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Paradise pressed her fingertips to her eyes, burning from lack of sleep. Every time she’d closed her eyes last night, she’d

seen the body in the horse trailer. Some kind of distraction would help. She settled at her minuscule desk in the clinic and

opened her MacBook. She called up the list of online articles she’d saved in a Scrivener file and began to read through them

again. The first one was the article blaring a brief note about the murders:

Nova Cambridge Couple Murdered. A neighbor reported a disturbance at the home of Granger and Becky Alden just after midnight

on February 2. Law enforcement found the bodies of the couple in the home. A child was reportedly unharmed. Police are investigating.

Then she called up the next article announcing the sale of the Steerforth property to Hank and Jenna Anderson. The initial paragraphs mentioned the vision they had for founding a sanctuary for abused animals. Paradise knew some of Jenna’s early story. She’d married Blake’s dad at seventeen, right out of high school, and had given birth at eighteen. Her first husband had died in a Marine helicopter accident when Blake was a year old, and she’d raised her son alone.

When Blake enlisted in the Marines, she’d finally remarried. She would have been forty-two or so when Levi was born. Hank

had been a wonderful man who’d inspired Paradise to become a vet herself. Paradise found the article a fascinating addition

to what she knew about the family, but it was the final paragraph that had brought her here:

The 120-acre preserve had been in the Steerforth family since the late 1800s. The property initially served as a working farm

and ranch until the Steerforths added a roadside zoo. The property went up for auction after the owner, Mr. Steerforth, died

in an auto accident. Hank and Jenna Anderson purchased the property and moved their animals to the ranch, then opened The

Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve to the public.

Paradise stared at the words until the screen blurred. While there was no guarantee the answers to the murder of her parents

were here, she had to come and find out for sure. And she had to find her way back to the career she loved. Her future depended

on her success here.

“Knock-knock,” a female voice said from behind her.

She turned to see Jenna smiling at her from the doorway. Though Blake’s mother was nearly fifty, she didn’t look a day over thirty-five with her stylish chin-length bob and boho-chic sense of style. Blake had gotten his thick dark hair and blue eyes from his mom, and they could have passed for siblings.

Jenna stepped into the office. “Settling in all right?” She dropped into a wooden chair near the desk.

“It’s been a quiet morning.” Paradise told her about the fennec fox. “I’m going to take a cart around the place and see what

all we have to work with.”

“Take Blake’s expedition this afternoon. It’s a behind-the-scenes excursion, and you’ll see everything we’ve got.”

Paradise would rather do it on her own, but she gave a jerky nod. Working with Blake came with the job. “I like what I’ve

seen so far. The animals are well cared for and seem happy.”

“We do our best.”

Now might be a good time to dig out some truth. “How’d you decide to buy the property? I remember this place when I lived

in town. The Steerforths let me help out sometimes when I wasn’t working for Hank, but they only had a few animals. A couple

of lions, a tiger, a zebra, and an ostrich named Katie. I think there was a bear too.”

“You worked for Hank, so you already know of his love for animals.”

Paradise nodded. “His passion was contagious, and when I left here, I knew I wanted to be a vet too.” She didn’t pry with

more questions. When Paradise had lived here, Hank had been married to someone else. Paradise didn’t know the details of his

first wife’s death.

“Too many people want an exotic pet without taking into consideration the needs of the animal. Those animals are often kept in tiny cages or enclosures and have poor quality of life. They’re abused and abandoned. The animals the Steerforths took in here were in terrible shape, and the wife, Mary, was mauled by a tiger. The animal had to be put down, and the husband abandoned the farm, just walked away and left them. Then a week later he died in that auto accident.”

Paradise winced. “That had to have been hard to watch.”

“It was terrible. Hank went over twice a day to feed the animals, and we ended up buying the farm along with the animals three

years ago. Blake went into partnership with us too, but he didn’t participate except monetarily at first. When Hank died,

Blake was discharged from the Marines and came to help out. I don’t know what I would have done without him. He handles the

boys like a pro and jumps in everywhere I need him. I won’t sugarcoat it though—things have been tight, even with our generous

donors.”

“I know you kept some of the employees from the farm. Are you trying to keep too many of them employed?”

Jenna shrugged. “We can’t run it alone, and at least they were familiar with the animals. I probably could let go of a couple,

but I hate to do that. They love the animals.”

“It’s a little weird being back here after so many years. I drove past my old house yesterday. Someone has fixed it up.”

Jenna nodded. “One of our employees bought the place. Evan Hopkins. You might remember him.”

Paradise managed to hide her shock. Evan had been a seventeen-year-old neighbor when her parents were murdered, and she considered

him her top suspect. After school the week before, she’d walked in on him in their house. His excuse about being too drunk

to know he was in the wrong house had convinced her father, but all these years later, she thought it much too flimsy to be

true.

To hear he’d purchased her home was a punch to the gut. Was it to cover up evidence that might have existed somewhere? It seemed unlikely after all these years, but she wasn’t sure she believed it was a coincidence he’d been the one to buy it.

“I’d be interested in seeing the inside sometime if he would let me.”

“I’m sure he would. Evan is a hard worker and a great guy.”

“Where does he work on the preserve?”

“He’s a big cat keeper.”

Paradise licked dry lips. She’d avoided the big cats, but she wouldn’t be able to put it off much longer. Not if she hoped

to accomplish her goals.

***

Blake glanced at his watch. It was the last encounter of the day, and half the seats were empty like usual. Most people liked

the morning excursions so they could escape the Alabama heat and humidity, though in the winter the afternoon usually filled

too. A young couple who seemed more interested in each other than learning about the animals sat on the bench seat that stretched

across the back of the vehicle.

At the sound of quick footsteps, he turned an automatic smile toward the sound, but it died on his lips when he saw Paradise

mount the stairs. “Uh, you need me?”

She shook her head. “Your mom suggested the encounter would be a good way to get familiar with the animals and the park.”

She slid into the long seat on the right side of the bus. “I’ll sit here so I can face you and hear you easily.”

And unfortunately, he’d see her out of the corner of his eye the entire time. Even with all that had happened between them,

her guarded amber eyes drew him right in.

He flipped on his mic and turned around. “Good afternoon, you’re about to embark on an inside tour of The Sanctuary. You’ll see river otters, chimps, bears, the African delta, and lions lazing in the sun.”

Paradise flinched at the mention of the lions. Was she truly up to this job? He hated to see her fear, but she would have

to get over it. The big cats often required vet care.

He drove to the first stop, the grizzly bear refuge, and shut off the engine. He grabbed a bucket of raw meat morsels and

opened the truck door. “You can get out if you want or watch from the windows.” The vehicle was open air with a canvas roof,

and the couple in the rear would be able to watch from their seats. The couple stayed put and didn’t look up from their ardent

conversation in the back.

Paradise followed him out of the truck and approached the fence with him. He rattled the fence and called for Serena, his

favorite grizzly. She’d come to them when authorities closed down a roadside zoo. Even half-starved she’d been socialized

and friendly. Since arriving here, she’d roamed the acreage with obvious delight. As usual she lumbered toward them, and he

poked food through the fence for her and the three cubs who followed her.

Paradise examined her condition with a steady gaze. “She’s beautiful, not even thin from the winter.”

“She was a chub when she entered her cave. She gave birth last month and brought her babies out to show them off. She’s a

good mama.”

They watched the cubs tumble together in the grass for a few moments. “It’s a wonderful thing you’re doing here, Blake,” Paradise

said softly. “I see the hand of love and kindness everywhere.”

“We care about the animals. It’s Mom’s lifework.”

“And yours?”

“It is now. I used to wonder why she cared so much. Now I know.”

“What about your paramedic career? Are you sorry to leave it behind?”

Did she really care? “I came to help Mom and my brothers, but I soon loved it as much as they do. The animals all have different

personalities, and every day I’m eager to interact with them. And I don’t have to worry about getting shot.” Or losing a friend. “I can’t imagine doing anything else now.”

A sharp, short report rang out, and his combat reflexes took over. He jerked Paradise down with him as he ducked. A bullet

zinged by his head and hit the lock on the gate. “Get down, everyone!” The people who had disembarked hit the dirt, and several

heads inside the truck ducked down below the windowless openings.

“This way.” He scrambled on the ground with Paradise to just behind a small viewing shack where they squeezed into the space

between the back wall and the fence. The four other people scrabbled after him too, and he checked to make sure no one was

hurt.

“You okay?” he asked Paradise.

“Fine.” She was pale but composed. “You tempted fate with that comment about not getting shot at any longer. More activists?”

“Looks that way.”

Several more shots zinged off the metal lock at the gate. He thought the gunshots were from a 9-millimeter. Was the shooter

trying to break the padlock and let out the bears? He popped his head out and saw the barrel of a pistol poking through the

back window of the safari truck. The seemingly innocuous couple were the ones responsible for the attack.

He pulled out his phone and shot a text to his mom. Active shooter.

“You can’t trust anyone,” he said. “I thought that couple was more interested in making out than learning about the animals.

It was all a front.”

No more shots rang out, and he saw the couple running away down the path into the thick brush. Blake rose and held out his

hand to help Paradise up. She ignored his help and scrambled to her feet. “Are the bears okay?”

He jogged over to the gate, now hanging open, but there was no sign of Serena and her cubs. “I don’t see any blood. They probably

took off at the first shot.”

“Who would risk hurting the animals like that?” She brushed the dirt off her jeans. “The bears could have been hit by a ricocheting

bullet. We need to check on them. Can we find them?”

“I’m sure Serena led her cubs to safety.”

“You don’t know that they weren’t hit.”

True enough. Normally, Serena had never shown a sign of aggression and loved attention from the workers, but her protective

instincts could change that. “I’ll get the tranquilizer gun.”

Paradise had been around wild animals long enough to know it wouldn’t do much to stop a charging grizzly. Serena could be

on them before the sedative could work. All he could do was pray the friendly grizzly knew they were trying to help.

He walked to the truck and retrieved the tranquilizer gun, then reluctantly picked up a rifle as well. Paradise grimaced when

he returned with the deadly weapon.

“I don’t think I’ll have to use it.” He pointed to the bucket. “Let’s take some food with us. That might distract her if she’s

hungry.”

She grabbed the pail of food by the handle. “What if we try to call her over again like you just did? It might reassure her.”

He nodded. “Be ready though. I’ll need tools to fix the gate, and she might try charging through it.”

Paradise banged the metal pail against the fence. No movement or sound occurred for several minutes. She did it again and

called out Serena’s name. Blake heard a snuffle, then the bears wandered into view.

“I don’t see any blood on them,” Paradise said.

A truck engine roared toward them before it stopped and two officers got out. The cavalry had arrived.