“And we will be. We’ll head to Barn Five at the opposite end. Tucker is only allowing them in Barn One which has the least horses and is closest to his clinic so he can keep an eye on things.”
Liz took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. They’d turned their steps toward the farthest barn when Trouble stopped and hissed. It took a moment for Liz to realize he was looking behind them.
“Mr. Vincente, wait! We’re not supposed to go in that barn.”
“We’ll only be a moment,” the older man said as he and his companion strode toward Barn Two.
“I need you to stop or I’ll have to call Dr. Hollis.” Liz recognized one of the younger instructors. She’d watched his class for a few minutes the previous afternoon. He was quiet and soothing with the students and the horses, skilled at his work, but maybe not at managing assholes.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Come with us and you’ll see we don’t hurt a thing. We’ve only to verify some measurements, that’s all. And it wouldn’t be necessary if that cart weren’t stacked along the back wall in the barn you showed us.”
Will sighed and looked at Liz. “Shall we?”
She couldn’t help her grin. She saw the gleam in his eye and knew Will was about to enjoy himself at Mr. Vincente’s expense. “We shouldn’t, I suppose, as that’s not exactly ‘off the radar’. But, yes, I think we shall.”
They intercepted the trio at the opening of Barn Two. “May we be of help?”
Recognizing help, the young man stammered. “They aren’t supposed to go in there. Tucker was clear on that.”
“Why don’t you go get Dr. Hollis while I speak with these gentlemen.”
“Yes, sir.” Recognizing authority along with assistance, he nodded and took off for the clinic.
“Gentlemen, I’m afraid I’ll have to stand in for Dr. Hollis and not allow you to go further until he arrives.”
“I doubt you have that authority,” Vincente said. His voice oozed with disdain. “Just who are you?”
Trouble rumbled a growl deep in his chest but Liz supposed she and Will did look underdressed. The two men in front of them wore long sleeves with cuff links and shoes that had likely been well polished before they entered the first barn. She was in jeans with a tee and jean jacket. Will at least wore khakis with a polo.
“I represent Ms. O’Neal,” Will lied smoothly as he gestured toward Liz, “who is a potential investor for the facility. As an attorney, her attorney, I can assure you that you’re on very shaky ground should the Hannas choose to sue you for trespassing.”
“Trespassing! I’m Harrison Vincente. We’re here with permission and—”
“Whoever you are, which is inconsequential,” Will cut across his speech, “you were in Barn One with permission. Not Barn Two.”
“Barn One, Barn Two, they’re just barns.”
“Really? So why the urgency to go where you were told not to go?” Liz couldn’t help herself. The temptation to join the fun was too great. She looked from Vincente to Will. “Please determine why security is not tighter here before I invest any funds.”
“I’ll add that to my list.” Will smiled down at her.
“Damn it, Vincente.” Tucker had reached them, red-faced and furious, his hair springing out more than usual as if he’d run his hands through it along the way. Even so, angry as he was, Liz admired the calm of his voice as he said, “You’ll need to leave now and don’t bother coming back tomorrow. You’ve made yourself unwelcome.”
“Oh, come now.”
“If I see you,” Tucker continued as if the man hadn’t spoke, “I’ll call the sheriff’s office.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Will said, “Ms. O’Neal’s bodyguards can be reassigned to guard the perimeter. Don’t you think?” He glanced at Liz and winked.
“Of course. As long as you’re with me, I know I’m safe. I’ve seen you at target practice.”
“This is ridiculous.” Vincente spun on his heel and his architect followed.
Tucker turned toward Liz. “Bodyguards?”
She shrugged and laughed. “Let’s find a glass of tea and we’ll tell you all about it. What a guy.”
“Jackass,” Tucker said.
He didn’t get an argument.
* * *
They all took a few minutes to regroup in Avery’s garden. Jana and Tucker sat on the swing together, with Tucker giving a push with his foot now and then so that the swing glided back and forth.
Liz felt bad for their stress. “You know, people like Vincente aren’t that uncommon and they don’t all have money. Just a strong sense of self and a strong belief that their self is better than anyone else’s.”
Jana tilted her head. “That sounds very convoluted.”
“I know.”
“All I can say is that I really, really don’t like the man,” Jana said.
“I doubt he’ll find his way here again,” Will suggested. “As Liz said, he has a strong sense of self and he won’t like being around anyone who has bested him. If I had to guess, he’ll fire his architect simply because the man was a witness to it.”
“You don’t think he was angry enough to come back, do you?” Jana sounded anxious.
“He was definitely more embarrassed than he was angry. I can assure you, he’ll put this behind him as fast as he possibly can and forget it ever happened. I’ve met his kind before.”
Jana nodded but she didn’t smile as she let Tucker pull her in tight against him.
Chapter Sixteen
Liz and Will settled in her cabin with their laptops open on the bar between them. Trouble wandered back and forth between their screens.
“Sardinia.” Liz read aloud from her laptop. “An island in the Mediterranean Sea and politically one of the 20 regions of Italy. It’s the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily and is located west of the Italian Peninsula.”
Will looked up from Cervelli’s email. “And?”
“And, nothing. Give me time. I’m studying.” After a moment, she said, “Still nothing. It’s an island and the natural home of the Giara. Even though sometimes called a pony, the breed is considered a horse.” Liz focused her attention on the tiny table of specifications at the bottom. “Wow. A very small horse. Just over thirteen hands at best.”
“I thought I read someplace that a horse had to be fourteen hands or above to be considered a horse.”
“Fourteen hands two inches is the standard,” she agreed, then went back to skimming the article out loud. “Thirteen hands. Bay, chestnut or black. Large head with a wide jaw. Short neck, low withers, a long back, and good bones. Sure-footed with a spirited temperament.’
“So, what does all that mean?”
“In terms of the theft? Absolutely nothing. This is a pony, for all intents and purposes. Cute but not particularly graceful looking judging by the photos. Nothing any real breeder or competitor would be looking to buy much less steal. None of this makes sense.” And Liz knew that was a phrase they’d overused but…it was the truth. None of it did make sense.
Liz looked up and found Will watching her.
“What is it?” he asked. “I can almost hear you thinking.”
“Pedigrees don’t mean much to me. Bloodlines only count when I’m figuring out what to expect from a horse, how to approach him. But Signore Cervelli admitted that the list of fifteen we asked about make those breeds valuable to his country. It seems improbable to me that he didn’t know the missing stallions were on that list.”
“I agree,” Will said easily.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“But you didn’t challenge him on it.” That surprised her.
“He didn’t exactly deny knowing. He left us to infer it on our own by his tone and the way he phrased his comments. I chose not to call him on it. Yet.”
Liz took a moment to recall the exchange and Cervelli’s words, then smiled at Will. “You’re pretty good, aren’t you?”
“Modesty forb
ids me to respond to that.”
Despite their banter, Liz felt a deepening urgency to their search. Will had been making notes while studying Cervelli’s missive on the missing pony.
She almost hated to ask but… “Anyone go missing with the Giara?”
Will looked up and shook his head. “Not as far as Cervelli knows. Carson was on a flight to Italy this morning. He’ll know who to talk to, what questions to ask.”
“I would’ve thought you’d want to go on this one.”
“Carson can do exactly what I would have done but whatever happened is done and whoever was there is gone. This case won’t end in Italy. It will end here in the States.”
Liz thought about that for a moment. “What if Milo coming here was happenstance? Some malfunction with the plane or the boat or whatever? Maybe the final destination for the stallions is supposed to be Mexico or one of the Island nations?”
“I know all those possibilities exist,” he admitted, “but sometimes I have to go with my gut.”
“And that’s something you’ve learned to trust,” she said softly.
“Sometimes the hard way,” he admitted with a grunt of laughter.
When they’d exhausted their research, Liz and Trouble opted for a walk. Will took to the front porch of his cabin with his notepad.
* * *
“I get Will trusting his gut.” Liz strokes my fur as she shares her thoughts. “I don’t get Cervelli being any the least evasive with information. I don’t like it.”
Nor do I. I would be less disturbed if I could see any logical reason for it. If the Italian is mistrustful of Will, then I’m mistrustful of Cervelli. I find it unfortunate that I did not witness the actual conversation in question. I can glean much that even the wisest of humans miss. It could be no more than the fact that this politician doesn’t care for too much detail of the crime getting out and about. Or is it that he hopes the thieves do not realize the emotional value of the animals they steal? That would be rather naïve of him but still possible.
Liz stops in front of a paddock where the talented Leanne works with a private lesson. It takes Liz a moment to realize the gentleman on horseback is blind and I hear her softly indrawn breath as he tilts his head to listen for the sound of Leanne’s voice. I would hazard a guess that he and Leanne have worked together for a while. I’ve observed lessons before the student has reached this level of balance and it’s painful to watch.
* * *
“It’s amazing to watch her work.”
Liz turned in surprise to see Jana standing beside her. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you walk up. And, yes, amazing. She’s so intuitive. And the horse, oh my goodness, the horse.”
“That’s Jangle. He was Jack’s first on the ground baby.”
“He’s a beautiful giant.”
“And a gentle one.” Jana agreed then hesitated before adding, “Listen, can we walk a bit?”
“Sure.” Liz gave her a quick glance, seeing at least a measure of this morning’s tension still visible in the younger woman’s eyes.
She wasn’t surprised when Trouble moved off, tail high in the air. Girl talk likely wasn’t his thing and, without a doubt, it was girl talk of some sort that Jana wanted or needed.
They walked a distance in silence. Liz was good at waiting. The type of work she did with horses required all kinds of patience.
“I know you and Will could tell that Mr. Vincente rattled me.”
“That’s understandable. He was an ass to come here when he’d been told not to and a worse ass to go where he’d been told not to go.”
Jana sighed. “I’ve got to be honest and say that he got on my bad side the first day he rolled in. You and Will were trying to get Owen loaded so didn’t meet him.”
“Was he equally obnoxious then?” Liz had no problem picturing that.
“What was obnoxious was that he had a very, very young woman with him that he was passing off as his daughter.”
“You think she wasn’t?” Liz kept her tone neutral.
“I’ve never seen a daughter rub herself all over the arm she’s clinging to.”
Ugh. Liz had a too clear picture of what that would have looked like but, still, it wasn’t as if that was something rarely seen in today’s society.
“I know what you’re thinking. It’s not my business. And I agree. It…struck a nerve with me, I guess. I mentioned my dad to you.”
“You mentioned he was living in Brazil,” Liz said carefully. With his girlfriends and his mega-millions to be exact.
“He left my mom and me when I was about twelve, ran away with what I later learned was the last in a long line of very young girlfriends. I was about to become a teenager. I guess he couldn’t stand being around a reminder that he was sleeping with girls the age of his own daughter.”
Liz stopped and turned toward Jana. “I’m sorry for you and for your mom. No one should have to live through that or with that.” Life was so damned hard sometimes.
“I’m okay but I always wondered if the stress from all those years didn’t cause high blood pressure or something and her aneurysms. I hated him for a long time.”
Liz didn’t say anything because she didn’t know what to say. People therapy wasn’t her thing. Neither was girl talk for that matter but she was trying.
Jana chuckled. “Who am I kidding? I still hate him but I’m trying not to. Mr. Vincente brought it all back. I guess that’s not his fault except I can dislike him because he’s a sleaze.”
Liz smiled at that. “Yep, I think it’s fine if you’re still working on the ‘not hating’ thing and equally fine that you dislike a sleaze.”
“Thanks.” Some of the tension left Jana’s shoulders. “That was Leanne’s last lesson of the day and it’s ending. It’s late enough we can have a glass of wine before dinner,” Jana offered.
“Or two,” Liz said agreeably and they turned their steps toward the Hanna house and dinner.
* * *
Trouble was sprawled on the double-swing watching Will turn thick pork chops on the grill when Liz and Jana walked into sight. He glanced at Jana who picked up the cat and settled in the swing with him. Will thought she looked less strained than earlier in the day but his focus was Liz. There would always be men who were drawn to more fragile women. He wasn’t one of them. Liz’s strength appealed to him every bit as much as her imperfect beauty.
He watched as she walked over to the table where he had a bottle of wine open to breathe. “Where’s Tucker?”
“Emergency farm call?” He glanced questioningly at Jana. “At least that’s where he was headed when I saw him.” Will glanced at his watch. “He thought he’d be back by now. I tried to time starting the grill in sync with that.”
“Oh, sorry,” Jana said. “About the time he was packing up from there, he got another call and headed in a different direction. It happens.”
Will shrugged, “No apology needed. I’m sure that’s the life of a vet.”
“More often than not” Jana agreed, “even though he limits his farm calls as much as possible. There’s plenty to keep him busy here most of the time. But in an emergency all bets are off. I’ll keep a plate warm for him. Won’t be the first time or the last.”
Liz handed a glass of wine to Jana and Will slid the meat off the grill. As he placed it by the bowl of salad on the table, his phone signaled an incoming text. He read it twice, then slid his phone in his pocket. He glanced at Liz, “Jonas wants me to meet him in Macon. He has something he needs to get to me. Are you up for a drive?”
“Sure. Do we get to eat first?”
“We do.”
Will looked at Jana, feeling a moment of concern. “Will you be okay here until Tucker gets home?”
“Of course,” she cuddled the cat closer with a smile. “After all, I’ll have this guy for company.”
* * *
Hmmm, not what I had in mind for my evening but I’ve no great objections. I’ll be ready for a nap soon in any case. Nestled with
a gentle hand stroking my fur or stretched out on the back seat of a truck are both good choices.
After my tasty dinner, of course. Will Chandler knows his way around a grill and a nice cut of meat.
* * *
“Are we really going to Macon?” Liz asked as she buckled her seat belt.
She still felt scattered. Neither of them had changed clothes. Liz had at least brushed her teeth and hair and washed her face and suspected Will hadn’t done any more than that either. She’d had the presence of mind to grab her bag with her laptop and wallet.
“We really are,” Will chuckled. “Why?”
“Seems an odd place to meet someone.”
“My team is always where they need to be.”
Liz heard the satisfaction and something beneath that, an undercurrent of excitement. She turned to stare at him. “What does Jonas need to get to you?”
“To be completely accurate, he wants to hand it off to you.” He turned to meet her gaze and she saw the satisfaction in his eyes.
“One of the stallions,” she breathed. The sting of tears took her by surprise. She’d come to care more than she realized. She was in this every bit as deep as Will and his team. All of the stallions needed to go home.
“He found the Tolfetano,” he acknowledged. “I don’t know much more. He’ll debrief when we get there.”
Liz pulled out her laptop and found the document on the breed. “There’s good news and bad news. This says their temperament tends toward lively and independent but they’re also considered courageous and intelligent. They can also be anywhere from fourteen to sixteen hands.”
“Those are some good pluses. Maybe the intelligent part of him will make him easy to load and maybe we won’t have anyone shooting at us this time.”
Liz’s eyes widened. “We’re not flying to Italy tonight, are we?”
Will chuckled. “Not if he loads easily. Stack will take him straight to a small air strip along the coast of Lazio, near the farm. The owners will meet him there. If he doesn’t load easily,” Will shrugged, “all bets are off on how we spend the night.”
A Whisper of Trouble Page 17