Even though his suspicions about Greg being attracted to Ivy had essentially been confirmed, Jack refrained from commenting on it. In truth, he believed the man was largely harmless, just a sad individual who never got what he wanted in life. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a douche. He was a moldable douche, though.
“Jason hasn’t been seen since that incident,” Jack explained. “He knows Ivy overheard the conversation. We have a uniformed officer watching his house, but his mother hasn’t seen him and we feel it’s doubtful he’ll return. He might show up out here, though.”
“To what end?” Greg looked legitimately curious. “I mean … what would he hope to accomplish by showing up out here?”
“Perhaps he wants to make sure Ivy can’t ever testify to what she heard.”
“I ... oh.” Realization dawned on Greg and he paled slightly. “I didn’t even consider that. It makes sense, though.” He paused a beat. “What about Marvin, though? You mentioned him, too.”
“Marvin is another matter entirely.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck as he selected the right words. He didn’t want to come off as uncaring. “The thing is, Marvin has been skating through life without a lot of punishment since he was a teenager. His mother and grandmother helped form his delusions, but he needs medication.
“There’s little we can do about that until we find him,” he continued. “Ivy overheard him talking to himself yesterday, and he mentioned Sasha’s name. I’m having trouble understanding how he would know her name unless ... well ... he was searching for information on the case.”
“And why would he do that unless he was involved?” Greg mused. “I guess it makes sense. I’m going to be honest, though. I don’t think Marvin is the violent sort.”
“That very well may be true. We don’t know that Sasha was struck intentionally. It could’ve been an accident, and it could’ve sent him into a mental tailspin. We just don’t know. That’s why I want to talk to him.”
“Okay. What do you want me to do?”
“Ivy could be a target, and I don’t like that. Both of those men know exactly where you’re going to be. You’re the strongest individual out here. You’re smart, and you understand the mind of a criminal.” Jack worried he was laying it on too thick, but he was willing to do anything — absolutely anything — to protect Ivy. Greg was his best shot, even if the guy was a tool with a capital T.
“You want me to protect her.” Greg nodded in understanding, turning grave. “You’re worried these evil men could try to kill her.”
“I am,” Jack confirmed. “I don’t like that I have to ask you for a favor.”
“I’ll bet.” Greg looked smug.
“You’re my best shot of keeping her safe, though. You’re strong ... and smart ... and you would make an excellent cop. I need you to make sure nothing happens to her.”
Greg nodded gravely. “I think I can manage that.”
“Good.” Jack forced a smile he didn’t really feel. “I’m putting all my faith in you. Don’t let me down.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’ve got this.”
14
Fourteen
Jack’s cameo at the cleanup site was the talk of the group once Greg gave the order for everyone to go to work. Rather than find a spot to sit in the shade, as he normally did, Greg picked a location where he could have a clear view of Ivy the entire time.
It made her exceedingly uncomfortable.
“I told you he had a crush on you,” Betsy said as she tried to remove a mangled box from beneath a bush. It was wedged in so tightly she grunted and groaned. “Now he can’t take his eyes off you.”
The observation irritated Ivy. “I don’t know if I would say that,” she hedged. “I think it’s far more likely Jack goaded him into somehow watching me.”
“Yes, because Jack is an astute man who realizes that Greg can be manipulated,” Alison offered. “He clearly knows how to read people well.”
Unfortunately, Ivy was coming to the same conclusion herself. “It’s frustrating,” she muttered, dropping to her knees so she could help Betsy. “All this is doing is making it so that Jack believes he’s right.”
“Isn’t he?” Betsy met Ivy’s speculative gaze over the top of the box. “To be fair, you have somehow managed to end up neck-deep in this, although I’m still wondering how this all came about.”
She wasn’t the only one. Ivy blew out an extended sigh and pulled on the box with all her might, flying backward when the box finally came free and ending up with a pile of magazines on top of her.
“Oh, gross.” She brushed off the magazines hurriedly when she realized what they were. “Is that ... ?”
“Porn,” Betsy confirmed, grinning. “I guess we should’ve seen that coming, huh?”
Ivy remained baffled. “Why should we have assumed that someone would come out here to dump a box of porn? I mean ... look at this stuff.” She grabbed a nearby magazine and frowned at the image on the cover. “Is that a bear?” She turned the magazine to the side to get a better look.
“I think it’s a Saint Bernard,” Alison countered. She’d given up the pretense of even pretending that she was working.
“That is just ... wrong.”
“If it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure the dog is just watching her,” Betsy supplied. “I mean ... it’s not as if the dog is naked.”
Ivy made a face. “I don’t understand why this woman — and there’s no way those things are real because they look like personal flotation devices — needs a dog in her photo. It seems like it’s animal cruelty or something.”
Betsy snorted in amusement. “It’s the Great Klondike edition,” she explained, tapping the cover. “That means there are a bunch of
