Sooner or Later Read Free Page A

chance to make my proposal.”
    “Any offer you could make wouldn’t interest me.” He didn’t leave room for misunderstanding. Nothing she could propose would be enough to persuade him to join her in this suicide mission.
    Her eyes held his. “I’m willing to pay you fifty thousand dollars to help me find my brother.”
    Murphy frowned, wondering where a woman like Letty Madden could come up with that land of ready cash.
    “My house is paid for, Mr. Murphy,” she explained as though she’d read his mind. “It would be only a formality of signing a few papers at the bank for me to give you the cash in hand by tomorrow afternoon.”
    Damn it all, Murphy could feel himself weakening. It wasn’t the money, either, but the woman. She was going to get herself killed for nothing.
    He didn’t figure he could stop her from going, but he wasn’t going to encourage her. “There isn’t enough money in the world to induce me to accompany you into Zarcero,” he said smoothly, and started the ignition.
    Her shoulders fell and she nodded, accepting his final word. “I apologize for detaining you. Have a good day, Mr. Murphy.”
    He didn’t respond, merely put the truck in reverse and sped out of town, eager to make his escape.
    “Damn fool woman,” he muttered as he rode back to the house.
    The light on his answering machine was blinking when Murphy walked into the kitchen. Only one person in the world outside of the good people of Boothill knew where he was: Jack Keller.
    “How’s the side?” Murphy asked when he reached his friend.
    “It hurts like a son of a bitch,” Jack muttered.
    Murphy laughed. Jack had suffered two broken ribs from a confrontation with a runaway jeep during their last mission and had taken this time to recuperate in his condo. Jack preferred city life, but Murphy opted to stay away from people. The plains of Texas suited him just fine.
    “I thought I’d check and see how things are going with you,” Jack said.
    If Murphy found any fault with his friend, it was that Jack was a social animal. The man simply didn’t know how to relax. A week in Kansas City and Jack was bored, ready for new action.
    “I’m fine,” Murphy muttered. Damn, but he couldn’t get that pesky Madden woman off his mind. Flares, she was buying flares to take into Zarcero. Talk about stupid.
    Jack hesitated. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing,” Murphy snapped.
    “Well, something’s troubling you. I can hear it in your voice.”
    Murphy didn’t think it would do any harm to tell Jack about the postmistress. “I got a job offer,” he said, and supplied the details.
    “She’s going to get herself killed,” Jack announced flatly. Murphy didn’t want to think about what would happen to Letty Madden when the rebel soldiers got hold of her. Odds were they’d torture her,rape her, and then take sadistic pleasure in killing her.
    “What’s she look like?” his friend asked next.
    “What the hell does it matter?” Murphy barked. She was pretty and young, mid-twenties, by his estimate. Not that the guerrillas would care.
    “Are you going to help her?”
    Murphy’s response was emphatic. “Not on your life.”
    “You know what it sounds like to me?” Jack said, and laughed lightly.
    “I don’t want to know.”
    “You need to get laid.”
    “What the hell?”
    “You’ve been too long without a woman,” Jack pronounced. “Otherwise this business with the postmistress wouldn’t be bothering you so much. You’ve been living like a saint ever since you bought out Deliverance Company. Man, it’s time to let down your hair and live a little.”
    “The last thing I need is a woman.”
    “Take my advice, Murphy, find yourself a hole-in-the-wall tavern, get good and drunk, and then let a woman take you home for the night. Trust me, you’ll feel worlds better in the morning.”
    Sex was Jack’s solution to everything. “My getting laid isn’t going to stop the Madden dame from risking her damn fool