She whirled and her hand went to her throat, but she didn’t meet his gaze. “You startled me.” She scrambled to her feet. “I should go back to bed.”
The darting gaze that wouldn’t meet his, the hurried movements, and her nervous habit of twisting a lock of hair were all obvious tells. “You’re hiding something. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She darted a glance at the screen and froze.
And then he saw why her eyes had widened. A shadowy figure in a dark hoodie crept up the steps, pausing halfway up to furtively glance around. The person went on up to the door at the top where he or she fiddled with the lock, opened the door, and vanished inside. Whoever it was hadn’t paused much longer than it would take to insert the key and twist it.
He gestured to the computer. “You weren’t surprised. You knew someone had been in the apartment.” She started to brush past him, and he caught her arm. “Don’t shut me out, Paradise. Talk to me.”
Indecision sparked in her eyes, and she edged far enough away that he released her arm. “Someone left a note.”
He inhaled sharply. “You knew someone had been inside and stayed here anyway?”
“I thought it might have been when the work was being done. That didn’t feel too scary.”
He gestured to the computer screen. “Someone has a key, and I find that very scary.”
She chewed her lip and nodded. “It was a surprise. I wouldn’t have kept the boys if I’d suspected someone had access to the apartment now. I truly thought someone had come in while work was being done.”
“You would have stayed here by yourself without telling me about the note?”
Her eyes flashed, and her chin came up. “This place ismine, Blake. I’ve faced down bullies in the past, and I will do it again. I won’t let anyone drive me from here. I know how to take care of myself.”
She was such a little slip of a thing, but her courage was as great as that of any man he’d served with in the Marines. Even though he wanted to protect her from any more hard knocks, she was wise enough to know she had to stand up for herself. “I get it, I do. Was this guy the only surprise? Did you see anyone else?”
“No one was on the staircase except this guy. The camera picked up people walking past, but that’s all. Roger Dillard wandered past on his way to Chet’s BBQ, and Evan stopped by to say hello to Honey. I didn’t recognize anyone else.”
“But grit isn’t enough to face down some guy lurking in the shadows with an unknown agenda. We need a plan, a strategy to flush him out into the light and keep you safe.”
Her defiant expression ebbed at his lack of anger. “Like what?”
“First of all, you need better security here. I’ll change the locks and the dead bolt too. Add more cameras. Hidden ones he can’t see, so if he breaks in here again, we can identify him. Andeither a gun or bear spray—maybe both. Have you ever used a pistol?”
“I have bear spray.” She gave him an impish grin. “I’m really good with a tranquilizer gun, and I have one hidden in my bedroom. It’s not loaded, of course. Not with the boys here. But when they’re gone, I’ll load it and have it ready.”
“A second one might come in handy. I’ll dig out another one. What about a real gun with bullets?”
“I’ll stick with a dart gun.”
He didn’t argue with her. Not everyone was as comfortable as he was with firepower. And the tranquilizer gun would be a good deterrent. “I’ll install motion-detector security lights along the exterior stairs as well. You might want blinds to block out the light, but if someone tries to come up here, he’ll think he’s onstage. I’ll have an alert set up on your phone as well. That way you’ll have a few minutes of warning if someone tries to come up that way.”
It wasn’t as perfect as having her where he could protect her, but Paradise had never been a wilting wallflower. Her spirit was one of the many things he loved about her, and he wouldn’t strip that away even if he could.
The park was busy today, despite the news of Ivy’s death. Hez had helped them craft a statement she’d put on their socials, and it seemed to have worked. Paradise counted twenty-eight youngsters mixed in with the adults in the treetop structure overlooking the giraffe enclosure. This guided tour was all about the tall, gentle creatures so beloved by everyone.
She fanned her face before gesturing for the children to cometo the front of the group. Kids had a natural enthusiasm that made talking about the animals more fun. “Who’s ready to feed the giraffes?”
All the hands shot up, and one little boy about Levi’s age waved his hand wildly. “Me, me!” She gave him a frond and passed more out to the rest of the children as well as to the adults who asked. The air held the scents of the marsh in the distance and newly mown grass from the fields on the left side of the enclosure.
“What’s the first thing you noticed about the giraffes as they came this way?” she asked the children.
A little girl raised her hand. “Their back legs are shorter.”
“I know it looks that way, but they’re about the same length. How many vertebrae do you think are in that long neck? A human has seven.”
“At least twenty,” a boy said to her left.
“You think so? They actually have the same number we do, but each one can be over ten inches long. Isn’t that crazy? Why do you think they all have horns?”
