Slow Kill - Michael Mcgarrity [128]
Kerney laughed. “Get serious, Johnny. Julia didn’t want anything to do with me.” A year younger than Johnny, Julia had been one of the prettiest, most popular girls in high school. A great horsewoman in her own right, she’d won the state high school barrel racing competition the year after Kerney, Johnny, and Dale graduated.
Johnny grinned and raised his hand to the sky. “I’m telling you the truth. She totally had the hots for you.”
“What has Julia been up to?”
“Pretty much taking care of Joe and Bessie, now that they’re older. What do you think about my proposition?”
“I’d need to know a lot more about it before I decide,” Kerney replied. “What kind of technical assistance would you have me do?”
The main course arrived, and Johnny asked for a glass of expensive red wine before cutting into his steak. “Cop stuff.” he said. “You’d make sure anything to do with law enforcement is accurate. The story pits a rancher against agents of the Bureau of Land Management. When he decides to move his cattle illegally across public land, federal agents and the local sheriff attempt to stop him. The chase that ensues turns into a stampede when the cops try to turn back the rancher and his neighbors who are driving the herd across BLM land.”
Kerney’s lamb came served on a bed of polenta. It looked perfect. “It doesn’t sound like there would be much for me to do,” he said.
Johnny chuckled. “Now you’re thinking straight. It would be a working vacation, Hollywood style. Besides that, when was the last time you went on a real cattle drive? I’m not talking about moving stock from pasture to pasture, or gathering cows for shipment. But a real cattle drive, pushing three hundred and fifty head across a mountain range.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever done that,” Kerney said.
“Doesn’t that sound like fun?” Johnny asked.
“Yeah, it does.”
“You think about it,” Johnny said, fork poised at his mouth. “Talk to Dale. Talk to your wife. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to do something we used to dream about back when we were kids.”
“You were always good at organizing grand escapades,” Kerney said.
Johnny nodded, his face flushed from the whiskey and wine. “And this one is a real moneymaker for everyone involved. Not that you need it. To hear tell, you’ve got a sweet little horse ranch operation outside of town.”
“Raising and training cutting horses,” Kerney said, wondering who had been so forthcoming about his personal life with Johnny. He doubted it had been Dale Jennings.
“Are you in?” Johnny asked, his words slightly slurred.
“I’m not sure if I can spare the time.”
“You’re the police chief,” Johnny rebutted. “Top cop, and all that. Can’t the department do without you?”
“I’ll think about the offer.”
After dinner, Johnny fumbled with his wallet for a credit card to use to pay the check. When he signed the charge slip his hand was shaky.
Kerney thanked him for dinner and held out his palm. “Give me your car keys, Johnny. I’m driving you to the hotel. The concierge can arrange to retrieve your vehicle.”
Johnny flashed an annoyed look. “Get real, Kerney. The hotel is only four blocks from here and I’m not drunk.”
“I think you are. Your keys, Johnny.”
“You’re joking, right?” Johnny said, laughing.
Kerney shook his head and made a gimme motion with his outstretched hand.
Johnny shrugged, fished a hand into his pocket, and dropped the keys into Kerney’s open palm along with his business card. “I’m going to need a answer on the technical advisor job in a week,” he said.
“You’ll have it by then,” Kerney said.
At the hotel, Kerney accompanied Johnny into the lobby. The concierge was off duty, so Kerney gave Johnny’s car keys and a twenty-dollar bill to a valet parking attendant and asked him to bring the vehicle at the restaurant back to the hotel.
Johnny described his car and the attendant hurried off. “Let me buy you a nightcap in the bar,” he said.
Kerney steered Johnny to the elevators and shook his head. “Not tonight, but thanks again for