Wicked Decisions

by Lily Harper Hart

Brian shot his partner a warning look. “You’re talking about the woman who owns the magic shop, right?”

  Henry bobbed his head. “She makes outstanding vegetarian chili. I mean ... it’s primo.”

  “She does,” Jack agreed, his stomach twisting. He didn’t think the day could get worse. Apparently he was wrong. “We’ll check on your alibi and hit you up for more information if we deem it necessary.”

  “No problem. Are you sure you don’t want a Mai Tai? I swear I won’t breathe a word to anyone.”

  “We’re fine,” Brian reassured him. “Thank you for the offer, though.”

  “Anytime. It’s always tiki time at my house.”

  “That sounds ... lovely.”

  Five

  Jack was still flabbergasted when they returned to the cruiser.

  “This can’t be happening.”

  “Calm down,” Brian chided, his eyes on the road as he pulled onto the two-lane thoroughfare, which was thankfully empty. “Felicity isn’t the murdering sort. I mean ... we’ll have to question her, but there’s no way she did this.”

  “Of course not but ... this makes things worse for Ivy,” Jack complained. “Felicity is her aunt. If word gets out that Felicity and Henry were dating — and, seriously, what was she thinking when she agreed to spend time with that cretin? — then everyone is going to wonder if Ivy killed Zelda to thin the competition for her aunt.”

  Brian heaved out an uneasy sigh. “I know what it means. Felicity isn’t easily ruffled, though. It’s going to be okay.”

  Jack could only hope that was true.

  THEY STARTED AT THE SENIOR CENTER because Lucy and Fanny had identifiable vehicles parked in the lot. Jack was familiar with both women. Fanny was a local business owner and he’d gone into her store a time or two. As for Lucy, she was the diner owner. And, although a bit cantankerous, she was relatively easy to get along with.

  “There they are.” Brian pointed toward a table in the far corner. His flat expression turned into a grimace as he stared at the table. “This sucks.”

  Jack followed his gaze and almost laughed out loud when he saw a third face at the table. “Isn’t that your mother?”

  Brian glared at him. “Don’t say anything to embarrass me.”

  “You mean like I was embarrassed having to uninvite my fiancée on an outing.”

  Brian made a growling noise. “Don’t push me, Jack.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Jack took the lead and cut a smooth path through the scattered tables. It was euchre day, which meant there was a tournament going on. As far as he could tell, it looked as if Cora Nixon, Brian’s mother, was paired with Lucy. That put Fanny and another woman in the opposite chairs playing against them. “Hello, ladies,” he called out by way of greeting. “How is everybody doing this fine day?”

  Cora was the first to look up. If she was surprised to find two police detectives in the senior center, she didn’t show it. “Now is not a good time, boys. We’re about to wipe the floor with these two and move on to the final round.”

  “In your dreams,” Fanny sputtered, her eyes flashing. “We may be down, but we’re not out.”

  “We’ll see.” Cora’s eyes were devilish as she stared at the top card in front of Lucy, which happened to be the king of clubs. “Pick it up.”

  Lucy made a groaning sound. “No, no, no.”

  “I’ll go alone,” Cora added.

  Lucy’s eyes went wide. “If you win, we’re in the finals.”

  “Why do you think I said I was going alone?”

  Brian let loose a patented sigh, one that was reserved for his children as well as his persnickety mother. He loved her. He would never say otherwise. She was a lot of work, though. “Listen, I hate to interrupt your game ... .”

  “Then don’t do it,” Cora snapped. “We’re about to win. You can’t interrupt a euchre tournament, by the way. It’s against the law.”

  “I’m a police detective,” Brian reminded her. “That’s not even remotely true.”

  Cora turned away from her cards, although only briefly. “Are you calling your mother a liar?”

  Brian swallowed hard. “Of course not. It’s just ... we’re here on official business.”

  “It can wait.” Cora was practically champing at the bit. “Throw your card, Fanny.”

  “Mom, I’m being serious,” Brian whined. “We need to talk to Fanny and Lucy. It can’t wait.”

  Cora had absolutely zero patience. “And what is so terrible that you feel it’s okay to interrupt the last round before the finals? I mean ... I taught you better than that.”

  “Mother ... .”

  Jack had to smother a laugh. He’d never seen his partner so out of sorts. “Mrs. Nixon, we really are sorry about interrupting your tournament,” he offered. “The thing is, we’re investigating a murder.”

  “Oh, yeah? Who died?”

  “Zelda Morris.”

  Every head at the table jerked, cards and tournament glory forgotten.

  “What?” Cora looked legitimately shocked. “What happened to her?”

  “She was attacked in her store today,” Brian replied. “It was a brutal assault.”

  “And why do you need to talk to Fanny and Lucy?” Cora’s expression suggested that she was working things out in her head. “Wait ... does this have something to do with Henry?”

  Both Lucy and Fanny immediately sat up straighter in their chairs.

  “Henry would never hurt anyone,” Fanny offered. “He’s a wonderful man and he would never hurt a fly.”

  “I don’t know about the ‘wonderful man’ part, but he wouldn’t hurt anyone,” Lucy agreed. “It’s not that he wouldn’t want to hurt anyone as much as he doesn’t have the stomach for it. He’s kind of a wimp.”

  Fanny’s eyes flashed with hatred. “I can’t believe you said that.”

  “Why? It’s the truth.”

  “I’m going to tell him you were talking behind his back. He’s not going to like it and you’re going to be out on your keister.”

  “Go ahead.” Lucy looked smug. “He loves my prime rib. There’s no way he’s going to oust me.”

  “Oh, yeah? I bet he loves my stroganoff more.”

  “Oh, I’ll take that bet.”

  Jack rubbed his forehead and struggled to accept what he was hearing. “I guess that answers that question,” he said finally. “I wasn’t sure if you all knew about each other.”

  “Of course we know about each other,” Fanny snapped. “Henry is an open and honest man who has a sickness. He can’t be with only one woman. We all care about him enough to help with his malady.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Lucy shot back. “Only an idiot would fall for that illness story he keeps spouting. I’m not with him because of that. I’m with him because I can’t take more than two days a week with a man without wanting to commit murder. This is the perfect relationship for me ... and it’s about all I can handle.”

  Confused, Brian slid his eyes to his mother. “Did you know they were both dating the same man?”

  She nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely. It’s common knowledge. Henry has worked his way through this entire senior center. Now he’s going back around for seconds. Everybody knows his game. It’s not as if he’s good at hiding who he is.”

  “But ... wait.” Brian had suspicion etched all over his face. “You didn’t date him, did you?”

  Cora’s glare was withering. “That’s none of your business, Brian.”

  “Oh, geez. You did.” Brian slapped his hand to his forehead. “I can’t believe you dated that ... heathen.”

  “He’s actually fairly entertaining when it’s just him,” Cora countered. “After your father died, I was lonely. I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I already had a great love. I didn’t need another. Henry made a nice distraction.”

  “But ... he’s disgusting.”

  Jack was enjoying the conversation despite the fact that he was starting to feel sorry for h
is partner. He couldn’t relate because his mother wasn’t much of a dater, but he could imagine how it would feel to be in the same situation.

  “He’s a perfectly pleasant man who just happens to be a man whore,” Cora countered. “You’re going to find that everyone here is aware of his predilections. Nobody cares. If you’re looking for a motive to kill Zelda here, you’re going to be disappointed.”

  “We still have to ask.” Brian turned serious. “I need to speak with both Lucy and Fanny separately ... and in private. There’s no getting around it.”

  “Not until we play out this hand,” Cora said firmly. “Once we win, there’s a thirty-minute break until the finals. You can question them then.”

  Brian wanted to complain, but he knew better. “Fine. You’d better be quick, though.”

  “Don’t worry. In two seconds this will be over and you will officially be able to applaud.”

  “I’m waiting with bated breath.”

  IVY WAS RESTLESS, TO THE POINT where she could focus on nothing but Patsy’s reaction to her. While things had never been easy between the two women — Patsy liked to hold grudges more than Ivy was comfortable with — they’d never been outright combative either.

  She simply couldn’t fathom how Patsy could believe she was a killer.

  Rather than wander aimlessly, she found her way back to the bridal boutique and stared at the quiet facade for a long time. After a few moments, she realized there was movement inside — which jolted her because Jack and Brian were elsewhere — and she couldn’t stop her curiosity from getting the better of her. She poked her head inside the open door, ignoring the police tape that instructed her to stay on the other side, and sucked in a breath when she realized it was Patsy causing the movement.

  “What are you doing?” Ivy blurted out. She hadn’t given much thought to how Patsy would react to seeing her before speaking. If the woman wasn’t supposed to be in the store, however, she wanted to say something about her messing up potential evidence.

  Patsy scowled when she caught sight of Ivy. “What are you doing here? Did you come back to add me to your list or something?”

  Ivy frowned. “You don’t really believe I killed your mother and you know it.” Boldly, she slid under the police tape and folded her arms over her chest as she regarded Patsy. “I mean ... why would I kill your mother?”

  “I already told you my theory.”

  “Over a dress? Really?” Ivy had sympathy for Patsy’s plight but there was only so much she was willing to put up with. “I would never kill someone over a dress and you know it.”

  Patsy held her gaze for an extended beat and then blew out a sigh. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t put a lot of effort into the apology, but at least she uttered it. “I was just ... upset. I’m still upset, if you want to know the truth.”

  “Does that mean you still believe I killed your mother?”

  Patsy shrugged. “I don’t know. You were here and I find it suspicious that you somehow missed the murder going down in the back room. I mean ... how is that even possible?”

  “She didn’t make a noise.” Ivy sank onto the settee in the middle of the room. “I swear that I would’ve gone back there if I heard something. I’ve always liked your mother. She was always kind to me.”

  “She was always kind to everybody.”

  “She was,” Ivy confirmed. “I think I appreciated it more than others, though. I was lonely and she always went out of her way to talk with me at school events ... or even at town events when everyone was grouped downtown and no one wanted to hang out with the weird girl. I was very fond of her.”

  “Ugh.” Patsy made a disgusted sound deep in her throat. “I really want to dislike you. Why can’t you just give me that?”

  Ivy shrugged. “I don’t see why we have to be enemies. I know why you hate me — and it made a lot more sense when I was fifteen and you were seventeen — but I would think you could let it go at this point.”

  “You would think,” Patsy murmured, shaking her head. “I don’t really hate you. Okay, maybe a little. It’s more that you made a convenient scapegoat than anything else, though.”

  Ivy merely nodded and let the woman continue at her own pace.

  “I always had the worst crush on your brother in high school,” she admitted, rueful. “He was the most popular guy in school, so handsome and charming. Everybody wanted a crack at him. When he finally worked his way around to asking me out, I was convinced I would be the one who would be able to catch his eye long enough that he would want to settle down and be in a real relationship.”

  “That was never going to happen,” Ivy offered. “Max wasn’t ready, especially back then. He wanted to sow his wild oats until they turned into a lumpy breakfast food. He was never going to settle for one girl. It wouldn’t have mattered if you were an absolutely perfect match for him. He didn’t care.”

  “I know that now. Heck, I probably knew it then. I just couldn’t get past my disappointment. I felt I had one chance and then fate stepped in and ripped it from me. It was bad enough when I thought he was sick and couldn’t go out. When I realized he canceled because he was hanging out with you and it was because that was preferable to spending time with me, I lost it.”

  “I remember,” Ivy intoned, twirling a strand of pink hair around her index finger. “You started yelling at me in my own living room. You even accused me of being jealous and wanting Max for myself.”

  Patsy’s cheeks flamed with color. “Which was a ridiculous and horrible thing to say. I was hurt, though, and my ire was actually directed inward, not outward. You were just easier to blame than myself.”

  “No one was to blame,” Ivy countered. “Max stayed because he felt sorry for me. I was such an oddball; he was basically my only real friend. I told him to go to the dance, that I would be fine. He decided to stay with me regardless. It wasn’t because he loved spending time with me as much as loyalty. He’s always been loyal.”

  “Oh, don’t kid yourself.” Patsy swished her lips. “Max might be loyal above all else, but he genuinely enjoys your company, too. I’ve seen you together. You make him laugh, and vice-versa. You spend an inordinate amount of time together for a brother and sister, but I think it’s kind of nice.”

  “We don’t spend as much time together now,” Ivy countered. “I mean ... he and Jack get along pretty well, but I think the fact that I finally got a boyfriend was a great relief to him. He could go on with his life without constantly having to worry about me.”

  “Maybe,” Patsy conceded. “The thing is, it’s like he was waiting for you to find your match so he could finally find one for himself. I don’t think he would’ve ever settled down if you hadn’t done it first. Then you got engaged and now suddenly he’s in a serious relationship with a woman who has a kid. I don’t think anyone saw it coming ... and yet it was cause for heartbreak all over Shadow Lake.”

  Ivy couldn’t stop herself from laughing at the picture Patsy was painting. It seemed out of place and yet it was also a relief. “I wasn’t expecting it either. In fact, when Max insisted he was bringing her on what was supposed to be a private camping trip, I was pretty angry. I thought she was just the new flavor of the month. It turned out I was wrong.”

  “So ... he really is serious about her?”

  “Yeah. He really is. I think she’s the one.”

  Patsy let loose a sad sigh. “Well, that news couldn’t have come on a worse day. I guess it’s good that I know, though.”

  Ivy arched an eyebrow. “You’re still carrying a torch for him after all these years?”

  “More like a crush that never died.”

  “Ah.” Ivy nodded in understanding. “You never answered my question. What are you doing here?”

  “My mother had outstanding dress orders.” Patsy turned back to the files she’d been perusing when Ivy entered the store. “I’m not quite certain how to find them all, but I want to make sure that all these brides get their dresses ... and whatever else
they ordered through my mother. She would’ve wanted that. She absolutely loved weddings.”

  “Yeah. I know. She was disappointed I wasn’t going fancier for mine.”

  “She probably understood that you were doing what was right for you,” Patsy insisted. “She might’ve enjoyed giving you a hard time, but she never would’ve pushed you into something you didn’t want. That’s not who she was.”

  “No. That’s why I came to her.” Ivy flicked her eyes to the huge stack of files Patsy was sorting through. “I have no idea what is necessary, but if you want help, I would like to volunteer my time. I want your mother’s legacy to be intact as much as you do.”

  “You want to help me with the files?” Patsy was understandably dubious. “You don’t have to. I’ve already apologized for accusing you earlier. That wasn’t my place and I knew I was being ridiculous even as I started spouting that huge pile of nonsense. It’s really not necessary.”

  “I want to help.” Ivy was firm. “Your mother meant a great deal to me. I want to make sure that everything that can be done is being done. You’re obviously in charge. If I can help, though, I want to do it.”

  “I’m not even sure how to read all these files,” Patsy admitted. “Maybe you can help me. Brian said I can only take the open files so I have to be careful to leave everything else behind.”

  Ivy leaned forward and held out a hand. “Give me some. Maybe we can figure out her system.”

  “Okay. That sounds like a plan.” Patsy managed a shaky smile. “Thanks for helping.”

  “Thanks for agreeing I’m not a murderer.”

  Six

  Since Felicity’s store and apartment were one town over, Jack and Brian opted to wait until the following day to question her.

  “I know this is hard for you,” Brian noted as the two detectives stood in front of the police station shortly after quitting time. “You like Felicity.”

  “I do like her,” Jack confirmed, his gaze drifting across the town square, to where the diner was located. Ivy’s vehicle was parked in front, which meant she was already there waiting for him. “You like her, too.”