Ivy Morgan Mystery Box Set 5

by Lily Harper Hart

  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 headache 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 nodd
ed. “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.”

  “Wait.” Boyd held up his hand to get Brian’s and Jack’s attention. “Are you telling me that the man who killed that woman at the campground this weekend is also the person who killed my wife?”

  Jack wasn’t sure how to respond. “We can’t be certain. It is one heckuva coincidence, though.”

  “I’m not even sure you really have my wife.” Boyd held on to his last shred of hope. “I want to see her for myself.”

  “We can arrange that.” Brian was calm as he bobbed his head. “In fact, I’ll arrange it right now. Jack needs to make a few calls. We can resume questioning once those calls are placed and identification has been confirmed.”

  “It’s not going to be her,” Boyd assured the older police detective. “She’s fine. This is some kind of mistake.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I know I am. There’s a way to explain this. I’m sure there is. We just need to figure it out.”

  “One step at a time,” Brian cautioned. “I’ll take you to the medical examiner’s office first. Jack, I believe you have some calls to make.”

  “Definitely.” Jack was already ten steps ahead of his partner when preparing for what had to come next. “I’ll get on that right now.”

  Eleven

  Ivy was still stewing about her mother’s insistence on hosting a barbecue when Jack let himself into the cottage that evening. He’d texted to tell her he would be picking up dinner so her stomach let out a lurching growl of excitement when he placed the takeout containers on the table.

  “Hungry, honey?” He arched an amused eyebrow.

  “I could eat. I skipped lunch.”

  “How come?” He swooped in and gave her a kiss. His favorite part about coming home was losing himself in her. He had a feeling they’d both had trying days so he was eager to slip into the cocoon they’d made in the home they shared.

  “My mother.” Ivy said the two words with a sort of viciousness that Jack wasn’t accustomed to.

  “Do I even want to know?”

  “She ambushed me at the nursery today.” Ivy figured if she had to be miserable, so did he. To her mind, that was one of the best things about having a life partner. The other half had to equally share in the misery.

  “I’m assuming she didn’t ambush you with a gun or anything, so that means she wants something else from you.” Jack left her to unpack the takeout while he floated over to the cupboards to grab napkins and flatware. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not the end of the world.”

  “She wants me to host a barbecue tomorrow. I already agreed, so if you want me to back out you have to call her. I’m kind of hoping you’re looking for a fight because I rolled over and showed her my belly so fast that I’m a bit ashamed.”

  “She wants you to have a barbecue?” Jack wasn’t sure what to make of that. “You’re not going to make me eat a meat substitute, are you?”

  Ivy shot him a withering look. “Have I ever made you eat a meat substitute?”

  “No, but that is my worst nightmare. I mean … I know you would never leave or hurt me so that’s what I’m left with.”

  Even though she was determined not to, Ivy couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “That’s your worst nightmare? Me slipping tofu into your steak, huh? I guess if that’s our worst problem then we’re lucky.”

  “I got lucky the day I met you.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, hoping it would perk her up. “Tell me what’s really bothering you.”

  He had a way of reading her that Ivy often marveled at. “How did you know something else was bothering me?”

  “I know you.”

  She sighed. “My mother wants to meet Amy.”

  “I figured that’s what this was all about.”

  “She’s already convinced that she’s the one for Max. I warned her not to get ahead of herself, but she won’t listen.”

  Jack pursed his lips as he regarded her. He liked to think of Ivy as an open book – almost everything that crossed her mind escaped her lips – but she blurred on him a bit right now. “That’s not what’s bothering you, though. You were raised in a family of busybodies. You had to be expecting this.”

  “I was. I didn’t think she would pin me down my first day back, but I knew it was coming.”

  “So, what is it?”

  “It’s just something she said. I
t didn’t even bother me at the time. It was only after, when I was thinking about it, that it started to chafe.”

  Now they were getting to the heart of matters. “Tell me.”

  “Do you think I’m surly?”

  Whatever question he was expecting, that wasn’t it. Jack immediately opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out.

  “You do, don’t you?” Ivy turned huffy. “I’m not surly.”

  He cleared his throat to give himself a moment to decide what to say. “How did this particular avenue of conversation occur? Did she just call you surly out of the blue?”

  “No. She said that she was worried I would be alone forever before you came along because of how surly I was. Then she called you a godsend and said it was time for the family to focus on Max for a change instead of me.”

  Oh, it was multiple things, Jack internally mused. “Well, for starters, you are a bit surly.” He didn’t back down even when she fixed him with a dark look. “Well, you are, honey. That’s the first thing I noticed about you … after the pink hair and bare feet, I mean. You have a certain attitude.”

  “I am not surly. I don’t like that word.”

  “Do you prefer curmudgeonly?” Jack only smirked when she lightly smacked his arm. “It’s okay to be surly, Ivy. That was your way of protecting yourself. I understand that. You’re not surly with me now.”

  “Do you think that they spent all their time worrying about me to Max’s detriment?”

  That was the thing really bothering her, Jack realized. She was the sort who would take pride in being surly under different circumstances. What was bothering her was the idea that Max somehow did without because she needed more of her parents’ attention.

  “I think Max is the older brother, which means he wanted to be strong for them and you.” Jack chose his words carefully. “I don’t think you needed more than him, or stole anything from him. On the flip side, I can see your parents being worried about you. Isolation isn’t always a good thing and you built a wall around yourself.”

  “Do you think I still have a wall around myself?”