Excerpt from Bad Country by CB McKenzie, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

That car was never registered in my name so don't get on one of your Indian warpaths or this will be a very short conversation, Tonto. The lawyer paused. So what's got up in your Hole out there most recently?

A dead man nearby the front gates of my place, said Rodeo. And The Hole's not someplace you get to be dead in usually unless it's by starvation or dehydration.

And these were not the case?

Death by shotgun would be my guess.

You didn't touch him?

No point, said Rodeo.

When was he killed, do you think?

When I was away on vacation this last week sometime.

How many times I got to tell you to call the cops first, Tonto? It just looks real bad when you call your lawyer first thing because modern law enforcement can track these cellular phone shit conversations like Pocahontas could track short white dick in deep dark woods.

This is a pay phone. Ray's on the way.

Well, if you're smart as all that, Chief, then you don't need a lawyer, do you?

I've often wondered about that myself, said Rodeo.

Rodeo's lawyer laughed really loud.

Well, play it straight as you usually do then, Chief. And remember Law Enforcement don't do Citizens favors, so don't admit nothing to Police and don't let them anywhere without a warrant and don't invoke your lawyer's name until you are firmly behind bars.

Good to know my lawyer's got my back like that.

Save the sarcasm for the rodeo clown you rode in on, cowboy, said Willis. And you got about thirty seconds left on your retainer to tell me if you been in any shit lately.

I did that thing in New Mexico a couple of months ago and then found a lost kid and a lost husband and did a bit of divorce snooping in the last several weeks. Rodeo paused for a moment. Then right before I went on vacation I served papers on several minor characters for A-2-Z Bailbonds, but no criminals. So it's been nothing major or personal for a while.

Then the dead man in your driveway's probably nothing major or personal, Tonto. So just stay out of trouble on this and let Law Enforcement do their business.

Can I call you if Law Enforcement hauls me in?

You're welcome to drop by my office in the Old Pueblo if you bring beers, said Willis. But you're too low-rent for me these days, Chief. And since this phone call took care of what was left of your retainer fee I'll just have to say hasta la vista to you as a client.

The lawyer hung up before the private investigator could.

Excerpted from Bad Country by Sophie McKenzie. Copyright © 2014 by Sophie McKenzie. Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Minotaur. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.