“Not Jack. Halsey. If I can distract him long enough ... .”
“Then he’ll shoot you,” Dorian supplied. “He’s already proven he’s not above it.”
“Yeah, but I think he’s the sort of person who wants to brag. He assumes that there’s no way we can get word to Jack. The internet is down. The phones have been jammed. He can’t possibly know that I have my own personal ghost.”
Felicity gnawed on her bottom lip. “It’s a calculated risk,” she said finally. “If you show yourself to him, he could simply shoot like he did with the woman in Dorian’s store.”
“This is different. He can torture us with words before he takes us out.” Ivy made up her mind on the spot and unlocked the window. “It can’t hurt to try.”
“But ... .”
Ivy shook her head, firm. “You guys need to hide over here.” She gestured toward the wall underneath the window. “I don’t want him to see you. I want him to think I’m alone.”
“But he knows you’re not alone,” Dorian argued. “That’s not your vehicle out there.”
“He might not know that since my car is still over at the nursery. He might not have dug that deep, and even if he did, he might not be thinking that strategically. He might only see what’s right in front of him. His vision is probably limited beyond that.”
Felicity rubbed her cheek. “I don’t know. It seems like a risk we shouldn’t take.”
“If I can delay him here, Jack will see him when he’s pulling into the driveway,” Ivy persisted. “He’ll know ... and Halsey will know that it’s over and done. He won’t be able to talk his way out of this one.”
“I guess.” Felicity glanced at Dorian. “What do you think?”
“It can’t possibly hurt,” he said. “There’s nothing stopping him from firing through the window anyway. If Ivy can distract him, it can only help.”
“Well, I guess we’ll give it a try.” Felicity moved to the wall and sank down so she was out of sight. “Give it a shot, but if you die, I’m never going to forgive you.”
Ivy cracked a wan smile. “Good to know.”
HALSEY WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IVY HAD no idea he was outside her home. There was no reason for her to know. He’d been stealthy when approaching, parking down the street and making sure to walk through the woods. He’d seen no movement from the house, and there was only one vehicle in the driveway. That meant Jack had left for his shift and his fiancée was home alone ... with an ankle injury. The circumstances were perfect.
And then he heard a voice calling his name.
“Um ... Detective Halsey, can you come around to the front of the house?”
He froze in place, dumbfounded. His heart rate picked up a notch and he internally debated running into the woods. Before that notion took root, though, he collected himself. Whatever the pink-haired busybody thought she was going to accomplish, he was in control of this situation. He would decide who lived and who died ... and she was definitely going to die.
He pasted a smug smile on his face as he strolled around the corner. He had his gun in his hand — the unregistered one he’d used to shoot Bethany — and he was ready to draw on the woman should she try to fire. She struck him as the sort who was opposed to using a gun, though. She had a hippie vibe. He wasn’t particularly worried.
He grinned as he studied the side of the house, finally finding her face in one of the windows. She’d opened it so now only a screen separated them, and he was almost gleeful about how easy she was making this.
“Ms. Morgan,” he drawled, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Ivy agreed. She didn’t look particularly worried, which gave him pause. Still, she was alone. Her boyfriend was at work, probably obsessing about Dan Archibald. Jack would blame Archibald for Ivy’s death. And, while his partner had been a good distraction over the years, Halsey was ready to cut him loose. He didn’t grow attached to people, and that included Archibald.
“May I ask what you’re doing in there?” Halsey was genuinely curious as he approached the house. He didn’t get too close. He wasn’t stupid, after all. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was reaching out to him before she died for a reason. He was curious what that reason might be.
“I want to talk to you.” Ivy flashed a tight smile. There was nothing friendly about it, although she did look resigned. “I know why you’re here, what you plan to do. I have questions first.”
“You have questions?” Halsey was amused despite himself. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“All you have to do is answer the questions. There’s no reason not to, since you jammed the cell phones and killed the internet, right?”
His smile was so big it took over the bulk of his lower face. “How long have you known I was here?”
“Long enough.”
“But ... how? I approached from the back.”
“I saw you through the kitchen window.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. Ivy had spied him through the window. She’d simply been tipped off by a dead witch first. “I’m curious about a few things.”
“I’m sure you are.” Halsey smirked. “That’s what got you into this predicament in the first place. You’re the curious sort. I bet you wished you would’ve stayed out of it about now.”
“Pretty much,” Ivy agreed. “I’ve never been the sort of person who can look away from things like this, though. I guess that turned out to be my greatest flaw.”
“I can think of a few other flaws.” Halsey cocked an eyebrow, considering. “What do you want to know? Let me guess. You want to know why. How could I possibly do this? What’s wrong with me that I would think this was the proper way to go?
“You want to know if I was having an affair with Bethany, because that was her reputation,” he continued. “You want to know how many people I’ve killed overall. You want to know if I had a bad childhood and if that’s what turned me into the man you see today. You also want to know if there’s any way you can get out of this.”
“Those are good questions to start with,” Ivy agreed. She forced herself to keep her attention on Halsey rather than risking a look at her aunt and Dorian. He didn’t seem to realize that the vehicle in the driveway didn’t belong to her. That was good for at least two people in the house.
“Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I had a perfectly lovely childhood with two doting parents,” he drawled. “I’ve killed more people than I can even count, and I don’t feel bad about it. I was not having an affair with Bethany because she’s basically a drugged-out hooker and I wouldn’t touch her with a flagpole.
“As for what’s wrong with me, I would guess I could be diagnosed with any number of things,” he continued. “I don’t really care, though. I happen to think I’m awesome, and that’s the most important thing. As for you, there’s no way out of this. You should’ve minded your own business.”
“Yeah.” Ivy pursed her lips, searching for a way to keep him talking. She didn’t have to stretch it out much longer. Jack would be here soon, and then there would be a whole new problem to worry about.
And then she felt him. She raised her chin a bit, her eyes immediately going to the mouth of the driveway. His truck didn’t pull in, though. He didn’t come tearing up the gravelly path. Brian’s cruiser was also absent. It was a perfectly quiet morning ... but she knew he was close.
“I told him to park down the road,” Susan volunteered as she appeared out of nowhere, causing Ivy to jolt. “They’re coming through the woods right now. I told him that you and Halsey were talking. He’s spitting mad, by the way.”
Ivy swallowed the urge to laugh. The situation was so surreal even she was having trouble wrapping her head around it.
From a few feet away, Halsey narrowed his eyes. He sensed something had changed, although he had no idea what. “Why did you flinch like that? Did you hear something?”
“It’s my ankle,” Ivy lied smoothly. “It h
urts. Sitting like this isn’t exactly comfortable. I’m on top of a desk.”
He had no reason to doubt her and yet something felt off. “You’re alone in there, right?”
Ivy slid her eyes to Susan’s ghost and nodded. “I’m totally alone.”
“I know Harker went to work,” he muttered, more to himself than her. “I ... .” His eyes landed on Felicity’s SUV. “That’s not your car.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ivy lied, her heart rate increasing. With each step he took, she could feel Jack growing closer. He was almost there, and this was almost over. “That’s my car.”
“No, it’s not,” Halsey hissed, his eyes narrowing. “I followed you the other day in your car. That belongs to someone else. Who is in there?”
Ivy had a choice. She could out Felicity and Dorian and take her chances or lie. She chose the latter. “That’s my vehicle. I was borrowing my brother’s car the other day.”
“I ran the license plate!” He was furious, to the point where he started raising the gun. “What are you trying to pull? Who is in there with you?”
From the tree line behind him, a voice called out.
“Drop your weapon!”
Ivy almost wept when she recognized Jack’s voice.
Halsey jerked his head in that direction, his eyes going wide. Felicity and Dorian picked that moment to grab Ivy around the waist and drag her from the window. Ivy put up a mild fight — she wanted to see the takedown after all — but they were insistent.
“You’re done,” Felicity hissed, extending a finger.
“Is that you, Harker?” Halsey called out, clutching his weapon tighter. “How did you get here so fast?”
Jack didn’t show himself. Now that Ivy was out of the window, he had room to maneuver. “I have my ways,” he called out. “You, however, are out of options. You can either surrender or I’ll shoot you. I honestly don’t care which option you decide on right now.”
“Oh, yeah? You’re going to shoot me, huh? What if I shoot your girlfriend instead? I ... .” He trailed off when he turned back to the window and realized Ivy was gone. “What the ... ?” He stormed in that direction, intent on finding her and regaining his leverage.
It was already too late, though.
“I think you should put down the gun, Gordie,” Archibald said, appearing at the side of the house. His service weapon was trained on Halsey and he looked loaded for bear.
Confusion etched its way across Halsey’s face. “What are you doing here?”
“Ending this. It’s time.”
“You’re going to end this?” Halsey let loose a disdainful snort. “I don’t think I’m going to allow that.”
“And I don’t think you have a choice.” Archibald was calm. “It was always going to come to this. I think we both know that.”
“You’re the one who has been feeding information to the state police, aren’t you?” Realization dawned on Halsey. “You’re the traitor.”
“No, you’re the traitor,” Archibald countered. “I’m simply the guy sent in to take down the traitor.”
“I won’t be taken alive.” Halsey was defiant. “You’ll have to kill me.”
“If that’s what you want.” Archibald’s finger was on the trigger and he was practically begging Halsey to raise his weapon. It would be easier this way. It would be completely over.
Halsey didn’t disappoint. He was serious about not being taken alive. He whipped up his gun, hopeful he would somehow be able to get off a shot. Archibald was ready, though. He pulled the trigger and watched, dispassionately, as the man he’d called a partner fell to the ground, his eyes wide and sightless.
It had been a long time coming, but it was finally over.
20
Twenty
Jack was the one to check Halsey’s vitals. The man was obviously gone, but he did his due diligence. He silently shook his head when he met Brian’s gaze and then started for the cottage. The only thing he could think of was Ivy ... and the way he wanted to strangle her for the stunt she’d just pulled.
He headed straight for the office. The sound of furniture scraping against the floor caused him to cock his head. When the door finally opened, Felicity was on the other side. She was red-faced and sweaty but looked largely okay.
“How’s life?” he asked for lack of anything better to say.
She grinned at him. “I’ve had better days. Still ... .” She gave him a big hug. “I’m so glad you made it. Ivy was beside herself. She thought you were going to pull in the driveway and be ambushed.”
“Is that why she was talking to the murderer like a moron?” he queried.
Felicity grinned into his shoulder and nodded. “She was determined to make sure nothing bad happened to you.”
“Well, at least I can say we have that in common.” He pulled back and gave Felicity a tight smile before shaking Dorian’s hand in thanks. “I’m sure this wasn’t your idea of a fun day. Thanks for keeping them safe, though.”
Dorian’s smile was rueful. “I hate to break it to you, but I didn’t keep them safe. They kept me safe.”
“They’re annoying that way.” Jack pumped his hand and then turned his full attention to Ivy. She sat on the floor, her back to the wall and the crutches nearby. Her eyes were clear, her expression unreadable ... and he was genuinely torn whether he wanted to hug or shake her. “So, you’ve had a busy morning, huh?”
She swallowed hard. She was expecting yelling, maybe some actual foot-stomping. There was a very good chance he was going to order a meat pizza and let her starve. Still, she held her frame straight and nodded. “It wasn’t quite what I envisioned.”
“Me either.” He shifted so he could lower himself to the ground next to her. He sat close but didn’t touch her. He knew if he did he would have her in his arms within seconds ... and then any lecture he planned to partake in would disappear into the ether. “Are you okay?”
She hated how remote he sounded. “I’m fine. I managed to get through the entire ordeal without putting any weight on my ankle. I should still be able to walk down the aisle to you ... if you still want that to happen, I mean.”
This time her words got a reaction, and it was exactly the one she was expecting. His scowl was pronounced.
“I don’t find that funny in the least,” he hissed, giving in to his anger. “Nothing in this world is going to make it so I don’t want to marry you. I wish you would stop saying things like that.”
His response was enough to make her smile. “Ah. There you are. You were so calm I thought you’d been replaced with an alien or something. I’m glad that’s not the case.”
“I was calm because I thought I might try to get through this without arguing.”
“That’s not really our style.”
“It’s not,” he agreed, opting to give in to his fury. “What were you thinking, putting yourself at risk like that? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Do you have any idea what I was feeling when I approached the house and saw you sitting in front of an open window having a conversation with a madman?”
Her lips curved further. “Do you have any idea how happy I was when Susan told me that you were coming through the woods and weren’t going to be ambushed? That’s all I could think about. I remembered the look on your face in the dreamscape when your partner shot you and I thought I might have to see an encore presentation in person and it almost broke me.” Her voice cracked. “I did what I had to do. I wanted to make sure you weren’t caught off guard.”
The tears in her eyes were enough to undo him. “Dammit!” He viciously swore under his breath and then slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her to him, holding tight as she buried her head in the hollow between his neck and shoulder. “Don’t cry, honey.” His voice was shaky. “It’s okay. We’re both okay.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything. She’d held it together as long as she could, but now she had an opening to fall apart and she was going to take it.
/>
They sat there like that for a long time, clinging together. Jack had forgotten they weren’t the only ones in the world when Brian moved to the doorway and cleared his throat.
“I don’t want to interrupt you, but we have some stuff to deal with,” he said. “The paramedics are on the way. The Bellaire chief of police has been notified and is en route. Felicity and Dorian are drinking beer on the back porch, which I’m not sure is a good thing given the hour. You two look like you’re about to crawl inside of each other. I think we need to focus on the job first.”
Jack’s hand was busy as he rubbed it up and down Ivy’s back. “I’m guessing we’re going to have to talk to the state police about all of this.”
“Since they were the ones running the investigation on Halsey, that’s a pretty good assumption,” Brian agreed.
“It’s pretty straightforward. I’m sure it will be okay.”
“It’s straightforward to a point,” Brian countered. “Ivy is the point where we lose it. How exactly are we going to explain why we came out here?”
Jack hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t think your ‘Ivy and I have a connection’ explanation is going to work with the big dogs.”
Ivy pulled back long enough to stare at him. “Are you in trouble?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jack reassured her. “I’m going to be perfectly fine. There’s no reason to get worked up.”
Ivy was understandably dubious. “This is all my fault. If I’d just minded my own business.”
“This is all your fault,” he agreed. “I hope you’ll mind your own business in the future.”
Her lower lip trembled to the point where he heaved out a sigh.
“Honey, if you weren’t curious and brave then I wouldn’t have fallen for you in the first place,” he said. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll just say I had a bad feeling and had to get to you. It’s not the end of the world.”
As if on cue, Archibald appeared in the spot behind Brian. “They’ll probably think it’s a weird explanation, but they won’t care since Halsey is off the street. I, on the other hand, am dying to know what’s really going on with you two. I promise not to say a word if you tell me.”
Wicked Reunion Page 19
