docked his pay? For crissake, Dad, what's an old guy like
that gonna do?"
"He should have thought of that before he put the colt in
that pasture. Now, let's drop it. I didn't enjoy doing it. He's
been around here a long time."
"He made a mistake."
' 'Worse, he got caught!'' Angus shouted. "If you're gonna
run this business, boy, you gotta grow steel balls. The job
isn't always fun, you know. There's more to it than taking
clients out to fancy dinners and flirting with their wives and
daughters." Angus took a swig of beer. "Now, let's talk
about Celina's girl."
Junior, resigned to accepting Pasty's harsh punishment,
even if he didn't agree with it, dropped into an easy chair
and sipped at his bottle of beer. "She went to see Joe,
huh?"
"Yeah, and notice that she didn't waste any time doing
it, either. Joe's jittery as hell. He's afraid his spotless tenure
as judge is about to be flushed down the toilet."
"What did Alexandra want with him?"
"She asked some questions about why he rushed up Gooney
Bud's incompetency hearing. Reede came to Joe's rescue,
which was a smart move on his part."
"Reede?"
"Never asleep at the switch, is he?" Angus removed his
boots and dropped them over the padded arm of his chair.
They hit the floor with a heavy thud. He had gout, and his
big toe was giving him trouble. He massaged it thoughtfully
while looking at his son. "What did you think of the girl?"
'I tend to agree with Joe. She's a threat. She thinks one
of us killed Celina, and she's bound and determined to find
out who.''
"She struck me that way, too."
"Of course, she's got nothing on any of us."
"Of course."
Junior looked at his father warily. "She's sharp."
"As a tack."
"And no slouch in the looks department."
Father and son shared a bawdy laugh. "Yeah, she is good-lookin',"
Angus said. "But then, so was her mama."
Junior's smile faded. "Yes, she was."
"Still miss her, don't you?" Angus shrewdly studied his
son.
"Sometimes."
Angus sighed. "I don't suppose you can lose a close friend
like that without it having a lasting effect on you. You
wouldn't be human, otherwise. But it's foolish of you to pine
for a woman who's been dead all these years."
"I've hardly pined," Junior countered. "Since the day I
figured out how this operates," he said, touching the fly of
his pants, "it hasn't gone inactive for long."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Angus said, frowning.
"Anybody can get laid on a regular basis. I'm talking
about your life. Commitment to something. You were upset
for a long time after Celina died. It took you a while to pull
your shit together. Okay, that was understandable."
He pushed the footstool of his chair and sat up straight,
pointing a blunt finger at Junior. "But you stalled, boy, and
you haven't worked up a full head of steam since. Look at
Reede. He took Celina's death hard, too, but he got over
her."
"How do you know he got over her?"
"Do you see him moping around?"
"I'm the one who's had three wives, not Reede."
"And that's something to be proud of?" Angus shouted,
his temper snapping. "Reede's made his life count for something.
He's got a career--"
"Career?" Junior interrupted with a contemptuous snort.
"I'd hardly call being sheriff of this piss-ant county a career.
Big fuckin' deal."
' 'What would you call a career? Screwing the entire female
membership of the country club before you die?"
"I do my fair share of work around here," Junior argued.
"I spent all morning on the phone with that breeder in Ken