"I don't know. We're looking for trace evidence now.
If we find fibers, hair, or bloodstains, we'll have a dearer picture.
But don't count on anything: weather probably washed it all away. I'll take the usual soil samples for analysis. Maybe we'll get lucky and some foreign matter will turn up."
"Did you find the scrap of fabric and the comb?"
"We did indeed. It's bagged and tagged."
"Do you have anything that points to the cause of death?"
Melody laughed.
"Dream on. Chief. I've got bones here, not a body. Some have been chewed on. But I can't wait to take a closer look at them under a microscope. I think the killer knew how to butcher a carcass."
"Any ranch hand worth his salt knows how to butcher," Kerney said.
"Don't I know it," Melody said.
"You've found no garments or personal items?"
"Nothing other than what you discovered. I'd say whoever did this didn't want the victim to be identified."
"Find the rest of the skeleton," Kerney said.
Melody looked out over the mesa.
"It could be scattered anywhere. There's a lot of ground to cover here, Chief."
"I know it. Bring in additional help. I want a full sweep of the mesa."
Melody smiled.
"Sergeant Gonzales said this is your land."
"It is," Kerney replied as he remounted.
"Welcome to the neighborhood."
Melody smiled.
"It's beautiful. I can think of better ways to spend a weekend in this country than scraping up soil samples."
"Me, too, and that's exactly what I intend to do."
Melody waved and watched the two men ride away, thinking Kerney looked very hunky on horseback.
"That's a nice-looking woman," Dale said, when they were out of earshot.
"Yes, she is," Kerney said, pointing Soldier toward the windmill.
"She sure seems to like her job. I never heard anybody sound so damn cheery about a butchered murder victim."
Kerney laughed.
"What did I say?"
"Nothing."
Dale trotted Pancho until he was even with Soldier.
"What?"
"If I remember correctly, you don't like puzzles."
"Never did," Dale said.
"When we were kids, you always figured the damn things out before I could."
"Melody likes puzzles."
"That's not all she likes," Dale said.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning you."
"Get serious."
"That was a thousand-watt smile she gave you when we showed up. Did you know that a lot of relationships nowadays start in the workplace?"
"Is that a fact?" Kerney said.
"That's a fact. You should take advantage of those opportunities when they come along."
"Since when have you become an expert on relationships?"
"I read about it somewhere."
Kerney laughed again.
"I thought so."
"But I've been living with women for over twenty years. A wife and two daughters can teach a man a lot about how women operate, how their minds work."
"I defer to your experience."