Organized for Scheduled Sabotage

by Ritter Ames

  “Wish we could just drive them in like cattle, but we’ll need to catch one first,” Liz said, running a hand through her short brown hair and turning to look in all directions. “Once we find them, if they’re all together we can try to get a harness on Billy, the darker chestnut. Then we can probably get the others to follow. If not, we may have to catch each one individually.”

  Josh frowned and pulled on his cap brim. “No way this was an accident, and the horses wouldn’t have pulled the boards inward if they’d done it themselves. The boards would have been laying in the grass on the other side.”

  “No, those rails have been removed, not pushed or kicked out by a horse,” Liz said, walking back over to the boards that laid in the grass.

  The red hound sniffed around the boards, almost as if he was looking for evidence. The Lab stayed close to its owner.

  “Yeah, horses might push on a fence, but they can’t pull boards inward,” Josh mused. “Or the rails would be broken if an animal kicked them.”

  Kate looked at Meg and wondered if they were thinking the same thing. When her friend raised an eyebrow and nodded, she was sure they were. “This couldn’t be something that woman Bren might do, could it?”

  Liz’s jaw clenched for a moment, then she nodded. “I wouldn’t have thought so, but it would seem a pretty big coincidence.”

  “The truck may be gone,” Josh said. “But it’s easy to see where the pickup parked. Which means she doubled back. Maybe hid when she had the truck parked. My guess is she knocked the boards out with a sledge.

  “We didn’t look in the back of the truck when she was at the house,” Liz said. “I have no way of knowing what kind of tools she may have been hauling.

  “Regardless, she had to work fast,” Meg said.

  Josh shrugged. “She’s stronger than she looks. Been working as a stocker at the market because she can lift more than anyone expects.”

  “And she had no problem lifting extra heavy grain sacks and hay bales when she worked here either,” Liz said. “Plus she knows the other horses follow Billy’s lead. If she took some kind of strap to Billy and got him running, the others wouldn’t hesitate to run along too.”

  As they neared the grassy expanse between the road and the fence, it was easier to tell the blades were mashed down into the pattern of tire trails, and showed where the vehicle pulled off, then drove forward to regain the roadway. Shade was non-existent here, and Josh took off his cap for a second to reset it again with the brim better protecting his eyes. Sweat made Kate’s hair collect along the back of her neck, and Meg fluffed her auburn curls in an obvious attempt to keep her hair from doing the same.

  “So where is she now?” Kate asked, looking both ways down the road.

  “Must have hid in the trees till I drove by,” Josh said. “Or ducked into the floorboard.”

  “And you’re sure it was Bren’s truck parked here?” Liz asked.

  Josh nodded. “Yeah. I looked to wave as I drove by, but I saw the cab was empty. Planned to stop and see if she’d had engine trouble when I drove back by, figuring I’d catch her if she started walking. But the truck was gone the second time.”

  “It’s getting hot,” Liz said, voicing what the rest of them were thinking. “If the horses run and get excited they may look for a water source. We can try that angle first.”

  Meg looked around. “We don’t have much experience with horses. Do we spread out and see if one of us can spot them.”

  “I can call Travis and Brewster to come help,” Josh offered and pulled a cell phone from his shirt pocket.

  “Yes, do that,” Liz said, then turned to the organizing team. “I appreciate the offer to help, but you have enough to do already getting me ready for the photo shoot. Feel free to leave, or do any more looking around the barn that you want, but we can take care of this. It’s a bother, but the horses know where their meals come from, so they aren’t likely to wander too far. We just have to determine which direction they headed and hope they stayed together. If we don’t find them soon, I’ll get on social media outlets and send out an area alert. We’ll definitely have them rounded up by evening.”

  “If you’re sure we can’t help—”

  “I appreciate the offer, but we know the animals and the area,” Liz said, smiling. “Don’t worry. Can I call you tomorrow?”

  Kate nodded. “Of course. Any time. You have my cell number, right?”

  Josh headed west. Liz crossed the road, walking backward as she talked, “Yes, I do. Thanks so much for coming. Sorry about my having to cut and run. Send the survey and I’ll complete it as quickly as I can.”

  “Great,” Kate called. “We’ll go from there.”

  She and Meg waved and turned to head back to the house and the van. It would have been a pleasant walk under the shade trees, the gravel crunching beneath their feet, if the moment wasn’t punctuated by the fact Josh and Liz had their work ahead of them catching the horses. The Lab started to follow them, but turned around halfway and headed back to rejoin the small posse.

  As they neared the van, Meg looked at her watch. “At least it happened after she gave the sick animals their medicine. She’ll have some time before she has to get back for the next round.”

  “This really is a nice place,” Kate said, opening the driver’s side door of her van. “And she takes everything in stride. Seems to always have a dozen or so animals, but didn’t seem the least bit dismayed she talked about having double that number here a few weeks ago.”

  “I don’t think she’s going to be difficult to work with either,” Meg replied, climbing into the passenger seat. “But we’ll know more when we get the survey written up and see how soon she returns it with answers.”

  Kate put on her seatbelt and started the engine. “Discounting this setback about the horses getting loose, the job is shaping into something much easier than I’d thought might be the case. When her publisher contacted me and gave out the information, it sounded like a case of the organized calendar author who really worked in chaos, but now I see it’s simply a case of her using best methods to stay on-track and keep the financial outlays to a minimum. I love how the genesis of her calendar sales from the outset was all about supporting the rescue work.”

  “Too bad she has to be harassed by that Bren woman.”

  “There’s always someone or something to throw a wrench into life.” Kate drove down the driveway, and they waved when they saw Liz in the field beyond. The dogs stayed nearby, the hound tracking and the Lab keeping a steady pace alongside.

  Meg pulled out her phone and checked messages. “Nothing urgent, but Mother has a doctor’s appointment at the end of the week.”

  “I hope it isn’t anything serious.”

  “We all think she’s just overdoing it. I’m not sure she doesn’t still think she’s my age. I don’t have the heart to remind her that she’s seventy.”

  Kate laughed and hit the blinker to turn onto the main road. A couple of miles farther sat one of the scenic wooden covered bridges that still thrilled her to drive over. As the tires thumped along the planks she made a wish, her habit when encountering one of these rustic treasures.

  “What did you wish for, Katie?”

  “If I tell, it won’t come true.”

  “Does it have anything to do with children suddenly playing nicely and not arguing all evening?”

  “That would take a miracle rather than a simple wish,” Kate said. Both women had two children, but where Meg had boys, the oldest entering fourth grade in the fall and the other first grade, Kate was mom to twin girls looking forward to second grade. And lately her kids had been at odds about most everything. “You’d think any two girls who look so much alike would agree on something.”

  “They agree on Jamey Hendricks.”

  “Yes, and that gets to be a more irritating problem every day,” Kate said. Her girls, Samantha and Suzanne, had shared a crush on the same little tow-headed boy ever since they moved to Hazelton and ente
red the first grade. “Don’t crushes wear off after a while? I’m beginning to think this is a competition instead. I’d wager that if the girls were actually asked what they really liked about Jamey over all the other boys in class they might have a hard time coming up with an answer.”

  Meg nodded. “You’re probably right. Competition always makes guys more attractive. Personally, I think we should go to some kind of merit system. If a male hangs up his clothes you give extra credit. If he never fills the gas tank he gets points taken away.”

  “Speaking from a little experience, friend?” Kate laughed.

  “Let’s just say if I had to do it all over again, I would spend a lot more time with his mother asking questions before I got serious about anyone.”

  “And mothers always tell the truth about their sons?” Kate raised an eyebrow.

  “There is that.” Meg sighed, and went back to flipping through the messages and email on her phone.

  The van hit the outskirts of the small town, and Kate looked at the dashboard clock. “Since it’s already noon, let’s stop off at that little market we saw as we drove in. Find some fresh veggies for dinner, and maybe get a better feel for the community Liz lives in while we’re brainstorming ideas for this contract.”

  Meg’s stomach growled. “As you can tell, I agree with your suggestion as long as we look for something to eat on the way home too.”

  The market was a rustic affair of weathered boards and a semi-barnlike shape, and had probably been in operation for generations. As Kate eased the van off the road and into the parking lot, Meg pointed at a truck along the back line. “That looks like Bren’s.”

  “Guess she was going to work here today like Josh and Liz talked about,” Kate said, pulling into a spot on the opposite end of the lot and turning off the engine. “Let’s hope she doesn’t recognize us. We don’t need to be in the middle of another confrontation.”

  “I’m wondering if she might try to—”

  “Meg, don’t start what-if scenarios. It’s not our business, and if we start something now it could mess up things for Liz if she wants to press charges later about the horses.”

  “Alright.” Meg’s frown deepened. “I suppose area gossip will take care of everything quickly enough. We don’t need to walk into any of it.”

  “Good.” Kate opened the door and climbed out.

  Meg did the same, adding, “Of course, it won’t hurt to see if she’s acting guilty. You know, to report back to our client. We should do what we can to help our client. Well, our client’s client, since the contract is really with the publisher.”

  Kate laughed. Then turned and shaded her eyes from the sun to look in the direction of Bren’s pickup. “With no tailgate, it’s easy to see she doesn’t have a sledge in the back like Josh suggested.”

  “It could be behind the seat,” Meg said. “Or maybe she used a crowbar. Let’s go see if the doors are unlocked.”

  The redhead struck off in the direction of the truck, but Kate grabbed her arm. “Hold it right there, Wonder Woman. You do not need to be caught on security cameras opening the door of the vehicle owned by the person you’ve already had a verbal dispute with and threatened to call the cops.”

  “What cameras?”

  Kate pointed to several positioned around the property.

  “Oh.” Meg shrugged and joined Kate in the walk to the market entrance. “Guess that wouldn’t be in any of our best interests.”

  The sign over the front doors read “Established 1879” and the décor seemed little changed since opening day. Kate smiled at the rustic feel as she scanned the small market. The place was busy, and after filling a hand basket each with produce, they moved to the back where an old-fashioned deli sat tucked into one corner.

  “Split a ham sandwich?” Meg asked.

  Kate nodded, grateful for her friend’s suggestion when she saw the counter person hand over a sandwich to the man in front of them. The double stacked meat and cheese could feed her for days. The selection of cold salads looked too good to pass up. “How about pasta salad, too? Or potato?”

  “Both look wonderful. Let’s each get one and we’ll sample family style.”

  The air behind them suddenly combusted with angry voices.

  Bren stood in warrior mode, confronted by a petite young woman with a heart-shaped face that was currently redder than her hair.

  “You can’t just mess up people’s lives and walk away,” the redhead shouted.

  “Don’t mess with me, Stacy. I gotta work or get fired.” Bren hefted a box of produce and used an elbow to shove the other woman aside. “You mind your own business.”

  “My brother, Travis, is my business.” Stacy jumped back in front of Bren holding up a hand to cut her off. On her wrist was a charm bracelet laden with silver and beaded trinkets, and a longer stained glass-type charm caught the light. The bracelet clanged softly with her movements. “Right this minute, Travis is out helping Josh and Liz round up the horses you let out. Then he and Josh will have to repair the fence you broke.”

  “No one saw me do any of that.” The ear-to-ear grin on Bren’s face said much more than her words.

  “So you admit to sabotaging Liz’s rescue farm?”

  “I never said anything of the kind.” Bren used the box to back Stacy out of her path.

  But the redhead was undeterred and simply raised her voice as she followed Bren, “Why would you have phrased it like that if you weren’t responsible? Most folks would just say they didn’t do it. Not that they hadn’t been seen.”

  “You’re reading too much in things that aren’t really there,” Bren said. “Get out of here. I’m sick of hearing your whining.”

  Stacy shoved Bren’s shoulder. “I’m not whining, I’m—”

  Bren dropped the box and whirled, grabbing Stacy’s right arm with both hands and shoving her backward. “Don’t touch me! Get out of this store and stay out of my life. I don’t need your cr—”

  “I just—” Stacy started.

  “Bren, get out of here. You’re fired.” A man in his forties, wearing a plaid shirt and a green canvas produce department apron, separated the two women. His name tag said Lee—Prod. Mgr. “I told you the last time you got into a fight here in the store that you were out of a job.”

  “But I didn’t—” Bren started, again lifting the box she’d dropped seconds before.

  “I saw you push her back. I warned you’d get no more second chances,” he said, taking the box Bren had anchored on one hip. He used his other hand to point toward the door. “Leave your apron with me, and I’ll have them mail you your check.”

  Bren’s face looked hot enough to spew lava. Expecting an explosion, Kate stepped back and pulled Meg with her. But the manager wasn’t having any of it. He snapped his fingers a couple of times.

  “The apron. Hand it over. Do I need to get someone to escort you off the premises?”

  Bren mumbled words that had a definite curse quality to them but used her energy of the moment to rip the apron’s loop off over her head. She slammed it into Lee’s chest, then stomped toward the front.

  Lee kept his eyes on her until she cleared the front door. A young man about twenty and dark haired broke from the group and hurried toward the front. Kate lost sight of him as he left the building, but he appeared to leave in the opposite direction from the angry Bren.

  The manager turned back to the crowd still standing open mouthed around the area. He spoke to everyone, “Sorry for the show, folks, but you know how Bren is. She’s had her chances. Many of them. You okay, Stacy?” He peered into the young woman’s face.

  “I’m fine.” She brushed bangs from her eyes.

  He gave a brisk nod and hefted the box again, slinging the discarded apron over the top. “Well, guess I need to get to work.” As he moved toward the produce area, everyone else seemed to find someplace else to go.

  Kate jerked her head toward the checkout, but Meg pointed to the deli. “Let’s go with our original pl
an. Okay?”

  “Sure,” Kate said, “In all the excitement, I forgot.”

  Outside minutes later with their lunch and groceries, they saw Bren’s truck was gone. They piled their bags into a back seat of the van, and Kate pulled out her phone as she slid into the driver’s seat.

  “Calling Liz?” Meg asked.

  “Yeah. I think she could use a heads up.”

  “They’re probably still chasing horses.”

  When Liz’s voicemail came on, Kate left a concise message about the new developments. She ended the call, then shoved the key into the ignition. “Not like she needs anything else to worry about today.”

  “With all her help, she’ll have a house full of people if she needs backup,” Meg said. “Hope she doesn’t have to feed everyone afterward though. Josh may be thin, but from feeding my boys I’ll bet he can eat his weight. His friends are probably the same way.”

  “Speaking of people and eating,” Kate said, driving through the parking lot and out the exit. “Our families are going to get a good treat tonight. I’m seeing some wonderful grilled vegetables in our future.”

  “Agreed.” Meg glanced back at the bags.

  “That’s if my husband can find our grill in his backyard construction project, of course,” Kate added.

  “If yours is AWOL, we’ll just double up with ours. The Berman grill can cook for the horde.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  QUICK AND EASY WAY to Clean Vegetables

  I try to always buy vegetables advertised as pesticide free, but there are ways to work around the problem. The most efficient way I’ve found to clean vegetables is to keep a spray bottle filled with undiluted white vinegar on the counter near the kitchen sink. Vinegar or a baking soda wash works well for veggie scrubbing, but the vinegar is easier to me. I give each piece a good shower with the vinegar, rub the pieces briskly with both hands while I rinse them under cool water and then set them aside to dry. For waxy fruits and vegetables, I spray and use a brush instead of just my hands.