“All right. You know I like game changers. Set it up.” I gave him an approving nod.
“I already have. He’s outside.” Wesley raised his phone to his head and spoke into it. “Could you please send him in?”
Well, this was going to be interesting. I watched cautiously as Wesley stood and my front door opened.
“Come on in,” Wesley said to a man in his late fifties with salt-and-pepper hair and a clean-shaven face. He was well dressed in an expensive suit and Italian shoes that said he either oozed money or was a conman.
“Leo Greer, this is KD Shrugs, the man I was telling you about.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Shrugs.” Leo held out his hand.
“Same here.” We’d never met, but I knew who Leo Geer was, and I knew why Wesley had brought him. Leo Geer was one of the twenty richest men in the country. He’d inherited Save Smart Dollar Stores based in Hartford, Connecticut, from his old man. Leo was swimming in money. He was also one of the biggest contributors to the Republican Party, funding some of the most powerful Super PACs. I had no doubt as to why Wesley was so far up his ass.
“Have a seat,” I said.
Leo sat down next to Wesley. “Well, I’m sure our fine congressman here has told you about my situation.”
“Actually, I haven’t,” Wesley cut in. “I thought I’d let you tell him yourself so he can get a better understanding.”
“Mr. Geer, before we get started, there is one thing I know for a fact. Nobody comes to the farm unless they have a problem, are looking for a problem, or they need help solving a problem. You’re a long way from Connecticut, so which one of those categories do you fit into?”
He leaned back in his chair and shot a glance at Wesley. If he was offended by my directness, I didn’t give a shit. That’s the way we did things down here in Texas.
“Mr. Shrugs, I have a problem, and from what I hear from the congressman, you’re the only one who can solve it.” He sounded humble, and for a man with that much money and power, that said a lot.
“What kind of problem is it?” I asked.
“It’s similar to the problem you solved for me a few years back. From what I could see last week, you’re already set up for it,” Wesley said.
I hung my head and exhaled dramatically. “That’s a very expensive problem you have there, Leo.”
“Money is no object when it comes to a child. I’ve been turned away from more people than you can imagine. Time is not my friend. You’re my last hope.”
A smile crept up on my face. “Well then, you’ve come to the right place. Do you have any paperwork or specifications you’d like to share? It sure would speed up the process.”
“I think this will give you everything you need.” He handed me a computer jump drive.
“Good, good. I like a man that comes prepared. How’d you like a tour of our facility? Give you an idea of what we do out here at the farm.”
Leo glanced at Wesley, smiling hopefully. “Of course. I’d love a tour.”
We exited the house and jumped on the golf cart parked out front. They climbed on the back, while I got behind the steering wheel, and we headed toward Buildings 5 and 6. I noticed the concerned look on Leo’s face as we pulled up in between the buildings.
“This is it?” he asked.
“You were expecting maybe the Taj Mahal?” I rolled my eyes, glancing at Wesley. He had better not have brought me some uppity Northerner who was gonna look down his nose at me.
“Trust me, Leo, things aren’t always how they appear. You’re going to be surprised,” Wesley murmured as they followed me to the door to Building 6.
“Afternoon, KD.” Elizabeth was sitting at her desk, wearing a lab coat.
“Afternoon, Lizbeth.” I stepped aside so she could see our guests. “I’m sure you remember the congressman from the last time he was here.”
“Of course. Welcome back, Congressman.” Elizabeth smiled.
“And this here is Mr. Greer. I’m gonna give him a tour. He’s interested in using our services.” I handed her the jump drive. “Why don’t you get started on this and see if we have anything in house that may be useful for him? And could you let Dr. Baker know we’re here? We’ll be heading over to Building Five from here.”
Elizabeth slid the jump drive into her computer. “Soon as I run this through our data base, I’ll let Dr. Baker know to expect you. We should have some answers by the time you finish your tour.”
“Thank you, Lizbeth.” I waved for the fellas to follow me. “Come on, boys. Lemme show you around.”
Down the hallway, I showed them the spa-like amenities before heading to Building 5, which housed the lab, infirmary, and medical office. Dr. David Baker was waiting for us when we arrived. Technically, he wasn’t a doctor. He’d lost his medical license a couple of years back for writing illegal prescriptions. But I overlooked that small infraction and hired him on the spot. He was perfect for what I needed at the farm.
“How you doin’, doc?” I said. “This here is Mr. Leo Greer. And I think you know Congressman Bell. Did Lizbeth tell you we were coming?”
“Yes, she did. And I do believe we have found the perfect match for Mr. Greer. Elizabeth is doing some last-minute tests right now. Would you all like to check it out?” Dr. Baker asked.
I turned to Leo. “Well?”
He tried to hold back a smile. “Sure.”
We followed Dr. Baker into a medical examination room, where Elizabeth was drawing blood from the arm of the Chinese girl who’d been at my house the night I met Celeste. She had only been on the
