Page 3 of Red Boar's Baby

At least Jessie had the common sense not to argue, though he could see her thinking about it. Instead she said smartly, “Yes, sir.”

She either had the makings of a great field agent or a terminal pain in his ass. Possibly both.

“Permission to head home, sir?” Cat asked just as smartly.

Case in point.

“Yeah, drop off the feathered menace, take the interns to the office for a half-shift, then hit the hay. It’s Caine’s day off, so you were the duty agent overnight, right? You should’ve been off hours ago.”

“Thank you for noticing,” Delgado said. “Come on, ladies, let’s go find a perch for our feathered friend. Need a ride, boss?”

Costa shook his head. “I’ve got my car.”

He was parked all the way across campus, but it was a pleasant walk. The sun was fully up now, the air growing warm and perfumed with a wealth of lovely spring scents. Tucson was as lush and verdant as it was ever going to get. Costa wondered if he might take off early this afternoon to make up for the interrupted morning. Tomorrow was Saturday; he could get out in the back country, maybe camp overnight?—

Oh hell. Notthisweekend. At least not tonight.

Costa took out his phone as he walked. Yep, several missed texts on the family chat. Ignoring those for now, he paged through his contacts to the one labeled ACME NO 1.

He wondered if she’d be up yet, but of course she was. Like him, she was an early riser. She answered on the first ring.

“Let me guess,” said the warm, low voice, thrumming with pleasant amusement at his expense. “You need a date.”

Costa nearly tripped on perfectly flat pavement. He stopped walking and sat on a low wall beside an ornamental shrub planting. Diana had no idea—no idea—what that voice did to him. It was a voice made to be a late-night radio DJ, smooth and warm and easy. A voice that uplifted, a voice that comforted.

“Don’t I ever just call to say hi?” he asked, keeping it light.

“No,” said Acme No. 1, otherwise known as Diana Reid, but she sounded amused rather than annoyed. “We don’t have that kind of relationship. You know, my coworkers think you’re the world’s worst boyfriend.”

Costa laughed; he couldn’t help it. She had that effect on him. “I strive to be the best. Anyway, you’re right, I have a sudden need for an emergency date. Tonight’s the big family to-do for Great-Uncle Rodrigo’s eighty-seventh birthday at the family ranch. The whole clan is going to be there. Sorry about the short notice; if you can’t make it, I get it.”

“Uncle Roddy is how old? My gosh, how time flies. And I haven’t been out to the ranch in absolutely ages.” She turned serious. “I actually would like to come, Quinn, even though I think at this point I’m down a date or so in the tally?—”

“I’m at your disposal,” Costa promised.

“—But I’m on a callout. You just happened to catch me in the office while I still have cell coverage, but I won’t be here for long. We’re all hands on deck for an S&R. Small plane went missing in the Chiricahuas this morning.”

“Damn,” Costa said, heartfelt. The Chiricahua mountain range was about two hours east of Tucson, and it was rough, wild country, not a good place for an airplane with engine trouble, or a search and rescue. He couldn’t help thinking, now and then, that S&R flights—such as the ones Diana flew—went missing too.

“Depending on how it goes,” Diana was saying, “I might be back by this evening, but don’t count on it.”

“Yeah, no, don’t worry about it. The job comes first.”

“Always,” she breathed.

“Di ...” Costa began. But there was nothing else he could say—nothing he wanted to say.Be carefulfelt too intimate, gave away too much. As she had said, they didn’t have that kind of relationship.

Before he could decide, he heard a door slam in the background of the call, followed by voices.

“That’s my team,” Diana said. “We’re heading out. What time this evening, Quinn? In case I can still make it.”

“I need to leave for the ranch no later than six-thirty.”

“Gotcha. See you—maybe.”

With that, she was gone, the call disconnected.

“Be careful,” Costa said to empty air.

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