Page 50 of Dark Side of the River

“What are you trying to tell me?”

“That you might want to talk him out of opening this old can of worms. That’s if you care about him. Who knows what evidence might turn up.”

Tilly had seen that he was trying to make her doubt Cooper, make her suspect that he might be a killer. “Thanks for the advice,” she’d said, her voice clipped. “I have to go.”

“Sure,” he’d said. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Not if I see you first, she’d thought. She knew Stuart was just trying to get her to question her feelings for Cooper. Didn’t he realize she’d been doing that enough on her own? She was a Stafford. Coop was a McKenna. That alone made even the thought of them having a future together seem impossible.

But she would never believe that Cooper had killed Leann. Though she did wonder why he hadn’t mentioned that he’d found evidence about her death. Was he ever planning to tell her?

*

COOPERWASQUESTIONINGbringing Tilly with him. But now that he had, he knew there was no leaving her behind. They rode across the open expanse to the mouth of the ravine carved over the years in the rising rugged mountains beyond. He felt the early summer heat of the sun lolling overhead. Another hot summer. Another dry one after too many years without enough rain.

A wall of rocks lined both sides of the opening into the ravine, making it a tight fit, just large enough for one horse to pass for a dozen yards before it opened up.

As he eased his horse in, he studied the horseshoe tracks; at least four horses had come through here. One of them had been Oakley’s. One track would have been the horse and rider Howie had seen from the plane. Had the sheriff sent men in here on horseback? There were too many tracks to tell.

The land rose, the ravine twisting back into the mountain. Higher up, ponderosa pines dotted the mountainside next to steep cliffs and outcroppings. Everything seemed to glisten in the sunlight ahead, but in the ravine it was dark and cool, the cavity filled with shadows.

It felt peaceful back in here. Yet he felt a chill as if it was almost too quiet. He hadn’t heard a bird’s song. Even the breeze was silent. The only thing he could hear was the pounding of his heart as he thought of Oakley riding back in here. Why had she?

When the ravine widened enough for two horses, Tilly rode up next to him and reined in. “I saw the tracks. Maybe Oakley was meeting someone back in here.”

“Maybe.” It didn’t look like a place for a romantic rendezvous, but what did he know? “The other tracks have stopped, buried under fallen dried pine needles.” He rode a little farther and picked up only her horse’s tracks. “Let’s see where this comes out.” They rode on up through the ravine and over the top of a ridge. From there they could see the dirt road back into the old Smith homestead, but not any of the buildings.

They dropped into another ravine, this one wider. Someone had been up here on a four-wheeler. He pointed to the fresh tracks and Tilly nodded. It was so quiet, neither of them seemed anxious to break the silence.

Cooper pulled up short as they rounded a bend and the homestead came into view. “Do you see what I see?” he whispered. Below them was a grassy strip of land corded with tire tracks.

“A landing strip?” she whispered back.

“Sure looks that way.” It also appeared it had been in use recently. He felt unease crawl up his spine.

As they rode a little farther, Cooper saw what was left of the old homestead buildings. A half dozen outbuildings in varying degrees of condition stood next to the rock foundation of what had been the house. This ranch was one of many that had been added to McKenna Ranch over the years.

The sun reflected off something shiny on the door of one of the larger buildings. As he rode closer, he saw that someone had put a padlock on the door. “This looks interesting,” he said, dismounting. The glass in the windows had been gone for years. But wood had been nailed over the openings. He peered through a crack between two slabs and swore.

“What?” Tilly asked, joining him.

“Unless I miss my guess, someone’s set up a meth lab in there.” He glanced at the other buildings and the old outhouse that was leaning, but still standing.

“Which would explain the landing strip and the four-wheeler tracks,” she said.

He glanced to the west. This old homestead was miles from the nearest highway. With the drought, this part of the ranch didn’t have any cattle running on it, making this spot the perfect place for a drug lab. There was little chance that anyone would stumble across it. It was McKenna property, private land. Anyone on it without permission was trespassing.

Had someone gotten permission? He thought of Treyton and hoped his brother had nothing to do with this.

At the sound of a vehicle in the distance, they looked at each other. “Come on,” Cooper said. They rushed to their horses, mounting and riding back toward the ravine they’d just come out of. Until they reached the pines, they would be in plain sight.

Maybe the drug makers always stopped by this time of the day. Or maybe there had been some kind of battery-operated security camera on the outbuilding. Cooper mentally kicked himself for not noticing. Too late now.

They were starting up the ravine into the pines when Cooper looked back. Just below them, a large truck pulling a stock trailer came into view.

The driver of the truck stopped, got out and rushed to open the rear of the trailer. Cooper expected horses to emerge. Instead, a large four-wheeler came barreling out, the rider armed with what looked like an AR15 strapped across his chest. Another four-wheeler roared out after him, this man also armed with the military-style automatic rifle.

“We have to get out of here,” Cooper said unnecessarily. Tilly was already urging her horse up the mountainside toward the pines. He knew she had to be thinking the same thing he was. This must be what had happened with Oakley. As the men turned the four-wheelers toward them, they gunned the engines and came thundering in their direction.

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