“I think it’s guys like him he’s trying to protect me from,” Devon teased.
They paused on the sidewalk outside the bank where Ivy worked. Devon stared at the building while deep in thought then looked at Ross.
“I’m going to find out why Ivy stood us up for lunch,” Devon informed him. “I’ll only be a minute.”
“I’ll time you,” Ross announced and gleefully set his watch.
Devon smiled at the challenge and hurried inside. Not surprising, the bank was nearly empty as it usually was around lunchtime. There were only two tellers working and only one customer at the counter. Devon approached the vacant teller.
“Hello, Devon,” the young woman announced cheerfully. “If you’re looking for Ivy, she left for the afternoon.”
Devon stared at her with surprise and immediately felt anxious. “She has?” she questioned with surprise. “Did something happen?”
“No,” the teller replied. “She received a phone call and had to leave early.”
“Was it her mother?”
“No, it was a guy.”
The words chilled her. “Thanks,” Devon announced although she was concerned by the revelation. “I’ll check her house to make sure everything’s all right.”
Devon hurried from the bank as her heart pounded and her anxiety rose. She approached Ross on the sidewalk and stopped before him.
He stopped the counter on his watch and grinned. “Under a minute. A new record.”
Devon grabbed his arm without comment and dragged him along the sidewalk.
“Owe, that hurts,” he whined and attempted to pull his arm free. “What’s the hurry?”
“Ivy left work early,” Devon announced and shook her head with concern. “I have a bad feeling she’s doing something stupid.”
“So? Why is it she does something stupid, and I’m the one getting his arm twisted off?” Ross demanded. “How’s that fair?” He attempted to stop her, but she continued to pull him along.
“She left after receiving a phone call from a man,” she remarked without slowing her pace as they headed for Ross’ car.
“Just like Jamie?” Ross nearly gasped.
“We’ll stop by her house and see if she’s there,” Devon announced. “If not, maybe her mother knows where she went and who she was meeting.”
“You think she intended to meet Burt Danson?” Ross cried out softly. “Jamie was possibly meeting him when she was--”
“I know,” Devon announced. “So we should hurry.”
§
Ross’ old mustang was more Bondo than car anymore. The engine sounded as if it had actual horses running through it. The part black, Bondo red, and baby shit green car pulled up to Ivy’s house. The beast came to a grinding stop and rattled before shutting down. The doors creaked, sounding like fingernails on a chalkboard when they opened. Ross and Devon jumped from the car and hurried up the steps to the quiet, little house. Devon knocked on the door with urgency. Ivy’s mother, Candice, opened the door and stared at them with some surprise. Perhaps it was the loud car that startled her.
“Devon, I didn’t expect to see you today,” she announced then turned sympathetic, having heard about her ordeal. “How are you feeling, dear?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Jennings,” she announced although she was preoccupied with more important concerns. “Is Ivy home?”
“No, she’s not,” Candice announced with little concern. “She came home, changed, and then left maybe half an hour ago.”
“Did she say where she was going?” Devon immediately chimed in.
Candice stared at Devon, obviously surprised by the urgency in her tone. “No, but by the way she was dressed, I assumed she was meeting a guy.” She eyed both. “Is something wrong?”
Devon and Ross exchanged concerned looks then returned their attention to Ivy’s mother.
“I don’t want to alarm you,” Devon announced while fidgeting, “but we need to find Ivy. Did she say anything at all about her phone call? It’s important we know where she went.”
“What’s this about?” Candice nearly gasped alarmed by Devon’s concern.
“The night Jamie was murdered, she got a phone call at the diner believed to be from Burt Danson,” Devon explained.
“Or someone pretending to be Burt Danson,” Ross added.
“We think someone may have lured Jamie to her death with that phone call,” Devon informed her as delicately as possible. “When they told us at the bank Ivy received a phone call from a man and took off--”
“We really need to find her,” Ross interjected.
Candice placed her hand over her mouth while staring at them. She immediately replayed in her mind her last conversation with Ivy.
“She said something about having to meet someone,” Candice fumbled over her own thoughts. “I think, uh, I think she may have mentioned a farmhouse. It was an old farmhouse because she said something about how she thought it had been torn down.”
Ross and Devon exchanged looks and immediately came to the same conclusion.
“Baxter’s old farm!”
“Miller’s farm!”
They stared at each other with surprise. Candice appeared horrified.
“We’ll take two cars and split up,” Candice announced then darted back inside to snatch her car keys.
She returned to the porch only a second later then hurried Devon and Ross into the driveway. Ross indicated Candice to Devon.
“You go with Mrs. Jennings to Baxter’s old farm,” he announced. “I’ll check out Miller’s farm.”
Devon nodded and climbed into Candice’s car. Ross jumped into his beast and turned the key. The engine grinded, revved, sputtered, and then thumped before shutting off. Steam came from the hood. Ross jumped out of his car and ran for Candice’s car, jumping into the back seat.
“Change of plans,” he announced. “We’ll go together. Safety in numbers.”
“Piece of shit car,” Devon scoffed.
“Hey, that’s a classic car,” Ross protested. “It just needs a little love.” He then frowned. “But we don’t have time for that much love.”
Chapter Thirty
Mrs. Jennings pressed her foot on the accelerator and drove at high speeds along the back road. Devon clung to the passenger side door while Ross tumbled across the back seat. Ross pulled himself back into a sitting position and clung to the front seats.
“Does anyone even know where we’re going?” Ross asked.
Mrs. Jennings didn’t respond. She suddenly screamed and swerved to miss a squirrel in the road. Ross tumbled across the back seat once more.
“Wait,” Devon cried out. “What’s that road?”
Mrs. Jennings slammed on the brakes, and the car slid to a grinding halt. Ross flew into the front seats then struck the back seat.
“I was safer on the floor,” he muttered while rubbing his sore neck.
An old, overgrown dirt road was seen beyond an open cattle gate. All three stared out the side window. It was possibly the first time anyone had seen the old, rusted gate open.
“That’s the old Farley farm,” Ivy’s mother announced. “I’d forgotten it existed.”
“It went up for auction last month, didn’t it?” Devon asked.
“So?” Ross demanded.
“That gate's been closed forever,” Devon explained. “Now it’s open. Let’s have a look that way.”
The car shot backward and then spun onto the dirt road. Dirt flew behind the car as it jetted down the bumpy road. Ross peeked up unsteadily from the floor of the back seat. Devon glanced at Mrs. Jennings with alarm.
“Could you slow down?” Devon asked. “The element of surprise has a certain charm.”
Mrs. Jennings immediately slowed down and attempted to calm herself.
§
Ivy’s jeep was parked before the old farmhouse, but there was no sign of Ivy. Mrs. Jennings’ car pulled alongside the jeep. The car no sooner stopped when Candice sprang from the driver�
�s seat and ran for her daughter’s jeep. Devon and Ross chased after her. They looked inside the jeep through the open windows then straightened and looked toward the old farmhouse. Devon hurried to the old house and ran onto the partially rotted porch. Candice attempted to follow, but Ross caught her arm and stopped her.
“You should wait out here,” he announced then hurried after Devon.
Ross stepped onto the porch as Devon pushed open the slightly creaking door.
“Devon, don’t go in without me,” Ross whispered, but she ignored him and entered the house.
He groaned and attempted to walk on the less rotted boards that creaked and groaned beneath his feet. He ended up running across the porch as if running over hot coals. Ross entered the farmhouse hallway and immediately looked up the creepy steps that were partially rotted and missing. He grimaced then placed his hand on Devon’s arm.
“I should probably go first,” he announced then hesitated and pushed Devon along the hallway while hiding behind her.
Devon was too nervous even to realize Ross was using her as a shield. She peered into the first room they reached, which would have been the old sitting room. There were a few pieces of old furniture that were probably home to a dozen or more rats. The furniture was mostly chewed through with stuffing scattered around the floor. Devon was about to turn toward the room across the hall when she spotted something in the far corner of the room. She uncertainly entered the sitting room and approached what looked suspiciously like a body on the floor with a sheet covering it. Ross saw what she was staring at and clutched her arm.
“Maybe we should call Sheriff Carter,” Ross suggested in a whisper.
Devon ignored him and continued her slow approach toward the sheet covered object. She reached out with a trembling hand and had to focus so she wouldn’t react to Ross squeezing her arm, nearly cutting off her circulation. She grasped a corner of the sheet and pulled it off while jumping back a step and colliding with Ross. Ross cried out, causing Devon to scream as well. Both stared at the old grandfather clock lying on the floor. Devon and Ross finally exhaled and managed a tiny, nervous laugh. They practically hugged each other then returned to the hallway. Devon indicated the room with the closed door on the other side of the hall, which logically would have been the dining room. Devon attempted to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She eyed Ross suspiciously.
“Why would the door be locked?”
“It’s probably just stuck,” he informed her. “It’s a sliding door. I wouldn’t doubt the wood is just warped or rotted.”
Ross gently pushed her aside and pulled on the sliding door. Something snapped, and the door slid open with a thunderous crack, nearly falling off its track. They peered into the room and immediately focused their attention on the old dining room table. The old table contained a large pool of partially dried blood in the center. The wood was freshly splintered in the middle of the table caused by either a sword or ax. Blood had seeped through the cracks and collected into a pool on the floor beneath the table. Ross and Devon stared with shock at the large amount of blood that also streaked over the side of the table, as if something or someone had been pulled from it. Apart from blood spatters, there wasn’t any other trace of blood on the floor. Whatever had been killed was placed on a tarp or blanket to keep from leaving a trail of blood.
“Ivy,” Devon gasped with horror and cast a frightened look at Ross.
Ross couldn’t take his eyes off the blood and appeared unable to speak.
“How in the world did you guys find me?” a female voice asked from behind them.
Ross and Devon screamed in unison while spinning around. They stared at Ivy, who stood in the hallway clutching her large purse. Ivy screamed when they screamed.
“What’s going on?” Candice cried out from the front door.
Ross, Devon, and Ivy all screamed and spun toward the door. When they screamed, Candice screamed. Everyone took deep breaths and attempted to calm down. Ivy’s mother ran toward the dining room and hugged her daughter.
“Oh, Ivy. I was so worried!”
She returned the hug and sighed. “Well, you can relax,” Ivy huffed and pulled away while frowning. “The bastard never showed.”
“Who?” her mother demanded.
“Burt Danson,” she replied and made a face. “Apparently, he’s been playing the casting couch game with his potential actresses.”
“I can’t believe you’d come out here by yourself to meet that snake,” Devon suddenly cried out. “And after Jamie was murdered. What if he’s the one who killed her?”
“I know it was stupid.”
“Aren’t we all forgetting something rather important?” Ross remarked while raising his brows.
Once they looked at him, he indicated the large pool of dried blood on the dining room table as if he were giving away a new car. Candice and Ivy saw the blood and cried out with horror.
“Holy hell,” Ivy cried out. “What happened?”
“We thought you were killed,” Devon informed her.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Ross announced and grabbed Ivy’s arm. “We’ll call Sheriff Carter from Ivy’s house.”
Ross practically pulled Ivy from the house. As they hurried off the porch, something sharp stuck Ross in the side. He cried out and looked at Ivy’s large bag. A tiny kitten climbed his shirt.
“What the hell--?” he cried out and removed the kitten and its sharp claws from his side.
He stared at the kitten with surprise then looked back at Ivy. She grimaced slightly and opened her bag.
“Just put it back with the others,” she announced.
Ross looked into her bag and saw three more kittens and their momma cat. Ross groaned and returned the kitten to her bag. As they headed toward the car and jeep, Ross hesitated and stared at the barn.
“Hey,” he announced with surprise. “I think there’s someone in the barn.”
The three women turned toward the barn with surprise but didn’t see anything except darkness beyond the partially open doors.
Candice grabbed Ivy’s arm and tugged on her. “I don’t care what’s in there,” she cried out. “Let’s get out of here.”
Devon followed Ivy to her jeep while Ross jumped into the back seat. Devon paused by the jeep door and looked back at the barn. The barn door gently swayed in the breeze, and she swore she saw something move within the darkness.
“He’s right,” Devon remarked nervously. “There’s someone in the barn.”
“Do you suppose it’s Burt?” Ivy asked.
“I don’t want to stick around to find out,” her mother announced from her own car door. “Let’s get out of here.”
“We should check,” Devon insisted without taking her eyes off the partially open barn door.
“You are not going into that barn,” Ivy’s mother cried out.
“We won’t,” Devon announced and glanced at the frantic woman. “We’ll just drive up to it, give the doors a gentle nudge, and see who runs out.”
“You’re insane,” Candice exploded then drew a deep breath and attempted to remain calm. “Just keep the car doors locked.”
Candice jumped into her car while the others got into Ivy’s jeep. Ivy started her jeep then drove toward the barn, gently pushing the big doors inward with the front bumper. The headlights from the jeep lit up the interior of the old barn. They saw Paula Jarred hanging by her neck from the barn rafters while her chalky white body swayed in the breeze. Her midsection was completely hollowed from a large slice starting at her sternum running down to her groin. Her insides lay in a heap on the dirt floor beneath her feet. Devon, Ivy, and Ross all screamed when they saw the savagely murdered woman.
Ivy continued to scream as she threw the shifter into reverse and floored the pedal. The jeep flew backward from the barn. There was a sudden jolt and a distinct crash. Ross was cast across the back seat. All three sat immobile a moment. Ivy and Devon uncertainly looked behind them. Ross pulled himself
onto the seat and looked out the rear window. The front of Mrs. Jennings’ car was smashed. Ross nervously waved at her from the back seat of the jeep.
Chapter Thirty-one
Later that afternoon, Devon sat silently in the sheriff’s office while watching him casually route through papers on his moderately cluttered desk. Although a lot of people in town thought he was just a dumb, hick cop, Devon knew he was a problem solver. He always seemed to be jotting notes in his little notebook. She was pretty sure he was taking names to kick some asses in the future. His large frame and muscle mass was enough to intimidate even if others didn’t think he was exceptionally bright. He finally leaned on his desk and met her gaze.
“Do you have a ride home?”
“Well, I came here with Ivy, so I assume she’s taking me and Ross home,” Devon replied then eyed him when he didn’t initially respond.
He managed a tiny smile. “We have a few additional questions for Ivy,” Sheriff Carter replied. “She’s going to be detained a little while.”
“Detained?” Devon suddenly asked and sat forward with a look of concern. “You mean arrested?”
“Nope,” he casually replied and played with his pen while appearing almost bored. “Just detained.”
As she stared at the sheriff, she was beginning to think she may have been wrong. Maybe he was just a clueless idiot.
“She didn’t kill Paula,” Devon firmly insisted. “You know she didn’t.”
“I didn’t say she did,” he announced then cocked his head slightly while eyeing her suspiciously. “Why would you assume I thought she had?”
Devon shifted in her chair while frowning. “Because you’re naturally suspicious, and she was at the crime scene before we found Paula in the barn.”
Sheriff Carter maintained his emotionless stare, but she swore she saw a hint of a smile at what he perceived to be a compliment.
“I’d have to be pretty stupid to think Ivy killed Paula before you arrived at the farmhouse,” Sheriff Carter announced. “It was obvious Paula had been dead a few days already.” He gave her a curious look. “What time did you leave Ivy on Saturday night?”
The Deadliest Institution Collection Page 56
