“Did she ever tell you she was afraid because someone was stalking or harassing her?” Blake asked.
“Yes. I think fear was one of the things that made her decide to tell Granger she was getting a divorce. She believed if the relationship was finally out in the open, the danger would be gone.”
“Do you know her lover’s full name?” Paradise asked.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t. She referred to him as Benny. His family was in politics though, that much I do know.”
Drew moved restlessly. “In Alabama? Or maybe Georgia?”
“I don’t think it was here. He lived in another state. Mississippi or Louisiana I think.”
“Did she ever say if this Ben told his wife he was divorcing her to marry Becky?” Blake asked.
“She said he did, but could she trust that? I’m not so sure.”
Blake wasn’t either. What a mess Becky had made of her life, and the result had ruined three lives, maybe more since no one knew what had happened in Ben’s family.
“What was your take on Greta Welch’s information?” Blake asked.
They’d run through a drive-through to get an iced tea, and Paradise stuck her straw in the top of her drink. “You think she’s hiding something or lying about it?”
“She talked about missing your mom, but her tone when talking about your dad went in another direction. I think she was jealous of Becky. I’m not saying Greta was lying, but I thinkshe was happy to trash your mother by casting her in as negative a light as possible. And I suspect she didn’t tell us everything.”
“I have to say there wasn’t anything good in Mom’s actions, but you’re right. Greta kept referring to my dad in very complimentary terms. Is she married, widowed? We don’t know anything about her.”
Drew looked up from his phone. “I was checking her out. She’s been a widow since her daughter was small, and she got a job at TGU to make ends meet. So if she worked with your mom, she might have been eyeing your dad and wishing she had him.”
Drew sipped his drink. “Do you suppose she ever made a play for your dad?”
“I’d sure like to find out. I think I’ll text Wes and see what he knows.” Paradise shot off a quick message to Wes.
The screen on her phone lit up with a reply from Wes.Greta told your dad to listen to the answering machine. She and Becky had a huge fight, and she didn’t even go to the funerals. I forgot all that until you asked.
Paradise read it to the guys. “Wow, you’re a good judge of character, Blake.”
“Don’t I know it. I had the good sense to snatch you right up.” He took a self-satisfied sip of his tea.
Chapter 16
Paradise’s condo appeared to be in order when they dropped Drew off at the park, then headed for town. Blake scoped out the fridge for anything that needed to be taken to his mom’s house until someone moved back in here and retrieved pepperoni and several cheeses. Paradise was in her bedroom gathering a few more items of clothing.
He zipped the cooler and put it by the door before going in search of her. She sat on the edge of the bed with an open suitcase at her feet. “You about ready?”
She stared at her phone and sighed. “Drew didn’t get any hits on the facial recognition.
“This is hard, Blake. We take one step forward and two steps back. I never seem to get anywhere with this investigation, and now here I am sleeping in Levi’s bed instead of my own with everyone disrupted again. I want to stay here and find some sense of normalcy.”
He knelt in front of her. “I’m sorry, babe. But look at all the leads we’ve uncovered. Staying together is safest, plus we can talk through the things we’re discovering. I mean, finding those pictures of Drew’s siblings was a huge development. With Drew’s connections he’ll find out the identity of his father in no time.”
“Maybe. I’m just discouraged tonight.” She swept her hand around the room. “All my cozy things are here—my books, my soaps, my candles—everything that feels like home.”
He could have told her to bring anything with her she wanted, but it wouldn’t be the same as having her own space, and he knew it. He stood and held out his arms. “I’ll be your haven whenever you need a hug.”
Paradise managed a smile before she stood and stepped into his embrace. He could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest as he held her and inhaled her plumeria scent. She’d been through so much, but she kept plugging along until circumstances slapped her hard. Even though he knew she’d be her chipper self tomorrow, he ached for her pain and longed to go straight home and slide that ring on her finger. They could start searching for a home together and making plans.
But the timing wasn’t right. If he hoped for her to have peace and closure, they had to stay focused. With new clues dropping into their laps, he hoped closure was right around the corner.
She sighed and stepped back. “Let me grab another bottle of shampoo. What I have at your mom’s is almost gone.”
