Mal caught up with Jayne halfway back to town, but only because the big guy had reined in his mount, letting the horse tear at a gorse bush.

“You okay?” he asked, doing the same and taking the opportunity to shift slightly in the saddle to a more comfortable position – it had been a while since he’d been on a horse, and there were parts of his anatomy that were beginning to complain.

“Someone was watching us,” Jayne said, without preamble.

Mal’s discomfort disappeared, and he was as serious as a Reaver attack. He didn’t even think to question the expert tracker’s statement. “Us? Or Mallory?”

“Can't tell. Caught a flash in the foothills behind the farm.”

“A scope?”

Jayne shrugged. “Figure that. Or long distance glasses.”

“Is that why you left in such an all-fire hurry?”

“Maybe I was just wanting to get home.”

“And maybe you were worrying about Mallory getting in the middle of something,” Mal said astutely.

“Her and her boy didn’t kill Indigo, so if someone’s gunning for us, she doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near it.”

“You sure about Josh? He handled that rifle better than most kids his age.”

Jayne knew Mal wasn’t honestly suggesting Josh killed anyone – he was just playing devil’s advocate so that all the options didn’t colour the facts. “Nah. He wouldn’t’a shot you, least not on purpose.”

“That’s nice to know.” Mal’s voice was drier than the Sihnon desert. “And if he thought your pal was threatening his Ma?”

“Indigo weren’t like that.”

“You don’t know. It’s been as long since you saw him.”

“He might’ve done stuff another man’d be ashamed of – if that other man wasn’t me – but he never abused a woman as I’m aware of.” He shook his head. “Josh didn’t shoot Indigo. I’d bet my life on it.”

“Hey, I was the one at the end of the gun.”

Jayne had to smile. “As if that was something you ain’t used to.”

Mal’s own mouth twitched. “More’n once, Jayne, more’n once.” He pulled his horse away from the scrub, turning his head back towards town. “Come on.