Page 3 of Dark Side of the River

The fact that a Stafford had been on the McKenna Ranch brought up all kinds of questions—and problems.

“That’s when I realized that she’d been shot.”

“Who do you think shot her?”

“I have no idea, but she was shot in the back.” He could feel the deputy’s intent, suspicious gaze on him.

“Let’s see those guns of yours.” Dodson started toward the pickup.

“How about we give the sheriff a call.”

The deputy stopped and looked back. “Why would we do that?”

“I guess I’d just feel better if we did.”

Turning, the deputy came back to stand within inches of him. “You know, I don’t think I caught your name.”

“You never asked. It’s Cooper. Cooper McKenna.”

The deputy’s gaze flipped up from his notebook to bore into him.“McKenna?”

“It’s just my last name.”

“Right. And you just happened to be driving down this road that goes to the McKenna Ranch.”

Cooper said nothing. “Just call the sheriff. He knows me.”

“I’m going to do you one better. I’m going to take you to see him. I haven’t been in Powder Crossing long, but I know about the bad blood between the Staffords and the McKennas. I’m going to have to take you in.”

“You’re arresting me? On what grounds?” He quickly backed off. “Look, I need to find her horse and make sure it’s safe. She was worried about her horse.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ll get a shirt out of my pickup. Then I’ll go find her horse and bring it down to the sheriff’s department. Call your boss—”

The deputy had his hand on the weapon at his hip. “You aren’t going to give me any trouble, are you, McKenna?”

HOLDENMCKENNAKNEWwhy the sheriff had called him so quickly. A Stafford woman being shot on his ranch? He rubbed the back of his neck, at a loss for words for a moment. “You’re sure Oakley was shot?” It wasn’t that he’d misheard. He just couldn’t believe it.

“Shot in the back. It definitely happened on your property,” the sheriff said. “So far, I have no idea what she was doing there. We’re going to be treating the ranch as a crime scene, which means I need to get men in there.”

“Of course. How is she doing?”

“Serious condition.”

That was when he’d heard something in the sheriff’s voice and had waited for the other shoe to drop. “Cooper found her.”

Cooper?He’d thought at first that he’d heard wrong. Cooper, his son who’d been gone for more than two years? “My deputy is bringing him in for questioning. I wanted you to know before it’s all over the county.”

“Wait—why is Cooper being brought in for questioning?” He felt that other shoe drop.

“He was the first on the scene. Don’t worry. I’ll get it sorted out.”

Holden felt his stomach roil. Cooper had found her on his way to the ranch? He felt as if he was having trouble keeping up. It had been the second troubling call he’d gotten today.

“I don’t have all the details yet. I just thought you’d want to know since it happened on your ranch.”

He wanted to assure the sheriff that no one on the ranch had shot her. Not to mention Cooper, the one who’d apparently found her, Holden thought. But there would be plenty of time to deny accountability before this was over. “Yes, thank you, Stu, for letting me know.”

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