Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3

by Lily Harper Hart

  Ivy lifted an eyebrow, her face caught between amusement and confusion. “I’m good. How are you?”

  “Good,” Jack said, rubbing his hands together nervously. “I … um … I’m good.” Get a grip. He blew out a heavy sigh. “I’m fine. I just have something I need you to look at.”

  “Okay,” Ivy said, amiable. “What is it?”

  Jack glanced around at her customers, leery. There weren’t a lot of them milling about, but this definitely wasn’t something he wanted to show her in front of them. “Is there somewhere a little more private we can talk?”

  Ivy’s face shifted. “This is obviously about the body. Do you know who she is?”

  “Not yet,” Jack said. “We know she’s not local, but that’s about it right now. We’re waiting for autopsy results, and we’re hoping to get a hit on her fingerprints. If she doesn’t have a record, we’re going to have to figure out who she is another way.”

  “That’s terrible,” Ivy said. “Someone has to be missing her.”

  “I’m sure they are.”

  “I guess I don’t understand,” Ivy said. “If you’re not here about the body, then why are you here? Are you … shopping?”

  Jack chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck wearily. “Not yet. I have plans to get some stock when I get my house in better shape, but I’m nowhere near that point yet. I have to make sure the house doesn’t fall down around me before I do anything else.”

  “I heard you bought the old Winstead house,” Ivy said. “I’ve always loved that parcel. It’s got great access to the lake. It’s too bad the house is so run down.”

  “That’s why I have to work on it.”

  “You’re going to do all the work yourself?” Ivy looked surprised.

  “Don’t tell me you’re another country person who thinks a city person can’t do anything but call someone else to fix things,” Jack said, his tone light and teasing. “That would be a disappointment.”

  Ivy tilted her head to the side, considering. “You’re right. That’s really not fair. I apologize.”

  “I accept your apology.”

  Ivy smirked, the gallant tone of his voice making her chuckle. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”

  “I have some photos of the … body,” Jack said carefully. “I need you to look at them.”

  Ivy took a step back, horrified. “What? Why?”

  Now Jack was the apologetic one. “Someone … carved … some symbols into her body. I don’t recognize them, and I’ve spent hours on the computer looking for some hint as to what they mean. I can’t find anything. Brian suggested you might be able to help.”

  “How does he think I’ll be able to help?”

  Jack shifted uncomfortably. “The symbols look … occult. Or maybe pagan. I’m not sure if there’s a difference.”

  Ivy’s face turned from open and concerned to dark and angry. “You naturally assumed I would be able to recognize occult symbols? It’s because I’m a witch, right?”

  “At least you call it like you see it.”

  Jack swiveled so he could study the approaching woman, keenly aware of the shift in Ivy’s body language. The woman was pretty, long dark hair fluttering past her shoulders and offsetting a wide set pair of green eyes. She was wearing some of the tiniest shorts Jack had ever seen outside of a Detroit club, and the halter top she was wearing was cut so low she was almost showing everything she had off to anyone who happened to be looking.

  “Maisie,” Ivy said, biting her bottom lip. “I didn’t see you standing there. How are you?”

  “I need some bushes,” Maisie said.

  “Do you know what kind you want?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well … look around,” Ivy said. “When you know, I’ll be more than willing to help you.”

  “I know how it works,” Maisie said, making a face. Now that Jack knew who she was, he was having a hard time swallowing his smile. Her reputation was obviously earned through hard work. She couldn’t look more desperate if she tried. “I just want to say hello to Shadow Lake’s newest citizen first. Unless you object, of course.”

  “I don’t object,” Ivy said. “You’re welcome to … say hello … to anyone you want.”

  Jack let his gaze bounce between the two women. There was obviously some female competition going on here. He was certain he was at the center of it, although he couldn’t decide if Ivy was engaging because she didn’t want Maisie to lay claim to Shadow Lake’s most recent transplant or if she was just arguing to argue. Maisie looked like the type of woman who ticked people off just by talking to them, and Ivy looked like the type of woman who liked to fight just because she could.

  Jack extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s really nice to meet you,” Maisie purred, sidling up to him.

  Ivy made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, and when Jack lifted his eyes to hers he couldn’t hide his smile. She had a beautiful face, and even when she was mad she practically glowed with an inner light he couldn’t put a name to.

  “I’m very happy to meet all the residents of Shadow Lake,” Jack said, reluctantly tearing his eyes from Ivy’s face. “I’m actually looking forward to it.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Maisie said, running her finger up and down Jack’s arm. “You’re just … very handsome.”

  Jack’s cheeks burned under Maisie’s studied attention. “That’s quite possibly flattering.”

  “It was meant to be flattering.”

  “Well … great.”

  “Do you have plans for lunch?” Maisie asked.

  Jack glanced back at Ivy, hoping she would step in and help him. Instead, he found her face immovable as she watched the scene. It looked like he was on his own. “I do have plans for lunch,” he said. “I’m working.”

  “If you’re working, why are you out here?”

  “I need some … help … from Ms. Morgan.”

  Maisie made a face, looking Ivy up and down as if sizing her up. “What kind of help?”

  “The official kind I can’t talk about,” Jack said. “I’m sure you understand. We’re working on a murder, and I can’t let any of the details slip out to the general populace.”

  “But you can to Ivy?”

  “The body was found on her property.”

  Maisie narrowed her eyes, considering. Finally, she must have decided Jack was telling the truth because she backed off. “Well, when you’re ready to take me up on my offer, you can find me at the library.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Jack and Ivy watched Maisie shuffle away, refusing to pick their conversation back up until they were sure she was out of earshot.

  “Um … what was I saying?” Jack asked.

  “You were about to tell me that – since I’m a witch – I know every evil symbol in the world,” Ivy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Jack pursed his lips. “I’m pretty sure that’s not what I was going to say.”

  “I’m pretty sure you were.”

  “Listen, I don’t want to fight with you,” Jack said, internally acknowledging that the last thing he wanted to do was argue with the comely greenhouse proprietor. “I really just thought you might be able to help. I don’t know what I’m looking at. That’s not easy for me to admit.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes and sighed, shifting from one foot to the other before reaching for the file. “Let me see.”

  “They’re graphic.”

  Ivy’s face paled. “I … understand.”

  “I’ve taken any with her face out. These are just the close ups. I’m … sorry.”

  Ivy widened her eyes. “Why? Are you the one who killed her.”

  “No.”

  “Did you dump her body in my ditch?”

  “No.”

  “Then what do you have to be sorry about?” Ivy asked.

  “This isn’t your problem,” Jack said, fighting the urge to reach over
and brush the strand of flyaway hair away from her face. “I feel guilty asking you to look at these photos.”

  “Detective Harker … .”

  “Call me Jack.”

  “Jack,” Ivy said, tilting her head to the side. “I understand that you probably think I’m weak … and weird … and freaky. You would be right on two of those fronts. I am weird, and I am freaky. I’m not weak, though.

  “That woman was found in front of my house,” she continued. “I can’t help but feel guilty. I’m worried she died one hundred feet from wherever I was sitting and I had the power to save her.”

  Jack’s face softened. She was so … earnest. She was tough, but she had a gooey, soft center that managed to touch him in a place he’d long thought unavailable. “I think that believing you could’ve saved her is going to haunt you,” he said. “You’re better off believing you can help find her murderer.”

  “Are you sure she was murdered?”

  “There were symbols carved into her body and she was stabbed,” Jack said. “She was murdered.”

  Ivy’s chest tightened. “I … hate this,” she admitted, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I hate that there’s so much hate in this world. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s how I feel.”

  “I think a lot of people feel that way.”

  Ivy nodded. “Let me see the photos.”

  Jack handed them over wordlessly, watching her face as she studied them. She paled at the first one, and by the time she got to the tenth Jack was worried she was going to pass out. After flipping through them one more time, Ivy finally lifted her eyes to his. “I’m not sure.”

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  “I don’t need you to bolster me,” Ivy said. “I’m aware that this is a disappointment to you. What I can say is that there’s something familiar about the symbols. I just can’t figure out what.”

  “Well, maybe if you give it some time … .”

  “Maybe,” Ivy replied. “I have some books I can look through, and I might have some other places to look. I … can I keep these for a few days?”

  Jack balked, unsure. “If someone was to see those … .”

  “I won’t show anyone. I promise.”

  Jack relaxed, but only marginally. “That includes your boyfriend.”

  Ivy made a face. “What boyfriend?”

  Jack held up his hands in an effort to placate her. “I saw you two here in the yard last night,” he said. “I know you lied about having a boyfriend. It’s not my concern. You can’t show him these photographs, though.”

  “You were spying on me?”

  “I … wanted to see the crime scene again,” Jack said, stumbling over his words.

  “Why didn’t you say something? Why did you spy on me?”

  “I wasn’t spying,” Jack said. “I was … thinking in my truck and I saw you with your boyfriend. I don’t understand why you’re freaking out about this.”

  “Clearly,” Ivy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Hey, I’m not the one who lied,” Jack said. “I could arrest you for lying to law enforcement. I think I’m being pretty generous here.”

  Ivy narrowed her eyes, pressing the file closer to her chest before opening her mouth. “I’m still going to figure out what these symbols mean,” she said. “I’m not doing it to help you, though.”

  “I didn’t ask you to help me,” Jack snapped, irrational anger taking over.

  “Whatever,” Ivy said. “I’m doing this to help that girl. I don’t appreciate your attitude, and I really don’t appreciate you spying on me. My … relationships … are none of your concern. Now, when I know something, I will call Brian and tell him. There’s no need for you to come back out here.”

  “That’s a great way to run a business,” Jack said snidely. “And, by the way, I wasn’t spying.”

  Ivy didn’t believe him. “Tell Brian I’ll be in touch. As for yourself … have a nice life.”

  “Right back at you.” Jack stalked off without a backward glance. He couldn’t believe he ever thought she was hot.

  Seven

  “How did it go?”

  Jack glanced up from the hamburger he was eating at his desk and fixed Brian with a weary look. “She’s going to check her books.”

  “You don’t sound very hopeful with the prospect of her figuring out what the symbols mean,” Brian said, studying Jack quietly.

  “She’s got quite the attitude on her.”

  Brian smirked. “She always has,” he said. “I think it has something to do with the fact that everyone always thought she was weird when she was growing up. A lot of the kids made fun of her.”

  Jack knew he should feel sorry for Ivy, but after her angry words he was having trouble mustering the energy. “Did they make fun of her because she was different, or did they go after her because she was … bitchy?”

  “She’s not bitchy,” Brian said, chuckling. “What did she do to you to get you in this state?”

  “She accused me of spying on her.”

  Brian shifted, his face brightening. “I’m taking it you brought up her time with Max last night.”

  “I just asked her not to show the photographs to her boyfriend,” Jack said. “I told her I wasn’t going to arrest her for lying to law enforcement, even though I would totally be in my rights, and she just … flipped out. I have no idea why she’s hiding that boyfriend, but he’s obviously up to no good if she’s so desperate to keep him a secret.”

  Brian pursed his lips, fighting the urge to laugh. Ivy clearly hadn’t gotten around to telling Jack that Max was her brother – not her boyfriend – and he wasn’t going to be the one to do it for her. He was kind of interested to see what would happen if Jack was left to his own devices. He was obviously attracted to Ivy. The question was: Would he acknowledge it? “I see. Did you leave the photos with her?”

  “I did.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said that she would call you if she figured anything out. Then she banned me from her property.”

  Ah, there it is. Jack was agitated because Ivy eradicated the easiest way for him to see her. Brian couldn’t help but wonder if Jack realized why he was reacting this way to Ivy and her fiery attitude. Something told him the boy was in denial – about more than one thing.

  “Well, that will be fine,” Brian said. “I like taking to Ivy. I’ve always found her delightful.”

  “That’s probably because you haven’t spent enough time with her,” Jack snapped.

  Brian swallowed his lower lip, nodding as he tamped down his laughter. “I’m sure that’s it. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? We’ll approach this from a new direction tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure,” Brian said. “Get some sleep. Hopefully, we’ll have something new tomorrow. If we don’t, we’re just going to keep spinning our wheels here.”

  AFTER TOSSING and turning most of the night, Jack woke up with a new idea and improved resolve. He didn’t need Ivy Morgan to solve the mystery of the symbols. He just needed someone who understood what he was looking for and could think outside the box.

  In other words: Ivy Morgan was not the only witch in the area.

  After scouring the white pages online, Jack found exactly what he was looking for: The Magic Bag. It was a pagan store in neighboring Bellaire, and the Internet ad promised “supplies for all your magical needs.”

  To Jack, that sounded like an invitation.

  By the time he parked in front of the kitschy store a lot of Jack’s bravado had slipped. He knew that letting his anger with Ivy get the better of him wasn’t a good idea. He also knew that trying to get all of the answers – and as quickly as possible – was part of being a good cop.

  He couldn’t solve Ivy’s attitude problem. He could try and solve this case, though. That was his highest priority.

  A set of wind chimes next to the front door served as an alert system for the owner. Even thoug
h Jack made noise upon entry, the woman behind the counter didn’t bother looking in his direction.

  “I’ll be right with you, detective.”

  Jack froze, surprised. How could she possibly know who he was? He hadn’t called ahead. He hadn’t told anyone he was coming, including Brian. He’d sent the older detective a text message saying that he was checking on a lead and then promised to check in later. There was no way this woman could know who he was.

  Jack took the opportunity to study her, swallowing the urge to snicker when he saw she was wearing a skirt that was very similar to the ones Ivy wore. It fell to a spot just above the woman’s feet, and Jack was relieved to see she was wearing sandals. Instead of bright pink hair – and a fiery attitude – this woman was older. Jack pegged her age to be in the mid-fifties, and her dark hair – shot through with streaks of gray – was pulled back in a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

  After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the woman turned her attention from the ledger she was balancing and finally focused on Jack. “I’m Felicity Goodings. How can I be of service?”

  Now that she was finally acknowledging him, Jack was at a loss for how to approach her. He decided honesty was the best way to go. “How did you know I was a detective?”

  Felicity smiled, the expression warming her round face. “I just … had a feeling. Was I wrong?”

  Jack shook his head. “No. I can’t help but feel like you were purposely trying to knock me off my game, though.”

  “That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Felicity said, her eyes twinkling.

  “I’m sorry,” Jack said, instantly apologetic.

  “I didn’t say you were wrong.”

  Jack returned her smile. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

  “I don’t know any other way to be,” Felicity said. “What can I do for you?”

  “I need some help,” Jack said. “We had a murder in Shadow Lake the other night, and someone … a very bad person … carved some symbols into the victim’s skin. I can’t think of any other way to describe them besides occult, and I’m hoping you will be able to look at them and tell me if I’m on the right track.