Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3

by Lily Harper Hart

  “He was angry, but he was also … resigned,” Amy said. “I think he was expecting it. My understanding is that he packed up his belongings and left the campus that night. I guess we know where he ended up now.”

  “I guess so,” Jack said, rubbing his chin. “I just have one more question. Did Heath ever seem susceptible to suggestion to you?”

  “That’s a hard question to answer,” Amy said. “I’m in a position of power where he’s concerned. He always did as I asked. I guess, in theory, I would have to say yes. Just how much suggestion are we talking about here?”

  “The compound is full of mostly women,” Jack said. “Other than Heath, I think I only saw two other men. I assumed he was at the compound because he was grandfathered in through his mother or something. I’m not sure that’s the case, though.”

  “I wish you luck, detective,” Amy said. “Religious manipulation is one of the few things that really gets me riled up.”

  “I can see that,” Jack said. “Thank you for your time.”

  Brian was back at Jack’s desk a few minutes after he disconnected. “Anything?”

  “We have a whole lot of something,” Jack said. “I … what’s going on with Hamilton’s lawyer?”

  “They’re still in there talking.”

  “We need to get in there,” Jack said. “I have a few questions about Heath Graham, and right now Hamilton is the only one who can answer them. Come on.”

  Twenty-Four

  “Happy dinner, Nicodemus.”

  Ivy leaned over and stroked the cat’s soft fur wearily. Although he often craved attention, when the dinner bell rang, Nicodemus considered it a solitary experience. He turned his back on Ivy and blocked her off from his dish – just in case she might want to steal some of it.

  “Have fun, glutton.”

  Ivy left Nicodemus to his dinner and moved toward her library. A nice book and her favorite blanket sounded like the perfect way to unwind, she told herself. It had been days since she’d been able to relax. Now that Chad was in custody, she was safe.

  So why did she feel so edgy?

  Ivy selected a simple murder mystery from the shelf, knowing anything more taxing wouldn’t sink in, and settled on the couch. She was only two pages in when she thought she heard something outside. She leaned forward, cocking her head to the side so she could listen closer. When she didn’t hear anything again she returned her attention to the book. Living so close to the woods meant she had a lot of nocturnal visitors of the furry persuasion – most of which Nicodemus hunted from the window and terrorized until they moved a safe distance away. When he was done with his dinner, Ivy was sure he would scare whatever was scrounging around the front garden away with a few well-placed howls.

  Ivy was just getting back into the flow of the book when she heard the noise again. This time it was accompanied by the sound of something rattling – and she was almost certain it was her garbage cans.

  “That raccoon,” Ivy grumbled, getting to her feet.

  She stalked through the house, throwing open the door in an attempt to scare the scavenging raccoon away. He’d become a frequent guest, and Max was insisting on replacing her older bins with newer ones that had lids that fastened in such a way that a raccoon – no matter how industrious – couldn’t get inside.

  “Hey, bandit, there’s nothing in there,” Ivy said, narrowing her eyes so she could focus on the area where the trashcans were located. “You’re going to be really disappointed when you tip that thing over.”

  When the bins clanged one more time, Ivy sighed and hopped off the porch, heading in the direction of the racket. She was almost upon the cans, ready to scare the creature physically with a loud yell, when she realized it was no animal rummaging through her garbage.

  It was a man.

  Ivy opened her mouth to scream, but it died on her lips when the man swiveled so he was facing her.

  “HOW did you meet Heath Graham?” Jack asked, focusing keenly on Chad as he conversed with his lawyer, Deacon Reynolds.

  “My client is not going to answer that question,” Reynolds said.

  “Yes, he is,” Jack said. “I want to know how Heath Graham became involved with your client, and I want to know now.”

  “May I ask why you’re asking questions about Mr. Graham?” Reynolds asked.

  “Because I found that this book was used in a comparative religion class at Central Michigan University,” Jack replied, not seeing any reason to lie as he lifted the copy of The Covenant up for Chad and Reynolds to see. “Heath Graham was a TA in that class, and he lied about paper grades for a number of students, including Mona Wheeler.”

  Chad balked. “Wait. What?”

  “You didn’t know Heath and Mona knew each other?”

  “I knew they were acquainted, but I didn’t know that,” Chad said.

  “Mr. Hamilton, please, let me handle this,” Reynolds interrupted.

  “Shut up,” Jack said. “I’m not going to ask your client anything about his own activities right now. When I do, you can step in and speak for him. For now, I want to hear about Heath. How did he come to be a part of your compound?”

  “He just showed up one day,” Chad said. “I’m not sure how he heard about us, but he volunteered his services as my second in command.”

  “How did that go over?”

  “I sent him away,” Chad said. “I didn’t want his … sort … at Covenant.”

  “Because he has a penis?”

  “No,” Chad scowled. “Because … just bite me.”

  “When did you agree to let Heath join?”

  “He kept coming around,” Chad said. “One day I would find him helping the women in the field. The next day I would find him cleaning the living quarters. Finally, it just made sense to let him join. Once he told me he was gay, I didn’t see what the harm in having him around was.”

  “Gay?”

  “That’s what he said. He never showed any interest in my women. Trust me. I was looking.”

  Jack made a face. “Heath was expelled from the university because of the cheating scandal,” he said. “He only helped female students, and he wasn’t doing it for money.”

  Chad faltered. “But … he’s gay.”

  “He’s not,” Jack said. “Tell me about Heath’s interactions with Mona.”

  “I don’t … I never purposely sought them out to watch,” Chad said, thoughtful. “I knew they were familiar with one another, but I thought it was just because they were passing acquaintances on campus. I honestly never saw anything to pique my suspicion.”

  “Did you know Heath was familiar with The Covenant before he came to the compound?”

  “He was a true believer.”

  “He was part of a class where they ridiculed and mocked the book,” Jack corrected. “I’m betting you didn’t know that.”

  “But he said … .”

  “How did he find you? Mona was with your group first, right?”

  “I met Mona at a fall festival in Bellaire in the fall,” Chad said. “She seemed interested in our group, so I started … talking … to her whenever I got the chance. I invited her to a number of our public appearances.”

  “You mean you started to groom her,” Jack corrected.

  “I talked to her,” Chad said.

  “Did she let on that she knew The Covenant was fiction, too?”

  Chad shifted uncomfortably. “I … .”

  “I don’t care about your cult,” Jack said. “I care about the murder. You said you didn’t murder Mona. We have a second suspect now, although I’m not ruling you out. Tell me about Mona.”

  “She was really … energetic at first,” Chad said.

  “You told me that.”

  “No, I mean she jumped right in and wanted to help,” Chad said. “Frankly, she was more interested in hanging out with the women than me.”

  Jack stilled. “Wait a minute … you said you had sex with her.”

  “I didn’t say that.”
>
  “You insinuated it.”

  “I … we never had occasion to consummate our promise.”

  “I thought you were the Promise?”

  “I am.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jack said.

  “That’s because he’s making it up as he goes along,” Brian said. “Enough is enough here, Chad. You start volunteering information about Mona or I’m going to lock you up right now.”

  “You can’t do that,” Reynolds argued.

  “Shut up,” Brian snapped. “Start talking, Chad.”

  Chad sighed and ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. “I didn’t know what Mona was doing when she first came to the compound,” he said. “We talked a few times before she came for a tour. When she came for the tour, she was determined to be accepted into our group.

  “She seemed really industrious and helpful,” Chad said. “After the winter thaw, she started showing up every weekend. She would help in the fields, and she even volunteered to babysit. She would spend time with me, but she never seemed excited about it.”

  An idea was starting to form in Jack’s mind. “She wasn’t really a member of your group, was she?”

  “No,” Chad said. “I wasn’t lying when I said I caught her telling people about what was going on at the compound. I found out, though, that she was doing it as part of a college assignment. She was trying to infiltrate us. She was undercover.”

  “For a college class?”

  “She said it wasn’t assigned, but if she could bring us down then she would have something to show some professor who thought she was a cheater,” Chad said.

  “You’re starting to look like the guilty party again,” Jack said.

  “I didn’t kill her,” Chad said. “While I didn’t like being fooled, I honestly didn’t see how a college project could hurt us. Obviously Mona couldn’t stay. That’s why I banned her.”

  “What if she turned what she found into the police?”

  “I’m not doing anything illegal,” Chad said.

  “Are you sure? There are rumors you’re cultivating pot up there.”

  “Did you find any in your search?”

  Jack shook his head. “That doesn’t mean you’re not hiding it somewhere else. It’s a big area.”

  “I’ll call the state police,” Brian said. “They have more resources. They can have dogs up there and search the surrounding area within a few hours.”

  “Wait!” Chad held up his hands, desperate. “I … .”

  “Don’t say another word,” Reynolds said.

  “Yeah, don’t say another word,” Jack said. “Let me fill the rest of this in for you and your attorney. Heath didn’t join because he was a believer. He joined because he blamed Mona for being expelled. He got expelled and she got a second chance. He was bitter. When he got up there, he realized there was potential for making money.

  “If Mona turned everything she found over to her professor that would put all of you at risk,” Jack said. “Heath didn’t want to lose money and stature to Mona. Not again. He wanted her to pay, and when you banned her, he realized he was going to lose that chance.”

  “Heath didn’t even know about the pot,” Chad scoffed, immediately realizing what he’d said. “I mean … crap.”

  “Yeah, crap,” Jack said. “Heath murdered Mona to shut her up. I’m not sure why he dumped her here, but I’ll be sure to ask him when we take him into custody. He wasn’t up at the compound when we searched it earlier. Where is he?”

  “I haven’t seen him since we came over here to shop for trees the other day,” Chad said. “I sent him away so I could talk to Ivy alone, and I haven’t seen him since. He wasn’t in the parking lot when I left, so I assumed he would find another ride back.”

  Jack shifted sharply. “What do you mean? Heath was in town with you the day you went after Ivy at the nursery?”

  “I didn’t go after her.”

  “I will beat you,” Jack snapped, his heart fluttering.

  “He was with me,” Chad said, making a face. “I haven’t seen him since, though.”

  Jack jumped to his feet and strode toward the office door.

  “Where are you going?” Brian asked, confused.

  “Heath Graham was here the day someone left a threat for Ivy on her front porch,” Jack said. “He was … enamored … with her when we were up at the compound that first day. He’s the one who killed Mona Wheeler.”

  “I … do you think he’s going after Ivy?”

  “Of course he’s going after Ivy,” Jack said. “Why else would he leave the message? I have to call her.”

  “What are you going to tell her?”

  “To stay in her house,” Jack said. “You call Max and get him over there right away. She needs a wall of protection so Heath doesn’t approach her.”

  “What if it’s too late?”

  Jack was grim. “Then I’ll kill him.”

  Twenty-Five

  “Max! What are you doing here? You scared the life out of me.”

  Ivy held her hand to her heart as she tried to catch her breath. When she first saw the figure moving by the trashcans, her mind went to a scary place. Now she was just angry. Her brother picked the oddest times to show up and irritate her.

  “I came to make sure you were okay,” Max said, making a face. “I saw something by your trashcans when I came up. I got distracted. You really need new cans. That raccoon is never going to leave if it knows you put out a buffet for it every night.”

  “You scared me!”

  “I’m sorry,” Max said, moving forward and giving Ivy a brief hug. “I actually came here because I wanted to make sure you were safe. I heard about the threatening flowers, by the way. I can’t tell you how great it is to hear about it from someone else. It made my day.”

  “How did you hear about it?”

  “I played basketball with Sean Nixon up at the high school this afternoon. He told me.”

  “Brian has a big mouth,” Ivy grumbled.

  “I also heard that Jack Harker spent the night here to protect you,” Max said, lifting his eyebrows. “Is that part of the story true, too? Are you two … ?” Max made a suggestive motion with his hand.

  “No,” Ivy said, glaring at him. “He slept on the couch. Stop being … you.”

  “Did you want him to sleep somewhere else?”

  “Max!”

  “You like him,” Max said, refusing to back down. “Don’t deny it. I see it when you look at him. There’s no shame in it. You’re an adult, after all. You’re allowed to like a guy.”

  Ivy pinched the bridge of her nose, too tired to keep up the fight. “I do like him.”

  “I know. He likes you, too. He can’t take his eyes off of you when you’re in a room together.”

  “He doesn’t want anything,” Ivy said, her voice small. “He’s dealing with other stuff. He doesn’t have anything to give. He’s already told me that.”

  “That was a little forward of him,” Max grumbled.

  “He was honest,” Ivy said. “I admire him for it. I don’t want anything either.”

  “You want him,” Max countered. “You just admitted it. Don’t take it back now. We’re finally getting somewhere.”

  “Even if I do want him, and I’m not saying I do, but if I did want to try and see if we could have something, he’s not ready,” Ivy said. “Trust me. He’s dealing with other stuff. I’m not a consideration for him.”

  “You seem upset about that.”

  “I … there’s something about him,” Ivy said. “I can’t explain it. It’s like he calls to me.”

  “I think it might have something to do with the fact that he’s tall, built, and looks like a Greek god.”

  Ivy smirked. “He’s handsome,” she said. “It’s not just that, though. There’s something else there.”

  “Have you considered telling him this?”

  “No.”

  “Why? Ivy, I love you. You owe yourself a chance for some ha
ppiness. If this is the guy who can give it to you, don’t you at least want to give it a try?”

  “No,” Ivy said, her eyes serious. “I would never try to force a situation that he didn’t want, and he doesn’t want this. I’m not an idiot. I know he’s attracted to me. He’s pretty much admitted it.

  “He’s also admitted that he can’t deal with a relationship right now,” she continued. “I’m not sure what drove him out of Detroit, but I know it was terrible. Until he deals with that, there’s no room for anything else on his plate.

  “It’s sad. It’s a little depressing. It’s honest, though,” Ivy said. “I have nothing but respect for him. He’s not trying to play games. He’s not trying to hurt me. In the grand scheme of things, he’s really trying to protect us both.”

  “That’s very pragmatic,” Max said, rolling his eyes. “You have one little problem, though.”

  Ivy waited.

  “When your heart gets involved, the best-laid plans fall by the wayside,” Max said. “You can’t stay away from him, and he can’t stay away from you.”

  “That’s only because of this case,” Ivy said. “It’s almost over. Chad is in custody.”

  “I’m relieved for that,” Max said. “I’m still willing to wager that Jack finds a way to cross paths with you even when this case is over with.”

  “Do you want to bet?”

  “I think that’s what a wager is,” Max said.

  Ivy extended her hand. “Fine. Fifty bucks says that once this case is over with Jack Harker is going to find every excuse in the book to stay away from me.”

  Max shook her hand. “Done. When I’m right, I want my fifty bucks in the form of that lilac lotion you make every June.”

  Ivy’s eyebrows flew up. “What? Why?”

  “The women love it, and they love me when I have it.”

  “You really are a pig.”

  “I try,” Max said. “Now, why don’t you go inside and fix me something to eat? I’ll make sure these cans are secured and then I’ll be inside.”

  “You’re staying?”

  “You’re my sister,” Max said. “You’ve been threatened. It’s my job to stay.”

  “I told you Chad was in custody.”