“That’s probably best.”
Max greeted Jack with an outstretched hand and a wide smile. “Hey, man. We were just talking about you.”
“I heard,” Jack said. “Your father seems to know all about me.”
“You were the topic of much conversation between the airport and here,” Luna said, getting to her feet. “I’m Luna. It’s so nice to meet you.” She gave Jack an appraising look. “So … nice.”
Jack felt like a piece of meat on a grill. “I … um … thanks.”
“Stop trying to make him feel uncomfortable,” Ivy said, slipping around Jack and moving back into the living room. “He’s had a rough twenty-four hours. How is your Poison Ivy, by the way?”
“Is that what that is?” Max asked, leaning forward. “I was wondering. The guys down at the diner this afternoon said it looked like you had a hickey.”
“I fell into some Poison Ivy yesterday,” Jack said. “Ivy was nice enough to give me some lotion.”
“Where is there Poison Ivy around here?” Max asked, making a face. “I don’t want to risk running into it.”
“It was out at her fairy ring.”
Max straightened his shoulders and fixed Ivy with an incredulous look. “You took him to your fairy ring?”
“We took a walk,” Ivy replied, irritated. She knew what he was insinuating, and she didn’t like it. “We needed some air. He wanted to see the fairy ring. It’s not like it’s a big deal.”
“If you say so,” Max said.
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “I really don’t want to interrupt your reunion,” he said. “I just have one quick thing to discuss with Ivy. If I can borrow her for a minute, I promise to give her right back.”
“You can keep her if you want,” Max suggested.
“I … .”
“Ignore him,” Ivy said. “He’s purposely being a pain. What do you need?”
“Um … are you sure you want me to tell you in front of your parents?”
“They’re going to find out anyway,” Ivy said. “They have … ways … of getting any information they want.”
“Max?”
“Yup.”
Jack snickered. “Well … we identified the victim.”
Ivy perked up. “You did? Who is she?”
Jack told Ivy about his afternoon, keeping the story as short as possible. When he got to the part about Chad, Ivy’s pretty face twisted.
“Chad Hamilton? I haven’t heard that name in years,” Max said. “You really dodged a bullet with that one, pop tart.”
“Stop calling me that,” Ivy said before turning back to Jack. “Are you sure it’s the same Chad Hamilton?”
“Brian seems to think so. I was hoping to get some insight from you before I drive up there tomorrow to talk to him.”
Ivy rubbed her forehead, and Jack could practically see the conflict as it pressed down on her shoulders.
“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to,” Jack said.
“It’s not that,” Ivy said. “I just … I think I should go up there with you.”
Jack was surprised. “You want to go up there with me? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Ivy admitted. “It’s just a feeling. Do you have a problem if I go with you?”
“No,” Jack said. “I … I’m sure that will be fine. What about the nursery, though?”
“I guess I can shut it down for part of the day,” Ivy said.
“I’ll take care of it,” Michael said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I thought you were off until Monday?”
“I changed my mind,” Michael said. “This sounds important. I think you should go up there. I’m kind of curious how Chad is doing these days.”
“He was always such a nice boy before … well … before his troubles,” Luna said. “I always hoped he would turn things around.”
“It sounds like he’s turning things around in a weird way,” Max said. “He sounds … creepy.”
“He does,” Michael said. “That’s why I’m glad Ivy won’t be alone. She’ll have Jack here with her.”
“I guess that’s right,” Jack said, forcing a tight smile on his face. “So … we’re going together?”
“Pick me up here tomorrow morning,” Ivy said. “I’ll fill you in on Chad during the drive.”
“Okay,” Jack said. “Can you be ready by seven?”
“Yes.”
Jack moved toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, wait, what’s your rush?” Luna asked. “You should stay for dinner.”
“I’m not hungry,” Jack said hurriedly. “I … this is your family time.”
Luna ignored him. “What kind of dressing do you like on your salad?”
Jack sighed, looking to Ivy for help. “There’s no way out of this, is there?”
“Just tell her what kind of dressing you like. She’ll make things really uncomfortable if you try to fight her.”
“Is it possible for things to be more uncomfortable?”
“You have no idea,” Ivy said.
“So, Jack, tell me about your family,” Luna said, smiling.
“You’re not married, are you?” Michael asked.
Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I would love some ranch dressing.”
Sixteen
“Your parents seem nice.”
Jack picked Ivy up promptly at seven the next morning. Five minutes later he was struggling for a conversational topic that wouldn’t leave them both feeling uncomfortable. It wasn’t going well.
“They’re good people,” Ivy said. “They just don’t respect other people’s boundaries.”
“They’re nice,” Jack said. “You’re lucky to have them.”
“I know,” Ivy said. “They’re just … work.”
“The best things in life often are.”
“I guess.”
They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Jack broke it. “Tell me about Chad Hamilton.”
“He was a … good guy,” Ivy said. “I had trouble finding anyone who wanted to date me in high school, so when he started sniffing around, I was naturally suspicious. He turned out to be one of the good ones, though. At least at the start.”
“Wait … why did you have trouble finding dates in high school?”
“Look at me.”
Jack was having trouble looking anywhere else. “You’re very … attractive,” he said. “Were you a late bloomer or something?”
Ivy shrugged, her cheeks coloring under Jack’s compliment. “Not really. I mean … I don’t think I looked particularly awful. I wasn’t any great beauty, but I was … passable.”
“Passable?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Ivy said. “I was a normal-looking teenage girl. It is what it is.”
“I don’t believe you,” Jack said. “There’s nothing about you that’s normal, including your looks. That’s neither here nor there, though. Why didn’t you date?”
“People thought I was weird,” Ivy said. “Don’t get me wrong, they still think I’m weird, but when you’re weird in high school it turns people off. Chad was one of the few guys who bothered to look past the weird and try to get to know me.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know,” Ivy said. “That’s a good question, though. I’ve never really thought about it. He was friends with Max … kind of … but I knew him more through school. One day it was just like he was always there. He was always asking about my day and trying to hold my hand and … well … finally, I gave in and agreed to go out with him.”
“How long did you date?”
“We were together through half of our junior year and all of our senior year.”
“So you were there when he tore his ACL?”
Ivy nodded. “Before he hurt himself, I used to think he was bigger than life,” she said. “After, though, that’s when I realized it was all an act. It was
a good one, too. He had me snowed. Still, I convinced myself he was just going through a rough time and he would snap out of it.
“By the time spring rolled around and his baseball career was over, though, I knew he would never be the same boy he once was,” she continued.
“When did you finally break up with him?”
“When I caught him sharing a tent with Maisie on the end-of-summer camping trip. Apparently it was cold and they had to huddle together in the same sleeping bag for warmth. Oh … and they were naked.”
Jack frowned. “He cheated on you?”
“I think he did it more than once,” Ivy said. “It doesn’t matter. I felt like he was cheating on me before I actually caught him in the act. I was trying to find a nice way to break up with him, but I ended up with a messy one that was carried out in front of everybody.”
“I’m sorry,” Jack said.
Ivy shifted her gaze to him. “Why? You didn’t do it.”
“I know. It’s still … that had to be rough.”
“I was a teenager. Everything that happens when you’re a teenager feels bigger than it usually is. I got over it.”
Jack wasn’t so sure. He had a feeling Chad’s betrayal was one of the reasons Ivy was so standoffish. “I’m still sorry. If it’s any consolation, I can’t see how anyone would be stupid enough to cheat on you. That had to be one of the dumbest moves this guy ever made.”
This time Jack didn’t miss the blush rising up Ivy’s cheeks. He knew flirting with her was a bad idea. He just couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“DO me a favor and stick close to me,” Jack said, surveying the expansive compound as he opened the passenger-side door of his truck. Without thinking what he was doing, he grabbed Ivy’s hand as he helped her out – and the second their skin touched an electric current passed between them.
Ivy jerked her hand back, signifying Jack wasn’t the only one who felt the jolt. “Chad wouldn’t hurt me.”
“You haven’t seen him in years,” Jack said, pressing his fingertips together absentmindedly. “You don’t know what kind of man he is today.”
“Are you going to be bossy?” Ivy asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
“Are you?” Jack shot back.
Ivy blew out a frustrated sigh. “I promise to stay close to you, master.”
“You’re cute,” Jack said. “That ‘master’ crack only turns me on, though.”
Ivy made a face. “Do you think that’s funny?”
“I think your reaction is funny,” Jack said, cracking a smile as his face softened. “Please, stay close to me. It will make me feel better.”
“Fine,” Ivy said. “I’m only agreeing because I still feel bad about the Poison Ivy, though.”
“You should feel worse about saddling me with that dinner last night,” Jack muttered.
“I heard that.”
“You were meant to.” Jack narrowed his eyes as he studied the compound. There were three rectangular buildings on the east side. They resembled barracks more than anything else. There were four large tents on the north side, and the fields to the west were tilled and ready for planting. There were a lot more than twenty people milling about, though. “How many people do you think are here?”
“It looks like more than fifty to me,” Ivy said. “I … this is creepy, right? Why are they all wearing robes?”
“I’m glad you think so, too,” Jack said. “I don’t want anyone accusing me of being judgmental.”
“There are a lot more women here than men,” Ivy said. “That has to be on purpose.”
“It looks like all women out there working in the field,” Jack said, pointing. “I have a feeling I’m going to stand out a lot more than you for once.”
“Honey, you stand out wherever you go,” Ivy said.
“Right back at you,” Jack said. “I don’t suppose you see your ex, do you?”
“Please don’t call him that,” Ivy said. “This place makes my skin crawl, and thinking he could have asked me to join him out here is totally freaking me out.”
“I’ve got your back … honey.”
Ivy made a face. “Don’t take it personally. I call everyone that.”
“I’ve got it … honey.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Jack grinned. He liked agitating her. When her feathers got ruffled she was even more beautiful, if that was possible. He opened his mouth to see how far he could push her, but the comment died on his lips when a young man stepped onto the path in front of them.
He looked timid and unsure at first, the blue robe setting off his angular features. After a few seconds of staring, though, he squared his shoulders and focused on the guests. “Can I help you?”
Ivy pasted a bright smile on her face. “Hi. My name is Ivy Morgan. We’re looking for Chad Hamilton. Do you think you could point us in the right direction?”
Jack was impressed with her fortitude.
“Why do you want Chad?”
“We went to high school together,” Ivy said, winking at the man and causing him to blush. “We’re old friends. I heard he was up here and I just wanted to … visit.”
The man narrowed his eyes. He looked suspicious, but Ivy was too pretty to deny. “Okay,” he said finally. “You wait here, though. Interlopers are not allowed to wander around without an escort.”
“Thank you … what is your name?”
“Heath.”
“Thank you, Heath,” Ivy said, practically purring. “We’ll wait right here.”
“Right there,” Heath said, pointing for emphasis. “This is a sacred place. We won’t risk you tainting it.”
“I’ve got it,” Ivy said, keeping her smile in place.
Heath left them with one more glance over his shoulder and then disappeared in the direction of the tents.
“It’s a good thing I brought you,” Jack said. “I don’t think I would’ve gotten anywhere without your smile to entice him, honey.”
Ivy tried to keep her face somber … but failed. For some reason, when he called her ‘honey’ – even though it was meant as a joke – her heart fluttered. “You think you’re pretty charming, don’t you?”
“Oh, honey, don’t let my charm get you down,” Jack teased.
Ivy rolled her eyes and turned back to the compound. “It seriously looks like the women outnumber the men by at least … what … four to one, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Jack agreed. “Besides Heath … who wants to get in your pants, honey … I’ve only seen a few men. They’re all young, too. I’m wondering if they’re grandfathered in because they’re the sons of some of these women.”
“Do you really think Chad fancies himself a modern-day polygamist?”
“Brian floated that theory,” Jack said. “I thought he was grasping at straws until I saw this place.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m not so sure he wasn’t right,” Jack said. “I … wait …your love muffin is coming back and he’s not alone.”
“Why are you calling him that?” Ivy asked.
“Because the only reason he agreed to help us is because you’re hot,” Jack said. “I know my limitations, honey. I’m not ashamed to admit you’re the one who charmed Heath.”
“I didn’t charm him. I smiled at him.”
“I think you underestimate the power of your smile,” Jack said.
Ivy’s cheeks were burning again. Was he purposely trying to push her to the point where she was ready to rip his clothes off? “I … .”
“You’re cute when you’re flustered, honey.”
“Stop saying that,” Ivy hissed.
“Whatever you say … honey,” Jack said, straightening his shoulders as Heath led a man in their direction. The long walk gave Jack a chance to study the robed man as he descended on them. His blond hair was long, flowing past his shoulders, and it was wavy in spots. He had an impressive beard, and as he closed the distance the smile he was boasting was a friendly one. Th
ere was still something behind his eyes that Jack didn’t like. He just couldn’t put a name to it. “Did he look like that when you were dating him?”
“He was a little less … mountain man.”
“Brian said he thought he was trying to emulate Jesus Christ.”
“Oh … wow … there it is,” Ivy said. “That makes what he’s got going on up here all the more creepy. It’s as if he’s trying to … pervert … a wonderful man’s appearance.”
“I think pervert is the right word,” Jack said. “Make the introductions and then let me ask the questions.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I liked it better when you called me ‘honey.’”
“IVY MORGAN. Girl, you are a sight for sore eyes.”
Chad greeted his former girlfriend with a friendly hug – one that seemed to trap her against his chest even as she struggled to step away. Jack didn’t like it.
“It’s good to see you, Chad,” Ivy said. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” Chad said. He still wasn’t moving his hands from Ivy’s arms, so Jack stepped in and grabbed her elbow, pulling her to him and away from the compound guru. Chad finally turned his attention to Jack. “And who are you?”
“I’m Jack Harker. I’m a police detective with the Shadow Lake Police Department.”
“You’re a long way out of your jurisdiction, detective.”
“There are no boundaries on murder,” Jack shot back. He had no idea why he was so irritated with Chad, but his proprietary attitude with Ivy probably had something to do with it.
“Oh, who has been murdered?”
“Mona Wheeler.”
Chad didn’t flinch. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”
“From what her parents say, she was a part of your little … group.”
“I see,” Chad said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “The name doesn’t sound familiar. I’m sorry.”
“You’re denying knowing her?” Jack pressed.
“I’m afraid I am,” Chad said. “I don’t recognize that name.”
He was lying. Jack was sure of it. “Can I question some of your other … followers? Is that what you call them, by the way?”
“We don’t put labels on things here,” Chad said. “It’s not in our nature.”
Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3 Page 12