Wicked Haunts (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 12)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Felicity cocked an eyebrow as she lifted her eyes to Ivy. “And good morning — or should I say good afternoon — to you, too, my favorite niece.”

  Ivy shot her a withering look. “I’m your only niece.”

  “That doesn’t mean you’re not my favorite.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” Ivy’s tone was chilly as she hopped onto one of the stools on the other side of the counter. “I’m being serious. I think I’m losing my mind.”

  Felicity flipped the catalog shut and fixed her full attention on Ivy. She was used to the girl being dramatic but this seemed a little over-the-top even for her. “I’m going to need more information than that.”

  Ivy blew out a sigh, frustration evident. “I saw visions yesterday. Like ... big ones, loud ones. I was at Janice Green’s house when it happened. They were so strong they kind of knocked me over. Er, or made me want to sit. Yeah, I guess I wanted to sit. I didn’t fall over or anything.”

  “Okay.” Felicity licked her lips, uncertain. “Who is Janice Green?”

  “She’s a dead woman. She lives in Shadow Lake. You know her. Her husband left her for her much younger best friend a few years ago.”

  “Ah, right.” Felicity shook her head, disgust evident. “How could I forget that poor woman? She was the talk of the town. Wait, you said she’s dead. How did she die?”

  “She was strangled. Jack and I discovered her body yesterday.”

  “Where?”

  “At her house.”

  “What were you doing at her house?”

  “Looking for her daughter because we found her purse in the woods by that old shack behind the cottage. Max claims it was owned by a witch.”

  Felicity was known for being patient, but her annoyance at Ivy’s inability to stick to a linear story was profound. “I need you to start from the beginning.”

  “Fine.” Ivy told the story, making sure to leave nothing out and backtracking a few times when Felicity had questions, and when she was done, she felt better for having unburdened herself. “Whew.”

  Felicity was amused despite herself. She sensed it was a big deal to Ivy — like a huge deal — but she couldn’t refrain from being entertained by Ivy’s frazzled nature. “Well ... you’ve had a busy two days, huh?”

  Ivy folded her arms across her chest. “It’s not funny.”

  “Did I say it was funny?”

  “You’re laughing.”

  “I’m laughing at how theatrical you are,” Felicity corrected. “I’m not laughing because I find death funny. Now, as for what you saw at Janice’s house, you said it happened when you touched her vehicle. To me that seems to indicate you have touch knell powers, which I find interesting.”

  Ivy’s mouth dropped open. “What is a touch knell?”

  “It means you can touch an item and see the history surrounding it. Kind of like psychometry.”

  Ivy tilted her head to the side, considering. “I don’t think that’s right. I didn’t see the car’s history. I saw something having to do with Janice. She was screaming ... and running through her house. What I saw had nothing to do with the car.”

  “True, but the car belonged to Janice and it triggered something in your head about Janice. I think it’s basically the same thing.”

  “Fine.” Ivy held up her hands in mock surrender. “I’m not sure debating this is important. What’s important is that I’m now seeing things ... and that includes a woman who magically disappeared out in the woods.”

  “That’s what I’m more interested in,” Felicity admitted, perking up. “Tell me what happened in the woods again.”

  “The story doesn’t change. I was standing in front of the shack. I looked to my right and ... nothing. I looked to my left and there was a strange woman dressed all in black staring at me. I looked to my right again because it was an impulse. I immediately forced myself to look to the left again and she was already gone.”

  “And you searched the area surrounding the shack?”

  “Twenty times.”

  “Huh.”

  Ivy’s irritation was a force to be reckoned with. “That’s all you have to say? I thought you would have something more for me.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Felicity admitted. “The stories about Susan Bishop are legendary, though. She was something of a force at a time when women were supposed to be dowdy and follow a man’s lead. She wouldn’t have any of it and she frightened people because of her fortitude.”

  “It sounds like you know more about her life than Max. He researched her years ago and came up with a paragraph.”

  “There’s information, if you choose to look.” Felicity moved from behind the counter and disappeared into the storeroom.

  “Is that it?” Ivy called out. “Are you abandoning me to my own plight? So much for being my helpful and loving aunt, huh?”

  “You’re such a funny girl,” Felicity deadpanned as she walked back into the main shop. “I was simply getting this for you.” She handed over an aged book, one that was frayed at the corners. “It was written by a local in the forties. He interviewed Susan when she was in her eighties.”

  “Wait ... she lived out there all that time?”

  “Yes. In fact, I believe there’s a weird story revolving around her death. A few of the locals checked on her, taking turns to visit once a week. One day, when they went out there, she was simply gone. There was no sign of her in the house or in the area surrounding it.”

  Ivy flipped open the book and stared at the pages. The text was handwritten. “This is more of a journal than a book.”

  “Yes, and it was written by a man in town — Charles Fletcher — who made it his mission to get to know the witch in the woods.”

  Ivy pursed her lips. “Did he really call her that?”

  “That’s the title of the book.”

  “It seems kind of rude.”

  “Yes, well, not everything in life is exactly how we want it,” she said. “Charles thought he was helping her, which is the exact thing she didn’t want, and he learned to respect her in the process. It’s a fascinating journal.”

  “I’m not sure it’s going to help me, though,” Ivy argued. “I’m looking for Phoebe Green, not Susan Bishop. I mean, I would love to learn about her after the fact, but Phoebe’s whereabouts are much more pressing.”

  “Was it Phoebe you saw in the woods this morning?” Felicity queried.

  “I don’t know.” Ivy rubbed her chin as she mulled the question. “I don’t think so. Phoebe has dark hair but, last time I saw her, it was nowhere near as long. Plus there was something odd about the woman I saw. She was definitely older, I think. In her thirties or forties.”

  “Uh-huh.” Felicity’s smile widened. “That’s why I think you need to read that journal. It wasn’t Phoebe you saw out there. It was Susan ... and she was trying to tell you something. Maybe even help you a little.”

  Ivy didn’t like that notion a bit. “Um ... no way. She’s long dead. You said she disappeared in the forties. That was like seventy years ago. She’s not still here.”

  “Definitely not her living body, but you have no idea where her spirit ended up.”

  “But ... no way.” Ivy was firm. “I refuse to believe that.”

  “I think you’re going to have to believe it.”

  “I refuse.”

  “Well, if you refuse, that should solve everything, right?”

  Ivy scowled. “I don’t need your sarcasm.”

  “You’d better get used to it, because until you’re ready to accept what’s happening, things are only going to get worse. Good luck with that, by the way.”

  “Ugh.” Ivy slapped her hand to her forehead. “I can’t even stand looking at you right now.”

  “You’ll get over it. I’m your favorite aunt.”

  “You’re my only aunt.”

  “That doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

  “I’m officially done with this conversation.”

  JACK AND BRIA
N STRUCK out at the resort. Phoebe’s boss at the pro shop eatery said she was a good worker and no one ever complained. Since she’d missed shifts without notice, though, he had to replace her. He left voicemails, but none of them were returned. He mentioned that he was willing to take her back if she had a good reason for missing the shifts — like being kidnapped — but the ball of worry in the pit of Jack’s stomach was expanding ... and fast.

  “If she’s dead, why not leave her body at her mother’s house?” Brian asked as they exited his cruiser in front of Brad Green’s house. Supposedly he was back in town and Shadow Lake’s finest detectives were ready to hammer him with some hard questions.

  “Maybe she wasn’t dead when whoever killed Janice took her,” Jack suggested.

  “Why take her at all, though? There’s no money in it.”

  “Unless someone is asking Brad for money.”

  “Maybe.” Brian didn’t look convinced. “I guess we’ll have to talk to him and find out, huh?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Brad was dressed in simple jeans and a T-shirt when he opened the door. The look on his face was far from welcoming. “I was expecting you. Nikki said you stopped by earlier.”

  “And here we are,” Brian said. “Can we come in?”

  “I guess, although I’m not sure I shouldn’t kick you out and wait for a lawyer.”

  “That’s certainly your prerogative. Of course, since we’re looking for your missing daughter, that would seem like a jerk move.”

  Brad scowled. “Fine.” He held open the door. “I didn’t do anything to Phoebe, just for the record. Why would I?”

  Brian and Jack exchanged a quick look behind the man’s back as Brad led them to the same living room they visited the previous day.

  “We’re extremely worried about Phoebe,” Brian started once they settled in chairs. “She hasn’t shown up to her job at the resort since last Friday. We believe Janice was killed on Monday. Phoebe worked at the Dairy Twist over the weekend and didn’t miss her shifts there. That means she essentially went missing Monday.”

  “Have you considered that she’s the one who offed Janice?” Nikki asked as she strode into the room. She looked just as disagreeable as she had twenty-four hours before.

  “We have considered that,” Brian confirmed, waving off Nikki’s silent offer of iced tea and watching as she made a face and plunked the pitcher down in the center of the coffee table before perching on the arm of Brad’s chair. “We haven’t ruled it out.”

  “There are other chairs in the room,” Brad said pointedly, causing Nikki’s cheeks to color as she shifted away from him. “Please sit in one of them and don’t crowd me.”

  Jack managed to keep his face implacable, but inside he was battling curiosity. Brad didn’t seem like a man in love. In fact, he appeared agitated by Nikki’s very presence. Of course, that could have something to do with the detectives planted in his living room ... and the fact that his ex-wife was dead and daughter missing. He could simply have trouble dealing with major issues, Jack rationalized. He didn’t fully believe it, though.

  “We need to talk about Phoebe,” Brian pressed. “She could be in real trouble.”

  “Or dead,” Nikki muttered, earning a scathing look from her husband. “What? I was just saying what everyone was thinking.”

  “She could be dead,” Brian agreed, calm. “However, we don’t know that. We have to keep searching for her as if she were alive because that’s the right thing to do. I have to ask ... have you received a call from anyone asking for ransom money?”

  Brad’s features twisted. “Don’t you think I would’ve called you if that were the case?”

  “Not if they threatened to kill her if you went to the police.”

  “I suppose, but if that were true, I wouldn’t have allowed you in the house in case the kidnappers were watching.”

  Brian narrowed his eyes and momentarily grew silent, allowing for Jack to fill in the conversational gap.

  “When was the last time you saw Phoebe?” he asked.

  “Saw her? A few weeks ago. Talked to her? She hasn’t talked to me, not really at least, since her mother and I divorced.”

  “She took Janice’s side in the split, right?”

  “Yes,” Brad sneered. “Janice took great joy in smearing me to Phoebe. Of course Phoebe took her side. Janice filled her head with so many lies the kid couldn’t even see straight.”

  “What lies?”

  Brad was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

  “What lies did Janice tell Phoebe?” Jack pressed.

  “Well ... she told her that I didn’t care about her and it was my fault the marriage broke up.”

  “Weren’t you dating her best friend behind her back?” Brian interjected, irritation on full display. “Didn’t you cheat on her mother and break up the family? How is that a lie?”

  “Oh, don’t turn into a martyr like Janice,” Brad snapped. “She made things so difficult for me that I lost everything in the divorce. I mean ... not only did she take half my money and pension, but she also took all of our daughter. How is that fair?”

  “While I’m not a big fan of parental alienation, Phoebe was an adult when you split with Janice,” Brian pointed out, internally kicking himself for being stupid enough to engage in an unnecessary argument with a man he absolutely despised. “She was old enough to make her own decisions. There were no custody issues, and Janice wasn’t entitled to child support. I’m not sure how Janice could’ve twisted Phoebe’s mind given the fact that Phoebe was a witness to everything.”

  “Oh, I see how this is.” Brad didn’t bother to bank his fury as he stood, hands clenched into fists at his sides. “You’ve already decided that I’m guilty. You think I did this to Janice ... and did something terrible to Phoebe. I wouldn’t hurt my own daughter!”

  “I don’t believe we accused you of that,” Jack supplied, remaining in his chair. “We do have questions, though. We expect you to answer them. If you don’t, then we’ll be forced to take you into custody for formal questioning.”

  “On what grounds?”

  “Your ex-wife, a woman you had a contentious relationship with, is dead,” Brian replied. “She was found strangled on the floor of her home. Your daughter hasn’t been seen in days. We have no idea where she is, or if she was taken. This is very serious and it’s not about you.”

  Brad let loose a growling noise. “I would never hurt Phoebe.”

  “What about Janice?” Jack queried. “Did you have reason to hurt her?”

  “If you’re asking if I’m sad about Janice’s death, the answer is ... I don’t know.” Suddenly defeated, Brad ran his hands over his face and sank back into his chair. “I don’t know how I feel. You probably think I should feel guilty, but I didn’t hurt her.

  “The sad truth is that I didn’t care enough about her to hurt her,” he continued, sheepish. “I know that sounds terrible. I know how it makes me look in other people’s eyes. I married her because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. I realized it was a mistake a month into the marriage, but it was too late because she was pregnant with Phoebe.

  “While I would’ve had no problem walking away from her, I couldn’t leave my daughter,” he said, his voice cracking. “You may not believe it given how things are now, but I loved Phoebe. I always loved her. I was a good father ... until the end. Things fell apart at the end.”

  “What things?” Jack asked.

  “I grew bitter,” Brad said simply. “I thought Janice was punishing me, that she had to know how unhappy I was and was only making me stay because she got a kick out of torturing me. Looking back now, I don’t think she wanted to see. She ignored a lot of warning signs about my behavior because she didn’t want to rock the boat.

  “No matter what you think about me, and I don’t blame you for believing I’m a terrible person, but no matter what, I wouldn’t kill Janice,” he said. “She was Phoebe’s mother. My daughter loved he
r even if I never could. I wouldn’t terrorize my daughter no matter how rough things were between us.”

  “Fair enough.” Brian’s expression was seemingly carved out of granite. “One more thing: I’m going to need proof that you were really out of town at the time Janice died. It’s not that we think you’re a killer, but we need to rule you out.

  “We don’t make the rules,” he said. “We have to follow them, though. That’s simply the way it is. So, we need proof you were where you said you were. After that, we’ll go back to looking for Phoebe. She’s our priority.”

  Eight

  Ivy was still a bundle of nerves when she parked in front of the police station shortly after five. Her timing was impeccable because she barely had her seatbelt off before Jack strolled out the front door after finishing his shift. He pulled up short when he saw her and waited for her to join him on the sidewalk.

  “Hey, honey. I was about to head home. What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you.” Ivy went straight to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his chest as he automatically enveloped her in a warm hug. “I missed you today.”

  Unsure what was wrong, Jack ran his hands over her back as he internally debated how best to proceed. “I always miss you,” he said finally. “I think the Shadow Lake Police Department should have a Take Your Pretty Fiancée to Work exception where I can bring you with me every day.”

  “Good answer.” Her voice was muffled because she refused to raise her chin. “I would probably accompany you at least once a week if that rule was instituted.”

  “No, I need my Ivy fix every day.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ivy?” He slowly stroked his hand over the back of her head. “You’re scaring me. I need to know what has you worked up.”

  “Why do you think I’m worked up?”

  “The fact that you’re trying to crawl inside of me on the sidewalk.”

  Rueful, Ivy raised her eyes and met his steady gaze. “I’m turning into a freak, Jack. I saw something again today. This time, though, it was different … and weird … and I think you’re going to have to lock me up to make sure it never happens again.”