Black Hills

you’ll squawk if I happen to slip you copies.”
    “I won’t.”
    “Criminal Investigation Division’s combing that scene now. They’re not stupid either. If that bastard dropped so much as a toothpick, they’ll find it. When we get a ballpark on the time of death, that’ll help. We can do a couple of reconstruct scenarios. I’ll listen to any thoughts you’ve got on it. I’m damned if somebody’s going to get away with terrorizing one of my friends, and killing tourists.”
    “Then I’ll give you a couple now. He’s holed up. He’s got a place, probably more than one, but one where he keeps the bulk of his supplies. He won’t have much. He needs to travel light and often. When he needs something, or wants something, he steals it. Campers, vacation homes, empty houses. We know he’s got at least one gun, so he needs ammo. He hunts for food, or pilfers campsites. And I think he keeps his ear to the ground. He’s going to find out you found the body. The sensible thing to do would be to pull up stakes, head over into Wyoming, get lost for a while. But I don’t think he’s going to do that. He’s got an agenda, and he isn’t finished.”
    “We’ll be searching, ground and air. If he shows the tip of his dick, we’ll pull him in.”
    “Have you had any reports of anything stolen from campers, hikers, houses, stores?”
    “There’s always some. I’ll look over everything for the last six months. Maybe you’d let me deputize you, for the short term.”
    “No. I don’t want a badge again.”
    “One of these days, Coop, you and I are going to have to sit down over a beer so you can tell me why that is.”
    “Maybe. I need to get to Lil’s.”
    “You swing by, pick up those pictures. Badge or not, I’m going to use you.”
    This time when Coop arrived at Lil’s he wore his 9mm under his jacket. He carted his laptop, the files Willy had given him, and three spare clips into her cabin. After some debate, he shoved one of the clips into his pocket and stowed the other two in one of her dresser drawers.
    And with an eyebrow cocked, drew out a short, silky black gown with very sheer lace in interesting places.
    He wondered why she always seemed to wear flannel.
    He poked at something red and virtually transparent, shook his head, and dropped the black number back into the drawer.
    In the kitchen he set up his laptop on her table, dug a couple of bottles of water out of her supply, then went out to take a look at the progress on her security system.
    He spent a little time with the head installer out of Rapid City, and made his escape after the man figured out he knew something about security—and before he could get roped into helping with the wiring.
    The good weather brought people out, he noted. He counted three groups making the rounds of the habitat. And the big yellow school bus indicated there were more on the property. Education center, he surmised.
    She was keeping busy, and that was good. It was also too bad, or so she might think. But there were only a few hours of daylight left—and they had an appointment.
    He hooked her horse trailer to his truck, loaded the horse he’d sold her onto it. He chose the younger and larger of the horses left in the stable, then secured that one in the trailer.
    It amused him that no one questioned him. Either he was too familiar or too forbidding, but the interns went about their business—and from across the compound, Tansy sent him a friendly wave.
    A single question to a passing staff member gave him Lil’s location as her office. He drove the trailer over to the cabin, then went in to get her.
    “Coop.” Mary gave him an absent nod of greeting from her desk. “She’s on the phone, but I think she’s wrapping it up.” She glanced toward the office, lowered her voice. “Have you heard about the murder? Do you know if it’s true?”
    “Yeah, it’s true.”
    “That poor man. His poor wife. Come out here for a little holiday, and go home a widow. Every time I think people are basically good and decent, something happens that convinces me too many of them are no damn good.”
    “You’re right, both ways.”
    “That’s the problem, isn’t it? Oh, your friend—the alarm system man—he’s been in touch.”
    “I talked to him. He should have you fully secured in another two days.”
    “Glad to hear it, and that’s a shame, too. That we have to go to all this trouble and expense because some people are no damn