Page 14 of Red Boar's Baby

“I was afraid of this,” Mavis said tartly. “You do a couple of house calls, and everyone expects it. Where’s the little one?Oh.” She picked up the baby with great care, producing a sleepy stirring of the small, plump limbs. “Hello, darling. Oh, she’s lovely.”

If there was one thing Costa had not expected, it was his no-nonsense department head turning into a mushy sap over a baby. But that continued to be the situation as Mavis gave the baby a thorough examination on a folded blanket spread on the kitchen island, cooing baby talk in between asking Costa and Diana a series of cogent, sharp-tongued questions.

“Ohhhh, who’s a perfect bababa, youuuu, right here? —and what was the elapsed time between the disappearance of the plane and the time you found her on the hillside?”

“I’d say about five or six hours,” Diana said. Her usual rock-solid confidence wobbling, she looked like she had been called into the principal’s office. “She was a little dehydrated when we found her, but not otherwise injured. My partner examined her on the scene and later at home,” she added defensively. “He’s a paramedic.”

“Ooh yes, you’ve gottoes,” Mavis informed the baby, “ten little toesies—Any reports of a missing child in the last few weeks, anything like that?”

“We haven’t had time to look into it,” Costa said. He could hear a note of defensiveness in his own voice, not unlike Diana’s, and reminded himself firmly that he was Mavis’s boss, for cripesakes. “You’re the first person I called. I wanted to get your take on this before I alert the night shift.”

“Caine?” Mavis asked, and Costa nodded. “Could be worse. He’s very discreet. Why don’t you have him come here?”

Costa muttered a curse under his breath. He had temporarily forgotten one of the most useful things about Caine, and he and Mavis were two of the only people who knew it. Reaching for his phone, he tapped in a text.I need to consult on something at my place when you’re free. In person. But don’t come in directly, I’ve got company.

Setting the phone down, he smiled at both of them. “I texted him when I contacted you, Mavis. He ought to be here any minute.”

Diana looked slightly mulish. “You didn’t mention anyone else.”

Costa had been keeping Caine’s secret for years, but still his heart panged a little at lying to her. He wondered if Caine would be willing to let Diana in on it. “Caine’s discreet, like Mavis said.”

“Toesy-woesies! Ten of them! I need a hand,” Mavis said with an abrupt switch back to an adult register. “I need someone to distract her while I do a blood draw.”

Diana ended up with this duty, because Costa went to answer a knock at the door. It was Caine, arriving not two minutes after he’d received the text. He was just slipping his dark sunglasses back over his eyes against the bright lights of Costa’s foyer.

“Phone calls aren’t good enough?” Caine asked.

“No, I need you to see something in person.” Aware of the women in the living room, Costa lowered his voice. “Where’d you come through?”

“Garage across the street. Almost set off their alarm getting out.”

Costa snorted. “Now I’m picturing you blundering around like theHome Aloneburglars.”

Caine’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. “Fortunately this particular family didn’t have a psychotic ten-year-old, just a Stairmaster that had clearly seen little use. I would have used a nearer shadow, but your building is unfortunately well lit, unlike most of this city.”

Due to the nearby Kitt Peak observatory, Tucson had strict light pollution regulations compared to most municipalities. Many of the outlying suburbs had no street lights.

“Use my garage next time,” Costa said. “It’s under the condo.”

“It’s full of your car. There’s not much room.”

“I’ll park closer to the side if it helps.”

There was a sudden commotion from the living room, a squawk, and a giggle. Caine looked curiously past Costa’s shoulder. “Who are your guests?”

“Mavis and—Diana.” He sensed Caine’s expression changing fractionally. “Do not say a word.”

“That’s right, I seem to recall mention of a hot date,” Caine remarked, the corner of his mouth twitching as he followed Costa into the living room. “I’m guessing things didn’t go as pla—is that ababy?”

It wasn’t often that Costa had the pleasure of seeing Caine truly surprised.

“I see your professional skills of observation are unparalleled,” Diana said dryly. She was jiggling the baby against her shoulder; there were little sniffling sounds and a fat pink leg dangling down, which Mavis was just tucking back into the crook of Diana’s arm with the rest of the baby. In her other hand she had a syringe. Diana kissed the baby’s head. “It’s okay, honey, we’re done. The mean lady with the needles has taken all the samples she needs.”

“For now,” Mavis murmured, briskly capping a series of tubes. “Well, I can assure you that whatever else this child has been through, she’s in perfect health. She’s also definitely a shifter.”

“We knew that, though,” Diana said, then glanced at Caine.

“Yes, but did you notice how little you can feel it around her? Does everyone else feel that?”

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