Wicked Ghostly Seas: A Rowan Gray, Harper Harlow and Ivy Morgan Mystery Omnibus

by Lily Harper Hart

Jack stared at her a long beat. “That’s a lovely sentiment.”

  Ivy beamed. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll still hurt anyone who goes after you because you’re mine,” Jack said, earning an appreciative chuckle from Quinn.

  Rowan narrowed her eyes as she glared at her boyfriend, who had the grace to be abashed and try to smother his laughter. “It’s not funny.”

  “Of course not.” Quinn straightened and sobered. “It’s not funny at all. He’s a complete and total Neanderthal. I’m embarrassed for him to be part of my gender.”

  “Thanks, man,” Jack said dryly.

  “Hey, it’s every sexist jerk for himself.”

  Rowan scowled as she leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t think you guys are helping our process,” she said finally. “Don’t you have something you can do ... elsewhere ... and leave us to discuss the important stuff?”

  Jack immediately balked at the suggestion. “I’m not leaving Ivy.”

  “I’m perfectly fine,” Ivy argued. “Besides, maybe it would be good for Rowan and me to have a chance to talk to one another alone. I mean ... we’re the ones who are hiding our abilities. It’s kind of a relief to be able to talk about it with someone who kind of understands.”

  Jack stared at her for a long beat. “I don’t know. What if she hurts you?”

  Quinn pinned him with a look. “How is she going to hurt Ivy? Rowan is a freaking angel.”

  “I don’t doubt she’s absolutely lovely,” Jack shot back. “That doesn’t mean I’m simply going to trust her because you say I should. Ivy is my heart. I’m not risking her for anything.”

  Ivy and Rowan slowly tracked their gazes to one another, heads shaking as lips curved.

  “You know what?” Ivy said finally, recovering her wits. “I don’t think it matters what either of you has to say about this. Rowan and I would like some time alone to discuss things. That means you guys can have some time alone to investigate ... whatever you feel like investigating.”

  Now it was Quinn’s turn to make a face. “And what if I don’t want him with me while we investigate?”

  “You’ll survive,” Ivy replied simply. “He’s good at his job and his instincts are solid.”

  “Thank you, honey.” Jack beamed. “That, too, is a lovely sentiment. You left out the part where I’m the smartest cop in the world, though.”

  “Maybe that’s because, as your woman, I can’t think that far ahead without you,” Ivy suggested, causing Jack’s smile to slip.

  “Oh, geez,” he muttered, disgusted. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”

  “I don’t know. Giving Rowan and me some time alone seems to be a good way to start working at it.”

  “Ah, so it’s blackmail.” Jack licked his lips and shifted his eyes to Quinn. “Do you need help with something?”

  Quinn’s sigh was long-suffering. “I’m sure I can find something for us to do.”

  “Then let’s do it. Neither one of us is going to get what we want until they have some time alone together.”

  Quinn nodded, resigned. “I figured that out, too. Let’s get out of here and spy on the group members. We might find some insight there.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  ONCE THE MEN DEPARTED, Ivy and Rowan had nothing to do but stare at each other. The room fell silent, their furtive gazes uncomfortable, and finally Rowan was the first to speak.

  “I know you’re worried I’m going to tell someone about your abilities, but that’s not going to happen,” she started. “I know what it’s like to live with a secret. Granted, your secret is different from mine. They’re not all that different, though. Not really.”

  “They feel different,” Ivy hedged. “Tell me about the photos.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How did you figure out what was happening?”

  “I was young, in middle school,” Rowan replied. “My father got me my first good camera. It was used because he didn’t want to spend a lot of money if it was something I wouldn’t continue with, but I was so excited when he gave it to me.

  “I spent weeks snapping photographs of everything, random people on the street, you name it,” she continued. “That included my teachers. One day, I saw the symbol and showed it to my father. He messed around with the camera, thinking there must be something defective about it, but couldn’t find anything.

  “Two days later, the man in the photo died,” she said. “He was my principal and he passed away under mysterious circumstances. I was still young but heard my parents talking. His wife killed him when she caught him cheating ... with another student.”

  Ivy was horrified. “I don’t usually wish ill on the dead, but you were in middle school. He had it coming.”

  Rowan snickered. “Yeah, well, we put the symbol behind us. Kind of forgot about it. We didn’t know enough to put things together. Then it happened again with the lunch lady. Three days later she was dead. She was killed by her boyfriend for money.”

  “You must have been afraid,” Ivy noted. “I think I would’ve been afraid.”

  “I was confused,” Rowan corrected. “I didn’t know what was happening. All I know is that it kept happening. We finally put things together, and after another two tests, my father realized I was able to predict certain deaths — murder, not natural causes — and we moved on from there.”

  “That’s kind of freaky.”

  “You have no idea. I was terrified. Then my mother got sick and my father told me not to talk to her about what was happening because he didn’t want to worry her. Then she died.”

  Ivy felt sick to her stomach. “I’m sorry. That must have been rough.”

  “It was. My father did his best to take care of me, though. He always was open for conversation. We talked things out. At first — and for a long time — it was only the one symbol. I thought that’s all I would ever see.”

  “When did that change?”

  “A few months ago,” Rowan replied. “I saw another symbol, this one for danger. Then I saw the symbol on your photograph. I still don’t know what to make of that. It didn’t show up on the first photograph. It was only later when it appeared.”

  “Well, I tend to believe your theory that it showed up because I’m magical, too,” Ivy said. “I’m still not used to that word. It makes me feel weird to use it.”

  “Me, too.” Rowan smiled encouragingly. “I know what it’s like to hide. I know what it’s like to feel fear. You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’ll keep your secret, just like I trust you to keep mine.”

  Ivy sighed as she stared at the woman. “What do you want me to do?”

  “First, I want to know exactly what you can do. After that, we’ll start talking strategy.”

  “Fine. I don’t know that you’re going to be as excited as you think you’re going to be when I tell you what I can do, though.”

  Rowan’s eyes sparkled. “Try me.”

  “THEY DON’T SEEM ALL that broken up, do they?”

  Jack and Quinn picked a spot at the tiki bar, in the shade and away from eavesdroppers, and watched the small group of National Organization for Clean Minds and Hearts talk at the center of the bar. They seemed to be having a good time, a lot of hearty guffaws and snickers, and were seemingly oblivious to the fact they were being watched.

  “Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing since Margaret Adkins died,” Quinn said, sipping his iced tea. “None of them were upset about her death. Emily was shaken because she found a dead body, but I didn’t get the feeling that she cared all that much about her boss dying. Everyone I talked to basically said Margaret was a jerk.”

  “I found the same thing,” Jack admitted, earning an annoyed look from Quinn. “What? Do you have a problem?”

  “You’re not supposed to be investigating my case,” he replied sharply. “It’s my case, like Ivy is your woman. By the way, it’s perfectly normal to think those things. It’s not normal to say t
hem. You might want to learn discretion if you want to hold onto your woman.”

  Jack immediately started shaking his head. “I got exactly the reaction I was going for. Things are fine.”

  “And what reaction were you going for?”

  “Ivy was uncomfortable, worried to the point where I thought she might make herself sick,” Jack replied without hesitation. “She’s not used to people finding out about her secret. She likes hiding her abilities. The only ones who know are her family, my partner, and me, for the most part. She likes it that way.”

  “So you basically poked her to get her looking at you instead of her fear, huh?” Quinn was outwardly impressed. “That was pretty smart.”

  “I know my woman.” Jack’s grin was light and easy. “She’s going to be okay. This whole thing simply threw her for a loop. Once she settles, she’ll be back to being feisty. She might even come up with a way for us to figure this all out.”

  Quinn traced the condensation on his iced tea glass. “You seem fine with what she can do. You’re not freaking out or anything. I guess that means you’re used to it, comfortable with it.”

  “There’s no other way to be,” Jack said simply. “I love her. I think I loved her from the first moment I laid eyes on her. I know that sounds ridiculous, but something chemical happened in my brain.

  “I saw her and I wanted to take care of her,” he continued. “She was barefoot at a crime scene. That’s what sticks out to me most. She was barefoot and she yelled at me. I was a goner from that moment on.”

  Amused despite himself, Quinn chuckled. “I know what you mean. I felt the same way about Rowan. She was shyer, unsure of herself. This was a new adventure for her ... and she was all alone.”

  “No family?”

  “It’s hard to explain,” Quinn hedged. “She technically has family, but she didn’t at the time. I’m not sure she would want me talking about that, though.”

  “Fair enough.” Jack held up his hands in capitulation. “I get it. You don’t want to share her secrets out of turn.”

  “Exactly.” Quinn bobbed his head. “What about Ivy? You’re used to what she can do now. That dream-walking thing sounds interesting. Do you have fun with that?”

  “We do.” Jack’s smile was huge. “We try to limit ourselves on the number of trips we take each week, though. We’re both worried we’ll spend too much time in the dreams and not enough time in the real world. That might lead to an inauthentic life. Neither of us wants that.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “Still, she does slip on the occasional coconut bra for me.” Jack chuckled as Quinn rolled his eyes. “We also fish. Last night, I knew she was upset, so we visited her fairy ring together. That’s where she goes when she’s worked up at home. It centers her.”

  “What’s a fairy ring?”

  “Basically it’s a circle of toadstools in the woods,” Jack replied. “She discovered it when she was a kid and has always loved the location. When we’re home and she goes missing, I almost always know where she’s at.”

  “Does she care if you’re out there with her?”

  “No, but I make sure she has time to herself when she needs it. She was a solitary soul before I showed up on the scene. I was, too. We’re building a life together, but we’re both careful to recognize there are times when we still need space. I think we’re both good that way.”

  “You really love her, don’t you?”

  Jack nodded without hesitation. “I had no idea it was possible to love anything as much as I love her. She takes over my soul when we’re together, fills me with love. It’s not just that I won’t live without her. I can’t. She’s become my life.”

  Instead of rolling his eyes at the schmaltzy comment, Quinn simply nodded. “I feel that way about Rowan. When she arrived on the ship, the last thing I wanted was a girlfriend. I was determined to stay away from her.”

  “What happened?”

  “She was acting squirrelly. She kept following one of the guests around. Finally, even though she didn’t want to, she told me what was going on.”

  “About the death symbol?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you believe her?”

  Quinn worked his jaw as he debated how to answer. “I believed she believed it,” he said finally. “I don’t know what I believed. I could see the symbol when she pointed it out. I thought maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe she made me see it. Most other people didn’t see the symbol unless she expressly traced it for them.”

  “It obviously worked out, though,” Jack noted. “You guys seem tight.”

  “We’re close. We’ve worked hard to build something.”

  “And yet you’re worried,” Jack surmised. “You’re worried that her ability keeps changing, and you’re wondering if you’ll be able to help her the way she obviously needs to be helped. You love her, want to be her knight in shining armor, but you often feel out of your element.”

  Quinn didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “How do you know that?”

  “Because it’s the exact way I feel about Ivy,” Jack replied without hesitation. “There’s something about her that makes me want to take care of her. She’s a strong woman, so she often fights that. She comes to me, though, when she’s upset and wants to talk things out. That’s a good thing. Obviously Rowan is the same way with you.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because she eavesdropped on us in this very bar,” Jack answered. “She ran straight to you because she wasn’t sure what to make of the information she heard.”

  “You’re not going to hold that against her, are you?” Quinn was stern. “She didn’t go out of her way to listen to your private conversation. It simply happened.”

  “I’m not going to hold anything against her.” Jack opted for honesty. “She wasn’t trying to hurt us. She was looking for answers. Besides, in some ways, she reminds me of Ivy.”

  “Except she’s my woman,” Quinn reminded him, causing Jack to smirk.

  “You don’t have to worry about that. My heart belongs to Ivy, and that’s never going to change.”

  “I see that every time you look at her. It’s pretty obvious.”

  “Right back at you.” Jack scratched the side of his nose as he eyed his new partner in crime. “I want to help you with this. Before you shoot me down, keep in mind that Ivy isn’t going to be able to back away. What happened when she got inside Emily Little’s head last night shook her. If it happens again, I won’t have a choice but to act.”

  “I get that.” Quinn wasn’t happy, but he understood where the other man was coming from. “She blames herself, doesn’t she?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. There was nothing we could’ve done. She had no idea what she was seeing.”

  “Rowan blames herself, too,” Quinn admitted. “No omen ever showed up on Emily’s photo. She thinks she somehow screwed things up to make that happen ... although she has no way of controlling what went down.”

  “Why wouldn’t the omen show up on Emily’s photograph?” Jack seamlessly slid into cop mode. “Do you have any theories on why that is?”

  “One. If a murder is spur of the moment, no premeditation, sometimes the symbol doesn’t show up.”

  “I guess that makes sense.” Jack stroked his chin. “Where do you think we should point ourselves next? Two women are dead and the killer is clearly on this ship. That can’t make you happy.”

  “It doesn’t,” Quinn agreed. “We have a bigger problem, though. We go to port in Nassau tomorrow.”

  “Why does that worry you?”

  “Because a killer could disappear on that island, not return to the ship, and there wouldn’t be a thing I could do about it.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned on Jack. “I guess that means we should probably figure this out before then, huh?”

  “That would be best for all of us.”

  “Okay, let’s put our heads together. We should take the people in the executiv
e group one name at a time.”

  “I don’t see a better way to approach things.”

  Sixteen

  Ivy and Rowan were much more relaxed by the time the men returned to the loft suite. Jack immediately made his way to his fiancée, gracing her with a kiss and a hug while whispering something that only she could hear. Whatever it was made her smile, and Quinn couldn’t help but marvel at the way Jack handled the situation.

  “And here I thought you guys might fight over you referring to her as your woman, Jack,” he teased, his hand lightly moving over Rowan’s back as he sat next to her.

  “I’m used to him being a Neanderthal,” Ivy replied, resting her head against Jack’s shoulder as they got comfortable on the couch. “What have you guys been up to over the last few hours?”

  “We’ve been watching the other members of the group,” Quinn replied. “They’re not exactly prostrate with grief given the fact that two of their members are dead.”

  “No one liked Margaret,” Rowan reminded him. “She was extremely unpopular.”

  “And now she’s the symbol of the group for better or worse,” Ivy mused, her fingers moving to Jack’s hand so she could flip it over and trace his lifeline. “She’s become a martyr for the cause, which makes her a lot more useful in death than she was in life.”

  Intrigued by the way she phrased it, Quinn leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

  “Jack told me what the people he talked to said. None of them liked Margaret. She was gung-ho at the start but turned into something of an attention whore. That couldn’t have sat well with the others who were there from the beginning.”

  “That’s an interesting point,” Quinn mused. “Brenda Farmer and Joseph Guthrie were there from the start, but they didn’t get the attention that Margaret did. She was the self-appointed leader who got all the attention. The others were shoved to the side.”

  “Are they your prime suspects?” Jack asked.

  “I don’t know that I have prime suspects They’re definitely interesting. I have a friend pulling background on them. In fact, I should check my email. He probably sent dossiers on both while we were distracted by ... magic talk.”