Wicked Respite

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Are you seeing something I’m not seeing?”

  “I don’t know what I’m seeing yet.” Jack straightened. “I want to run her information. I think we’re wasting time circling until we know more about her.”

  “I agree. We can’t do anything until the medical examiner gets here, though, and they’re running behind.”

  “Then we’ll wait.” Jack was grim as he moved closer to the road to study a few of the spots where she might’ve hit if she really was shoved from a moving vehicle. “Do you think it’s possible for somebody to stop out here in the middle of the night and dump a body without anybody seeing?”

  Brian nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely. There’s very little traffic on this highway, even during peak periods. If that’s what happened, my guess would be that someone had the body covered in the bed of a pickup truck, pulled over by the side of the road and feigned looking at tires or something until he was sure traffic was clear, then dragged her out of the truck and threw her in the ditch. The whole thing wouldn’t have taken more than three minutes ... and we’ve only seen two vehicles since we’ve been out here.”

  “Yeah. I noticed that, too.” Jack rolled his neck. “We need her background. We can’t determine a thing until we know more about her.”

  Ten

  Tracking down information on Becky Morris wasn’t as easy as Jack anticipated. Since she lived in a nearby town, he figured he would have to drive over there to interview her friends and family. An alert on his computer changed his opinion.

  “Look at this,” Brian muttered, shaking his head as he bent over his desk and read the same alert. “There’s a BOLO on our dead woman.”

  “There is.” Jack was grim. “She went missing at the St. Ignace rest area yesterday. She was traveling with her husband. They both went into the bathroom and when he came out he headed to the vending machines. When she didn’t come find him he assumed she went back to the car … only she didn’t. She disappeared.”

  Brian rubbed the back of his neck as he shifted from one foot to the other. “What do you think?” he asked finally. “It’s possible he made up that story. He could’ve killed her in the Upper Peninsula and waited until he got down here to dispose of her.”

  Jack cocked his head to the side, considering. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” he said after a beat. “They live in Petoskey. Shadow Lake isn’t exactly a convenient stop.”

  “No. We need to talk to him, though.” Brian started typing. “I’m going to update the state police that we have the body and it’s likely Becky Morris. Hopefully that will be enough to get the husband re-directed here.”

  “Hopefully we’ll luck out,” Jack agreed. “Until then, I’m going to start digging into our victim’s background. Maybe something will jump out at me.”

  “I’m going to see what I can get from the trooper who filed the missing person’s report. He might have some background for us.”

  IVY WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF a transplanting project when she heard a familiar voice. She furrowed her brow, shifted from her spot in the middle of her greenhouse, and frowned when her mother strolled through the open door.

  Luna Morgan was a handsome woman, one of those people who looked twenty years younger and could entrance a room in three seconds flat. Ivy was close with her mother, got along well with her in fact, but she was also often agitated with her mother’s insistence on invading her life.

  “What are you doing here?” Ivy blurted out before she thought better about how obnoxious she sounded.

  Luna arched an eyebrow and planted her hands on her hips. “And that’s a fine ‘hello, how are you, mother’ to you, too,” she drawled.

  Ivy made a rueful face. “I wasn’t trying to be insulting. I just … am surprised you’re here. I didn’t realize you were coming for a visit today. I would’ve marked it down on my calendar if I knew.”

  “And I didn’t realize that visits from your mother were the sort of things that had to be marked down on a calendar. You learn something new every day.”

  Ivy scowled. “I can tell you’re in a mood. I don’t really have time to deal with … whatever this is. I was thinking perhaps you were here for a specific reason, but now I believe that’s not the case because you would’ve already clobbered me over the head with intent if you had any.”

  Luna’s smile only widened. “That was a very smart sentence, young lady. I’m proud to see that you put your vocabulary to work for you on a regular basis.”

  “Oh, geez.” Ivy rolled her eyes. “You do have an agenda. Whatever it is, I’m not interested. Why don’t you go and bother Dad or something? I think he’d appreciate the company.”

  Luna didn’t bother acknowledging the lame attempt to distract her with anything other than a dismissive wave. “So, I hear you had a fun weekend. How is Jack?”

  Ivy narrowed her eyes. She sensed trouble. “Jack is lovely. He sends his regards.”

  “He’s always been a friendly and amiable man.” Luna’s smile was brutally pleasant, which only made Ivy more suspicious. “How did he get along with your brother? I know there was some strife because Jack wanted to spend time alone with you. Did things work out okay, though?”

  Ivy had a feeling she knew exactly where her mother was going with this conversation … and she wasn’t happy. “Actually, Jack remained petulant for the bulk of the trip. He wasn’t happy about our alone time being taken from us.”

  “That is terrible. I’m sorry things were so rough on Jack.” Luna barreled forward and finally arrived at the real topic she wanted to discuss. “And I believe your brother brought a friend, correct? A girlfriend. He’s even referring to her as his girlfriend, something he hasn’t done for a long time.”

  “Yes, I believe he was in high school and trying to talk a certain cheerleader out of her brightly-colored skirt when last he used that term,” Ivy agreed. “Mother—”

  Luna waved her hand to stop Ivy from talking. “Tell me about her. She must be something special if she’s captured your brother’s eye and put him off other women entirely.”

  Ivy really should’ve seen this coming. She wanted to kick herself for not realizing her mother was going to turn this into a thing. “She’s nice, Mom. She’s sweet … and Max dotes on her. She’s a little on the quiet side, but I’m guessing she’ll start talking about herself more when she feels comfortable with us.”

  “Hmm. Uh-huh. Do you think she was uncomfortable with you because you’re surly or is she really the nervous sort?”

  Ivy balked. “I’m not surly.”

  “Dear, I thought you were going to be alone for the rest of your life until Jack came along. Thankfully, some men find surliness attractive. He’s a godsend.”

  Ivy made a face. “Have you ever considered that Jack is lucky to have found me? He’s not perfect either.”

  Luna’s eyes sparkled. “On the contrary. He’s perfect for you.”

  “He definitely is,” Ivy agreed after a beat, shaking her head as she returned to her task. “I know why you’re here, Mom. You’re fishing for information on Amy. Dad did the same this morning, which is probably why you’re here because he didn’t get a lot out of me.”

  “I don’t appreciate the negative attitude.”

  “It’s not a negative attitude.” Ivy’s eyes were clear when they locked with her mother’s cloudy orbs. “I just don’t know what you want to hear. Actually, that’s not true.” She immediately corrected herself. “I do know what you want to hear. I don’t think I can give it to you, though.

  “Amy is shy,” she continued. “She’s a little nervous and jittery, but I don’t necessarily blame her for that. She was meeting us for the first time and Jack had attitude because Max took over our trip.”

  “Perhaps you should talk to Jack about scaring Amy away,” Luna suggested. “We don’t want the girl to take off and dump Max. He’ll have a broken heart.”

  Ivy exhaled heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was starting to feel a he
adache coming on. “We definitely don’t want that. Max would never recover.”

  “So, you think she’s the one, too. Interesting.”

  “That was a sarcastic comment, Mom,” Ivy countered. “I’m honestly not sure how this will all play out. I like Amy. She is nervous, though. I think Max really likes her. In fact, I think Max likes her so much he doesn’t know what to do with himself. She’s a sweet woman who is trying to get on her feet. I’m not sure, however, how all of this will end.”

  “It will end with your brother being happy.” Luna was matter-of-fact. “You got a happy ending. Max will get one, too.”

  Ivy was intrigued despite herself. “We’re not at the end yet. How do you know I got a happy ending?”

  “Can you ever see Jack not making you happy?”

  “No.”

  “Can you see him breaking your heart? Can you see the two of you breaking up? Do you think there’s heartache in your future?”

  “No. That doesn’t mean things will always be perfect.”

  “Life isn’t perfect, dear,” Luna reminded her. “You and Jack will go through things together and be absolutely fine. I’ve known that almost from the beginning. He’s your match … and he’ll make you happier than you ever thought possible.”

  Even though she was agitated with her mother’s interruption, Ivy smiled. “I happen to think so, too.”

  “See. We’re on the same page.” Luna’s smile disappeared almost as fast as it appeared. “Now we need to focus on your brother. He’s what’s important right now.”

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that,” Ivy drawled. “And two months from my wedding, too.”

  “Oh, please.” Luna offered up a pronounced eye roll. “If I try to stick my nose into your wedding preparations, you’ll cut it off. I’m not an idiot. Besides, this is a big deal for Max. You get plenty of attention from your father and me. Now it’s his turn.”

  Ivy was defeated and she knew it so she held out her hands in a placating manner. “Fine. What’s your big plan to make sure Max gets his happily ever after?”

  “I want to meet her.”

  “Well, I can’t help you there. That’s on Max. I think he’s nervous to introduce you.”

  “That’s why I want you to host a barbecue and invite her. A relaxed family night is the perfect way to make the introductions.”

  Ivy wasn’t sure Max would agree with that. “And what if they don’t want to come?”

  “Oh, they’ll come.” Luna patted Ivy’s shoulder and grinned. “They’re not going to have a choice on that front.”

  “I guess I could put something together for next week,” Ivy said. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to make the food and pick up some drinks.”

  “Tomorrow.”

  Ivy’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.” Luna had no intention of backing down. “I want the barbecue to be held tomorrow. Make sure you call your brother in the next hour to make him aware. I don’t want him to have time to come up with an excuse to weasel out of the event.”

  Ivy worked her jaw. “Mom, what if I can’t host a barbecue tomorrow?”

  Luna’s expression was dark when she turned it on her daughter. “That’s not what you’re telling me, is it? You’re not too busy to help the brother who has done nothing but give of himself to you since you were born, are you?”

  Ivy was trapped and she knew it. “No.” She dragged a restless hand through her hair and sighed. “I’ll set it up.”

  Luna was back to smiling. “Good. Personally, I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be a lovely evening.”

  “And I think you’ve lost your marbles but … why not? Who doesn’t love a barbecue?”

  “Those are my thoughts exactly.”

  JACK AND BRIAN RECEIVED notification that Boyd Morris would be arriving at the station before noon. They stood close to the front window as they waited for him, conversing over the tidbits Brian gleaned from the missing person’s file.

  “It’s usually the husband,” Jack pointed out. “He might’ve lied to the responding officers. There are no cameras at rest stops so we can’t be sure he was really there.”

  “There are witnesses,” Brian replied. “People saw them get out of their vehicle. There’s a dog run at that particular rest area. Three people were walking dogs and apparently Boyd came out yelling for his wife and drew a crowd.

  “At first they thought she was in the bathroom, that perhaps she was ill or something,” he continued. “There were two women’s bathrooms, though. Women went in and checked every stall. She wasn’t there.

  “There was also a family bathroom that was searched, but they came up empty,” he said. “Nobody saw her in the bathroom. Nobody saw her leave the bathroom. Nobody saw anyone leave the lot with her, although I’m doubtful that anyone would watch random people at a rest area that closely.”

  “Good point,” Jack noted, rubbing his chin. “Perhaps she voluntarily left with someone.”

  “That’s possible. Maybe she was having an affair and decided to run away with her boyfriend. I don’t see how she would end up dead that quickly if that’s the scenario we’re playing with, though. Boyd told the troopers that they were tight, had a good marriage, and nobody was having an affair.”

  “Everyone thinks that,” Jack pointed out.

  “True, but that doesn’t mean he was wrong. Some people simply don’t cheat. I would never cheat on my wife, and vice versa. You would never cheat on Ivy and there’s no way she would cheat on you.”

  “I guess.” Jack stretched his back to weed out some of the kinks that had formed while he was conducting research on his computer. “I guess we’ll find out. This looks like him.”

  Brian nodded, sadness rolling through him. “That would be my guess, too.”

  Boyd was a mass of moods when he stormed through the front door. He took a moment to look around, and when his gaze fell on the two police detectives, his eyes filled with fire. “There’s been some mistake,” he blurted out.

  Jack immediately nodded in sympathy. He understood what the man was referring to. “We’re waiting for a positive identification from the medical examiner’s office. We did find a purse with identification in it close to the body, though. Why don’t you come with us into the conference room and we’ll show you what we’ve got?” His voice was calm and soothing.

  Apparently Boyd was expecting a fight because he blinked several times in rapid succession and then dumbly nodded. “Okay.”

  Jack led him to the room that was already set up and indicated a chair at the head of the table. “Have a seat. Would you like some coffee? Perhaps some water or a soda?”

  “I want my wife,” Boyd snapped angrily, his temper on full display. “She is not the person you found dead this morning. I mean … she’s not. There’s no way that’s her.”

  Jack kept his face neutral as he reached for a plastic evidence bag. It was wrapped around the purse they’d found. “Do you recognize this?”

  Boyd furrowed his brow as he stared at the item in question. “I … don’t … know. It’s a purse. I didn’t pay much attention to her purse. I just … .”

  Jack could tell from the way he reacted that he recognized it. There was no doubt in his mind that the bag belonged to Boyd’s wife. “The identification inside belongs to your wife.”

  “Did you see the body?” Boyd barked out. “I mean … was it her?”

  “We believe it is her,” Brian said as he sat in a chair. He knew better than trying to force Boyd to sit. The man was too worked up. If he sat, gave up the frustration fueling him, then he might not want to get up again. Once he accepted the truth, that his wife was gone, the anger would give way to grief and then he would absolutely lose it. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Boyd stared for a long time. “This can’t be happening. This has to be a dream or something.”

  Jack’s stomach rolled and he thought about Gordon. He also thought he would
wake up to a better world. He was adamant that it would happen. Neither man would be happy on that front.

  “Please sit down and tell us what happened,” Jack prodded. “We need more information if we’re going to find who did this.”

  “But … .” Boyd licked his lips and then slid into the chair. His movements were slow, drawn out and heavy. He looked as if the façade he’d been living under for the past few hours was about to crack. “I didn’t think I had to worry about her at the rest area. It’s a rest area, for crying out loud. I mean … nothing ever happens at a rest area.”

  The statistics didn’t bear out the statement. Sometimes horrible things happened at rest areas. Jack was certain that Boyd didn’t need to hear that right now, though. He was hanging by a thread.

  “You were driving from the Upper Peninsula,” Jack noted. “Can you tell me where you were coming from? Perhaps someone was following you.”

  “I don’t … there’s no way.” He vehemently shook his head. “We were at this campground on the other side of the bridge. It was a state campground.”

  Jack’s blood ran cold. “What? Are you talking about Wagner Falls?”

  Boyd nodded dumbly. “I am. Have you heard of it?”

  “As a matter of fact, I have.” Slowly, Jack tracked his eyes to Brian. “That’s where we were this weekend.”

  “Where who was?” It took Brian a moment to catch up. “Wait … are you saying Boyd and his wife were at the same campground you were at the past few days?”

  “I am.” Jack’s mind was busy with a myriad of possibilities. “There was a murder at the campground this weekend, too.”

  “There was,” Boyd agreed, narrowing his eyes. “The guy who did it was caught, though. It was the husband.”

  Brian focused his attention on Jack. “You only told me a little bit about what went down. How involved were you in the investigation?”

  “Involved enough that I can track down the trooper in charge and have a conversation,” Jack replied. “He was a nice guy. The thing is, I met the widower. I thought he might be innocent before he was arrested. After, I just assumed I’d misjudged him.”