out of this one.”
“Then again, maybe I’ll buy her a frying pan,” Wonder mused. “Last time we were in Austin, she got all misty-eyed over an All-Clad twelve-inch skillet.”
Cal shook his head. “Man, you are on the verge of becoming pathetic.”
“On the verge?” Pete scoffed.
“Look, you’re going to have to beg her pardon. And I do mean beg.” Cal reached out to take the beers as Dahlia returned to the table, then dug into his pocket. “Anybody got a five?”
Lars dropped a five into his outstretched palm, while Pete and Wonder dropped in singles to make nine.
“What about you?” Wonder turned to Lars. “Want to take your turn giving me a kick in the pants?”
Lars picked up his beer. “Are you actually asking me for romantic advice, Wonder? Seriously?”
There was a moment of silence at the table. Lars watched Wonder’s usually pasty complexion turn faintly pink. He actually looked better embarrassed.
“Holy crap,” Pete muttered.
Lars blinked at him, then realized he was staring at the door. He turned to see a familiar silhouette heading across the Dew Drop in their general direction.
Beside him, Cal tensed, then blew out a slow breath. “Hi, Erik.”
Erik stopped next to the table, removing his Stetson. “Evening.”
Pete slid over, wordlessly. After a moment’s hesitation, Erik sat beside him, then turned toward Lars. “I found your guy. Or I found where he was earlier, anyway.”
Cal frowned. “What guy?”
“Later.” Lars leaned forward. “So what did he say?”
Erik shook his head. “He wasn’t there. He’s registered at the Elite Motel out on 16. Lorne Haggedorn, right?”
“That’s what he told me. Has he gone?”
“Not that I could tell. The motel clerk said he hadn’t checked out, but he didn’t know where he’d gone or when.” Erik shrugged. “I’ll keep an eye out for him now I know where to look.”
“Did the clerk know anything about him?”
Erik gave him a dry smile. “The clerk looked to be about fifteen or so. I had to get him to unplug his iPod so he could talk to me. My guess is he wouldn’t know Haggedorn if he tripped over him.”
“Who’s Haggedorn?” Cal asked again. “What have I been missing?”
Lars sighed. “Long boring story. Thanks, Erik.”
Erik shrugged. “No problem.”
“You want a beer?” Dahlia stood next to the table, a pencil stuck behind one metal-studded ear, her gaze locked on Erik.
Lars glanced at him again. Erik looked like all the rest of them. Tall, broad, dark hair, dark eyes. Only he looked sort of weathered, like he’d been dragged down a long dusty road for a while.
Erik shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m on duty.”
Dahlia narrowed her eyes, as if she’d just noticed the Konigsburg Police patch on his shoulder for the first time. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Erik pushed himself up from the table, then turned back to his brothers. “Good seeing you.”
All three of them nodded back, sort of like a collection of king-size bobble heads.
Erik started back toward the door, but Cal leaned after him. “Hey, Erik.”
Erik paused. “Yeah?”
“You doing anything for Thanksgiving? Dinner’s at my house.”
For a moment, Lars thought he saw a smile playing around Erik’s mouth. Then he slid his Stetson back on his head. “I’m on duty, but I’ll see if I can drop by.” He turned again and walked toward the door, nodding at Dahlia as he left.
Dahlia stared after him, her jaw slack.
“Damn,” Wonder murmured, studying her. “Maybe I should take lessons from the four of you.”
Pete tipped his bottle to his lips. “Wonder, just apologize, okay? And tell her how you feel about her. This whole thing is getting way out of hand.”
Wonder sighed. “A ring. Or maybe a skillet.”
Cal closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I wash my hands of you.”
Chapter Eight
The cool air on the back of Jess’s neck woke her. She checked the clock on the computer—nine-thirty.
“Then again, maybe I’ll buy her a frying pan,” Wonder mused. “Last time we were in Austin, she got all misty-eyed over an All-Clad twelve-inch skillet.”
Cal shook his head. “Man, you are on the verge of becoming pathetic.”
“On the verge?” Pete scoffed.
“Look, you’re going to have to beg her pardon. And I do mean beg.” Cal reached out to take the beers as Dahlia returned to the table, then dug into his pocket. “Anybody got a five?”
Lars dropped a five into his outstretched palm, while Pete and Wonder dropped in singles to make nine.
“What about you?” Wonder turned to Lars. “Want to take your turn giving me a kick in the pants?”
Lars picked up his beer. “Are you actually asking me for romantic advice, Wonder? Seriously?”
There was a moment of silence at the table. Lars watched Wonder’s usually pasty complexion turn faintly pink. He actually looked better embarrassed.
“Holy crap,” Pete muttered.
Lars blinked at him, then realized he was staring at the door. He turned to see a familiar silhouette heading across the Dew Drop in their general direction.
Beside him, Cal tensed, then blew out a slow breath. “Hi, Erik.”
Erik stopped next to the table, removing his Stetson. “Evening.”
Pete slid over, wordlessly. After a moment’s hesitation, Erik sat beside him, then turned toward Lars. “I found your guy. Or I found where he was earlier, anyway.”
Cal frowned. “What guy?”
“Later.” Lars leaned forward. “So what did he say?”
Erik shook his head. “He wasn’t there. He’s registered at the Elite Motel out on 16. Lorne Haggedorn, right?”
“That’s what he told me. Has he gone?”
“Not that I could tell. The motel clerk said he hadn’t checked out, but he didn’t know where he’d gone or when.” Erik shrugged. “I’ll keep an eye out for him now I know where to look.”
“Did the clerk know anything about him?”
Erik gave him a dry smile. “The clerk looked to be about fifteen or so. I had to get him to unplug his iPod so he could talk to me. My guess is he wouldn’t know Haggedorn if he tripped over him.”
“Who’s Haggedorn?” Cal asked again. “What have I been missing?”
Lars sighed. “Long boring story. Thanks, Erik.”
Erik shrugged. “No problem.”
“You want a beer?” Dahlia stood next to the table, a pencil stuck behind one metal-studded ear, her gaze locked on Erik.
Lars glanced at him again. Erik looked like all the rest of them. Tall, broad, dark hair, dark eyes. Only he looked sort of weathered, like he’d been dragged down a long dusty road for a while.
Erik shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m on duty.”
Dahlia narrowed her eyes, as if she’d just noticed the Konigsburg Police patch on his shoulder for the first time. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Erik pushed himself up from the table, then turned back to his brothers. “Good seeing you.”
All three of them nodded back, sort of like a collection of king-size bobble heads.
Erik started back toward the door, but Cal leaned after him. “Hey, Erik.”
Erik paused. “Yeah?”
“You doing anything for Thanksgiving? Dinner’s at my house.”
For a moment, Lars thought he saw a smile playing around Erik’s mouth. Then he slid his Stetson back on his head. “I’m on duty, but I’ll see if I can drop by.” He turned again and walked toward the door, nodding at Dahlia as he left.
Dahlia stared after him, her jaw slack.
“Damn,” Wonder murmured, studying her. “Maybe I should take lessons from the four of you.”
Pete tipped his bottle to his lips. “Wonder, just apologize, okay? And tell her how you feel about her. This whole thing is getting way out of hand.”
Wonder sighed. “A ring. Or maybe a skillet.”
Cal closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I wash my hands of you.”
Chapter Eight
The cool air on the back of Jess’s neck woke her. She checked the clock on the computer—nine-thirty.
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