Wicked Respite Page 9

  “We did,” he agreed, pulling back so she could tug the shirt off of him. “What would you like to do with our unexpected quiet time?”

  “Well, I have an idea.” She moved her hand along the scar above his heart. He was shot before moving to Shadow Lake … by his own partner. That was his cross to bear when he came to town. He used to hate showing his scar to her. Now he didn’t even notice.

  “You usually have good ideas,” he noted, cupping her hand against his chest. He almost lost his heart in the shooting. Literally. It was in pieces when he arrived in town. Somehow, she’d put all the pieces back together, made him whole again. He didn’t think it was possible to love anything as much as he loved her. “Why don’t you show me this time? I think it will probably lose something in the telling.”

  Ivy giggled as he moved his hands to her waist and tickled her. Breathless, she kissed him until he joined her in a gasping heap. “Finally something I want to do.”

  “Right back at you.”

  Nine

  On a normal Monday, Ivy would’ve hemmed, hawed, and sighed before getting out of bed. This week, she bounced up with a spring in her step and immediately hopped into the shower. Jack was so surprised he remained behind a good twenty minutes. By the time he joined her in the kitchen, she’d already cooked breakfast and was in the middle of a to-do list for the day.

  “I see you’re ready and raring to go.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before shuffling to the Keurig. “I can’t remember ever seeing you this excited on a Monday.”

  “I don’t think ‘excited’ is the right word,” she countered. “We went to bed at eight last night, though.”

  “Yes, but I wowed you. It’s not as if we went to sleep at eight.”

  “Fine. We were asleep by nine.”

  “I think that’s a commentary on my prowess,” he argued, his eyes flicking to Nicodemus, who looked smug. “You got her to say that, didn’t you?”

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “That was not a commentary on your prowess. We were simply exhausted. Murder and mayhem will do that to you.”

  “They certainly will,” Jack agreed, selecting a pod from the bin on the counter and slipping it into place. “I thought I would give it a few days and then call Trooper Winters for an update on Gordon.”

  The conversational shift threw Ivy. “Oh.” She touched her tongue to her top lip as she considered the statement. “Have you been thinking about this the whole time?”

  “I haven’t been thinking about it the whole time. I’ve been focused on you, in case you forgot.”

  “How could I forget that? I’m still a-tingle from it.”

  He snickered. “Very cute.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss against her lips. The contact was welcome, although he had no idea why he was so antsy this morning. In truth, he’d slept like the dead and was feeling rested and relaxed. Still, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that there was something he was supposed to do. “What are your plans for the day, by the way?”

  “I plan on working at the nursery with my father,” she replied without hesitation. “You haven’t really answered my question, though. Don’t dodge it now.”

  “What question did you ask?”

  “I asked if you’ve been thinking about Stacy Shepherd’s murder the entire time.” She kept her eyes on him, legitimate worry flitting through the blue depths.

  “Not the entire time,” he hedged, sighing when she refused to look away. “I can see you’re not going to let this go.”

  “If the tables were reversed, you wouldn’t let it go either.”

  “Fair enough.” He dragged a hand through his dark hair. “The thing is, I’m bothered by a few things. I know it’s not my case, but we were still close when it happened. I want to make sure that everything that can be done has happened.”

  “Do you not trust Trooper Winters? I mean ... he seemed like a nice enough guy and I got the feeling he was diligent. You obviously feel differently, though.”

  “I don’t.” Jack fervently shook his head. “I believe he’s working to the best of his ability to make sure everything adds up. It’s just ... I’m bothered by what happened. I don’t understand how nobody saw anything.”

  Jack had a logical mind. Ivy did for the most part, too. Unlike her fiancé, though, she could imagine exactly how the crime went down. “No one was paying attention, Jack,” she noted as she collected her thoughts. “We were caught up in each other. Everyone else at the campground was doing the same thing, focusing on their friends and loved ones. It was all husbands and wives ... and young children ... and people who wanted to frolic. There were even a few older couples, but they were already in bed. People are supposed to be safe at a campground.”

  Her response only frustrated Jack more. “That’s what is truly bothering me,” he admitted. “Who goes to a campground to kill someone?”

  “Jason Voorhees.”

  He shot her a withering look. “What real person?”

  “You said yourself that it’s possible Gordon snapped, killed her, and felt profound remorse after the fact.”

  “It is possible,” he agreed. “The thing is ... well ... it’s just that he seemed legitimately gutted. He was confused ... and drunk ... and wallowing ... and crying. Those weren’t prepared responses unless he’s the best actor I’ve ever come across. I think he was really feeling those emotions.”

  “Have you considered that he blacked out and doesn’t remember killing her?”

  “No. Why? Do you think that’s what happened?”

  Ivy shrugged. “I don’t know. I was careful not to touch him because I didn’t want to inadvertently see something that would strip away sleep for two months.”

  Jack understood right away what she was saying. For the past year, something extremely odd had been happening to Ivy. She’d been developing certain abilities. That included seeing ghosts, getting flashes from the minds of killers, and dream walking with him on a regular basis.

  “I’m glad you didn’t see it.” He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I don’t want you having to deal with things like that.”

  “I think seeing things like that is my new norm,” she lamented. “I’m just going to have to get used to it. For now, though, I think you should put what happened at the campground behind us. It’s not your case and there’s literally nothing you can do.”

  On the surface, Jack agreed with her. For some reason, though, he couldn’t get Gordon’s morose features out of his mind. Still, she would worry if he didn’t at least pretend he was moving on. “I’ll do my best, honey.” He gave her a sweet kiss. “I can’t promise more than that.”

  “Fair enough. I—” She frowned when someone knocked on the front door. “Who would be up at this hour?”

  “I’ve got it.” Jack strode to the door and opened it without checking to see who was on the front porch. Shadow Lake wasn’t the sort of place where people were afraid to answer their doors. To absolutely nobody’s surprise, Jack’s partner Brian Nixon stood on the other side of the threshold ... and he didn’t look happy. “Do I even want to know what you’re doing here so early?”

  Brian shrugged as he stepped inside, offering Ivy a small wave before focusing on Jack. “I just got a call. They found a body discarded on the highway. It looks like it’s been there overnight. We have to get out there.”

  “Well, great.” Jack’s expression twisted as he carried his coffee mug into the kitchen. “That’s exactly how I wanted to start my Monday.”

  “Sorry to ruin your after-vacation buzz but duty calls.” Brian was unnaturally chipper as he watched his partner upend the mug into the sink and kiss Ivy’s forehead before sliding behind her.

  “It’s fine. I’m ready.” Jack focused on Ivy. “Have fun at work. How about I bring home dinner?”

  “That’s fine. Or we can go out.”

  “I’ll text you later.” He went back for a full kiss. “Have fun gossiping with your father.”

  Ivy was taken aback.
“Who says we’re going to be gossiping?”

  “You just spent a weekend with Max’s new girlfriend, a woman he hasn’t met yet. Your whole day is going to be taken up with gossiping.”

  Ivy was fairly certain there was an insult hidden beneath the words somewhere, but she was too cheery to look for it. “Call me later and we’ll discuss dinner. Make sure you’re careful, too. Even death won’t be an allowable excuse for missing the wedding.”

  Jack’s expression softened. “There is nothing in this world that will cause me to miss our wedding. Nothing. I want to be married to you more than anything.”

  “Me, too.” She gave him a half-salute. “I’ll try to get all the gossiping out of my system before I come home.”

  “Don’t do that.” He shook his head. “I want to hear what your father says. I like to gossip, too.”

  “Good to know.”

  JACK WAS RIGHT ABOUT MICHAEL MORGAN launching straight into the gossip. Ivy was barely out of her coat before he attacked her with questions.

  “So?”

  “So ... things around here look pretty good,” Ivy replied, opting to torture him for a bit longer. “I guess the business didn’t come off the rails while I was gone, huh?”

  Michael drew his eyebrows together. “I don’t know who taught you to be such a pain in the behind, but it certainly wasn’t me. I blame your mother.”

  “I’m sure you do.” Ivy’s amusement was obvious as she ran her fingers over the leaves of a hydrangea plant. “Were you guys busy?”

  “It was a normal weekend in June,” Michael replied dryly. “We were fine. This isn’t the first time you’ve left me in charge. It won’t be the last. I don’t want to talk about the nursery.”

  “Oh, really?” Ivy feigned innocence. “What is it that you want to talk about?”

  Michael had no shame so he simply blurted it out. “I want to talk about your brother’s new girlfriend.”

  “Amy? She’s a lovely woman.” Ivy put on a big show of being demure. “I absolutely adored spending time with her.”

  “Oh, stop that.” Michael flicked the ridge of Ivy’s ear, causing her to yelp. “Give me the dirt. There must be something wrong with her if your brother is interested.”

  Ivy would’ve laughed at the joke if he uttered it before they left on their trip. Given what happened, though, she was more sympathetic to Amy’s plight. “You know what? I like her.” That was true, Ivy realized. Even though Amy was shy and often reticent, when she looked, Ivy saw a thoughtful woman trying to make her way in a harsh world. There was nothing to dislike about that.

  Michael was having none of it. “I’m going to need more than that. I can’t remember the last time your brother actually referred to a woman as his girlfriend. This woman must be special. Is she a stripper or something?”

  Ivy could see why her father would assume that. Her brother wasn’t known for being a good judge of character much of the time. “No. She’s a bartender out at that place on the highway.”

  “A bartender, huh?” Michael rubbed his chin. “Do you think she has other goals besides that?”

  Ivy arched a challenging eyebrow. “Does it matter? There’s nothing wrong with being a bartender.”

  “Of course not.” Michael made a face. “It’s just ... is this a temporary stop? Does she plan to stay here for a bit and then move on? I don’t want your brother getting attached to her if she’s going to leave. That’s only going to exacerbate things.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned on Ivy. She understood what her father was saying. “I honestly don’t know. Her parents were friends with Caroline Atwood. She lives in that cabin out by the lake.”

  “I know her.” Michael bobbed his head. “She’s never been married to my knowledge, no children of her own. It’s good that Amy is there to take care of her.”

  “I think they’re taking care of each other.” Ivy volunteered what little she’d been able to glean from Amy. When she was done, Michael was thoughtful.

  “So, basically you’re saying that she’s painfully shy and your brother seems head-over-heels for her. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

  “It’s not just that she’s shy,” Ivy cautioned. She’d jumped to that conclusion at first, too, and now realized she’d been off the mark. “She’s measured. She lost her parents when she was young. I didn’t hear an exact age, but I’m pretty sure she was barely twenty when it happened. She didn’t have any other family, so that meant she was on her own.”

  “Even though she was technically an adult that didn’t mean she was ready to take care of herself,” Michael mused. “She probably had no choice but to get serious quickly.”

  “She said she had a job at an insurance office and then lost it to layoffs,” Ivy volunteered. “She was in trouble before Caroline volunteered to give her a place to stay. She seems profoundly grateful. She also said Max asked her out four times before she agreed.”

  “Really?” Michael’s interest was officially piqued. “When was the last time your brother asked out a woman more than once? If they’re not interested, he moves on to the next one right away.”

  Ivy thought back to the way he reacted when he thought Amy was dead on the ground. “I think there’s something different about Amy. He feels it here.” Ivy tapped the spot above her heart. “She might be the one for him.”

  “Well, that will be interesting.” Michael’s eyes were thoughtful as they locked with those of his only daughter. “Did you feel it there, in your heart I mean, when you met Jack?”

  “Sometimes I think Jack somehow touched my soul from the moment we met,” she admitted. “I don’t know how to explain it. Max is definitely feeling a lot for Amy right now. I don’t know if it’s going to last, but my gut says she may be the final stop on his dating journey.”

  Michael grinned at the way she phrased it. “That will be exciting, huh? I kind of hope it’s true. I’m ready for grandchildren.”

  Ivy pinned him with a dour look. “You’re not getting grandchildren from Jack and me for a few years.”

  “I’m fine with that.”

  Ivy wasn’t so sure. Still, she had work to do. “Let’s get on it. I want to tell you about the other thing that happened on our trip and it’s not nearly as happy as the previous news.”

  “You’ve officially made me curious. Let’s do it.”

  “WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?”

  Jack crouched next to the broken body that had been tossed in the median of the highway and studied the woman’s bruised and battered face with pity.

  “She was obviously in a vehicle,” Brian replied as he jotted down notes regarding the woman’s appearance. “The wallet in the bag found next to her says her name is Becky Morris. She lived three towns over, in Petoskey.”

  Jack furrowed his brow. “So, she wasn’t local.”

  “Not that I know of.” Brian was all business as he moved to the woman’s feet and stared at her shoes. “These look like expensive boots. I’ll have to do some research. I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen this woman before, though. What about you?”

  Jack wasn’t as sure as his partner. “I don’t know,” he replied after a beat. “There’s something about her that seems familiar. I can’t put my finger on it, though.”

  Brian’s eyebrows migrated higher. “Do you think you knew her?”

  “Not particularly. I think it’s possible I saw her face somewhere, though. Before you ask, I’m not sure where. It’s just an odd feeling.”

  “Well, I’m not sure how she died,” Brian admitted, exhaling heavily as he focused on the high ridges of the woman’s cheekbones. “She’s a bloody mess. I’m not sure if this happened because she was thrown from a moving vehicle or if someone did this to her and then simply tossed her out like the trash.”

  “I don’t know either.” Jack moved so he could study the woman’s fingernails. “I can’t be sure because there’s a decent amount of dirt and grime here, but it’s possible she got a piece of her killer. This look
s like skin under her fingernails.”

  “We’ll make sure to note that for the medical examiner,” Brian confirmed. “She’s got head contusions, scrapes and bruises all over her body, and what looks to be a broken neck. The odd angle of her head means that something is going on there.”

  Jack’s mind wandered, unbidden, to Stacy Shepherd. “Her neck could’ve broken when she was pushed out of the vehicle,” he noted. “Odds are she wasn’t alive for that. I don’t think anyone worried about being caught would push a woman out of a car or truck and just assume she was going to die. That’s not a given, especially since the speed limit here is sixty-five miles.”

  “That’s enough to kill her,” Brian pointed out. “Maybe the goal wasn’t to kill her but just to get rid of her. I mean ... I hate to say it ... but it’s possible she’s a working girl.”

  Jack lifted his eyes. “You mean a prostitute?” He glanced back toward the body. “She doesn’t look like any prostitute I’ve ever seen and I ran across a fair number during my days in Detroit.”

  “Country prostitutes are different from city prostitutes,” Brian replied without hesitation. “Up here they’re meant to look like country girls. That’s what keeps them from standing out and getting picked up by law enforcement.”

  Oddly enough, that made sense to Jack. “So ... you think she was a pro, do you? Does that mean she was with a john, things got rough, and then he pushed her out of a moving vehicle so he wouldn’t have to pay her?”

  “I’m not saying I’m leaning either way yet,” Brian cautioned. “We have to run this woman to see what sort of background we can dig up. I’m just pointing out that prostitutes aren’t unheard of in this area and I can see it going down the way you described. Our perp might’ve simply wanted to get rid of her and thought she would survive the fall.”

  “Maybe.” Jack chewed on his bottom lip as he shifted to look at the woman’s other hand. “There are marks on her fingers, a few broken fingernails. She looks to have had a nice manicure before this went down. I’m sure that it’s possible those fingernails broke in the fall, but it’s also possible they broke during a struggle.”