Page 48 of Ambush

Levi patted the Bible in her hand. “That’s Blake’s. Did he give it to you?”

“He did. For now.”

“It’s got maps in the back with north and south. Blake always calls the Bible our North Star. Have you ever seen the North Star?”

“I haven’t. Maybe you can show me sometime.”

“Okay.” Levi clambered down and climbed onto his own chair to eat breakfast.

Isaac slipped off Jenna’s lap and came to stand by Paradise. “I have a North Star card. You can use it to hold your place.”

“I’d love that.”

Isaac ran off and returned a couple of minutes later with the card. The star shone brightly in the center. “Here you go. Jesus is our North Star, you know. And he’ll be yours too.”

Tears pooled in Paradise’s eyes as she stared at the card, and she touched his soft hair. He looked so much like Blake. Did he ever wish he had his own family? He was thirty now, just a little older than her, and she could no longer deny the longing she felt for more stability, for a place to settle in and belong. For a man who loved her in spite of her faults.

Was Blake that man? Did she dare voice to herself how much she hoped it might be true?

***

Something had definitely changed with Paradise. After church Blake kept stealing glances at her contented face as he maneuvered his pickup through the construction clogging the street to the main sheriff’s department in Bay Minette. He’d called the Bon Secour sheriff substation and had been informed McShea was at headquarters.

Blake parked in the lot, and they got out to walk inside. “You want to lead with the questions or have me do it?”

“He’s my cousin, so I’ll give it a try first.”

He held the door open for her, and they stepped into a quiet front office. Several people sat in chairs by the window and stared at them as they went to the front desk.

A uniformed woman in her thirties with weary, jaded eyesstudied them. “Can I help you?” Her tone indicated she wasn’t ready to help anyone.

“I’m Paradise Alden, Sergeant McShea’s cousin. Is Rod free?”

The woman’s brows went up. “I’ll let him know you’re out here. He was off today, but then he had to come in. I think he’s free now, so hang on.”

That changed her attitude. Maybe Paradise was right and she’d get somewhere today with Rod. Even deputies cared what their relatives thought of them. Paradise’s return to town might have impacted Rod more than they knew. The past had been so tragic and ugly. If she could find redemption and peace after all these years, Blake was all for it.

The woman returned. “You can go on back. First door on the right. I’ll unlock the entry door.” A beep sounded and the door latch clicked.

Blake opened it and let Paradise go through first. The building smelled like fresh paint. Rod’s door was closed, but she rapped her knuckles on it and he called for them to come in.

They stepped into a large office that was surprisingly clean. The big desk held only a computer and a single manila folder. Several framed commendations hung on the wall behind Rod’s desk.

“I hope we’re not intruding, Rod,” Paradise said.

He leaned back with his arms stretched up and his hands behind his head. His toned muscles bulged under his tan shirt. “My meeting is over. I always have time for my little cousin. Coffee? I just made it fresh, so it’s not sludge.”

Blake shut the door behind them and followed Paradise’s lead to settle in one of the four chairs facing the desk. He planned to stay quiet unless he was asked a question.

“We’d both love a coffee,” Paradise said.

Blake admired the way she’d made it almost a social call. It might put Rod at ease. He watched the sergeant stroll to his coffee bar and pour coffee into real mugs. Blake recognized the aroma of good coffee from Serda’s in Bay Minette. He accepted the hot mug with a barely murmured thanks. Best to slide into the background.

Paradise took a sip of her coffee. “This is really good.”

“From Costa Rica. It’s my favorite. Oh, and before I forget, your DNA came back, Blake. It didn’t match, just as we suspected. And thanks for the evidence you dropped off. The blasting material matches what we found in the burned cottage.” Rod resumed his seat and set his mug on the desktop. “What brings you to town?”

“Something very distressing happened last night, and I wanted to tell you myself.” Paradise launched into the incident in the tiger enclosure.

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