Page 23 of Dark Side of the River

“Not really the time,” Tick said with a wink.

“We’ll make it quick. Maybe we could step over to a table in the corner?” Tilly suggested.

Tick gave the redhead a questioning look. “Promise you won’t go away?”

She smiled. “Order me another drink. I’ll sip it while you’re gone.”

The geologist roared at that and motioned to the bartender. “Keep her well-oiled,” he said over his shoulder as he followed Cooper and Tilly to the table. “What’s this about?”

TILLYGLANCEDATCOOPER, who nodded for her to take the lead. “Howie said you were the man to talk to.”

“He did, did he?” Tick beamed. He looked to be close to fifty, with big brown eyes fringed with dark lashes and a full head of thick brown hair. He was broad-shouldered and athletic looking, and handsome enough that Tilly knew the redhead wasn’t going anywhere until he returned.

“He told us that the two of you were flying over the McKenna Ranch the other day and saw the woman who got shot.”

Tick looked from one of them to the other. “You cops?”

“No. She’s my sister.”

“Oh, sorry. She okay?”

“Not really. She’s still unconscious.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Can you tell me what you saw?” she asked.

“Sure. Didn’t see much. Saw her riding out of the ravine like the devil was chasing her, so she caught my eye. Then this other rider came out, hot on her tail. I thought...” He shrugged. They all knew what he thought.

“The male rider, can you tell me about his horse?” Cooper asked.

“Truthfully, I wasn’t paying much attention to his horse. Brown, that’s the best I can do.”

“You didn’t happen to see the brand?”

He shook his head. “I was watching the woman ride into the trees. By the time she disappeared, so had the male rider.” Tilly thought it interesting that he knew the first rider was a woman, while the pilot had thought Oakley was a man by the way she was dressed.

“What about later when the plane flew low over the road?” Cooper asked.

“Saw the pickup and the girl on the ground. Wasn’t sure what had happened until later that night here at the bar I heard that she’d been shot.”

“Can you tell me what you were doing flying over the McKenna Ranch?” Cooper asked.

“Checking for coalbed seams,” he said, looking more relaxed now that they were on a subject he clearly enjoyed. “I can usually spot them from the air. If I see a good one, then we let the ranch owner know that he’s got a potential moneymaker out there in those badlands that aren’t all that much use for anything else.”

Tilly saw Cooper clamp down on his jaw. That the geologist saw this land as useless for anything except gas exploration made Tick like a lot of men who’d come to the state to rape it of its treasures and leave. It was why Montana used to be called the Treasure State.

“If that’s all,” Tick said, glancing back at the redhead as he got to his feet.

“If you think of anything else.” She handed him her business card with the ranch number on it.

“Stafford,” Tick said, glancing at the card. “Right. The girl who got shot was a Stafford. So you’re related to Charlotte.”

“She’s my mother.”

“We just put a well on your ranch recently.” Tick looked way too pleased about making her wonder if he wasn’t more involved in CH4 than just their geologist. “Your mother made a smart decision. Hopefully some of these other ranchers will follow.” He looked over at Cooper. “I just realized that I didn’t get your name.”

“Cooper McKenna.”

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