Wicked Warning (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 5) (14 page)

“
O
kay
, honey, you need to calm down a little bit,” Jack said, sitting in a chair in the hallway across from the conference room that doubled as an interrogation room in Shadow Lake’s small police station. “You’re starting to make me uncomfortable.”

Ivy gnawed on her thumbnail and continued to pace as she ignored Jack. “Shouldn’t they be here by now?”

“They’re purposely taking the roundabout way,” Jack reminded her, shaking his head as she wore a path on the tiled floor. “They don’t want to tip the reporters off that Jessica is coming here.”

“I understand that,” Ivy said. “It’s just … they’re five minutes away. Two if they drive. They should’ve been here an hour ago.”

“We left Jessica fifteen minutes ago,” Jack countered. “Your mind is playing tricks on you in regards to time. Just … chill out.”

“Oh, well, thank you, Dr. Phil,” Ivy deadpanned, narrowing her eyes. “I’m so glad to have your psychological help in these troubled times.”

“You’re a pain in the ass,” Jack shot back. “You know that, right? I’m trying to help you. I don’t need the lip.”

Ivy stilled. “I … didn’t mean to snap at you,” she hedged. “It was an accident.”

Jack snorted. “It wasn’t an accident.”

“Fine, it wasn’t an accident,” Ivy conceded. “I have a lot of nervous energy, and when that happens I tend to lash out before thinking about what I’m doing. I have the tendency to do it to those I’m closest with, and that happens to be you these days.”

Jack’s expression softened. “See, that was a weird apology,” he said. “I’m going to take it because I know how worked up you are, though. I know this is nerve-wracking, but it’s what we need to move forward.”

“For the record, I’m sorry,” Ivy said. “That was uncalled for and there was no reason to say it.”

Jack exhaled heavily and leaned back in his chair. “Apology accepted. I should know better than bugging you when you get like this. I know better. Hopefully it’s something I’ll outgrow, huh?”

Ivy smirked. “I don’t know,” she said. “I think there’s comfort in familiarity. I
am
sorry, though. You didn’t deserve that. I know you’re trying to help.”

“Brian is just being careful,” Jack said. “The hospital is small, which is great for keeping people out. When it’s surrounded and you’re trying to sneak someone out, though, it’s another problem.”

“I should’ve gone with her.”

“The reporters are watching you, Ivy,” Jack pointed out. “They know you’re a frequent visitor. Their eyes are always on you for clues. That’s why Brian wanted you and me to make a big show about leaving together.”

“Which we did.”

“We did,” Jack agreed, his eyes lighting up. “I especially like how you planted one on me at the edge of the parking lot so everyone would be sure to look in our direction. It made me feel so … .”

“Hot?”

“I was going to say used, but hot works, too,” Jack teased, extending his hand. “Come sit next to me. Whether Jessica identifies Dorsey or not, things are about to change for us.”

Ivy accepted his hand and settled in the chair next to him, turning her attention from aimlessly pacing to tracing the lines in his palm. The couple lapsed into comfortable silence for a few moments, Ivy finally breaking it.

“Do you believe in magic?”

Jack shifted his eyes in her direction. “Yes. I’ve seen nothing but magic since you entered my life.”

“I’m not just talking about the dream-walking,” Ivy said. “I’m talking about mental magic.”

“I’m not sure how that’s different,” Jack admitted. “I would think the dream walking is a form of mental magic.”

“I guess it is,” Ivy conceded. “I’m talking about feelings, though. I guess intuition would be the correct word. Do you believe in that?”

“I believe people can have feelings about things and know intrinsically if something is right or wrong,” Jack replied. “I know you have a feeling that Dorsey isn’t the guy. I have that same feeling. What are you getting at?”

“I actually wasn’t thinking of Jessica and Dorsey, if you can believe that,” Ivy said. “I was thinking about this.” She ran the tip of her index finger over one of the long creases in Jack’s palm. “This is your lifeline. A lot of witches believe you can know how long a person will live if you study it, even track the course of their life if you know what you’re doing.”

“Are you a witch?” Jack arched a challenging eyebrow. “I thought you identified yourself as a secular humanist.”

“I do,” Ivy confirmed. “I don’t like the word ‘witch’ because it has negative connotations. Aunt Felicity is fine with it, though.”

“Can you read my lifeline?” Jack asked, unsure where she was going with the conversation. “Do you know how long I have to live?”

Ivy shrugged. She couldn’t tell if he was messing with her or genuinely interested. “Do you see this break right here?” She pointed toward the tiny hiccup in the line. “It’s almost broken, but there’s a tiny wisp where it remains connected. That could be where you were shot and almost died.”

Jack leaned forward and studied the spot. “What’s the wider patch on the other side of it?”

“I don’t know,” Ivy replied, although something about the way she shifted her eyes caused Jack to believe she was lying. “I have one, too.” She lifted her hand and showed Jack the rounded bulge on her own palm. It was in almost the same location as his. She didn’t have the almost broken line preceding it, though.

“They match,” Jack said, comparing their hands. “Perhaps that’s where we met. It fits in the timeline on my hand, being so close to when I was shot, I mean.”

Ivy nodded. “And they go on a long time for both of us.”

Jack grinned. “Are you saying our hands believe we were destined to meet?”

“Maybe,” Ivy replied, licking her lips. “I … believe it, though.”

“I believe it, too,” Jack said, not missing a beat. “I didn’t need our hands to show me that, though. All I had to do was listen to my heart.”

Ivy’s blue eyes were filled with emotion when they latched onto Jack’s. “Me, too. My heart also tells me that Jessica is eventually going to be okay. Her lifeline is jagged and takes a few turns, but eventually it straightens.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me, honey,” Jack said, brushing a strand of hair away from Ivy’s lovely face. “You can tell me anything. I promise. I won’t laugh. I’ve seen too much to laugh.”

“I feel things … closing in,” Ivy said. “I don’t believe Dorsey is guilty, but I do think we’re going to find out who is … and soon.”

“Okay.” Jack was beyond confused, but he opted to let Ivy get things out in her own time.

“I feel danger, Jack,” Ivy said. “I think it’s for Jessica. We have to protect her.”

“We’ll protect her.”

“I hope so.” Ivy leaned her head against Jack’s shoulder as he studied her features. He wasn’t used to her turning melancholy instead of fiery.

“Ivy, I’ll do my level best to protect Jessica,” Jack said. “I’ll always do my best to protect you, too.”

“Oh, I know that,” Ivy said, pressing their palms together. “Our lives are entwined now.”

“Honey, I think our lives have been entwined since the moment I laid eyes on you,” Jack said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “We’ll figure this all out. I swear things will come together eventually.”

“I know we will,” Ivy said, briefly closing her eyes and taking a moment to bask in his warmth. “I have faith in you.”

“That’s good,” Jack said. “You’re going to need all of that faith right about now. Jessica is here.”

“
O
KAY
,
what do I do?” Jessica, dressed in simple blue jeans and a T-shirt, rubbed the palms of her hands against the denim to wipe off the sweat.

“Just look through the window when we open the blinds,” Brian said.

“Will he be able to see me?” Jessica was understandably nervous.

Brian nodded. “It’s not like television,” he explained. “We don’t have a two-way mirror or anything. I just need you to look through the window and indicate if you recognize the man inside.”

“It’s okay if it’s not him,” Jack added. “Don’t feel pressured to say it’s him if it’s not.”

“That’s right,” Brian agreed. “We just need to know the truth. If it’s not him, tell us. We need to find the right man because he’s a danger to a lot of different people in this community.”

Jessica wrung her hands together. “I understand.”

“We’ll be right here with you,” Courtney said, wrapping an arm around her daughter’s waist. “We’ll protect you.”

“It’s too late to protect me,” Jessica argued. “Let’s do it.”

Jack tentatively reached out and rested a hand on Jessica’s shoulder, internally sighing when the girl shrank away from him. “You’ll have Ivy here, too,” he said, pulling his hand away. “You saw what she did to the kid on the street. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

The joke, however lame, made Jessica smile. “She hit that guy so hard I thought he was going to start crying.”

“She’s a tiger,” Jack agreed, affectionately tousling Ivy’s hair. “Okay, I’m going to go inside and open the blinds. Brian will remain out here with you guys.”

Jessica swallowed hard and nodded.

Jack cast a lingering look in Ivy’s direction before shuffling toward the conference room door and stepping inside. The atmosphere in the hallway once Jack shut the door was oppressive as everyone waited for the inevitable moment of truth.

When the blinds finally opened, everyone exhaled heavily in unison. It was almost as if no one realized they were holding their breath. The pressure wasn’t abated by the Dorsey reveal, though, because now everything shifted so it was resting on Jessica’s shoulders.

Brian was known for being calm and kind, and he never made a move toward Jessica or attempted to hurry her along. Finally, Jessica shifted her tear-filled eyes to Brian and shook her head.

“That’s not him.”

Ivy wasn’t surprised by the admission, but she found it disappointing all the same. “Have you ever seen him before?”

Jessica shook her head. “No.”

“But … I don’t understand.” Courtney’s chest deflated as if she was a balloon with a slow leak. “He had her sweatshirt and shoes.”

Brian shook his head so Jack knew to close the blinds again and then turned his full attention to the Stampers. “We’ve been … concerned … that someone tried to frame Dan Dorsey. Jessica just confirmed that for us.”

“But … why?” Mitchell pressed. “How would they know to frame him?”

“That’s a good question, and we’ll definitely be looking into it,” Brian said. “The location of Jessica’s sweatshirt – out in the open as it was – made everyone uncomfortable. Dan Dorsey could never be considered a genius, but why leave her sweatshirt out like that?”

“So someone knew you were going to go out to this Dorsey’s property and search it?” Mitchell didn’t look convinced. “How could they possibly know that information?”

Brian held his palms up as his shoulders hopped. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “We’re going to figure it out, though.”

Jessica, her face red as she gulped in steadying breaths, leaned over and rested her hands on her knees. She appeared distressed, and Ivy instinctively moved to her side.

“Are you okay?”

“I feel … my head is spinning,” Jessica admitted.

“Okay, come this way,” Ivy said, grabbing the girl around the waist and directing her toward the chair Jack sat in earlier. Jessica fought the effort.

“Not here,” Jessica sputtered. “I … can’t breathe. I’m going to suffocate in here. I need out of this building.”

“We can’t risk that,” Brian said, his voice low. “If the press sees her … .”

“Shut up, Brian,” Ivy ordered, changing direction and moving Jessica toward the back door of the police station. “No one will see her out back. We’ll be quiet.”

“Ivy … .” Brian shook his head.

Ivy ignored him. “Come on, sweetie,” she said, letting Jessica rest the bulk of her weight on her. “We’ll get you some air.”

“
I
’M
sorry about that
,” Jessica said ten minutes later, her eyes trained on the cement as she rubbed her arms around her waist. “I don’t know what happened.”

“You had a panic attack,” Ivy replied matter-of-factly. “You built things up in your mind and expected to find the man who took you on the other side of that glass. When it wasn’t him, your first instinct was relief.

“You were glad it wasn’t him because that meant you didn’t have to see him again,” she continued. “Once you registered that emotion you realized nothing was over and he was still out there. That overwhelmed you. It’s perfectly normal.”

Jessica’s mouth dropped open. “How did you know that?”

Ivy shrugged and offered Jessica a lopsided grin. “I’m a witch.”

Jessica giggled, the sound warming Ivy even as it seemed to offer relief to the girl. “Oh, I needed that,” she said, running a hand through her stringy hair. “You’re right. I thought for sure it was him. That’s why I didn’t want to see him.”

“I know that,” Ivy said, kindly rubbing her hand over the girl’s slim back as she glanced through the police station’s glass back door and found Brian, Jack, Mitchell, and Courtney watching her. “We’re going to find the person who did this, Jessica. I promise you that.”

“How? I don’t know who he is.”

“Shadow Lake isn’t a big place and there’s only so many areas where you could’ve been held,” Ivy replied. “You ran to the dance, which means it couldn’t have been more than ten miles – and I’m being generous there – because you were weak from lack of food and being kept in a confined space.”

“Why would someone want to frame that man?”

“Self-preservation,” Ivy replied simply. “Whoever took you knows that we’re close to catching him. He needs to point the finger at someone else if he wants to get away with what he’s done.”

“I want to help you,” Jessica said. “I just … don’t think I’m strong enough to do it.”

“I think you’re stronger than you realize,” Ivy said. “It doesn’t matter, though. Until we have another suspect, your only job is getting better. You can rest and we’ll do the hard work to find out who would want to frame Dan.