“Yep.” Blake took him by the hand and led both boys toward the ticket booth.
Though they could probably squeeze all four of them in the car, Paradise stayed put with Jenna. She and Blake’s mother were more than wildlife veterinarian and employer—they’d quickly developed a solid friendship. Paradise pointed out a Build-A-Bear Workshop. “We might want to steer them down another street when they get off the ride.”
“We’ll take them for Kilwins. Ice cream will win out over stuffies. There’s an empty bench over there.”
The June sun warmed Paradise’s arms and face, and she inhaled the aroma of sugared nuts roasting from a nearby sweet shop. She waved at the boys. Blake held Levi tight against his side while Isaac waved with enthusiasm and shouted something the wind snatched away. “Those boys make me laugh every time. You’re so lucky.”
Jenna tucked a strand of her dark brown bob behind her ear. “Don’t I know it. I wish their dad were here to see what great sons they are. Blake has been a wonderful father figure for them. I don’t know what I would have done without his help. He’ll be a great dad someday.”
Paradise knew where Jenna was going, but Blake’s mom didn’t have to point out Blake’s many positive attributes. He had always been the man of her dreams, and she looked forward to someday holding a baby boy with his blue eyes and shock of dark hair.
Would it ever happen? She’d been gobsmacked when Blake turned down her marriage proposal. He’d claimed it was because she was only doing it so his mother and brothers would have a place to stay if the worst happened with the animal park, but she wasn’t so sure anymore. Maybe neither of them were quite ready.
The incident two days ago with the leopard had shown hershe wasn’t over her fear of big cats. She was better, but they still reduced her to a quivering ball of terror.
She took a tie from her purse and caught her flying hair in a ponytail. “I can’t wait for Saturday to get here. A whole month with my brother will be heaven.”
“I’m excited to get to know him. Do you have a good starting point for the investigation?”
“He has a list of leads he wants to check out. I’ll let him take point.”
“Did you tell him about the leopard?”
Paradise caught the worry in Jenna’s blue eyes. “No, he called just before I spotted it, but I’ll tell him when he gets here. You’ve been keeping the boys with you?”
“When they head to the backyard, I go along with a weapon.” The frown between Jenna’s eyes deepened. “Nothing from Jane about any rumors of big cats held by private owners?”
“Nothing. But the threat against my brother makes me even more determined to find out who killed our parents. Whoever has that leopard knows something and wants to keep it secret. Drew will bring a lot of expertise to the investigation.”
The ride ended, and the boys sprinted in front of Blake toward their mother. Jenna and Paradise stood as the children reached them, and Isaac clambered up Paradise. “Did you see me? I wasn’t scared at all.”
She kissed his cheek. “I saw how brave you were! And your brother too.” She set his feet back on the ground. “I have something sticky on my hand, so I’m going to pop into the restroom. I’ll meet you at the ice cream shop. I’ll have two scoops of chocolate peanut butter in a cup.”
She watched the group troop across the street toward Kilwins before heading to the restroom, which was down a quiet sidepath and up on the second floor. The escalator wasn’t working so she took the stairs. The hair on the back of her neck tingled, and she resisted turning around to see if anyone was watching her. The episode two nights ago had her jumpy, that’s all.
The bathroom was empty, and she washed her hands. When she exited into the enclosed foyer, she glanced around but saw no one. That feeling of danger intensified, though she couldn’t spot any reason for it.
Trust yourself.The past few months had taught her to listen to that inner voice of reason to determine danger.Better safe than sorry.She slipped her hand into her purse and curled her fingers around the butt of the little pistol Blake had bought her, then opened the door to the outside and went down the steps.
A blur of movement from the fence surrounding the dumpster hurled her heart to her throat, and she started to pull the gun out.
Hard fingers whirled her around, then grabbed her purse and yanked it. The gun flipped out of her hand.
She went flying through the air and landed in the grass. Her head slammed against the fence, and the world went black.
Blake checked his watch. Where was Paradise? The sweet scents of ice cream and waffle cones blended with those of caramel corn and fudge. The boys had already finished their ice cream and were getting antsy. The double scoop of chocolate peanut butter he’d gotten Paradise puddled in the cup on the table.
He exchanged a worried glance with his mother. “I’m going to go check.”
She regarded the boys squirming on their seats. “I’ll take thesetwo over to the marina to watch the boats. Text me when you’re ready to go to the van.”
He left Kilwins and checked the sidewalks first but didn’t see Paradise. The mall wasn’t busy today, and he darted across the street and upstairs to the enclosed area outside the restroom entries. He stopped a woman exiting the ladies’ room. “Excuse me, but is there anyone else in there? I’m worried about my girlfriend.”
She shook her head. “It’s empty.”
He thanked her and walked back down and headed toward the parking lot. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well and had gone to the van. He kept a sharp eye out for any sign of Paradise.
A black-and-white tiger-striped flip-flop lay upside down on the sidewalk along the way, and the first inkling of terror struck him when he saw a blue dot of ink on the top band. Isaac had taken a marker to it a couple of weeks ago. There was no doubt the shoe belonged to Paradise.
