by M. Garzon
I heard the show announcer report a loose horse and saw people’s heads swiveling in response. Someone was bound to see him, I reassured myself. I saw Monica picking her way back to the temporary stabling, her arms bent halfway up her sides like wings for balance. Neil was with her, and I reached them just as Emma rushed up to me.
“Oh no, Téa I’m so sorry, I knew I should have said something, I knew it!” Tears were streaming down her face, and her nose was running. Her parents hurried up behind her, their faces pinched with concern.
I put my hands on Emma’s thin shoulders. “What is it?”
“I saw a man with Hades.” She hiccupped.
“It’s our fault. Emma told us, but we thought she was mistaken,” her mother said. She smoothed her daughter’s disheveled blond hair.
I sighed. People didn’t listen to kids; I remembered that well enough from my own childhood. “What did he look like, Emma? And where was he?”
We all crowded around her as she spoke. “I don’t know... I didn’t really look at the man, I was watching Hades.”
“I got a quick look,” her dad offered. “He was medium height, with brown hair and a potbelly. He had the horse grazing by the trailers.” Even now he didn’t say ‘Hades’, I noticed, but I believed Emma. She practically lived at the barn; she’d recognize a horse as easily as she would a person. The description Emma’s dad had given could describe a lot of men. I wracked my brain, but stopped in shock almost as soon as I’d started.
“Oh no,” I whispered. “Tom.”
“Who’s Tom?” Monica asked anxiously.
I explained quickly, wishing I’d taken his surprise appearance more seriously. Everyone started talking at once. I turned around and strode toward the area where the trailers were parked; seconds later Neil was at my elbow.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to check all the trailers. You should go to the show office and tell them what’s happened, and see if they can help us.”
“Never mind them,” Neil exclaimed, “I’m calling the police.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. I stopped and saw that everyone had followed us.
“I don’t think a missing horse would be considered an emergency,” Emma’s dad said.
“Well, it’s not like I know the number for the local police!” Neil retorted.
I left them to argue and jogged through the clumps of trailers. Many were familiar; vans from large stables all over the Northeast, smaller two-horse trailers that must have been local, and a few trailers for hire. During the show season there was high demand for horse transport and some barns made extra money by providing those services. I walked rapidly through the rows of vehicles, but I didn’t see anything suspicious. I stopped and pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, battling a sudden urge to cry. It’s too early to panic, I told myself sternly. He could still be here somewhere. A minute later I felt an arm around my shoulders.
I lowered my hands to find Alex next to me. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
I swallowed. “Hades is missing, and it looks like someone might have taken him.”
“What?” Alex gasped. I filled him in on the details as we headed toward the show office. He kept his arm around me, and I was grateful for the support. Alex was a dependable friend.
The show office was in a trailer. I climbed the wooden steps and was assaulted by raised voices coming through the open door. Neil, Monica, Emma and her parents, and several show officials were crowded into the small space.
The show secretary caught my eye and sighed with relief. “Oh, Téa. Thank goodness you’re here. The police will arrive shortly. I’m so sorry, but this is beyond our ability to deal with. We’ve never had anything like this happen before, not ever.”
I nodded. I’d never heard of anything like this happening at a show either.
“Are you certain he isn’t on the grounds somewhere?” an older woman asked. She was tall and bony, and I recognized her as one of the show officials.
“I’ve looked everywhere I can think of, and someone saw a man with Hades.”
“We’ll have the announcer describe Hades and ask everyone to be alert for him,” she said worriedly.
It would have been so easy. All Tom would have had to do was wait until no one was around and then take Hades out and walk him over to the trailers. He could have parked out of sight of the rings, and no one would have questioned him; in the hustle and bustle of a large show, a man leading a horse wouldn’t draw any attention.
Someone came into the office with a question about their classes, and our little group trailed out.
“We’ll stay here and wait for the police,” Neil said.
“Why don’t we go check on Cameo?” Emma’s mom suggested, wrapping an arm around her daughter’s shoulders.
I exchanged a look with Alex. “Are you done for the day?” I asked him.
“Yup.” He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Come on, let’s look around some more.”
We searched every corner, under the glaring sun outside and in every stall under the shade of the tents; through the permanent stable, in paddocks that Hades might have jumped into, and up and down the rows of trailers. We walked in silence most of the time, Alex’s arm occasionally brushing mine. Forty-five minutes later we were sweating, tired, and I for one was miserable.
“Let’s get a drink,” Alex suggested.
I moped after him to the snack truck. “Thanks, Alex,” I said quietly as we got in line. I meant it, too. He could have been relaxing in the shade somewhere instead of searching with me under the scorching sun.
He slipped an arm around me. “Don’t mention it. I know you’d do the same for me.” His hazel eyes looked straight into mine until I started to get uncomfortable.
“Um, Alex... you know I have a boyfriend, right?”
“Yes.” He looked away, and I gently moved out from under his arm. I felt a bit bad for doing it. I’d never gotten the sense that Alex wanted more than friendship before, but I knew I wouldn’t be happy if I saw Jaden looking at another girl the way Alex had been looking at me.
We waited in somewhat awkward silence until we bought our drinks — Coke for Alex and iced tea for me.
“I think the cops are here,” he commented, gesturing to a car parked by the show office.
We hurried over. The car was white with yellow and black markings, and if it hadn’t been for the lights on top I wouldn’t have recognized it as a police vehicle. Neil and Monica were talking to two officers in khaki uniforms.
“And ’ow long ago did you remark he is gone?” the middle-aged male officer asked in a heavy French accent. His partner, a younger woman with braided brown hair, looked around the show with interest.
We answered questions for what felt like an hour. Alex excused himself early on, and I tried to smile my thanks. I told the police everything I knew about Tom Morin, noticing Neil’s frown out of the corner of my eye. When we were done, the police went to talk to the show’s organizers about their security measures. Neil and Monica followed on their heels, but I couldn’t take any more of Neil’s bluster or Monica’s anxiety. I trudged back over to our stalls and slumped down on Hades’ tack trunk. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since that morning and it was late afternoon. I knew I should probably go find some food, but I didn’t feel like moving. I might have sat there until I turned to stone if Emma and her mom hadn’t arrived.
“We came to get Cameo ready for the drive home,” Emma said timidly. She seemed reluctant to disturb my funk.
“Oh, right.” I had to get Jasmine ready too, and I got up, relieved to have something to do. Jasmine and Cameo were going home in a neighboring stable’s van. I carefully wrapped Jasmine’s legs and made sure she had a full haynet ready to go before helping Emma pack the last of her pony’s things.
After we’d loaded the horses into the van I said goodbye to Emma. Her mom gave me a solicitous look and a hug, which made a big lump swell in
my throat. As soon as they left I went and sat in a corner of Hades’ stall. I pulled out my phone and called Jaden. Usually we texted when it was long-distance, but I needed to hear his voice. He listened quietly, making only a few startled exclamations as I recounted the day’s events.
“How are you holding up?” he asked when I was done.
“Not great,” I admitted. I felt the cool tracks of tears on my cheeks.
“Are you going to come home?”
Until he asked it hadn’t occurred to me to wonder. I was supposed to stay for the next show, but if Hades didn’t turn up...
“I’m not sure yet,” I said, my voice cracking.
“I wish I could join you but I can’t take time away from work right now, not when I just started.” He sounded frustrated. “Please, querida, take care of yourself. Go have a shower, get something to eat, and try to relax a little, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
“And remember that I love you.”
I felt a bit better as I said goodbye, and the shower and food did sound good, so I headed off to find Monica and Neil. Plus, I thought it couldn’t hurt to drive around a bit to look for Hades.
I slid onto the beige leather backseat of Neil’s BMW. We drove up and down the country roads surrounding the show; we saw many stables and lots of horses, but there was no sign of Hades. I ran into several barns to tell people about him and leave my number, feeling increasingly hopeless.
“Let’s go out for dinner,” Monica suggested after a couple of hours. I stifled a sigh but agreed politely. It used to be that shows were about my horses, my friends, and the thrill of competition. Lately it seemed that I spent more time with owners than with actual horsepeople.
We went to the motel and showered first. I made an attempt at relaxing under the water but my thoughts were skittering in every direction. Where was Hades? Was he okay? I was worried sick about him, and I couldn’t understand why Tom might have taken him. I didn’t bother drying my hair, just combed it and left the wet ends trailing on my shoulders.
I would have been happy with fast food, but of course Neil chose a much nicer restaurant. It was a popular rider hangout called ‘Mon Village’, housed in a large converted farmhouse built in the early 1800s. Huge exposed logs in the walls created a warm atmosphere, and I probably would have enjoyed it under different circumstances.
“Why didn’t you tell us about this stalker?” Neil asked bluntly after we’d sat down.
“He’s not really a stalker. He’s just an unbalanced man who followed me around for a short while. The other day was the first time I’ve seen him in over a year, and he seemed fine,” I explained.
“Well obviously he’s not if he took our horse,” Neil said impatiently.
“Honey, let’s just try to have a nice dinner,” Monica placated, surprising me. She patted his hand and he nodded, tight-lipped. They suited each other, in their own way.
The food was great, but dinner was a quiet affair. The motel room felt very empty when I returned, and I got ready for bed although I was so wound up I thought I’d never fall asleep. I had just turned on the TV when my phone rang.
“How are you?” Jaden’s velvety voice enveloped me with warmth.
“I feel so guilty,” I confessed. “What if Tom took Hades to get back at me?” I couldn’t even give voice to my other fear, that Hades might be hurt in some way.
“Tom? Tom Morin?” Jaden’s voice was suddenly sharp.
“Um, yeah. Didn’t I tell you? Someone matching his description might have taken Hades.”
“I can’t believe you neglected to mention that,” he said, his voice tight. “Are you safe? Is someone with you?”
“Monica and Neil are right next door. Don’t worry about me — worry about Hades.”
“You’re my first priority, Téa. When are you coming home?”
“Tomorrow, if nothing comes up.” We said our goodbyes and I hung up with a sigh. I understood Jaden’s concern, but his protectiveness felt like an extra burden right now.
Four
The drive to the showgrounds the next morning passed in bleak silence. We checked with the show office only to be told there was no news, and while Neil called the police for an update I headed to the stabling area.
“Téa!” Alex came jogging up to me. It was a bit weird to see him in cargo shorts and a T-shirt rather than riding clothes. “I was going to call you — I asked around last night, and one of the grooms thought she saw Rodney with Hades. C’mon, I’ll take you to her.”
We ran across the field and into the shade of the stabling tent. I saw Monica and Neil out of the corner of my eye, heading our way. The groom was a heavyset girl with a ponytail. She was in a stall brushing a bay horse and spoke to us across the webbed door.
“Like I told Alex, I don’t know your horse, but he matched the description and the guy was definitely Rodney. You can’t miss that little weasel.”
Dread filled me like sludge. “Rodney.” I spat the name.
Neil had arrived beside me. “The horse dealer?” He frowned.
My eyes widened in surprise. “Yes. How do you know him?” Neil might own a horse, but he wasn’t familiar with the usual horsey circles.
“That’s who we bought Hades from.”
I fell silent, shocked. Rodney bought and sold horses, but not valuable ones like Hades. Most of the unfortunate souls passing through his hands were bought from auctions, shoddily trained by unpaid teenage girls for a short while, and sold to unsuspecting buyers for several times the money. He got racehorses off the track, horses with lamenesses that could be hidden, and the occasional horse with behavioral issues. The last thought brought me up short. Hades had been a terror when I’d first met him.
“Maybe he decided to take him back,” I said slowly.
Rodney was pond scum. He’d tell people he would give them a bargain if they paid in cash and then, weeks or months later, claim the receipt was fake and that the horse hadn’t been paid for in full. The trouble was, by that time most buyers had become attached to their horses and simply paid the falsified ‘unpaid balance’, rather than deal with the hassle of going to court and worrying about their beloved partner being repossessed. Rodney sold lame horses. He took advantage of streams of teenage girls, who did all the work in his barn in exchange for riding privileges. But worst of all, he was cruel to horses, and they often emerged from his barn head-shy and mistrustful. That was something I could never forgive.
We thanked the groom and straggled out. Neil got on the phone to the police while I turned to Alex.
“Thanks,” I said gratefully. “I owe you.”
“And I’ll collect.” He grinned at me. “Seriously, I hope you get him back. You’re a great team.” He gave me a quick hug before turning to go.
“All right, let’s pack up,” Neil said glumly. “The police don’t sound like they’re taking this very seriously, and I want to pay Rodney a little visit on the way home.”
The five-hour drive seemed to take twenty, and I was on the edge of my seat even though I tried to distract myself by playing with Taffy, Monica’s tiny dog. Rodney’s barn was east of Toronto, and it was mid-afternoon when we cruised down the quiet, tree-canopied dirt road and pulled into the messy barnyard. Several dogs announced our presence as we walked toward the barn. Monica drew away from them nervously, and I moved closer to reassure her.
The barn was dim, low-ceilinged, and smelled like it didn’t get mucked out often enough. We had barely taken two steps when Rodney himself materialized in front of us.
“This isn’t a public barn,” he said, immediately arousing my suspicions. His eyes passed over me, but I saw the flicker of recognition when he spotted Monica and Neil.
I took another step and looked past him, and my heart gave a sudden leap as a large head appeared behind the bars of a stall.
“Hades!” I yelled. When I started toward him Rodney blocked my way, glaring. He reeked of stale cigarettes.
Hades gave a shrill wh
inny, staring at me as though I was a lifeline, but when I tried to go to him Rodney grabbed my arm, hard.
“Let go of me, you jerk!” I yanked my arm away, but before I could move Monica seized my hand, looking worried.
“Just wait a minute, Téa,” she said, staring at Rodney.
“That’s my horse over there,” Neil yelled, jabbing his finger at Hades. “And I want him back right now.”
Rodney shook his head. “You’re wrong, that’s my horse. I’ve had him for months.”
“I’ve got the bill of sale!” Neil shouted. “The one you gave me. It says ‘bay Hanoverian gelding, seven years old’, and I bought him two years ago, and Hades is nine!”
Rodney’s pale, watery eyes darted around furtively. “A Hanoverian, huh? Well then, this can’t be your horse, on account of he ain’t no Hanoverian. No brand.” His tone was derisive, but his body language spoke volumes. He was a thief, plain and simple.
Neil’s face turned purple. “I’m not leaving here without my horse, you swine,” he yelled into Rodney’s face. I felt my own blood pressure rising, and my hands were forming fists when two large men appeared.
“Got a problem, boss?” one of them asked casually. Neither of them looked like someone you’d want to meet in a dark alley.
“I don’t know,” Rodney said aggressively, staring first at Neil, then at Monica and me. “Do I?”
“You’ll be hearing from the police,” Neil spat. He turned to go, but my eyes were locked on Hades. He stared at me anxiously, and bobbed his head a few times as if asking how I could leave him here. My heart constricted tightly, making my chest ache.
A push from Rodney snapped me out of my daze. “Get moving, girlie.” I felt a flare of hatred so intense I was surprised it didn’t burn him, but I spun and stalked out.
Neil ranted the whole way home, and Monica wailed, but I stayed quiet, gnawing the inside of my cheek until it was raw. I was worried about Hades. He was a highly trained athlete and needed regular work to stay healthy. I was willing to bet Rodney didn’t have anyone capable of riding him properly. And what about his diet, which had been carefully calibrated to meet his needs? My biggest torment, though, was over his feelings. He’d tried his heart out for me at the show, and this was his reward — he was far from home among rough strangers, with no idea why he’d ended up there. For the first time since I’d known him, he had looked scared and upset, and it was almost more than I could take.