Page 28 of Red Boar's Baby

The fact that the baby was leaving soon too—whenever they found her parents, or a permanent foster placement—was something he also refused to look at. He’d deal with that when it happened.

CHAPTER9

“Thankyou for letting us clean up at your place, Ms. Reid.” Jessie’s sun-streaked brown hair straggled over her shoulders. Both interns had showered, and Fifi was wearing a caftan of Diana’s (the only thing in Diana’s closet that fit Fifi’s much bustier and curvier figure) while her dust-covered and branch-torn sundress went through an abbreviated wash and dry cycle in Diana’s laundry room. Fifi’s sunburned nose gleamed with aloe vera gel provided by Diana.

“No problem. But next time, I’d suggest wearing sensible boots and jeans for field work,” she added to Fifi.

“I know,” Fifi said woefully. “I’m not an outdoorsy person.”

Jessie nudged her. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you the ropes.”

Earlier, Costa had texted a picture of Emmeline asleep on a rug on the floor of his office. Diana had to use firm willpower, and the fact that she had company, to stop herself from pulling her phone out to look at it repeatedly. She wasn’t even a baby person, and it wasn’t just the baby, it was Costa’s strong sun-browned hand curled protectively over Emmeline’s tiny soft head.

Stop it.

Her phone vibrated and she took it out in the hopes it would be another baby picture. It wasn’t, but it was from Costa.

Evidence still at Cochise Cty Sheriff’s Office, tied up in red tape. If you’re in the area, go take a look?

She texted back,Look for what?

Don’t know. Send me pictures.

“Quinn—that is, Chief Costa wants me to go look at the evidence the investigators collected,” she told the interns. “Do you two want to come along? It’s your case, after all.”

They were eager, which Diana supposed boded well for their ability to handle field work. With Fifi back in her slightly rumpled sundress, sunburn showing pink on her exposed arms, Diana drove them over to the sheriff’s office and chatted with the deputies, all of whom knew her.

“I don’t have a warrant, but I’m doing some work with a government bureau out in Tucson.”

“Oh yeah, Costa’s office. They told us to expect you. Come on back.”

The evidence room was concrete-floored and fiercely air conditioned, making all of them shiver after the late afternoon warmth outside. The deputy searched the shelves and took down a box containing neatly labeled bags.

“There’s not a lot here. I think the NTSB has the rest of it.” She put it on a table and snapped on a bright light over it. “You can examine it here if you like.”

“Is Diana back there?” A voice echoed back into the evidence room. A minute later Luis came in. “It is you. Thought I heard your voice. I wanted to let you know a guy was looking for you earlier.”

“A guy?” Diana echoed, thinking of Costa. “Big guy, red hair?”

“Big guy, blond,” Luis corrected. “He was wearing camo. I would say he looked like someone you might be friends with, except ...” He hesitated. “He felt dangerous to me. I don’t know. I told him I couldn’t give out information about other employees.”

“Did he come to the sheriff’s office?”

Luis shook his head. “Park Service. The fact that I’m here has nothing to do with you; I didn’t even know you were back here ‘til I heard your voice.” He glanced around, but the deputy had gone back to the front. Luis quickly mimed holding a baby. “How’s the ...”

“She’s doing well. Here, I have pictures.” Diana pulled out her phone, and as Luis looked at the two women: “They’re friends. Federal agents. They’re helping me work out what was going on with her.”

The interns shook hands with Luis, Diana showed him the picture Costa had texted her, and there was awww-ing all around.

“The man who came in asking about me—when was this?” Diana asked Luis, while the interns passed her phone back and forth and cooed.

“A couple of hours ago, I guess. A while before I drove over here.”

So after they’d come back from the mountains. She didn’t find it especially plausible that someone could have driven from the Chiricahuas to Sierra Vista, where the sheriff’s office was located, in that amount of time, although she supposed it was possible if they had an all-terrain vehicle stashed nearby and got to it quickly. But it could easily be someone in touch with the sniper.

“What exactly did he ask? I mean, did he ask for me by name?”

“No, not exactly. I think he said, ‘Is the lady helicopter pilot around?’ Something like that.”

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