“He doesn’t mind traffic and likes being able to visit when bored whenever he wants,” she continued. “He prefers dangerous cases and tons of action. I’ve only been in this town for two days and I can see there’s absolutely no action.
“Now, I’m not going to deny that Jack was going through something when he got here,” she said. “The shooting was hard for everybody and I would be lying if I said I handled the situation well. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I handled things abysmally and it’s mostly my fault we’re in the situation we’re in.”
Ivy swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “You were with Jack when he was shot?”
“We were struggling through a few things at the time, but our hearts were together.”
Ivy was almost positive Jack told her he was alone while recovering in the hospital. Did he lie? The idea was intolerable. “Jack said he was on his own.”
“Jack pushed everyone away because he was traumatized,” Holly clarified. “He almost died. Do you know how close he was to dying?”
Ivy walked in Jack’s dreams with him so she knew exactly how close he was to dying. She also knew how lost he was in the moment. It was his trauma that drew them together, helped them smooth the rough edges in both their lives. Jack was better now – so much better, really – and he was in control of his own destiny. He chose Ivy because he loved and wanted to be with her. Ivy had faith what they built was truth, not a lie.
So why did Holly’s words make her feel sick to her stomach? Ivy was certain and yet her heart ached at the possibility she was wrong.
“I know he almost died.” Ivy found her voice and was surprised that it was strong and clear. “I’ve seen the scars. We’ve talked about it.”
“He talked about the shooting with you?” Holly didn’t bother to hide her surprise. “What did he say?”
“He said … .” Ivy broke off and shook her head, something occurring to her. “If you want to know what he said about the shooting, you should ask him.” She changed course quickly. “I’m not going to talk out of turn about Jack’s injuries or feelings.”
“Because you don’t know.” Holly’s tone practically dripped with disdain. “You’re not nearly as close as he said you were.”
“He said we were close?”
“He said a lot of things.” Holly took on a far-off expression. “I think you’re confusing gratitude with love. Jack is grateful to you for helping him through his time of need. He – and you, for that matter – think gratitude is the same thing as love. It’s not.
“The truth is, he doesn’t belong here,” she continued. “He belongs in the city with his family. We have a shot at making things work, but he won’t even consider it as long as he’s loyal to you because that’s the way Jack is. He’ll make himself unhappy in an effort to make sure your heart doesn’t get broken. That’s how he lives his life.
“If you care about him as much as you say you do, though, I think you should give this some serious thought,” she said. “Jack doesn’t belong here. This isn’t his home. I’m only here talking to you because I know he won’t make the hard decisions on his own. I’m not trying to hurt you.”
Ivy wasn’t sure about a lot of things, but she didn’t believe Holly’s motivations were pure. “Jack is the master of his own domain.” She kept her voice steady even as her heart skipped a beat. “He’ll decide what he wants on his own. Neither you nor I will influence that.”
Holly’s smug smile dipped. “So you won’t do what’s right for him?”
“I’m going to let him make his own decision. That is the only thing I know that’s right for him.” Ivy didn’t give Holly a chance to change her attack tactic. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do and I want you to get off my property.”
Holly blinked several times in rapid succession. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“I’m disappointed in you.”
“Something tells me you’ll get over it.”
Nine
Cole Priestley called from the design office shortly after Jack and Brian finished in the woods. Since he was their best source for new information, they headed in that direction.
Paige, who had been bubbly and excited the day before, was downtrodden and focused on her computer when they entered. Her voice was even and calm as she directed them toward her boss’s office. “He’s expecting you.”
Jack slowed his pace and stared at the young woman for a long beat. “You seem upset. Is everything okay.”
Paige immediately started nodding. “Oh, I’m fine. I’m just sad about Shannon. Her death is a tremendous loss for this office.” She sounded as if she were reading from a press release.
“Yes. Shannon was definitely a good person.”
“And talented,” Paige added. “She was extremely talented.”
“She was both of those things.” Jack exchanged a quick look with Brian, something unsaid passing between them. Paige was definitely acting strange, although figuring out exactly why wasn’t a priority. “Grief is a hard thing. It takes time to work through.”
“That’s the plan.” Paige faked a bright smile. “I’m going to work through it.”
“Good luck.”
Cole Priestley, his black hair gleaming and slicked back, stood at his office door and gestured for Brian and Jack to enter. He poked his head into the hallway long enough to stare at Paige. He didn’t say a word and yet his presence spoke volumes. If Jack had to guess, it seemed Paige was in trouble for running her mouth the previous day. He was hardly surprised at the turn of events.
“We’re sorry you were forced to cut your trip short,” Brian offered, taking one of the oversized chairs across from Priestley’s desk as Jack settled in the other and Priestley claimed his seat on the other side of the wooden expanse. “I know this probably isn’t what you thought you would be returning home to.”
“Definitely not,” Priestley agreed, making a tsking sound with his tongue as he shook his head. “I don’t even know what to make of the situation. It’s just so … shocking. When I got your call I thought at first it must have been a prank, although I have no idea why anyone would find that funny.
“That’s why I didn’t call you back right away,” he continued. “I thought it was a joke. Then I called Paige and found out it wasn’t some sort of sick game. By then it was late last night and I wasn’t sure if I should call in case you were in bed.”
“It would have been fine,” Jack said simply. “We’re used to things like that.”
“Well, I guess I’ll know for next time.” Priestley’s smile was rueful. “I made travel arrangements last night so I could get back first thing this morning. It was more expensive because it was so last minute … but what are you going to do?”
“Yes, what are you going to do.” Jack wasn’t one for making snap judgments when it came to people – at least he tried really hard not to be that sort of person – but he disliked Priestley more and more with each passing word. There was something oily about the man. Ivy called him “smarmy.” That was a good word to fit a guy who actually made a point of complaining about flight prices when his employee was dead.
“We have some questions for you.” Brian drew a notebook out of his pocket. “As you can well imagine, we don’t often have something like this occur in this area.”
“And what exactly did occur?”
Jack did a brief rundown of the incident, and it was only after he started the story that Priestley realized the true scope of the shooting. The surprise that registered across his face was seemingly legitimate.
“She was at your house? I didn’t even recognize you. I’m sorry. I forgot you were a client.”
Jack waved off the apology. “That’s fine. We only met the one time and it was very brief.”
“I remember your fiancée better.”
“She has a memorable face.”
“And pink hair.”
Jack smiled. “She also has pink hair.”
> “We need to know about your relationship with Ms. Hughes,” Brian prodded. “My understanding is that perhaps you were involved on a personal level.”
Priestley didn’t so much as flinch. “You’re mistaken.”
“So you weren’t having an affair?”
“Of course not.” Priestley made a face, as if to say it was the most ludicrous suggestion in the world. “I’m not sure where you heard that, but my relationship with Shannon was purely professional.”
“And how did she come to work for you?”
“I placed an ad when the woman who previously held the position left to have a baby,” Priestley replied, his tone easy. “I knew she wouldn’t be back, but I had time before she left to conduct a proper search. That allowed me the freedom to hold multiple interviews.
“Shannon was one of the first people to interview and she was the last standing,” he continued. “She was easy to get along with and she knew her stuff. She also wasn’t afraid to think outside the box and suggest things that our clients might not have considered on their own. She was open to criticism and dedicated to customer service.”
“That sounds well and good, but I’m going to guess she wasn’t killed for her work diligence,” Brian supplied. “We need more information about her private life. For example, what did you think about her relationship with her husband?”
Priestley cocked an eyebrow. “Is he a suspect in this?”
“We’re conducting an investigation. Everyone is a suspect until we rule them out.” Brian omitted the obvious part of that sentence but Priestley was well aware that made him a suspect as well. “What can you tell us about Ms. Hughes’ marriage?”
“It seemed rock solid.” Priestley shifted on his chair, positioning his body so he leaned back rather than forward. “I never saw them fight over anything bigger than dinner plans – Victor was a meat and potatoes guy and Shannon preferred Italian – and he seemed absolutely devoted to her.”
“Yes, we heard he stopped in on a regular basis to drop off flowers and food,” Brian intoned. “You said Victor was devoted to Shannon. Did she feel the same way about him?”
“Of course she did. They were very happily married.”
“And what about the rumors of your relationship with Shannon?” Jack prodded. “What can you tell us about that situation?”
“Gossip is an ugly thing.” Priestley’s expression was tight and fixed. “I’m not a fan of it, in case that’s not rather obvious. I don’t believe that it’s impossible for a man and woman to be friendly with one another while keeping romance out of the equation at the same time. To me, that’s the normal state of things. Others seem to disagree.”
Jack read between the lines of the statement. “So you and Shannon were friends and other people assumed you were sleeping together even though that’s not true. That’s what you’re saying, right?”
Priestley bobbed his head. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Perception is also a funny thing,” Brian noted. “What do you think would’ve happened if Victor Hughes heard the rumors about you and his wife? Do you think he would’ve believed them?”
“I can’t speak for Victor.”
“But the rumors made it through various social circles, right? More than one person whispered about your relationship with Shannon. That’s what I’m getting from this conversation.”
“The gossip was ugly at a certain point and I did my best to shut it down,” Priestley replied. “I don’t like gossip and Shannon was extremely upset because she loved Victor and didn’t want him getting the wrong idea. The entire thing was completely unfair to all those involved.”
“And who started the rumor?” Jack asked. “You must have some idea.”
Priestley’s eyes flicked to the door and Jack could almost imagine him firing eye lasers at Paige for an instant. Then he regained his composure and steepled his fingers. “I have no idea. I don’t care to know. All I care about now is that my friend and colleague is dead. That’s the most important thing, right?”
“It is important,” Brian agreed, getting to his feet. “Finding out who killed her and why are definitely the most important things, at least from where we’re standing. We’ll be in touch. I’m sure we’ll have more questions.”
“I’m looking forward to answering them,” Priestley gritted out. “I want justice served for Shannon. She deserves it.”
“She certainly does.”
NEXT UP WAS A VISIT to the medical examiner’s office. The gentleman on duty was new to Jack and Brian, but he seemed eager to be part of a murder investigation.
“This is my first time working with law enforcement,” Gregory Martin admitted, rubbing his gloved hands together as he stood next to Shannon’s body. “This is kind of surreal, if you know what I mean. I never thought I would be in this situation.”
“Then you picked a weird profession,” Brian said dryly. “What can you tell us?”
“She was shot twice.” Martin turned serious as he pointed toward Shannon’s chest. “The first bullet ripped through her chest here and was most certainly fatal, although she would’ve taken several minutes to bleed out. The second shot was right to the heart and she died instantly.”
Jack ran the timeline Ivy provided through his head. “So she was down for about thirty seconds and then dead.”
“Yes.”
“Was she on the ground when the second shot was fired?” Brian asked, trying to paint a mental picture. “Was she on the ground when the killing bullet was fired?”
“She was hunched over and on her knees.” Martin demonstrated for effect. “She was probably in shock thanks to the first shot and knew she was in trouble. The marks on her elbows indicate she fell and tried to get back up – perhaps she was looking for her phone to call 911, I don’t know – but she would’ve been gone relatively quickly regardless.”
“So she was up at least a foot off the ground.” Brian rolled his neck. “The vantage point we found in the woods would’ve given our shooter a clear shot, although the second would’ve been much more difficult than the first.”
“Not necessarily,” Martin interjected. “The second shot was from a much closer range.”
“How much closer?”
Martin tilted his head to the side. “At least ten yards.”
“So thirty feet,” Jack mused. “Obviously at that point the shooter didn’t care about being seen by the victim.”
“She was going to die either way,” Brian said. “He or she wanted to be sure. What about the first shot? Did it take any special skill?”
Martin shook his head. “It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t overly difficult. I would think most hunters – that is people who have actually gone out and killed an animal larger than fifty pounds or so – could’ve made the shot with minimal effort.”
“So we’re probably not dealing with a professional.” Jack rubbed his chin as he focused on Brian. “That opens up our suspect pool considerably.”
“It certainly does.”
JACK AND BRIAN VISITED a Bellaire burger joint after leaving the medical examiner’s office, opting to sit at a window table and discuss the case before paying their bill and heading back to Shadow Lake.
It was Brian’s turn to pay so Jack strolled outside to wait for him – and enjoy the bright sunshine – but he was flabbergasted when a familiar figure turned up in the parking lot. Holly stood next to the cruiser, a smile on her face, and offered up a happy wave when she saw Jack staring.
“I wondered if this belonged to you when I read the department information on the side,” Holly said, sidling closer. “What a lucky coincidence, huh?”
Jack was dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s a burger place,” Holly answered. “I’m having lunch.”
That made absolutely no sense to Jack. “You’re supposed to be in Traverse City. You said … you said … I mean … you said you were going to be in Traverse City.”
“That’s whe
re the conference is.” Holly’s eyes lit with mirth, as if she were filtering joy from Jack’s discomfort. “I think this area is lovely. I’ve never been here before. I had a break in my schedule and I wanted to look around.”
She was lying. Jack knew the signs well. She spent their entire relationship either lying to him or herself. “How great for you.” He cringed when he heard the door behind him open. He knew it was Brian and he didn’t want to be forced to explain Holly’s presence. “If you don’t mind, though, we’re on a case and have somewhere to be. Have fun looking around the area … even though you hate the country.”
Brian lifted an eyebrow as he approached. He was a keen judge of character and he read the change in Jack’s demeanor with minimal effort. “Is something going on?”
“You must be Jack’s partner.” Holly slipped around Jack and extended her hand. “I’m Holly. I’m his girlfriend.”
Brian shifted a curious look to Jack. “She’s your girlfriend?”
“Ex-girlfriend,” Holly quickly corrected. “Sorry, that just slipped out. I didn’t mean it.”
“Uh-huh.” Brian shook her hand, his face unreadable. “You’re from Detroit, right?”
“Grosse Pointe. It’s a much nicer area. Of course, up here, everyone probably thinks anything in that general area is Detroit.”
“Yeah, we’re dumb hicks like that,” Brian drawled, shaking his head. “We should probably get going, Jack. We have some records to go through this afternoon.”
“Yeah. I know.” Jack licked his lips as he regarded the woman who was quickly turning into a thorn in his side. “I’m sorry we don’t have time to chat. We’re on an important case, though.”
“Right. The designer who was killed in your driveway. That’s a terrible story. I hope you catch who did it.”
Jack froze, his stomach twisting. “How do you know about Shannon?”
“It’s all over the news.”
“No, the fact that a designer was shot in a residential driveway was all over the news,” Jack corrected, his gaze heavy when it landed on Holly’s expressionless face. “How did you know it was my driveway?”
Wicked Wishes (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 10) Page 9
