“Ava likes to get involved in things,” Brian volunteered. “She gets bored working our front desk because things rarely happen and enjoys stirring up trouble. When you first arrived in town, you were the talk of the entire area. Every woman was in competition to see if they could be the first to get a date with you. Ava was leading that charge.”
Jack remembered his initial meeting with the sexually aggressive Ava well. “And how did that work out for all of them?”
Brian shrugged, genuine amusement flitting across his features. “You took one look at Ivy and her bare feet and fell hard and fast.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m sorry.” Brian held up his hands in a placating manner. “I shouldn’t have hopped all over you like that. I know you would never do anything to hurt Ivy and yet, when I saw the report, I couldn’t shake it. I’m protective of Ivy and I can’t help it. I promised her parents I would look after her when they were in Florida for their winters and even though you’re there to take care of her now I can’t make myself forget the promise.”
Jack heaved out a sigh as he sat on the corner of his desk. “I don’t want you to forget your promise. I like that you’re concerned about Ivy and always want the best for her. Honestly, that’s true.”
“You just wish I would have faith in you at the same time,” Brian offered.
“It wouldn’t hurt.”
“I will do that moving forward.” Brian meant it. He felt like a jerk. “How was your meeting with Holly otherwise?”
Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about the issue – especially now that guilt had reared its ugly head again – but he needed to talk to someone and Brian was as good of a prospect as any. “It was extremely weird and strange.”
Brian pursed his lips. “Do you want to be more specific?”
“My relationship with Holly was never what you would call … um … intimate,” Jack explained. “I mean … well … we had sex and stuff, but we didn’t know one another.”
Brian made a face. “You didn’t need to tell me about the sex.”
“I know, but seeing Holly made me realize how different my life was before I came here. I was a different person in a lot of respects. I was fine with it then but now … well, now I wouldn’t go back for anything. It was a very strained conversation.”
“Was she like your mother?” Brian understood Jack was under a lot of stress when his mother came to town and insisted he move back to the city. The younger detective held his ground and didn’t back down, but that was a tense few days as well. “Did she have trouble understanding the appeal of small town life?”
“She definitely had trouble. She ran into my mother at the grocery store two months or so ago and she knew about the engagement and that I planned on staying up here. She was … I guess confused would be the best word to describe it. We didn’t end on the best of terms after I was shot so she was understandably surprised that things turned around for me so quickly.”
“You said you broke up with her before you were shot, though,” Brian prodded. “Why would she visit you in the hospital if you were broken up?”
“You have to understand, we had a really weird relationship,” Jack started. “I was all about the job – I mean all about the job – and I basically spent the night with her four or five times a month. Other than that it was as if we lived separate lives.”
“That sounds healthy.” Brian’s tone was dry. “I can’t believe that relationship didn’t work.”
“That’s just the thing, I always knew it wouldn’t work and was fine with it. Holly was pretty, but she wasn’t all that nice so I never felt any guilt when I didn’t see her. I thought she was fine with it, too.”
“Then you broke up with her,” Brian surmised. “Her ego probably couldn’t take it.”
“I think that was part of it,” Jack admitted. “I think the other part was that she wanted to win. When she visited me in the hospital she suggested getting married so she could be the one to talk to the media after the incident. What happened to me was big news at the time and my mother and sister shunned the media. Holly, however, desperately wanted to be relevant enough to talk to them.”
“Oh, she’s one of those.” Brian made a sympathetic face. “I get it. She was a game player rather than a girlfriend.”
“And I was fine with that for the bulk of our relationship,” Jack said. “I didn’t care as long as she wasn’t constantly on me. We were never close, not like Ivy and me.”
“And what did she want with you really when you found her at the rental?”
“I think it was a whim. She wanted to test the waters. When she found they weren’t open so she could swim in my pond, she had a fit and stormed off. That was the end of it.”
“Well, I guess you did the best you could considering the circumstances. It must have been weird to drive up and find her there.”
“You have no idea.”
“How did Ivy take the news? Did you guys have a good laugh about your stalker?”
Jack stilled. “Well … I didn’t exactly tell Ivy,” he hedged, frowning when Brian’s eyes filled with fury. “What? I couldn’t decide if it was a good idea and then once I waited it was too late. If I tell her now, I’ll look as if I was hiding something.”
“Oh, you’re such an idiot.” Brian lowered his forehead to his hand. “Shadow Lake is the size of a postage stamp.”
“I’m well aware.”
“Do you think Ivy won’t find out another way? Especially since Ava knows.”
“I … crap.”
“Yeah. Crap. You’re in trouble and you’d better start thinking hard for a way to get out of it.”
“SO HOW DO YOU THINK Shannon and I would look as a couple?”
Max worked tirelessly next to Ivy as they separated pots and seeds. He’d helped her every year since she started the business so he was down with the routine. He didn’t mind helping her – enjoyed it even because it was a change from the work he usually did – but his mind was elsewhere this day.
Ivy scowled. “You can’t flirt with Shannon while she’s working as my decorator. We’ve talked about this. You have to wait until she’s done before you break her heart.”
Max didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “How do you know I’m going to break her heart?”
“Because I know you.”
Max planted his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I’m excellent boyfriend material. Shannon would be lucky to snag me.”
Ivy heaved out a sigh. “Max, you’re the best brother in the world.” She would never say otherwise. “You are not, however, boyfriend material. Aunt Felicity swears up and down that you will be one day – and I believe her – but you’re too fickle for that now.”
“I am not fickle!” Max was adamant. “I am loyal and trustworthy. Oh, and I’m smoking hot. Why do you think the women in this town fall all over themselves to nab dates with me?”
“Because there are like five choices in our age bracket when it comes to dating in Shadow Lake,” Ivy answered without hesitation. “Two of those choices are missing teeth. You look like a prince in a sea of frogs.”
Max preened. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t mean you’re good for Shannon.”
Max’s smile slipped. “I like her.”
“I know you do but … she’s on the job and I don’t want her distracted with a broken heart until it’s done,” Ivy explained. “You have to wait. It’s only another two weeks or so. I think you can hold out.”
“Fine.” Max wasn’t thrilled with the prospect. “I’m going to romance the crap out of her as soon as she’s free, though. Just you wait.”
“That sounds lovely.” Ivy turned her attention back to her work. “I’m sure you’ll be the talk of the town for the two weeks you date … and then the whispers will start again when you dump her.”
“I might not dump her. She could be ‘the one.’”
/> Ivy didn’t believe that for a second. “I … .” She didn’t get a chance to finish what she was going to say because a booming echo filled the air and caused Ivy to snap her head in the direction of the cottage. “Did you hear that?”
Max furrowed his brow. “Yeah. It sounded like a gunshot.”
“From the house.” Ivy swallowed hard. “The noise came from the house.”
“You don’t know that. It might’ve come from that direction but that doesn’t mean it came from the house. The house is empty. Jack is at work so he’s not in danger. Don’t get all worked up.”
“Jack is at work,” Ivy agreed. “Shannon is at the house, though.” She checked her watch to make sure and nodded. “She arrived a few minutes ago. She wanted me to know so I wouldn’t be surprised when we headed over there for lunch.”
Max stared at Ivy for a long beat, his shoulders hopping when a second shot rang out. “You don’t think … .”
“We have to at least check on her.”
Max swallowed hard. “It’s probably a mistake.”
“Probably.”
Max held out his hand to Ivy. “We’ll check, though.”
“Definitely.”
Five
Shannon was dead on the driveway.
Ivy’s heart hammered as she knelt next to the woman and pressed her fingers to Shannon’s pulse point … and found nothing. Max scanned the trees for signs of movement, his hands shaking when he pulled out his phone. He couldn’t wrap his head around the turn of events, but he was smart enough to realize the danger associated with their positions.
“Go in the house, Ivy.”
“What?” Ivy’s eyes were glassy when she yanked them from Shannon. “Why?”
“Because someone shot Shannon and they could still be here.”
“But … .”
“No.” Max shook his head, firm. “You can’t do anything for her. Go in the house.”
Ivy licked her lips. “Only if you come with me.”
Max nodded without complaint, pity rolling through him as he stepped around Shannon’s body and prodded Ivy toward the cottage. “I’m calling Jack right now.”
“He’s going to be upset.”
“Yeah, well, I think we’re all going to be upset.”
JACK WAS BESIDE HIMSELF when he hit the driveway. Brian barely had his cruiser in park before Jack’s feet were crunching against the gravel. He wrenched open the handle and pushed inside, his heart tripping when he saw Ivy sitting on the couch. He immediately went to her, his arms slipping around her as he stroked the back of her head.
“Are you okay?”
Ivy nodded. “We weren’t here, Jack. We weren’t in danger.”
The simple statement didn’t stop Jack’s stomach from flipping at her tone. “It’s still terrible, honey. I’m sorry.” He kissed her cheek, briefly pressed his eyes shut, and swayed back and forth. “I couldn’t believe it when Max called. He said you were fine but … I needed to see you for myself.”
“And now that you have, we need to deal with the situation outside,” Brian said gravely as he stepped through the open doorway. “Can anyone tell me what happened here?”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Max replied, delivering a mug of tea to Ivy before sitting in the overstuffed chair at the edge of the room. “We were at the greenhouse screwing around. Ivy was explaining why I couldn’t date Shannon until after the decorating was done because she was certain I was going to break her heart.” His expression was rueful. “That seems like a horrible thing to have been doing when she died.”
“You didn’t know.” Jack’s hand was steady on the back of Ivy’s head as he shifted. “There’s no way you could’ve known that. Don’t feel guilty about it.”
“I know. It’s more that I feel idiotic about it,” Max clarified. “She was in trouble and we didn’t know it.”
“So what happened?” Brian prodded.
“Nothing. We heard the gunshot and were confused at first. Then we heard a second gunshot and knew we had to come over here and check it out.”
Jack’s gaze was withering. “You went toward the sound of gunshots?”
Max balked. “We didn’t know what we were dealing with. We thought it might have been an out-of-season hunter. Heck, we weren’t exactly sure the noise was even coming from the house.”
“And yet you still came to check it out.” Jack barely managed to contain his fury. “What would you have done if someone was here? Whoever did this had to be close.”
“I’m sorry.” Max held up his hands in defeat. “I didn’t think about it. We just reacted. We thought it had to be a misunderstanding, something we didn’t get. We didn’t expect this.”
“No, probably not,” Brian agreed, shooting Jack a warning look. “Could you tell what kind of gun was used?”
Max shook his head. “No. It was just a loud bang. I’m not good identifying guns.”
“That’s okay.” Brian kept his face placid. “Walk me through it. Exactly what time did you hear the first shot?”
“Right around ten,” Ivy replied. “I know because I checked my watch after we heard the first shot. I knew Shannon was supposed to show up and I left the front door open because she was going to take measurements. That’s why we came. We were worried about Shannon.”
“You should’ve called us and stayed at the greenhouse,” Jack groused.
“Well, we didn’t.” Ivy’s tone was pragmatic. “I’m sorry. We weren’t thinking. If you’re going to hold a grudge about this all day, though, we’re going to have a problem. Shannon is dead and we’re fine. I think we can move on and focus on other things.”
Jack stared at her for a long beat. “I guess you’re right. I’m still not happy.”
Ivy patted his thigh. “You’ll get over it.”
It wasn’t a funny situation and yet Brian couldn’t hide his grin. “I love when she puts you in your place.”
“Yes, it’s an absolute delight,” Jack drawled. “It’s the highlight of my day.”
Brian ignored the sarcasm. “Did you see anyone when you came back?”
“Just Shannon dead on the ground,” Max replied. “I looked at the trees and stuff, hoping to see some movement, but then I realized how stupid it was for us to be outside. It was obvious Shannon was dead so we retreated inside and called you.”
“Any vehicles? Did you hear an engine fire up to signify a car or truck leaving?”
“No. It was quiet.”
“Okay.” Brian exhaled heavily as he rolled his neck. “I don’t know what to make of this. It seems like such an odd thing to happen out in the middle of nowhere.”
Jack wasn’t sure that was true. He wanted to say “unless Shannon wasn’t the target” but knew that would only send Ivy over the edge. She was so close to tipping he didn’t want to risk it. “I guess we start with her friends and family and see if she had any enemies.”
“Right.” Brian bobbed his head. “I texted the medical examiner and he’s on his way. You guys need to stay in the house while they do their work. The state police are sending a tech team, too, although I don’t know that they’ll find anything.”
“We have to stay inside all day?” Ivy asked, frustrated. “I mean … we can’t leave at all?”
“You’re stuck here.” Jack was firm. “For today, I need you to promise you’ll follow the rules and stay inside.”
Ivy wasn’t keen on the suggestion. “And what if I don’t?”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “Then we’re going to fight and I don’t think my poor heart can take it after what’s already happened.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “That’s fighting dirty.”
“Yes, well, I have to work with what I have.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Please. I need to know that you’re safe. That’s how I’m going to get through the rest of the day when I can’t be near you.”
Ivy exhaled heavily, resigned. “Fine. I’ll stay inside. I’m going to expect to be rewarded when you get
home later, though.”
Jack’s smile was small but heartfelt. “I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“You shouldn’t agree to that before you hear what I want.”
“I don’t care.”
“Okay.” Ivy scrubbed at her cheeks to get the blood moving. “I’ll work around here. I’m sure I can find something to do.”
“You stay with her,” Jack instructed Max. “I know you have your own business but … you need to stay here.”
“I’ll stay here.” Max knew better than leaving Ivy under the current set of circumstances. “I’m fine with it. I just have to call the lumberyard and tell them.”
“Okay, now that we have that settled, I need some information,” Brian said, removing a small notebook from his back pocket and focusing on Ivy. “What can you tell me about Shannon? I need to know everything you know about her, including where her business is located and if you know anything about her friends and family. After that, we’ll move forward from there.”
“WHAT DO YOU THINK?”
Brian waited until he was safely on the road and headed toward Alden before asking Jack the obvious question.
“I think that there’s a very good chance Shannon wasn’t the intended target.” Jack was keyed up as he squirmed in his seat. “I think maybe someone fired from a decent distance away and maybe Shannon was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“That’s exactly what I thought you were thinking,” Brian muttered, shaking his head. “You think the shooter was aiming for Ivy, don’t you?”
Jack shrugged, noncommittal. “I think that the house is set back from the road and it’s not a great place to ambush a decorator who is out doing her business. I mean … how did the shooter know that she would be at the house at the exact time she arrived?”
Brian, unlike Jack, refused to assume that Ivy made more sense as a target. “Why would someone target Ivy?”
“Because she finds trouble no matter what she’s doing.” Jack was glum. “Maybe I shouldn’t have left her.”
“You’re a cop and you have a job to do.”
“But if she’s the target then my job should be protecting her.”
Wicked Wishes (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 10) Page 5
