He let loose a sigh as he rolled to his back and stretched his arm over his head. He was bare-chested — they shared a lot of warmth when they were twined around one another — and the scar above his heart that he used to hide from prying eyes was on full display. He’d been vulnerable with her from the start, although he hadn’t realized it, and she was the one person he knew he could be comfortable with under any circumstances. “I’m going to need more to go on,” he said finally, all remnants of sleep clearing from his eyes. “What have you figured out?” Something occurred to him and he brightened. “Have you figured out the community service thing?”
She shook her head. “I wish, but no. That’s still an issue.”
“Then this day sucks.”
“I think I’ve figured out the reason Sasha was killed.”
He was fully alert now and he narrowed his eyes. “You’ve figured it out? How?”
“She came to me in my dream.”
He might’ve laughed at the simple statement if anyone else uttered it. Ivy’s dreams were anything but ordinary, though. “Tell me.”
She laid it all out for him in halting terms. She had to backtrack a few times and cover the same ground twice because she was jittery. When she was finished, he was thoughtful ... and annoyed.
“You think that someone else on your community service crew was selling drugs out at that golf course.”
“I think that’s a likely scenario,” she confirmed. “We could never figure out who Sasha was with. Heck, I could never figure out why she was dating Jason in the first place. She always seemed better than that.”
“Except it turns out she wasn’t.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the sucky part,” she acknowledged. “I don’t think Sasha was the person any of us thought she was. To be fair, though, none of us knew her really well. She was always guarded.”
“I guess now we know why.” Jack rubbed his chin, thoughtful. “What do you want to do?”
“We need to talk to Jason. He’s in custody, right? You have access to him.”
“I do. That doesn’t mean you have access to him. I can’t take you in and allow you to question him.”
Ivy’s lower lip jutted out. “You’ve taken me in before.”
“I have not. Don’t exaggerate.”
“I’ve talked to people after you’ve arrested them,” Ivy persisted.
“You have, but not in an official capacity. You can’t go with me to question him. Brian will have an absolute fit if I even suggest it.”
Ivy made a face, but she understood where he was coming from. “Well ... I have community service anyway. After you let us go early yesterday, Greg is going to be in a mood. It’s probably best I’m not late.”
He was incredulous. “Do you honestly think I’m letting you go to community service after what you just told me? Someone on that crew is a drug dealer ... and a killer. You’re not going out there.”
Ivy matched him glare for glare. “Um, I have news for you. I’m going to community service. If I’m a no-show, they’re definitely going to tack on more time.”
“They won’t when I explain things.”
“They’re not going to care and you know it.” Ivy was firm. “I can’t not go.”
“And I can’t just let you hang out with a potential murderer.”
“Well ... then we’re going to have to come up with a compromise.” Ivy chewed on her bottom lip as she considered and then grinned when an answer finally came to her. “I think I know what to do.”
Jack hated the way her expression twisted. It meant she thought she’d had a brilliant idea, although if history was any indication, it was likely to blow up in her pretty face because that’s what always happened when she tried to outthink the criminal element. She was too moral to take everything into account. “I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?”
Ivy shook her head, solemn. “I think you’re going to like it.”
“Then you don’t know me at all.”
“Just ... hear me out.”
He heaved out a heavy sigh and lightly brushed her hair away from her face. “Fine. Lay it on me. If I don’t like it, though, I’m going to put up a fight like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
JACK WAS A SPITTING MESS WHEN HE landed at the police station. He’d fought hard against Ivy’s plan ... and lost. He knew before he even started that she would ultimately get her way. She wasn’t a woman who did well with the word “no.” Since he was a man who had trouble with the same word, they were doomed to lock horns from time to time. He was resigned to that ... forever.
That didn’t mean he could stop himself from complaining.
“How do you put up with women?”
Brian stood next to the counter, a mug of coffee in his hand, and eyed his partner with a bemused expression. “And how is Ivy?”
“She’s the devil.” Jack’s expression was dark. “She’s ... evil.”
Brian smirked. “I thought she was the love of your life.”
“She is. That doesn’t mean she’s not evil.”
“And what did she do now?”
Jack related Ivy’s dream to his partner. Brian was well aware of Ivy’s abilities, and most of the time he took what she could do in stride, but he was already shaking his head by the time Jack wrapped up.
“We’re not going to be able to use Ivy’s dream as evidence.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m well aware. So is she. We have to find the evidence to corroborate what she said.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Talk to Jason. He was in that parking lot. He might be an idiot, but he managed to conduct business at that golf course for a long time. He’s going to know who the other players are.”
Brian was understandably dubious. “From what you’ve said, he was dating one of the players and didn’t realize it. How do we even know
