Bear took a step closer to Paradise. “If you’d just let it go, we wouldn’t be here. We tried to warn you off, but you just kept digging and digging.”
“I wanted justice,” Paradise said.
“Instead you get to be dead,” Angela said in a monotone voice.
Bear took Angela’s chin and turned her face toward him. “Let’s just leave her here. It was twenty years ago, Ang. Let’s not taint our future with a fresh murder. The others were bad enough. I don’t want to do this.”
Angela stared at him, then finally nodded. “All right, all right, Bear. Whatever you say. We’ll drive straight to Pensacola and fly out. We can buy all new things when we get there.”
Hand in hand they walked toward the van. Paradise eyed the fence and kicked off her shoes to try to climb it, then she caught Angela’s expression as she gazed back. She was smiling and her expression was triumphant.
This wasn’t over.
The lush green turf of the property spread as far as Blake could see. Though the map had shown the land was farmed, he’d held out hope there would be some barn or other structure where he’d find Paradise imprisoned, but there was only a small, empty garage. He slammed the steering wheel with his palms but managed not to scream out his frustration.
Drew pointed out the truck window to his left. “The land ends at that fence and the one on the other side. The line of scrubby brush is the back property line. Nothing here.”
The dejection in his voice matched how Blake felt. Jane and Rod were looking too, but they were stymied. What if he talked to the governor himself?
“I’m calling the governor.” Blake turned off the radio, then yanked out his phone and called up her number. When the receptionist answered, he gave his name and said he was worriedabout his fiancée. “If you tell the governor my name, I think she’ll speak to me.”
“Hold, please.”
After what seemed an eternity with music playing in his ear, Governor George was on the line. “Blake, what’s going on?”
He plunged into the story about the car and Paradise’s disappearance. As he spooled it out, he realized how crazy it sounded that he’d called the governor. They’d trespassed on her land. And what if she was behind Paradise’s disappearance? But no, she was in Montgomery at her office. That was the number he’d called.
“Whoa, whoa, back up. You’re saying this land and garage with the car is inmyname? I don’t have any land in Baldwin County. This is very puzzling. And Ben’s stolen car is there?”
“Yes, ma’am. Drew checked the VIN number, and it’s the missing car.” He flipped his phone speaker on. “I have you on speakerphone, Governor. Drew is here too.”
“That’s fine. Maybe the three of us can get to the bottom of what’s happened. Of course you thought I had something to do with Ben’s murder. That would make sense. I’m surprised you called me if you thought I was complicit.”
“I ran through what I know about you and thought maybe you were given the car quietly and the Collins family didn’t want anyone to know. I believe you’re a woman of integrity, Governor.”
“Thank you for that vote of confidence, but this is all news to me. You’re sure it’s the same car that my father gave to Ben?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The governor cleared her throat. “I’ve been concerned about, um, about Angela’s behavior lately. She’s been short with me and the staff and was missing a lot of work. She tendered her resignation last week, and I’ve tried to call her several times, but she hasn’t answered. The car is all mixed up in it too. Her fatherbought it for her originally. She gave it to my dad and was upset when he gave it away. She said if he was going to give it away, he should have given it to her. Dad tried to find another one like it to make things right with Angela, but they’re very rare.”
“That’s what we found out when we were researching it. Is it possible she took it because she felt it belonged to her?” Blake glanced across the truck at Drew, who was busy on his phone with something, and Blake hoped it had to do with Paradise’s whereabouts.
“It’s possible.”
Drew muttered something, then held up his phone. “Governor, this is Drew. I did a search on our database about when the property transferred to your name. It was six months ago. It was originally in Angela’s name. She’s owned it for twenty years.”
“Since the murders,” Blake said. “We suspected Bear, but Angela might be the one behind everything.”
“It’s hard to think she could be a murderer. She’s been my friend and confidant for many years. She dated Ben for a while. Maybe you didn’t know that. Angela dated him for a year and they were engaged, though he never gave her a ring. She was crazy about him and thought she could change his philandering ways. He broke up with her when he met Pamela.”
Blake pointed to Drew’s phone. “Drew, can you check and see if Angela owns any other property around? Maybe she’s taken Paradise.”
“Sis is fierce. A woman would have trouble forcing her to go with her.”
“She could have knocked her out. And if Angela committed the murders, she’s no slouch.”
“Angela is stronger than she looks. She’s been a gym rat the entire time I’ve known her,” the governor said. “And maybe she’snot working alone. She’s been seeing Bear Collins for about two years. They’ve been talking about marriage.”
