“Good,” Jana said with a brisk nod. “We’ll meet in front of the clinic about 8:00? I have the perfect horse for you. You’ll love Jingle. He’s one of Avery’s favorite mounts.”
Liz felt a moment’s concern. “She won’t mind?”
“Not at all. Leanne uses him for therapy riding as well. Jingle is talented but easy to get along with. Oh, I had your cabins cleaned but none of your belongings were touched. I made sure of that.”
Liz hadn’t worried about anything she’d left behind when she dashed off with Will. There wasn’t much you could do to hurt a stack of jeans and tee shirts and several worn pair of boots.
“I’ve got a light schedule tomorrow. I should have time to put a pot of chili together to simmer,” Tucker offered.
Liz looked at him startled. “I don’t expect you to feed me every night. There’s the kitchenette in the cabin.”
“No point in either of you stocking up with food. We’ve all got to eat and we need to meet at the end of the day to compare notes on our research so may as well do it over dinner. Our place is small, but Avery told me we’re welcome to the kitchen and dining area and this deck.”
Liz would have found the vet’s enthusiasm for the game of espionage appealingly innocent had she not learned in the last few days how quickly it could turn deadly. Still, he made a valid point.
“Not a bad idea,” Will agreed, “but let’s divvy up the cooking duties. Liz and I can run into town in a day or two and pick up some things. Tomorrow I’ll spend most of the day on the phone and email. Maybe the day after?” He glanced at Liz.
And just like that, she thought, he made them sound like a couple. Which they weren’t, of course.
“Sure,” she heard herself say. She met Will’s gaze but couldn’t read a single thought in those dark eyes.
* * *
Decisions, decisions. Do I trudge after Liz and Jana through brush and bramble, accepting a ride now and again, uncomfortably ensconced between human and saddle horn? Or do I lie upon Will’s bed and listen in while his team divulges reams of information which could hold one golden nugget upon which we build the knowledge to crack this case.
I believe my mind is made.
* * *
Five minutes out from the barn, Liz was glad Jana had asked her, glad she’d come on the impromptu trail ride. Summer Valley Ranch was beautiful. She could tell the five barns and corresponding riding paddocks were maintained in pristine condition. But it was the rolling hills beyond, golden grass shimmering beneath the blue of the October sky that made her catch her breath. Here and there the hills were broken by timberlines along three different streams.
As the horses splashed through the shallow water of the first creek, showering their riders with sprinkles of clear water, Liz laughed out loud.
Jana looked at her, pleased. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh. It’s a nice sound.”
“Thanks. I try to remember to do that.” Liz wanted to recall the words as soon as she said them but Jana didn’t pry and she let her shoulders relax again. “You and Tucker seem very compatible. How did you meet?”
An unhappy look crossed the younger woman’s face. “It’s a love story with a happy ending but a beginning that crushed me. My mom had a mild cerebral aneurysm the year I started high school. After a whole battery of tests from an angiography to an MRI, the doctors felt it was a one-time thing.” Jana’s voice flattened by the end of the sentence and Liz guessed what was coming. “The second one killed her during my senior year. I’d just been accepted into the US Olympic Equestrian Team.”
Liz didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry seemed so little but she said it anyway. Her heart ached for the girl Jana had been.
“Thanks. I still miss her. Every damned day. She was all I had. I was all she had. I pretty much lost it. I didn’t eat or sleep for a week. Walked away from the college I’d chosen and been offered free admission to attend, walked away from a chance to compete in the World Olympics.”
“That sucks. If something happened to my mama, I’d want to die but my dad would need me so that wouldn’t be an option.” She felt bad that Jana hadn’t had anyone else.
But the other girl shrugged. “My father doesn’t need anyone. He has his girlfriends and his mega-millions down in Brazil, somewhere.”
Although her tone was nonchalant, Liz had a feeling Jana was hiding experiences far more painful than that simple statement of fact. “And that sucks, too.”
Jana turned to look at her and some of the bleakness left her expression. “You have a way with words.”
“So I’ve been told,” Liz said, her tone wry. “But my laugh has a nice sound to it,” she said, turning Jana’s compliment back on her.
Jana laughed. “Go ahead. Make fun of me, but, yes, it does.”
“I’m not really. Making fun of you, I mean. It was kind of you to say.”
They smiled at each other and darker subjects were dropped as they stopped for lunch beside a clear stream of water. The horses drank and grazed while they talked about the success of Avery’s therapeutic riding program and how she and Dirks came to be. Liz couldn’t imagine falling in love with a man who was investigating her business for federal fraud. She was more intrigued with the fact that the entire riding program was built upon the talents of rescue horses. Horses that, once upon a time, were unwanted and now made the foundation for a team of people who worked with everyone from autistic children to blind veterans and every level of need in between. Intrigued, too, by the tale of a young woman who murdered without compunction.
“So, you think Tucker was in love with the young woman who caused Avery so many problems? Who did so much damage?”
“Not in love, no. He thought he was but you can’t love someone like her. They aren’t real. It was an infatuation he got over long before I came along.”
“And, you…walking through the door and asking Avery Hanna for a job because you liked what you heard about the place.” Liz shook her head. “I can’t imagine ever doing anything like that.”
“You mean crazy like that?”
Liz chuckled. “Not altogether crazy but…” And it was a big but. Liz had never been afraid of life or working hard for what she wanted, but she’d never been a forceful person. Determined, yes, and strong, but not pushy.
“I was a good fit for the place.”
“And for Tucker.”
Jana’s smile broadened. “Yep, that too. Ready to head back?”
“With any luck, Will has come across something helpful in all his digging today.” Liz knew he wasn’t happy about the length of time it was taking to track things down. She wasn’t sure how many people were on his team but surely one of them would unearth a lead soon.
* * *
Will leaned back in his chair and looked at the cat who’d spent as much time staring at the computer screen as Will had.
“That’s not good news,” he told Trouble who blinked in return. “Not unexpected but not good.” He glanced at the time and stretched his back. “And we haven’t gained much ground today. A bit but not enough.”
Trouble stood and stretched as well then sprang from the countertop where Will had been working and walked toward the front of the bungalow. Will followed to open the door. It crossed his mind that Trouble had managed to train him with very little effort but Will couldn’t deny the cat had earned some human pampering.
And the timing was perfect, he thought as Liz strolled toward the cabin next to his. The sight of her in scuffed boots, faded jeans and a weathered button-up shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows appealed to him. He suspected the sight of her in pretty much anything—or nothing at all—would appeal to him.
* * *
At the sight of him propped against the doorframe, Liz turned his way with a smile. “Did you and Trouble have a good day?”
“Not as good as I’d have liked. What about you? Enjoy your ride?”
“I did. Jana’s interesting and pleasant to be around.” But, b
ecause something in his tone warned her, she added, “Want to tell me what it is I’m not going to like?”
“I can. Come on in.”
He stepped back and she walked in, leaving the door open in case the cat decided to return. Despite the full afternoon sun, the air was cool and the wind was almost brisk. The hordes of insects that would survive until the first hard frost wouldn’t descend until night fall.
Will pulled a seat away from the bar for her and then sat beside her, angling the laptop between them.
Liz studied the newspaper article in front of her. The picture was wrenching and easy to decipher. A blanket-covered body lying in the sand at the base of a steep rock. She couldn’t read the language in which the article was written and said as much to Will, adding, “I take it this is someone we know.”
“Last name, De Luca. First name, Augustin.”
“Oh, no,” she breathed the words, abruptly sad as she pictured the fond look on Signora Miriam’s face when she talked about the Ventasso’s groom. “I’m sorry to see this.”
“Yeah, I was, too. Sorry but not surprised.”
“How did you find this?”
“I didn’t. One of my team, Jonas, uncovered it. He’s going back through obituaries since the first theft. He also provided an abbreviated English translation of the article as I don’t read Italian any more than you do.”
“You think there will be more, don’t you?”
Will let out a sigh and nodded. “I do. I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around it but, yeah, there will be more.”
Liz tilted her head. “I’d think your line of work would bring you in regular contact with dead bodies and murderers.”
“Unfortunately, too many. But most murders are easy to fit into a slot. This?” He shook his head. “Planning the theft of five—and who knows how many more—horses is one thing. Factoring in a cold-blooded murder with each heist for the expedience of a temporary handler until the horse is safely removed? That’s not the kind of thing I’ve seen before. And I’ve seen plenty.”
“Did Augustin make it home? Did his family get to see him before…?”
“Jonas interviewed a brother. He spoke for the groom’s family, none of whom knew anything of a planned trip home. The body was found not far outside a small town near the farm.”
“Did he die from the fall?” Even though she asked, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“According to this, the authorities were uncertain. His neck was broken which could have happened during the fall. Or moments before his body was thrown over the edge.”
“They probably wouldn’t have left his death to chance.”
“And it would have made for extra effort to climb down to be sure,” Will agreed. “Beyond that, there were euros scattered about his body in too large of an arc to have fallen from his pocket.”
Feeling sick at her stomach, Liz inhaled slowly. “As if they were mocking his naivety.”
“I suspect they viewed it more as stupidity.”
Liz supposed he was right.
Chapter Twelve
Even though Avery sleeked up her kitchen with a modern update, it still has a cozy feel to it as does the adjoining dining area.
Will wisely delayed the subject of murder until after our dinner. And I’m pleased with Tucker who set aside some steak tartare—sans the seasoning—for my own meal. Yes, yes, I know these humans call it ground beef but their cuisine experience has not been as refined as my own. After all, consider the fact that Tucker browned several pounds of perfectly good, high quality ground beef, then simmered it with several varieties of beans plus tomatoes and spices. All four of them seem to be enjoying it with slabs of cornbread slathered in butter but that is no way to treat beef!
When the last bowl is pushed away, Tucker looks at Will and asks what news there is. Will shares what we learned through a long afternoon of rather grueling research. I realize poking about online is a necessary evil but it is not my favorite part of sleuthing.
Jana pales as Will concludes his recap with the death of the groom. “Any person who would do such a thing is a monster. I can’t imagine being so cold-blooded.”
Tucker frowns and I can tell he’s giving weighty thought to Will’s revelations. “That seems a very odd thing for them to have done. They at least tried to make the death look accidental. So why the coins around the body?”
Tucker has the right of it. Will and I are both in agreement that there are things not adding up about this case. One aspect, the theft of the stallions, seems part of a sophisticated plan. These thieves have gotten away with five prized stallions. Not only spirited them from closely watched barns but more than likely spirited them all from the country. That takes time and careful planning, along with a good bit of money.
But the groom, Augustin, met his end close to the stallion’s home while Nadine was offed only after traveling halfway around the world with the Catria. My take is she caught onto the plan and escaped with the horse she defended to her death. Perhaps the thieves learned from Nadine’s success and duly changed tactics so there would not be time or opportunity for a similar foiling of plans? But why the clumsiness of the coins scattered around Augustin’s body? Because, like Judas, he betrayed those who trusted him for ‘pieces of silver’, as it were? Or because in some way he betrayed the perpetrators of the plot?
I can tell my human assistants are as perplexed as I.
* * *
Will changed the subject as soon as was reasonable given Tucker’s determination to sort through possibilities. Jana still looked stunned and sickened although she tried to be stoic through the conversation. The truth was, they had no answers at this point. At the first opportunity, he asked about the search Jana continued with the shared veterinary database.
“We saw two possible matches between descriptions on test results and a couple of the missing horses but neither panned out,” Jana admitted. “I’m still putting in at least an hour a day looking at new entries.”
Will suspected Tucker had given up the effort but he didn’t intend to ask and neither Jana nor Tucker offered the information.
“But I don’t just use it for the missing stallions from Italy. I also try to match against horses here that are reported missing.” Will could see frustration in her expression as well as hear it in her voice.
He suspected Liz saw it as well when she said, “Even if you’re not successful helping the Italians, it would be wonderful if you helped return a horse stolen in the States.”
Jana’s smile was faint. “I know. I just wish…” She didn’t finish as she leaned her head against Tucker’s shoulder.
Liz rose gracefully. “It’s been a long day. My muscles aren’t accustomed to hours of trail riding although I did enjoy it.”
“Perhaps we can go again in a day or two?” Jana looked hopeful.
“Of course,” Liz answered.
Will got to his feet as well, wondering if Jana were lonely for female companionship with Avery overseas. He said as much to Liz after they’d said their goodbyes and walked back toward their cabins.
“You know,” Liz sounded thoughtful, “I’d judged Jana to be in her late twenties, perhaps even early thirties when we first met, now I’m wondering if she isn’t much younger than that. She has her act together and is very mature in her thought processes but there’s an air of vulnerability about her.”
Will nodded. “Could be Avery’s been a mother-figure that Jana’s missing in the middle of all this. It may take her a while to get past finding Nadine Dane’s body.” They stopped in front of her cabin. “What about that trip into town tomorrow?”
He could almost see her thinking before she nodded. He ignored the pinch of relief and decided to push his luck. “Leave about 10:00? Tucker says it’s a pretty little town. Worth a stroll around Main Street.”
Liz almost smiled. “You aren’t exactly the strolling type.”
Will’s smile wasn’t just almost. “You’d be surprised at the things
you don’t know about me. See you in the morning,” he said. Then he did what he didn’t want to do and moved on toward his cabin.
* * *
Trouble watched Liz as she changed clothes for the second time. She glared at him. “I don’t care what either of you think about how I look.”
The cat lifted a paw and began to groom himself.
“So, you think black slacks and a white pullover are boring?”
No answer.
“Yeah. Me, too.” She didn’t own cute clothes. She owned durable clothes that suited her job. Jeans and tee-shirts, with long and short sleeves, blue jean jackets and chambray shirts with buttons. Disgusted she changed back to the jeans and dark peach tee she’d had on to start.
The knock on her door startled her and she glared at the cat. “Don’t you say a word to him about this.”
* * *
The restaurant was small but sophisticated in its look. There were several intimate seating areas around the walls balanced by the larger tables in the open middle. Although Will didn’t want to be in the center, he thought one of the more secluded alcoves might be off-putting for Liz if he did the choosing.
When the hostess asked their preference, he glanced at Liz with lifted brow.
“It’s cool and fall-gorgeous,” she said, “what about the outdoor seating.”
“Perfect,” he agreed. He put his hand lightly on Liz’ back as they followed the hostess to the sidewalk area where ferns hung from the scrolled iron railing. There were overhead fans with wide blades but they weren’t on and weren’t needed.
Pulling a chair for Liz from the table, Will realized it was perfect, just as he’d said.
A waiter appeared with a tray that held two glasses and a bottle of sparkling water which he poured and placed on the table in front of them along with lunch menus. While they waited for him to return to take their orders, they chatted about the town they’d explored for an hour or so. There’d been book stores and art galleries and boutiques with plate glass windows and doors framed by hanging baskets of flowers and ferns.
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