Wicked Places (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 4) (12 page)

“
R
un me through this
,” Jack said, his eyes keen as his gaze bounced from face to face. “What exactly is going on?”

“Run you through what?” Scott challenged. “I went to sleep last night and Melissa was in the camper. I woke up and she was gone.”

“That doesn’t mean she’s missing,” Jack protested. “She could be out taking a walk … or in the bathroom … or picking up ice at the ranger station. Why did you jump to the conclusion that she’s missing?”

“Because it’s not even seven in the morning yet and she never gets up before nine,” Scott snapped. “She’s not a morning person.”

“Show me the camper,” Jack instructed, following his friend into the large trailer and glancing around. The far end of the camper was elevated, a double bed with messy blankets resting on it. What was supposed to be the table in the kitchen area had been transformed into another bed. The ramifications weren’t lost on Jack. “You guys have been sleeping separately.”

Scott ran a hand through his morning-tousled hair. “I … yeah. I slept up in the bed because I have longer legs and she slept down here.”

“How much trouble is your marriage in?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Scott was incensed. “Are you accusing me of doing something to my wife?”

“I’m trying to get a full picture of what’s going on here,” Jack countered, his voice even and calm. “If we have to call the police – and if she’s really missing, we’re doing it sooner rather than later – then they’re going to ask you the same questions. I can guarantee they’re going to be uglier about it than I am.”

“The marriage is over,” Scott said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s … been over. We’ve tried to keep it afloat, but it’s just not going to work. This was supposed to be our last trip together. We wanted to hang out with everyone and then announce our separation on the last day. Melissa figured she wouldn’t get a chance to see Maria and Lauren again and she wanted to have fun with them before we depressed everyone.”

“Was anyone cheating?”

“I … no … why would you ask that?”

“Because you’ve hit on my girlfriend this week and Melissa threw herself at me when she was drunk,” Jack replied. “If the troopers ask when they get here, I’m telling them the truth. You need to tell me the truth.”

“I’ve been sleeping with my secretary,” Scott gritted out.

“For how long?”

“Six months.”

Ivy silently watched the exchange from the doorway. None of this information surprised her.

“Was Melissa seeing anyone?” Jack asked.

“If you ask her, Melissa claims she didn’t know I was sleeping with my secretary until about a month ago,” Scott said. “I personally think she was deluding herself, but … whatever. She was extremely angry and said I betrayed her.

“The thing is, I didn’t even start looking at my secretary until I was positive Melissa was slipping out on me,” he continued. “I wasn’t exactly happy up until that point, but I wasn’t breaking my vows. She was.”

Jack refused to be swayed by Scott’s apparent misery. “Who was she seeing?”

“I have no idea.”

“I don’t believe you,” Jack said. “You must have looked at her email … or cell phone … or something to see if she was really cheating.”

“I did all of that and found nothing.”

“So why do you think she was cheating?” Jack pressed.

“Because … I don’t know! It’s just a feeling,” Scott said. “I can’t explain it. I was certain she was cheating, though.”

Jack momentarily glanced at Ivy and then shifted his attention back to his friend. “How much did you stand to lose in the divorce?”

“Half of everything.”

“What would that have done to you financially?”

“What? Do you think I killed Melissa for money?” Scott was getting angrier by the second.

“Did you?”

“You know what? I can’t believe you, Jack,” Scott huffed. “We’ve been friends for ten years. How can you possibly ask me that question?”

“It’s my job.”

“Really? I can’t help but wonder if you’re asking because your girlfriend lied to you and said I hit on her,” Scott shot back. “I didn’t hit on her, by the way. She’s not my type. I try to stay away from women who look like strippers.”

“You shut your mouth,” Jack hissed, taking a menacing step in Scott’s direction. “I know you hit on Ivy. In fact, I think you did it twice. She didn’t say anything, but she was uncomfortable with whatever you said to her the day we went kayaking.

“I’ve seen the way you look at her,” he continued. “I’m not blind. Don’t lie to me. Don’t you dare insult her either. I am this close to walking away from this entire situation and leaving you to deal with it on your own.”

Astonished hurt washed over Scott’s features. “How is it that you can believe the woman you’ve been sleeping with for a month over the guy you’ve been friends with for ten years?”

“Because she doesn’t lie to me,” Jack replied, unruffled. “I’ve seen her heart. I’ve felt it beat while she’s sleeping. She’s the most loyal and honest person I’ve ever met. You, on the other hand, can’t claim that.

“You were always a fun guy, but you were also a liar,” he continued. “You exaggerated about the women you dated, the grades you got, and the future you were going to have. The only thing Ivy exaggerates about is her genius … and I’m not really sure if that’s an exaggeration. I don’t want to feed her ego, though, so I want to believe it’s an exaggeration. If she’s really as smart as she says she is, we’re all in trouble.”

“You’re in trouble when we’re alone again,” Ivy muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“When was the last time you saw Melissa?”

“Last night,” Scott said, shooting a hateful look in Ivy’s direction. “I hope you’re happy. You ruined a friendship.”

“Don’t you even look at her,” Jack warned, wagging a finger in Scott’s face. “What time did you go to bed?”

“About an hour after you and Ivy turned in,” Scott said.

“Did you go to sleep right away?”

“I did. Melissa read a book. I’m not sure what time she went to bed.”

“Did you hear her get up during the night?” Jack asked.

“No,” Scott answered, shaking his head. “The camper is small and you can feel when someone moves at either end of it. I slept hard, though. I didn’t hear her. If someone dragged her out of here, though, I would’ve definitely heard that. She had to leave on her own accord.”

Jack ran his tongue over his teeth as he considered Scott’s statement. “We need to find her,” he said. “I’m worried this could go very badly for you if we don’t.”

“I’m not sure how much worse things can get, Jack,” Scott said. “You’ve picked a woman over your friends and you believe I could’ve hurt Melissa even though you’ve known me for ten years. How do things get worse than that?”

“Things can always get worse,” Jack said. “Never doubt that.”

“
T
HERE’S
absolutely
nothing in there,” Ivy announced, joining Jack outside the women’s bathroom facilities ten minutes later. “I got down on my hands and knees just to make sure. There are no signs of a struggle or blood.”

“That’s both a good and bad sign,” Jack said, eyeing Ivy’s hand when she extended it in his direction. “Did you wash your hands after crawling around on the public bathroom floor?”

Ivy scowled. “Fine. Don’t hold my hand. I’m sure there are hundreds of people here would like to hold my hand.”

“Not if you didn’t wash it.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “Where do you want to head next?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said, restlessly tugging on the ends of his hair as he glanced around. “I’m starting to think we should call the state police and begin a search right now. We’re wasting time.”

“Then do that.”

“Melissa is a grown woman,” Jack pointed out. “She’s allowed to voluntarily disappear if she wants to do it. She and Scott obviously had problems – even more than we initially suspected – and maybe it got to be too much for her.”

“That’s a possibility,” Ivy conceded. “Melissa was mortified by what she did. Did you see her last night? She wouldn’t make eye contact with you, and the few times she did with me she looked as if she wanted to find a hole to hide in.”

“She was definitely embarrassed,” Jack said, reaching out and grabbing Ivy’s hand. “I’m glad you didn’t go after her. That showed tremendous restraint on your part and I appreciate it.”

Ivy lifted an eyebrow as she stared at their clasped hands. “I thought you didn’t want to get my germs.”

Jack forced a watery smile. “I need to touch you,” he said. “I’m willing to take my chances.”

“What do you think about Scott’s story?” Ivy asked. “Do you really think he decided to cheat because he thought Melissa was doing it first?”

“I’m not ruling Melissa cheating out, but I think he’s the one who started that game,” Jack answered. “I think he was trying to save face for us. He forgets, I watched him cheat on every girlfriend he had in college. He doesn’t have a moral compass when it comes to sex.”

“Have you ever cheated on a girlfriend?”

Jack shifted so he could study Ivy’s face. “No. I’m a firm believer that breaking up with someone – even if it’s uncomfortable – is better than betraying them.”

“Not even in college?”

“No,” Jack said. “What about you?”

“I didn’t go to college.”

“That’s not what I meant, wiseass,” Jack teased, tickling Ivy’s ribs. “Did you ever cheat on a boyfriend?”

“Before you, I only really ever had one boyfriend,” Ivy said. “I never cheated on him, even though he cheated on me. I guess I’m like you. I prefer to remain loyal. If you don’t want to be with someone, break up with them. Don’t … slip around behind their back.”

“I don’t think that’s ever something you have to worry about with me, honey,” Jack said, pulling Ivy in for a quick hug. “I can barely handle you. I don’t know what I would do with another mountain of trouble.”

“Ha, ha.”

Jack kissed her forehead. “You’re all I want.”

“Me, too.”

Jack pressed another quick kiss to Ivy’s forehead and then released her. “I’m going to call the state police and alert them to what’s going on,” he said. “After that, I think we need to start searching the campground.”

“Actually, I think you should task the rest of your friends with doing that,” Ivy countered. “You and I have to take a hike into the woods.”

Jack was surprised. “We do?”

“We have to check the clearing, Jack,” Ivy said, swallowing hard. “If someone … took her … there’s a good chance she ended up there.”

Jack rubbed his thumb over Ivy’s cheek, tilting his head to the side as he considered her words. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that,” he said.

“You’ve had other things on your mind,” Ivy said. “Call Harvey. We’ll take this one step at a time.”

“
I
’M
GLAD
you’re with me,” Jack said, following Ivy as she moved through the woods.

“Is that because you can’t live without my company, or you’re afraid of getting lost in the woods?”

“Both,” Jack said, squeezing Ivy’s hand. “Did you see Scott when we stopped back at the campsite and told them not to wander too far away because we called the state police? He hates me.”

“He’s in a tough situation, Jack,” Ivy said, grabbing his arm and directing him to move around a tree instead of over it.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because that’s a mud pit under there,” Ivy answered, grabbing a stick and lifting up the fallen leaves to display the sludgy area. “You would’ve lost your shoe. Even if you got it back, you wouldn’t have wanted to wear it.”

“If there’s ever a zombie apocalypse, I definitely need you on my team,” Jack said. “If I’m alone, I might as well step in the mud hole and wait for the zombies to eat me.”

“I’ll protect you,” Ivy said, moving back to the path she was tracing in her head. “As for Scott, he knows he’s going to be a suspect if Melissa is dead. If he’s innocent, he’s still going to feel guilty … and persecuted … because he’s always going to wonder if he could’ve saved her. If he’s guilty … well … he’s going to be worrying about saving his ass from here on out. We have to watch him.”

“Do you think Melissa is dead?” Jack asked.

“Truthfully?”

“Yes.”

“I think she’s dead,” Ivy confirmed. “I don’t know if I can say that I think Scott killed her, though.”

“If Scott didn’t kill her, that means Donnie or Alex is guilty.”

“Not necessarily,” Ivy said, pushing her way through a group of trees and striding into the clearing. “I haven’t ruled out the women yet.”

Jack stilled. “Why would Maria or Lauren kill teenage girls?”

“You’re looking at it as if there’s a sexual component,” Ivy pointed out. “We’re not sure there is yet.”

“I guess that’s true,” Jack said, rubbing his stubbled chin. “If what you’re saying is true, then we’ve been going about this all wrong. We need to draw the women in and feel them out, too.”

“I have been doing that,” Ivy said. “We can’t focus on that now, though. There’s no body here. That doesn’t mean there’s not a clue here. Let’s split up and look around.”

“I don’t think we should split up.”

“It’s a small clearing, Jack. You’ll hear me if I need you.”

“No,” Jack said, shaking his head. “We’re in this together, Ivy. Let’s look around … together.” Jack held out his hand and watched as Ivy reluctantly took it.

“You know I didn’t wash my hands, right?”

“You make me tired sometimes,” Jack muttered.

“
I
s this all you found
?” Trooper Harvey asked an hour later, gesturing toward the scattering of blood on the far side of the clearing.

Jack nodded. “We looked around the area, but when we found the blood we stopped wandering around,” he said. “We didn’t want to mess up what could be a potential crime scene.”

“That was smart on your part,” Harvey said. “You know this makes three dead people you’ve found, right, Ms. Morgan? If I was a less trusting man, I would throw you in jail right now just to cut down on my workload.”

Ivy balked. “We don’t know for sure that Melissa is dead,” she pointed out. “We don’t even know for sure that this is human blood.”

“Do you think an animal killed another animal and then cleaned up the carcass mess when he was done munching? If so, I would love to hire him as a maid. I’ll bet I can get a real deal on him.”

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Jack intoned, narrowing his eyes. “We’re trying to help. In case you’ve forgotten, Melissa is married to one of my oldest friends.”

“A friend that may or may not be a murderer,” Harvey clarified. “Did you tell your friends what I told you yesterday?”

“Not exactly,” Jack hedged.

“Do you want to expand on that?” Harvey asked. The trio was alone while they waited for the state police’s evidence collection unit to arrive. They were running out of ways to pretend they liked one another.

“Ivy suggested mixing up the truth with a few lies when we talked to them last night,” Jack explained. “We wanted to gauge their reactions, you know, see if anyone showed an overt interest in the case.”

Harvey expectantly crossed his arms over his chest.

“We didn’t admit that the bones belonged to a teenage girl,” Jack said. “We said you didn’t give us that information, but you did believe the two cases were linked. We also said that you were looking at last year’s visitor list so you could compare it to this year’s list.”

“That was smart,” Harvey said. “If you told them we already knew they were all here both years someone might’ve been suspicious of you. Did any of them act differently after you told them that?”

“Ironically, they were all interested in that little tidbit,” Jack admitted. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Scott knew it was a teenage girl,” Ivy reminded him. “That jumped out at you.”

“That’s true,” Jack conceded. “He did mention that it was a teenage girl even though we never supplied him with that information.”

“What did he say when you called him on it?”

“He claimed that he assumed it was a teenage girl because Ivy volunteered that you guys were investigating the cases as if they were linked,” Jack replied. “He assumed one killer would be after the same kind of victim.”

“I guess that’s plausible,” Harvey said. “I think it’s a little coincidental that his wife turned up missing later that night.”

“You need to question him,” Jack said. “They’ve been having marital problems and he told me this morning that they agreed to divorce and were just waiting to tell everyone at the end of the week.”

“Infidelity?”

Jack nodded. “He claims it was on both of their parts, but Melissa isn’t around to back that up,” he said. “I can say that Melissa threw herself at me the day before yesterday when she was drunk. She said her husband wasn’t interested in her and she wanted to … let off some steam. I turned her down and she passed out early. Scott has also hit on Ivy … at least once.”

“Is that out of the ordinary for him?” Harvey asked. “More specifically, to your knowledge, has he gone after someone else’s girlfriend before?”

Jack shrugged. “I mean … it was hard to keep up with the women he was with when we were in college, but that’s college,” he said. “I don’t specifically remember him going after someone else’s girlfriend, and he certainly never went after the women I dated.”

“Did you warn him off about going after Ms. Morgan?”

“I did,” Jack confirmed. “I told him to stay away from her.”

“He doesn’t sound like much of a friend.”

“I don’t know that I would call him a true friend,” Jack said. “The thing is … when you’re friends with someone in college, those relationships change as you pick different career paths and move to different parts of the state. We’ve kept in touch, but it’s not like I see any of them regularly.”

“And this is the first time you’ve met any of them?” Harvey asked, shifting his attention to Ivy.

“Yes.”

“Have you noticed anything strange about these people?” Harvey pressed. “You’re an outsider, so you would have a unique take on how they interact.”

“They seem close in some respects, and … distant … in others,” Ivy answered, opting for honesty. “I think everyone is putting on an act for everyone else. They all want to prove they’re happy and successful, but I’m not sure how happy any of them really are.”

“You two seem happy,” Harvey pointed out. “How are you guys interacting with everyone?”

“Very carefully,” Jack said. “My relationship with Ivy was a surprise for them. I used to be a police detective down in Detroit … and I was injured in the line of duty … and I was not in a good place when I moved to Shadow Lake. They didn’t realize I was dating anyone, and when I showed up with Ivy they were all surprised.”

“I’m aware of your history, Detective Harker,” Harvey said. “I ran your background after the first body was found. You’re a hero, and you have my respect. I am worried that you and Ms. Morgan seem to be in the thick of things, though. Have you considered separating yourself from the situation?”

“If I think it becomes necessary to leave, I will,” Jack said. “Keeping Ivy safe is my first priority. If I leave now, though, that’s pretty much the equivalent of wiping my hands of them forever. I’m not sure if I’m ready to do that.”

“I can’t say I blame you,” Harvey said. “For now, you need to keep your eyes and ears open. If we get any information, I’ll call you with it. There might be a way we can work together to smoke the guilty party out.”

“What about Melissa?” Ivy asked.

“All we have is a missing woman and blood right now,” Harvey replied. “We won’t be certain if it’s Melissa’s blood – or human, for that matter – for several hours. Right now, everyone needs to remain vigilant. That’s all we can do.”

“
I
CAN’T
believe
I let you talk me into this,” Jack grumbled, picking his way through the tall grass and following Ivy toward Andrew Devlin’s forest shack. “Don’t you think we should go back to the campground and join in the search for Melissa?”

“We’re going to do that after we check on Andrew,” Ivy replied, tugging on her limited patience and silently reminding herself that Jack was in turmoil and he didn’t mean to sound so whiny. “He might have heard something.”

“Or he might have
done
something.”

“I heard that,” Ivy snapped. “You said yourself that you thought he was a good guy. It won’t hurt to drop in on him. He knows these woods better than anyone. It won’t take long.”

“Fine.”

“You know what?” Ivy ceased her forward momentum and planted her hands on her hips. She hadn’t bothered putting makeup on – not that she often did – and her hair was a mess, but she was still the prettiest woman Jack had ever laid eyes on in real life. “If you don’t want to come with me, you don’t have to. Why don’t you sit here in this field and feel sorry for yourself. I will find you when I’m done.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Then stop complaining!”

“You’re hot when you get angry,” Jack said, catching Ivy off guard. “I think that’s why we fight so much.”

Despite the surreal nature of the conversation, Ivy found herself blushing. “We fight because we both like it,” she countered. “It gets our blood boiling and gives us ideas about ways to make up. It’s just the way we’re both built.”

“Have you noticed that everyone else – and I’m talking couples here – seems to have problems and yet they put on brave faces and pretend they don’t?” Jack asked, shifting gears as he fell into step beside Ivy. “You and I fight out our problems in public, and we’re happier because we do. They all hide their problems, and they seem miserable. I mean … do you think any of them are happy?”

“That’s an interesting question,” Ivy replied. “We know Scott and Melissa aren’t happy. When I look at Maria and Alex I see two strangers sharing a marriage. They rarely interact.”

“Huh. You’re right,” Jack said, racking his brain for a single instance where he saw Maria and Alex enjoy each other’s company over the past few days. “They were together to put up their tent on the day everyone arrived. Since then, Maria has spent almost all of her time with Lauren and Alex has spent almost all of his with Donnie and Scott.”

“Maria was also extremely snarky when I met her,” Ivy reminded him. “She had plenty to say about Donnie’s relationship with Lauren and how it wasn’t going to last if he didn’t propose, and she also had nasty things to say about Scott and Melissa. She never said a thing about her own husband.”

“That’s a pretty interesting observation, honey,” Jack said. “I can’t remember Alex saying anything about her either.”

“You never told me how your fishing excursion went,” Ivy prodded. “What did you guys talk about?”

“Sports.”

Ivy scowled and made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “Men.”

“We might have talked about you a little bit, too,” Jack conceded. “You’re very popular with them.”

“That’s probably because they’ve all seen me naked.”

“Don’t remind me of that,” Jack said. “I want to be the only one who has ever seen you naked.”

“You’re pretty close to being the only one.”

“Good,” Jack said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “They were curious about the nursery and Max. They asked if I met your parents and whether or not they liked me. They wanted to know how I kept myself busy in Shadow Lake.”

“Did you get a creepy vibe off any of them?”

Jack chuckled. “Not really,” he answered. “In fact, that fishing extravaganza is the one time I can say things felt like they used to between the four of us. It was a nice throwback to a different time.”

“And that’s because the women weren’t around,” Ivy said. “I’m telling you, we can’t rule Maria and Lauren out in this. One of them could be crazy. In fact … have you considered that Melissa faked her own disappearance because she’s the guilty party?”

Jack faltered, stunned disbelief washing over him. The more he thought about it, though, the more Ivy’s words churned through his head and intrigued him. “I actually hadn’t considered that,” he said. “How would she do it?”

“Well, we laid the groundwork for whoever is guilty to go off the rails when we told that story around the campfire last night,” Ivy supplied, warming to her theory. “We know Melissa has been struggling. What if she waited until she was sure Scott was asleep to slip out? She could have cut herself to leave the trail of blood, and then taken off … maybe hitched a ride or something once she got out to the highway.

“If she was really bitter about Scott cheating on her, she might think he deserves being framed for the murders,” she continued. “This would be a way to fake her own death and start a new life and still get away with murder.”

“It’s an interesting theory,” Jack said. “It’s missing a motive, though. Why would Melissa kill two female teenagers?”

“I have no idea,” Ivy admitted. “I was just kind of spitballing.”

“You’re cute when you spitball,” Jack said. “No matter what Harvey is keeping

to himself, I have to believe there’s a sexual component to this. Otherwise I can’t come up with a motive for anyone.”

“Maybe Melissa is a closet lesbian.”

“She hit on me.”

“Don’t remind me of that,” Ivy instructed. “It still bothers me, and if she is dead, that means I’m having evil thoughts about a murder victim. That makes me feel bad.”

“Duly noted,” Jack said.

“Besides, maybe she thought you looked like a manly woman and that’s what turns her on,” Ivy added. “Did you ever think of that?”

Ivy didn’t wait to hear his answer, instead scampering out of his reach when he chased her. She didn’t stop until she was in Andrew’s front yard. The area looked empty, but that didn’t stop Ivy from calling out.”

“Andrew!” She waited for an answer, but when she didn’t hear one she suggested looking around. “What could it hurt?”

“We are not breaking into that man’s house,” Jack argued. “I’m a police officer. That’s against the law.”

“I was not suggesting breaking into his house, you big baby,” Ivy shot back. “I was suggesting looking around the property. While I don’t think Andrew is guilty – and I know you have your doubts about his innocence – I wouldn’t put it past one of your friends to try and frame him. Maybe whoever it is killed Melissa and dumped her out here.”

“That’s another interesting theory,” Jack said. “How did they know where to find the shack? I couldn’t find my way back here if you wrapped yourself in nothing but bacon, hid on the property, and told me I could have as much of you and the bacon as I wanted if I found you.”

“Wow. That is a visual I will never be able to get out of my head. You’ve traumatized me for life.”

“What freaks you out more?” Jack asked. “Is it the bacon or the naked hide and seek?”

“If you want to play naked hide and seek, we can do it by my house when I can be assured that we won’t be discovered,” Ivy said. “I will never, not under any circumstances, wrap myself in animal meat for you. That’s where I draw the line.”

“I can live with that,” Jack said. “I think naked hide and seek sounds like an absolutely great way to spend a weekend night. We can build a bonfire and strip before playing our game.”

“I recommend playing with underwear on,” Ivy countered. “You can’t see Poison Ivy in the dark.”

“Now I know you’re a genius, honey.”

“Try not forgetting it this time.”