Wicked Games (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 17)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Did you know her?”

  “What?” Jason dragged his eyes away from where the county workers had their heads bent together. “No. I didn’t know her. I found her but that’s it.”

  Ivy wasn’t convinced. “You said her name.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “But ... you did.”

  “I didn’t,” he snapped, his eyes flashing. “Just let it go.”

  Ivy held up her hands in defeat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Well, let it go.” Jason scuffed his shoe against the ground. “It’s just … a tragedy. I can’t imagine dying alone in the woods like that.”

  “It’s definitely a tragedy,” Ivy agreed.

  “We should get back to work, though. There’s nothing we can do here.”

  “Back to work. Definitely.” Ivy watched him go, suspicion bubbling up. He’d definitely said Sasha’s name as if he knew her. The question was: Why? She didn’t have time to figure it out because Greg was glaring in her direction.

  “You should get back to work. I don’t care who your boyfriend is. While you’re part of my team, you will pull your own weight.”

  Ivy nodded. “Of course. I’ll just work over here.”

  “Great. I’ll make sure you get an award or something.”

  Ivy ignored the sarcasm and focused on her work. This was so not how she saw her day going.

  6

  Six

  Ivy busied herself with picking up garbage, filling an entire bag by herself. Her dedication fled when she noticed a marked cruiser stop on the side of the road, her heart sinking before she even saw who was driving. Honestly, she already knew.

  “Well, well, well.” Greg planted his hands on his hips as Jack’s lanky frame became visible. “I guess round two is upon us.”

  Ivy opened her mouth to say something — what, she had no idea — and quickly shut it when Betsy shot her a warning head shake.

  “It’s not worth it,” Betsy whispered. “He can make your life hell if he wants to ... and I’m starting to think that’s what he wants above all else.”

  Unfortunately for Ivy, she’d come to the same conclusion. “Yeah.” Her heart zipped a little when Jack lifted his chin. It was almost as if he was trying to scent her. Like magic, his gaze almost immediately zeroed in on his fiancée.

  “You’re not allowed to interact with my charges,” Greg called out, crossing to them. “I’m in charge here and I say what goes.”

  Brian put his hand on Jack’s arm before the taller detective could say something he might regret. “We’re not here to interfere with your workers,” he said.

  “That’s good.” Greg’s sneer was smarmy. “I would hate to have to report you to the chief of police.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Brian said. “We’ve already notified the chief about what’s been happening here. He and the court magistrate are on their way.”

  Whatever Greg was expecting, it wasn’t that. All the color drained from his face as his shoulders slumped. “Excuse me?”

  Jack perked up in light of the man’s reaction. “Once an official complaint was filed on the county’s behalf, we had to go through official channels,” he explained. “That means a magistrate.”

  Greg looked positively furious. “You have got to be joking.” He turned an accusatory glare in Ivy’s direction, making her wish she could find a hole to hide in. “I have a feeling I know why this is happening.” He stalked in her direction, causing Ivy to jolt.

  Sensing her fear, Jack moved to intercept him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Back off!” Greg jabbed a finger in Jack’s direction, yelling loud enough to garner Deacon’s attention. “She’s under my command, and I’m pretty sure she has a phone on her.” He sneered as he regarded Ivy’s frightened features. “Once I find it, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

  “Don’t you touch her,” Jack hissed, moving forward with a full head of steam.

  Even though Brian was a good five inches shorter than his partner, he threw himself into the middle of the melee, grabbing Jack around the waist and wrestling him back.

  “Don’t get involved,” Brian growled. “You’ll regret it if you do.”

  “He’s not going to touch her,” Jack insisted, struggling.

  “He has every right to touch her,” Brian reminded him. “She has to put up with the indignity of a search. It’s part of the process. You know it as well as I do.”

  Jack was at the end of his rope. “I don’t want him touching her.”

  “And if you intervene, it’s going to blow back on Ivy,” Brian warned. “Is that what you want?”

  The question caught Jack off guard. “I ... no.” His face contorted as he stopped fighting with Brian. “I just ... this isn’t fair. She hasn’t done anything.”

  “She hasn’t,” Brian agreed, his heart going out to his partner. “There’s nothing we can do for her, though.”

  Ivy refused to meet Jack’s steady gaze and held out her arms as Greg started barking orders at her. He gave her a thorough pat down, frowning when he couldn’t find what he was looking for.

  “Where is it?” he barked so loudly Ivy jolted. “Where is your phone?”

  “The information sheet we were provided with at orientation said we couldn’t bring a phone,” Ivy replied evenly. She was thankful that her voice sounded strong even if her nerves were shot. “Mine is locked in my car.”

  Greg jerked up his head and studied the road. “Which one is your vehicle? I want you to prove to me that your phone is in your car and not hidden in a bush somewhere.”

  A sense of helplessness washed over Ivy. “My car isn’t here.”

  “Oh, really?” Greg made an exaggerated face. “Did you beam here or something? How did you get here without a car?”

  “I’m going to kill him,” Jack growled under his breath.

  “You’re going to shut your mouth,” Brian warned, taking a bold step forward. “If I may, Mr. Decker, I believe I saw Ms. Morgan’s vehicle at the lumberyard down the way.” He pointed for emphasis. “If you really wish to check her vehicle, I’ll go with you.”

  “I didn’t ask for your help ... or opinion,” Greg snapped. “Also, how do you know what her vehicle looks like?”

  “Because I’ve known her since she was a small child,” Brian replied evenly. “I’m familiar with most of the vehicles in Shadow Lake because the town isn’t very big. That includes Ivy’s car.”

  “Right.” Greg shifted from one foot to the other, his mind clearly busy. “Why would you park at a lumberyard?”

  The question was obviously pointed at her so Ivy cleared her throat and addressed him with a steady voice. “My brother owns the lumberyard. I thought it was better to leave my car there because I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone hitting it, or breaking into it to steal my phone.”

  “That’s convenient.”

  “That’s the truth,” Jack snapped.

  Greg looked as if he was about to push Jack completely over the edge when the sound of another approaching vehicle caught his attention. When he lifted his eyes, he found a silver-haired man — accompanied by two uniformed sheriff’s department deputies — walking in their direction. “Who is this guy?”

  Brian’s expression never changed. “This is Clark Grisham. He’s the magistrate for Antrim County.”

  “Oh, well, great.” Greg threw up his hands. “Why don’t we make a party of it?”

  Rather than immediately address the crew chief, Grisham focused his attention on Brian. “I didn’t realize you were called out here, Brian. The chief didn’t mention it when he called and asked me to drive out. I hear we have some trouble.”

  “We seem to have a difference of opinion,” Brian clarified. “It seems Mr. Decker has a problem with the county medical examiner’s evidence team being out here.”

  Greg made a protesting sound with his lips. “Oh, that is not true. They’re the ones who came in
here with the attitude.”

  Grisham’s opinion wasn’t hard to read in Ivy’s opinion. His distaste for being dragged out of the office on such a mundane detail was written all over his face. “I don’t really care if they came in here with attitude.”

  “What?” Greg straightened. “How can you not care? I have a job to do.”

  “I’m well aware. Is there any reason you can’t do your job five hundred feet that way? Or what about that way?” Grisham moved his hand back and forth. “Last time I checked, there was no reason for you to take over one specific spot.”

  “Except we were here yesterday,” Greg argued. “If we expect to get everything, we have to start at the spot we ended the previous day.”

  Grisham was unfazed by the argument. “That’s all well and good, but these are extenuating circumstances. A young woman was found dead out here yesterday.”

  “I know. One of my people found her.”

  “Then you should understand that her death — which is being looked at as a potential homicide — takes precedence over your ego.”

  Greg’s eyes went wide. “This isn’t about my ego.”

  “That’s exactly what this is about,” Grisham shot back. “I don’t have time for this. I have a full docket. You’re not allowed to argue with official county employees. While we’re at it, you’re not allowed to argue with local enforcement either.” He jerked his thumb in Brian’s direction. “If you have a problem with that, I suggest you take it up with your boss. Until then, I’m in charge, and I say you need to move away from this specific location.”

  Ivy swallowed hard at the murderous expression on Greg’s features. He might’ve been handsome in an obscure way, she realized. None of that was present now, though. Everything on his face reflected ugliness.

  “Well, I guess the almighty judge has spoken.” Greg planted his hands on his hips. “Since I have to do what you say, how about you take your spy with you and leave me to my job? Maybe that will be a nice compromise for both of us.”

  Grisham’s face was blank. “My spy?”

  Brian cleared his throat and stepped forward before Jack could open his mouth. “If I may ... Mr. Decker believes that one of his crew members somehow ratted him out to us.”

  Grisham’s brow furrowed. “I don’t follow.”

  “Ms. Morgan.” Brian gestured toward her. “She’s a local Shadow Lake resident who happens to be fulfilling her community service mandate. She’s also my partner’s fiancée.”

  “Oh.” Grisham popped his lips as he regarded Ivy. “You’re Michael and Luna Morgan’s daughter, aren’t you?”

  Ivy swallowed and nodded. “Yes, your honor.”

  “Max is your brother.” Grisham cracked a smile. “I’ve played basketball with him at the high school a few times.”

  Ivy wasn’t sure if she was expected to respond so she simply nodded.

  “That’s his lumberyard over yonder, right?”

  “Yes, sir,” Ivy replied perfunctorily.

  “It’s a convenient location,” Greg offered. “Ms. Morgan claims her phone is in her car at the lumberyard, but I haven’t been able to check it. She’s not allowed to have her phone on her person while working.”

  “I don’t understand why that matters,” Grisham pressed.

  “Because Mr. Decker is convinced Ivy ratted him out,” Brian explained. “She didn’t, though.”

  “How do you know that?” Greg challenged.

  “Because I’m the one who called the judge’s office,” Deacon volunteered. He’d been hovering at the edge of the conversation and his temper was obviously fraying. “Ms. Morgan did nothing but what she was supposed to do. She even tried explaining to this idiot why he wasn’t supposed to cross the evidence line. Not only didn’t he listen to her, but he disparaged her, too.”

  Jack’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, but he remained where he was standing thanks to a warning look from Brian.

  “I didn’t disparage her,” Greg countered. “I explained that I was the boss, which I am.”

  “No, I’m the boss on this particular scene,” Deacon countered. “I’m the one in charge of gathering evidence, which makes me the boss.”

  “And I’m a magistrate, so we all know I’m the boss, too.” Grisham folded his arms over his chest as he regarded the scene. “The county evidence technicians have the right of way, Mr. Decker. If you don’t like that ... well ... I don’t really care.”

  He held up his hand to quiet Greg before the man could explode. “You have a job to do as well. You don’t need to do it directly here, though. You can move that way.”

  “That screws up the flow,” Greg grumbled.

  “Somehow I think you’ll survive. A young woman lost her life here and finding out exactly what happened to her takes precedence. As for Ms. Morgan ... .” He trailed off as he regarded the pink-haired woman.

  For a moment, Jack’s heart flared with hope. Perhaps the magistrate would realize she was being treated poorly and cut her loose. That would be the best outcome for all of them. Instead, though, Grisham merely shook his head.

  “I can guarantee that Ms. Morgan wasn’t the individual who called my office,” he said. “Also, I know for a fact that lumberyard belongs to her brother. It makes sense for her to leave her vehicle and phone there. If you have a problem with that, then get over it. You have no say in where she parks her car.

  “As for the rest, I don’t see why you need to be so difficult,” he continued. “Take your team in that direction and finish out your shift. It’s pretty simple in my book.”

  Rather than argue, as Ivy had expected, Greg dejectedly kicked his foot against the ground. “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “Great.” Grisham paused before turning, his eyes landing on Ivy. He looked conflicted, but even he realized it was bad optics to throw his weight around in this particular situation. “I’ll be placing a call to your superior when I return to my office. I would tread lightly going forward.”

  “I’ll consider it,” Greg said through a sneer.

  “Great.” Grisham held Ivy’s gaze for a beat longer and then turned. “Stay out of the way of the evidence teams. If I get called out here again, you’re not going to like the outcome.”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  IVY WISELY KEPT HER DISTANCE FROM GREG for the rest of the afternoon. She was filthy, sweaty, and exhausted by the time she turned her poker over to him. She didn’t say a word in the face of his pointed glare as she hurried toward the road shoulder so she could return to the lumberyard.

  She held her breath, waiting for him to offer some snide remark to her back, but he didn’t say a word. For that, she was grateful.

  Ivy was halfway to the lumberyard when she noticed a car driving erratically along the highway. Sensing trouble, she moved inland several feet and watched in amazement as an old Cadillac came to a screeching stop about twenty feet behind her. When she shifted to get a better look, she found the vehicle had stopped directly in front of Jason, who was standing on the other side of a nondescript Ford.

  “I’m going to kill you,” a woman announced, hopping out of the car while it was still running. Her gaze was squarely on Jason, so Ivy had no doubt who she was directing the threat toward.

  “Keep your voice down,” Jason snapped, annoyance on full display. “Do you want to make a scene?”

  “I don’t care!” The woman slammed the car door shut so loudly it echoed through the serene wilderness. “Do you see that?” She gestured at the Cadillac as she stalked toward Jason. “Do you see what I have to drive now that you banged up my car?”

  Jason darted his eyes to Ivy, as if he sensed her watching the argument, and then focused on the brunette. “Now is not the time to talk about this. Let’s go somewhere private.”

  “Oh, you think I care who hears, do you?” The woman threw her hands in the air. “Jason dinged up my brand-new car!” she screeched into the words. “He says I’m a crappy driver, and yet he ruined my perfect new vehicle. I�
��ve never had a new vehicle before, and now it’s ruined. Not only did he hit something — probably a garbage can when you were smoking pot, huh? That would be just like you — but he didn’t bother telling me. It was on the passenger side so I didn’t even notice until I took a break from work today.”

  Ivy let out a breath. She hadn’t even realized she was holding it in until it came whooshing out.

  “I said we’ll talk about it someplace else,” Jason growled, his pointed gaze landing on Ivy as he grabbed the woman’s arm to direct her back toward her vehicle. “Do you mind?”

  Ivy immediately shook her head. “Sorry. I just ... wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Obviously I’m fine,” he shot back. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m a big boy.”

  “Right.” Ivy put her head down and headed back toward the shoulder. “Sorry. It’s none of my business.”

  “It’s not,” Jason agreed. “It seems to me that you’re up in everybody’s business, though. I bet if you asked Greg about that, he would agree with me.”

  Ivy didn’t particularly care what Greg had to say about anything, but she kept a biting retort from escaping her mouth. She knew it would only make things worse, and that’s the last thing she wanted. “I said I was sorry. I meant it. I’ll be going now.”

  “Yeah.”

  Ivy kept her eyes facing forward, refusing to look back until she’d walked at least a hundred paces. She was almost to the property line of Max’s lumberyard when she finally found the courage to glance over her shoulder. What she found caused her heart to stutter.

  Jason remained in the exact same spot, the woman railing at him about her car, but his eyes were fixed on Ivy. He’d watched her cross the distance and seemed completely focused on her. It was enough to make Ivy distinctly uncomfortable.

  “What’s up, Buttercup!”

  Max appeared out of nowhere, landing next to Ivy and dropping into a gyrating dance. “How was your afternoon on the chain gang?”

  Ivy could do nothing but stare blankly at her brother. “I swear I’m reformed. I’ll never get in trouble with the law again.”