“That’s also correct. But if the will hasn’t turned up by now, it probably won’t. I would guess Dean has checked with town attorneys.”
Blake glanced at Paradise to verify. She shrugged. “I would guess so,” she said. “He was drunk when all this came out to Mary, and he seemed frustrated. Mary thinks he might have killed Allen.”
“Whoa, that’s a piece of info I wasn’t expecting.” Hez’s voice rose. “Does she have any proof? Murder would mean he couldn’t inherit.”
“Just a suspicious comment he never finished.” Paradise told him what Mary had said.
“You might dig for proof just in case the will shows up at the last minute. And if he did kill his uncle, he needs to be brought to justice even if the will never surfaces.”
Though Hez’s comment was meant to reassure him, Blakepressed his hand against his forehead. “Not sure how to go about investigating something that happened so long ago.”
“Mary believes Allen was run off the road, correct? Ask her if she still has the vehicle he was driving at the time of his death. If he was forced off the road, there might be damage on it. And talk to Dean’s friends. If he spilled something while drunk, he might have said something to one of them. I can try to get a copy of the accident details. There might be something suspicious in them.”
Paradise took a sip of her coffee. “The authorities didn’t suspect foul play at the time, though Mary tried to get them to consider it when the drug screen showed methamphetamine in Allen’s blood. She says he hated drugs of any kind after their son died of an overdose.”
A kitten twined around Blake’s ankles, and he picked it up. The contact settled his agitation. “So someone, presumably Dean Steerforth, drugged Allen, then forced him off the road.”
A long pause followed before Hez replied. “Or maybe he was drugged up and ran off the road by himself. He could have had a heart attack or some other effect of a drug overdose like a seizure or disorientation. It would still be murder. It’s odd the detectives didn’t take Mary’s statement into account about how unlikely it was that he’d taken a drug.”
Everything Blake needed to do crashed in with an overwhelming weight. Not only did he have to figure out how to save the refuge, but now he had to prove Allen was murdered. With the way things had been going, he didn’t dare assume the will would stay missing.
Chapter 24
Paradise didn’t know how to settle Blake down as they waited for Jenna to come home. His knee jiggered up and down as he sat beside her on the sofa, and he looked pale and drawn. The weight of everything rested on his shoulders. His commitment to those he loved was one of the many reasons she adored him. He wouldn’t be Blake Lawson without that huge heart.
She took his hand and brought it to her lips. “We’ll get through this, babe.” His nod was jerky, but at least it was there. She touched his cheek to turn his face her way. “Look at me.”
His gaze focused on her and she nearly flinched at the misery in his blue eyes. He was hurting so much, and she was helpless to help him. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him with all the love in her heart. He clung to her and pulled her close against his chest. The tension eased out of his shoulders as he kissed her like a drowning man looking for air. She held him until he finally pulled back.
“What would I do without you?”
“Thankfully you’ll never know.”
Lights from a car outside flooded the living room with light.“There they are,” he said in a tight voice, the stress instantly back on his face. He rose to face the door as his mother walked in with Frank. They were smiling and holding hands. Frank had a contented grin that made Paradise smile, too, even though she still feared for their future. Frank was good for Jenna, and Paradise loved him for the way he wanted to care for her.
Jenna did a fist pump when she saw them. She looked beautiful in her black cocktail dress and heels. Her dark hair was in an updo, and she was radiant when she glanced at Frank. “We raised over three thousand dollars tonight, kids! I can’t believe it. Frank is a genius.” Her jubilant smile faded when her gaze landed on Blake, and her hand went to her throat. “Are the boys okay?”
“They’re fine, Mom. They’re asleep. Sit down. This will take a little time to explain.”
Frowning, Frank led Jenna to the sofa and nudged her down, then perched on the sofa cushion beside her. He turned to stare at Blake and Paradise. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” Paradise said quickly. “Jenna needs your support right now.” She gulped and swallowed the lump in her throat. Should she tell her or let Blake do it?
Blake plunged in before she could decide what to do. “Mom, it appears Allen Steerforth may have a will floating out there that would negate the sale of The Sanctuary to us. If it’s found, we won’t own the park any longer.”
“W-what? Mary assured me there was no will.” Her blue eyes grew wide as Blake laid out what they knew about the situation. “But it hasn’t been found yet, so we’re fine, right?” She turned toward Frank with a bewildered plea on her face.
He took her hand and held it in both of his. “I’m sure there’s more to the story. Stay calm, honey.”
“If a month passes without it turning up, we’re clear,” Blakesaid. “But I don’t think we can assume it won’t be found. We need to be proactive. Hez says we should try to find out if Dean killed Allen.”
“Mary has always believed it was murder.”
Frank glanced around the living room. “It seems one avenue is to find the will yourself. You could make sure he doesn’t find it that way.”
“But wouldn’t we be obligated to turn it over?” Blake asked.
“I don’t know what the law says about that. I doubt it requires a found will to be turned in to anyone.”
