‘Gentlemen, ma’am,’ Jeff is saying pompously. ‘To business.’ He hands Selby a piece of paper. ‘This is a US state department warning issued to tourists this week. Numbers of muggings and abductions are rising. Numbers of illegals crossing this year are up ten per cent on last.’

The two investors exchange a look. ‘Jeff,’ Selby says and his voice is pitched low, ‘you promised us the situation would improve.’

‘And so it has! Everywhere that Ranch Rights has patrolled, that is,’ Hogan says. ‘Security is tight on our own property lines, but gentlemen, geography is not on our side.’ He spreads a map on the table. ‘This is Ague,’ he circles it, ‘and this is where we are now.’ He joins the two circles with a thick black line then taps the map with his pen. ‘And this is where you come in, Mrs Coleman, because right here in the middle sits Temerosa.’

All three men look at me. ‘We need to join forces, ma’am,’ Hogan says emphatically. ‘Take a share in each other’s business. One investment to protect.’ He rakes the felt tip across the map. ‘One line to close off.’

‘One twenty-mile line, Jeff,’ Selby reminds him. ‘How in God’s name are we going to protect something that long?’

‘Recruit more people, that’s how.’

‘Ain’t this whole thing best left to the Border Patrol?’ one of the wives asks nervously.

‘Ma’am, I salute the valiant efforts of the Border Patrol to enforce the law but they don’t have the men or the motivation to keep these criminals off private property. Why do you think we formed Ranch Rights in the first place? Think about it: the desert between Temerosa and the border is some of the meanest, most scorched ground in the whole of the west, so why do people continue crossing there?’

The two men look at him expectantly.

‘Because someone is making it easy for them,’ Hogan says.

‘That’s what folk are saying.’ Selby nods.

‘My guess is it’s one of those middle eastern fellas,’ Helen offers.

‘Whoever it is, it’s someone who knows the terrain round here like the back of their hand.’

I close my eyes again. See Duval leaning on his horse.

‘If you want to teach your children something about this place, you should take a small patch of land no bigger than twelve foot square, and watch it every day. Look for changes in the leaves, the prints of animals, study their droppings, see what they eat. If you can do that for a whole year then you’ll understand how the desert works.’

‘So what’s that then?’ I’d pointed at a scrubby pine-looking thing.

‘I haven’t the faintest idea.’

‘You’re a complete fraud!’ I’d laughed.

‘I’m not really up on my conifers,’ he said. ‘Test me on cacti if you like. I’m brilliant on cacti.’

‘Okay, give me your top ten then.’