Chapter 2
The Gator was missing from the lot, so Blake walked across the compound to make rounds. His sweatshirt warmed him against
the mid-February chill, and the fresh scent of the morning air added to his sense of well-being. They’d mostly finished cleanup
after the tropical storm two weeks ago, thanks to the hard work of the community and the park’s employees.
He still smiled at Paradise’s surprise this morning. Her amber eyes had filled with moisture at the family’s excitement for
her, and he prayed her first day would be a good one. He glanced at his watch. Just after ten and the first visitors would
be here soon.
He found the Gator outside the tiger enclosure, but he didn’t see anyone around. He lifted the lid on the predator food and
frowned. The raw meat had barely been touched. Where was Ivy?
He shaded his hand as a familiar truck pulled into the lot.
Clark got out and approached him. It always struck Blake how alike Clark and Kent Reynolds were.
They were twins and it showed. Being around his best friend’s brother helped Blake release some of the pain and guilt he felt over Kent’s death.
Clark had hated him for a while after Kent’s death in Afghanistan, but he’d stepped up to help Paradise save Blake during the tropical storm and flood a couple of weeks back, and all those hard feelings had been washed away.
Blake slapped him on the shoulder when Clark stopped in front of him. “You’re just the man I wanted to see. That main perimeter
fence by the tigers looks like it could let go. I’m not sure even you can fix it, but I wanted you to take a look before I
spent the money to replace it.”
Clark gave a cocky grin. “I can weld anything but a broken heart and the crack of dawn.”
Blake grinned at the familiar line. “I believe it.”
Clark’s appearance had changed since he’d released his anger and grief. His broad shoulders were squared instead of hunched
with defeat, and his shaggy brown hair stayed neatly trimmed.
Clark shuffled and looked down at his feet. “I had an idea. Feel free to say no. What would you think if I moved my trailer
into that empty lot out by the cottages? It could be my salary for working around here.”
“That’s not enough of a salary, but I’d be thrilled to have you work for the park. I can cough up some actual dollars too.”
“Not necessary. I would still have time to do the occasional odd job for gas and groceries. I like being here. It’s given
me purpose, and you’re not so bad to be around.”
That was saying a lot coming from taciturn Clark. Blake squeezed his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Clark, and I’m honored
to call you friend.”
The man’s brown eyes glistened. “I’ll move the trailer over tonight. Thanks, buddy.”
He started for the fence perimeter, but Blake called him back. “Did you see Ivy’s car when you came in? I’m not sure she fed
the animals.”
“I saw her car but not her.”
“Thanks, I’ll try to find her.”
He’d had his doubts about the new hire, Ivy Cook, when she showed up for work. Mom was a soft touch, and the girl was the
granddaughter of a friend from church. Doing a favor wasn’t always the best idea, but so far Ivy had done a good job. If the
predators hadn’t been fed yet, it would set his day back by hours. He might have to call all hands on deck to feed them before
he took out his first busload of visitors.
The hyenas barely gave him a glance, and even Clara slept through his call. The Birmingham Zoo was picking them up this afternoon,
and he’d be glad to have them gone. He’d never been able to look at them the same since they’d tried to kill him during the
tropical storm.
He moved to the tigers and found all of them hungry. He fed the ones who would be in the pool performing for visitors later
before moving on to the last enclosure. Raj was new and a little hostile. He banged on the metal fencing around the enclosure.
“Raj, meat.”
The big white cat licked his chops and settled onto his haunches. He turned his huge head and stared at something in the corner
inside the inner enclosure. Blake followed the direction of Raj’s gaze and froze. What appeared to be a pile of clothing was
something much more terrifying.
Ivy Cook lay curled in a fetal position, and she wasn’t moving.
His stomach plummeted at the sight of way too much blood.
He started to open the gate to the outer enclosure and stopped. The inner gate wasn’t latched, and it swung a bit in the breeze.
There would be nothing to stop Raj from coming through the inner enclosure to the outer one.
Had Raj been in the outer perimeter when Ivy came to feed him? Blake spotted drag marks from the outside gate into the inner area, and the likely scenario played out in his head in sickening detail.
He whipped out his phone and called Evan Hopkins to bring him a tranquilizer gun. “And call 911.” He grabbed the bucket of
meat and took off running to the building beside the enclosure. Time seemed to slow as his feet slapped against the grass
and hard dirt on the path to the shelter. His fingers fumbled with the lock at the door, and it seemed an eternity before
he stepped into the dim interior that held the strong odor of cat urine. He made sure the door to the habitat area was locked,
then went through the security door.
Please let her be alive. He threw down some raw meat before he opened the door to the habitat. Please, God, let him smell the food and come.
He could barely breathe while he waited for the big white cat to amble into the interior and go to the food. When the last
of the tiger’s lashing tail was through the door, Blake pressed the button to shut the cat inside away from the habitat area,
then raced back outside to run across the habitat to Ivy. Evan sped toward the enclosure with the tranquilizer gun.
Blake reached the gate at the same time as Evan. “I coaxed Raj into the building with food, so we won’t need the gun after
all.” He hurried with Evan through both gates and headed toward Ivy, who hadn’t moved.
When he dropped to his knees and touched her, his gut made a sickening twist. He pressed his finger to her neck to make sure.
“She’s dead.”
Paradise’s first day had been more fun than she’d imagined.
With only five patients, she only had to work two hours, but the owners of the three dogs and two cats had made her feel like an integral part of the community.
Two of the families had been former classmates when she’d lived here, so it felt as though she’d slipped back into the flow of life in Nova Cambridge.
Her longtime friend Abby Dillard—now McClellan—had been here with her beautiful golden.
This quiet town was only fifteen minutes from Foley and the shopping malls, and only half an hour from the busyness of the
Gulf Shore beaches, but it was another world along these quaint streets. How had she ever left this place?
Paradise mopped the exam room and grimaced at the stinging scent of antiseptic before heading back to the park. Honey had
offered to do the cleaning, but Paradise needed an opportunity to get to know her spaces. There was something about the detail
of cleaning that made the place seem familiar—and hers.
Her phone sounded with a message, but she ignored it until she was finished and in her car. Once she was behind the wheel,
she dug out her phone and tensed. In her inbox were results from the DNA test she’d run to try to find the brother she hadn’t
known she had. It was already nearly eleven, and she had a full afternoon at the park. The results would have to wait until
she had a chance to log in to her computer and take a look.
She buckled in and drove out Beach Road toward the Weeks Bay Bridge. She braked to avoid a fox that darted out of the ditch
and across the road. An ambulance, its lights flashing and sirens blaring, came up fast behind her, and she pulled over to
let it pass. Right behind it, two sheriff’s department cars zoomed past as well. They disappeared over the bridge, and her
gut clenched. Could they be going to The Sanctuary?
She stomped on the accelerator and headed in that direction. The emergency vehicles weren’t in sight when she crossed the bridge and turned onto Bay Road. Maybe they’d turned off on Beach Road. A few houses were out that way on Bon Secour Bay.
But she caught the shriek of the sirens as she neared the turnoff to the preserve, and her pulse skipped. Her fears for the
boys were ever present ever since Isaac had gone into the tiger enclosure. The boys were adventurous and no amount of diligence
kept fear from raising its head. She punched the button on her dash to call Blake, and her mouth was dry as she waited for
him to pick up.
When the call went to his voice mail, her agitation increased and so did her speed. She took the turn nearly on two wheels
and prayed for Blake’s family as she raced to see what had happened. Maybe a visitor had been injured. None of the scenarios
were good.
She followed the flashing lights of the two sheriff’s cars through the parking lot and out toward the employee area near the
predator enclosures. The fact that the emergency vehicles were directed to private areas wasn’t a good sign. She parked in
her usual spot and jumped out. Blake stood talking to their archenemy, Detective Creed Greene. It figured that they’d have
to deal with him.
She steeled herself for his familiar leer—he was like most of the other men she’d met with one thing on their minds. At least
Blake had shown her how a real man acted.
She rushed to his side and touched his arm. He drew her against his side with his left arm as he spoke with Creed. She heard
tiger enclosure and checked for pulse, but she heard no name mentioned. She examined the faces around her and spotted Jenna and her boys heading their way. The
tenseness in Paradise’s throat released, and she nearly sagged against Blake.
Jenna reached them, and she waved an employee over. “Evan, would you take the boys to see the capybaras?”
Irritation creased his forehead, but he nodded. “Sure thing, Boss.”
“Hazel had babies,” Isaac told him. “I get to hold one now. They’re old enough, right, Mama?”
“They are.” Jenna waited until they were out of earshot. “Do we know how Raj managed to get to Ivy?”
“Not yet,” Blake said. “I found her in the inside enclosure. There would have been no reason for her to go in there, and I
think maybe Raj dragged her to his lair.”
Paradise shuddered at the graphic image that sprang to life with his words. How had this happened? Blake was meticulous about
safety precautions at The Sanctuary, but human error was always a concern. She didn’t know Ivy well since she’d just started,
but she’d seemed pleasant and was hardworking. The young woman had wanted to chat about personal things, and Paradise suspected
she was lonely.
The deputy took his detective position to the nth degree, and she knew he’d be pointing blame before he left. That was his
modus operandi. Accuse first and pivot later. Wasn’t a detective supposed to examine the evidence before he came to a conclusion?
Creed Greene made snap decisions first and tried to find details to support his belief. It was all backward.
“Is the tiger secured?” Greene asked.
Blake’s fingers tightened around Paradise’s waist. “I coaxed him into the shelter so I could get to Ivy. I left him locked
in there.”
Creed turned toward the walkway to the predators’ area. “I’d like to see the scene and the body now that the paramedics are
done making sure there was no sign of life. Forensics should be here soon as well.”
Blake’s arm slid away from Paradise, and he turned toward the walk. “I’ll take you.”
She hugged herself in spite of the warm sun touching her arms. They’d all hoped their troubles were over, but they weren’t
that lucky.