Wicked Warning (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 5) Read online

  “Oh.” Jack looked conflicted. “I guess that is a good lead.”

  “She also ruled out Edith Neville on Sandusky Road because she’s eighty and lives alone,” Brian said. “She has no children or grandchildren, and she has no hired help. There’s no way she could be keeping a girl in a root cellar – and later a bunker – on her property.”

  “Okay, fine,” Jack conceded, tugging a restless hand through his dark hair. “She’s an invaluable resource.”

  “And don’t you forget it,” Ivy said, although her expression softened as she regarded him. “I know why you’re really upset and I don’t blame you.”

  “What are we talking about?” Brian asked.

  Jack ignored him. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about the dream,” he said. “I … am really sorry.”

  “You couldn’t have known, Jack,” Ivy said. “You could have easily been right.”

  “But I wasn’t.”

  “We’ll know better next time,” Ivy said. “I’m not angry with you. I know you’re upset I forced you out of Jessica’s room, but she was never going to answer questions about the baby. She’s pretending that what happened – however terrible – is something she can forget.

  “She won’t be able to forget it, but she needs time to realize that on her own,” she continued. “I’m worried about the baby, too. I am. If Jessica completely shuts down, though, we’ll never get anywhere on this.”

  “Does someone want to explain to me about the dream?” Brian asked, confused.

  “It’s nothing,” Jack replied hurriedly. “Ivy had a nightmare about Jessica last night and I told her it was nothing. It turns out she might’ve been right about the way Jessica was forced to live. I was wrong and I owe Ivy an apology.”

  “Oh, how sweet,” Brian deadpanned. “You two … there are no words for how strange you are.”

  “I can live with that,” Jack said, winking at Ivy. “Let’s get to it. The faster we find this guy, the happier we’ll all be.”

  “HERE’S something,” Ivy said two hours later, rolling her neck to work out the kinks in her sore shoulders. She wasn’t used to spending so much time in front of a computer.

  “What do you have?” Jack asked, moving in behind her and digging his fingers into her tender back.

  “Oh, wow.” Ivy closed her eyes. “That feels great.”

  “You people,” Brian muttered, shaking his head as he joined them. “One minute you’re hot and yelling and the next minute you’re hot and feeling each other up.”

  “I’m not feeling her up,” Jack argued. “She works in a nursery. She’s not used to spending a lot of time in front of a computer.”

  “Whatever,” Brian said, shaking his head. “Give us a lead, Ivy.”

  “What about Dan Dorsey?” Ivy asked, shifting her blue eyes to Brian. “He has an old cabin out by the river. I looked at the land deeds and there’s a root cellar. He’s also had numerous prepper supplies delivered to his house.”

  “How do you know that?” Jack asked, curious.

  “Because he left reviews for the store out in Bellaire on their website,” Ivy replied, pulling up a second search window. “He was not happy with their dried beef.”

  “Ugh,” Jack said, making a face as leaned closer to her computer. “Who would be happy with dried beef? If zombies are coming, you’re not going to be able to carry dried beef with you.”

  Ivy chuckled. “Very few preppers believe the zombie apocalypse is a threat,” she explained. “They think the energy grid could go down … or there could be an invasion … or other stuff.”

  “Like zombies,” Jack said, his fingers soft as they caressed her neck. “I would be great in a zombie apocalypse.”

  Brian snorted. “Yes. You would be the dude with the crossbow on The Walking Dead.”

  “I would die right away,” Ivy lamented.

  “You would not,” Jack argued. “I would take you with me. I’m going to need some entertainment in the zombie apocalypse. That’s where you come in.”

  “I’d die early and we both know it,” Ivy said. “I wouldn’t leave Nicodemus and you can’t survive the zombie apocalypse with a cat.”

  “She’s got a point,” Brian said, chuckling. “What did Dan say in his review?”

  “Basically he said the food was so bad no one would want to survive in a catastrophe,” Ivy answered. “He used a lot more swear words, though, and he threatened to crap in the container and send it back to them because the food was the same consistency. He says right in the review he’s spent thousands of dollars hoarding food.”

  “So we have a prepper with an isolated home that has a root cellar,” Brian said. “What about the bunker?”

  “Most of these guys aren’t going to file building plans with the town,” Ivy said. “He could’ve built a bunker and we just don’t know about it. I’m trying to picture his house and I’m fairly certain it’s set a good bit away from the road. He might’ve been able to hide bunker construction.”

  “That’s a good point,” Brian said, nodding.

  “How do you know where his house is?” Jack asked, suspicious. “Do you go out there and eat dried beef with him?”

  Ivy made an exaggerated face. “If you must know, the property out there is great for morel hunting. I go out there every spring.”

  Now it was Jack’s turn to make a face. “Those are those mushrooms that taste like feet, right?”

  “They’re good,” Ivy said.

  “They are good,” Brian agreed.

  “I’m just glad they’re only out for a few weeks in the spring,” Jack said. “Yes, I looked it up online. I don’t want to risk mushroom feet showing up in my morning omelet. I’m going to do all the cooking in May, just you wait.”

  “Well, it’s cute that you’re already making plans for May when it’s still summer,” Brian said. “How do you feel about running out to Dan’s property and taking a look around?”

  “I think it’s a plan,” Jack said.

  “Me, too.” Ivy expectantly hopped to her feet. “Let’s do this.”

  Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Brian cut him off. “You’re staying here to look through the land deeds, Ivy,” Brian said. “You’re not a police officer. You’re helping us with computer searches. We can’t take you on an active investigation.”

  “But … .” Ivy’s face fell.

  “I’ll miss you every second I’m gone,” Jack said, grabbing her chin. “You need to stay here, though. I don’t want to be distracted if something goes down.”

  “I don’t want you distracted either,” Ivy huffed. “What if I stay in the car? That sounds safe.”

  “Yes, but staying here sounds a lot safer,” Brian said. “That’s what you’re doing, so … suck it up.”

  “I’ll take you to lunch when we’re done, too,” Jack said, kissing her forehead. “Keep searching and don’t wander around on your own in case someone decides to approach you. Odds are this isn’t our guy.”

  “You’re buying lunch,” Ivy said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m going to make you smell my feet when we’re alone tonight, too.”

  Jack barked out a laugh. “I will happily do both,” he said. “Something bad could happen if I’m distracted, though, and I will be distracted if you’re there.”

  “Go,” Ivy said, waving him off. “I’ll toil like a slave here.”

  “I’ll add a massage to the feet sniffing tonight,” Jack said. “Just … be safe.”

  Ivy locked gazes with him, her expression earnest. “You, too.”

  “WHAT’S going on with you and Ivy?” Brian asked thirty minutes later, parking in front of a ramshackle cottage and taking the opportunity to scan the surrounding area from the safety of his vehicle. “You two seem … tense.”

  “We’re always tense,” Jack muttered.

  “No, that’s not true,” Brian said. “You guys like to fight and argue, but you’re generally in sync. You seem out of sync right now.”

&
nbsp; “It’s not that,” Jack said. “She’s taken on Jessica as some sort of project. Ivy has a kind heart, but she’s going to get it broken on this case if she’s not careful.”

  “Ivy can’t help the way she feels,” Brian said. “She likes to take care of people. She’s nurturing.”

  “I know that,” Jack said. “What if Jessica is broken, though? She’s never going to be the same girl she was.”

  “Some people might argue that you were broken when Ivy happened upon you,” Brian pointed out. “Should she have ignored her feelings and refrained from nurturing you?”

  Jack scowled. “I knew you would take her side.”

  “It’s not about taking sides,” Brian said. “You want to take care of Ivy. I like that about you. She deserves someone looking after her. You fell for her because of her strength, though. You can’t expect her to change now.”

  “I don’t want her to change,” Jack said. “That’s the last thing I want. She’s amazing the way she is.”

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  “She can’t fix what happened to Jessica,” Jack replied. “She can’t wipe away those memories and put a pretty bow on it. She healed me because I desperately wanted her to do it. She can’t do the same thing for Jessica because they’re entirely different circumstances.

  “I was shot and left for dead on the street,” he continued. “She touched my heart and healed it. Jessica has been held captive for six years. She needs her parents. Ivy can help and be a good friend, but she can’t heal her heart. It’s not the same thing.”

  “Because love healed your heart,” Brian surmised. “Have you told her you love her yet?”

  Jack balked. “We’ve only been dating a few weeks. It’s too soon for that.”

  “You feel it, though, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I’m not telling her yet, though. I don’t want to scare her off.”

  “I don’t think you can ever scare that girl off,” Brian said. “She’s loyal to a fault, and she seems to have placed her faith in you. You might be surprised if you say it. I think she’ll say it back.”

  “I think she’ll say it back, too,” Jack said. “I’m still waiting. I … want it to be special.”

  Brian snorted. “You’re such a woman.”

  “Let’s go,” Jack said, reaching for the door handle. “I’m dying to see crazy prepper stuff. I want to know how to survive the zombie apocalypse.”

  “Keep your eyes open,” Brian cautioned. “Dan is known for having a lot of weapons out here. Things could get … hairy.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Jack said. “I have plans with my honey tonight. Nothing in this world will keep me from her.”

  “Yup. You’re definitely a woman.”

  Nine

  Ivy left a stack of search results and a note explaining her absence on Jack’s desk before heading over to the hospital. She knew he would be angry, but she was too antsy to remain at the office alone.

  Ivy was flabbergasted when she parked in the hospital’s small lot, her eyes widening as she took in the three news vans and bevy of reporters lined up outside the building. Someone erected a barrier – Ivy figured it was probably Dr. Nesbitt himself – and the reporters were forced to stand behind it.

  Apparently news was out, and the return of a girl missing for six years was going to be a big story.

  Ivy purposely avoided the media throng and headed for the back entrance. The door was locked, but the nurse smoking by the back door smiled kindly and fobbed her inside. Ivy’s presence at Jessica’s bedside was a known factor, and given Jessica’s reticence to talk to most people, Ivy was allowed immediate entrance.

  Jessica was alone in her room when Ivy arrived, and the smile Ivy shot the girl was one offering warm friendship. Jessica didn’t appear impressed.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to visit you,” Ivy replied, refusing to take the girl’s tone personally. “How are you feeling?”

  “I don’t know,” Jessica admitted, her fingers roaming the nubby blanket draped over her body. “I feel … as if I’ve stepped into another world and any second now I’m going to wake up and be in that room again.”

  “I think that’s probably normal,” Ivy said, sitting in the empty chair next to the bed and glancing around. “Where are your parents?”

  “They’re talking to the doctors,” Jessica replied. “They want to know how to make me feel normal when I get home.” Jessica’s laugh was harsh and guttural. “If they only knew, right? I’ll never feel normal again … at least not the normal they want.”

  “You know, Jessica, I think they’re doing remarkably well given the circumstances,” Ivy said. “They’ve been living a hellish life since you were abducted. Now, don’t get me wrong, what you went through was much worse. You shouldn’t marginalize their feelings, though.”

  “Is that what you think I’m doing?” Jessica looked legitimately interested.

  Ivy shrugged. “I think you’re angry and the longer you’re free and realize what you’ve missed you’re going to grow angrier,” she answered. “I think that’s normal and you’ve earned your anger. Make sure to take it out on the people who warrant it, though. That is not your parents.”

  “I know what you want from me,” Jessica said, her eyes hard as they locked with Ivy’s. “I don’t know who he is. I didn’t have a baby. Everyone keeps saying that … but it’s not true.”

  “I don’t want anything from you,” Ivy replied. “I’m here to offer my help.”

  “Why? You don’t know me.”

  “I don’t,” Ivy agreed. “I want to get to know you. I think that’s allowed. I’m the one who caught you, after all. I want to make sure you stay on your feet.”

  “How am I going to do that?” Jessica challenged, her eyes filling with tears. “How am I going to stay on my feet when I feel as if I’m drowning? I don’t remember this world. Have you looked at the television recently? It’s all crime shows. I don’t want to watch that.”

  “Then don’t watch it,” Ivy suggested. “The great thing about television these days is that you can hook your set up to the Internet and watch whatever you want. Ask your parents about Netflix. If you can’t find something that piques your interest there, I’ll make Jack eat my feet.”

  Jessica giggled, the sound taking Ivy by surprise. “Your feet?”

  “It’s kind of a long story, but I made Jack eat morels in the spring – it was the first thing I ever cooked for him, in fact – and he claims they tasted like feet,” Ivy said. “Now we have a running joke about him eating my feet. He’s always bothered because I poke them out of the covers during the night.”

  “He seems nice,” Jessica said. “Are you going to marry him?”

  “Maybe,” Ivy replied. “We haven’t been together very long. It seems a little soon to think about marriage.”

  “I assumed you guys had been together for a long time,” Jessica said. “He’s very … protective … of you.”

  “He’s got a protective nature,” Ivy said. “I know you’re afraid of him. It’s okay. You’re not hurting his feelings when you react negatively to him.”

  “He’s just so tall,” Jessica said. “He’s … big.”

  “He is,” Ivy agreed. “He’s a marshmallow, though. He’s sweet … and cuddly … and he even watches chick flicks with me. Don’t tell anyone I told you that, though. He thinks it will ruin is man credibility.”

  Jessica smiled, and for the first time the expression made it all the way to her eyes. “My parents want me to go home with them.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want to go home,” Jessica replied. “What if I can’t live there, though? What am I supposed to do for a job? I’m nineteen. I didn’t graduate from high school. I … this wasn’t the life I saw myself living.”

  “Well, it’s the life you have so we’ll deal with it,” Ivy said, opting to let her pragmatic side take over. “The truth is that you’re a smart girl. With
a little studying you can get your diploma. If you need a job, once you’re fully recovered, you can work for me. I have a plant nursery on the far side of town.”

  “I can’t be around people.”

  “Then you can work in the greenhouse,” Ivy said, not missing a beat. “We’ll figure it out. You have time to do whatever you want. You can’t push your recovery, though. Getting your health on track is the most important thing right now.”

  Jessica licked her lips and lowered her eyes. “Did you see all the news people outside? They’re here for me. They think what happened to me is something they have the right to talk about.”

  “When a child goes missing and comes back six years later, that’s always going to be big news,” Ivy said. “They don’t think they own your story. They want to tell it because it gives other people in the same situation hope.”

  “Do you think I should talk to them?” Jessica was incredulous.

  “No. Not right away, at least. They’ll talk to the police right now. You shouldn’t talk to them until you’re ready to tell your story on your terms.”

  “What if I’m never ready?” Jessica’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “Then those are your terms,” Ivy replied, unruffled. “You’re in control of your life now. Your parents want to help. I want to help. Jack and Brian want to help, too. Everything from here on out is your decision, though. You have time to think about what you want. You don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

  “I feel like an alien in my own body.”

  Ivy smiled. “There’s a lot of good alien shows on Netflix,” she said. “I’ll bet we can find one on general cable right now, too, if we look around. Do you want to give it a shot?”

  Jessica shrugged. “Why not?”

  “DO YOU have him?”

  Brian crouched low in a cluster of bushes, his gun drawn. He scanned another set of bushes a few feet away looking for Jack. He knew the man was close, but he couldn’t see him.

  Once they approached Dan’s house they caught him fleeing the back door into the woods. He didn’t even try to talk to them. He also had a gun clutched in his hand. Brian called for backup, but Jack insisted on giving chase. He was worried they would lose the man forever if they waited for help.