Our neighbor’s whole worldview is paranoid. He hates and fears anyone even slightly different from him. Government protects minorities, which means it’s out to get him. Public utility districts are government entities, right?”
“So why didn’t we send in a pizza delivery instead?” Duncan asked behind him.
“Because it turns out our guys always pick up their pizza. Seems they don’t want anyone knocking on their door. What’s more, they buy randomly from different pizza places, or frozen from the grocery store.”
Duncan snorted. “Because variety is the spice of life?”
Conall cracked a smile despite his frustration. “I seriously doubt it. It’s probably more paranoia in action. Maybe Cufley thinks too much of the same brand will eat up his stomach lining.”
The other men chuckled. Conall sighed and held out a hand to Duncan. “Thanks for backing us up.”
“No problem.” They shook and then he clapped Conall on the shoulder.
Niall did the same, and Sean nodded. They drove away, leaving Niall and Jeff to walk into the house where the boys and Lia lay in wait.
“Did it work?” Brendan asked eagerly.
Jeff looked startled at how well-informed the kids were. Conall was momentarily disconcerted by how utterly he’d violated standard operating procedure where they were concerned. But he still couldn’t see the harm, and said, “No. One of the guys stuck to Jeff like stink on— Er, like glue.”
They both cackled, knowing what he’d almost said. Lia rolled her eyes upward. Boys, her expression said. Men, she might as well have said. Conall knew plenty of adult males who still found bodily odors and human excrement to be the foundation of all humor.
“Now what?” Lia asked worriedly.
“Don’t know.”
“Tomorrow is garbage day,” she reminded him.
The boys both stared at him. “You go through their garbage?”
“Fascinating stuff, garbage,” he told them, steering both of them toward the kitchen with a hand on each of their shoulders. “You know archaeologists are especially fond of garbage, too. Nothing they like better than discovering an ancient dump.”
Walker didn’t look as if he knew what an archaeologist was, but Brendan’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, but that’s really old garbage. It doesn’t smell.”
“A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.”
Henderson had an air of bewilderment as he excused himself to go upstairs. Conall had come to the conclusion that the other DEA agent lacked any sense of humor. He was an awfully earnest guy. It didn’t bode well for his tolerance of his own kids’ screw-ups and foibles, but maybe they were earnest, too. Stood to reason.
He grabbed a cola from the fridge and let Lia debate what the boys could and couldn’t have. He drained the drink in a few long swallows. He was beginning to think he was going to have to drug or use the stun gun on the pair of Dobermans so he could sneak close to the house. He hadn’t wanted to do that since he wasn’t sure how often the men checked on the dogs during the night. If they discovered them unconscious or even groggy, secrecy would be a thing of the past. But this couldn’t keep dragging on, either. He needed it to be over, before—
Conall didn’t let himself finish the thought. He’d long since learned not to dwell on possible risks and wasn’t going to make an exception for a risk that wasn’t physical.
Lia finally produced homemade oatmeal raisin cookies all around, and he fell on them with as much enthusiasm as the boys did. She watched in amusement. “They’re skinny. You look well fed.”
He grinned at her, making her cheeks become tinged with pink at the unspoken reminder that she knew every contour of his body. “I usually only get store-bought cookies.” He patted his belly. “I’ll bet I’ve put on ten pounds since I came to stay here.”
She made a scoffing sound accompanied by Walker’s and Brendan’s laughter.
“You’re not fat,” Walker said. “You have to run lots to keep up with us.”
“You do keep me hopping.” He smiled at them, thinking about how long it had been since he’d gotten any real exercise. He didn’t want to make himself visible by running daily, as he did whenever his job allowed it, and Lia didn’t have a treadmill or exercise bike or weights. She kept slim by caring for house, children, garden and animals instead.
He went out and kicked the soccer ball with the boys for an hour, then elicited their help in doing some work on the barn he’d had in mind. Lia provided gloves for all—she had kid-size ones