Be My Baby: Konigsburg, Texas, Book 3

by Meg Benjamin

  “What’ll it be?”

  Lars glanced up guiltily, expecting to see Ruby glowering down at them. Instead, the girl who huddled next to the table was considerably smaller. Her bright blue T-shirt enveloped her from shoulders to mid-thigh. Her very black hair had what looked like a streak of magenta along the side, and silver balls rimmed the outer edges of both ears. She also had a spike through her right eyebrow. Her name tag read Dahlia.

  “Spaten,” Wonder croaked.

  “Lone Star.” Pete gestured to himself and Lars. “Two.”

  “Dos Equis.” Cal smiled at her. “You’re new here.”

  Dahlia shrugged her thin shoulders. “Yeah. That all you want?”

  Cal nodded, his smile fading.

  She turned and scuttled back toward the bar.

  Wonder shook his head. “Amazing. A woman immune to the famous Toleffson charm.”

  Cal shrugged. “I’m not trying to be charming, just friendly. Being a barmaid at the Dew Drop doesn’t strike me as anybody’s first job choice.”

  “Given the amount of metal she’s got embedded in her head, the Dew Drop may have been a step up from whatever she was doing before.”

  “Still.” Cal turned toward Lars. “So what’s new with you? Haven’t seen you since the last family dinner.”

  Lars might have imagined it, but he had the feeling they were all trying hard not to snicker. “Okay, zip it. Jesus, would you just forget about the damn boobies?”

  The guffawing had begun to settle down by the time Dahlia reappeared with the beers.

  “Eight bucks,” she muttered, placing the beers on the table in no particular order.

  “Got it covered.” Pete slipped her a ten, then waved off the two singles she tried to hand him. “Keep it.”

  “Big spender.” Wonder arched an eyebrow as Dahlia slipped away again.

  “Maybe she’ll spend it on food,” Cal murmured.

  “Here’s hoping.” Pete picked up his bottle, pushing the other Lone Star toward Lars. “So, I repeat, what’s new with you?”

  Lars took the beer, letting it dangle from his fingers. “Actually, I need to talk to you in a sort of semi-professional capacity.”

  Wonder grabbed his bottle and slid off to the end of the booth. “C’mon Calthorpe, this sounds boring beyond belief. I’ll challenge you to two out of three on darts.”

  “You’re on.” Cal followed him through the tightly packed tables toward the back room.

  Lars blinked. “That was fast.”

  “That was self-preservation.” Pete swallowed some Lone Star. “Wonder has a low capacity for serious stuff. Besides, I think he’s trying to convince Cal to have Docia work on Allie. He’s already tried with me and Janie.”

  “No progress on the proposal?”

  Pete shook his head. “Stupidest proposal in history, but normally I think she’d make allowances for it being Wonder. Maybe she’s decided it’s time for him to step it up a little.”

  Lars took one last glance at Wonder before he disappeared into the back room. He stood maybe five ten, slight love handles, thinning brown hair, horn-rims. Stepping it up didn’t seem likely. “Maybe she just wants him to stop being a jerk.”

  “In that case, she’s out of luck. So what’s the problem you wanted to talk about?” Pete leaned back again.

  Lars pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not sure there is one. Just…weirdness.”

  “Okay, what’s the weirdness?”

  “This morning a guy named Lorne Haggedorn came to my office. Said he was going to relocate his business to Konigsburg and was looking for accounting help. Then he started asking about what the town was like, and he ended up asking a lot of questions about child care and my kid.”

  Pete narrowed his eyes. “Why would that qualify as weird? Aren’t most parents concerned about child care?”

  Lars shrugged. “Part of it was his attitude, which was sort of, I don’t know, shady or something. But the rest of it comes later.”

  “What’s the rest of it?” Pete leaned back again, picking up his beer.

  “This afternoon when Jess got back from cleaning the guest cabin with the kids, a guy was snooping around her cabin. When he saw her, he gave her a big song and dance about looking for child care. Asking her if she was looking after kids. Daisy said he was, and I quote, ‘a nasty man’.”

  Pete leaned forward quickly. “Did he say anything to Daisy? Try to touch her?”

  Lars shook his head. “Not that kind of nasty. He was mainly concentrating on Jess. She didn’t tell him anything, but she said she had a hard time getting rid of him.”

  “And you think it’s the same guy?”

  “I know it’s the same guy. He said his name was Lorne Barrymore, and Jess said he had a pinky ring with a green stone. So did Lorne Haggedorn.”

  Pete stared down at his hands, frowning. “It doesn’t sound like he’s done anything illegal. Just…unsettling.”

  “I know. But it worries me. And it upset Jess.”

  Pete gave him a quick look. “Jess?”

  “Okay, Mrs. Carroll.” Lars pinched his nose again. “Don’t give me a hard time. She’s doing a good job. Daisy’s happy. I don’t want her to be bothered.”

  “You think this is about Daisy?”

  “I don’t know what it’s about. It could be anything, but I don’t like the idea of this guy hanging around where my daughter is staying.”

  “Right.” Pete leaned back again. “The thing is, I can’t do much to help you with this. It isn’t at the county attorney level. You know who you need to talk to, bro.”

  Lars took a deep breath, then blew it out. “Yeah. Erik.”

  “You could talk to one of the other cops, but from what I’ve seen over there, Erik’s about the best they’ve got. Him and Nando Avrogado.”

  “Okay. Maybe I’ll go talk to him tonight, while it’s still fresh in my mind.”

  Lars and Pete stared at each other for a moment. Lars was willing to bet they were both thinking the same general thing, remembering some time when they were little and Erik had done something that hurt. He had a lot of those memories. So did Pete. So did Cal. They were all trying to get beyond it, but it hadn’t happened yet.

  “Janie still wants to meet her, you know.” The corners of Pete’s mouth edged up. “So does Docia. You can only hold the two of them off for so long.”

  It took Lars a moment to remember what woman they were talking about. Then his shoulders began to tense. “She’s a nice woman, but she’s my daughter’s babysitter. That’s it. Whatever else they’re trying to stir up isn’t going to happen.”

  Pete moved his bottle through the wet ring on the table. “You mean not with her? Or not with anybody?”

  Lars sighed. “I’m trying to raise my daughter, Pete. That’s all I’ve got time for.”

  “Any word from the former Mrs. Lars Toleffson lately?”

  “She called a few days ago. Usual stuff.”

  “Which is?”

  “Complaints about money. How she doesn’t have enough and how I owe her more.” Lars peeled a strip from the label on his bottle, crumbling it between his fingers.

  Pete shook his head. “She signed the agreement, Lars. It’s not that easy to get a settlement amended.”

  “She’s just rattling my chain. She knows I don’t want her anywhere near Daisy, and she figures threatening me over Daisy is always good for a few bucks. But we both know she doesn’t really want custody.” Lars moved his shoulders, trying to loosen them. “Anyway, I’ve got enough on my plate with the fallout from the divorce. I don’t need any other women in my life, believe me.” Not to mention that he still didn’t trust his ability to choose a woman who wouldn’t turn out to be the second coming of Sherice.

  Pete shook his head. “Sherice shouldn’t be the end of your life, bro. You need to get out there again. Look at Cal and Docia. Hell, look at me and Janie.”

  “Okay, both of you hit the jackpot.” Lars picked up his beer again,
then set it down. “Look, Pete, I know Janie means well, but if you could get her off this matchmaker kick, I’d appreciate it.”

  Pete’s mouth spread in a slow grin as he leaned back against the booth again. “You want me to control Janie? And Docia? Seriously?”

  Lars didn’t figure that question really rated an answer. He picked up his beer again and drained half of what was left. At least he could walk to the police station from here. No way did he want his brother Erik to arrest him for DWI.

  Jess sat at her window, watching the darkness gather beyond her front porch. She should have been working on her last few changes to the Synchronicity site while Jack dozed on his blanket. Instead, she sat watching the woods, waiting for something to happen and thinking about running.

  They’d done it before. She knew just how she’d go about doing it now. Load anything she couldn’t replace into the Honda. Tuck a sleeping Jack into his car seat. Get into the driver’s seat herself and take off without ever looking back.

  She wasn’t even sure the Morelands and their hired trackers knew about the Honda. She’d bought it at a used car lot somewhere in Tennessee on the way down, trading in her old Buick. If she’d been lucky, whoever the Morelands had on her trail hadn’t figured out what she was driving yet, let alone where.

  The odds were the Moreland family had nothing to do with Lorne Barrymore, of course. He was probably just some local creep, playing some kind of game whose rules only he knew. Maybe he was a garden-variety stalker.

  Jess shivered. Why exactly was that idea supposed to reassure her?

  She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, seeing Barry in the hospital again during those awful last days. Keep away from her, sweetheart. She won’t let anybody get in the way of whatever it is she wants. And when she’s done, she throws you away like so much trash.

  She thought of Michelle, who’d been her best friend, then her only friend, then nothing, someone who wouldn’t return her calls. Michelle in the ladies’ room at work. Look, I’m not supposed to tell you this, but they’re under a lot of pressure about you and your job. It’s coming from the top, Jess. Watch your back.

  And Lee, who was, well, hard to say what Lee had been exactly. Although she knew what he’d tried to be. His voice on the phone, sounding almost apologetic. Look, Jessamyn, they’ve got more juice than either of us. Just give her what she wants.

  What she wanted was Jack. And Jack she would never have, not so long as Jess was still able to keep two steps ahead of her.

  She blew out a breath. Probably they ought to leave Konigsburg. Tomorrow, if not sooner. But she’d felt so comfortable here. Almost safe. Even though she’d been careful not to do too much in town, not to let too many people see her. Except for Lars Toleffson.

  She still wasn’t sure what he’d been offering when he’d said she could call him if she got frightened. She didn’t think he was coming on to her. But she’d felt…something. Some kind of vibe between them.

  Which was another reason they should probably hit the road. Soon.

  The shadows of the oaks and pecans had spread two-thirds of the way across the small meadow in front of her cabin. No one was in the guest cabin tonight. Just her and Jack, out here in the back country. Or what passed for the back country two miles from Main Street.

  Jess rubbed a hand across her face. Maybe Daisy was right. A dog might be a nice idea, preferably one that combined the qualities of Lassie, Rin Tin Tin and the Hound of the Baskervilles where intruders were concerned.

  Jack gurgled in his sleep and Jess looked down at him. One small hand was tucked beneath his cheek. Jess felt the familiar constriction somewhere around her heart.

  Not the Hound of the Baskervilles then. But definitely a breed that would stand up for Jack no matter what. And one that could make a lot of noise.

  The shadows outside were entirely too quiet.

  Lars studied the Konigsburg police station building. He didn’t think he’d ever been here before. Light streamed through the window into the small lot where a single police cruiser was parked.

  Pete and Janie were taking Daisy on to their house for this week’s family dinner. Lars figured it wouldn’t take him long to talk to Erik and join them there. Assuming he could get himself to open the door and walk in.

  Since Erik had moved to Konigsburg, a couple of months after Pete and Lars had moved in themselves, the four of them had managed to develop a polite, if distant, relationship. When Lars saw Erik on the street they nodded to each other. When Daisy was with him, she gave Erik the same hug and kiss she gave her other uncles, and Erik accepted it happily enough.

  But polite or not, Lars doubted they’d ever be close. Not after all those years of Erik the nightmare bully, of Pete trying to defend his little brothers against his older one, of Lars and Cal finally growing big enough to fight back themselves, although they frequently got beaten up just the same.

  He knew Erik had reformed, that he’d done his best to make up for what he’d once been, even that he tried to stay out of their way so they wouldn’t feel they had to talk to him if they didn’t want to. Lars even knew he should want to. But he didn’t much.

  He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets, and walked up the steps to the glass station door.

  Erik was sitting at a desk behind the front counter, typing at a computer keyboard. So far as Lars could tell, he was by himself. He glanced up when Lars walked in, his expression becoming blank. “Hey, Lars.”

  “Hey.” Lars stood inside the doorway, trying to decide how to begin.

  Erik waved at the end of the counter. “Come on around and sit. You want some coffee?”

  “Sure,” Lars lied. He’d had two beers at the Dew Drop, and coffee was the last thing he wanted. On the other hand, it gave him something to do while he figured out a way to explain things to Erik.

  Erik set a Styrofoam cup on the desk in front of him, then dropped back into his desk chair. “What brings you here?”

  Lars sipped the coffee. It wasn’t half bad. “I’ve got a problem, and I thought you might be able to help me with it.”

  Erik leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him. “Okay, tell me about it.”

  Lars took a breath and launched into the story, wondering if it sounded as ludicrous as he was afraid it did. When he got to the part about Jess Carroll and her unwanted visitor, Erik held up his hand.

  “Did she ask him to leave?”

  “I’m not sure.” Lars frowned. “She told him she didn’t want to take care of his kids, and then she went inside her house. Does it make a difference?”

  “If she told him to leave and he didn’t, you might be able to make a case for trespassing, or for harassment. Tell me the rest of it.”

  Lars did, fairly quickly, and Erik leaned back in his chair. “You’re sure it was the same guy?”

  Lars nodded. “I’m sure. There can’t be that many pudgy balding guys named Lorne with pinkie rings running around Konigsburg.”

  Erik sighed, staring up at the ceiling for a few moments. “Any idea what this is all about?”

  “None. It’s just…troubling.”

  “Yeah. Troubling is right.”

  Lars rubbed the back of his neck, trying to loosen the knots in his muscles. “Is there anything I can do? Swear out a complaint or something?”

  Erik shrugged. “I don’t see anything you’ve got a legal right to complain about here. The guy apparently used a false name with at least one of you, but that’s not illegal, as long as he didn’t try to get anything from you.”

  “And the questions? The way he tried to find out about us?”

  “Again, not illegal unless he uses the information for some criminal purpose. Besides, neither of you told him anything, right?”

  Lars nodded. “Right. The more he asked, the more both of us backed off. So there’s nothing we can do?”

  Erik stared at the ceiling, thinking. “I can’t arrest him—like I say, he hasn’t done anything illegal tha
t I can see. I can talk to him if I can locate him. Try to find out what’s going on, why he’s in town. You have any ideas on that?”

  Lars shook his head. “I suppose it could be something connected to Sherice, but I don’t know what. It’s not like he can find out anything from me or Jess that would affect the custody agreement.”

  “Any chance Sherice might like to grab Daisy?” Erik’s voice was surprisingly calm.

  Lars felt as if he’d been kicked in the chest. He took a couple of deep breaths. “It wouldn’t get her anything. She doesn’t have legal custody and she’s not about to hide out anywhere if she wouldn’t have access to her money. And I’d make sure she ended up in court if she tried it—preferably with extensive coverage in The Des Moines Register that would blow her chances to pick up a rich new husband.”

  Erik nodded slowly. “All the same, you might want to warn your babysitter to keep an eye out. She sounds like a pretty sharp woman.”

  “She is.” Lars took another breath, trying to calm his racing heart. “I’ll do that.”

  He stood, suddenly anxious to get to Pete’s house. It made no sense to be worried, but he wanted to see Daisy anyway. “Thanks, Erik.”

  “I haven’t done anything yet.” One corner of Erik’s mouth edged up a little more than the other, giving his smile a slightly off-center look. “I’ll get on it tomorrow, though.”

  “Thanks anyway. I’ll talk to you again later.” Lars opened the door, then paused briefly. Erik had returned to his computer keyboard in the empty room.

  For an odd moment, Las wondered if he ever got lonely there by himself. We should do something about this—all of us. Lars took a breath and then blew it out. They should, but they probably wouldn’t.

  Then he turned and started hiking back up the street toward the rest of his family.

  Chapter Seven

  On Monday, Jess had the whole morning to work on Web sites while the kids played since the cabin was already clean and the next guests weren’t checking in until early afternoon. She’d had two uneventful weekend days with no sign of Lorne Haggedorn/Barrymore hanging around her front steps.