Wicked Warning (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 5) (3 page)

I
vy sat
vigil at the girl’s side, hours passing as she merely rested quietly and held the frail teenager’s hand. Jack and Brian worked from the lobby, the former coming in to check on his girlfriend occasionally but otherwise leaving her alone to greet the girl when she woke.

Ivy watched as a nurse gave the girl a sponge bath, closing her eyes when the filthy shift was removed and replaced with a pristine hospital gown. Jack and Brian managed to secure a pair of bolt cutters from a local mechanic and carefully clipped the cuff from the girl’s ankle before dropping it into an evidence bag so they could send it to the state police lab for testing.

Jack lingered long enough to press a kiss to Ivy’s forehead and whisper that he would be close before leaving again.

For her part, Ivy’s mind was a jumbled mess.
Who would do something like this? Where did the girl come from? How long was she held? Where was the baby?

Ivy was so lost in thought she almost missed the girl’s eyes fluttering. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing, and she leaned forward expectantly when the girl’s eyes popped open.

For three seconds everything was calm. Then the girl panicked, bolted to a sitting position, and jerked her hand away from Ivy.

“W-where am I?”

Ivy refused to take the girl’s fear personally. She’d braced herself for a negative reaction, and that’s exactly what she got. “You’re in the hospital,” Ivy replied, keeping her voice calm and even. “My name is Ivy Morgan. Do you remember me from the dance?”

The girl’s hand flew to her mouth, the dirty fingernails momentarily drawing Ivy’s attention as fresh tears threatened to overflow from the terrified young woman’s green eyes. “I … remember. I ran away. Did he … come for me?”

Ivy licked her lips. “Who are you talking about?”

The girl shook her head so hard she almost toppled over. “I’m not supposed to say. I’m not supposed to tell anyone. I wasn’t supposed to run either, but … I can’t.”

“Okay,” Ivy said, holding her hands up to placate the girl. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to tell me. You’re in control.”

The hollow laugh emanating from the shell of the girl caused Ivy’s heart to flop. “I’ve never been in control.”

“You can be from here on out,” Ivy countered. “I promise you that no one is going to hurt you again. You’re safe.”

“He’ll find me. He’ll kill me. He told me he would if I ever ran.”

Ivy wet her lips as she decided how to proceed. The girl wanted to talk – even if she didn’t realize it – but she had to be allowed to do it in her own time. She would retreat inside of herself if pressured. Ivy was sure of that.

“Let’s not talk about him right now,” Ivy suggested. “I don’t think you’re ready and I’m not going to force you. Tell me about your childhood.”

“I don’t remember ever being a child.”

The simple declaration was enough to squeeze Ivy’s stomach. “Did you grow up near Shadow Lake?”

The girl shrugged. “I don’t know much about places,” she said. “I … don’t think so, though. When I started running I had no idea where I was. I just knew I couldn’t stop because he would kill me if I did.”

“Do you know how long you ran?”

“It seemed like forever,” the girl replied. “There were a lot of trees … and my feet hurt from the rocks … but I didn’t stop. I knew this was my only chance because he would kill me otherwise. He promised if he caught me doing it that he would make it hurt.”

“Your feet are bandaged up,” Ivy said. “You’re probably going to be sore for a few weeks. The doctor thinks you’re going to make a full recovery, though.”

“And then what?”

“I don’t know.” Ivy opted for honesty. “I’m going to help you the best that I can. We’ll figure it out one step at a time. How does that sound?”

“Too good to be true,” the girl answered. “I guess you’re all I’ve got, though. If you turn out to be evil, too, I couldn’t possibly be any worse off than I was before.”

The fact that all hope had been beaten out of the girl made Ivy angry, but she refused to show it. “Okay, well, let’s start with an easy question,” she prodded. “What’s your name?”

“I don’t have a name.”

Ivy had trouble believing that was always the case, especially since the girl seemed relatively well spoken. If someone mistreated her for her entire life, she wouldn’t sound as educated as she did. “I think you had a name at one point,” she countered. “We need to know what it is if you expect us to help you.”

“I think … .” The girl broke off, uncertain. Ivy patiently waited for her to find the strength she desperately needed to move forward. “I think my name is Jessica Stamper. It’s been a long time, though, and I’m pretty sure my parents are dead. That’s what he told me anyway.”

“Okay, Jessica,” Ivy said, climbing to her feet. “That’s a great place to start. I’m going to step outside and let the nurse talk to you for a few minutes and then I’ll be right back.”

“You don’t have to come back if you don’t want to,” Jessica said, her eyes trained on the white wall. “I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to come back. If I was you I would run away and never come back.”

“I’ll be back shortly,” Ivy said, her tone firm as she watched the defeated girl. “I won’t abandon you. I promise.”

“
G
OOD JOB
,
honey,” Jack said, kissing Ivy’s cheek as she settled on his lap and watched him work on his laptop. “Did she say anything about the man holding her?”

“She said little things – like he threatened to kill her should she ever run – but she backtracks and doesn’t want to answer any questions about him,” Ivy replied. “I’m not going to push her. I don’t care what you say.”

“You don’t have to push her,” Jack said, resting his cheek against hers as he tapped away on his keyboard. “You’re doing everything exactly right.”

Brian cleared his throat, drawing Jack’s attention to him. “I don’t want to push her either, but you heard the doctor,” he challenged. “There could be a baby out there. Did you bring up the baby?”

Ivy shook her head. “I didn’t know how to bring up the baby,” she admitted. “How am I supposed to ask that? She wasn’t sure if she ever had a name and she says she thinks her parents are dead. I couldn’t ask about the baby. It felt too … invasive.”

“I understand, Ivy,” Brian said, busily typing on his own laptop. “It’s a terrible situation. I’ll handle questions about the baby.”

“How did you leave things?” Jack asked, studying his screen. “Do you think she trusts you?”

“She said if I turned out to be evil nothing could be worse than what she’d already been through,” Ivy replied. “She doesn’t trust me. She can’t allow herself to do anything of the sort.”

“It’s okay,” Jack said, tightening his arm around Ivy’s waist. “You’ve done a remarkable job so far. No one could’ve done better.”

“He’s right, Ivy,” Brian said. “You sat with her and you’ve started to build a rapport. That’s all we can ask this early in the game.”

“It doesn’t feel like enough,” Ivy said. “Have you found anything on her?”

“I have,” Brian said, exhaling heavily as he studied his screen. “Jessica Stamper disappeared from Alden while on her way home from school six years ago.”

Ivy’s heart rolled. “Six years ago? Someone took her and … did that … when she was ten?”

“She’s nineteen,” Brian replied. “The doctor warned us the age guess could be off due to her malnutrition. I guess he was right.”

“But … .” Ivy pictured the tiny girl in the next room and shook her head. “She looks fourteen. I thought they were exaggerating when they said she was sixteen.”

“The lack of food and nutrients stunted her growth, honey,” Jack explained. “She was thirteen when she was taken. That means she was old enough to … menstruate … but she wasn’t fully developed. By holding back food and vitamins, her captor was able to keep her looking younger than she was.”

“Because that’s what turned him on.” Ivy felt sick to her stomach.

As if reading her mind, Jack tugged her back against his chest and rubbed her flat stomach. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “We’re going to find the animal who did this and make him pay.”

“You’ve got that right,” Brian intoned. “We’re going to drag him into the town square and string him up for everyone to see.”

“That sounds lovely,” Jack deadpanned, shaking his head. “I like the sentiment, though.”

“What about her parents?” Ivy asked. “Are they dead?”

Brian turned his eyes back to Jessica’s file. “They’re alive,” he said after a moment. “They still live in the same house the family resided in together when she was abducted.”

“I wonder why,” Ivy mused. “If I lost a child I would probably want to move far away so I wouldn’t be reminded of that loss.”

“They didn’t know what happened to Jessica,” Jack reminded her. “She was missing, not dead. I can see moving on and leaving a home because memories of a dead child haunting you would be terrible.

“From their perspective, though, Jessica disappeared without a trace,” he continued. “They probably had faith she would come home. Even if part of them didn’t believe it, hope is a paralyzing thing sometimes. They couldn’t move away from the only touchstone they had.”

“Will you call them?” Ivy asked.

“Yeah,” Brian answered, bobbing his head. “That’s going to be an odd call. On one hand we found their missing daughter. On the other she’s been traumatized, raped, and possibly given birth to a child who is now missing.”

“She’ll probably be more likely to open up to her parents,” Jack supplied. “That could be helpful for getting her to trust us.”

“She thinks they’re dead, though,” Ivy countered. “I bet the man who took her told her that to keep her in line. If she had nowhere to run it would be easier for him to keep control of her.”

“Ivy has a point,” Brian said. “She might not take kindly to knowing her parents have been alive all of this time.”

“Especially if she believed they would find and rescue her one day,” Ivy added.

“What do you mean?” Jack was legitimately curious.

“I mean that, however irrational it sounds, if someone took me I would want to believe that you … and Max … and my parents … were out there looking for me,” Ivy said. “What happens when faith goes away and you have nothing left?”

“Honey, no matter what, if someone took you I would find you,” Jack said, brushing her hair away from her face. “We can’t go back in time and save this girl. We can move forward and help her to the best of our ability, though. That’s the only thing we can do.”

“I know,” Ivy said, shaking herself out of her doldrums. “I’m sorry. That was extremely unhelpful.”

“You’re always helpful,” Jack said, pulling her close for a hug. “You should probably get back in there with her, though. We need to call her parents and … .” He broke off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

“And I need to tell her they’re alive after all,” Ivy finished for him. “We have to prepare her for their arrival. It won’t take them more than an hour to get here from Alden.”

“No,” Jack agreed. “I’m sorry this is falling on you. If I thought I could bear the burden, I would do it.”

“I know you would,” Ivy said, flashing him an appreciative smile. “You can’t, though. You saw the look on her face when she saw you. I think your size frightens her. I’ll tell her you’re a marshmallow to soften her up.”

“Very cute,” Jack intoned, shooting her a dark look even though he was secretly happy she managed to muster the energy for a lame joke. “This marshmallow wants you to know that I’m really proud of the way you’re handling this.”

“Thank you,” Ivy said. “Maybe later I’ll pretend to be a chocolate bar and we can make s’mores.”

Jack offered her a weak chuckle. “I’m looking forward to it.” He watched Ivy shuffle back toward Jessica’s room, keeping his gaze trained on her until she disappeared. When he shifted his attention to Brian, he found his partner glaring with unfettered contempt. “What?”

“You two are really sick sometimes.”

“She needed to make a stupid joke to remind herself it was okay to laugh,” Jack said. “She didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know that,” Brian said. “I’m the one who made a stupid joke just now because I’m terrified of making this call.” His cell phone rested on his knee. “What do you think they’re going to say?”

“I think the first thing they’re going to say is ‘thank you and we’re on our way,’” Jack replied. “I think the realizations hitting them after that are going to be a little harder to deal with.”

“Sadly, I think you’re right,” Brian said, blowing out a sigh as he punched numbers into his phone. “Here we go.”

Jack watched, sympathy rolling off of him. This was the sort of call every police officer thought he wanted to make until faced with the reality of doing it.

“Mr. Stamper? My name is Brian Nixon. I’m a police detective over here in Shadow Lake. We have some news … about your daughter. We found her. She’s alive.”

I
vy was
a nervous wreck by the time she returned to Jessica’s room. She had no idea how she was going to tell the girl about her parents being alive, but she knew she didn’t have a choice. Allowing Jessica’s parents to show up and surprise her was out of the question.

Jessica flicked her eyes to Ivy as she entered, her face unreadable. “You came back.”

“I told you I would,” Ivy said, returning to her vacated chair. “Did the nurse change your IV bag?”

Jessica nodded. “The chain is off my ankle. Did you know that?”

“I did,” Ivy confirmed. “You were unconscious when it was taken off. The police have taken it for evidence.”

“What kind of evidence?”

“They’ll run it for prints,” Ivy replied. “Everyone wants to know who took you so we can make him pay, but we understand you’re not ready to talk about that yet. The cuff might allow us to figure out who had you without you having to supply all the answers.”

“I don’t know … anything,” Jessica said. “I don’t know his name. I never knew it. He never really … talked … to me. He just came to visit once a day and took what he wanted really quickly.”

Ivy wanted to punch someone. Or, to be more precise, she wanted Jack to punch someone because he was physically stronger than she was. Then she wanted him to hold the man down so she could kick him a few hundred times. “That must’ve been terrible for you,” Ivy said, licking her lips. “I’m really sorry that happened.”

“You get used to it after years of being … used,” Jessica said, her eyes taking on a far-off quality. “You go to a different place. I went to the playground my mom took me to when I was a kid. Even though I forgot what her face looked like, I could still remember what it felt like to be at that spot with her. It was my safe place.”

Ivy had an opening, but the courage to take it eluded her.

“Do you think someone will be able to find a photograph of my mother again?” Jessica asked, her eyes glistening. “I’d really like to remember what she looks like.”

Ivy knew the time was upon her. She couldn’t turn back now. “You’re not going to need a photograph, Jessica,” she said. “Your mother is alive.”

Jessica was already pale, but the girl turned so white Ivy worried she would pass out again.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” she said, resting her hand on the girl’s wrist. “It’s not your fault. Both of your parents are alive, though. The police are notifying them about your discovery right now.”

“But … no.” Jessica vehemently shook her head, her lifeless blond hair scattering. “He said they died. That’s how he could keep me forever. No one was looking for me.”

“That’s not true,” Ivy said, fighting off her own set of tears. “Your parents were looking for you this entire time. They never gave up. They still live in the same house because they knew that was the only home you might be able to find them in.” Ivy had no idea if that was true, but she needed to say something to soothe Jessica.

“Why would he lie?”

Ivy opened her mouth, frustration overwhelming her. “I think he probably wanted to beat you down emotionally and make it so you didn’t dream about escaping,” she said finally. “The more defeated you were the less likely you were to try and run. He probably wanted you to accept your life with him because if you ran he knew his life would be over.”

“Instead my life is over,” Jessica said. “It has been for a really long time.”

“It’s not over,” Ivy argued. “You hit a speed bump six years ago. I’m not going to lie. It was a big one. You’re still young, though. You have a lot of life left to live. Your parents are going to be so happy to see you.”

“No, they won’t,” Jessica said, a tear sliding down her face. “They’re going to know what I did with him. They’re going to know … everything.”

“They won’t blame you,” Ivy said. “They’ll understand that you were a child and couldn’t fight back. They’ll be so happy to have you home again that you’ll be amazed at the love they’re willing to share.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because only someone who was truly loved could’ve survived what you went through,” Ivy replied. “Your parents made you strong, and now they’re going to be strong for you. I have faith in them. You should, too.”

“
H
OW IS
she
?”

Jack waited for Ivy to emerge outside Jessica’s hospital room. She looked despondent, tears streaking her cheeks when she slipped into his open arms.

“She’s … very unhappy,” Ivy replied, choking on her words. “She thinks they’re going to blame her for what happened. She thinks she’s filthy and they won’t want to look at her.”

“Oh, honey.” Jack smoothed Ivy’s hair as he swayed back and forth. “Believe it or not, that’s a normal feeling amongst rape survivors. She’s going to need counseling. First, though, she needs to be reintroduced to her family.”

“I don’t know how to help her, Jack,” Ivy said, her tears causing Jack’s heart to roll. “I keep trying to put myself in her shoes and I can’t. How could someone take a thirteen-year-old child and … do that?”

“There are some sick people out there, honey,” Jack said. “I wish you weren’t seeing this. I wish I could protect you. I can’t, though. We’ll do the best we can to help her.”

“She’ll never be the same, though,” Ivy argued. “She’ll never be the girl who liked going to the park with her mother again.”

“No, she won’t,” Jack agreed. “She’s very strong, though. She wouldn’t have survived this if she had an ounce of weakness. She’ll forge a new life, and it could be great.”

“It could be awful, too.”

“I can’t make you any promises, Ivy, at least not the ones you want me to make. I can swear that we’re going to find this man and make him pay, though. I can swear that we’re going to do the very best we can to help Jessica. Those are the only things I can offer you.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Ivy buried her face in the hollow of Jack’s neck.

“I’m glad you’re here, too,” Jack said, kissing the top of her head. “You’re exhausted, though. You should go home and get some rest.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“I have to stay until her parents get here,” Jack said. “We need to catch the man who did this. We’re going to need her help to do it. I’m hopeful that she’ll be willing to talk when her parents arrive.”

“She won’t,” Ivy said matter-of-factly. “She’s already burying everything that happened and trying to pretend she’s living a different life. She’s not going to talk to Brian or you, at least not right away. She can’t be around men.

“Dr. Nesbitt came in to check on her while I was there and I thought she was going to scream when he patted her arm,” she continued. “She’s terrified of men.”

“Because one did the worst thing possible to her,” Jack said. “I get it, honey. We’ll do the best we can by her. We’ll be careful and patient. You should still go home.”

“No.”

“Ivy.”

“Jack.”

Jack blew out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. You can stay. If you hit a wall, though, I’m having the doctor knock you out.”

“You’d better sleep with one eye open for the rest of your life if you ever try anything like that,” Ivy threatened.

“As long as I’m sleeping with you for that entire time I’m willing to do almost anything.”

The admission knocked Ivy for a loop. She’d only been dating Jack a few months and she was already closer to him than she’d ever been with anyone else. They still hadn’t said the L-word. Ivy felt it. She believed Jack did, too. They weren’t ready yet, though.

“When are her parents supposed to arrive?” Ivy asked, opting to change the subject. “Will they be here soon?”

“They’re on their way,” Jack replied. If he noticed the conversational shift, he didn’t comment.

“What did they say?”

“There were a lot of tears … and oh mys … and questions,” Jack replied. “Brian told them as much as he could over the phone but asked them to come here for the rest of it.”

“Ugh. Can you imagine?”

“No,” Jack said, rubbing his thumb over Ivy’s soft cheek. “I can’t imagine anything this awful happening to someone I … care about. We’re going to have to work together on this, though. You understand that, right?”

Ivy nodded. “I want to kill him, Jack. The man who did this to her, I had a very vivid fantasy about you holding him down while I kicked him before telling Jessica her parents were alive.”

Jack didn’t want to laugh. It was the worst time ever for it to happen. He couldn’t help himself, though. “I will hold him down and let you kick him to your heart’s content.” He cupped her chin and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “I bet Brian will hold him down for you, too.”

“Oh, how sweet.”

Ivy froze when she heard her brother’s voice, swiveling to find Max and her parents watching from the small foyer between the hallway and lobby. “What are you doing here?”

“I saw you at the dance,” Max answered. “I didn’t have a chance to talk to you because that girl came in. Then I saw Jack carry her out and you guys disappeared. I thought you would show back up, but … what’s going on?”

“How close were you?” Jack asked, keeping his arms around Ivy despite her father Michael’s feigned stern expression. He knew the man liked him, and there was nothing in the world that could make him pull away from Ivy given the circumstances.

“Not very close,” Max replied. “Maisie said the girl was high.”

“Maisie is an idiot,” Ivy spat.

“Calm down, tiger,” Jack said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Maisie is definitely an idiot. The girl wasn’t high.”

“So, what’s going on?” Luna Morgan asked. Much like her daughter, Luna had a bohemian flare a mile wide. Jack had a sneaking suspicion he was looking at Ivy in twenty years every time he interacted with her mother.

“I’m not sure how much we can tell you,” Jack hedged.

“It doesn’t matter,” Brian said, walking out of the bathroom and joining the small group. “Everyone is going to know by morning anyway.”

“How did you figure that?” Jack asked, knitting his eyebrows together. “We’ve kept it quiet so far.”

“Yes, but the moment we file any paperwork – which we’re going to have to do – Ava is going to announce to the world what is going on.”

In addition to being the secretary at the Shadow Lake Police Department – and a disgusting flirt whenever Jack was in the room – Ava Moffett was also the chief of police’s daughter. She had a huge mouth, and she wasn’t afraid to gossip whenever anyone lent an ear.

“Can’t we order her not to say anything?” Jack asked.

“Yes, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Brian rubbed the back of his neck. “Dan lets Ava do whatever she wants. He doesn’t see her faults. He’s a good boss, but he’s a terrible father.”

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Max prodded. “What’s going on?”

Jack licked his lips as he hugged Ivy closer. “The girl who found her way into the dance has been missing for six years,” he explained. “She was kidnapped on her way home from school. She’s been held captive – and other things – for the past six years.”

“Oh, my … .” Luna’s hand flew to her mouth. “Are you kidding me? Is it Jessica Stamper?”

Ivy snapped her head in her mother’s direction, surprised. “How did you know that?”

“It was huge news around this area when it happened,” Michael replied. “Everyone watched their kids like hawks for months after that. Even though you were an adult I found myself worrying about you.”

“How is she?” Max asked. “I mean … did she tell you who took her?”

“I’m not sure she knows,” Ivy answered. “She said she never heard a name. She was thirteen when she was taken. It sounds as if she was kept isolated for the duration of her captivity. She just knows a terrible man had her – and he mistreated her.”

“There’s something else,” Brian said. “I don’t want to tell anyone this, but we have to put it in the report so Ava is going to have it anyway. I need you to promise not to comment even if someone asks.”

Michael mutely nodded.

“At some point, and we’re still not sure when, Jessica Stamper gave birth,” Brian said. “We don’t know where the baby is. We don’t know if the child survived. We know absolutely nothing other than she went through the labor process.”

“That is … terrible,” Luna said. “Can’t you ask her?”

“She’s traumatized, Mom,” Ivy said. “She’s terrified of men and she thought her parents were dead. They’re on their way here right now.”

“Actually, I think they’ve arrived,” Nesbitt said, moving into the hallway behind Jack. “As happy as I am to see you Michael, Luna, and Max, I think it would be prudent if you left now.”

“Of course,” Luna said, refusing to put up a fight. “Ivy, I’ll make sure there’s food in your refrigerator so you just have to pop it in the microwave.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I’ll make sure Nicodemus is fed,” Max added, referring to Ivy’s spoiled black cat. “Don’t worry about the nursery either. I’m sure Dad can handle it tomorrow.”

“Absolutely,” Michael said. “It’s a busy time of year, but I have everything under control. You focus on this. It’s more important.”

“Thank you,” Ivy said.

“Go,” Nesbitt prodded. “They’re almost here. This is going to be hard enough without an audience.”

“Hard?” Brian challenged. “Try impossible.”

“We have no choice,” Ivy said. “Jessica Stamper is about to get her past back. We have to help her do it. We don’t have another choice. It’s already been made for us.”

“Then let’s do it,” Jack said, pressing three quick kisses to Ivy’s forehead. “For better or for worse, this is the team Jessica’s got. Let’s help her.”

“No,” Ivy said, shaking her head. “Let’s avenge her.”