“I’ll play the more recent messages. I thought maybe there wouldn’t be any.” He jabbed the button.
A mechanical voice spoke.“February 2, 2005, at 8:00 a.m.”There was a beep, and a female voice spoke.“Your cable repair is scheduled for today at 10:00 a.m. If you need to reschedule, please call us back.”
“The day they died,” Paradise whispered. “When I got the monkey music box.”
Blake reached for his phone. “I’m going to text Drew. Thedates might help Drew figure out the name of his father.” He tapped out a message.“End of messages,”the machine intoned.
Paradise’s grip tightened on his hand. “Why didn’t Mom do what he said? Did she think he was lying?”
“It’s impossible to say, babe. Maybe she thought the sheriff was overreacting. I don’t get why Becky was a target.”
Paradise pulled her hand away and stood to pace the living room floor. “None of it makes sense.”
The front door opened, and Drew stepped in. He crossed the floor to embrace his sister. “You okay, Sis?”
“Sheriff Davis warned Mom to leave the house, that whoever killed your dad was coming after her.” She rested her head on his shoulder and swiped at the tears on her face. “She didn’t listen! Why didn’t she pay attention? Life would have been so different if she’d left the house. And your dad warned her a week before she died too. She ignored everyone.”
Blake wanted to hold her, but he let Drew comfort her. He had the right to. “But would it have changed anything, babe? How long could she have stayed gone? You had school, she had a job, and life would have to resume at some point. The killer could have come at any time. There are always what-ifs in any situation, but we can’t change what is. You’re brave and strong. Nothing has broken you. I know you miss them though. That’s the worst part of all of this.”
She nodded and stepped away from Drew. “I think I’ll go to bed. I can’t think about this any longer tonight. It hurts too much.”
Blake didn’t try to stop her. Pain like hers sometimes required being alone with God, who was the only true comfort. He hoped his plans for tomorrow would help her focus on the future and not a past that couldn’t be changed. He said good night to Drew, then reached for his Bible to help his own heart.
The boys chattered with excitement as they lugged their fishing poles and tackle boxes from the van to the beach at Pascagoula. Mom went with them to check out the pier. Blake scrolled through the checklist in his head. Water, snacks, swimsuits, towels, and a change of clothes. He handed Paradise a stack of towels and watched her carry them toward the water to stake a spot until Mom got back with the boys.
Paradise glanced back and he held up five fingers to let her know they needed to leave shortly. She gave him a thumbs-up and picked up the pace. She seemed fine this morning after the trauma of listening to the answering machine’s messages last night. She’d told him she’d prayed and wrestled with it all for about an hour until she fell asleep.
He patted his pocket to make sure the ring was still there. Yep. Hez and Savannah were meeting them at Lighthouse Park at five to catch the afternoon light. He’d made reservations at Brady’s Steaks and Seafood to celebrate after pictures were taken and she hopefully said yes.
Was he making the right choice about how and when to propose? He’d been tempted to do it privately, but love had been in short supply after her parents died, and his family had gone a long way toward healing the hurts in her heart. This felt right.
Drew lifted the cooler out of the back of the van. “More food.”
“You’ve never seen my brothers eat after swimming. Their stomachs are endless pits.”
Drew eyed him. “You look nervous, but you don’t have to worry. She’ll say yes.”
“I hope you’re right.” Blake kept remembering her strickenexpression when she proposed and he said not yet. He’d been sure she was doing it out of pity when they were about to lose the refuge, but he wasn’t so sure now. He glanced at his watch. “Fletcher is still expecting us at lunch?”
“I got a text from him. He’s at the restaurant. I told him we’d be there in ten minutes.”
Blake spotted Paradise hurrying back from the beach. “We’re ready to go.”
He held the door open for her, and she slid in. “I can’t wait to get in the water myself. The boys were sure they’d be able to catch all our dinner, and I didn’t have the heart to tell them they’d have to do catch and release today.”
As far as Paradise knew, they were grilling burgers later, and Blake’s palms grew sweaty on the steering wheel. What if he slipped up and spilled the secret? What if Hez and Savannah came early and Paradise figured it out? He swallowed and focused on the short drive to the meeting place.
The café was on a quiet street off the main drag in downtown Pascagoula, and he quickly found a parking spot. Paradise was a little pale when she climbed out of the van. “I’m trying not to get my hopes up that we’re going to crack the case today.”
Drew slid the van’s back door closed. “Me too.”
They entered the small eating place and Blake glanced around. It was eleven thirty, a little early for a big lunch crowd, and he spotted an older man at a back booth with papers spread out on the table. His gray hair was parted low on one side to comb over the bald spot on top. The waitress had already brought him iced tea and a plate of fried oysters.
The man looked up and brightened before waving them over. He stood as they approached and held out his hand. “William Fletcher here, but everyone calls me Fletch.” He reached forBlake’s hand. “You must be Blake. I recognize you from the pictures on The Sanctuary website.” His gaze went to Paradise. “This pretty lady must be Paradise Alden. You look like your mother.” He stared hard at Drew. “And Detective Andrew Bartley. You were hard to find. Impossible, really.” He gestured to the benches. “Have a seat.”
Paradise slid in first, and Blake settled in beside her while Drew sat across from his sister. Fletch sat in front of his computer and papers. “I brought everything I have on the case and copied every scrap of evidence I found.”
Drew angled his back into the corner by the window to stare at Fletch. “The first thing I’d like to know is who hired you.”
