Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3

by Lily Harper Hart

  “You went for a walk in the woods alone? After dark?” Jack couldn’t help but be dubious. In the city, it was never wise to walk alone – no matter what neighborhood you were in. People didn’t always live by that rule, but it was a smart one to follow.

  “I grew up in this house,” Ivy said. “I know these woods like the back of my hand. I like to walk. It’s how I keep in shape. I don’t really think about it now.”

  “Okay,” Jack said, readjusting his thinking. “Did you hear anything last night?”

  “No,” Ivy said, shaking her head and causing her long hair to brush against her shoulders. “I sleep like the dead, though. I sleep with a fan. I like the white noise. Between that and Nicodemus purring, I really never wake up.”

  “And … um … were you alone?” Jack told himself he was asking the question out of professional necessity, but he honestly wasn’t so sure.

  “I was alone,” Ivy confirmed.

  “You’re not dating anyone? I’m only asking because I want to be able to ascertain if someone has the ability to come and go from the property without piquing your interest.”

  Ivy pressed her lips together, and for a second Jack wondered if she believed him. When she opened her mouth again to speak, he couldn’t hide his relief.

  “There’s no one spending the night here,” Ivy said. “It’s just me.”

  Jack nodded. “Okay. Well … I’m sure we’ll be in touch. For the time being, I think it would be wise to keep your nocturnal walks to a minimum. There could be someone dangerous out in these woods.”

  “I’ll take it under advisement.”

  Jack stilled. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I just … .”

  “You don’t know me,” Ivy said. “It’s okay. This is my home, though. If you don’t feel safe in your home there’s no sense in living there. Nothing will stop me from walking through the woods.”

  “But … .”

  Ivy held up her hand. “If it will make you feel better, I promise to be careful.”

  Jack wasn’t sure that did make him feel better. Something told him it was the best he was going to get, though.

  “WHEN will they do the autopsy?” Jack asked, sliding into his new desk chair and rocking back and forth to see if it was comfortable.

  “Probably not until tomorrow,” Brian said, dropping a file on his desk and glancing around. “It’s not like down south. We have limited resources.”

  “Sorry I was inside so long,” Jack said. “I just had a few questions to ask Ms. Morgan.”

  “I’m sure,” Brian said, pursing his lips.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Jack leaned forward, agitated.

  “It doesn’t mean anything,” Brian said, holding up his hand. “I just thought I might have sensed a little something between you and Ivy.”

  “A little something?”

  “Chemistry,” Brian replied, guileless.

  “We talked for five minutes in front of you and you think you saw chemistry? Are you sure your wife is the only meddlesome one?” Jack was going for levity, but he didn’t miss the uptick of his heartbeat.

  “Listen, I’m not telling you how to live your life,” Brian said. “It’s none of my business if you want to go to bed alone every night for the rest of your life. That doesn’t change the fact that I saw you looking at Ivy. Don’t feel bad about it. She’s a beautiful woman.”

  “She’s … okay,” Jack said carefully.

  Brian snorted. “Yeah. She’s … okay.”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “She’s still just a woman,” he said. “I’m not interested in a relationship. I already told you that. I have my reasons.”

  Brian’s face softened. If any man had reasons to build a wall around his heart it was Jack Harker. Still, he’d definitely witnessed something today – and it wasn’t just on Jack’s part. “Well, if you’re not interested in Ivy, you might want to find a way to let her down easy,” he said, changing tactics.

  Jack stilled. “Excuse me?”

  “You weren’t the only one I was feeling chemistry from,” Brian said. “Ivy couldn’t take her eyes off you either. You should be proud. I can’t remember the last time someone turned that girl’s head.”

  Jack’s chest puffed out, if only in his mind. Was that true? “I don’t think she was any more interested in me than I was in her. She’s a nice woman. She has a certain … flair. I’m still not interested.”

  “Of course you’re not,” Brian said. “You’re set in your ways. There’s no way a woman could change that.”

  “There’s not,” Jack said. “I can’t even think about something like that right now. I just … .”

  Brian’s face fell, instantly contrite. “I’m sorry. I guess I never considered why you wouldn’t want to deal with something like that right now. Still, being alone isn’t the way to a happy life.”

  “What makes you think I want a happy life?”

  “Everyone does.”

  “I don’t think that’s in the cards for me,” Jack said honestly. “I don’t have any grand dreams for a happy ending … or a white picket fence … or a wife and kids. I just want a little … peace.”

  Brian’s heart rolled. He’d never known someone to give up on dreaming. The idea made him sad. “You might change your mind,” he said. “If you do, I’m just saying that Ivy Morgan might be a nice place to start dreaming again.”

  “Because she’s a witch?” Jack’s eyes were twinkling.

  “Because she’s a good woman,” Brian said. “And, much like you, she doesn’t care about fitting in.”

  “Who says I don’t care?”

  “Your face,” Brian said, snickering. “Just get settled and think about it. I would hate to think of you going through life alone. I don’t want to think of Ivy doing it either, and I wasn’t lying about her turning up her nose at almost every man who has ever tried to go after her.”

  “I’m sure Ivy doesn’t want to put up with my problems any more than I want to deal with her … specific brand of oddness.”

  “Whatever,” Brian said. “I … .” He snapped his mouth shut when Ava sashayed into the room with a manila folder in her hand. “What’s up?”

  Ava’s face contorted. “Aren’t you ever happy to see me? Not even once?”

  “Not generally,” Brian said. “You’re usually up to no good.”

  “That’s just a horrible thing to say,” Ava said. “I don’t appreciate you talking badly about me.”

  “You’ll live,” Brian said, extending his hand. “What is that?”

  “It’s some file the coroner’s assistant dropped off,” Ava said, wrinkling her nose. “He seemed to think you’d want to see it right away.”

  Brian took the file and opened it, his eyes widening as he scanned the photographs inside. “Well, holy ... .”

  Jack leaned over, interested. “What is it?”

  Ava smiled at him, the expression bright and flirtatious. It seemed Ivy wasn’t the only one to take a shine to Shadow Lake’s newest resident, Brian mused. He couldn’t focus on that now, though. Brian handed the photos over to his new partner, and as soon as Jack focused on them he leaned forward.

  “What are these?”

  “They look like evil symbols,” Ava replied.

  Brian glared at her. “Did you look in that file?”

  “The photos just slipped out,” Ava said.

  “You’re not supposed to look in a private file,” Brian snapped. “That’s not part of your job description.”

  “Take it up with the chief.”

  Brian scowled. That was a sticky situation, especially since the chief also happened to be Ava’s father. That was how she got the job in the first place. “I will.” Dan Moffett may be Ava’s father, but he was also Brian’s longtime friend. “He and I will definitely be having a talk.”

  Ava shot him a look. “Don’t you threaten me.”

  Brian ignored her and turned his attention back to Jack. “What do you think?”


  “I think these symbols look … satanic.”

  “That’s what I thought when I saw them,” Brian agreed.

  “Well, that makes sense,” Ava said. “They were found carved into the skin of a woman whose body just happened to be found on Ivy Morgan’s property. She’s your suspect.”

  “Do you really think Ivy is capable of killing someone?” Brian asked.

  “Of course,” Ava said. “She’s a Devil worshipper. That’s what they do. Mark my words: Ivy Morgan is not only responsible for this dead girl, but she’ll be responsible for the next one, too. She’s evil … and she’s just getting started.”

  Four

  “Hey there, pop tart.”

  Ivy lowered the book she was reading and glared at her older brother with unveiled disgust. “I hate it when you call me that, Max.”

  “I know,” Max said, tousling Ivy’s hair with one hand while he clasped a brown paper bag in the other. “I brought dinner.”

  Ivy wrinkled her nose, torn. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with her brother – or the drama he often brought into her life – but she also wasn’t particularly looking forward to cooking for herself. It was a hard choice. “What did you bring me?”

  “A Greek salad and tomato soup from the diner.”

  Well, that did it. There was no way she could turn down her favorite soup. “Sold,” Ivy said, leaning forward so she could reach for the bag. When Max jerked it away from her, she scowled. “What are you doing? I thought you were here to feed me.”

  “I am here to feed you,” Max said, studying Ivy’s face soberly. “I’m also here to see if you’re okay. I can’t feed you until I’m sure you’re all right.”

  “What makes you think I’m not okay?” Ivy asked, averting her blue eyes from the matching set her brother sported.

  “You found a dead body today,” Max said. “You were the talk of the town.”

  “Aren’t I always?”

  “Only when I’m not vying for top billing,” Max said, tilting his dark head to the side. “How are you really feeling?”

  “Conflicted,” Ivy admitted, dropping the book on the small table next to her lounge chair. “I can’t help but wonder if she was killed in my front yard.”

  “And if she was, you want to know if there’s something you could’ve done to save her,” Max said. “I get it, Ivy. The thing is, I’m glad you didn’t hear anything.”

  “But I could have saved her.”

  “You don’t know that, Ivy,” Max said. “You might want to believe otherwise, but there’s no way of knowing that. Personally, I think you might have ended up in the ditch right next to her. As much trouble as you are – and you are a big, old barrel of it – I still couldn’t imagine my life without you.”

  “I thought you told Mom and Dad that you wanted to give me back to Santa Claus one Christmas. Didn’t you want to exchange me for a truck?”

  “It was a whole package of Matchbox cars, actually. Get it right,” Max said, smirking. “There’s no accounting for taste. If you must know, I would have regretted that trade after a few years.”

  “Years?”

  “Matchbox cars are built to last, pop tart.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “I try.” Max tugged on a strand of Ivy’s hair. “I do love you, Ivy.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Good,” Max said. “Now I’m going to feed you.”

  “How did you know I hadn’t eaten yet?”

  “Because I know the way your mind works,” Max said, digging into the bag and doling out the food. “You would have just gnawed on this until you couldn’t take it for another second. Then you’d have gone for a hike in the woods. Then you would have gone to bed hungry. I know you better than you know yourself sometimes.”

  “You don’t know everything.”

  “I know enough,” Max countered. “So, you’re going to eat your dinner, and then we’re going to go for your nightly walk together.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of walking alone,” Ivy said, irritation building. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Don’t think of it as babysitting,” Max said, winking. “Think of it as me being bigger than you and you not having a choice.”

  Ivy crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s worse.”

  “I know,” Max said. “That’s why I want you to think about it that way.”

  “We should’ve exchanged you for those Matchbox cars when I was a kid.”

  “It’s too late now.”

  “THAT was good,” Ivy admitted, finishing the final bite of salad and resting her fork against the table. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

  “That’s because you’re more interested in taking care of others than yourself,” Max said, wiping the grease from his hamburger from his chin. “Why do you think you have me?”

  “I thought it was so my ego never got out of hand,” Ivy teased.

  “Even I’m not up for that task,” Max said. “Tell me about the new cop.”

  Ivy faltered, her chest inexplicably warming at the thought of Jack Harker. She had no idea why, but the mere mention of the man was enough to give her heart a little flutter. “What do you mean?”

  Max’s face was unreadable. “I heard he was out here with Brian Nixon,” he replied, oblivious. “I want to know what he’s like. I hear there’s already a rush to get the first date with him. I think Maisie and Ava are working the hardest, but I heard all the women at the hair salon are planning to take him dinners this week.”

  Ivy made a face. “He seemed … fine.”

  “I need more than that,” Max said. “Is he competition for me?”

  “Competition?” Ivy was confused.

  “I’m the most eligible bachelor in town,” Max said. “I like my title. I’ve heard this guy could give me a run for my money. I wouldn’t mind foisting Maisie and Ava off on him, but I like the rest of my harem as it is.”

  Sometimes Ivy didn’t understand men, and this was one of those times. She couldn’t hide her scowl as she tried to tamp down her irritation. “Harem? Do you have any idea how insulting that is?”

  “I think it just bothers you because you’re a feminist.”

  “I’m not a feminist … well, I am … but you’re still a pig,” Ivy shot back. “That’s just really insulting.”

  “Is he better looking than me or not?” Max asked, nonplussed. “That’s all I want to know.”

  “I don’t think I’m the best judge of that,” Ivy said, skirting around the question.

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re my brother,” Ivy replied. “I’m incapable of being attracted to you. It’s not a level playing field.”

  “Oh, crap,” Max grumbled. “I heard he was good looking. This is going to tick me off. It’s going to totally ruin my summer. I can just feel it. I’m going to have to go back to the gym and bulk up.”

  Ivy grinned, love for her brother and his outrageous outlook on life bubbling up. “I’m sure you’ll be okay,” she said. “The women are always going to love you. They can’t help it. You’re just … lovable.”

  “I am lovable,” Max agreed, leaning back in his chair and letting his gaze shift to the woods. The sun was setting, and the fading light cast an eerie pall over the trees. Max was just about to suggest starting their walk when the rest of Ivy’s words washed over him. “Wait a second. You said you couldn’t be attracted to me so it wasn’t an apt comparison. Does that mean you’re attracted to him?”

  Ivy jumped to her feet and started collecting the empty food containers. “Are you ready for our walk?”

  JACK parked on the street in front of Ivy’s house, being careful to hide his pickup truck behind a thick outcropping of trees as he studied the small cottage. He had no idea why he was out here. He kept telling himself it was out of professional curiosity, a need to see the spot where the body was found again fueling him, but he couldn’t be sure that was really true.

>   He just had to see Ivy again. He couldn’t explain it.

  Jack had just about made up his mind to man up and knock on the door, thoughts of asking her to identify the symbols washing through his head as an excuse for his appearance, when he saw it open to allow Ivy’s exit. Jack couldn’t help but smile when he saw her, the cute skirt from earlier replaced by a pair of tight yoga pants and a T-shirt. The smile faded when he saw the man walk out of the cottage behind her. He was tall, and the way they were animatedly talking to one another left no room for confusion. Whoever he was, Ivy obviously adored him.

  She’d lied to him. She was dating someone.

  “I’M not talking about this with you,” Ivy said, jumping up on a stump so she could evade Max’s sneaky hand as he reached for her. It was a brother’s prerogative to put his sister in a headlock whenever the mood struck. That’s what Max had told her – on a regular basis, mind you – since they were children anyway. She knew exactly what he would try to do to get her to talk.

  “Don’t you even try to be cute,” Max said, extending his finger and wagging it in Ivy’s face as she giggled. “Tell me about the cop. I want to know what you see in him.”

  “I didn’t say I saw anything in him,” Ivy argued. “You made that up in your own head.”

  “No, I didn’t,” Max said. “I know you as well as you know yourself. You have the hots for the new cop. Don’t you dare lie.”

  “I don’t have the hots for him.”

  “Ivy,” Max warned.

  “I find him … interesting.”

  “Define interesting.”

  “I can’t define it,” Ivy said, shifting so she could balance on one foot and stretch at the same time. She was incredibly limber, and she liked to play balancing games whenever she could. She knew it especially annoyed Max because he wasn’t known for being graceful. He was a bear on the football field. Unfortunately, he was also one on the dance floor.

  Max stilled, rubbing his hand against his chin as he thoughtfully studied his sister. “You haven’t liked a guy in … crap … I can’t remember the last guy you liked. This one must be something special.”

  “I barely know him,” Ivy said. “I talked to him for all of ten minutes. I gave him a glass of iced tea, we talked about Nicodemus, he asked me a few questions, and then he left.”