"She keeps a roster?"
"Oh, yeah. You can't come to the party unless you take out an ad in the personals. It's in the paper every week. Haven't you seen it?"
"I usually skip over it."
The woman glanced down at Gabe's left hand. There was no wedding ring.
"Maybe you should pay more attention. There are a lot of women your age who'd love a shot at you."
"That's good to know."
Kerney's apartment felt cold and looked dingy. He roamed around restlessly, tidying things up, trying not to think about Sara. But that was impossible. He stood in the middle of the small living room disgusted with the way he lived. Seeing Sara had made him want more than a crummy place and an empty bed to sleep in. Sara lit him up inside, and he didn't want to loose her or that feeling.
He was half-asleep on the couch when the telephone rang. He grabbed for it, hoping it was Sara.
"Are you awake?" Dale asked.
"More or less."
"I've been thinking about the partnership idea," Dale said.
"I'd really like to do it."
"I don't see how it can happen."
"Why not?"
"I'd have to pay six million dollars in taxes to keep all ten sections.
Erma's lawyer figures the payments to the IRS would be over four hundred thousand a year."
"What in the hell have you got on that mesa, a gold mine?"
"It's more like suburban sprawl pushing up land values. Everybody wants five or ten acres of paradise. The real estate developers and some area ranchers are eager to oblige."
"What are you going to do?"
"I haven't decided."
"Sell it," Dale said, "and look for something closer to my spread.
Maybe around Carrizozo, or over in the Black Hills. I know a couple of ranchers who might consider a fair offer. I could put you in touch with them."
"That's a thought."
"You don't sound very enthusiastic about the idea."
"I've been distracted lately."
"The murder case?"
"That, and Sara. She showed up at my door Sunday night."
Dale let out a hoot.
"No wonder you're distracted. Is she there? Let me talk to her."
"She's come and gone."
"What happened?"
"Damn if I know. I thought everything was going great, then she just up and left."
"Did you two argue?"
"No, she just took off to visit a girlfriend in Tucson.
Said she had some thinking to do."
"About what?"
"I don't have a due."
"You sound pretty low."
"I guess I am. I miss her. Dale. No woman has ever meant as much to me."
"I've been waiting a long time to hear you say that.
You need a woman in you life, Kerney, and Sara's the cream of the crop."
"What should I do?"
"Ride it out. She probably just needs some breathing room. Women are like that."
"I hope so."
"I'm telling you the gospel truth."
"I don't want to think about it anymore."
"So let's change the subject," Dale said.
"I still think we can put a partnership together."
"We'll talk about it later."