Michael was listening to the radio and drumming along on the yoke as he and Kitt headed back home after another successful assignment.

"Must you, Michael?"

"Don't you enjoy the music?"

"The music, not really. Your accompaniment, definitely not."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" ask Michael, mock hurt in his voice.

"The truth usually is."

Michael grinned briefly, amused at how easy it was to wind Kitt up. And to unwind him, too.

"Michael, Devon is calling." Kitt couldn't keep the satisfaction out of his voice. A call from Devon meant Michael would both turn off the radio and stop his drumming.

As the monitor came on, Michael said cheerfully, "Yo, Devon."

"Good day, Michael."

"Kitt and I should be home this afternoon, you know. Can't this wait an hour or two?"

"I have a new assignment for you. And it makes more sense for me to brief you as you are on your way."

Michael groaned. "Oh, come on, Devon! At least let me have one night my own bed this month."

"Unfortunately, Michael, you need to meet with Ross Osborne today."

"Fine, fine." Michael sounded resigned. "Who's Ross Osborne?"

"Mr. Osborne is a county engineer who approached the Foundation about getting, shall we say, an outside perspective."

"On?"

"Over the past year, a new company – Summit Construction – has been winning nearly all the road construction contracts from the county. Mr. Osborne is concerned about the lack of experience Summit has. However, the company was started by the youngest son of a powerful man in the county."

"Youngest and favorite?"

"Exactly."

"Let me guess: He has a history of being –"

"The phrase Mr. Osborne used was 'reliably unreliable.' Now, the young man could have finished sowing his wild oats. So Mr. Osborne doesn't want a formal investigation. No point in ruining his reputation any more than it is already."

"Okay. But why do I have meet with this Ross Osborne today?"

Because Mr. Osborne is a muscle car aficionado. He is entered in a one-day car show today."

"Which provides us a cover to talk."

"Precisely, Michael."

Michael sighed. "Then we're off to the car show. Send Kitt the address."

"Of course."

"Right, talk to you later, Devon."

"Michael?" asked Kitt after the monitor had gone blank.

"Yeah, pal?"

"Why would this young man change careers?"

"Not sure I follow . . ."

"Based on what Devon said, he was a farmer and is now in road construction."

"Farmer?"

"Devon said he had been sowing wild oats."

Michael chuckled. "It's an expression, Kitt. It means to be a troublemaker, possibly even having gotten into some trouble with the law."

"I . . . see."

"So the question on the table," Michael explained so that Kitt really did understand the idiom, "is whether he's turned over a new leaf and settled down. Or is still up to his old tricks."

"Turned over . . . Are you sure he wasn't a farmer?"

Michael chuckled again.