Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3 (36 page)

Max snorted. “Shut up and give the poor guy a break. I think, after tonight, he deserves it.” He started moving toward his truck. “Oh, and Jack? Your secret is safe with me.”

Ivy watched her brother go, love bubbling up. Once he was out of the driveway, she kept her eyes from Jack’s face – frightened to see the emotion percolating there – and wrapped her arms around his waist as she hugged him. “You’re the bravest man I know, too.”

Jack pulled her tight, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Let’s hope it’s enough,” he said. “We can’t wait another day for her to tell us the truth. I have this feeling … we’re running out of time.”

Ivy had the same feeling.

“Good morning, honey,” Jack said, kissing Ivy’s neck as he pulled her close the next morning. This was starting to feel like his morning routine, and he was enjoying it. He couldn’t help but think he would enjoy it more if they were in a bed, but for now, he didn’t have the energy to complain.

“Good morning,” Ivy murmured.

“How did you sleep?”

“Good,” Ivy said. “I really enjoyed your dream about taking me fishing, by the way. That was a special kind of torture.”

Jack smirked. He loved fishing. When he’d directed his dream in that direction, he’d forgotten to take Ivy’s vegetarianism into account. Still, the arguing was a turn on – like it always was. “No one said you had to fish. You could’ve watched me fish.”

“You challenged me to a fishing competition,” Ivy said. “I couldn’t ignore that – especially when I knew that we weren’t killing real fish.”

“I still won.”

“I let you win,” Ivy countered. “I didn’t think your manhood could take being beaten by a girl.”

“My manhood is not up for debate,” Jack said, grinding himself against her softly to let her know what he was referring to.

“Oh,” Ivy said, her eyes widening. “I … .”

“It’s not time to talk about it yet,” Jack cautioned.

“But … it’s kind of right there.”

“It is,” Jack agreed. “It’s the morning. That can’t be held against me.”

“Apparently it can be held against me, though,” Ivy said. Despite her words, she didn’t pull away from him. “Do you think I can pick dream activities in the future? I don’t mean every night, but if we’re going to be sharing dreams, I’d like to be in charge occasionally.”

“Oh, honey, you’re going to be in charge whenever you want,” Jack said, kissing her neck again. “I … ugh … we need to get this Kelly situation taken care of. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”

“What happens if you change your mind once Kelly is gone?” Ivy asked, her voice small. “I … what if you’re only feeling this because you’ve been around me so much lately.”

She was worried. Jack knew why, and he didn’t blame her. “Honey, I’ve been feeling this since I met you. I … I really don’t want to have this conversation when we could be interrupted. Please, just have faith in me. We’ll talk about this when it’s just the two of us.”

“Okay,” Ivy said, giving in.

“I do have one question,” Jack said, glancing down to the spot at the end of the couch where their feet were tangled together. “Why do you always poke your feet out from the end of the blanket? You’ve done it every night we’ve been together. I’ve woken up in the middle of the night and covered your feet, and yet every morning when I wake up, they’re poking out from under the covers again.”

“I don’t know,” Ivy mused. “I’ve just always done it. Even when it’s the middle of the winter I like my feet out from under the covers. I can’t explain it.”

“I find it cute,” Jack said. “I have no idea why, though.”

“Your feet are out, too,” Ivy pointed out.

“My feet are out because they didn’t want your feet to be lonely,” Jack said. “My feet are … chivalrous.”

“Oh, nice,” Ivy said. “I like to know that you’re always brave and true.”

“I am brave and true,” Jack agreed. “I’m also loyal.” He lowered his mouth so it was close to her ear. “I’ll always be loyal to you. Please don’t … worry about that.”

“I’m trying not to worry,” Ivy said. “It’s just … you were so adamant.”

“You were adamant, too.”

“I was adamant because you were adamant.”

“Oh, whatever,” Jack groaned. “Can we just agree, for the moment, that we’re done being adamant?”

“I guess,” Ivy said, moving to climb off the couch. “I suppose I should make breakfast. We might have a big day in front of us.”

Jack tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her back down. “Five more minutes,” he said. “This is the day we’re going to solve this. I know it. I want five more minutes of … this … before I have to face whatever horrors we’ve got coming our way.”

It wasn’t much of a hardship, so Ivy relaxed back against him. “Okay. Five more minutes. Then I’m going to make breakfast and you’re going to make coffee.”

“Deal.”

“ARE
we working in the greenhouse today?” Kelly asked, her eyes wide as they fixed on Ivy an hour later. Ivy was fresh out of the shower, her hair still damp, but she could read the worry on Kelly’s face.

“We are,” Ivy said. “I thought that being away from everyone – just the two of us – would be a nice way to spend the afternoon.”

Kelly was resigned, and yet resolute at the same time. “Okay. Um … is it all right if I go and get set up in the greenhouse first? You still have a few minutes to get ready, and I want to … get comfortable.”

“I think that’s fine,” Ivy said, sympathy rolling off of her. “This is really going to be okay, Kelly. I promise.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kelly said. “I just need a few minutes to collect myself. Should I take some bottles of water down?”

“That’s a good idea,” Ivy said. “I’ll be about twenty minutes behind you.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Once the teenager was gone, Ivy went about her normal morning routine. After drying her hair, she tied it up in a loose ponytail so she wouldn’t have to worry about it. She was dressed and almost out the back door when someone knocked on the front door.

Curious, Ivy left the picnic basket she’d packed on the kitchen table and shuffled to the door. The man she found standing there was not who she was expecting. He was … average. He was average height. He had average looks. He even wore nondescript clothing. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” the man said. “My name is Gil Thorpe. I’m … Kelly Sisto’s guidance counselor.”

“Oh,” Ivy said, realization dawning. “Jack told me he questioned you. He said you were trying to help Kelly. How can I help you?”

“Well, ever since Detective Harker and his partner came to visit me, I haven’t been able to get Kelly out of my head,” Gil said. “I … can I come in?”

“Of course,” Ivy said, pushing the door open and ushering the nervous man inside. “Please, have a seat.”

Once they were settled, the look Gil sent Ivy was plaintive. “I know this is none of my business,” he said. “I’ve told myself a hundred times to stay out of it. It’s just … I grew rather fond of Kelly. When you’re in a position like I am, you know you can’t help all of the students.

“Heck, I know I can’t help most of the students,” he continued. “I just want to be able to help Kelly.”

“It sounds like you’re good at your job,” Ivy said. “It’s actually good that you’re here. Kelly is ready to tell me what happened to her today. I was just on my way to go to her. You might be able to give me some insight into what to expect.”

“Kelly isn’t here?” Gil asked, disappointed.

“Not technically,” Ivy said. “She’s just over at my nursery. You can’t see it from here, but it abuts the back of my property. It only takes me five minutes to walk through the woods to get there. So, she’s here … but not here … if that makes any sense.”

“Ah, I see,” Gil said. “You said Kelly was going to open up to you today? Does that mean she’s been quiet up until now?”

“She’s been pretty tight-lipped,” Ivy said. “She’s talked about some of her feelings regarding her parents’ death, and we reintroduced her to her brother last night.”

“Jordan? I had no idea he was still in the area.”

“Actually, he’s not far away,” Ivy said. “He’s living over in Gaylord. Once we get Kelly set up in a more permanent home, they’re going to schedule regular visitation days and get to know one another again. I think seeing him did her a world of good last night.”

“Is that why she’s suddenly interested in talking?”

“I think she’s always wanted to tell me the truth,” Ivy said. “Something keeps stopping her. I think … I think she’s ashamed.”

“What does she have to be ashamed about?” Gil asked.

“I’m honestly not sure,” Ivy said. “Jack mentioned an older boyfriend, and I’m starting to think she kept him a secret for a reason. Maybe he pressured her into doing something illegal. I have no idea if that’s the truth, but that’s my current theory.”

“Kelly never mentioned an older boyfriend to me,” Gil said. “I think that’s teenage gossip.”

“Well, as I’m sure you know, teenage gossip usually gets out of hand,” Ivy said. “That doesn’t mean it’s not true, though. I think Kelly probably did have an older boyfriend. Just because she didn’t want to tell you about him, that doesn’t mean he’s not real.

“You’re an adult,” she continued. “She might’ve thought you were going to turn him in. She’s only sixteen. Anyone over the age of eighteen spending time with her would automatically be suspect.”

Gil bit his lower lip as he glanced around the cottage. “You make a good point,” he said. “I was one of the few people Kelly opened up to, though. I honestly think she would’ve told me.”

Ivy held up her hands in a placating manner. The man obviously didn’t like being told he wasn’t thoroughly doing his job. “I didn’t mean to denigrate you in any way,” she said. “I just think that teenage girls are a specific … beast. They hide things. Trust me. I was a teenager once.”

“I’m sure you were,” Gil said. “I was hoping to get a chance to talk to Kelly. Detective Harker told me it would be a possibility.”

Jack had never mentioned anything of the sort to Ivy, and without realizing why, her danger alarm started to ding in the back of her head. “Really? He didn’t tell me that.”

“He thought seeing a familiar face would propel Kelly into telling the truth,” Gil said.

“Oh, well, that makes sense,” Ivy said, getting to her feet. “I’ll just give him a call and make sure it’s okay, and then I’ll take you over to the greenhouse.”

“I’m sure he’s busy,” Gil said. Even though her back was to him, Ivy could hear the shift in his voice and knew he’d gotten to his feet as well. “There’s no need to bother him.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Ivy said, making her decision quickly. “The greenhouse is easier to get to through the back. Can you grab that picnic basket off the table on your way through? I packed a lunch. There’s plenty in there for everyone.”

“Will your nursery be busy today?” Gil asked.

“It’s generally busy on the weekends,” Ivy said, fighting to keep her demeanor calm. “It should be pretty empty today.”

“That’s good,” Gil said.

Ivy moved toward the sliding doors, prepared to bolt through them as soon as she had a clear shot. Once she was in the woods and away from Gil, she was going to call Jack. Whatever secret Kelly was hiding, Ivy was sure it revolved around this man. “We should get going.”

“We should,” Gil agreed. “In case I haven’t mentioned it, I’m glad you upgraded your front door. That wood one you had before wasn’t enough to keep an attractive woman like yourself safe.”

Ivy’s heart plummeted. He wasn’t even keeping up the pretense of playing games now. He was putting all of his cards on the table. “I just wish it was a different color,” she said, taking another step toward the glass door. If she could make it two more steps she’d be able to run to freedom – and relative safety. No one knew the woods surrounding her house as well as she did.

Ivy had just about convinced herself that salvation was at hand when a figure hopped up onto the patio. It was Kelly. “Oh, no.”

“What great timing,” Gil said. “I guess we don’t have to find Kelly after all.”

This couldn’t be happening, Ivy thought. This had to be a dream. If only she could call Jack into this nightmare with the power of her mind.

“What’s taking you so long?” Kelly asked, pushing the glass door open and fixing Ivy with a quizzical look. “I thought you forgot about me.”

“Run,” Ivy muttered.

“What?”

“Run.”

“Don’t run,” Gil said, drawing Kelly’s attention to him.

“Oh, no,” Kelly said, her face draining of color. “I … what are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, my love,” Gil said.

Ivy’s stomach contorted into knots at the term of endearment. She still wasn’t sure what was going on, but she had a sickening suspicion … and it was one that made her stomach turn.

“Run, Kelly,” Ivy said. “I … . She froze when she heard the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking.

“Don’t run, Kelly,” Gil said, his voice eerily calm. “If you run, I’m going to kill your little friend here. Is that what you want?”

“No,” Kelly said, her mouth dry. “I … please, don’t hurt her.”

“Everyone needs to come in and sit down,” Gil instructed. “Ms. Morgan, if you would be so kind as to shut that door – and lock it – I’ll be so kind as to not put a bullet into the back of your head.”

Ivy pressed her eyes shut briefly, but then she did as she was told, making sure the sound of the door locking was loud and evident, even though she knew the door hadn’t caught in its proper place. It was a defect in the lock, but there was no way Gil could know about it.

“Everyone should come and take a seat,” Gil said. “We all need to have a little talk.”

“Gil, don’t do this,” Kelly begged. “I … I’m sorry I ran. It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done it. You just scared me.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Gil said, his eyes earnest when Ivy turned to stare him down. “You shouldn’t have run away from me, though. You’ve made a mess of this whole situation.”

“I know,” Kelly said, licking her lips. “I … I can make it better.”

“You’re going to make it better,” Gil said. “Sit down.”

Kelly obediently took a spot on the couch, lowering her gaze to her knees and sitting ramrod straight. Ivy recognized the posture for what it was: submission.

“Ms. Morgan, if you would be so kind as to have a seat next to Kelly, I’d really appreciate it,” Gil said, waving the gun in Ivy’s face for emphasis. Ivy wasn’t familiar with handguns. She didn’t know makes, models, or calibers, but she was pretty certain Gil was serious – and he knew how to use the weapon in his hand.

Ivy reluctantly moved through the living room and settled on the couch next to Kelly. Her heart was pounding, and her mind was muddled with possible escape scenarios. Unfortunately for her, none of the ones she came up with ended with anything other than death.

Once Ivy was in position, Gil sat back down in the armchair and fixed both women with a bright smile. “Isn’t this better? Now we can all have a nice discussion without anyone doing anything stupid.”

“I think you’ve already done something stupid,” Ivy said, her voice wavering.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gil said. “Please refrain from speaking unless someone speaks to you. That’s the general rule of life, Ms. Morgan. I’m not here for you today. I’m here for my beloved Kelly.”

Ivy shifted her gaze to the shaking teenager, worry clogging her heart.

“Kelly, I have to know, what possessed you to run?” Gil asked. “I thought we were having a perfectly nice evening. I went out of my way to set up a nice evening picnic for us, and when I went back to my car to get another bottle of wine, I found your spot empty. You just left me in the middle of nowhere.”

“I was scared,” Kelly said, never moving her eyes up to a defiant position. “You were … mean … that night.”

“I’m never mean,” Gil countered. “I teach important life lessons. You agreed when we started dating that I was in charge.”

“Dating?” Ivy couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She knew it was a mistake, but she had to take the onus of the conversation off of Kelly. “You’re sick. You can’t date a teenager. You’re an adult. She’s a child.”

“Oh, she’s not a child,” Gil said. “She hasn’t been a child for quite some time. We have a very special bond, Ms. Morgan. It’s one you couldn’t possibly understand, or embrace. That’s neither here nor there, though. I wasn’t talking to you.”

“I’m sorry, Gil,” Kelly said. “I won’t do it again. You can take me. I’ll go willingly. Don’t hurt Ivy, though. She was just trying to help me.”

“She didn’t help you, though, did she? She made you forget your place,” Gil said. “Where is your place, Kelly?”

“With you.” Kelly sounded pathetic, and the more she talked – the more stock answers she graced Gil with – the angrier Ivy got. “I’ve always belonged with you.”

“That’s right,” Gil said, waving the gun around. “I’m your boyfriend. I’m in charge. I told you what would happen if you ran. I told you what would happen if someone found out about our relationship. Why didn’t you listen?”

“I didn’t mean to disobey you,” Kelly said. “It’s just … that whip thing hurts. I told you it hurts. You said you wouldn’t use it again, but you did.”

“I only use it when you forget your manners,” Gil said. “Now look at the mess you’ve gotten us into. How do you expect us to go back to our happy life now that your friend here knows about our relationship?”

“I … she won’t tell anyone,” Kelly said. “She’ll promise to keep it quiet, won’t you?” Kelly’s eyes were pleading when she risked a glance in Ivy’s direction.

“No,” Ivy said, shifting her attention to Gil. “You’re a sick bastard. You used your position of power as a high school guidance counselor to … groom her. You made her think you were in a relationship when you were just using her for sex. You’re going to get locked for the rest of your life, and I’m going to laugh my ass off when it happens.”

Gil backhanded Ivy, his hand lashing out quickly as he smacked her. Hard. Ivy reared back, grabbing her cheek as she cast murderous looks in Gil’s direction. “Don’t talk back to me,” Gil warned. “I can see you haven’t been trained properly. I’m looking forward to taking on that task myself.”

“I’d rather die.”

“That can be arranged,” Gil said. “Seriously, Ms. Morgan, how do you expect this to go? I’m the one in charge here. I’m the one with the gun. You’re either going to start towing the line or the line is going to tow you.”

“Do what he says,” Kelly warned. “He’ll … hurt you … if you don’t.”

Ivy had no intention of following one order from this man. She also knew she was in a precarious situation. She had to find a way to get Kelly out of the house. She couldn’t take on Gil Thorpe when Kelly was in the line of fire.

Ivy was desperate for help, but she knew none was coming. Jack was at work. He was tracking down leads on Kelly’s case. He didn’t know anything was wrong. Max was at the lumber yard working. He wasn’t planning on painting her door until the weekend. Ivy was alone, and she knew it.

Jack! I need you!

“HOW
did things go with Jordan Sisto last night?” Brian asked, moving over to Jack’s desk and studying his partner. “You look like you slept well again, by the way. Snuggling up to Ivy must be good for your complexion.”

Jack ignored the barb. “Jordan and Kelly had a nice reunion,” he said. “I was worried at first, but Kelly didn’t even get a chance to be mean to him. The second she saw him she started crying.”

“Is she okay?”

“They hugged, and we all had a nice dinner,” Jack said. “Jordan pushed her to tell the truth last night, and Kelly said she needed a little more time. I have a feeling she and Ivy are having a long discussion right now.”

“Will Ivy call when she knows what’s going on?”

“That’s what she promised,” Jack said. “Do you have any leads on a new foster home for Kelly?”

“I have a few,” Brian said. “I was kind of hoping we could keep her in town. Maggie Lawson takes in foster kids, and her house is empty right now. She’s a good woman. She’s strong, but fair. I’m going to go out and talk to her this afternoon.”

“That’s good,” Jack said, focusing on his computer screen.

“What are you looking at?” Brian asked.

“Kelly’s school records.”

“We’ve already looked,” Brian said. “There’s nothing there.”

“I know,” Jack said. “It’s just … I have this feeling we’re missing something.”

“Of course we’re missing something,” Brian said. “We have a teenager who was found hiding in a greenhouse. She had bruises all over her arms. She won’t tell us what happened to her. We’re missing something pretty big.”

Jack made a face. “Thank you, Mr. Obvious.”

Brian’s face softened. “What do you think we’re missing?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “There’s something odd here, though. Didn’t that guidance counselor … what was his name, Gil Thorpe?”

Brian nodded.

“Did he tell us Kelly only did enough to get by in school?”

“Yeah,” Brian said. “He said she was really smart, but since no one challenged her, she put in minimal effort so she wouldn’t get in trouble.”

“That’s not what these records show,” Jack said.

“What do they show?”

“Up until the spring semester – this past semester – she was getting straight As,” Jack said. “Her whole transcript shows all As … except for a B in gym class two years ago. Her record is perfect until this most recent semester.”

“And what does that semester show?”

“All Cs and below,” Jack said.

“Kids don’t just fall off the rails like that,” Brian said, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re usually pretty consistent unless something shoves them off the rails.”

“Exactly,” Jack said. “Something happened in the last six months to shove Kelly off the rails.”

“What do you think it was? Is this where the older boyfriend comes into play?”

“Maybe,” Jack conceded. “What if the older boyfriend is even older than we think?”

“Meaning?”

“What if an adult started preying on Kelly?” Jack suggested. “What if the older boyfriend was really someone in a position of power over Kelly?”

“You think an adult is having sex with her and using her for … something horrible, don’t you?”

“I think it’s a possibility,” Jack said. “We both know sexual abuse is one of the things that can toss a kid off the rails.”

“Do you think it was the foster father?”

“No,” Jack said. “Don’t get me wrong, that guy is a jerkwad. Kelly wasn’t spending very many nights in their house, though. A predator wants access to his prey as much as possible. If it was Gideon, he would’ve forced Kelly under his roof seven nights a week.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Brian said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Kelly didn’t have access to a lot of adults. Although, to be fair, we have no idea where she was spending her nights.”

“I think … .” Jack broke off, unsure he wanted to give voice to the suspicion rolling through his brain.

“Tell me,” Brian prodded.

“Why did the counselor lie about her grades? Why did he tell us she was a liar? He was laying the groundwork for us to disbelieve her. Why?”

“You think it’s him?” Brian asked, flabbergasted. “But … why?”

“Most guidance counselors and teachers are good people,” Jack said. “Predators try to infiltrate schools, though. Then they pick the most at-risk kids to … groom.”

“The counselor would’ve known that Kelly was getting good grades until the most recent semester and he didn’t let on,” Brian said.

“He lied to us,” Jack said. “Not only that, but he tried to make us think what he wanted us to believe.”

“That still doesn’t explain how Kelly ended up in Shadow Lake.”

“It doesn’t,” Jack agreed. “It gives us a place to focus, though.”

“Shouldn’t we wait until Kelly tells us what happened?”

“I’m tired of waiting,” Jack said. “The counselor being the one to abuse Kelly makes sense. She’s scared to tell us what happened in case we can’t protect her. People have fallen down on the job when it comes to protecting her for eight years.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I … .” Jack broke off, a whisper rippling across his skin. It was almost as if he could hear Ivy’s voice.
Jack! I need you!

Jack jumped to his feet, his heart racing.

“What’s wrong?” Brian asked, surprised.

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “I … we need to get out to Ivy’s house.”

“Why?”

“It’s just a feeling,” Jack said. “Something is wrong.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I can’t,” Jack said, grabbing his keys. “I’d rather be wrong and look like an idiot than be right and do nothing, though. Come on.”