Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3 (47 page)

“Why would you give the guy who shot you flowers?” Max asked.

“Because I wanted him to know that I won,” Jack replied. “I … it’s stupid. I wanted closure.”

“You’re sure it’s the same bouquet?” Brian pressed.

Jack nodded. “I wouldn’t forget something like that.”

“Well, that’s another tie to Marcus,” Brian said. “You know what you have to do, right?”

“Yes.”

“What do you have to do?” Ivy asked, her voice small.

“I have to go back down to Detroit and talk to Marcus’ mother … and some of my old contacts from my days with the department down there,” Jack answered.

“But … you’re leaving? So soon?” Ivy knew Jack had a job to do, and she couldn’t see a way around a trip south either, but the idea of being away from him after just getting him filled her with dread.

“Don’t worry, honey,” Jack said. “You’re going with me.”

Ivy brightened. “I am?”

“Of course you are,” Jack said. “I just got you. I’m not letting you out of my sight. It will be our first official road trip as a couple. I just hope you’re not annoying during a long trip.”

Max snorted. “She’s annoying no matter what.”

Ivy flicked his ear. “You’re the one who is annoying.”

“Ow!” Max rubbed his ear ruefully and took a step away from Ivy. “What do you want me to do while you guys are out of town?”

Jack arched a challenging eyebrow. “Oh, now you want to help?”

“She is my sister.”

“That’s good,” Jack said, leaning over and scooping Nicodemus up and handing the cat over to Max. “You’re going to be needed for babysitting duty. I don’t want the cat left alone here while we’re gone.”

Max scowled. “That doesn’t sound like something I can list on my résumé … or use to woo women at the bar.”

“I guess you’ll just have to use your smile then,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “Come on, honey. You need to finish your breakfast and pack. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

“Is it wrong that I’m excited to go out of town with you?”

Jack’s expression softened. “If it’s wrong, we’ll be wrong together.”

“Oh, gross,” Max said. “You two are definitely going to make me sick.”

“Get used to it,” Jack shot back. “This is the way it’s going to be from now on.”

“Just make sure my sister is wearing underwear next time, will you?”

“I can’t promise that,” Jack said. “I’ll do my best, though.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“Well?” Jack cast an expectant look in Ivy’s direction, navigating from one freeway to the next and watching her to see how she would react to the city.

“I have been to Detroit before,” Ivy said, her gaze trained on the scenery as it flew by. “I’m not some country bumpkin who has never seen asphalt.”

Jack pursed his lips. As far as trips went, this one had been pleasant. They talked about everything that crossed their minds, chatting amiably as if they’d known each other for years instead of weeks. They held hands and kissed whenever possible, including whenever there was a break in the traffic or they stopped for a restroom break. Still, the closer they got to the city, the more antsy Ivy got. Jack could read the change in her demeanor no matter what she said. “When was the last time you were down here?”

“Mom and Dad took Max and me to the zoo when I was eight.”

Jack chuckled, delighted. “That recently, huh?”

“I know you think I’m a hick when it comes to stuff like this … .”

Jack cut her off. “I didn’t say anything of the sort and I certainly don’t think that,” he scolded. “There’s nothing wrong with liking the country. After living in Shadow Lake, I can honestly say I prefer it to the city. I was not making fun of you.”

Ivy shifted and met his gaze. “It feels … oppressive.”

“I agree,” Jack said, lifting their joined hands and pressing a kiss to Ivy’s knuckles. “I had different ideas for our first road trip. You know that, right? This isn’t exactly what I had in mind. I just … there was no way I could be away from you and I had to come down here.”

“I know that,” Ivy said. “I’m not angry. I’m glad you talked me into bringing regular jeans and T-shirts, though. My skirts would’ve made me stick out like a sore thumb down here.”

“I happen to like your skirts,” Jack replied. “I didn’t want you to feel out of place down here, though … well, any more out of place than you obviously do. I promise we’ll get through this as quickly as possible.”

“Jack, you don’t have to entertain me,” Ivy chided. “You don’t have to make apologies. This is a big deal. This is a big deal for you and for us. This is your first time back and our first trip together. I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I was going to complain.”

“This probably makes me a sick man, but I like the way you complain, too,” Jack teased. “It makes me smile and turns me on.”

“You’re definitely a sick man.”

“I know.”

They rode in comfortable silence for a little bit, Ivy fixated on the increasingly dilapidated buildings and streets. “Where are we?”

“We’re crossing into Detroit right now,” Jack replied. “This isn’t a great area.”

“It’s kind of sad,” Ivy mused. “Look at the houses. I’ll bet they were beautiful at one time.”

“I’m sure they were,” Jack agreed. “This city has been through a lot. There are still pockets where the beauty remains, though. I wouldn’t give up on it just yet.”

“And where is the zoo?”

Jack barked out a laugh. “That’s your only landmark, isn’t it?”

“I remember that it was a cool zoo,” Ivy explained. “Of course, I’ve only ever been to two zoos so I didn’t have a lot to compare it to. Is it around here?”

“It’s actually in Royal Oak,” Jack answered. “That’s in Oakland County and a much nicer neighborhood.”

“Is it wrong that I’m relieved to know that? I don’t like the idea of the animals having to hang around in an area like this.”

“Nothing you do or say is wrong,” Jack said, releasing her hand so he could focus on his driving as the traffic thickened. “I forgot what a pain it was to be down here during rush hour.”

“I definitely don’t like the traffic.”

“You get used to it.”

“I wouldn’t want to get used to this,” Ivy said, wrinkling her nose. “I like wide open places.”

“I do, too,” Jack agreed. “There’s nothing worse than feeling like you can’t breathe, and with so many people around down here, that’s how I felt a lot of the time.”

“How do you feel now?”

Jack smiled. “I feel like I can finally breathe again … thanks to you.”

“That was a really good answer.”

“I do my best.”

JACK
drove to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Detroit’s downtown and parked, taking Ivy’s hand and leading her toward the brightly colored building. Her eyes widened when they entered, the kitschy atmosphere causing her to giggle.

“I love this place.”

“I thought you would,” Jack said, scanning the restaurant for a familiar face. “Have you eaten Middle Eastern food before?”

“I’ve had vegetarian kebabs.”

Jack made a face. “So you’ve eaten vegetables with a stick through them? You’re in for a treat. There’s Rick.”

Jack led Ivy through the restaurant, not stopping until they were next to a middle-aged man with a bright smile and curious eyes. Jack and Rick greeted each other with a warm handshake and then Jack introduced Ivy. “This is Rick Lawson. We worked together in my Detroit precinct.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ivy said, smiling widely and slipping into the booth.

“Well, well, well,” Rick said, looking Ivy up and down. “When Jack told me he was moving north I thought it would last three days before he came running back to the city. I see I was wrong on that front.”

Ivy was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“He means that you’re pretty, honey,” Jack said, rolling his eyes as he reached for the menus. “Don’t hit on my woman, Rick. She’s got better taste than that.”

“Obviously not if she’s hanging with the likes of you,” Rick teased, although his eyes twinkled as he winked at Ivy. “You look happy.”

“I am happy,” Jack said, slinging an arm over Ivy’s shoulders. “There’s a lot on that menu that’s vegetarian. Pick a few things to try. We can take the leftovers back to my old house tonight for a snack.”

Ivy arched an eyebrow, surprised. “You still have a house down here?” For some reason that knowledge caused her heart to roll. She assumed they would be staying in a hotel.

As if reading her mind, Jack sent her a reassuring squeeze. “I kept the house at first because I didn’t know if I would last in Shadow Lake,” he admitted. “I put it up on the market almost five weeks ago.”

“You did?” Ivy couldn’t help but be relieved.

“Exactly twenty-four hours after I met you,” Jack confirmed.

Ivy blushed, pleasure warming her. “Oh.”

“When did you turn into such a romantic?” Rick asked. “I don’t blame you after seeing Ivy, but you’ve developed a schmaltzy streak.”

“She has a way of bringing it out of me,” Jack said, smiling as the waitress approached. “Do you know what you want, honey?”

Ivy stilled. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but she had no way of knowing what to order. “I … um … .”

“Do you want me to help you?”

Ivy scowled. “I think I can order food for myself.”

Jack ran his tongue over his teeth. “If you order something gross I’m going to make you eat it all and then laugh at you.”

Rick chuckled, enjoying their interplay. “While they’re duking it out, I’ll have the beef kebab with rice and fattoush salad. I’ll have whatever is on tap and a glass of water to drink.”

The waitress nodded and turned to Jack. “I’ll have the same,” he said, his eyes trained on Ivy. “She’ll have the vegetarian ghallaba with the salad and a glass of red wine. We also want the vegetarian stuffed tomatoes and some hummus.”

Ivy’s mouth dropped open. “How do you know I’ll like that?”

“Because I’ve seen you eat and I know you’ll like it,” Jack replied, not missing a beat. “Trust me.”

It was a plea more than an order. “Okay,” Ivy said, handing the menu to the waitress. “If I don’t like it I’m going to punish you later.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Jack said, turning his attention back to Rick and finding the older man’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “What?”

“You two are too cute for words,” Rick said. “When did you start eating vegetarian stuff, though?”

“When I started eating her cooking,” Jack replied. “She even made me eat crazy mushrooms she picked in a field.”

“Those were morels. They’re good,” Ivy chided.

“They tasted like feet,” Jack said. “It’s a good thing that she’s pretty, because any other man would’ve run in the other direction when she fed him those mushrooms.”

After a few more minutes of light chatter, Jack turned the conversation to more serious matters. “Thanks for meeting me, by the way,” he said. “I didn’t want to go back to the precinct after everything.”

“I understand that,” Rick said. “People took sides after what happened with you and Marcus. Dredging all that up in front of an audience wouldn’t go over well.”

Ivy knit her eyebrows together. “What sides? Marcus shot Jack like a dog in the street and left him for dead.”

Jack squeezed Ivy’s hand. “Marcus had friends who didn’t believe that,” he said. “They thought I was making it up.”

“Did you make up being shot, too?” Ivy was irate.

“She’s a spitfire,” Rick said, grinning. “For your information, Ivy, most of the people in that precinct believed Jack. Only one or two of the more … stubborn … individuals thought something else was going on.”

“I still don’t like it,” Ivy muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I don’t like it either,” Rick agreed. “I am curious why you called, though. I’m happy to see you. You look a lot better than you did when you left. I think Ivy here might have a little something to do with that.”

“She has everything to do with it,” Jack said, causing Ivy to smile again. “We have run into a problem, though.” Jack laid out the details of the last few days and when he was done, Rick was flabbergasted.

“How is that even possible?”

“That’s a pretty good question,” Jack said. “I called Laura Simmons and she thought Marcus’ gun burned up when he did.”

“I don’t know that I’ve ever asked that specific question, but I think everyone assumed that,” Rick said, rubbing his jaw. “I’m just … I can’t believe this. I’m doubly impressed by you, Ivy. It’s not every woman who can go from gunshot wound to investigation adventure in the blink of an eye.”

“I didn’t want to be away from Jack,” Ivy admitted.

“There was no way I was letting her out of my sight,” Jack added. “Never again.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Ivy’s temple. “I need to know who would care about Marcus enough to go after me. Whoever it is had to have access to his weapon.”

“You knew him better than I did.”

“It turns out I didn’t know him at all,” Jack corrected, leaning back as the waitress delivered their appetizers. Conversation ceased until she left, and then Jack lowered his voice. “I’m going to have to go and see his mother and I’m not looking forward to it.”

Ivy dished one of the stuffed tomatoes onto her plate and dug in, her eyes lighting up. “Oh, wow.”

“I told you,” Jack said. “Now you’re going to owe me later.”

“I’m looking forward to paying up,” Ivy said, happily enjoying her food. Jack watched her a moment, amused, and then turned back to Rick. “Has anyone seen Janet since any of this went down?”

“I know a few of the guys went to Marcus’ funeral,” Rick said, reaching for his own tomato. “Even the ones who knew he was guilty wanted to pay their respects for Janet’s sake. I didn’t go, but my understanding is that there were fewer than ten people there in total.”

“And no one has seen her since?”

Rick shook his head. “I’m sure it was hard for her to come to us and no one knew what to say to her so they stayed away,” he said, grinning as he watched ivy enthusiastically dig into the humus. “Don’t you ever feed that girl?”

“We’ve had a long couple of days,” Jack said. “She’s making up for lost time. How do you think Janet is going to react to me showing up?”

“Well, I think Janet is one of those people who probably thinks her son was framed,” Rick answered. “You don’t have a choice, though. You have to talk to her. Do you want me to go with you?”

Jack shook his head. “I think it will be better if it’s just me.” He cast a sidelong look at Ivy. “And my girlfriend, if she’s still thin enough to fit through the door, that is.”

Ivy frowned. “I heard that.”

“There is one thing you should be aware of,” Rick said, his tone serious. “After Marcus’ death, Janet and Laura filed a lawsuit against the city claiming there was a cover up and Marcus was murdered. Last time I heard it was still winding its way through the courts. She’s not liable to be welcoming to you if she really believes what’s in that suit.”

“Well, like you said, I don’t have a choice,” Jack said, leaning back as the waitress returned with their entrees.

Ivy’s eyes widened as she took in her new offerings. “It’s probably good we don’t live down here,” she said. “I would be as big as a house.”

Jack chuckled. “Something tells me I wouldn’t be able to stay away from you even if that was the case.”

“Something tells me you two are about to go nuclear,” Rick said, shaking his head. “Welcome to Detroit, Ivy. I think you’re about the best thing that ever happened to this man.”