Certainly not her parents.
The familiar guilt rose in her chest and she recognized it as the same behavior she’d just pointed out to Blake. They both felt life ought to be able to be steered, and they were both wrong.
She slowed as she entered Nova Cambridge’s town limits. Her car knew the way to her place, and she decided to park behind the building like usual and walk over to Chet’s BBQ. There was a small lot across the street from the restaurant, but there was no blue truck, so she walked around to the back of the building where employees might park. The blue truck with its full-size bed was the first vehicle.
She walked around the truck and spotted the dent in the driver’s side where it had hit something. There was no transferred paint, so she examined the passenger door and found a swipe of white paint. She moved to the rear bumper and spotted another touch of white paint. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of it. It could be anything though, and she wasn’t sure this line of research would yield any results.
After helping feed the animals, Blake scraped mud and dung off his boots in the grass outside the snack shack. The odor of lemurclung to his hair, and he couldn’t wait to take a shower. His mom didn’t need his help tonight, and he planned to spend the evening with Paradise.
Clark spotted him and came his way with two sodas in hand. Clark had thrived since he’d come to live on the property. He’d been an invaluable help at the wildlife park as well as a good friend to Blake once they’d laid the bitter past to rest.
He offered a drink to Blake. “Looks like you could use one. I got you a root beer.”
The coldness of the glass was nearly as refreshing as his first gulp. “You must have read my mind.”
“Like a book. You look like a man with a lot on his mind. Things going okay?”
Clark was just as perceptive and caring now as his twin brother, Kent, had been. “We have a big problem, buddy. Have you seen anyone skulking around the property?” Blake told him about Dean’s search for the will and what it might mean if they found one.
“I haven’t seen anyone, but I’ll be vigilant.” Clark clapped him on the shoulder. “And I’ll be praying for protection for The Sanctuary. You’re doing a good work here, and we can’t let that guy destroy it. Have you thought about talking to him about it directly?”
“I wasn’t sure if it would escalate the situation.”
Over Clark’s shoulder, Blake spotted Mason in his wheelchair with the drone controls in his hands. The boy’s head was tipped back as he watched the drone fly over the park’s landscape. “You know, I was looking at drone footage for clues of the murder, but if I could find a picture of Dean trespassing, I could file charges and end this.”
“You still have the video?”
“Detective Greene took the originals, but I made copies. And there might be more footage, including the most recent break-in. It’s a good place to start.” Blake clapped his hand on Clark’s broad shoulder. “I’ll talk to you later.” He walked across the grass to Mason, who beamed a smile his way at his approach. “Got anything good?”
Mason turned the camera around to show Blake. “Great footage of the white tigers. Paradise wanted some she could use for social media. And I got some cute scenes of the lemurs. They’re very popular right now. And those black bear cubs are adorbs. I think they’ll bring in some visitors.”
“Your drone takes great video. I think I need to take a look at your recordings again.” Blake told the boy about the break-ins. “I have copies of the first videos, but I’d like to see anything else you’ve recorded since.”
Mason reached for his phone. “Dad should be about ready to leave to come get me, and he can grab them on his way out.” He shot off a text, and the answer came back almost immediately. “Dad’s getting them. He’ll be here in ten minutes.”
“Thanks for your help. And not just for the recordings. These pictures and videos you’re getting will help the park in lots of ways.”
“I love the park.” The teenager’s hands stroked the arms of his chair. “It’s helped me feel part of something bigger, and I don’t feel so trapped by my chair anymore. I’m glad I can do something for you.”
They chatted a few minutes until Mason’s dad, Randy, showed up with the footage. With the small box of SD cards tucked under his arm, Blake headed for his truck and tossed it onto the passenger floorboard before heading to his apartment to shower. He took the stairs two at a time and reached the landing outside hisdoor in record time. He touched the doorknob, and the hinges creaked open. The place was unlocked, and he knew it had been secure when he left this morning. He’d been on high alert after hearing about Dean’s plans.
He opened the door with his foot the rest of the way and paused. Should he grab his gun from the truck? He gave a slight shake of his head. One of the boys could have come up here to get something, and he wouldn’t want to scare them. He grabbed a baseball bat from the corner of the tiny living room as he entered.
“Levi? Isaac?” he called. No answer. So he walked through the tiny space and down the hall to the bedroom.
His bedding was still taut and smooth. Old military habits died hard, and he couldn’t leave his bed in disarray. The closet door stood open, and he’d left it shut. He pushed the bat in between the clothes hanging on the rod. Nothing. His boots and shoes had been disturbed though. They’d been lined up on the floor and were now jumbled in a pile as if someone had picked them up and looked them over. The boys wouldn’t do this.
He pulled out his phone and called up the camera app to retrieve any video triggered by movement. A figure in a black ski mask came up the stairs. From the walk and movements, Blake was sure it was a guy. He bent over the doorknob for several minutes until he managed to get inside. Blake studied the jeans, boots, and hoodie the man wore, but they were all nondescript and common with no telltale lettering. The guy was Dean’s build, but men of that height and medium build were common. There was no way to identify him.
His hands were bare, though, so Blake grabbed his phone and called Jane. Maybe there would be fingerprints.
Chapter 26
Paradise turned into The Sanctuary’s parking lot and inhaled at the sight of Nora’s forensic van.Something else has happened.
She parked her green Kia beside the van and hopped out. Blake, walking with Nora, waved to her as they strode away from Jenna’s cottage. He left Nora and walked ahead to join Paradise. Her tension eased at the casual way he came toward her. Whatever it was, it seemed everything was mostly okay.
He slung his arm around her. “Someone broke into my apartment. Jane sent Nora out to check for DNA and fingerprints. There’s touch DNA she can check for. If whoever broke in touched anything. She and I checked out Mason’s other SD cards too. There’s a good shot of Dean at the back door, but we have no proof he broke in.” Nora reached them, and he thanked her as she climbed into the forensic van and drove off.
