Chapter 5
Paradise grimaced at the smear of fish guts on Blake’s arm. “I’ll ride with my brother.” She’d gone most of her life without
a sibling, and yet it felt so natural to refer to Drew as her brother. There was so much she didn’t know about him, but the
relationship had settled more firmly into place when she woke and saw him. A little more red shot through his tawny hair than
hers, but their amber eyes were alike. Others would be able to guess at their relationship.
Blake corralled his brothers. “I’ll meet you at the park. Abby, you want to join us for dinner?”
“Maybe next time. I need to get Quinn.”
Quinn was her ten-years-old-going-on-twenty daughter.
Abby smiled at Drew. “Nice to finally meet you, Drew. Take good care of my bestie.” She hugged Paradise before heading for
her car.
Blake and Paradise thanked Hez again for his hospitality and told him to pass their gratitude along to Savannah. Paradise
walked with Drew toward his pickup while Blake steered his brothers toward his truck. Drew kept glancing around with a laser
focus. The breeze stirred his short light brown hair.
“Are you watching for someone?” she asked when they reached his truck.
“There was an intruder in the woods. I want to get you out of here before something happens.” He opened the door and helped
her up into the four-wheel drive.
She shivered and glanced toward the woods around the Webster property. The heavy foliage blocked the view, and she didn’t
see much. “That’s why Blake agreed when I wanted to go home,” she said when he climbed under the wheel.
“Except we’re not going home. We both agreed the park is safer. There’s room for all of us, and I’ll be able to help protect
you.”
The reality that they were all putting themselves at risk for her made her shift in her seat, but she held her tongue. Wouldn’t
she do the same if he or Blake were the target? Of course she would.
He fastened his seat belt and started the truck. “I see your expression, Sis, and I know how hard this is for you.”
She bit her lower lip. “I want you to consider you might be the target now that you’re here, Drew. The warnings have been
that you’d be in danger if you came here. You might be in more danger than me.”
“I agree he doesn’t want me here, but I think he doesn’t want either of us to uncover anything about your parents’ murders,
and he knows our joint efforts will be more powerful.”
“How will we go about figuring out who your father is? When we first met, you said you thought your dad’s murder was connected
to my parents’ murders. I didn’t believe it then, but I do now.”
“We’re on the cusp of some big discovery, Sis. This guy will likely get more dangerous. I want you to close the veterinary
clinic for now and always have me or Blake with you.”
His use of the fond term Sis warmed her. “My patients need me. I’m the only vet in Nova Cambridge, Drew. I don’t want to cut and run.”
“I know you don’t, but you could go on vacation for a week or two and put your focus on helping me figure this out.”
His plea made sense. Working didn’t allow much time to investigate. Drew would be here for a month, and they could put all
their effort into getting to the bottom of the murders. “All right, you’ve convinced me. I’ll have emergency calls redirected
to Honey. There’s a vet in Foley who might help out.”
Honey Hopkins had been a great hire for the vet clinic. She understood the demands that could arise at the park since her
husband, Evan, was one of the predator keepers. They lived in Paradise’s childhood home.
Drew turned the truck into the drive back to the park. “I always knew any sister of mine would have a lot of sense.”
She smiled. “I hate that we didn’t get to grow up together.”
“Me too. I always wanted a sibling. But it will make getting to know each other better all the more fun.” Keeping his eyes
on the road, he pulled a paper from his pocket. “I have a list of where to start.”
She unfolded the paper and stared at his blocky, printed note.
Examine autopsy and murder files
Find early friends
Talk to coworkers
Talk to neighbors
Find detectives on the original case
She refolded it. “These are all very good. I have some avenues I started to trace before I tabled it to figure out who was trying to shut down the park. Now that The Sanctuary is on solid footing, I can concentrate on the murders. No one seems to know who your real father was. I think maybe my cousin Lily knows, but if she does, she’s denied it. ”
“Maybe I can get her to talk. We’ll hit the ground running tomorrow by talking to your family first. You have several cousins
in the area, right?”
“Yes, and they’re your cousins, too, since they’re all on Mom’s side. One works for the sheriff’s department, so maybe Rod’ll
tell you more than he has me. His mom is the one I think might know who your father is.”
“Perfect place to start.”
She stared at his ringless left hand. “You’ve never been married?” He was thirty-five, five years older than her, and a handsome
guy like him normally would have been married by now.
“I was once for about a year when I was in my early twenties. She cheated on me with my partner. I nearly left the police
force when that happened, but my partner left instead and I stayed. It’s been hard to trust anyone since then.”
Betrayed by the two people he wouldn’t have suspected of it. “I’m sorry. I’ll always be here for you, Drew. I don’t say that
lightly. Loyalty is the most important thing to me.”
He shot her a smile. “I believe you, Paradise. And I’ll be here for you. Finding you is the best thing that’s ever happened
to me. And I like your guy. Blake is one in a million.”
“He is. And he’ll help in whatever way we need him to.
” She slid a sideways glance Drew’s way.
If they were ever to claim their birthright as siblings, she needed to open up to him.
Taking a deep breath, she plunged in. “I grew up in foster care after my parents were killed. I-it wasn’t good.
Blake tried to protect me from Lloyd during my first placement.
It backfired and I got shipped farther away from everyone I knew and loved.
The second foster home was worse than the first, a-and the son living there raped me. ”
He tensed and his expression flashed hot with outrage. “I’m sorry, Paradise.” He reached over and took her hand. “I assumed
someone in the family took you in. That had to have been so hard. Yet here you are—a strong and accomplished wildlife vet.
You overcame all of it. I’m in awe.”
“My parents taught me about pushing through hard things, and I’m glad I had those first nine years with them.” Her eyes filled
with tears, but she held his gaze. “I’m glad you’re my brother.”
“Me too, Sis. Me too.”
The future looked bright if they could all manage to stay alive.
Dinner was over, and they’d gotten out the set of dominoes to play with the boys, though Paradise wasn’t sure she’d be able
to stay awake for very long. A dull ache circled her head, but she felt better than she did when she awakened in the hospital.
The kittens curled beside her as if they knew she needed extra comfort.
Her phone blipped with a text. A lemur has me trapped in my bedroom!
Paradise stared at the text message from an unknown number. “Wow.”
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked.
“I’m not sure who sent this.” She showed him the text.
“I’d better go. Is it okay if I text the sender and ask for the address?”
She nodded and handed him her phone. He tapped out a response. “It’s an owner over in Magnolia Springs. He wants to turn the animal over to us. It’s already bitten him, and he’s bleeding. He doesn’t want to call animal control because he doesn’t want it injured.”
This was something she needed to help with. “I’ll go with you.”
The boys’ faces fell, and Isaac’s brown eyes filled with tears. “You said you’d play dominoes with us.”
“I know, buddy, but there’s a lemur that needs us.” She reached down to slip on her sandals.
“I’ll play,” Drew said. “You two go rescue the lemur, and I’ll whip these boys into shape.”
“Yay!” Levi threw his arms around Drew’s neck. “Can you be our brother too? Paradise is going to be our sister.”
“I’d be honored.”
When Drew grinned at her with such joy, Paradise wanted to hug him. He’d grown up without siblings too. Blake’s family was
quick to welcome people searching for a place to belong, and she mouthed a thank you to Jenna. Having Drew so quickly assimilated into the family warmed Paradise’s heart.
She grabbed a banana and a container of blueberries from the kitchen before they left the house. Bribing the lemur would help
them calm it.
Blake interlocked his fingers with hers, and they walked out to his truck together in the fading sunshine. “You sure you’re
up to this? I can go tranq the little guy and bring him back.”
“It helps to have two of us, and I need to walk some of the soreness off. My legs and arms ache.” She clung to his hand and relished his proprietary grip. He’d been there for her through every minute of this ordeal. If not for Blake, she might be dead in that dumpster.
“Getting thrown out like trash isn’t for the faint of heart.” He opened the passenger door and helped her into the truck.
Magnolia Springs was only ten minutes away. “Did the guy tell you anything about the situation?”
“No, just what you saw. He or she texted me the location.”
She fell silent as they drove the short distance to the house. It was in one of her favorite neighborhoods. She stared at
the address. “You know what—I think this is Elowen and Wade’s house.” Wade Greene, a firefighter, was Detective Creed Greene’s
brother, though they were estranged.
The address on Bay Street wasn’t far from Jesse’s Restaurant. Live oaks draped with Spanish moss stretched their branches
in a green arch over the roads, and the sun’s dying rays bathed the neighborhood with a welcoming glow that wouldn’t last
long.
The shotgun-style home was just as she remembered it with white shutters and a charming porch. No one was outside tonight.
She climbed out of the truck while Blake grabbed the tranquilizer gun, a medical kit, and a net from the back of the pickup
and followed her.
She rang the bell, then remembered Elowen was likely still trapped in the bedroom. “It has to be Elowen who texted. Wade wouldn’t
be frightened of a lemur even if it was biting and scratching.”
“Unless he had Tessa with him. She’s only two, so the lemur could hurt her.”
“I’m going in.” Paradise twisted the doorknob, and it opened into the living room cluttered with toys and stuffed animals. She spotted one of the pandas from the gift shop at The Sanctuary. She picked it up and carried it with her down the dark hall she guessed led to the bedrooms.
There was no mistaking the lemur shriek ahead of her. The animal grunted and barked, vocal signals of agitation. She held
the banana out. “Let me try calming it first. Maybe you won’t have to use the tranquilizer. I’d rather use the net.”
“Me too, but this guy sounds mad.”
Enraged was more like it. What had set it off? She ran her fingers over the wall of the windowless hallway and found the switch.
She flipped it on and light flooded the snug space. The lemur stood on its back legs at the bedroom door and shook the doorknob.
The animal turned when the lights came on and barked at her. It was a male and would be more docile than a female. Females
ruled the pack.
She extended the banana. “Hey there, buddy. It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.”
“Paradise, thank the Lord you’re here.” Elowen’s tearful voice came from the other side of the door. “I’ve got Tessa with
me, but I haven’t been able to reach Wade. He’s at a fire and probably doesn’t have his phone with him.”
“We’ll take care of it, Elowen.” She took a step nearer the lemur. “You hungry?” she asked in a coaxing voice. The lemur’s
tail quit lashing so hard, and it reached out agile fingers to pluck the banana from her hand. It didn’t bother to peel the
banana but bit off a chunk and chewed.
“Is that good? I have blueberries too.” She planned to scatter them on the floor so the lemur would have to pick them up.
That should distract it long enough for Blake to toss the net over it.
She waited until the animal finished the banana, then opened the container lid and rolled a handful of blueberries toward the lemur. It dropped onto all fours and began plucking up the berries and throwing them in its mouth. The agitation leached out of its face.
“Now,” she whispered to Blake.
He unfurled the net and tossed it over the lemur, but the animal didn’t seem to mind. She handed Blake the blueberry container.
“I think it was just hungry.”