Wicked Whimsy

by Lily Harper Hart

  IVY AND MAX WERE content to search for morels in comfortable silence for the bulk of the afternoon. They only had about thirty minutes left before they had to call it a day and head to work – and the competition was still fast and furious – when Max decided to call his sister on her melancholy mood.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  The question caught Ivy off guard. “Nothing is wrong with me. I’m winning.”

  Max made an exaggerated face. “You’re not winning. Keep dreaming. Something is definitely wrong with you, though. You seem lost in your own head.”

  “Oh, well, I guess I am.” Ivy heaved out a sigh. “Jack thinks I’m getting too involved with Josh. He’s worried. After what happened last night, I think he might have a point.”

  Max swooped down to grab a cluster of morels, making sure to avoid two of the offerings as he sorted through his haul. “Be careful. There are false morels over here.” Even though he desperately wanted to win, Max also wanted to make sure his distracted sister didn’t pick dangerous mushrooms. “What do you think Jack has a point about?”

  “The fact that Josh is a very needy child and I can’t give him what he so clearly desires.”

  “Which is?”

  “A mother.”

  Max stilled, confused. “A mother? You think he wants you to be his mother? That seems a bit … out there … to me.”

  “I don’t think he wants me to be his mother,” Ivy clarified. “It’s more that he thinks of me as a motherly figure. I don’t like it either because I’m young and hot. I’m definitely not old enough to have a thirteen-year-old child.”

  Max chuckled, legitimately amused. “Good point.”

  “He’s alone.” Ivy sobered. “He has no one. Jack told me his aunt won’t take him.”

  “How come?”

  “She’s got three kids of her own. Jack says she’s overwhelmed and barely holding on with her own brood.”

  “I guess I can understand that.”

  “I want to understand that, but I’m still agitated by it,” Ivy admitted. “I mean, if something happened to you, do you think I would let anyone else take your kid when I could keep a piece of you close?”

  “Oh, that’s kind of cute.” Max tweaked the end of Ivy’s nose with his dirty fingers, grinning at the way she growled. “I love knowing that you would swoop in and take Max, Jr. That makes you a good sister.”

  “It’s not about being a good sister.”

  “Oh, but it is.” Max was firm. “You fancy yourself the best sister in the world.”

  “I am.”

  “I know. I’m the best brother, too.” Max’s grin was impish as he snagged Ivy’s gaze. “I also know that if something happened to me you would move heaven and earth to make sure that any offspring I produce would be happy. That’s who you are.”

  “You need to find a steady girlfriend before you focus on offspring,” Ivy muttered.

  “And I have time.” Max patted the top of her head, delighted when she rolled her eyes. “You’re going to be the one procreating before me. You and Jack are pretty much ready to add to our small but awesome family.”

  “We’re not having kids right away,” Ivy argued. “We want to spend at least a year together before we add kids.”

  Max’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “You’ve already talked about it?”

  “We have.”

  “Wow. You guys are such good grown-ups.” Max danced away when Ivy attempted to playfully swat him. “As for the rest, I get what you’re saying. If something happened to you and Jack, I would make sure that I had your kids and that they were well taken care of. Not all siblings are created equal, though.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning that maybe Melanie and her sister weren’t as close as we are.”

  “Sometimes I think we’re too close,” Ivy said. “On the flip side, I get what you’re saying. We have a unique relationship. Not everyone can mirror that relationship. You’re basically saying that I’m being judgmental.”

  “Basically,” Max agreed. “Still, I get why you’re worried. I feel responsible for Josh, too. In fact, since you’re taking a step back but obviously still worried, I’m going to head over to the home when I’m done here.”

  Ivy couldn’t hide her surprise. “You are?”

  “I am.”

  “Is this because you want to hit on Dana?”

  “I forgot Dana even worked there, but I’m totally going to hit on Dana when I see her.” Max’s eyes twinkled. “I’m also going to see if I can get Josh to hang out with me at the lumberyard for the afternoon. That will get him out of the home but make it so he’s not fixating on you. I think it’s a solid solution to your problem.”

  Ivy didn’t want to admit it, but she liked the idea a great deal. “If you have the time, well, that would be great.”

  “Your enthusiasm is overwhelming.”

  “I’ll also make you a cherry pie,” Ivy offered. “I was going to make Jack blueberry anyway. There’s no reason I can’t make two pies.”

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Max glanced at his watch and then shook his head. “We have fifteen minutes and we’re basically tied. We’d better start moving if we expect to fill these bags.”

  Ivy mock-saluted. “Yes, sir.” Her expression softened when she saw Max’s eyes gleam with wicked intent. “Also … thanks for doing this. I know it’s not how you planned to spend your day.”

  “It’s okay.” Max gave Ivy’s hand a small squeeze. “I feel responsible for him, too. If we hadn’t been in the woods that day, I shudder to think what would’ve happened to him. He could’ve gotten lost.”

  “Or hunted,” Ivy added. “A lot of terrible things happened to him.”

  “We’ll make sure nothing else terrible happens to him,” Max promised. “We can work together on this. It doesn’t all have to fall on your shoulders.”

  “You really are a good brother,” Ivy offered. “It’s kind of annoying sometimes.”

  “I know. Why do you think I do it?”

  “Because you want to be the best at everything.”

  “Good point.”

  GILLIAN DORCHESTER STOOD on her front porch and suspiciously looked Brian and Jack up and down. They’d flashed their badges upon knocking – and explained why they were there – but Gillian remained skeptical of their intent.

  “I’m not buying any of those policeman’s ball tickets you guys are always hawking.”

  Brian flashed a genuine smile even though he knew the woman was going to be a righteous pain in the behind. She had a certain “air” about her, and it was one Brian recognized from time spent with his mother-in-law. For the record, at least in Brian’s head, that wasn’t a good thing.

  “We’re not selling anything,” Brian said, keeping his voice calm and even. “We’re just looking for information.”

  “I haven’t done anything,” Gillian fired back. “If you expect to search my house, you need a warrant. I know my rights.”

  “We don’t want to search your house.” Now that she brought it up, Brian was mildly curious if she was keeping something illegal in the house. Ultimately it didn’t matter. Bellaire was not their jurisdiction. “We’re trying to find out information about Abraham Masters.”

  “Oh.” Gillian was mollified, although only slightly. “I heard what happened to him. That’s a terrible thing.”

  “It’s definitely a terrible thing,” Brian agreed. “We’re trying to figure out who would have motive to kill him. One of the things we heard is that he was having an affair and we were wondering if you would happen to know who he was seeing.”

  “An affair, huh?” Gillian tilted her head to the side, her eyes nothing but brown slits. “Who told you he was having an affair?”

  “We heard it from multiple people,” Brian lied. “What we haven’t heard is a name so we can confirm it.”

  “Do you think this woman is responsible for killing him?”

  “Do I think she p
ulled the trigger herself? No. Do I think that someone might’ve been angry about the affair, enough to kill Abraham? Yes.”

  “Yeah, I wanted to kill him a bit myself when I found out,” Gillian admitted, shifting from one foot to the other. “I really liked Melanie. She was quiet and kept her yard looking good. She didn’t drop in all the time for coffee or to chat. She basically kept to herself.”

  “And that makes her a good neighbor?” Jack asked.

  “Absolutely.” Gillian bobbed her head. “For the record, I liked Abraham, too. He wasn’t loud or obnoxious. I wasn’t happy he was having an affair when his wife was so sick, but I didn’t figure it was any of my business.”

  “How did you know he was having an affair?” Brian queried. “Did he tell you?”

  “No, I saw him with his little … um, friend … a few times,” Gillian replied. “Melanie was in the hospital for weeks over that final stay. Abraham’s woman stopped by here at least three times when Melanie was in the hospital. I thought it was disgusting.”

  “Do you happen to know her name?” Jack asked, hopeful. They were finally getting somewhere. If they could track down the mistress, they might finally get some answers.

  “I didn’t recognize her myself but, when I pointed her out to Patty Lancaster down the way, she knew exactly who I was talking about,” Gillian answered. “She’s a local woman. Apparently she and Abraham went to high school together.”

  “That’s very interesting,” Brian noted. “What’s her name?”

  “Ellen Woodbridge. She lives on the other side of town.”

  “Have you seen her in recent weeks?”

  “No, but I haven’t been paying as much attention,” Gillian admitted. “Melanie isn’t around for Abraham to cheat on any longer. He’s a widower, not a philanderer. I don’t care who he wants to romance now. I cared back then because Melanie cared.”

  “Did she ever mention the affair to you?” Jack asked.

  “No, but I’m pretty sure she knew about it. I saw her crying once after she got in an argument with Abraham. He left her on the porch and took off. She seemed so sad and alone that day I couldn’t help but feel for her.”

  “Well, thank you for your time.” Brian flicked his eyes to Jack. “Let’s go see Ellen Woodbridge. I’ve got a few questions for her.”

  “I think we both have questions.”

  Twelve

  Ellen Woodbridge was a pretty woman. She was in her late thirties but still looked as if she was in her twenties, and she had a soft and welcoming smile. It faltered a bit when Brian held up his badge and asked if they could talk to her.

  “This is about Abraham, isn’t it?” Ellen looked resigned.

  “It is,” Brian confirmed.

  “I knew you would come.” Ellen held open the door to usher Jack and Brian inside her small and homey Cape Cod house. She forced a tight smile as she led them down the hallway and toward the kitchen. “I’m making fresh banana bread. I also have a pot of tea out. I don’t have coffee. Sorry. You’ll have to make do with the tea.”

  “The tea is fine,” Brian replied, exchanging a quick look with Jack. He knew his partner was thinking the same thing he was. Ellen Woodbridge was about to be a fountain of information. They could put up with tea if it meant they got that information.

  “I happen to love tea,” Jack announced as he selected a chair at Ellen’s round dining table. “My fiancée prefers tea as well. She has coffee in the house for me, but I’ve become used to the tea. I even like it now.”

  “I simply don’t like the taste of coffee,” Ellen offered. “It tastes bitter to me.”

  “I think it’s an acquired taste,” Brian said as he got comfortable at the table.

  “Yes, well, here you go.” Ellen delivered three cups of steaming tea to the table before sitting and fixing Brian and Jack with a weighted look. “You want to know about my relationship with Abraham, don’t you?”

  “Why do you assume that?” Brian asked.

  “Because I saw the news yesterday. Abraham was killed in a freak accident in Shadow Lake. You’re trying to decide if it was murder and when going through Abraham’s history you stumbled across me.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” Jack hedged. “We know that Mr. Masters wasn’t killed in a freak accident. It was murder.”

  Ellen stilled, her features going deathly white. “Are you sure?”

  “We’re sure,” Brian confirmed. “There’s no doubt Mr. Masters was specifically targeted for death. What we’re trying to work out is if it was pre-meditated and someone followed him into the woods with the express purpose of killing him or if it was a crime of opportunity.”

  “Meaning that someone stumbled across him and decided to kill him in that moment,” Ellen surmised. “Wow. I can’t believe he was actually murdered.”

  “He was.” Brian leaned back in his chair and regarded the attractive woman with keen interest. “You don’t seem all that shook up.”

  “Is that how I’m supposed to react?” Ellen queried. “Did you think I would burst into tears and drop to my knees? Not every female shows emotion by turning into a soap opera character.”

  Jack furrowed his brow as he picked up on the bitterness of her tone. “I’m guessing things didn’t end well between you and Abraham.”

  “They didn’t, but I wasn’t angry enough to kill him, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “We don’t yet know what we’re worried about,” Brian supplied. “What we need from you is a rundown of your relationship with Abraham. We need to know how you hooked up and when it ended.”

  “And if I don’t feel comfortable giving that information?”

  Brian stared at her for a long beat. “Then we’ll have to get a warrant to compel you,” he said finally. “That’s not the way we want to go about things, but we need to know who Abraham might have ticked off enough to come after him. Your potential involvement in this is not something we can gloss over.”

  “Right.” Ellen blew out a sigh. “I figured as much. You have to understand, I’m not exactly proud of what happened. It was never my intention to be the other woman.”

  “We’re not here to judge you,” Jack offered. “We simply need to know the nature of your relationship.”

  “Well, I think you’re going to be disappointed, but here goes.” Ellen took a bracing breath and then launched into her tale. “Abraham and I knew each other from high school. We both lived in town and, much like Shadow Lake, the class sizes weren’t overly large. Everybody knew everybody.

  “Abraham and I first hooked up sophomore year and we were together until graduation,” she continued. “It was a nice relationship, full of very little drama, but it wasn’t exactly passionate or anything. He was simply there and made things easy for me.

  “I went to college in Traverse City and he went to Michigan State University,” she said. “The distance was too great and we broke up about a month into our college separation. I honestly thought that was it. I never expected us to get married or anything. It wasn’t even a consideration.

  “By the time Abraham returned to Bellaire he was engaged to Melanie,” she supplied. “I heard about him being back in town before I saw him. I didn’t think much of it before I ran into them at the grocery store. They seemed … fine. I didn’t get a passionate vibe from them either. I remember thinking at the time that it was entirely possible that Abraham wasn’t a passionate guy.”

  “That changed at some point,” Jack prodded. “When?”

  “I’m not sure exactly when things shifted,” Ellen replied. “I know that when Josh was ten Abraham enrolled him in a special program at the park. We had a day camp of sorts and it involved sports, outdoor activities, and arts and crafts stuff. You know the drill.”

  Brian nodded without hesitation. “We have something similar in Shadow Lake.”

  “I’m a teacher,” Ellen explained. “That means I have summers off. I take on temporary work at the day camp to enhance my income.”<
br />
  “And that’s how you came into contact with Abraham again?” Jack queried.

  Ellen bobbed her head. “Basically. We saw each other from afar here and there over the years, don’t get me wrong. Mostly it was at the grocery store or theater or something, so we just waved at each other and went on our merry way. Once I started seeing Abraham on a regular basis, there was a subtle shift.

  “Nothing happened that first year … or even the second year Josh was at summer camp, for that matter,” she continued. “We talked when we saw each other, maybe flirted a bit. It was harmless flirting, though. We made eyes at each other and laughed at lame jokes, but it was nothing serious.”

  “When did it turn serious?”

  “Well, this is going to sound awful, but it happened right after the baby died,” Ellen replied. “Jenny. When I first heard Melanie was having a baby I was angry, although I had no right to feel that way. At that point Abraham and I were simply talking and having the occasional cup of coffee.”

  “You knew you wanted more, though, didn’t you?” Brian asked.

  “I did. I felt a spark with Abraham that had never been there before. I felt as if I’d missed something the first time and wanted to see what that something was now that I had a second chance.”

  “Did he feel the same way?” Jack was legitimately curious. “I mean … he had a new baby at home. Sure, the baby died, but you said the relationship didn’t happen until after Jenny passed away. To me, that indicates he still had a spark burning with his wife, too.”

  Ellen let loose a weary sigh and rubbed the space between her eyebrows. “No matter how I explain things, I’m going to come off as the bad guy. I understand that. I’m not saying what I’m about to tell you is rational.”

  Brian bobbed his head. “Fair enough.”

  “I was convinced that Melanie purposely got pregnant to trap Abraham and force him to stay in the marriage,” Ellen explained. “I thought she recognized somehow that Abraham was pulling away because he realized he’d rather be with me. Since Josh was older, I thought there was a very good chance Abraham would leave Melanie.”