Promise Her

by Mitzi Pool Bridges

  Focusing the binoculars, she kept them on Tempest.

  Her friend was struggling. Something was wrong.

  Lisa had seen Tempest perform every performance since the rodeo started. Tonight she looked wobbly.

  Not good.

  A hesitation in a timed move made Lisa gasp. The horses raced at full gallop while the riders did their acrobatics.

  There. Lisa sucked in a shallow breath. Tempest seemed to regain control as she did another handstand.

  The crowd roared in approval.

  Lisa exhaled, not realizing she’d been holding her breath.

  Swinging the binoculars to the other performers she saw that they were doing just fine.

  Back to Tempest, who was really struggling now.

  Lisa leapt to her feet. “Something’s wrong with Tempest.” She grabbed Harold’s arm. “Get her out of there.” She let go of his arm when she saw him watching her instead of his wife.

  Lisa went to stand at the window, Harold followed.

  He looked out through the wall of glass. “Seems all right to me.”

  “She’s not all right. She barely kept that handstand. Do something.”

  “Like what?”

  “Call down to the floor and signal her off.”

  Harold gave a nervous laugh. “You’re imagining things. Look at her. The crowd loves it.”

  By now everyone in the skybox had stopped his or her conversation, stopped eating and drinking to watch Tempest and the other three women perform.

  Lisa adjusted the binoculars again to get an even better look. Tempest was definitely in trouble. She missed a side-sweep on the horse and barely covered her blunder. Even from this distance, her face was too pale, as if she were about to pass out.

  “Get her out of there before there’s an accident.”

  “Calm down.”

  An attempted back flip failed. Tempest barely hung on.

  Lisa kept her eyes glued to Tempest.

  The rodeo crowd had turned from screaming excitement to breathless silence. They didn’t know if Tempest’s performance was part of the program or if she was in trouble.

  Lisa knew. Looking across the arena, she saw Owen.

  Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed. He picked up immediately. “Tempest’s in trouble, Owen. Get her out of there before she gets hurt.”

  Owen was one of Lisa’s rodeo buddies. She trusted him to do the right thing. Sure enough, he spurred his horse onto the arena.

  Lisa zeroed her binoculars on Tempest.

  Tempest’s horse followed the other three at a gallop, but Tempest could barely hang on. “Hurry,” Lisa yelled, as Owen dodged the other three performers to get to Tempest.

  Tempest struggled to set up for another handstand.

  “Don’t,” Lisa begged aloud. Knowing she wouldn’t be heard didn’t stop her and she called out again.

  As Tempest tried to lift herself up, she slid off the horse’s back and fell to the ground.

  A gasp came up from the crowd.

  Owen jumped from the saddle, sprinted over to her.

  Other riders hurried their way.

  One of them managed to ward off the galloping horses and riders while the others kneeled to check Tempest.

  Lisa glanced at Harold, who blinked as if in shock. Then, as if finally realizing his wife was in trouble, he shoved through the crowd toward the door.

  Lisa followed closely in his wake.

  Chapter Two

  The noise from the crowd turned from cheers to moans of nervous concern. Then silence.

  Cowboys rushed onto the floor to wave the other performers off to a smattering of weak applause, as an ambulance rushed onto the arena floor.

  Lisa got there in time to see Tempest having what looked like a seizure. EMT’s and a Paramedic were working over her in hurried, but practiced movements. A pale, perspiring, Harold with wide glazed eyes looked down at his wife.

  Lisa, her hand to her mouth—her heart fluttering in fear, found it hard to believe that the pale, still woman they put in the ambulance was the same vibrant Tempest she had seen only a short while ago.

  Harold crawled into the ambulance next to her. Lisa heard him ask the EMT what was wrong just as the doors slammed shut.

  She wanted to be there to watch over her friend, and couldn’t help but wonder if Harold’s nervousness hid something about his wife’s accident.

  After a brief announcement that Tempest was on her way to the hospital, the band started up. Three cowboys rode onto the floor and the next act began.

  What had just happened? Tempest looked terrible. Frightened for her friend, Lisa couldn’t decide whether to stay and do her job or go the hospital and be with Tempest.

  As Lisa made her way out of the arena, the bad feeling she had earlier nagged stronger. Tempest had been shaky before her performance. Had there been something in her drink? Lisa hoped with all that was in her she was wrong.

  But she had to find out.

  There was nothing she could do for Tempest except the job she’d been paid to do. Only now, it had morphed into something bigger.

  She might need help. Picking up her cell phone, she hit speed dial and waited.

  Douglas Callahan, her best friend TJ’s brother, was a lawyer. A good one. And darn it, she was crazy in love with him—had been since they first met years ago when TJ brought her to the ranch the first time. The Callahans had all but adopted Lisa when her parents died while she was in college. She could trust him to give her good advice. If she could find him. She tried not to think that he could be on a date. Just thinking of him with other women hurt. Pretending to be no more than another member of the Callahan family hurt worse.

  She gave a relieved sigh when he answered on the first ring. “There’s been an accident at the rodeo. I need you here.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “It’s not me. It’s one of the performers. Can you get here, like right now?”

  “I’m on my way to see a client in jail. I can be there in less than thirty minutes. Where will I find you?”

  “The president’s skybox.”

  One thing Lisa could count on was the Callahans. Though they treated her like family, she’d never had to call on them for help before. She knew, however, that they were there if she needed them.

  Next, she dialed her boss. When Max answered, she told him what had happened. “I don’t know how serious it is, but I’m scared for her. She looked really bad when they took her to the hospital, Max.”

  Tears threatened, but she held them back. She had to stay strong, for her friend.

  “What can I do?”

  “Is Bailey working the case now?”

  Bailey Monahan was the PI assigned to Harold.

  “He should be there somewhere.”

  “Good. Can you go to the hospital and keep an eye on things there? I need to stay here and see what I can find before evidence is destroyed or contaminated.”

  “Will do. And Lisa, be careful.”

  Lisa hung up and dialed again. “Bailey, where are you?”

  “Trying to catch up with you. Slow down. I’ll be there in thirty seconds.”

  “What the hell just happened?” Bailey asked as he stepped up beside her.

  Like most of the rodeo crowd, Bailey sported new jeans, boots, and Stetson. He looked far better than most of the men he was meant to blend in with.

  “I don’t know. But Tempest looked bad.”

  “What do you want to do?” He pushed the tip of his Stetson back off his forehead a bit.

  “Let’s check with the other performers and see what we can find out. We’ll have to be quick. Douglas, TJ’s brother, is meeting me at the skybox in thirty minutes.”

  The crowd roared as the bull riders took their turn. Excitement sizzled in the air, Tempest all but forgotten.

  Bailey picked up his pace as Lisa strode down a narrow hallway.

  When they reached the performers’ dressing area, Bailey stepped back. “Maybe you�
��d better go in. I’ll wait out here until you give me the all clear.”

  Lisa swept past him and into the room.

  Smart move on Bailey’s part. The three girls were in various stages of undress, one in a thong and scanty bra. The other two were half dressed in their street clothes. They wore matching long black wigs for the performance so they would look identical. Underneath, their hair ranged in shades of blond to brown.

  All moved slowly, two were pale with wet, dazed eyes, the third crying.

  Lisa had seen them around, but didn’t know any of them on a personal level.

  It didn’t matter. They were so anxious for word on their fallen leader, they rushed to Lisa’s side.

  “I’ve seen you with Tempest before. You were there with the EMT’s. Do you know if she’s going to be all right?” one asked.

  Another shook her head. “She was too pale. And she had a seizure.” She shivered as her voice hitched. “Tell us Tempest is going to be all right.”

  It was evident no one had given them any information. Nor had anyone questioned them yet. That was good. Their observations would be fresh. “I’m Lisa Kane, a friend of Tempest’s. I don’t know a thing right now.” Tear-stained eyes stared at her. Lisa knew just how they felt. “I promise to let you know her condition the minute I find out anything. Meanwhile, whatever you remember about how she was before the performance could be a big help.”

  They introduced themselves as Jane, Mavis, and Hallie.

  “She wasn’t herself tonight,” Jane said.

  “What do you mean?” Lisa had seen it too. The jerky way Tempest’s hand held her drink; the breathless way she spoke. At the time, Lisa had explained it away as pre-performance jitters. Now she thought different. Why hadn’t she stopped her from performing? If Tempest had hit her head when she'd fallen and died, Lisa would consider herself responsible for not doing something when she'd had the chance.

  “Tempest was the one who always kept us calm before a show. Tonight, she needed valium,” Hallie said.

  “Did she take one?”

  “Figure of speech,” Hallie said. “I don’t think Tempest took drugs of any kind.”

  “Did anyone ask her what was wrong?”

  “I did,” Jane volunteered. “She just looked away and said she didn’t feel up to par.”

  “What did you think when she couldn’t hold up her end of the act?”

  “I thought she might be drunk,” Hallie said. “But I didn’t want to say anything.”

  “Was it normal for her to drink before a performance?”

  Hallie shook her head. “No. She wasn’t a drinker.” She glanced over at the other performers. “At least, we never saw her drink.” Tears filled her eyes. “She was our inspiration. She was the one who put the act together. We can’t do it without her.”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  “If you thought something was wrong and she wasn’t herself, wouldn’t that be a reason to either stop the act or at least keep her from performing?” But Lisa had tried to stop her and hadn’t succeeded. How did she expect anyone else to? But had she tried hard enough? Had anyone? No. They hadn’t.

  “I didn’t think she was in such a bad state,” Hallie said. “I was wrong. Was she hurt bad from the fall?”

  “Don’t be stupid, Hallie. It’s a lot more serious than being drunk and falling off a horse,” Jane said.

  “How do you know?” Lisa asked as she pushed aside her thoughts for a moment and came to her feet.

  “I work at St. Luke’s. I’ve seen people having seizures and it’s never good.”

  “Don’t say that,” Mavis cried, putting her hands to her face. “She’s our age, and in perfect health. She only had a spill. She wasn’t trampled or anything.”

  They cried again, both for Tempest and for themselves.

  “Would you mind giving me your phone numbers? I’ll let you know if I find out anything.” If Tempest was seriously injured, the cops would be here any minute and Lisa wouldn’t get another chance to talk to them. At least not today.

  Digging in her bag, she hauled out a notebook, took down their names and cell numbers.

  “When do you think you’ll know something?” Mavis asked.

  “Could be any minute. Why don’t you get dressed and hang loose for a while?” She didn’t want to tell them they were facing a grilling if this was as bad as she was afraid it might be.

  She looked at her watch. “I’ll be in touch,” she said as she hugged each woman and handed out her business card. “Call me if you need to talk.”

  She was almost to the door when she turned back to ask one final question. “Was Tempest’s husband here tonight? Did he come in before the performance?”

  They shook their heads. “Didn’t see him.”

  “Okay then. Just hang loose.”

  She shut the door behind her and hurried down the hall.

  “Hey!” Bailey yelled, trying to keep up.

  “Get a move on. I have to meet Douglas.”

  They entered the skybox a few minutes later. The crowd had thinned. Most of the dignitaries had left to find out what had happened to Tempest. Those who remained were milling around with drinks in hand, rehashing their own perceptions about what they'd witnessed.

  Her gaze swept the area. Where was Douglas?

  She caught him as he opened the door. And couldn’t stop the hitch in her heart. He had on his lawyer clothes: suit and tie. The tie matched his eyes, making them an even brighter green. Unsmiling, he searched faces until he found her.

  Douglas’ hair was slightly darker than that of his brothers Darin and Dugan. Donovan’s was ink black. Douglas, Darin, and Dugan were the bachelors in the family. So far. Darn her luck that she'd fallen for the Callahan who loved the ladies. All of them.

  She studied him, let her wayward heart feast.

  For one swift moment she saw herself as he must have seen her. As a young college student, she’d loved him from that first meeting. She'd tried, in her immature way, to get his attention. She wore tight jeans, low-necked T-shirts and skimpy bikinis. But Douglas had only smiled and dodged. Thankfully, she’d stopped her juvenile tactics before she graduated college

  In his eyes, was she still that silly teen? Surely, he could see her as she was today. A full-grown woman.

  “What’s going on, Lisa? You scared the heck out of me.”

  She introduced him to Bailey Monahan and tried to explain. “Tempest Wheatley, a client and friend, fell from her horse, had a seizure, and was taken to the hospital. Her husband is the Rodeo’s Committee Coordinator. I don’t know how she is. Right now, I want to know if something was in the drink she had when she came into the skybox—something that shouldn’t have been there.” This might be their first clue about the what. The why would have to be answered later.

  “What makes you suspect foul play?” Douglas asked with a frown.

  “It’s more than a feeling. Tempest asked the company to investigate her husband. She thinks he’s dipping into her trust fund and having an affair. But that’s not all. Harold was nervous tonight—more than nervous. Guilty nervous.”

  The food smells were making her nauseous.

  The bartenders restlessly waited for the show to be over so they could clean up and leave. The food servers were only a little busier. Several men hovered near the window to watch the action on the floor.

  Lisa went to the table where she’d been seated earlier. It was clean. No glasses. No nothing.

  She whirled around, went to the bar.

  “What are we doing, Lisa?” Douglas asked, his voice low and controlled.

  “Can I help you?” One of the bartenders asked.

  “See that table over there?” She pointed a finger to the table.

  He nodded.

  “Who cleaned it?”

  “Ma’am?”

  “Who took the glasses off the table and what did you do with them?”

  The three young men hired to tend bar exchanged glances that
said the lady was nuts.

  She put her hands on the bar, leaned close. “Where are the glasses from that table?”

  The oldest of the trio stepped forward. “I’m sorry you’re having a problem. But as you can see we keep the place picked up. It’s part of our job.”

  She wanted to take that bow tie he was wearing, wrap it around his scrawny neck and pull tight. Instead, she took a calming breath. “It’s important that I find a particular glass that was there earlier. Please.”

  She turned to Douglas. He pulled out his card. “Now,” he said.

  “The glasses are under the bar. It’s where we keep them until the show is over. Then we take them to the dishwasher downstairs.”

  Lisa went weak with relief. At least they hadn’t been washed.

  “Thanks, Douglas.”

  He stepped aside, pulled out his cell phone. In seconds he was back.

  “I think we need Darin here before we do anything. I saw at least fifty glasses. You and I can’t do a thing with them. Maybe Darin can. He’s the cop in the family.”

  She was an idiot. Why didn’t she call Darin to begin with? Because Douglas was the first person she'd thought of. Because he was the person she wanted beside her. Now she’d called him out unnecessarily.

  “I’m sorry, Douglas. I should have thought of that myself.”

  He grinned that grin that made her heart flutter, gave her a playful hug. “Hey. Don’t worry about it. You know I’m here if you need me.”

  She did know. All the Callahans were there for the family. But she didn’t want the role of adopted sister where Douglas was concerned.

  “How long will it take him to get here?” she asked.

  “Not long. We’ll wait here and make sure they don’t take off with those glasses.”

  They stood guard until Darin showed up.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Wasn’t that my line?” Douglas grinned.

  Lisa briefly explained the situation. “I want you to take these glasses to the lab and have them checked. If someone put something in Tempest’s glass that caused her accident, we need to know.”

  “Do you realize how much time it will take to check each glass for fingerprints, again for content? Do you know what a stink it’s going to cause if there’s nothing in there but a regular drink?”