Free Flash Flood by Susan Slater

prepotent—he could have rivaled the best.”
    â€œSo his condition once corrected didn’t cause any problems?”
    â€œWe discovered that his sperm count was somewhat lower than what one would hope for in a normal bull of the same age, but this poses no problem with live-cover.”
    â€œAre you saying he would not have been a good candidate for A.I.?” Dan followed up for the recorder, “A.I. stands for artificial insemination or the transport of semen to the cow to be bred without the bull being present.”
    â€œMight have had some problems,” Hank said.
    â€œNow, I’d like you to relate what happened yesterday when you were away from the bull, and who if anyone was left in charge, plus your actions when it was determined that the bull was critically ill or injured. List all medications used, their purpose, generic name, and the lab that produces them.”
    Dan dropped in a new tape and Hank started to recount the day.
    â€œDan, could you an’ me step out of the room for just a minute. Something I want to show you.” Billy Roland picked up an envelope from the table and motioned toward the hallway.
    â€œI want you to look at this.”
    Dan opened the envelope and saw a transfer of title and a bill of sale for Cisco Kid dated one month ago. The sale price was one million U.S. dollars and the new owner was an Enrico Salazar Garcia, address Venezuela.
    â€œI hope you can see how some son-of-a-bitch cost me four hundred grand.”
    â€œWhy was the bull even in the show if he was sold?”
    â€œNew owner wanted the stamp of approval, a critique, if you will, by the judge yesterday. It was the only time we’ve shown Cisco Kid. If he got high marks, he would have been air-shipped tomorrow.”
    â€œShould we be talking about enemies? Who might want to do this to you?”
    â€œAny man who’s got more than his neighbors sparks some jealousy.”
    Dan thought Billy Roland seemed old there in the half-light of the hallway. Worn out. And it was easy to believe him. Believe that he wouldn’t throw four hundred thousand away just to get six and make a point. No, Billy Roland didn’t get where he was on bad business deals.
    â€œI’ll get back to you with the results of the tests on Cisco Kid. I’m going to be in Roswell for a couple days setting up shop. I’ll keep in touch.” Dan went back in the study leaving Billy Roland leaning against the wall.

Chapter Three
    We are gathered here this morning…
    Elaine slipped a stockinged foot out of a black high-heel and absently pressed it into the thick dewy grass. The coolness felt good on her arch. The bright New Mexico sunlight washed the surrounding marble markers a startling white. She adjusted her sunglasses and stole a glance at the crowd. She was surprised at the number of people who had shown up. The curious, mostly.
    â€¦
to pay our final tribute to this man, your servant, who…
    Had she been wrong to choose a religious ceremony? It was bad enough she was burying an empty box, missing the sense of closure that comes from viewing a body. Should she have made it secular, too? What was the worst that could happen? Eric would come back to haunt her?
    â€¦strayed from your flock…
    Understatement. Fucking understatement. Oops. She was trying not to even think in curse words anymore. It was tough.
    Was her shrink right? That she still had to work on forgiving him—even after he was dead? Forgive him for throwing away his family? Maybe she was just upset that she needed a shrink. If this had happened a thousand years ago, she’d pay someone to toss a couple doves in the air and read their flight pattern. Easier, much easier. Just more proof that she was an anachronism.
    â€¦but deserves our compassion and understanding…
    From the grave? Wasn’t she ready to just walk away? Start over? Send Matthew off to college, take that sabbatical. Finish the