Wicked Decisions

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Maybe she had one of her monthly deliveries coming.”

  “Maybe, but we didn’t see a delivery truck.”

  “It wouldn’t have been allowed down the alley. All the activity either would’ve frightened the driver away or one of the uniforms would’ve dissuaded him from stopping. We could ask the guys at the office if they saw anything ... just to be on the safe side, that is.”

  “That’s not a bad idea.” Brian’s eyes were conflicted as he glanced around. “Let’s run through this. Go into the front of the store and stand close to the dress racks. I’m going to make noises, as if I’m being attacked, and see if you can hear anything.”

  “Okay.” Jack didn’t put up a fight, instead sliding down the hallway. Once he was in the spot where he imagined Ivy stood, he called back to his partner. “I’m here.”

  Brian let loose a blood-curdling scream, causing Jack to race back to the storage room. “What is it?” He was breathless.

  Brian rolled his eyes. “That was me pretending to be attacked. I told you what I was doing. Obviously you heard it.”

  Jack glared. “I don’t want to tell you your job, but she didn’t scream.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because Ivy would’ve heard a scream. And, before you say something that’s going to make me want to rip out your spine and feed it to you, there’s no way Ivy wouldn’t have raced back if she heard someone scream. Don’t even suggest otherwise.”

  Brian considered messing with his partner just for the fun of it but ultimately let it go. In situations like this, Jack didn’t have much of a sense of humor when it came to Ivy. Honestly, he couldn’t blame him. “No, Ivy would’ve run back if she heard a scream. That means the struggle couldn’t have been loud. Go back again. This time I’ll kind of flop around and make gasping noises. See if you can make any of it out.”

  “Fine. Don’t scream again, though. It freaked me out.”

  “That’s because you’re the sensitive sort.”

  Jack knew it was meant as a dig, but he didn’t care. “Women happen to like sensitive men.”

  “I think that’s a line Ivy feeds you simply to make you feel better.”

  “Or maybe it’s the truth and you’ve been shooting yourself in the foot with your wife for the duration of your marriage. Have you ever considered that?”

  Brian chuckled. “No, but I’ll take it under advisement. Head back out.”

  “Fine.” Jack made a grumbling noise as he returned to the hallway. Under normal circumstances, he might’ve enjoyed the experiment. He honestly liked puzzling things out. That was one of the reasons he became a police officer in the first place. Developments on this particular case, however, were going too slow for his liking. “Okay, go for it again,” he called out when he was in position.

  “I can’t do it when you’re expecting it,” Brian countered, his voice slightly muffled. “You’re expecting it so even if you don’t hear something, you’re going to imagine you do. You need to mill about as if you’re shopping.”

  “Oh, geez.” Jack made a face. “You’re more work than Ivy.”

  “I thought you liked that Ivy was work.”

  “Yes, but I get rewarded for a job well done with her. Even if you were doling out rewards, I wouldn’t want to collect.”

  Brian laughed. “Yes, well ... just mill about and relax for a few minutes. This is hardly scientific, but I want to get a better picture of what went down yesterday.”

  “Don’t forget that Ivy wasn’t alone,” Jack reminded him. “She was with Amy and I’m willing to bet they were having a conversation about Max at the time.”

  “Fair enough. Talk to yourself if it will make you feel more comfortable.”

  “And what should I talk to myself about?”

  “That’s up to you.”

  Jack was already muttering disgustedly to himself. “This is a total waste of time. You’re losing your mind.”

  “I heard that,” Brian called out.

  Jack rolled his eyes. “You did not. You’re too far away. You’re just saying that to see if I was talking bad about you.”

  “No, I heard it.” Brian was firm. “Are you standing right under a vent?”

  Curiously, Jack rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Actually, I am. Are you seriously saying you heard me?”

  “You said I was losing my mind.”

  Jack still wasn’t convinced. “I say that all the time ... and to your face.”

  “Fine. Say something else in a low voice, something you wouldn’t normally say, and I’ll prove it.”

  “Fine.” Jack thought for a moment and then spoke in his normal voice. When he was finished, he grinned and waited for a response.

  “I don’t wear my wife’s underwear to feel manly,” Brian growled. He was still yelling and Jack realized he couldn’t hear his partner through the vent.

  “Wait ... .” Jack trudged back to the storage room and looked at the vent Brian was standing under, thoughtful. “You could hear me talking in the other room, but I couldn’t hear you through the vent. I could only hear when you yelled.”

  “So?”

  “So ... it’s just interesting.” Jack rubbed his chin as he stared at the vent. “That means Zelda probably listened to whatever Ivy and Amy were talking about.”

  “And? I doubt they were talking about anything interesting.”

  “No, but whoever entered through the loading dock door would’ve heard them, too. It would’ve been obvious that Zelda wasn’t alone.”

  “Good point.”

  “That means that whoever did this was angry enough, or determined enough, to kill Zelda despite the risk of getting caught. That seems to indicate to me that whoever did this was going to carry out the murder no matter what.”

  “So ... premeditation?”

  “That would be my guess. It also explains the earring. Someone recognized Felicity and Henry were dating and that she might make an appealing scapegoat.”

  “I’m willing to buy that.” Brian was thoughtful as he rolled his neck. “No matter how I try to imagine it, I’m not buying that Felicity would’ve stabbed Zelda multiple times while listening to Ivy’s voice through the vent.

  “I mean, it would take a cold-hearted individual to listen to Ivy gush about her big day and kill a woman while the conversation was ongoing,” he continued. “It would’ve been harder for Felicity because of her relationship with Ivy. So ... I don’t buy that.”

  “That doesn’t mean the prosecutor won’t,” Jack said grimly.

  “No, but that’s why we’re here. We’re trying to figure out exactly what happened so we take an airtight case to the prosecutor.” He gestured for Jack to follow him back through the store, not stopping until they were in the lobby. “You couldn’t hear me, which means sound doesn’t travel well in this direction. If Ivy had heard something, she would’ve gone running in that direction because that’s simply who she is. She didn’t, which means it was a quick attack.

  “The thing is, I’m right there with you when it comes to premeditation,” he continued. “If someone had come through that back door and argued with Zelda, voices would’ve been raised and Ivy would’ve heard something. She didn’t. She had no idea anything had happened until she went to find Zelda.”

  “So that rules out a heat-of-the-moment attack,” Jack noted. “That fits in with the theory about the earring. Felicity isn’t sure when she lost it but knows it was a few weeks ago. What if she lost it in Henry’s car or something and one of the other women discovered it? That could’ve enraged them to the point where they held onto the earring until they could use it.”

  “Basically you’re saying that you’re leaning toward Fanny and Lucy,” Brian noted. “They’re the only suspects who would have even a hint of a motive. As much as I would like to wipe that smug grin off Henry’s face, he’s living the life he always dreamed of. He doesn’t have to kill anyone — not even to keep a secret — because everything he was doing was out in the op
en.”

  “Yeah. He’s a turd, but he’s not a secretive turd.”

  “So ... that means one of the women is to blame. I mean ... at least in theory. It might not hurt to start poking at the other portions of Zelda’s life. Maybe this has nothing to do with Henry at all.”

  “That doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Jack countered after a beat. “Felicity’s earring is a big clue no matter how you look at it. Either she was too stupid to realize she lost it while killing Zelda — which I don’t believe for a second — or someone purposely planted it on the body. Whoever it was needed access to the earring. How would they get it? How would this person even know to point the finger at Felicity unless she was part of the dating circle from hell?”

  “Good point.” Brian licked his lips and glanced around the store. “It almost has to be one of the other women. If we rule out Felicity because she’s not stupid enough to leave an earring behind, that leaves Lucy and Fanny.”

  “We’re not ruling out Felicity because she’s too smart to get caught. We’re ruling her out because she’s a good person.”

  “We’re also only ruling her out on the surface,” Brian added. “We can’t publicly rule her out yet, although I’m hopeful we’ll be able to find someone who can corroborate she was at her store the entire day yesterday. I haven’t given up confirming her alibi. I’m going to send two of the uniforms over there this afternoon to question the other business owners and residents.”

  “That’s smart. It might not work out, but it’s something.”

  “Until then, she remains a suspect.”

  “Along with Lucy and Fanny.”

  “Who were both supposedly at the senior center all afternoon,” Brian mused. “The thing is, we basically took their word for it. We didn’t question the others. It might not be a bad idea to isolate a few of those folks to see if they can independently confirm that both women were at the senior center for the entire day.”

  “I’m up for that.” Jack was actually happy with the suggestion. If Brian was seriously looking at the other women, that meant he’d moved on from his original suspicion about Felicity. Even though Jack was convinced she was innocent — and that meant true justice would win out — he was relieved that his partner was looking beyond his initial narrow scope.

  “Okay, well, that will be our next move. In fact ... .” Brian trailed off, his gaze landing on the counter. Jack followed his partner’s stare, confused.

  “Is something wrong?” Jack asked after a beat. “Do you see something?”

  “Maybe.” Brian lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder, scanning the storefront. “There was a huge binder on the counter yesterday. I asked Patsy about it. She said it was a listing of all the people her mother was currently working with ... as well as some ideas Zelda had for upcoming weddings. I asked her to leave the binder on the counter after making copies of what she needed so we could go through it.”

  “Maybe she forgot and took it ... or maybe she moved it.”

  “Yeah.” Brian didn’t look convinced. “Let’s give her a call just to be on the safe side. There are a few things I want to ask her about anyway.”

  PATSY ARRIVED TWENTY MINUTES later. She looked quizzical but not agitated.

  “. I didn’t actually take the binder, but I double-checked my house and car just in case. Did you find it?”

  Brian shook his head. After the initial call to Patsy, he and Jack had torn apart the store looking for the item in question. They’d come up empty. “It’s not here as far as we can tell.”

  “Then where did it go?”

  “We don’t know. That’s why we called you.”

  “But ... it was here yesterday.” Patsy looked certain as she furrowed her brow. “It was on the counter. I know it was there because I watched Ivy place it there and she walked out the door before me.”

  “Ivy?” Brian stiffened. “What was Ivy doing here?”

  “She stopped by to talk to Patsy in the afternoon,” Jack replied. “She wanted to make sure that things were okay between them. She said you guys made up.”

  “We were never really fighting.” Patsy was sheepish. “I flew off the handle even though it was unnecessary. I apologized. We talked. I don’t believe Ivy killed my mother. I never really did. I was just ... upset.”

  “I figured that,” Brian said reasonably. “I guess I didn’t realize you and Ivy spent the afternoon together.”

  “She helped me go through my mother’s client list. I needed to call everyone and tell them what was happening, reassure them that we would get together in the next few days and track down everything that goes with their order. Ivy helped. She was great, actually.”

  “And she left before you, right?”

  Jack shot his partner a glare, but Brian refused to acknowledge it.

  “She left before me,” Patsy confirmed. “I locked the store like I normally do once she was gone.”

  “Does anyone else have a key?”

  “Not that I know of. My mother only gave me a key because she was afraid she would lose hers one day and have no way of getting into the building.”

  “Okay. So ... how did someone get inside to remove the binder?”

  “I don’t know.” Patsy shook her head. “Do you think whoever it was is the killer?”

  “I don’t know, but I think it’s time to canvass the area again. Maybe one of the business owners saw something.”

  “What if they didn’t?”

  “I don’t know.” Brian slowly tracked his eyes to Patsy. “You made the copies I told you to, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “We should make more copies just in case, but I want to go through those documents. Maybe whoever did this believes there’s something in that binder that can lead to him or her. It was a risk to come back for it.”

  “I have all the information in my car. We can take it over to the department to make copies if you want.”

  Brian made up his mind on the spot. “We’ll do that first. That takes precedence. After that, we’ll start questioning the business owners again and go from there.”

  Jack nodded, weary. “That sounds like a plan.”

  Eleven

  The excitement Ivy felt upon Susan’s initial suggestion that magic was the way to go waned quickly. They spent hours in the woods together, Susan acting as kind instructor and friend, but Ivy had trouble understanding exactly what the ghost wanted her to do. Even after Susan explained it for what must have been the tenth time, Ivy couldn’t grasp it.

  So, she made up an excuse to run away. She didn’t enjoy feeling like a failure.

  Because she was feeling morose and out of touch, Ivy headed to town. She stopped at the local deli long enough to pick up lunch for Jack and Brian – she figured it would be a good excuse to stop by the office – and then headed to the police department. She was feeling better, although not exactly perky, when she arrived. The feeling didn’t last.

  “What are you doing here?” Ava Moffett, the chief of police’s daughter and resident secretary, sat behind the front desk and sneered.

  Ivy bit back a sigh, although it took a great deal of effort, and fixed what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face. “Lunch.” She lifted the bag for proof. “Are they here?”

  “Who?” Ava adopted an air of innocence. “Am I just supposed to know who you’re talking about?”

  The irritation Ivy thought she had discarded bubbled up and grabbed her by the throat. “Jack and Brian.”

  “You mean Detective Harker and Detective Nixon?”

  “I don’t usually call Jack that unless we’re playing games late at night.” Ivy had to fight a smirk when Ava’s gaze darkened. The woman had been harboring a crush on Jack since the moment he transferred to Shadow Lake. Her nose was still out of joint because Jack didn’t give her as much as a second glance before asking Ivy out on a date.

  “This is a professional atmosphere,” Ava replied, her tone clipped. “I don’t believe my father would app
reciate that sort of talk.”

  Since Ava’s father was chief in name only – he barely showed up for work – Ivy found the comment humorous. She wasn’t in the mood for a hair-pulling contest, though, and it was obvious Ava wouldn’t stop until she’d drawn her into an unnecessary fight.

  “I’m just going to head back.” Ivy pointed herself toward the door that led to the department interior. She was familiar with the building and knew her way around. She didn’t make it to her destination, however, because Ava hopped to her feet and cut her off.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The other woman made a tsking sound with her tongue. “There are rules and regulations to follow. I’m not allowed to grant civilians access to the detective bureau without authorization.”

  Since the detective bureau was a small office space that Jack and Brian shared – and nothing more – the statement was laughable. Still, Ivy sensed trouble and she didn’t want to end up barred from the building. Instead, she took a step back and rummaged in her pocket for her phone. She texted Jack, explaining the issue, and then forced a tight-lipped smile as she waited for him to appear.

  It didn’t take long.

  “Hey, honey.” He popped through the door, slid Ava a cursory look, and then crossed to his fiancée. He pulled her in for a fierce hug – as much for him as to show Ava that being petty would get her absolutely nowhere – and then pulled back. “This is a nice surprise.”

  Ava rolled her eyes. “Yes, we don’t often have murderers wandering into the building with a bag full of food. It’s exciting for all of us.”

  Ivy stilled. “What are you talking about?”

  “You.” Ava returned to her chair behind the desk. “Everyone knows that you killed Zelda … and there are quite a few people who are upset because they had wedding dresses on order through her. You’re sabotaging dreams.”