“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.”
“I know she is,” Jack said.
Sixteen
“What’s bugging you?” Ivy followed Jack down a quiet street after dinner, their fingers linked, and watched him as his mind worked.
“What?” Jack glanced at Ivy. “Did you say something?”
“I’m
