Ivy Morgan Mystery 18 - Wicked Wedding

by Lily Harper Hart

  “In a building this size, you need a lot of exits,” Brian agreed. He looked conflicted. “It could’ve been dumb luck. Maybe this was the closest entrance he could find to where he parked.”

  “I doubt it,” Jack said. “I was out there. The nearest two-track for him to park on — at least as far as I can tell — is that way.” He pointed toward the opposite side of the building. “If he parked over there and was simply looking for the most convenient door to enter, he would’ve done it on that side of the building.”

  “And that’s where the storage rooms are,” Ivy explained. “There’s double the security on the doors, so even if he managed to get inside, he would’ve had to break through another door to get into the secure part of the building.”

  “Basically, she’s saying that we’re dealing with an extremely lucky man ... or he had some sort of inside information.”

  Brian exhaled heavily. “Do you know what you’re suggesting?” he asked his partner finally. “I mean ... there’s no scenario that could result in Oliver getting the schematics of this building by accident.”

  “There’s not,” Ivy agreed. The more she thought about it, the more she believed she was on the right track. “I think someone deliberately passed information on this shelter to Oliver. I also think there are a couple of scenarios for how it happened, and only a few are truly terrible.”

  “I’m all ears, Detective Morgan,” Brian offered dryly.

  Ivy ignored the sarcasm. “What if one of the women in here is being threatened by someone? Maybe she had no choice but to turn over the information and it was shared amongst others.”

  “Like in a chatroom or something?” Brian didn’t look thrilled at the possibility. “I think that seems unlikely.”

  “Unless some of these husbands grouped together,” Ivy countered. “I talked to Oliver for a few minutes when I was trying to buy time. He really believes he’s the one who has been mistreated here. I have to think that’s some sort of warped entitlement thing.

  “To me, that means it’s not a stretch to believe the other men believe the same thing,” she continued. “Maybe they’ve somehow found each other through some underground means and one man got the information and passed it on to another man.”

  “Let’s say that’s true,” Brian acquiesced. “Why would Oliver be the first one to use the information. If it’s readily available, why aren’t they all making attempts on the building?”

  Ivy didn’t have an answer for that. “Well ....”

  “I think it’s clear we don’t know exactly what’s going on here,” Jack hedged, taking over the conversation. “We need to work together to figure it out, though, because this cannot keep happening. These women and children don’t deserve to live in constant fear.”

  Love welled up as Ivy looked at her intended, her heart swelling. “Thank you.” She threw him for a loop when she gave him an impulsive hug.

  He caught her, ran his hands over her back, and then cocked his head so he could stare into her eyes. “What was that for?”

  “She’s trying to kill me,” Brian muttered.

  Ivy ignored the grouchy complaint. “You just get it sometimes. Someone else might not have understood what these women have gone through. You not only understand, but you also want to make sure it never happens again because they really do deserve to be able to sleep at night without fear.”

  Jack didn’t know what to say. “I feel a little weird having all these accolades heaped on me for doing nothing,” he admitted after a beat. “Let’s save that for later, when I can use it as the basis for a romantic game, huh?”

  Ivy chuckled. “You’re so funny.” She kissed him on the cheek and extricated herself from his embrace. “We need more men out here.”

  “We do,” Brian agreed. “I called our uniforms to ask for locations and they said they were on the west side of the building. It’s so big it takes them a full fifteen minutes to run a circuit out here. That’s plenty of time for someone to break into the building.”

  “We don’t have enough bodies to station more than two people out here a shift,” Jack noted.

  “No,” Brian agreed. “I’m going to call in a favor with the state police, though. We can’t put these women in danger. They’ll send some troopers out to help, at least for a few days. Nobody wants to see something horrible happen out here, or the fallout if somebody is killed under our watch.”

  “That’s a start,” Ivy confirmed. “We need to do more than that, though.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “We have to get Dana and Jenny out of here. They’re the primary targets right now. If we remove them, we’re reasonably assured the rest of the women here will be safe ... at least until we figure out how the information on building security is being disseminated.”

  Jack hesitated and looked to his partner. “I don’t think we can just kick Dana and Jenny out of the shelter to keep the other women safe, honey. They’re still vulnerable.”

  Ivy shot him a dark look. “Do you really think that’s what I’m suggesting?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, it’s not what I’m suggesting.” Ivy was adamant. “We need to put them in a safe house.”

  Jack immediately balked. “This isn’t the movies, Ivy. We can’t just conjure up a pretty house in the country for them to live in.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes until they landed on Brian. “You know people who know people. There has to be a place.”

  “I ....” Brian’s forehead wrinkled as he concentrated. “I might know a place. We have to keep it on the down-low, though. We’re going to need uniforms to monitor that place, too, and that’s a lot of manpower.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask where you think you’re going to stick these folks, but that’s actually way down on the list of things I’m worried about,” Jack argued. “Doesn’t Serena have to sign off on all of this? I mean ... what if she puts up a fight?”

  “She won’t.” Ivy was adamant. “She wants to do the right thing for everybody concerned. She cares about these women. She’ll agree that it’s necessary for Dana and Jenny to be moved.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Can’t you just trust me?”

  “I trust you with my heart and soul.” Jack was earnest. “You can’t just snap your fingers and make things magically happen, though.”

  Ivy cocked an eyebrow. She hadn’t yet told him about what happened when she took on Oliver a second time. She figured it was best to wait until they were alone. He couldn’t possibly have forgotten about the first time yet, though, and that’s what she silently reminded herself about now by staring holes into him.

  “Oh, geez,” Jack muttered when he had to avert his gaze. “You’re just going to bulldoze your way through all of us until you get your way, aren’t you?”

  “Pretty much,” Ivy agreed, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “I feel in my heart that this is the right thing to do.”

  “Then we’ll do it.” Jack saw no way out of things that didn’t include kowtowing to Ivy’s whims. “We’ll get Dana and Jenny into a safe house and somehow we’ll come up with enough men to run security. Is there anything else that you want?”

  Ivy’s smile was serene. “World peace.”

  “I’ll get right on that.”

  8

  EIGHT

  Serena was opposed to the suggestion, which threw Ivy for a loop.

  “I thought you would think this was the best possible outcome,” Ivy admitted, forcing herself to keep from becoming defensive. “It never occurred to me that you would be against it. I’ve already got Jack and Brian working on safe house accommodations.”

  Serena kept her expression flat, but Ivy could tell the woman was agitated. “I know you mean well ....”

  “I do.”

  “You can’t just unilaterally make decisions for the shelter, though,” she supplied. “There has been a system in place here for a very long time. There’s a reason fo
r that. We need layers of protection. You’re basically suggesting we remove a vulnerable wife and child to an unknown location and leave them to survive on their own.”

  “No.” Ivy fervently shook her head. “That’s the exact opposite of what I’m suggesting. They’ll be in a different location — that is true — but they won’t be alone. There will be state police officers serving as protection.”

  “Twenty-four hours a day?”

  Ivy nodded. “Absolutely.”

  “Really?” Serena’s tone took on a sharp edge. “How can you guarantee that?”

  Ivy didn’t want to answer. In truth, she’d used her relationship with Jack to force him and Brian to do things her way. She wasn’t exactly proud of herself. She had no intention of backing down either. “It’s already done.” Ivy held out her hands and attempted a smile, however weak. “I know I should’ve asked you before I did this, but I honestly wasn’t thinking.” Ivy was contrite, up to a point. “I think if you really break things down, though, you’ll see where I’m coming from.”

  Serena folded her arms over her chest. “And where is that?”

  “I want them safe. All of them.”

  “And you think I don’t?” Annoyance lit Serena’s eyes. “I hate to break it to you, but I’ve been working in this field for almost ten years now. I’ve had to learn from trial and error. I’m passionate about what I do. I didn’t just come to the program through mandatory community service and decide to fix everything by batting my eyelashes at my boyfriend.”

  It was like a hard slap on a naked cheek and Ivy reared back.

  “I’m sorry.” Serena held up her hands in a placating manner. “I didn’t mean to say that. It was completely rude and unnecessary and ... I’m just flummoxed. We have protocols in place for this. We have standard operating procedures. You’re throwing all that out the window.”

  “I know.” Ivy was starting to feel like an idiot. She shouldn’t have taken control the way she did, she realized. Not only was she stepping on Serena’s toes, but she was also putting the lives of innocent people in jeopardy. Despite that, she refused to back down. “Dana and Jenny can’t stay here, though. Oliver has shown up twice. No matter what Jack and Brian say, I think he’ll try again. That’s why we have to move them to a different location. He won’t know where they are, so he’ll have no reason to move on this building.”

  “That’s all well and good, but I have a budget,” Serena said. “I can’t afford to pay for the manpower you’re suggesting, or the rent on another building.”

  “Oh, um ....” Before Ivy could respond, Jack and Brian appeared in the open office doorway.

  “You don’t have to worry about budgets,” Brian reassured Serena. “We’ll be taking care of that.”

  “You have a budget, too,” Serena pointed out.

  “We do,” Brian confirmed. “However, we’re actually doing pretty well for the year, are ahead of schedule, and can easily absorb the blow. It’s not going to be much. The place we’re moving them is free and won’t cost us a thing and the state police manpower will come out of their budget. I don’t think ‘easy’ is the correct word but it’s nowhere near as difficult as you’re making it.”

  Serena bristled. “I’m not making it difficult simply to make it difficult. I’m legitimately worried how this is going to play out.”

  “And I understand that.” Brian used the tone Ivy was familiar with from her childhood, the one that said he was in charge and there was nothing anybody could do about it. “The fact of the matter is, we’re dealing with something entirely new. The location of this building makes sense for what you want to do.

  “We’ve had not one but two breeches here, though, in as many days,” he continued. “We have to change things up because the rule book you’re operating under is in tatters right now.”

  “Meaning what?” Serena glared at him. “Are you taking control of my shelter?”

  “Absolutely not.” That was the last thing Brian wanted. “This is your facility. You’ve been doing a wonderful job with it. However, Dana and Jenny are in danger. That makes it a police issue.

  “We’re moving them to a safe house,” he continued. “We’ll have officers on them twenty-four hours a day until Oliver is in custody. It’s what’s best for them. We’ll also keep state troopers out here to monitor this property, just to be on the safe side,” he continued. “I think it’s unlikely Oliver will move on this property again, but we have to be certain he’s locked up before we relax.”

  “And then what?” Serena challenged. “What happens after that?”

  “Hopefully things go back to normal.”

  She looked as if she wanted to argue further, but Serena ultimately gave up the fight, instead throwing up her hands and sighing. “Fine. You’re moving them to a safe house. Where are you going to find one in these parts?”

  “I already have one.”

  “You do?” Serena’s eyebrows migrated toward her hairline. “Where is it? You’ve never had a safe house to utilize when I’ve needed one for emergency situations before.”

  “It’s not technically a safe house. It is, however, open for us to use and I’m pretty sure Oliver won’t think to look there.”

  “And where is that?”

  “We’re keeping that under wraps for now. Suffice it to say, they’ll be safe. For now, I’m going to check on Dana and Jenny and ask them to pack their things. I’ll be taking them to the safe house myself. My partner is going to coordinate the patrols here before we go.”

  “Well, great.” Serena’s gaze was sour as it landed on Ivy. “What should I be doing?”

  “Nothing for now,” Brian replied. “We’ve got it under control.”

  Ivy cringed at the other woman’s dark glare. She had no doubt Serena was blaming her for all of this. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Save it.” Serena’s tone was cold. “I thought you understood what we were doing here, female empowerment and the like. Obviously, I was wrong. You think your men know better what to do. We’re stuck under their rule now. I hope you’re happy.”

  IVY TOOK A BREATHER OUTSIDE WHILE Jack worked with the state troopers to shore up the security and fix the side door. Amy had been shaken by what happened — to the point where she clung to JJ in the hallway for the duration of the time Ivy, Serena, Jack, and Brian battled it out. Ivy tried to talk to the woman upon exiting the office, but Amy was trapped in her own little world, and it was something that filled Ivy with guilt.

  It was with that in mind that she called her brother.

  “If you’re thinking of backing out and ditching Jack, think again,” Max offered by way of greeting. “While I might find that entire thing entertaining, he will melt down and turn into a crying mess. That means he’ll be crying on my shoulder and I don’t want to deal with that, so you have no choice but to marry him.”

  Ivy bit back a sigh, but it took effort. She loved her brother beyond reason, but he was a jabberer of the highest order and he never once stopped to consider if he should speak. Instead he just went for it and let the chips fall where they may. “I’m calling about Amy.”

  Silence filled the other end of the phone call. “Did something happen to her?” he asked finally, his voice raspy.

  Ivy wanted to kick herself for not leading with the fact that Amy was physically fine. She knew better than causing her brother to worry. Before Amy, he’d been happy to date around (and around and around and around) while flitting from woman to woman. Now he was pretty well settled, and while he wasn’t JJ’s biological father, he was the only paternal figure in the boy’s life who mattered.

  “She’s okay,” Ivy reassured her brother. “I mean, she’s physically okay. Something happened to upset her, though, and I think she’s going to need you to dote on her when she gets home.”

  Max took a bracing breath. “Okay, lay it on me. I’m listening.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Ivy’s mouth, appearing out of nowhere. Her brother had always been a
good man. He was turning into the best sort of boyfriend, though. He was more than willing to put Amy’s needs ahead of his own. As for JJ? Max was as good of a father to him as Michael Morgan was to his wild offspring. It was a great comfort to Ivy because she wasn’t certain if her brother would ever settle down.

  Ivy laid everything out for him, leaving nothing out. When she was finished, she had to hold the phone away from her ear to distance herself from the string of curses he let loose. Jack, who happened to be exiting the building at that time, shot her a look of surprise.

  “What’s he yelling about?” Jack queried, moving closer. “Do you want me to beat him up for you?”

  Ivy snorted and shook her head, waiting for Max to take a breath before continuing. “I’m sorry you’re upset,” she offered when she could get a word in edgewise. “I know it’s upsetting. I didn’t realize this was going to happen when I agreed to bring her out here. She really wanted to see the place, mentioned donating her time. She wanted JJ to be involved. You saw her earlier and knew how excited she was. That emotion only grew once we were out here.”

  Max started yelling again, forcing Ivy to press her lips together and extend the phone away from her ear again. She was quickly running out of patience.

  As if reading the annoyance on her face, Jack claimed the phone and pressed it to his ear. He was nowhere near as patient as his fiancée. “Stop screaming like a girl,” Jack ordered, frustration obvious. “It’s not Ivy’s fault. She went out of her way to protect Amy and JJ. It’s not as if she could’ve known this was going to happen.”

  He was quiet for a beat and then shook his head. “Knock it off. Amy and JJ are physically fine. They simply need a quiet night as a family to make things better. That’s your job. I would suggest building a bonfire and making s’mores. I know that a sugar rush always makes your sister feel better.”

  Ivy shot him a dirty look, earning a wink in response.

  “They’re absolutely fine,” Jack reassured Max after listening to another extended complaint. “I’ve talked to both of them myself. I also loaded them in a patrol vehicle about five minutes ago — which is what I was coming to tell Ivy when I found her on the phone with you — and they’re on their way home. I think that means you should probably head home to take care of your family.”