shadow crossed his face, and he nodded. “Daisy Sumner.”
    “Both of their flyers say they were taken by a person driving a tan or gold car. Can you check the DMV records and just see if Bob has a gold or a tan car registered to him?”
    He stared at her for a minute then nodded slowly. “I can do that, but there are a lot of gold and tan cars. That’s not probable cause—not without anything else to go on.”
    “It’s a start.” She stifled a sigh. It was a start, and it was actually more than she’d hoped for. She’d thought for sure he’d completely blow her off.
    Eli’s radio crackled to life, startling Meaghan. He answered the call then looked at her. “Are you going to be around later?”
    “Why?”
    “No need to get defensive. If a one-off was all you wanted, that’s fine. I just thought you might want to know one way or another about the car.”
    She nodded. “Yeah. That would be great. And sorry…you know…for assuming.”
    “Oh, don’t think I don’t want to.” He leveled a heated stare at her, his blue eyes blazing with want. “But