"Gabe told me he put a big hurt on Bernardo to get a confession."
"I didn't see it that way. I told the ADA we used reasonable force to stop the action, and Bernardo's confession was voluntary."
Art looked relieved.
"I'll tell him that when he wakes up."
"Do that, and have him call me."
Bernardo looked up from his concrete bunk and stared at Kerney through the bars of his cell. His broken nose, which had been set by the jail doctor, was covered with a bandage, and two of his upper front teeth were missing.
"I'm not talking to you," Bernardo said.
"My lawyer said not to."
"You don't have to talk, just listen. You're going to prison on a life sentence without parole, if they don't fry your ass. Either way, I'm going to make the time you have in the slammer very interesting."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"The boys in the joint are going to smack their lips when they hear that you're going to join them. You'll be somebody's girlfriend within a week. Maybe everybody's."
Bernardo flinched.
"You can't do that."
Kerney smiled.
"Watch me. Take my advice, Bernardo.
Go with the flow. You're not going to survive in prison any other way."
"I'm walking out of here. My lawyer said he's going to get my confession suppressed because you and Gonzales beat it out of me."
"I don't think so. It will be your word against ours.
But if by chance you ever live to see the light of day outside of a prison cell, let me tell you a secret, Bernardo."
"What?"
Kerney gestured with his finger.
"Come here."
Cautiously, Bernardo approached the cell bars.
Kerney dropped his voice to a whisper.
"I'll hunt you down and kill you."
Kerney's bluff made Bernardo's face turn white.
"Have a good day," Kerney said.
Kerney called Dale Jennings at five-thirty Saturday morning just as Sara came out of the bedroom wearing nothing but panties. She kissed him on the cheek, ruffled his hair, and moved to the kitchen, drawn by the smell of fresh coffee.
Dale answered on the first ring.
"Have you had your coffee yet?" Kerney asked, knowing full well Dale had been up for at least an hour.
"Yep. I don't have a cushy eight-to-five job like you.
Gotta work for a living."
"Are you sitting down?"
"Should I be?"
"Maybe. Sara and I are getting married."
Dale whooped.
"Well, I'll be damned. What a lucky son of a bitch you are."
"I know it. I want you to be my best man."
"Tell me when and tell me where."
"Montana in a week, at the Brannon ranch. Can you, Barbara, and the girls make it?"
"Wouldn't miss it. Damn, Kerney, I'm happy for you.
It's about time."
"I'm pretty happy myself."
Sara came back from the kitchen, sat next to Kerney on the couch, and sipped her coffee.
"You got yourself a prize, old friend."
"My prize is nibbling on my ear as we speak."
"Barbara hasn't nibbled on my ear in a week."
"I hear that happens to old married folks."
"Stop wisecracking and put the bride-to-be on the phone. Maybe I can talk her out of making a big mistake."