“We were.” Ellen squared her shoulders, refusing to let the weight of the horrible things she’d done cause her to slouch. “We were together and basking in the afterglow. That was always our favorite time together because Abraham always gave freely of his emotions in those instances. I could tell he was thinking deep thoughts after our tryst and I was just about to ask him what he was thinking when we looked up and found Josh standing in the doorway.”
Since he could picture the incident very clearly, Jack felt sick to his stomach. “And how did Josh react?”
“I don’t know. It was weird.”
Ellen’s response caught Jack off guard. “What do you mean? Didn’t he cry and throw a fit? That’s how most kids would react when an affair was uncovered. I think that’s pretty standard.”
“He didn’t freak out.” Ellen was adamant. “He just stood there staring. I wasn’t covered at first, but I hurried to fix that when I realized we had an audience. He didn’t even look at me in that way, though.”
“He was a child.”
“He was a twelve-year-old boy,” Ellen corrected. “Boys that age are a mess of hormones and hatred. Josh didn’t react with either of those things. He just stared at us for a long time and then gave Abraham this really odd look.”
“He must have said something.”
“He did. He said it was time to go to the hospital. Then he turned around and walked away as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.”
Jack was legitimately flummoxed. “Why would he react like that?”
“I have no idea, but Abraham didn’t seem to think it was weird,” Ellen replied. “He told me to get dressed and go out the back door but that was basically it. There was no yelling or screaming. I parked at the corner of the street and watched the house. Thirty minutes later Abraham drove past with Josh in the passenger seat. Everything looked completely normal.”
Jack had no idea what to make of that. “There has to be something else.”
“No. That’s honestly what happened. Josh didn’t say a word and Abraham went chasing after him. That was basically it.”
Despite himself, Jack believed her. However, he had no idea what to do with the new information.
“WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL,” Max announced as he approached the nursery with Ivy, his eyes peeled as the skies overhead turned dark and threatened to open up. “It’s going to storm.”
“It is going to storm,” Ivy agreed, her stomach churning now that she was close enough to actually confront Josh about what she knew. “I think it’s going to be a big one.”
As if reading her mind, Max rested his hand on Ivy’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be okay. It’s just a storm. You love storms.”
“I’m not going to love this one.” Ivy was resigned as she handed Max the bag with the gun inside. “You should go into the shed and wait.” She inclined her head in the direction of the building in question. “You’re still weak from what happened and you don’t need to be part of this.”
Max wasn’t happy with that suggestion one bit. “Um … no way. I’m not leaving you alone to confront Josh. He could … hurt you.”
Ivy’s expression turned rueful. “He won’t, though. He hurt his father because Abraham cheated on his mother. It’s entirely possible Josh believes that Abraham murdered his mother, too. We can’t be sure on that front. What he did to his father was personal. He has no reason to hurt me.”
“That doesn’t mean he won’t if he feels he’s being backed into a corner.”
“Yes, but I honestly don’t think it will come to that.” Ivy understood that was probably wishful thinking, but she didn’t want Max involved in a fight given what happened the previous day. “Besides that, if Josh does go crazy, I want you in a position where you can watch without being in danger and relay any pertinent information to Brian and Jack.”
Max wasn’t ready to let go of his role as protective brother. “What if he attacks you?”
“He’s thirteen … and kind of small. I think I can handle him myself.”
“He killed his father.”
“With the gun you have possession of,” Ivy reminded him. “All he has now is a Swiss Army Knife and I doubt very much he’s going to try and kill me with it. There’s nothing here that can hurt me.”
Max wasn’t convinced. “I think we should stick together.”
“And I think I want you in a position to report back to Brian and Jack should it become necessary.” Ivy was firm. “If he sees us together, Josh might take it as a sign we’re ganging up on him. If it’s just me, he’s likely to be fine.”
“I guess.” Max heaved out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “The first sign of trouble, though, I want you to run. I want your word on it.”
Ivy grinned as she pressed her hand to the spot above her heart. “I cross my heart and hope to … .”
“Don’t finish it,” Max warned.
“I was going to finish it with ‘make you pie.’”
“Oh.” Max was properly abashed. “That sounds like a good idea. Go ahead and finish it.”
Ivy giggled, some of the dread she was carrying washing away as the first raindrops fell. “Don’t worry about me. Dad is here. Don’t forget that. I’m sure we can handle Josh. And, if we can’t, you can serve as backup.”
“Okay, but if that little monster even looks at me funny, I’m giving him a wedgie.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
Nineteen
Ivy tried to keep her nerves at bay as she strode onto the nursery grounds, looking first to the parking lot in the hope that Brian had somehow broken every speeding law in the state in an effort to offer appropriate backup. Other than her father’s car, it was empty.
Ivy sucked in a cleansing breath and went to the greenhouse first. With a storm coming, she knew Michael would herd Josh out of the elements. That was simply common sense. They were probably transplanting flowers, which was Josh’s favorite thing to do, and she would be able to talk to the boy without causing a ruckus.
That was the hope anyway.
The greenhouse looked empty upon entry, which caused Ivy to slow her pace. The second greenhouse was full of seedlings, but she used this one to do the bulk of her work. The other greenhouse was nicer, the place she moved plants when they were ready to sell. This greenhouse was for work, although no one looked to be working today.
Ivy was just about ready to turn on her heel and leave, searching the other greenhouse first and foremost on her mind, but a hint of movement at the back of the building caught her eye and she stared in that direction.
Josh, an impish smile on his face, moved from behind the back bench so she had a clearer view of his diminutive figure. He had dirt on his shirt but otherwise looked happy and relaxed. His expression was enough to put Ivy at ease, at least temporarily.
“I didn’t think you were in here.” Ivy offered a half wave in greeting. “I was about to go looking for you. It’s going to start storming any second.”
“I know.” Josh didn’t wander far from his spot behind the bench. “I think it’s going to be a big storm.”
“I do, too.” Even though she had no reason to be nervous, Ivy gripped her hands in front of her and glanced around. “Where is my dad? Is he out making sure everything is put away or something?”
“He’s … doing something else.” Josh was blasé as he ran his fingers over the bench. “He wasn’t having fun so I thought he should take a break.”
There was something about the way Josh delivered the statement that set Ivy’s teeth on edge. “You thought he should take a break? I’m not sure that’s a good idea. He’s supposed to be watching you.”
“Oh, I don’t need watching. I’m old enough to watch myself.”
“You’re very mature for your age,” Ivy agreed. “You’re still a child, though.”
“I don’t think of myself as a child.”
“No?” Ivy cocked an eyebrow, her inner danger alarm sta
rting to ping even though she couldn’t identify what sort of trouble she should expect. “How do you think of yourself?”
“As an explorer.” Josh stepped into the middle aisle, keeping his pace purposely slow. He didn’t rush at Ivy and ask for a hug, or enthusiastically tell her what he’d been doing in the time since Michael collected him at the children’s home. Instead, he merely watched in the same manner an exterminator might look at a bug before doling out the poison. “I like to experiment … and learn things. I like to go places I’ve never been.”
Ivy shifted her weight from left to right. Something was very wrong here. “Well, I think that’s an admirable quality. Learning is one of the most important things in life. I’m still learning and I’m a lot older than you.”
“My father used to say that you never stop learning.”
“He was right.”
“He wasn’t right very often, but I think he was right about that.” Josh continued his slow approach. “You’re late getting here. I was expecting you an hour ago.”
“I had errands to run.” Ivy licked her lips as she watched the boy walk in her direction. He was the child and yet she was the one who felt unbelievably exposed. She didn’t like it. “I was as quick as possible.”
“What errands?”
“I had to run to the store.”
Now it was Josh’s turn to make a face. “Oh, now, don’t lie to me. I don’t like it when people lie to me.”
Ivy was taken aback. “What makes you think I’m lying to you?”
“Because we saw your car at the hospital,” Josh replied without hesitation. “You were with your brother.”
“I picked up Max and took him home. That was one of my errands, along with running to the store.”
“Uh-huh. And where is Max?”
“I just told you I took him home.”
“See, I don’t know if I believe that,” Josh countered. “Your father said that you two are really close and that Max is always around when you need him. I think he’s here with you.”
“Why would I need him now?”
“Because you’re acting funny.”
“I was just about to say the same thing about you.”
“I’m not acting funny.” Josh went back to being innocent. “I’m a child. I’m acting like a child. You know … doing things before thinking about them. That’s what my mother used to say. She was always upset that I acted before I thought about the repercussions. That drove her crazy.”
It was just for an instant, but somehow Ivy’s mind briefly connected to Josh’s and she saw a flash of a memory. He was the one projecting it – probably without realizing it – and it was at the forefront of his brain for a reason. It was from his point of view and it was enough to make her blood run cold. “I see.” She inadvertently took a step back. The door was right behind her. She wasn’t in immediate danger. That didn’t stop the terror and disgust from bubbling up inside. “What else did your mother tell you?”
“She told me a lot of things.” Josh was at the middle row of tables, taking his time as he moved forward. In her mind, Ivy pictured him approaching a stray animal with his hand extended. He wanted to lull her into a false sense of trust, but it was far too late for that. “When my sister died, she told me that accidents happen and sometimes you simply can’t explain them.”
“That’s true.” Ivy swallowed hard. “Accidents do happen. There’s no rhyme or reason. Sometimes terrible things occur and there’s nothing we can do to stop them.”
“My mother could’ve stopped Jenny’s death,” Josh countered. “All she had to do was keep her quiet. I was nowhere near done experimenting with her, but I needed my sleep. I told my mother that and she wouldn’t listen.”
Ivy briefly pressed her eyes shut, the memory from Josh’s head causing her stomach to flip. “You killed Jenny, didn’t you?” The question was out of her mouth before she thought better about asking it. Right now, Josh was obviously playing a game. If he thought the stakes were too high, however, that game would turn into something else entirely.
Instead of denying the charge, Josh merely shrugged. “I made her stop crying. That’s all she did. She cried, spit up, and crapped her diaper. I mean … why would anyone think that’s cool?”
“She was a baby.” Ivy took another step back, hating that she was showing fear by retreating and yet inherently knowing it was necessary. “That’s what babies do. They grow out of it, though. You did the same thing as a baby.”
“Not according to my mother. I heard her talking to Aunt Annette. She said I never cried or made a fuss. She was convinced there was something different about me from the start. She didn’t know I heard her say that, but people always forgot I was around … and listening. I was always listening.”
“That must have been hard for you.”
“No. It helped me. I liked that they forgot about me. It made certain things easier.”
Ivy had no doubt what she was dealing with now. Josh wasn’t a traumatized kid with behavioral issues. He was a stone-cold killer with the face of an angel and the heart of a devil. “You poisoned Jenny.”
“I learned about false morels from my father when we were hunting that year,” Josh explained. He was almost to the first row of benches. After that, there was nothing standing between him and Ivy. She would have a decision to make … and soon.
“False morels are poisonous,” Ivy said automatically. “They kill people all the time.”
“They do. It only took a small piece to make Jenny be quiet.”
Ivy shuddered at the boy’s cold tone. “And you got away with it.”
“Of course I did. It was a tiny piece of mushroom. No one even suspected it was anything other than a baby going to sleep in a crib and not waking up.”
“Did your parents suspect you?”
“Not at that time. I played like I was sad and they pretty much ignored me.”
“That’s how you liked it.”
“Yup.”
“What about your mother?” Things were coming together quickly in Ivy’s head. She had a clear picture of Josh and how his mind worked. She wanted to kick herself for not seeing it sooner but that would have to wait for later. “You poisoned her, too, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“False morels?”
“Yes, but I made a few mistakes there,” Josh admitted. He was at the front of the benches but stilled his approach, giving Ivy a moment to consider what to do next as he relished telling the story of an innocent woman’s horrible death. “I thought I would only need a little bit of mushroom to kill her, like Jenny.”
“She was bigger, though, and stronger,” Ivy surmised. “She didn’t go down without a fight.”
“And I couldn’t keep bringing her food without looking suspicious because I rarely did that,” Josh agreed. “I heard the doctors talking. She was weak and they didn’t think she would survive. Then, out of nowhere, she bounced back a bit. I couldn’t have that. That meant I had to do it again … but more this time.”
“But … why? Why did you want to kill your mother?”
“Because, after Jenny died, she didn’t pay any attention to me,” Josh replied, unruffled. “It was supposed to be like it was before, but my mother didn’t do anything but cry. She was a complete and total waste of space.”
“What about your father?”
“He paid attention to me. That’s why I knew it would be better when it was just the two of us.”
“Things changed, though, didn’t they?” Ivy prodded, shifting so she was a bit closer to the door. She had escape at her fingertips and she wasn’t afraid to bolt despite the storm brewing outside. “You found out your father was having an affair with Ellen Woodbridge and that threatened your plan.”
“Ellen was easy to get rid of. Dad was so worried I would tell Mom he promised to cut her loose, which he did, and then he focused on me after. That’s how things were supposed to be.”
“And yet you shot him in the woods,�
�� Ivy argued. “Why do that if you had everything you wanted?”
Josh shrugged, noncommittal. “It was an experiment. I wanted to see how long it would take him to die. He was starting to bother me anyway. He thought we should get counseling and stuff. Who needs that?”
Ivy rested her fingertips on the doorjamb. “I think there’s more to the story. I think you didn’t want to see a counselor because you knew that a professional was far more likely to see through your act. It’s the same reason you didn’t want to stay in the home. Those people were more likely to see the monster inside.”
“I don’t think monster is the right word.”
“Oh, no? What’s the right word?”
“I already told you that I’m an explorer.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a lot more than that.” Ivy licked her lips and made her decision. “Where is my father? Did you do something to him?”
“Your father was a distraction,” Josh replied. He seemed so calm and nice that Ivy was appropriately unnerved. “I don’t like distractions.”
“Is that why you cut the tie at the lumberyard? Did you think Max was a distraction, too?”
For the first time, Josh jolted at a question. He seemed surprised that Ivy had figured out that part of his evil tale. “How did you know?”
“I’m an explorer of sorts, too,” Ivy replied grimly. “I just experiment in different ways.”
“How?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Ivy put one foot on the other side of the threshold, her shoulders hopping when a terrific roar of thunder shook the building. “I think this storm is going to be a doozy.”
“I think so, too.” Josh almost looked pained when he snagged Ivy’s gaze. “You’re going to run, aren’t you? You’re going to abandon me. I thought you said you wouldn’t do that.”
“And I thought you were a kid who needed help,” Ivy fired back. “You’re a murderer, though. I don’t want to help you any longer.”
“I’m still a kid.” Josh took on a pleading tone. “I don’t really know what I’m doing, after all. I can’t be blamed for things I don’t understand.”
Wicked Whimsy Page 18
