Page 29 of Ambush

“We have video around the house. I didn’t go anywhere. Check it and you’ll see.”

“Would you be willing to take a lie detector test and give us DNA?”

Hez cleared his throat. “Do you have evidence my client committed the crime?”

Creed brought the front legs of his chair down with a thump. “I have plenty of suspicions. The bad blood between them was well known.”

“We both know lie detector tests are notoriously unreliable, and they’re not admissible in court. I will allow the DNA test to help you out, but hear me clearly: I won’t allow my client to put himself in a situation where he’s accused of something he didn’t do. We’re done here unless you can come up with some actual evidence.” Stern-faced, Hez leaned forward. “Do your job, Detective. The real killer is out there, but you’re wasting time digging in the wrong hole.”

Creed’s eyes squinted to slits in his enraged face. “He knows more than he’s admitting, and I’m going to nail his butt to the wall. You defense attorneys are all alike—you don’t care about justice. All you want is to let the guilty go free. Wait here for the tech to take the DNA.” He rose and left the room.

The harsh words didn’t change Hez’s expression. He shook his head. “He’s out to get you, Blake. I think I’ll put a bug in Jane Dixon’s ear. The sheriff’s department works closely with Pelican Harbor’s techs and resources in this area. The police chief needs to be aware of Greene’s vendetta. Any personal reason he seems focused on you?”

“I have no idea. I’d called the sheriff’s department when theactivist group blocked the entrance, and he came out and ordered them away. He seemed fine then.”

“Maybe it’s career oriented. He wants to clear the case and add a notch to his belt.”

The brunette tech came in. She spoke to Hez before opening the swab package and rolling the cotton tip around the inside of Blake’s mouth. When she left, Hez rose. “That was Savannah’s best friend, Nora Craft. She’s good, so you don’t have to worry about her tampering with the evidence.”

Blake followed him out the door, where they found his mother waiting for her turn, and he hugged her before Hez led her off to the room. They had nothing to hide. Danielle Mason’s determination to shut them down had been an annoyance but hardly worth killing over.

Blake wandered back out into the late-afternoon sunshine to clear out the stink of accusation still clinging to him. He found the coffee shop and ordered a black Americano, then went back outside to wait. It seemed an eternity before Hez and his mother exited the building. From Mom’s somber expression, he knew it hadn’t been fun.

He joined them at the foot of the concrete steps. “At least he didn’t throw you in jail. Did he want to give you a lie detector test too? And take your DNA?”

Hez answered for her. “He knew better than to ask about the polygraph, but I allowed the DNA. You both did great, but I don’t think this is over. He’s got a vendetta. Didn’t you say you had a developer ask to buy the property for a lot of money?”

Blake’s mother blew a strand of dark brown hair out of her eyes. “We did. I said no, of course.”

“I’m going to poke around and see if the guy has a connection to the activists.”

The thought hadn’t crossed Blake’s mind. “Whoa, that’s wild. You seriously think Frank Ellis could be behind the activists?”

“It happens. The work you guys do is amazing and necessary, so there’s no reason to try to shut you down. The animals are well cared for and happy with plenty of space to roam. They’re safely contained too. It makes no sense why you’d be the activists’ target.”

“Thanks, Hez.” His mother hugged him and turned toward the truck. “That’s what we thought, but I never dreamed there could be a nefarious purpose behind it. I’m exhausted and hungry. Let’s get out of here before they haul us back in.”

Blake couldn’t wait to tell Paradise about Hez’s suspicions. Could Frank Ellis be the culprit?

Chapter 14

Paradise glanced at the clock. Nearly five. Jenna had put a pork roast in the Crock-Pot first thing this morning, and the aroma made her mouth water. All Paradise had to do was come up with side dishes and dessert. Finishing supper had helped occupy her hands and her mind.

The boys had been her constant shadow, and so far they’d played Uno and made cookies together. She’d enjoyed it more than she’d expected. She’d been on edge for two hours, knowing what Blake and Jenna must be going through. How could Creed suspect them? It was so unfair.

Isaac sidled up with a pan dotted with various sizes of cookies. Chocolate smeared his mouth. “See my cookie.”

Levi pointed to one that had a hat made of chips. “That one’s mine. And that one—the zombie with the teeth.”

“Very nice! Chocolate chips for eyes and the teeth are perfect. You boys are great cookie makers.” They’d doubled the amount of chocolate chips, but they would be tasty even though they were lopsided and a little too moist. “Let’s pop them in the oven.” She took the pan and slid them into Jenna’s second oven.

She checked the potatoes au gratin, and they would be ready in another half hour. Homegrown green beans from Jenna’s freezer waited in a pan with bacon for her to warm up. When was the last time Paradise had prepared food for other people? Probably years. It made her feel part of the family here, which was dangerous.

The front door opened, and Jenna called out, “We’re home in one piece.”

Paradise wiped her hands on the red gingham apron she’d donned and followed the boys, who dashed off to meet their mother and brother.

Isaac was already on Blake’s shoulders when they entered the kitchen. “Smells good.”

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