Chapter 26
The aroma of fried catfish mingled with that of baked mac and cheese. Paradise pushed away her plate. “Great meal, Jenna.”
Isaac and Levi headed for the living room to get their iPads and their kittens for their screen time. They’d cleaned their
plates like everyone else at the table.
“Best catfish ever,” Drew said. “I’m going to take a look at the Alden murder files this afternoon. Since Bay Minette PD was
kind enough to let me sign out the evidence kit, I want to study everything.” He rose and put his hand on Jenna’s shoulder.
“Thanks for the meal and everything else you do around here.”
She patted his hand. “You’re welcome, Drew. We’re all glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad too.” He hesitated and his gaze locked with Paradise’s. “Um, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I can’t keep it
quiet. I’m applying for a job here. I don’t really want to go back to Atlanta.”
A surge of joy shot through her, and she jumped to her feet. “Drew!” She leaped into his arms and squeezed him hard. Tears
sprang to her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “I can’t believe it.”
His arms were tight around her, and he chuckled.
“I have to get the job first, but I chatted with Rod while I was there, and he told me he’d walk it right through.
I’ll fill out an online application tonight and send it to him.
They’re short-staffed. Which is probably why they let me take the evidence. I’m sure Rod pulled some strings.”
She released him and stepped back, wiping her eyes. “I’m so happy, Drew. I can’t believe you’re going to be right here where
I can see you all the time. It’s a dream come true.” She wrinkled her nose. “You’d have to work with Creed, wouldn’t you?”
“Probably.” Drew swallowed as if he struggled with emotion too. “I can’t leave you now, and I’d work with just about anyone
to stay nearby.”
“You’ll need a place to stay,” Blake said. “Consider the apartment your permanent abode until you decide you want a bigger
place. Paradise and I are getting married next month, and—”
Squeals from his mother interrupted the rest of his sentence. “August?” Jenna clapped her hands. “We have to get to work on
the wedding. And yes, of course, Drew, you can stay as long as you like. It’s been wonderful having you here.”
He grinned. “Nothing like a warm welcome to cement the idea. I’ll keep you posted.” He gave Paradise a final hug and headed
for his apartment.
Jenna began to clear away the plates. “I’d like to hear what went on today, the full story.”
Paradise grabbed plates too and began to tell her about finding Bea, seeing Doris, and barely missing Warren at his house.
“You mentioned we should talk to you about Doris since you know her well too. Did you and my mother go to see her together?”
“We did, yes. She called us ‘her girls.’ Since she never had kids of her own, she spread her love around the neighborhood and at church.” Jenna opened the dishwasher and began to load it.
“Did you know Warren back then?”
“That’s why I hired him. He used to cut our grass when he was a teenager, and I’d always liked him. It’s hard to wrap my head
around Doris’s belief that he might have something to do with the murders. He got that job with the cable company working
under her husband.”
“What did he do there?”
“He installed equipment. I’m not sure what he was doing at your house that day. Doris said she saw The Phantom of the Opera music box in his hands?”
“She couldn’t tell what it was, but she saw him hand something to me. What exactly did you say to him before he ran?”
“I got that text about you guys needing to talk to him after meeting with Doris. That was all. But he clearly realized she
knew something.”
“How did he make the leap from cable installer to vet tech?” Blake asked.
“He went to school five years ago, supposedly because he wanted to work with animals.”
“He’s a good tech,” Paradise admitted. “He’s kind and gentle with the animals and has always listened to me. I don’t think
he’s coming back though. He looked panicked.”
“Rod checked out his apartment,” Blake said. “It was a furnished apartment, but he took most of his things. He must not have
had a lot.”
“Did Warren ever mention friends or family who lived in the area?” Jenna asked. “His mom left when he was twelve, and his
dad died a few years ago.”
“He never mentioned a wife, and I didn’t question him about his family. He applied for the job after Lacey Armstrong went to jail for killing Danielle Mason. Do you think he wanted to work here to find out if we were getting close to finding who killed my parents?”
“It does feel as if he intentionally applied to replace her,” Blake said. “Doris saw him running from the house the morning
of the murders. Why would he be running unless something was wrong?”
Paradise wiped down the stove and counters. “I think we need to dig more and find out who he associated with.”
Blake poured himself a glass of sweet tea from the fridge. “Maybe we could canvas his neighborhood and see if anyone knew
him personally. I’m going to call Rod and see if he can dig up some information.”
“We could ask our employees,” Jenna said. “He might have opened up to some of them.”
Paradise rinsed out the cloth. “Good idea. He’s about forty, isn’t he? We could start with Evan. He’s been here the longest
and might have talked to Warren on occasion. Warren sometimes helped him feed the animals at night before he left. They might
have chatted about personal things.”
After a dearth of clues to follow, it felt like floodgates were opening.
Blake stood in the shade of a large oak tree with Paradise and waited for Evan to finish the night feeding with Zach, the giraffe keeper.
He planned to talk to both of them before moving on to other employees tomorrow.
The lions roared their approval of being fed, and the tigers chuffed as well.
The monkeys screeched deeper into the refuge, and their cacophony riled up the birds nearby.
Paradise stretched her arm around his waist and leaned against him. “It’s a wonderful sound, isn’t it? Contented animals sounding
off. It’s a special place, Blake. I’m so thankful I found it. And you.” She turned her face up.
“It’s amazing. We’re blessed all the way around.” He kissed her, lingering over the softness of her lips and her warmth against
his side. He buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair. “I’m a lucky man.”
A gate clanged, and he reluctantly released her as Evan and Zach, talking animatedly, came their way. “Hey, guys, glad we
caught you.”
Evan’s brown eyes lost their mirth. “Something wrong, Boss? We did a head count, and all the animals are safe and happy. Even
King Julien.”
“Not really wrong, just puzzling. We needed to talk to Warren and he vamoosed, left town completely. It was very sudden. Do
you have any idea where he might have gone? Does he have friends or family in the area?”
Evan glanced at Zach, who shrugged as if to say, Don’t look at me. “He was always pretty closemouthed. Is this about the murders? You don’t think Warren had anything to do with those, do you?
He’s so gentle, I can’t imagine he’d even raise his voice.”
There was no sense in hiding the truth. Blake studied Evan’s expression.
“You probably remember Doris. She saw him running from the Aldens’ house a little while before the murders of Paradise’s parents.
She thought he knew something. And when he heard we wanted to talk to him after seeing Doris, he checked out early and went home.
We passed him leaving town and were too late to see where he went.
Did you hang out after he came to work here? ”
“I have a family and don’t have much time for hanging out. We were friendly here at work, but that’s about it.”
“Did he ever mention he was dating anyone?” Paradise asked.
“Not really.” Evan glanced at his watch.
Zach shifted on his feet. “He invited me to go out for a drink once. He suggested College Social, but I told him I had to
get home. Maybe check there.”
The bar catered to college students and was in Nova Cambridge near University Grounds. Blake wasn’t a drinker so he’d never
been there, but they could check it out. The place was probably hopping about now, and someone might know. “Thanks, guys,
we’ll do that.”
He let them head for their vehicles. “I think we should see if Drew wants to go with us to the bar. He’ll know how to handle
talking to a roomful of people.”
“He might be done reading the files by now.”
She started to follow him, and he realized she’d stopped so he turned. “What’s wrong?”
“Abby knows everyone, and I think Warren’s account was at her bank. She might know something.”
Blake nodded. “We could swing by and talk to Abby before we go to the bar. She might want to accompany us. We haven’t seen
her since you were in the hospital.”
“I’ll text her.” Paradise pulled out her phone and tapped out a message before they resumed walking toward the garage apartment.
“We can go without Drew if he’s busy. I don’t want to wait. We might get lucky and find a lead to Warren before he’s clear
out of the state.”
Her phone sounded and she glanced at it. “Abbs says she’ll meet us there. Quinn is studying with a friend, and she has to pick her up at nine, so she’ll have time to hang out with us and talk.”
He’d been tired before all this, but adrenaline put a spring in his step. Solving the murders felt so close. He’d once hoped
Paradise would give up her quest because it seemed so hopeless. The turnaround felt destined, and he prayed God was opening
the doors that needed to be kicked down. If Paradise could put all of it behind her, a new life awaited her. And him.