“You don’t, huh?” Halsey turned his frustration in Jack’s direction. “Were you aware that your girlfriend showed up at the hospital in Traverse City today? And we’re talking twice, not once.”
“I’m aware.”
Brian flicked his eyes to Jack. “You were?” He seemed surprised.
“She told me.” Jack was outwardly calm even though inwardly he was seething. “Is that why you’re here? Do you want to tattle on her?”
“I don’t really consider it tattling,” Halsey replied. “We’re investigating a very serious crime. Your girlfriend has attempted to contact our victim twice. That’s after she was present for the initial incident. You don’t find that strange?”
“Not really.” Jack adopted a breezy tone and forced a grim smile for the older detective’s benefit. “Ivy witnessed a horrific crime yesterday. She has a good heart. She wanted to visit Bethany because she’s empathetic and wanted to make sure the woman was okay. That’s who she is.”
“How did she even know her name?” Halsey pressed. “We didn’t make that public.”
“Your partner told her.” Jack saw no reason to lie and he felt mildly triumphant when Halsey pinned his partner with a probing glare. “Oh, you didn’t know that? Yeah. Your partner pulled Ivy aside the first time she visited the hospital and he told her Bethany’s name.”
“Is that true?” Halsey was obviously frustrated.
“I ... might’ve let it slip,” Archibald hedged. “I thought she already knew. I mean ... she was at the hospital. It’s not as if she could simply ask about a gunshot victim and get answers.”
“In Ivy’s head, that’s exactly what she planned on doing,” Jack countered. “She just wanted to check on the woman. It’s not every day that someone gets gunned down at point-blank range in front of you. Ivy can’t get it out of her head and wanted to check on the victim. That’s all.”
“And yet she refused to help us with the photo lineup despite her good heart.”
Jack was barely holding on to his temper. “She told you the guy was wearing a mask. She couldn’t recognize anyone in your photos.”
“Wait.” Halsey held up his hand to silence the conversation. “You showed her a photo lineup? When? Was that at the hospital, too? Where did you even get suspects?”
The look on Archibald’s face almost made Jack laugh. It was clear the detective was used to getting his way and didn’t appreciate being called on the carpet by his partner.
“Actually he showed up at our house this morning with the photo lineup,” Jack volunteered. He was really starting to enjoy himself, and only part of it was because he hated Archibald with a fiery passion. “He demanded that Ivy pick a suspect, and when she said she couldn’t, he actually pointed her toward a specific face.”
Archibald made a protesting sound. “That’s not how it went.”
“That’s exactly how it went,” Jack fired back. “I’ve never seen a photo lineup run so poorly.”
“I still don’t understand where you even got the suspects,” Halsey pressed. “We don’t have any leads.”
Archibald’s eyes went wide and he made a face as he inclined his head toward Jack and Brian. “They don’t need to know that.”
“They’re not idiots,” Halsey snapped. “What suspects did you even show them?”
Archibald avoided eye contact and focused on the pavement. “You know, the usual suspects.”
“So ... you just pulled suspects out of your ass.” Halsey looked furious. “Well, that’s just great. I don’t even know what to say about that.”
“I know what to say.” Even though he’d told himself over and over to remain calm, Jack couldn’t help himself. “I want you to stay away from Ivy.”
“Excuse me?” Archibald swiveled fast. “Who are you to tell me who I can and cannot question in the course of my investigation?”
“Oh, don’t give me your crap.” Jack was in no mood to play games. “You showed up at our house this morning out of the blue and demanded she pick a suspect even though she said she couldn’t identify any of the faces. Any cop worth his salt knows that photo lineups are iffy under the best of circumstances, which this was not.
“You insinuated that the individual who shot Bethany Parker was in that lineup and made it sound as if Ivy would be allowing a bad man to walk free if she didn’t point to someone,” he continued. “I’ve done enough photo lineups to know that you did it the exact wrong way.”
“Oh, well, look who’s an expert now,” Archibald drawled.
Jack ignored him and barreled forward. “Then you basically sat her down at the hospital and told her she was a suspect, which is absolutely ridiculous. She has no motive.”
“So you say.”
Jack’s fury was growing in leaps and bounds and he was close to going off. “Oh, well, you did insinuate that I was having an affair with Bethany and that Ivy might’ve arranged the attack because of that.”
“It’s plausible,” Archibald countered.
“Wait a second.” Brian stirred, his expression unreadable. “Are you suggesting that Jack was having an affair with this woman?”
“She’s got a bad reputation,” Halsey volunteered. “That was one of the first things we found out about her when we started running her background. She tends to go after married men and then she blackmails them to get things ... like money and attention. It’s not pretty.”
“And you think Jack had an affair with her?” Brian pressed.
“I have no idea, but it’s possible.” Halsey shot Jack an apologetic look. “I mean ... I don’t think it’s probable, but we have to look at every angle. He lives in a nice cottage in the middle of the woods. His girlfriend owns a nursery that’s quite popular. He’s just the sort of guy Bethany would go after.”
“First off, Ivy is my fiancée,” Jack snapped. “We’re getting married in a few weeks, in fact, and I’m sick of you referring to her as my girlfriend in a derogatory manner. Secondly, that cottage is Ivy’s. She bought it. The nursery is hers, too. I don’t have access to her funds.”
“But you will when you get married.”
“And what?” Jack gripped his hands into fists at his sides. “You think I am with Ivy for her money? Well, I’m not. I also hate to break it to you, but I’ve never met Bethany. I’ve never even laid eyes on her. If you’re going to try to prove a relationship between her and me, well, good luck with that.”
Archibald’s lips curved into a sneer. “I’m sure that’s what a guilty man would say.”
“Whatever.” Jack shook his head. “Just stay away from Ivy. I’m not kidding.”
“Well, if your girlfriend would stay away from our victim, that wouldn’t be an issue.” He stressed the word “girlfriend” because he knew it would agitate Jack.
“Really? Because Ivy was nowhere near Bethany when you followed her from the grocery store in Bellaire halfway back to Shadow Lake,” Jack hissed. “Ivy was nowhere near Bethany when you showed up at our home and tried to bully her into making an identification that she couldn’t make.”
“You followed her this afternoon?” Halsey queried, horror washing over his features. “Seriously?”
“I just wanted to see where she was going,” Archibald replied. “I mean ... why was she even hanging out in Bellaire again? She doesn’t live in town.”
“That’s really none of your concern,” Brian interjected, a muscle in his jaw working. He looked as angry as Jack felt. “I don’t want to tell you your business, but you guys are really screwing the pooch on this one. I mean ... Jack is not having an affair.”
“You’re his partner so you spend a lot of time with him, but he obviously doesn’t tell you everything he does,” Archibald argued.
“There you would be wrong.” Brian was calm as he mounted his argument. “I know everything Jack and Ivy do at any given moment because my partner can’t stop gushing. He’s been infatuated with her since they met — which was on his first day here, mind you — and they’ve
been inseparable ever since.
“For example, despite all the stuff Ivy did throughout the day, she still had a picnic with Jack in town square,” he continued. “Do you know how I know? Because half the town clued me in that they were practically fornicating in public.”
Jack’s cheeks burned. “We were just kissing.”
Brian ignored him. “They spend every waking minute that they’re not working together. Jack doesn’t have time for an affair. Even if he did, though, he’s completely devoted to Ivy. He doesn’t want anyone else. If that’s what you’re pinning this investigation on, then you’re making a mistake.
“Also, I assume you believe Jack was the one to pull the trigger under this ridiculous scenario that you’re painting,” he continued. “That’s impossible because he was with me the entire day before the incident happened, including when the trigger was pulled. Not only can I vouch for that, but I can prove it with the cameras in the building. We were here.”
Archibald looked as if he was going to say something smart, but Halsey grabbed his arm and shook his head to cut him off.
“Don’t make things worse,” Halsey warned. He was contrite when he turned back to Jack. “We didn’t mean to upset you. Honestly, that’s the last thing we want. You have a good reputation in law enforcement circles. Both of you do. It’s just ... we have to follow every lead.”
“I might buy that if your partner didn’t run a tainted photo lineup in front of another cop,” Brian argued. “I don’t care how you paint it, that’s not the correct way to run a photo lineup and you know it.”
“I do know it.” Halsey clutched his hands together and shot his partner a dark look. “We’ll be talking about it with our superiors tomorrow. I can guarantee that.”
Archibald made a groaning sound. “Well ... great.”
“I apologize for the things that happened today,” Halsey reassured him. “I will be having a talk with my partner and you can be assured that it won’t happen again.”
Archibald scowled. “She’s still a suspect.”
Jack’s eyes were blocks of ice when they locked with those of the petulant detective. “While we’re on the subject, it’s come to my attention that you put your hands on Ivy a few hours ago at the hospital.”
Halsey blanched. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”
Jack ignored the older detective’s words and remained focused on Archibald. “Don’t ever touch her again,” he warned. “Don’t even look at her.”
“And what are you going to do if I decide that’s an edict I can’t follow?” Archibald snapped. “Come on. Lay a good threat on me.”
“Do. Not. Touch. Her.” Jack was succinct. “She’s innocent in this and doesn’t deserve your crap. I will not sit back and let you mistreat her.”
“Jack.” Brian put his hand between the two glaring detectives and nudged his partner back. “Take a breath. Detective Archibald won’t touch Ivy again. I promise.”
“He won’t,” Halsey agreed. “I’ll make sure of it. You have my word.”
Jack eased back, but his fury was hardly banked. He forced himself to suck in a few calming breaths as Brian talked to the detectives. He was lost in his own little world when a female voice invaded it.
Ivy is in trouble.
He froze, his eyes darting around. It was still only the four of them.
The voice was nowhere near done.
Ivy is in trouble. She’s in the woods behind the nursery. She’s been hurt and she needs you.
The hair on the back of Jack’s neck stood on end. He’d heard the voice before. He recognized it. Susan Bishop. She was warning him that Ivy needed help.
“I have to go.” Jack turned quickly and broke into a run, heading straight for his truck.
Confused, Brian threw up his hands. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re nowhere near done here.”
“Ivy is in trouble out by the nursery,” Jack replied, not caring that he probably sounded like a loon. “I have to get to her. Right now.”
14
Fourteen
“What is his deal?”
Brian kept his eyes on the road and tried to ignore Halsey and Archibald, who had both tagged along for the ride even though they weren’t invited. Jack tore onto the highway in his truck, barely checking for oncoming traffic before heading in the direction of home. Brian knew his partner well enough to realize he needed backup. He was still confused about how the other two got involved.
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Brian replied through gritted teeth. “I just know there is something wrong.”
“But ... how?” Archibald was in the back seat and he didn’t look happy about it. “I mean ... one second he was talking to us — well, more like yelling and pitching a fit like a two-year-old — and the next he was racing across the parking lot as if his life depended on it. That doesn’t seem normal to me.”
“I don’t believe I asked you,” Brian snapped, his eyes flashing as he met the other detective’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “I don’t need you with me. If you’re going to be part of this you need to shut up.”
Archibald opened his mouth, but Halsey silenced him with a finger jab.
“Shut up, Dan,” Halsey ordered. “Just ... shut up.” He was more pensive than his partner when he slid his gaze to Brian. “You know something, don’t you?”
Brian knew more than he was comfortable admitting. He was well aware that Ivy had started developing abilities. She’d put them on display a time or two. That was not something he would share with others, though ... especially these two. “Jack believes Ivy is in trouble. I have faith in my partner. That’s all I know.”
“But ... how could he possibly know that?” Halsey pressed.
“Maybe she texted him,” Brian suggested. “They’re on the phone with each other constantly throughout the day.”
“I guess but ... I don’t remember seeing him look at his phone.”
“Well, you can ask him when you see him.” Brian leaned forward to watch as Jack pulled into the parking lot of the nursery. “He must think she’s closer to work than home.”
The statement was more for himself than the others, but Halsey picked up on it. “Is their house close to here?”
“Through the woods.” Brian made a popping sound with his lips and then pulled past the parking lot, leaving Jack to start the search from that end on his own.
“Where are you going?” Archibald craned his neck as he watched Jack sprint from his truck toward the thick trees.
“We’ll park at their house,” Brian replied, his mind busy. “We’ll head into the woods from that direction. Hopefully we’ll meet each other — and find Ivy — somewhere in the middle. This will just help us save time.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Halsey noted.
“Me, too.”
JACK’S HEART WAS POUNDING AS HE HIT THE TREE line. He hadn’t thought about how his departure would look to the Bellaire detectives. He honestly didn’t care. All he could think about was getting to Ivy.
“Where?” He felt helpless as he studied the seemingly endless foliage. He had no idea which way to go.
East, Susan whispered in his mind.
He jerked his head to the sun, frustration overwhelming him. “Which way is east?”
Right. Go right.
He picked up his pace again and barreled into the woods, Ivy’s voice a bellow on his lips as he called for her over and over. He was familiar with the land between the cottage and nursery. Ivy had taken him on numerous hikes — especially during morel season — and she absolutely loved wandering beneath the thick canopies. She knew the area better than him, though, and he was afraid he was going to somehow miss her.
Keep going straight.
He heeded the voice because it was the only thing he had going for him. The fear coursing through him was enough to turn his stomach, but he kept running. He called her name so many times he thought he might lose his voice. She didn’t answer, though, and he wa
s afraid he’d somehow already lost her and didn’t even realize it.
Then Susan spoke again.
Here. Right here. To your left. Down the hill.
Jack pulled up short and wheeled his head in the direction she indicated, finding a solid wall of trees waiting for him. Tentatively, he extended his hand and pushed through the branches, his eyes moving down a steep incline ... until they locked with Ivy’s tearful orbs.
“Oh, honey.” He almost fell he was so excited to see her, dropping so he was close to the ground as he started inching his way down the hill. It was dangerous for him to try to stand but there was nothing in the world that would keep him from getting to her.
“Jack.” Her voice was ragged, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy. She was cradling her ankle but managed to scramble so she was in the perfect position to throw her arms around his neck when he finally reached her. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. I can’t believe you found me.”
He sucked in a breath as he held her tight, pressing his eyes shut and reminding himself that he had to keep it together for her sake. When he’d collected himself, he pulled back far enough to study her face. “What happened?”
“Someone was at the nursery,” she replied, her voice shaking as she wrapped her fingers around his shirt. “Susan showed up and warned me to run. My dad had just left and I was there alone. I was going to fix a bush and ... it was just me. It had been quiet. I thought I owed him after taking off twice.”
Jack calmly stroked her hair. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this shaken. He didn’t like it. “Did you see anyone?”
“I saw a figure, but I don’t know who it was. She told me to avoid the path back to the house so I went into the woods. I planned to hide until she told me it was okay to head back, but he must’ve heard me or something because he started running.
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