Wicked Fog (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 6)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “That doesn’t mean it was a person,” Max reminded her. “It could’ve been an animal.”

  “But it wasn’t.”

  “Can you see me?” Max disappeared behind the tree.

  “No. Can you see me?”

  “Yeah. I have a clear view through the branches,” Max replied. “Someone definitely could’ve spied on you from here. When you started running toward the nursery, what did you hear?”

  “Footsteps.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Well, I hate to say it, but it does look like someone ran through here,” Max said, appearing on the other side of the tree. “I’m starting to lean toward the ‘you’re not crazy’ theory. Congratulations!”

  “Ha, ha,” Ivy intoned, getting to her feet. “Do you think it was a man or a woman?”

  “I’m not a Native American scout, so I have no idea,” Max said. “I do think someone was out here, though.”

  “So … what do we do?”

  “We go to the greenhouse and call Jack,” Max answered. “We tell him what we found and then let him deal with the repercussions.”

  “I don’t want to call Jack,” Ivy complained, falling into step with Max. “He’s on my butthead list right now.”

  “Oh, how cute,” Max said, tweaking Ivy’s nose. “You’re going to punish him later, aren’t you?”

  “You have no idea.”

  “If your mind just went to a filthy place, I don’t want to hear it,” Max said. “You’ve turned into a real pervert since you started dating Jack.”

  “And you’ve turned into a pain in the butt since the day you were born.”

  “Oh, such a lame comeback.”

  Max and Ivy kept up the verbal sparring until they reached the nursery, and despite herself, Ivy felt better. Max knew exactly how to brighten her spirits – by being a moron – and she was almost ready to let go of her anger when she noticed the door to the greenhouse was open.

  “What the … ?”

  “Did you leave it like that?” Max asked, confused.

  “I never leave it like that,” Ivy said. “Someone must’ve been in here. If Dad messed up my decorations, he’s going to be in big trouble.”

  Max instinctively reached out and grabbed Ivy’s arm before she could touch the door handle. He yanked her back to the spot in front of him and glanced around, as if searching for a specific face.

  “What are you doing?” Ivy asked.

  “That door was jimmied, Ivy,” Max said, pointing toward the grooves on the wood next to the lock. “That means someone broke in. Dad didn’t do this.”

  Grim realization caused Ivy’s shoulders to sink. “Do you think … ?”

  She didn’t finish the question because Max was already pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I don’t know what to think,” he said. “I’m definitely calling Jack, though.”

  Fourteen

  “What do you have?”

  Brian and Jack arrived at the nursery ten minutes after Max called. Brian couldn’t be sure, but it was almost as if Jack was expecting the eldest Morgan sibling to have an emergency. Jack was morose from the moment he hit the station, and then he proceeded to fixate on his files and investigation notes instead of engaging in menial chitchat. Brian was alert from the beginning of his shift. Then, when the call came, Jack practically bolted through the door.

  “We came up to the greenhouse from that direction,” Max said, pointing toward the woods on the other side of the structure. “We noticed the door was open right away. At first Ivy thought Dad might’ve gone in there, but then I caught sight of the grooves.”

  “I see them,” Brian said, hunkering down so he could study the tool marks on an even level. “I think someone used the claw side of a hammer to push it open. Have you been inside?”

  “We thought it was better to wait for you,” Max said.

  “That’s smart,” Jack said, shifting his eyes to a belligerent-looking Ivy. She stood next to the naked maple at the edge of the building, her arms crossed over her chest, and glared daggers in his direction. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m mad at you.”

  “That’s not what I asked,” Jack prodded. “Are you okay?”

  “She’s fine,” Max said. “She’s just … being her.”

  “Yes, well, I would appreciate hearing the words from her,” Jack said. “I’m not asking you to give up your anger. I am asking for some common decency when I ask you a pointed question.”

  Ivy extended her tongue and blew out a loud and wet sigh. “I’m fine.”

  “Great,” Jack said, earning a curious look from Brian. “What?”

  “What happened to the flowers and unicorns you two usually toss at one another when you’re in close proximity?” the older cop asked. “Trouble in paradise?”

  “We’re fighting,” Jack replied. “She’s entitled to her anger. Although … I would like to point out that this little incident actually proves I was right to call Max to hang out with you today.”

  “Ah, I understand now,” Brian said, shaking his head. “You went into protection mode and she’s got her hackles up. She’ll get over it.”

  “I know,” Jack said, turning back to the door. “Let’s check out the inside and see if anything has been messed with.”

  “I think you’re going to need me for that,” Ivy called out. “I’m the only one who knows if something has been touched.”

  “I’m going to touch you with my foot in your behind if you’re not careful,” Jack threatened, pushing open the door. “I was just here the other night. I know exactly how it’s supposed to look.”

  Jack took a bold step inside and frowned. “Huh.”

  “What?” Brian asked, moving to his side. “Do you see something?”

  Jack swiveled, his eyes busy as they took in all the work Ivy had done. He’d been in the greenhouse the day before, but he didn’t give it a good look before tearing off into the woods after Ivy. Once they returned he was too distracted to pay attention.

  “I have no idea if anything has been touched,” Jack admitted. “It looks like one great big mess to me.”

  Brian pursed his lips together to keep from laughing as he cast his gaze toward the open door. “Ivy, do you want to take a look around?”

  Ivy was haughty as she sauntered inside, Max close on her heels. She moved through the greenhouse methodically, scanning every nook and cranny. When she got close to Jack, she made a big show of stepping around his tense body without touching him. One look at his partner told Brian this was pure torture for the man.

  “Anything?” Brian asked after a few minutes.

  “I don’t think anything is missing,” Ivy said. “Those pots weren’t there yesterday, though.” She pointed to three clay pots with painted faces on a nearby shelf. “They were on the ground.”

  “Okay, well, we’re going to see if we can process this place for fingerprints,” Brian said. “We’ll focus on the door and the pots.”

  “That won’t ruin anything, will it?” Ivy’s expression slipped. “I’ve put so much work into the greenhouse.”

  Jack took pity on her. “I won’t let them ruin anything.”

  “I’m still mad at you,” Ivy muttered.

  “I still won’t let them ruin anything,” Jack said. “I mean … if you give me a hug, I won’t let them ruin anything.”

  “No way!” Ivy stomped her foot against the ground. “That’s not how being angry works. I can’t give you a hug when I’m ticked off because you’re being a jackhole.”

  Jack extended a threatening finger. “I’ve told you numerous times not to call me that,” he said. “I don’t like you using my name as an insult.”

  “I’ve been using that word since I was a kid!”

  “She has,” Max confirmed. “It’s not a new thing. It’s bad luck for you, but it’s hardly because of you.”

  “Thank you, Max,” Jack intoned. “What else have you been doing today … besides ga
nging up on me, I mean?”

  “We went to the fairy ring.”

  Jack’s temper flared at the words. “You took her to the fairy ring after what happened?”

  “What happened?” Brian asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

  “Nothing.” Jack, Ivy, and Max answered in unison.

  “Something obviously happened,” Brian argued.

  “How about you just call for the tech team and I’ll handle this conversation?” Jack suggested, his tone sugary sweet even though the words had some kick.

  “Fine.” Brian held up his hands. “I’m too old for this drama anyway. I’ll be outside.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jack waited until he was sure Brian was out of earshot before he exploded. “How could you take her out there? What if something had happened to her?”

  “I wanted to see it for myself,” Max replied, unruffled. “Someone was definitely standing behind that tree and I swear it looked as if someone was running through the leaves. They were all messed up.”

  “Really?” Jack was both agitated and relieved by the news.

  “Oh, see, he thought I was crazy and now he can breathe easier because I wasn’t making it up,” Ivy complained.

  “I never thought you were making it up,” Jack snapped. “I … .” He had no idea how he was supposed to fix the problem so he switched tactics. “Hopefully we’ll find some prints and track down whoever is doing this. It won’t be long now.”

  Ivy snorted. “You don’t know that,” she said. “What if whoever broke in here doesn’t have prints on file? What if whoever broke in here isn’t the same person who killed Jeff Johnson? What if … ?”

  Jack closed the distance between them and shut her up with a scorching kiss before she could get a full head of steam. When he took a step back, they were both red-faced and gasping.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “Because I needed to kiss you,” Jack answered. “You can go back to being mad now.”

  “I … .” Ivy looked helpless. “Beat him up, Max! That was uncalled for.”

  “Oh, no,” Max intoned. “I’m staying out of this freak show. There’s no way I’m getting involved. You people are on your own.”

  “DO YOU want to tell me what’s up with you and Ivy?”

  After the state police’s tech team left Ivy’s greenhouse – and Max and Jack worked overtime to fix the door so no one else could wander inside – the two police officers returned to the station. Jack refused to talk about the incident at the greenhouse all afternoon, and by the time Jeff Johnson’s visitation rolled around, Brian was pretty much at his wit’s end.

  They walked to the funeral parlor in silence, but five minutes of watching Jack scan the room from a corner was pretty much all Brian could take.

  “Nothing is up with Ivy and me,” Jack replied. “We’re just … fighting. We always fight. You should recognize the act.”

  “You don’t usually fight like this, though.”

  “Sure we do.”

  “No, you usually fight in a way that makes it clear you’re going to rip each other’s clothes off the minute you get home,” Brian said. “Now, that makes me uncomfortable because I’ve known her since she was knee-high and running around in pigtails. I pretend not to notice, though.

  “What I saw this afternoon was completely different, my friend,” he continued. “She’s clearly angry and you’re letting her maintain distance because … well, I’m not rightly sure why you’re letting her do it.”

  “It’s a private thing.”

  “Since when is anything you do with Ivy private?” Brian challenged. “I’ve spent months listening to talk about her eyes … and smile … and the cute way she snores when she’s really tired. If you wanted to enact privacy rules, you should’ve done it before I had to listen to that.”

  “It’s not something I can really talk about,” Jack said. “Basically I called Max to watch her today because I’m not convinced her illness is really behind her and she’s ticked off.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. It wasn’t the complete truth either.

  “Oh, is that all?” Brian furrowed his brow. “She’ll get over that.”

  “I hope so,” Jack said, shifting his eyes to the door and groaning when he saw Ivy and Max walk through it. “Seriously? Is she trying to kill me?”

  Brian pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at Jack’s outraged expression. Personally, he wasn’t at all surprised to see Ivy. She was just as involved in the case as his partner. The fact that Jack somehow believed she would actually remain behind was almost cute, though.

  “Don’t go over there,” Brian warned, grabbing Jack’s arm and jerking him back toward the corner when the taller man made a move to intercept Ivy. “She’s not doing anything wrong and she knew Jeff for a number of years. She has a right to pay her respects.”

  “She’s supposed to be home,” Jack gritted out. “She’s supposed to be resting.”

  “And you’re supposed to be focusing on the potential suspects in this room,” Brian pointed out. “Who do you think has a motive?”

  “They all seem to have a convoluted motive if you want to break it down in that manner,” Jack said, briefly locking gazes with Ivy and scowling when she feigned happiness and offered him an exaggerated wave. “I’m going to … .”

  “You’re going to blow your stack and then beg her to forgive you because the nights are getting cold and you’re addicted to her pie,” Brian said, realizing the double meaning of what he said when it was too late to take it back. “Er, wait. That might’ve come out wrong.”

  “Oh, pie,” Jack complained. “She was going to make me an apple pie before I ticked her off. Well, I’ll never see that.”

  “You’ll see it. Stop being so dramatic.”

  “I can’t help myself,” Jack admitted. “She makes me nuts.”

  “You make her nuts, too. That’s why you work.”

  “I’m not sure I can take much more of this, though,” Jack said, gesturing in Ivy’s direction as she moved to Karen’s side. “She’s pretending I’m not even in the room.”

  “She’s doing that for your benefit because she wants you to break first,” Brian supplied. “It’s a power struggle. If you go over there, she wins. If she comes over here, you win.”

  “In what scenario do we both win?”

  “The one where you go home together and pretend nothing happened once you’re out of the public eye.”

  “I hope that happens soon,” Jack said, shaking himself out of his reverie and turning his attention to the door. “I … uh-oh.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Brian said, following his partner’s gaze. “What do you see?”

  Jack pointed toward the doorframe between the lobby and the viewing room and shook his head when Maisie Washington strode through the archway. She was decked out in a short black dress with fishnet stockings and one of those pill hats with a little veil. She looked like a grieving widow, not a furious mistress.

  “Oh, well, this isn’t going to go well,” Jack said, moving to intercept Maisie. It was already too late, though. She’d caught sight of Karen and was heading in that direction.

  “You!” Maisie planted her hands on her hips and stared Karen down. “You killed him, didn’t you? You knew we were going to be happy and you just couldn’t stand losing to the better woman.”

  “Can someone throw out the trash?” Karen asked, lazily running her hand over her huge belly. She didn’t even make a move to get out of the chair.

  “I’m talking to you!” Maisie moved to grab Karen’s arm, but Ivy stopped her with a slap of the hand. Maisie’s eyes widened. “Are you seriously getting involved in this?”

  “Don’t push me,” Ivy warned. “I’ve already proven I’ll take you down just because I enjoy it. If you touch Karen again, though, I’m going to do it in front of all these people.”

  “Son of a … .” Jack muttered under his breath as he shot Ivy a warning look. She stea
dfastly ignored him.

  “You’re not a part of this,” Maisie snapped.

  “Neither are you,” Karen pointed out. “Jeff was still my husband. You’re nothing here. You’re not even that filmy crust left over the next morning after people cry themselves to sleep. I want you out of here.”

  “I have every right to be here,” Maisie argued. “I was the love of Jeff’s life.”

  “If that’s true, how come he didn’t leave Karen?” Ivy challenged. “If you guys were going to live happily ever after, how come he didn’t take the first step and make you happy?”

  “I … .” Maisie’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Mind your own business!”

  “Okay, Maisie, I think that’s enough,” Brian said, grabbing her arm. “It’s not your place to do this. You shouldn’t be making a scene. Show some respect.”

  “Respect? Have they been respecting me?”

  “What’s to respect?” Ivy asked. “You’re a whore. You’ve always been a whore.”

  “Ivy!” Jack was dumbfounded by her response. He knew she didn’t like Maisie, but she was downright aggressive whenever the woman showed her face these days. “I think you should leave, too.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it,” Karen said, struggling to her feet. “I’m pretty sure I’m the one who is going to leave. I can’t take one more minute of this … tripe.”

  For one brief moment Karen looked as if she was stable … and then she pitched forward. Only Jack’s reflexes stopped her from crashing into the glass coffee table in front of the couch.

  “Call the paramedics,” Jack bellowed, struggling to maintain Karen’s weight. “Tell them there’s a pregnant woman in distress. Someone call them right now.”

  Fifteen

  “How is she?”

  Ivy spent the first twenty minutes after her arrival at the clinic pacing the lobby without making eye contact with Jack. Once she saw Dr. Nesbitt call him and Brian into a room to brief them on Karen’s prognosis, she tried to listen outside the door, but Jack shut it so she couldn’t hear – which offended her and elated him when he saw her furious face through the window. Finally she had no choice but to approach him – which was exactly what he wanted.