handle this.”
Quickly running her fingers through her hair, she ran down the stairs.
When she walked barefoot out onto her back porch a few moments later-like all farmhouses, traffic flowed through the kitchen-she resembled a fresh-faced farmer’s daughter, all rosy-cheeked, pale tousled hair, leggy beauty, and a winning smile.
Watching from the kitchen window, Jake took note of the dropped jaws and open mouths as Liv came into view. The two deputies almost fell backward down the steps, practically doing a Keystone Kops pratfall before coming to rest on the sidewalk below. An older man in an Italian suit standing on the lawn, however, gave no visible reaction, unless the slight swing of his briefcase indicated a tightening of his grip on the handle.
The suit must be Leo’s man.
And that guy didn’t look as though he could be talked out of much of anything. His face was expressionless, his thinning hair cut short, his skin tanned to an acceptable, not-too-dark, PC shade. He was middle height, middle- aged, and toned. A white-shoe lawyer from the look of it rather than a goon, but obviously a man willing to do whatever it took to please his client if this crack-of-dawn visit was any indication.
“Morning, Wayne, Arlen,” Liv said, her smile in place as she descended the back steps. “What can I do for you?”
“Sorry about the early hour,” Wayne Stensberg said, his round face flushing red. Hitching up his belt, he shifted from foot to foot and looked as though he wished he were somewhere else.
Liv shrugged faintly. “It’s not a problem. I’m always up early.”
“The thing is,” Arlen Christensen muttered, touching his holstered firearm as though to remind himself that he was a lawman, “this lawyer from New York wants us to deliver a summons.”
Liv offered them a wide-eyed look. “A summons for me? Whatever for?”
“Nah, it ain’t for you, Liv. This guy says you have a lady visitor here.”
She shook her head. “He’s wrong. I’m here alone.” Her mouth lifted in the faintest of smiles. “Well, not precisely alone.” She nodded toward Jake’s BMW, Roman’s car fortunately somewhere else. She’d never seen it. “A boyfriend stayed over last night.”
Both deputies turned red, their imaginations running wild after Liv’s remark about her boyfriend sleeping over.
Arlen regained his composure first, although he had to clear his throat a couple times before any words came out. “I’d say we’re pretty much done here, then.” He nudged his partner with his elbow. “Let’s go.” Drawing himself up to his full five-foot-ten-inch height as though to add significance to his decision, he added politely, “Real sorry to bother you so early in the morning.”
“Whose shoes are those?”
Everyone turned at the sharp question.
The thin-lipped lawyer was pointing his right index finger at a spot on the lawn.
Liv’s heart sank. There were Matt’s red sandals, a vivid splash of color against the green grass. He must have left them there when he’d swung on the basswood tree’s rope swing.
“Those must be my neighbor’s boy’s,” she said, nervously watching the well-dressed man walk over to the sandals and pick them up. “Gracie brought Ryan over the other day,” she went on, smiling at the deputies who knew Gracie as well as she did.
“Prada.”
The cool voice was in contrast to the triumph in the man’s eyes as he held up the sandals and nailed Liv with a victorious look.
“We have Prada in Minnesota.” She forced her voice to a calmness she didn’t in the least feel.
“The boy’s here. I know it,” Leo’s lawyer rapped out. He nodded at the deputies. “Serve the papers.”
“Are the papers for me?” Liv was relatively sure they couldn’t serve Leo’s papers to just anyone.
Wayne lifted the sheaf of papers he held and, gazing at them, read, “Janie Tabor Rolf. Some custody papers, I think,” he added. Giving the lawyer, who had treated them like hired help from the moment he’d walked into their small office, a resentful look, Wayne jabbed his finger toward Liv. “This here ain’t Janie Tabor,” he said, his voice loud enough to carry across the lawn. “New York,” he muttered under his breath. “Cranky fuck. Beg pardon, Liv,” he murmured, his gaze apologetic. “But we had to at least drive him over here. The idiot was screamin’ something fierce.”
“I understand. It’s not your fault. And if there was anyone here besides me and my-ah-friend,” she murmured, “I’d be the first to cooperate.”
“We know that,” Arlen replied, clearly sympathetic. “The guy’s a nutcase,” he added, careful to keep his voice down. “Threatening and carrying on like he owns the world. Hey, Mr. New York-you want a ride back?” he shouted, indicating his car with a jerk of his thumb. “Or you can walk back to town if you want. Wayne and me are leavin’.”
Red-faced with fury, the man, who looked vastly out of place in the country in his Italian suit, stomped back to one of the cars, got in, and slammed the door.
“Wanna flip who drives that one?” Wayne grumbled. The man had gotten into his car.
“I’ll drive the prick if you buy at Smitty’s tonight,” Arlen offered.
“You got yourself a deal! I’ll buy coffee at Mae’s, too, as soon as we dump this piece of shit.”
“Sweet.”
The two young deputies high-fived each other and, with a wave for Liv, strolled back to their cars.
Liv remained on the sidewalk until the two police cars disappeared from sight down her driveway. Then, realizing she’d been holding her breath, she exhaled softly and turned back to her house.
“You were impressive, babe,” Jake drawled as she walked into the kitchen a few moments later. “That big-city lawyer’s spitting nails about now.”
“Wayne and Arlen are nice guys. I was pretty confident they’d listen to reason.”
“They were serving custody papers, weren’t they?”
Liv turned at the sound of Janie’s voice and saw her standing in the doorway to the kitchen, Roman at her side like her Pretorian guard. “I think so. Wayne mentioned custody papers.”
“This might be a good time to move on,” Roman observed. Leo wasn’t a patient man. He’d put someone else on the hunt who’d found the same phone records as he.
“Or perhaps time to give Leo a call,” Janie countered determinedly. “I don’t feel like running every time one of his goons shows up. I really like it here. It’s peaceful.” She smiled at Liv. “Who would think I’d like peaceful? But I do.”
“Leo might not operate so legally next time,” Roman warned. “He sent me out here to snatch Matt and bring him back.”
“I know.” Janie patted his arm. “I knew why you’d come. I also had a pretty good idea you couldn’t do what Leo wanted.” Roman had always been nicer to her than he would have had to be as Leo’s hired gun, taking time when they met to engage her in conversation.
“My personal feelings aside, I’d still recommend finding a better refuge. Leo won’t give up. He’s putting plan B in action as we speak. That’s my professional opinion, and I know him better than you.” Dipping his head, Roman held Janie’s gaze. “I know a lotta things you don’t
“But then
A new degree of admiration gleamed in Roman’s eyes. “Is that a fact?” he murmured.
Janie grinned. “Yes, indeedy. I have some excellent leverage. I hadn’t planned on using it unless it was absolutely necessary. But if Leo wants to play hardball starting at square one, I’m more than willing.” She took Roman’s hand. “Come, I’ll show you.” She turned to smile at Liv and Jake. “If you’ll excuse us.”
“That was all very mysterious and cheerful,” Jake murmured, watching the couple walk away.
“Whatever it is, I don’t want to know,” Liv said firmly. “With Leo Rolf, ignorance is bliss, believe me. There is nothing about that man that withstands close scrutiny.”
Jake knew some foul things about Leo but kept them to himself. Time enough to reveal the sordid details should Janie need help in divorce court. “How about close scrutiny and me?” Jake playfully inquired.
“Now, that’s entirely different,” she said, gazing up at him from under her lashes, her smile pure
