Jared shook his head. “I don’t think they care, Harper.”
“No, that’s not true,” Ivy protested. “I think it’s neat that you’re morel hunting for the first time. It’s a great way to spend a day.”
“Yes, I’m enjoying it right now.” Jack made a face. “Ivy treats it like an Olympic sport, though, so I’m resigned to wasting the entire afternoon doing this.”
“I think you had a chance of convincing her otherwise until we showed up,” Jared said. “Sorry about that.”
Jack shrugged. “That’s how it goes. Besides, nothing would’ve convinced her otherwise. It was simply a momentary distraction.”
“You’ve got that right,” Ivy agreed. “In fact … .” She didn’t get a chance to finish because a blood-curdling scream split the air and caused all four of them to jerk their heads to the area behind Harper and Jared.
“What was that?” Jack asked, instantly alert.
Harper and Jared spoke at the same time, their stomachs twisting. “Zander.”
And just like that, both couples bolted in the direction of the scream, the tranquility of a morel hunting day forgotten. Something was about to go very bad. There was no doubt about that.
Three
“What the heck was that?” Ivy was tense with fear when they burst through the bushes.
Jack protectively shoved his arm in front of her as they closed the distance on whoever was screaming as if he or she had lost a limb. Their new friends didn’t hesitate, though, and kept running forward.
“Zander!” Harper bellowed.
“Heart, don’t just run through there.” Jared made a grab for Harper’s waist … and missed. He swore under his breath as he followed.
Jack and Ivy were more reticent, although Jack’s cop training was on full display. He couldn’t help but notice that Jared moved in the exact same manner. He pushed the thought out of his mind, filing it away for later, and focused on the dark-haired man standing in the center of a small clearing. His features were ashen, his arm shaking as he pointed toward a bush.
“What’s going on?” Harper asked, her cheeks flushed with color. “What is it?”
“It’s … it’s … it’s … .” Zander couldn’t seem to find the words as he intermittently stamped his foot on the ground and gestured with his quaking hand.
“Did you see a bear or something?” Ivy wasn’t overly worried as she took in the situation. She’d seen more than one “city person” come to the woods and melt down.
“Not a bear.” Shawn appeared from behind a tree, his face grim. He had a hand on his stomach and looked as if he was one missed breath away from passing out. “There’s a body.”
“Where?” Jack snapped to attention even as Jared squared his shoulders.
“I’m going to guess it’s where that guy is pointing,” Ivy supplied.
Jack flicked her a warning look. “You stay here.”
“Wait a second … .” Jared extended a hand to still Jack. “You can’t just wander over there. You might disturb evidence.”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “And who are you again?”
“Jared Monroe. I’m a police detective with the Whisper Cove department.”
“Ah, well, I wondered.” Jack took a moment to rub his chin. “I happen to be a detective, too. I’m with the Shadow Lake department, though, which means this is my jurisdiction.”
“Oh.” Jared clearly wasn’t happy with the news. “I guess that means you’re in charge.”
“I guess so.”
“Oh, geez.” Ivy made a face as she stepped forward. “Either whip them out and measure them or go over there and see if there’s really a body, will you?”
Jack scorched Ivy with a dark glare while Harper hid a nervous giggle behind her hand. “Stay here.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” Ivy mock saluted and rolled her eyes.
“It’s a body.” Zander was more sure of himself, less shaky. “I know what a body looks like.”
“You do.” Harper did her best to soothe Zander. “It’s okay. I believe you.”
“She doesn’t.” Zander’s eyes were accusatory when they locked with Ivy’s. “She thinks I’m making it up.”
Ivy refused to be drawn into a fight. “I didn’t say that. I simply told Jack he should confirm it.”
“No, you said he should make sure there’s really a body over there,” Zander argued. “As if I would somehow be confused by a stick or something.”
Ivy chewed on her bottom lip as she stared. “I wasn’t trying to offend you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jared said as he followed Jack toward the bushes in question. “He’s easily flummoxed.”
Zander was scandalized. “I’m not easily flummoxed … and how dare you say something like that!”
Jared merely shrugged. “I stand corrected. Obviously you’re the most easygoing guy I know. Now … stay over there.”
Zander twisted his face into something sarcastic. “Oh, I’ll try to refrain from staring at the dead body for fun.”
Ivy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. It wasn’t a funny moment. Actually, it was the opposite. She couldn’t seem to shake herself free of the surreal need to chuckle, though. Ivy shifted so she could watch Jack. She knew by the way his shoulders tensed that whatever he found wasn’t good. Jared stood close and the two men murmured together, and finally when Jack lifted his head Ivy saw the truth written on his face.
“Who is it?”
Jack held up his hands and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Do you want me to look?”
“I … .” Jack broke off, uncertain. “I don’t think you should see this, honey,” he said after a beat. “It’s not pretty.”
“I grew up in the woods. I know what to expect.” Ivy took a determined step forward, only stopping when Jack held up his hand. “I know what scavengers do to a body, Jack.”
“I know that.” Jack kept his tone even. “It’s not just scavengers, though.”
Jack’s face reflected a myriad of emotions, including sympathy, sadness, worry and revulsion. Ivy recognized the strong set of his shoulders and jaw.
“Okay. What do you want me to do?” Ivy asked. “Do you want me to see if I can get Brian on the phone?”
“Who is Brian?” Jared asked.
“My partner,” Jack replied. “That’s not a bad idea, but I’m going to have to stay with the body. That means you’re going to have to go to the road and wait for him to arrive. I’m not sure I want you doing that alone.”
Ivy realized what he wasn’t saying. “Someone was murdered, huh? It wasn’t an accident.”
“Not unless you see a lot of accidents involving bodies with an open wound that were purposely left in the woods,” Jack replied. “It was definitely murder.”
“Do you know how?”
“Gunshot to the chest.”
“Man or woman?” Ivy was matter-of-fact as she tried to wrap her head around the situation.
“Woman.”
“Maybe … .” Ivy took another step closer, but Jack shook his head.
“Honey, please don’t.”
Jared widened his eyes at Jack’s pleading tone. “Am I missing something?”
Jack shook his head. “Ivy knows practically everyone in town. There’s a good chance she could identify the body.”
“Then why not let her look?”
“Because I don’t want her to see it and have nightmares,” Jack fired back. “It’s not really your concern.”
Jared recognized the tone. He also recognized the fact that he’d overstepped his boundaries. “I’m sorry.” He held up his hands in a placating manner. “I shouldn’t have gone there.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jack waved off the apology. “Ivy, call Brian and get him out here. Maybe one of our new friends can walk with you back to the road.”
Jared immediately bobbed his head. “I can do that.”
“Or you can stay here with Jack and Zander and I’ll wa
lk with her to the road,” Harper interjected.
“How is that better?” Jared asked, legitimately confused.
“Because Detective Harker doesn’t know you and I can tell he’s not comfortable letting you wander off with his girlfriend,” Harper replied.
“Fiancée,” Jack automatically corrected.
“Fiancée.” Harper smiled at Jack’s quick clarification. “I don’t blame him. For all he knows, you’re a demented pervert.”
“I know you and already think that,” Zander added.
Jared openly glared at Zander. “Don’t push me.”
“You can stay here and help Jack secure the scene,” Harper said. “I’m going to guess the road isn’t too far away, right?” She looked to Ivy for confirmation.
Ivy nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. The two of us will be able to get out to the road relatively quickly. Plus, we’re not going to be able to get a signal in here. We’re going to have to go to the road to do it. I’ll get Brian and the medical examiner out here.”
Jack wasn’t thrilled at the thought of being separated from her, but he could see no better solution. “Okay.” He walked to Ivy and tapped her chin to prod her to look up. “Be safe. Be good.”
“You, too.”
“I’m more worried about you.” Jack pressed a quick kiss to her mouth, arching an eyebrow as he watched Jared do the same with Harper. “Both of you be careful.”
“Definitely,” Jared agreed. “Also, Heart, you don’t spend a lot of time in the woods … especially these woods. If Ivy tells you to do something, you listen.”
Harper made a face. “I’ll be perfectly fine.”
“We both will be.” Ivy gestured toward a path through the trees. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Jack watched her with a conflicted expression on his face. “We’ll be waiting.”
“SO, UM, YOU’RE on vacation, huh?”
Ivy was mildly uncomfortable as she hiked through the woods with her new acquaintance.
“Yes.” Harper bobbed her head.
“And the cop is your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“What about the screamer?”
Harper’s expression was hard. “That’s Zander. He’s been my best friend since kindergarten. I would like to say that he’s not usually like that … but that would be a vicious lie.”
Ivy laughed, alleviating the tension. “That’s okay. It’s not every day that you find a body in the woods. He has a right to be upset.”
“Yeah, and I’m going to guess that whatever he saw wasn’t pretty,” Harper said. “Jack clearly didn’t want you to see it. Unless … is he overprotective?”
“Yes and no. I have to believe that whatever happened out here is bad, though. Otherwise he would’ve wanted me to see if I could identify her.”
“How will he identify her without you?”
“His partner Brian has been in Shadow Lake for a very long time,” Ivy explained. “He’s good friends with my parents, in fact. Brian should hopefully be able to identify her.”
“But Jack hasn’t been in Shadow Lake for a long time?” Harper was trying to read between the lines.
“No. Only a year.” Ivy’s smile was wistful. “Almost exactly a year, in fact.”
“You look happy about that,” Harper noted. “Not about the death, I mean. Just about him being in town for a year.”
“It’s an anniversary of sorts between us,” Ivy explained. “I met him a year ago today.”
“Oh.” Harper brightened. “Did you meet morel hunting?”
“Not exactly.”
Harper waited for Ivy to say more.
“It’s kind of a long story,” Ivy hedged.
“We appear to have time.”
“HOW LONG DO YOU think it will take them?” Jared’s expression was grave as he crouched down and stared at the ravaged body. “They aren’t in any danger of getting lost, are they? I mean … your girlfriend knows where she’s going, right?”
“Ivy knows these woods better than anyone,” Jack replied. “She’s out here all the time. It will be fine.”
“What do you mean?” Jared was puzzled. “Why would she be hanging around in the woods all the time?”
“Because she’s clearly crazy,” Zander answered. “Only a crazy person would risk constant tick assaults.”
Despite the serious nature of the situation, Jack snorted. “I don’t think you have to worry about ticks. I’ve been out in the woods numerous times since I moved here and never had a tick problem.”
“Maybe they don’t like you,” Zander suggested. “Maybe you taste bad or something. Look at me.” He ran his hands up and down his body. “This would be a tick’s prime choice for dinner. Admit it.”
Jack pressed the tip of his tongue against the back of his teeth to keep from laughing.
“Ignore him,” Jared instructed. “He’s high maintenance.”
“You’re high maintenance,” Zander shot back.
“You’re the one being high maintenance right now,” Shawn chided, resting his hand on Zander’s shoulder. “Be quiet and let them talk.”
“We should’ve gone with Harper,” Zander complained. “She’s out there alone with a stranger. That can’t be good.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jack challenged, his temper flaring.
Zander refused to back down. “Despite her really pretty hair – and I totally want to talk to her about how she gets the streaks to look so uniform, by the way – we know nothing about your girlfriend.”
“What is it you want to know?”
“Well, um, what were you doing out here?” Zander asked.
“Hunting for morels,” Jack replied, refusing to allow his tone to get away from him. “This is like Christmas to Ivy. Heck, this is better than Christmas to Ivy. Morel season is probably only second to Halloween in her book.”
“Oh. You were hunting morels, too?” Zander wrinkled his nose. “Are they worth all the trouble, because I’ve got to tell you, I thought the lady at the hotel was yanking my leg when she told me that people purposely go out looking for mushrooms.”
“They taste like feet,” Jack replied without hesitation.
Shawn jerked his head in Jack’s direction. “Come again.”
“They taste like feet,” Jack repeated. “The mushrooms are gross. They’re gritty and I think they smell. They’re absolutely terrible.”
“Then why are you out here?” Jared asked. “If you don’t like them … .”
“I love Ivy,” Jack replied. “She’s going to spend the next three weeks out here scouring the countryside for those feet mushrooms. I hate them. She loves them. She’s going to put them in everything.
“I’m not exaggerating,” he continued. “You wait. I’m going to end up with morel omelets, morel pasta, morels on the side of my steaks, morel soup … you name it. She’s going to be stuffing morels down me for the next month.”
“You don’t look altogether sad about that,” Jared noted.
“That’s because she’ll be happy.” Jack saw no reason to lie. “She’ll be happy with her stupid mushrooms so I’ll be happy by extension.”
“Even if you have to eat the feet mushrooms?” Shawn asked.
Jack shrugged. “Love does strange things to a man. I can’t explain it.”
Jared barked out a laugh. “Tell me about it. Still, you got a girlfriend who cooks. What’s that like?”
For lack of anything better to do, Jack leaned against a tree, crossed his arms over his chest, and proceeded to tell him. “Other than the feet mushrooms, it’s pretty decent.”
“HOW MUCH FARTHER?” Harper asked. They’d been walking for twenty minutes and she felt a burn in her calves.
“Not far.” Ivy was barely winded as she walked ahead of the blonde.
“I thought I was in such great shape until I tried to keep up with you,” Harper grumbled. “Now I’m starting to wonder if my trainer has been lying.”
“Y
ou have a trainer?”
“Shawn. He’s the other guy with us. He’s Zander’s boyfriend and he owns a gym. He’s been trying to make me work out more often.”
“That sounds annoying.” Ivy pointed toward the end of the path. “It’s not far now. Once we get out to the road, hopefully I’ll be able to get a signal on my cell. If not, we’re going to have to head down to my house.”
“Where is your house?”
“About three miles that way.” Ivy jerked her thumb. “It’s not far.”
“You live in the middle of the woods?” Harper couldn’t hide her distress. “Aren’t you worried about a Friday the 13th situation?”
Ivy snorted. “I love the woods. In fact, Jack and I are getting renovations done on my cottage right now so we can have more room. It’s not big enough if we ever want to … well, expand. We both love the location because it’s isolated, though.”
“Ah, fun.” Harper genuinely meant it.
“Plus the house backs up to my business property,” Ivy added.
“Oh, what do you do?”
“I run a plant nursery,” Ivy replied. “Trees. Bushes. Perennials. Annuals. You name it, we grow it. I’ve had the business for a few years and it’s really starting to boom now.”
“It sounds like you love what you do.”
“I do.”
“Good.”
“What about you?” Ivy turned her full attention to Harper. “What do you do for a living?”
“I run my own business, too.” Harper wasn’t embarrassed by what she did for a living and even though she knew there was a chance Ivy would balk, she barreled forward anyway. “It’s called Ghost Hunters, Inc. We help displaced spirits move over to the other side.”
Ivy’s mouth dropped open as she swiveled, causing Harper to brace herself for a verbal onslaught. Instead, Ivy was fascinated.
“Get out. Can you see ghosts?”
Harper nodded without hesitation. “Yes. I can talk to them, too.”
“Seriously?”
Wicked Ghostly Seas: A Rowan Gray, Harper Harlow and Ivy Morgan Mystery Omnibus Page 3