Brian hesitated and then nodded. “He’s mentally ill, Jack.”
“I can’t argue the point. The thing is, had Marvin called for help, Sasha could’ve very likely been saved. I’m not saying he’s as guilty as Greg but ... if anyone else had done what he did, we would be charging them with gross negligence at the least. Maybe even depraved indifference.”
“But that’s not the case with him,” Brian insisted. “It never occurred to him that he could fix things. He’s ... troubled. You heard what he said. His grandmother was horrible to him. Nobody ever got that man the help that he needed.”
“And I sympathize.” Jack meant it. “Sasha is still dead. I don’t think her parents are going to understand why Marvin didn’t call for help. If it was your daughter, do you think you would be as forgiving?”
Brian opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut, tilting his head.
“If it had been Ivy, I wouldn’t be able to forgive him,” Jack offered in a low voice. “I mean ... I get that he’s not all there and he can’t help the things he believes. I still wouldn’t be able to wrap my head around doing nothing as someone suffered and died in the woods.”
“Yeah.” Brian let loose a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I could get past it if it was someone I loved either. I still feel sorry for him.”
“I do, too. I hope the doctors you got him in with can help.”
“Me, too.” Brian lifted his chin as they crested the final hill. “Here we go. Do you see her?”
Jack snapped back to reality and craned his neck as he looked for a hint of pink hair. He let out a relieved sigh when he saw Ivy standing next to a young woman close to the road. “She’s okay.”
“I told you.”
“Now is not the time to poke the bear,” Jack warned.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Brian decreased his speed and pulled to a stop on the side of the road. “Do you see Greg?”
“No, but as long as Ivy is okay, we can take our time to track down that piece of crud.”
Even though they were operating under serious circumstances, Brian couldn’t keep his smile from emerging. “You’re the picture of benevolence.”
“Bite me.” Jack was the first to emerge from the car and it was his tall frame that drew Ivy’s attention. She took a step in his direction, a question on her face, and then stilled. Jack hated that he couldn’t sweep her into his arms and offer a hug. He knew better, though. They had to keep this professional.
“Is something going on?” Betsy asked, joining the small group by the side of the road. “Did you hear about the collector’s editions and want to see them for yourself?”
Alison snickered, but Ivy kept her face neutral.
“Do I even want to know what that means?” Brian asked, taking up position beside Jack.
“It’s a long story,” Alison replied.
“We found a box of porn and Greg took it,” Betsy explained.
“Actually, in hindsight, it’s not a long story at all,” Alison drawled.
Under different circumstances, Ivy might’ve smiled. She could read the anxiety on Jack’s face, though, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He was one of those guys who expressed every emotion, despite his best efforts. “Something has happened,” she murmured.
“We have ... more information,” Brian clarified, looking around. “Where is Greg?”
“I wasn’t kidding about the porn,” Betsy replied. “He decided that he didn’t want us being sexually harassed by the images and took it into the woods.”
Brian’s forehead creased. “I ... are you being serious?”
Ivy clasped her hands together and nodded. “He’s kind of a creepy guy. I mean ... like really creepy. We haven’t seen him in a good hour.”
Jack felt like punching someone, namely himself. “I told him to watch you!”
Brian slid his partner a sidelong look. “You were just freaking out during the car ride here because you thought he was going to be spending too much time with her. You can’t have it both ways.”
“Yes, I can.” Jack wasn’t about to ratchet down his righteous indignation. “All of this is complete and total crap. Which way did he go?”
Ivy pointed. “What’s going on?”
Jack opened his mouth to answer, but Brian shut him down with a head shake.
“We can’t really discuss an ongoing investigation,” Brian explained. “Right now, we simply have some things to discuss with Greg.”
“And, since we’re going to have to do it back at the police department, you guys are free to go,” Jack added.
Ivy hesitated. “Are you sure you have the authority to do that?”
Jack scorched her with a look. “This gives me the authority.” He gestured toward his badge.
“Yeah, but ... .” She looked to Brian for help. “I don’t think anyone here wants time added onto their sentence.”
Brian shot her a kind smile. “I get that. You don’t have to worry about it. You won’t be punished for us cutting you loose. You’ll also get credit for the full day. It will be easier for us if you’re gone when we ... track down ... Mr. Decker.”
Ivy sensed trouble but knew better than to question them in front of witnesses. Jack would catch her up on the details at home, just as soon as he could. “Okay, I’m happy to leave early. There’s just one thing.”
“What?” Brian feigned patience, but it was wearing thin.
“Jack wouldn’t let me drive here myself today, so I have no way to get home. I guess I could walk down to the lumberyard and see if Max is there, but he might be out on a job or something.”
“Max isn’t there,” Brian said. “We called him when we were heading in this direction. Jack thought it might be a
