I timed my visit for an hour when I was pretty sure Vonetta would be at work, and even drove past the theater to make sure her Buick Regal was parked in its usual spot. Setting my sights on Serena, I drove to Lucky Strike Road and began the search for a parking space. Paradise used to be a mining town, and these old streets are narrow. Ever since the town began growing a few years ago, parking has been at a premium. It’s hard enough to find a space when the weather’s good. In the winter, when the streets are lined with several feet of plowed snow and street parking is prohibited, people are forced to become creative. After searching for several minutes, I managed to cram the Jetta into a few inches of space about two blocks away between someone’s garage and a No Parking sign. While Max and I walked back to the house, I ran through what I’d say when Serena found me on her doorstep. The temperature had warmed to slightly below freezing, and the sun hung high overhead in a cloudless blue sky.
