Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3 (48 page)

“I know she is,” Jack said.

“What’s bugging you?” Ivy followed Jack down a quiet street after dinner, their fingers linked, and watched him as his mind worked.

“What?” Jack glanced at Ivy. “Did you say something?”

“I’m trying not to take it personally that you forgot I was even here.”

“I could never forget you,” Jack replied. “I’m just … something is bugging me.”

Ivy waited patiently.

“Laura never mentioned suing the city when we talked,” Jack said. “She never said a single thing about it.”

“Maybe she didn’t feel comfortable talking about it with you,” Ivy suggested. “She must feel really … awkward … about what happened. If she doesn’t believe her brother is guilty, she might believe you’re part of the cover up.”

“Laura always struck me as a straight shooter,” Jack countered. “She was a little flaky sometimes, but she wasn’t the type to lie. If she was uncomfortable with me calling, she would’ve told me and hung up.”

“What do you mean ‘she was flaky?’ Are you insinuating she was crazy or something?”

Jack chuckled. “No. She was more … bohemian.”

Ivy raised a challenging eyebrow. “I’m bohemian. Does that make me flaky?”

“Don’t even try to pick a fight,” Jack warned. “In general you’re one of the least flaky people I know.”

“In general? Can you clarify that for my flaky brain?”

“Fine,” Jack said, blowing out a frustrated sigh. “If you want to know the truth, you do the occasional flaky thing.”

“Like what?”

Jack grinned. He loved it when she got fiery. “Well, for starters, I once watched you tell a cult member that we were out hunting for mushrooms when he caught us spying on him.”

“He bought it, didn’t he?”

“You locked Kelly in your bedroom and fought off a masked intruder on your own instead of hiding with her,” Jack added, referring to a traumatized teen Ivy helped a few weeks before.

“That was a perfectly legitimate reaction to the situation.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “How about when you went for a walk in the woods alone one day after being shot?”

Ivy ceased moving forward and pulled her hand away so she could place it on her hip. “I needed time to think. I was upset. You left me in the hospital and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I was gardening but … I had a weird feeling that someone was watching me … so I took a walk. It was a good thing, too, since you were the one watching me.”

Jack frowned. “First off, I can never express how sorry I am for walking out of that hospital,” he said. “I will beg you to forgive me for the rest of my life if it comes to it. I know what I did was horrible.”

Ivy’s expression softened. “Jack, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“You can bring it up whenever you want,” Jack said. “I deserve it. Go back to the part about someone watching you garden.”

“Not someone. You.”

“Honey, I didn’t watch you garden that day,” Jack said, rolling his neck until it cracked. “I was too upset to go near your house. I was terrified of running into you.”

“Then who … ?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said, hating the fear in her eyes. “Did you actually see someone or just sense them?”

“I just had that feeling you get when you know someone is watching you. I … after I ran into you at the lake, I assumed it was you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this when you saw me that day?” Jack was trying really hard to rein in his temper. It wasn’t working. “You could’ve worked it in between the harsh words and the slap.”

“You deserved that slap!”

Jack grabbed the front of Ivy’s shirt and hauled her to his chest, planting a huge kiss on her lips before separating. “I did deserve that slap. You still should’ve told me. Someone could’ve been watching us that entire time.”

“I know,” Ivy said, her expression rueful as he lowered back to the ground. “I … I forgot about it until just now. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, honey,” Jack said. “This is on me. I upset you. I caused you to lose your head.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ivy couldn’t help but make a face. “Are you suggesting that you caused me to go temporarily insane?”

Jack shot her a charming grin. “I plan on doing it when we get back to my old house tonight, too. I’m just going to use different methods.”

They lapsed back into amiable silence, the new information running through Jack’s mind as Ivy considered what else she might’ve missed that day. They reached for each other’s hands at the same time, meeting halfway.

“Do you think Laura is capable of killing someone?” Ivy asked after a few moments. “You said she was flaky and bohemian – just like me. That doesn’t sound like a killer.”

“She’s nothing like you,” Jack said. “I didn’t say you were flaky. I said you occasionally do flaky things.”

“That’s the same thing,” Ivy muttered.

“It’s not even remotely the same thing, so stop your pouting,” Jack ordered. “You’re right, though. The Laura I knew wasn’t capable of murdering someone. Whoever walked up to Mark Dalton on the street picked him because he was in close proximity to us. That person looked him in the face before shooting him. They were close. I don’t think Laura has that in her.”

“Oh, my … .” Ivy’s face drained of color.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, worried.

“I never put that together,” Ivy admitted, her lower lip trembling. “I never even wondered why Mark Dalton was chosen. It’s because we were on the street and someone wanted to get your attention because they were watching us and knew you were close. The fact that he was a police officer was just a happy coincidence.”

“It’s okay, Ivy,” Jack said. “None of this is your fault.”

“It’s not your fault either,” Ivy challenged, regaining her senses.

“It’s not my fault,” Jack conceded. “Mark Dalton would still be alive if it weren’t for me, though. That’s something I’m going to have to live with.”

“Well, by that way of thinking, Mark Dalton would still be alive if you didn’t go out of your way to pick a vegetarian restaurant for me,” Ivy countered. “He would still be alive if I ate meat.”

“Okay, I get what you’re saying,” Jack said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “We could play this game all night. I’m not in the mood, though. I would rather get this really uncomfortable conversation with Janet out of the way and then play another game with you.”

A small smile played at the corner of Ivy’s lips. “What game is that?”

“Have you ever played naked Twister?”

“No.”

“Then you’re in for a real treat,” Jack said, winking. “Come on. Let’s get this over with, shall we? I can think of at least a hundred other things I would rather being doing, and each and every one of them involves you being naked.”

“I DON’T
think anyone is home,” Ivy said a few minutes later, watching Jack as he shielded his eyes on the front bay window of Janet Simmons’ home so he could peer inside. She scuffed at the accumulated newspapers on the front porch. “I’m not sure she’s been here in quite some time, in fact.”

Jack glanced at Ivy. He had the same feeling. The house looked deserted. “Where would she go?”

“I don’t know,” Ivy answered. “Maybe she left town because she didn’t want everyone staring at her. In a neighborhood like this I’m sure everyone was asking her questions and causing trouble because of what her son did.”

“Why would they cause trouble?” Jack asked, extending his hand to take Ivy’s and drag her around the side of the house.

“Because most people don’t like it when a cop is shot and left for dead,” Ivy replied. “She probably got hate mail.”

“I think you watch too much television,” Jack said, leading Ivy down the side wall of the house, stopping periodically to gaze through windows.

“Are you supposed to be acting like a peeping Tom? It’s kind of freaking me out.”

“I’m trying to decide if anyone has been here or is coming back,” Jack replied, trying the back door to see if it would open. “I need to know where to look next. If Janet has left, we’re back to square one.”

“Laura didn’t mention her mother moving, did she?”

“No. In fact she said that Janet took Marcus’ cremains and put them in an urn on her fireplace mantle,” Jack said, sheltering his eyes again. “She didn’t give a hint that her mother may have moved. I … .” Jack broke off and narrowed his eyes, gripping Ivy’s hand tighter.

“What is it?”

“Honey, I need you to call 911,” Jack said quietly.

Ivy’s heart sped up, even though she had no idea why. “What?”

“Never mind,” Jack said, reaching into his own pocket. “I’ll do it. Can you move right over there for me?” He pointed to a spot just off the patio. He was using his patented “cop” voice.

“Jack, what’s going on?”

Jack moved with Ivy, keeping a firm hand on her shoulder as he waited for an operator to pick up on the other end. “Yes, I’d like to report a dead body.”

“Oh, no.”

“HERE WE
are,” Jack said wearily four hours later, his shoulders slouched as he killed the engine of his truck in front of a nondescript bungalow.

Ivy glanced around the quiet neighborhood. “I don’t hear any gunshots.”

Jack forced a watery smile for her benefit. “No one will shoot you here. I promise.”

Emergency personnel arrived at the Simmons house quickly, declaring Janet Simmons not only dead, but also partially mummified. Ivy wasn’t sure what that meant, but she had a feeling Janet was dead on her floor for more than a few days. “Jack … .”

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow, honey. There’s a lot I need to wrap my mind around, and I’m not ready to do it now. I’m too tired tonight. Is that okay?”

Ivy mutely nodded. Jack hopped out of his truck and moved around to the passenger side to collect Ivy. He grabbed their bags from the back and herded her toward the house. It wasn’t until they were already on the other side of the door, Jack engaging three separate locks to keep them safe, that Ivy realized what he was doing.

“Did you just shield me with your body for the walk up the sidewalk?”

Jack stilled. “Not if it’s going to cause a fight.”

Ivy sighed. “I don’t want to fight either. Don’t do that again, though.”

“No promises,” Jack murmured, flipping the hallway light and leading Ivy down to a bare bedroom. There was nothing inside but a bed and dresser.

Ivy looked around blankly and Jack followed her bouncing gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“This doesn’t feel like a home, Jack,” Ivy said, the sparse walls causing her heart to constrict. “No wonder you couldn’t breathe here. This place would suffocate anyone.”

“I never really thought of it as anything other than a place to sleep when I was done with work every day,” Jack admitted, dropping the bags he was carrying on the floor next to the bed. “I never really considered what a home was until I met you. You’re my home now.”

Ivy’s cheeks burned, and when she risked a glance at Jack she almost burst into tears due to the earnest expression on his face. “I really wish you would’ve gotten your head out of your ass sooner so we didn’t miss so much time together.”

Jack barked out a laugh. “You’re not the only one,” he said, opening his arms. “Come on, honey. Let’s go to bed. There’s nothing left here for us. We’ll go home first thing tomorrow.”

Ivy stepped into his embrace, resting her head against his chest and snuggling close. “What do you think all of this means, Jack?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why would someone kill Marcus Simmons’ mother?”

“Maybe Marcus had a partner I didn’t know about,” Jack suggested. “Maybe someone is trying to clean up Marcus’ mess. Maybe Janet knew something.”

“Like what?”

Jack rubbed the back of Ivy’s neck, unconsciously swaying with her in his arms. “Maybe Janet knew what Marcus was up to all along,” he said. “Maybe she was involved.”

“Or maybe Laura knew.”

Jack faltered. He’d been thinking the same thing himself. Ivy’s intuition was a marvel. “That could be it, too,” he conceded. “I just don’t know what to think.”

Ivy pulled back so she could meet Jack’s somber eyes. “Well, I know one thing we can do,” she said.

Jack’s expression brightened. “Oh, yeah? What?”

Ivy pointed toward the huge garden tub in the adjoining bathroom. “I’ve always wanted to take a bath in a Jacuzzi tub.”

Jack chuckled. “Well, it seems city life has some merit after all, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” Ivy said. “I’m willing to give it a shot, though.”

“Then come on, honey. I’ll show you what a real bath looks like.”

“We’ll be home in about a half hour,” Jack said the next afternoon, talking to Brian on his cell phone as he navigated the country road. “Okay. I’ll meet you at the station as soon as I get Ivy settled.”

Jack disconnected and turned his attention to Ivy. She’d been largely quiet for the duration of their four-hour drive. They slept in as long as they could, the realities of Janet’s death and their attempts at a playful bath warring to the point where they were both exhausted.

Rick showed up at the house with the autopsy report shortly before ten, apologizing profusely when he saw Ivy’s bedhead – and grim face – and laughing nervously when Jack told him to ignore her because she wasn’t a morning person.

They left soon after. There was nothing keeping them in the city.

“Do you want to talk, Ivy?” Jack asked. “I have to go to work for a few hours once I get you home. Now is the time if you want to ask questions.”

“I don’t know,” Ivy admitted. “I’m kind of freaked out by what Rick told us this morning.”

“Which part?” Jack asked. “The part where she was shot with the same gun, or the part where the house was so dry she mummified? I’m a little freaked out by that, too. I’ve heard of it happening, but I never thought I would see it.”

“The part where she was dead for at least a month and no one noticed,” Ivy said, her voice small.

Jack licked his lips, unsure how to respond. In some ways he felt like he knew Ivy better than he’d ever known anyone. They meshed well together, finding comfort in mutual silence and contemplation. In other ways he was still getting to know her. She was a sensitive soul. Sometimes that sensitivity led to screaming matches. He was fine with that, usually because it led to making up soon after. Right now that sensitivity was making her sad, and he would never be okay with that.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Jack finally admitted. “I want to say the right thing to make you feel better, but I’m not sure what that is.”

“Imagine being so alone that no one noticed you died for more than thirty days,” Ivy said. “Think about it.”

Jack didn’t need to think about it. He lived that life for six months after his shooting, opting for isolation instead of engagement because he was wary of people and places. Ivy was the one who drew him out of that world. “It’s sad,” he acknowledged. “I hope you know that I would figure out you were missing after thirty seconds. That could never happen to you.”

Ivy laughed, the sound easing the tension in the vehicle, if only marginally. “I can’t believe you would wait thirty seconds.”

“I know. It does sound like a lifetime to be away from you.”

Jack pulled into Ivy’s driveway, killing the engine and pocketing his keys before he could hop out of the truck. He raced around to get to Ivy’s door before she could climb out, but she was already halfway there when he appeared in front of her.

“Are you going to shield me with your body again?” Ivy arched a challenging eyebrow.

Jack smirked. “Have you ever considered that I merely enjoy rubbing my body against yours?”

“Of course,” Ivy said, nodding. “That’s not what you’re doing now, though.”

“Will you humor me?”

Ivy let loose with a dramatic sigh. “Will you give me a massage when you get back tonight?”

“Can it be a naked massage?”

“Only if you promise to rub me for a full half hour before you try to do something else,” Ivy answered.

“I love negotiating with you,” Jack said, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips.

Jack didn’t relax until they were safely inside and then he set about searching her house. Ivy picked an anxious Nicodemus up and greeted him with a hug as she read Max’s note on the counter. Instead of taking Nicodemus to his place – he was convinced the cat would purposely shred his leather couch – Max spent the night at Ivy’s.

“Oh, what an idiot,” Ivy muttered, making a face at the note.

“What does it say?” Jack asked, returning to the living room.

“It says that Max couldn’t sleep in my bed because it has sex cooties so he had to sleep on the couch and Nicodemus tried to smother him while he was out.”

Jack laughed at the visual. “Nice.”

“He also gave Nicodemus tuna because he didn’t like the looks of the dry kibble and now I’m going to have to put up with days of screeching until Nicodemus forgets what tuna tastes like.”

“I see who runs this roost,” Jack said, stroking Nicodemus’ head and kissing Ivy’s cheek. “I will see you for dinner. Do you want me to pick up pizza, or do you want to cook something?”

“I can cook.”

“How about pizza instead?” Jack suggested.

“Why do you want pizza so badly?”

“Because we can get half of it with meat and half without and our only cleanup will involve throwing the box away,” Jack replied. “That will give me more time to focus on your massage.”

“You’re very pragmatic.”

“I do my best,” Jack said, smiling. “Is that okay?”

“I suppose,” Ivy replied, cozying up to him and rubbing her nose against his chin. “Will you call me if you find anything?”

“Yes,” Jack said. “I’ll text you dirty suggestions whenever I can to keep you on your toes, too.”

“Will you get mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions on my half of the pizza?”

“I won’t get onions. I have plans for that mouth and it can’t taste like onions.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you get onions, too, and then we’ll both stink?”

“Sold,” Jack said, kissing her quickly. “Be good and stay out of trouble, okay? If anything happens … .”

“I’ll call for my knight in shining armor,” Ivy finished.

“You kid, but that’s going to be my Halloween costume this year.” Jack strode toward the door.

“Really? I’m dressing up like Wonder Woman.”

Jack paused with his hand on the knob. “That is why you’re my favorite woman in the world,” he said. “I know exactly what we’re doing for our next dream.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Ivy said.

“I already miss you,” Jack replied.

“SHE WAS
shot twice with the same gun?” Brian asked Jack a half hour later, his face conflicted. “That’s not good.”

“And she was left on the floor of her house for at least a month without anyone discovering her,” Jack supplied. “I don’t like what that seems to be pointing toward.”

“The daughter. What did you say her name was?”

“Laura Simmons,” Jack supplied.

“And I’m guessing that she didn’t mention that she hadn’t heard from her mother in more than a month,” Brian said, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. “That does not sound like a good situation.”

“It doesn’t,” Jack agreed.

“You talked to the sister, though, right? She was down in Detroit when you called. That’s a lot of driving if she’s the one responsible.”

“No, my buddy Rick got me her cell phone number,” Jack clarified. “I assumed she was in Detroit. I had no reason not to assume that. She could’ve been anywhere.”

“Well, the first thing we have to do is run the cell phone and find out where it has pinged recently,” Brian said. “Do you still have the number?”

“It’s on the pad on my desk.”

“Okay, I’ll run that,” Brian said. “I was thinking it might be smart for you to start calling around to area hotels and inns. If she’s in this area, she has to be staying somewhere. We can run her credit cards while we’re at it.”

“That’s a good idea,” Jack said. “At least we have a place to look. If she isn’t in the area, the next order of business is calling her again. I don’t want to risk that before we know where she’s at. I don’t want to tip her off.”

“Don’t you think she’s already been informed of her mother’s passing?”

“Only if they could find her,” Jack replied. “Let’s get this moving. I promised Ivy I would bring pizza home for dinner … and then give her a massage without letting my hands wander.”

Brian snickered. “Other than the dead body, did you at least get to have a little fun with Ivy?”

“Well, I got to introduce her to Middle Eastern food – which she loved – and a Jacuzzi bath tub – which she really, really loved,” Jack said. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re a lovesick puppy,” Brian replied. “I’d hate to stand in the way of your happiness, though. Let’s get cranking.”

“WELL,
there she is,” Michael greeted Ivy with a dark look. “If it isn’t my daughter who was shot off the road and didn’t bother to tell her parents about it. I can’t tell you how wonderful that feels as a parent. If you got a ribbon for it, I would put it right next to the spelling bee one in our photo album.”

Ivy scowled as she stared down her father. “It’s nice to see you, too, Dad. Say that a little louder. I don’t think the people back at the greenhouse heard you.”

Michael pursed his lips as he regarded his only daughter. “I am really angry with you.”

“Awesome. I’m really angry with you, too.”

“What did I do?”

“You’re making a scene at my nursery,” Ivy answered.

“Fine,” Michael grumbled. “How are you feeling?”

Ivy tried to swallow her smile … and failed. “I’m feeling very healthy. Thank you.”

Michael pursed his lips. “Your brother told us about walking in on you and Jack naked yesterday morning,” he said. “You know very well that’s not what I was talking about.”

“We were not naked,” Ivy shot back, scandalized. “Max is the one who walked into my house without knocking.”

“After finding out you were shot off the road and didn’t bother to call us,” Michael challenged. “I’m usually the one on your side, kid, but not this time.”

Ivy tugged on her limited patience and tamped down her sarcastic nature. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you,” she said. “I really am. Jack and Brian showed up … and there was some yelling and hugging … and then, well, Jack and I decided to work things out.”

Michael graced Ivy with the first genuine smile he’d managed to muster since hearing about her accident. “I’m glad you worked things out with Jack,” he said. “I’m not surprised, though. No matter what you were screaming to the high heavens, I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from him.”

“How did you know that?”

“Because he’s your match, little one,” Michael replied, not missing a beat. “No matter how upset your mother makes me … no matter how crazy mad I get … I’ll always forgive her and want her in my life. That’s how you feel about Jack.”

Ivy made a face. “You know we’ve only known each other for a little more than a month, right?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Michael said. “When someone is your match, that’s it. Jack is your match. I happen to like him and think he’s good for you. That being said, next time I see him we’re going to have words.”

“Dad, I am an adult,” Ivy hissed. “I can sleep with whoever I want to sleep with.”

Now it was Michael’s turn to make a face. “That is not what I was talking about,” he said. “I
never
want to talk with Jack about that. I may like to make the occasional joke – mostly because you have prudish tendencies – but I’m still your father and that’s icky.”

“Icky?”

“Very,” Michael said. “I was talking about the fact that he didn’t call us after your accident. That should’ve been the first thing he did.”

“Jack was too busy crying after my accident,” Ivy admitted. “He was a mess.”

Michael’s face softened. “Well, everyone is okay,” he said. “How was your trip to Detroit?”

Ivy recounted everything for her father, joining in his disgusted reaction to the mummified body, before finishing up with her worries about Jack. “I think he’s convinced it’s the sister,” she said. “I’ve tried to figure a way around it, but how else does someone not notice when a family member goes missing for a month?”

“Maybe they were on the outs,” Michael suggested. “I know it’s hard to fathom because our family is so tight, but not everyone gets along like we do.”

“Yeah. I guess. Jack said he would call if he gets any news. I’m going to head over and work in the greenhouse if that’s okay. I don’t feel like dealing with people asking a lot of questions.”

“Go nuts,” Michael said. “I’m still talking to Jack next time I see him.”

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to verbally spar with you.”

Ivy was almost to the  greenhouse – and conversational freedom – when a woman cut off her avenue of approach and shot her a nervous smile. “Um … are you a worker here?”

Despite her agitation, Ivy plastered a welcoming expression on her face. “I am. Can I help you?”

“I’m not sure,” the woman admitted. “I’m looking for a bush for my mother. She’s kind of a homebody and she spends all of her time spying on the neighbors. She thinks they’re out to get her. I was kind of hoping you could point me toward a flowering bush that doesn’t make too much of a mess so I could plant it in front of her window.”

Ivy chuckled. She knew how that went. Her mother was convinced her neighbor was hot for her dad. Ivy was fairly certain that Shirley Deurksen was a lesbian and more interested in Luna than Michael, but she wisely kept that to herself.