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“Uh-huh. Can’t all be a coincidence.”
“Staying with Truman’s probably your best move.”
“My only move is more like it.”
Raymond took a sip of beer and said, “You need to be damn careful, Hunter. The reality is that they, whoever they are, may try something more permanent next time.”
“I think so too.”
Raymond looked at her, serious, “Much as I can, I got your back.”
Hunter made a small nod at him, then took a deep breath and changed the subject, “How many quail are you cooking?”
“About a dozen. Big ones, too. Blues, been eating in a maize field. I swear, a couple of them are as big as pheasants.”
“Is Connie still in Odessa?”
“Yeah, she called and said she decided to stay at her brother’s for the night and come back tomorrow.”
“So it’s all ours?”
Raymond shook his head, “Nice try. If we don’t save her some of those birds, we’ll both be hiding out as fugitives.”
“Well, I guess we can leave her a few.”
Raymond reached into the cooler, “I’ll drink to that. You want another?”
Hunter nodded and Raymond handed her one. They opened the beers and settled in the chairs, silent in their thoughts, watching the fire.
***
Hunter returned home after eating and packed a suitcase with enough clothes for five days in El Paso. She was in the bathroom when the phone rang.
“Kincaid.”
“Ms. Kincaid, I’m calling from the Department of Justice in Washington. I’m afraid I have some bad news. Our counsel assigned to your case, Mr. Truman Fortis, has been reassigned and we will need to send someone to represent you in El Paso.”
“That’s okay, I won’t be needing a Service attorney. I’ve obtained a personal attorney to represent me.”
There was a silence on the phone, then the male voice said, “Are you sure you wish to do that? The expense is not reimbursable, you know.”
“That’s not a problem. My uncle, Bruce Wayne, sent over his butler earlier to tell me he’d cover it; he said not to let money drive me batty.”
“Well, I’m sure your uncle means well, but if you should change your mind…”
“I’ve got your number, thanks.” She hung up and said, “Man, no sense of humor.” The rest of the bathroom items took only a minute to pack and she was ready to leave. The phone rang again and she looked at the caller ID and saw it was Truman.
“Hey, Truman.”
“Well, its official, they suspended me about a half-hour ago.”
“They called about five minutes ago from Main Justice to offer me another attorney, and I told them I had one.”
“I can’t use my office anymore, so I figured I’ll come by wherever you’re going to stay and we can talk there in the morning.”
“I’ll be at the Chasse Suites on Montana, near the airport.”
“I’ll be by about seven.”
