Wicked Fun: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 7-9

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Just … hold on. I’m coming right now.”

  Twenty-Two

  Ivy knew she was in a treacherous situation. Figuring the best way out of that situation – a way that didn’t end with a massacre at a supermarket on Christmas Eve – was her top priority. Other than calling Jack and refraining from crying, though, all she’d managed to do was move one spot closer in the line.

  The woman standing behind Ivy remained oblivious to Ivy’s growing panic despite the fact that Ivy had begun tapping her short fingernails on the shopping cart handle. The woman in front of Ivy was another story. She kept turning around and glaring.

  “Don’t look at me that way,” Ivy muttered.

  “Then stop making that noise.”

  That sounded like a wonderful idea to Ivy and yet she couldn’t settle. If she stayed in line long enough for one more person to ring through she would be trapped by the candy displays on one side and the belted counter on the other. If she wanted to remain mobile, she would have to get out of line now. Of course, that would draw attention to her … and cause her to have to wait in line all over again … but she didn’t really have an option.

  Ivy made her decision on the spot and wheeled her cart out of line. The woman behind her arched an eyebrow. “Do you want me to save your spot?”

  “Oh, no thanks,” Ivy said, forcing a smile. “I forgot something.”

  “I can hold your spot for you.”

  “I think it’s probably going to take longer than that.” Ivy cast a worried look over her shoulder, meeting Ricky Hughes’ predatory gaze and then scurrying down an aisle. She abandoned her cart by one of the end caps – hoping against hope that no one would move it so she had to start all over again once Jack saved the day – and sidestepped a harried-looking woman screaming at two teenagers as she popped up in the meat aisle.

  Ivy didn’t have a lot of options and she knew it. The front door was a bust. Even if Ricky and Matt abandoned it completely, unless they were complete idiots – which was entirely possible – they would find some way to watch it. Ivy’s best shot was to lose them in the store, but if they caught her in an aisle they would be able to use the other customers against her. That really only left one option.

  Ivy took a bit of time to look over the immediate area, looking down both adjacent aisles and the wide expanse where she stood, and then she sucked in a breath before plunging through the double doors that led to the area behind the meat counter.

  Ivy expected to find herself in a preparation area … perhaps a place packed with refrigerators to keep meat cold before cutting it and doling it out to be weighed. Instead she realized she was in a dry goods storage area – fifteen-foot shelves stretching to the ceiling, the floor littered with unpacked boxes – and she understood just how bad a turn she made. The room was dark … and drab … and cut off from the rest of the customers.

  “You’re realizing you made a mistake, aren’t you?”

  Ivy recognized the voice, but it was a surprise all the same. She turned slowly, her expression calmer than her stomach as she locked gazes with Mary Jackson.

  “I didn’t see you with Ricky and Matt,” Ivy admitted, seeing no reason to play coy.

  “Yes, well, I couldn’t leave them to screw things up again, could I?” Mary flashed a demented smile as Ivy took a step farther into the storage room. “They’ve completely fouled this whole thing up.”

  Ivy couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening. “You were lying from the beginning.”

  “Oh, don’t look so sad.” Mary made a tsking sound with her tongue. “You weren’t supposed to figure any of it out. That’s on them, though.”

  “So … what? You’re going to kill me in a grocery store full of people?”

  “That’s not my plan, no,” Mary replied. “I don’t want to create a scene. In fact, I was in favor of letting you be. I figured you were being truthful when you told me the only thing Dorian said while dying was Mitchell’s name. However, Ricky doesn’t believe that and he refuses to just let things go. He’s always been like that.”

  “Ricky.” Ivy nodded her head a few times in slow succession. “You’re Ricky’s girlfriend, aren’t you? The woman he mentioned in my aunt’s store was real after all.”

  “I told him that was a mistake, but he insisted on following you.” Mary rolled her eyes, as if she were discussing nothing more important than a pebble in her shoe rather than her husband’s murder. “He was convinced you were holding something back. After seeing that store, he was sure you were a witch and going to cast a spell on him. Can you believe that?”

  “I would love to cast a spell on him,” Ivy replied, nervously playing with her belt loop as she debated how to proceed. “I would like to curse him into believing he’s in a cage and can never get out.”

  Mary barked out a mirthless laugh. “You’re funny.”

  “And you’re not who I thought you were,” Ivy countered, heaving out a sigh. “You’re good. I have to give you that. I didn’t see it when you came to my front door. All I saw was a confused woman who was struggling with the death of her husband.”

  “That’s all you were supposed to see,” Mary pointed out. “I wasn’t lying about how I found you. That probably bothers you, but the detective who questioned me brought up your name and I couldn’t help being curious. That was when I thought Dorian died straightaway, of course, so I pushed it out of my head.

  “It was only after the initial interview that Ricky told me that Dorian spoke to someone before he died,” she continued. “He was watching. It was supposed to be a two-person job, an easy job, but it didn’t turn out that way.”

  “So … you were all in this together?” Ivy remained confused.

  “Ricky and I dated in high school. It was love at first sight.”

  “So how did you end up with Dorian?”

  “It was a few years ago.” Mary seemed bored with the telling, but Ivy wanted to keep her distracted for as long as possible. “Ricky and I hit a bit of a rut. I met Dorian at the bar one night. He was feeling low because he was going through a divorce and his ex wanted full custody of his kids.”

  “I knew it,” Ivy muttered under her breath, causing Mary to arch an eyebrow. “Sorry. It’s just … I knew when I was at your house earlier that you didn’t have kids. The house was too … quiet.”

  “You don’t have kids.”

  “So?”

  “So how do you know my house was too quiet?”

  “Because I was once a kid and my brother and I were rambunctious,” Ivy replied. “If you had kids in the house they would’ve come to the door.”

  “Maybe they were at school.”

  “On Christmas Eve?”

  Mary held her hands up and shrugged. “I didn’t even consider that,” she admitted after a beat. “I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have to take care of kids. You lose sight of the mayhem they add to a household.”

  “You made me believe you had kids,” Ivy pointed out. “You wanted to use kids to put me at ease. I thought it was odd you came to my house that day, but it was the kids who did it for me. I wanted to provide closure for those kids you don’t even have.”

  “Again, that wasn’t your fault.” Mary was blasé. “I’ve done this a few times. I know what I’m doing.”

  “So you dated Ricky but married Dorian,” Ivy noted, changing tactics. “You haven’t told me why yet.”

  “Money. I thought Dorian had some. He had a good job and benefits. That didn’t last very long, though. I guess that was poor planning on my part.”

  “Yes, well, it could’ve easily been poor planning on Dorian’s part,” Ivy pointed out. “So … what? Did you pair Dorian and Ricky up to work together for extra money?”

  “We had a plan,” Mary answered. “We were supposed to pick area businesses – but only one in each city so the police wouldn’t become obsessed with finding us – and rob them. Most of the businesses we targeted were cash rich because of the holidays.

/>   “We picked a ski resort out in Beulah, a Christmas wonderland in Acme, and a snowmobile trail place in Grayling,” she continued. “They were well spread out. They had no ties to one another. They were all solid scores.”

  “I didn’t hear about any of those places being robbed.” Ivy wrinkled her nose. “That would’ve been all over the news.”

  “We’ve been doing it since the day after Thanksgiving,” Mary supplied. “We’ve been spreading out the robberies. You weren’t supposed to hear about them. We didn’t want them tied together.”

  Ivy hated to admit it – even to herself – but it was a good plan. She watched the news nightly and didn’t remember hearing a hint about a rash of robberies. “So why go inside of the mall? That’s different from your other targets.”

  “That was Ricky’s grand idea,” Mary replied. “Dorian finally agreed to join them – he was such a baby for so long because he didn’t want to break the law – but Ricky finally got him to agree. Then he noticed Dorian was recording one of our conversations one day.”

  The final piece of the puzzle slipped into place for Ivy. “Dorian was going to turn you all in.”

  “We think so.”

  “For all you know, though, he could’ve been using the voice recognition on his phone to type a Facebook message,” Ivy pointed out.

  “That’s always a possibility,” Mary conceded. “I can’t say with any certainty what he planned on doing down the road. We’d grown apart. I wanted to leave him, but Ricky is far too alpha to allow something like that. He didn’t want to take a chance of Dorian ratting on us after the fact. He also didn’t want Dorian to live since I had sex with him. He’s kind of territorial.”

  Ivy swallowed her distaste at the proud look on Mary’s face. “He sounds like a real winner.”

  “He’s a loser, but the heart wants what the heart wants.” Mary ran her tongue over her teeth. “What does your heart want, Ivy?”

  “I’m pretty sure you don’t care and I have no intention of confiding in you,” Ivy replied. “In fact, I have no intention of doing anything you want. I have no idea why you followed me out here, but … what do you expect to happen?”

  “What do you expect to happen?”

  “You’re like the world’s worst television psychiatrist,” Ivy groused. “Repeating a question back to me isn’t going to solve our problem.”

  “Do you think there’s a way to solve our problem?”

  “I have no idea,” Ivy answered. “The thing is … this isn’t going to end how you think it’s going to end.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’m a witch, aren’t I?” Ivy was only half joking with the declaration. She felt something in her heart and she knew … she knew Jack was there and he was methodically working his way to her. She hadn’t heard signs of violence from the store, but that didn’t mean they weren’t coming. It simply meant that Jack was here, he was close, and he was coming for her.

  “Do you believe in that stuff?”

  “I believe there are things that we can’t explain,” Ivy replied without missing a beat. “I believe there’s magic in the world.”

  “Do you have that magic in your life?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t think I do, though, do you?”

  Ivy opened her mouth to answer and then snapped it shut, tilting her head to the side as she debated how best to placate a woman on the edge. Finally she decided that the truth was the best course of action. “I think every child is born with magic in his or her heart. Whether you keep it is entirely up to you. I think, in your case, you decided a long time ago to relinquish the magic.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Look at yourself.” Ivy refused to back down. “Your husband was killed, shot in the back, and you don’t care. Norman Fell was shot in the back of the head and set on fire. You don’t care. People are being arrested and there are innocent people out in that store who are in danger because you want what you want when you want it. You don’t feel a second of guilt.”

  “You’re right about that,” Mary confirmed. “I don’t feel guilty. All of those people out there are planning for a merry Christmas, a happy holiday. I deserve that, too.”

  “The difference is that they’re not taking it from someone else,” Ivy argued. “You’re the one doing that.”

  “I told you I wasn’t keen on going after you, but I got outvoted,” Mary said. “Now you’re the one who is in charge of keeping those people in the store alive. Matt and Ricky will start shooting without thinking twice about it. They actually believe a massacre is the best way to cover up your murder.

  “I talked them out of doing that straightaway, though,” she continued. “I figure if they kill everyone we’ll never get out of here. They don’t see the big picture.”

  “Do you?”

  “I see more than they do,” Mary answered. “So, you can put up a fight, but they’ll start shooting. I’m sure everyone out there won’t be killed, but there will be a lot of unhappy holidays around these parts this year. Or, you can quietly leave with me and save Christmas for everyone else. You won’t be saving it for yourself, though.”

  “So if I go with you they’ll all live,” Ivy murmured. “If I stay everyone will die. It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice.”

  “No, I’m sorry, you don’t,” Mary agreed. “If it’s any consolation, I promise to make it quick. I won’t let them do anything to you and I’ll make sure they put your body in a place your boyfriend can find it. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re close with him.”

  “I am.” Ivy felt sick to her stomach. “I’ll go with you.”

  “I figured you would.” Mary pulled a small handgun from the waist of her jeans and prodded Ivy toward the door at the other end of the store. “Let’s not go through the inside, huh? I’m thinking that might turn ugly for both of us.”

  “We can leave through this door.” Ivy turned on her heel, mechanically putting one foot in front of the other. “You said you heard through the grapevine that I’m close with my boyfriend. Who have you been talking to?”

  “Matt and Ricky have been watching you since Dorian’s death. They said your boyfriend is practically glued to your hip.”

  “He is.” Ivy bobbed her head as she reached for the push handle that would open the door, warmth washing over her when she recognized a familiar mind brushing against her own. “Did Ricky and Matt tell you what he does for a living?”

  “Yeah. He’s a cop. You mentioned that before leaving yourself, although you were so rattled you might not remember it.” Mary didn’t sound bothered as Ivy pushed open the door and stepped outside, the sunlight hitting her square on the face. “It’s too bad he couldn’t get here on time, huh?”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Ivy slid her eyes to the left and didn’t put up a fight when Jack grabbed her arm and whipped her body behind his.

  Mary, realizing Ivy was no longer in front of her, increased her pace and raced through the door. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “She’s spending Christmas with her boyfriend,” Jack answered, leveling his gun on Mary as Ivy peeked out from behind his back. “I believe that’s what she’s been trying to tell you for the past five minutes. By the way, honey, why didn’t you start herding her in this direction before now?”

  “I thought you were on the other side of the store,” Ivy replied, adopting a whiny tone as she kept one eye on Mary. She was partially convinced the woman would attempt to draw on Jack and then things would take a decidedly dark turn just in time for Christmas.

  “No, you didn’t,” Jack shot back. “I know the exact moment when you knew I was here.”

  Ivy stilled, her heart rate increasing. “What?”

  “I felt you recognize me,” Jack answered without hesitation. “I felt it. That’s how I knew you were okay … and not in the front of the store. One of the workers saw you walk back here, by the way, so that was a big help and
a dumb move.”

  “Oh, whatever.” Ivy rested her cheek against Jack’s back. “You felt me?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “You felt me, too,” Jack said. “I know you did.”

  “I did.” Ivy didn’t feel odd admitting it. “I’m surprised you felt me, though.”

  “Perhaps I’m a witch, too,” Jack teased, causing Mary to roll her eyes.

  “Have you guys forgotten I’m here?” Mary challenged. “And that I have a gun?”

  “We haven’t forgotten,” Jack replied, returning to the problem at hand. “That would be negligent.”

  “Well, I’m not alone,” Mary said. “If you don’t give me Ms. Morgan then my friends will shoot everyone in that store. Do you want that?”

  “What friends?” Jack asked, squinting one eye. “Do you mean Matt Bloom and Ricky Hughes?”

  Mary clearly wasn’t happy with Jack’s calm demeanor. “I … how … what … ?”

  “You might want to look in that direction.” Jack inclined his head to the alley where the delivery trucks parked. When Mary shifted her eyes in that direction she found a state police cruiser resting about fifty feet away. Matt Bloom was cuffed and secured in the backseat.

  “Where is Ricky?” Mary asked, her voice taking on a definitive edge. “What have you done with him?”

  “He’s in another car on his way to the state police station in Traverse City,” Jack replied, keeping his voice calm. “There seems to be a race to make the first deal. Ricky insisted on being questioned first.”

  Mary’s mouth dropped open, outrage obvious. “That snake!”

  “Now you have a choice,” Jack prodded. “Matt and Ricky went down without any fight at all. They were too busy looking for you to see us coming from behind.”

  “How did you even know what was going on?” Mary looked disgusted.

  “I called him while I was still in line,” Ivy offered. “I knew he was coming.”

  “Which is why you agreed to go outside with me.” Mary’s anger shifted inward. “This just … I don’t want to go to jail.”

  “I don’t see where you have a lot of choice,” Jack pointed out. “If you raise that gun, I’ll shoot you. Death or jail. Those are your only two choices.”