Unbridled Murder

by Leigh Hearon

  Annie looked gratefully over to Patricia, the most well-dressed female in the bunch. As always, she was wearing her trademark English riding breeches and a hunting jacket, yet she looked right at home with Annie’s more plebeian friends, laughing and joking as if she’d been friends with all of them since childhood. For Patricia to bring one of her state-of-the-art trailers to the rescue party was a truly magnanimous gesture. Annie was sure only horses of the highest pedigree had ever traveled in its luxurious interior before today. Now, it was going to be used by mares and their offspring who could be carrying any number of diseases and whose lineage was questionable. Although, Annie had to admit, every person spread out on the stubby grass before her had made the same sacrifice with their own hauling equipment. She predicted a massive cleanup and sanitizing party following their arrival. But first, they all had to get the horses home.

  But where exactly was home right now? In the exhilaration of knowing that the horses would be saved, Annie had yet to think this question through.

  “Where are we going to put all the horses, Jessica? I assume your client doesn’t have enough stalls to accommodate the entire feedlot.”

  Jessica smiled and nodded toward Patricia. “Running Track Farms has agreed to lease a twenty-acre patch to us for the next several months. It’s a section of the facility that’s seldom used and already has a dozen or so stalls on it.”

  “And we’re building more as we speak,” Travis added. “Dan’s organized a construction crew that’s building new stalls and run-in shelters right now. Fortunately, with the summer weather being as good as it is, we’re not in crisis mode. The acreage has a number of orchards and plenty of shade. And a potable stream runs through it.”

  Trees. Annie could hardly wait to see old-growth trees again. But then her brain clicked in. “How’d you do it so quickly, Dan? Marcus has only been here two days. How’d you manage to get builders so soon, and on a weekend to boot?”

  “Well, Travis’s late-night phone call to the county commissioners got the ball rolling,” the sheriff said. “That got us an expedited building permit.”

  “I still can pull a few strings in the county when I have to,” Travis said modestly.

  “And as you may recall, we have a source of fine manual labor right at our fingertips.”

  “We do? Where?” demanded Annie.

  “About three hundred feet from the sheriff’s office, in the Suwana County jail.” Kim looked extremely smug as she said this. “The men love working outside, and we’re paying them handsomely, aren’t we, Dan?”

  “Yup. Eighty-five cents an hour. You won’t make that much in a state penitentiary. My nephew, Bill Stetson, is ferrying them back and forth to work. He’s doing a fine job, that boy. A fine job.”

  Annie hoped so. Not long ago, Deputy Stetson had let a prisoner out on bail without verifying his local address or the ID of the bail bondsman. She hoped the work crew remained intact while they were under his supervision.

  * * *

  Myrna finally emerged from her double-wide, holding a piece of paper in her hand. She looked down at the group still resting in the trees with ill-concealed contempt.

  “Forty grand. And that’s my final offer. No negotiating.”

  Forty grand. Annie gasped. She could barely believe what she’d just heard. She looked at Marcus and Travis to see if they were as taken aback as she was. They were not. Either that, or they were capable of hiding their true feelings better than she was.

  “One moment, Mrs. Fullman,” Travis told the scowling woman, and walked over to the truck in which he and Dan had arrived. He returned a minute later with a large bank bag.

  “Shall we conclude our business in your office?”

  “If you want.”

  Travis and Myrna disappeared into the double-wide and silence reigned in their absence. No one seemed to know what to do or say. This was the moment of truth. Nothing could go wrong now, could it?

  Five minutes later, Travis emerged. He triumphantly shook the bank bag toward the crowd, showing how much it had been depleted. Annie cheered and applauded with everyone else, then turned to Marcus.

  “Thank you for the best birthday gift in the world.”

  “You’re very welcome. Tell me, how exactly do we get all these large animals into those trailers?”

  “Think of each trailer as Noah’s ark.”

  “You mean, we’ll load them two by two?”

  “Precisely.”

  CHAPTER 28

  MONDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 15

  It was a good thing her friends knew a thing or two about horses, Annie thought later, because it took all of their combined equine acumen and experience to get the trailering job done. It wasn’t just that loading the horses took so much time. It was also the time it took to expertly maneuver and align each truck and trailer correctly and in order, then make sure each horse was safely stowed with food and water within easy reach.

  And there were so many horses—Annie had counted close to fifty before, but that number spiked after Maria arrived with the small herd from the reservation. The mare and foal were first to unload. Annie was astounded by the change in the newborn in just a single day. She seemed utterly confident tripping behind or running alongside her mother.

  “Thank you, Annie,” Maria said, when all the horses had been unloaded from the cattle trailer Maria had appropriated for the job. “You have no idea how much this means to me and Colin and Aleisha.”

  “Please come visit the horses anytime you want.”

  “I’ll do that, Annie. Maybe later this month, after you get all the horses settled.”

  Annie hugged Maria good-bye, and for the first time in days, felt as if the embrace was unencumbered with suspicion, or guilt, or any other lingering negative emotion.

  “Tell Colin to come, too. And to bring his little sister.”

  “I will. Now I’d better get this trailer back before the owner knows it’s missing.” She smiled at Annie, then turned and jogged easily to her truck. Annie didn’t know if Maria was telling the truth about the trailer or not. She decided she didn’t much care.

  For the first hour, Annie and LuAnn assumed the roles of horse handlers. As she’d suggested to Marcus, the easiest way to load the horses was two by two, starting from the back. Clearing the aisle of all debris, they started with Annie’s herd, all of which loaded beautifully. In fact, the majority of the rescues were delighted to climb into their designated trailer although their “walk to freedom” down the aisle often turned into a lope or a fast trot, once they’d seen all their equine friends on board. Annie and LuAnn were leading each horse by a halter, which meant they got just as much of a workout as the horse, only many times over.

  Marcus and Travis stood to the side, checking off each one as it entered a trailer and making occasional comments to the horse handlers along the way.

  “Getting a good workout, Annie?” Marcus inquired politely after she’d led her sixth cantering horse to the caravan. She was breathing too hard to reply and stopped momentarily to catch her breath, placing her hands on her knees.

  “My dear girl, you may faint again if you keep up that pace.” Travis handed her a pristine white handkerchief, which Annie promptly obliterated with dust and sweat with one swipe across her forehead. This was her show, and she was determined to lead every horse by hand into a trailer. But eventually, wiser heads prevailed.

  “You’ve got a long drive ahead of you,” Jessica sternly told her. “If you wipe yourself out now, you’ll be no good on the road. Think, Annie. Be sensible for once.”

  And so Annie reluctantly ceded her role to Samantha, and LuAnn gratefully gave up her own to Kim. The new relay team was just as efficient and, Annie noticed, had far more energy than the original crew. But then, Kim and Samantha worked out. Perhaps she should join a gym sometime, she thought, knowing she never would.

  The next issue became evident once two trailers were filled. Dan had maneuvered both to rest under the most shade he co
uld find, and every single trailer window was open, but it was clear that the horses could not remain standing in solid heat for much longer.

  “We’ll have to start the transport,” Jessica announced firmly. “I don’t know why I ever thought we could go back the way we came, as one group. We need to get these horses on the road, now.”

  Sarah and Dan were elected drivers, and after hugs all around, they climbed into their respective cabs and started the long trek back. It occurred to Annie that everyone here, with the exception of herself and Marcus, had been up long before dawn. It was going to be an incredibly long day. She was so grateful for everyone’s help and fervently hoped everyone could sleep in the next day. Which reminded her—who was taking care of everyone’s horses? Sam, Sarah, Jessica, and LuAnn all had their own herds to tend do. Patricia, she knew, had a small army of workers and a full veterinary staff to care for the equines at her facility. But everyone else was pretty much their horses’ sole caretaker. She grabbed Jessica’s arm.

  “Who’s taking care of your clinic horses?”

  “Oh—that’s all handled. I called Lisa and asked her if she could organize a round-robin of her horse friends to take care of all our horses today. She did an amazing job; you should see her flowchart of who goes where. I knew she was disappointed not being here and helping with the rescue, but she understood she was needed more back home. She’s really a great kid. I’d like to hire her myself. I could use someone like Lisa at the clinic full-time.”

  “Keep your mitts off her. I found her, and she’s mine.”

  Jessica laughed. “Well, maybe we can share her.”

  “Perhaps.” Annie smiled back but realized how much she would miss her stable assistant if she took another job. In three months, Lisa had become an indispensable part of her ranch.

  After the next two trailers were loaded, Kim and Sam clambered up into their trucks and headed out. Dan had already called to inform Jessica he’d just cruised by Moses Lake and was headed toward Ellensburg. Sarah’s rig was right behind him.

  “Good,” Jessica told the sheriff. “Please continue to tag team each other all the way back, just in case one of you needs to stop for any reason.”

  “Ten-four. Over and out.”

  “Honestly,” Annie told no one in particular. “Give Dan a big rig, and he thinks he’s a CBer and king of the road. If he starts calling me ‘good buddy,’ I’m going to have to slug him.”

  It was now two o’clock, and the sun was reaching its zenith overhead. Annie looked up at the infinitely blue sky and sighed. They were four trailers down but had just as many to go.

  Jessica decided the next trailer to be filled was Patricia’s, and the driver insisted on helping escort the mares and foals into the box herself. This provided some much-needed comic relief, as many of the foals had never been outside the paddock and, despite wanting to cling to their mothers’ sides, couldn’t help but want to explore the new world that had literally just opened up before them.

  “Come, little ones, we’re all going to take a lovely ride home in a very comfortable trailer,” Patricia called out, trying to corral a particularly curious foal who had temporarily gone astray. Annie had been laughing so hard at the zigzag procession that her stomach now ached. She was happy beyond words to know that mother and foal would be together as long as they needed, not ripped from each other at the worst possible time, had Myrna had her way.

  And where was Myrna? Annie looked around but saw no sign of the woman. She was probably still inside the double-wide, counting and recounting her money, she thought. That was fine with her.

  Once the maternity ward was loaded, Annie and Jessica quickly filled LuAnn’s trailer and sent the two rigs on their way. They looked at each other. They were down to two trailers, the ones they’d brought. Jessica’s would be the hardest because she was transporting obviously sick and injured equines. Annie’s trailer would take the rest of the herd. She did a quick head count of the horses left. They were all showing signs of anxiety, even the sick ones, she noticed, wondering whether or not they, too, would leave or be left behind. She counted eight—no, nine horses. Phew. They had just enough room, with one slot to spare.

  At three-thirty, the two trailers were filled. At last, it was time to leave. Annie couldn’t wait to see the back of the feedlot. If she could have, she would have lit a torch and thrown it over her shoulder in the direction of Myrna’s office as she left. But that would be arson, and deliberately setting fires was wrong. She knew Alvin definitely would not approve.

  “If you’ve no objection, I’ll take the lead, and you follow.” Jessica was already in her truck, with the air-conditioning turned on high in both her cab and horse trailer. Travis, who had insisted on staying when Dan departed with his trailer, was in the seat beside her.

  “Fine with us,” Annie replied, glancing at Marcus, who nodded in agreement. Her trailer, too, had air-conditioning of a sort—the au naturel kind. Annie hoped the oscillating fans would keep the air inside from becoming too warm for the horses. It occurred to Annie that Jessica had not said a single word about her other trailer, the vandalized one. It looked considerably better than it had a few days ago, but the aluminum siding was still creased and bent, and in truth, the trailer looked as if it had aged ten years overnight. She vowed she would find a mechanic who would make it look as good as new upon her return. She owed it to her friend.

  * * *

  Annie waited for Marcus to emerge from the gas-station store. At his insistence, they had stopped to gas up and stock up on food and beverages before the long trip home truly got under way. Jessica had gassed up, as well, but had passed on the canteen; she’d thought ahead and brought her own foodstuffs from home. Jessica’s truck was now off to the side, patiently idling, waiting for Annie’s rig to swing in behind her.

  Annie could feel the horses moving around in the trailer but wasn’t too concerned. She knew that once they were on the open highway and going at a relatively constant speed, they’d settle down into the rhythm of the road. She tapped her finger on the steering wheel, anxious to start the journey. Marcus must be buying out the entire store.

  Her assumption had been correct. He came out with a large paper bag cradled in each arm, and Annie had to push open his door in order for him to deposit them before he climbed in himself.

  “Did you leave anything for the other customers?” she inquired.

  “A couple of bags of chips. I had to think of Wolf’s needs, too.”

  “Wolf has a half container of perfectly good dog food in the back.”

  “Yes, but once he sees what we’ll be eating on the way home, he won’t be content with just plain old kibble.”

  “What did you get?” Annie started digging through the bags to see what Marcus considered adequate road-trip food. She saw bags of pretzels, potato chips, cookies, sandwiches, soft drinks, and at least a half dozen chocolate bars. She looked quizzically at him.

  “I didn’t know what kind you liked, dark or milk chocolate, nuts or no nuts, so I got them all.” Marcus said this apologetically.

  “I like all of them. Excellent job. We shall not starve on the way home.”

  * * *

  All that horse gathering had made Annie hungry. She dove into a bag of chips a short mile after she’d exited the gas station. Wolf instantly put his panting tongue next to her right check. Wolf was such a subtle dog, she thought, as she alternated feeding herself one chip and Wolf the next. She wondered if Marcus was watching, and when she glanced over, was amused and relieved to discover he’d fallen asleep, his head resting on the passenger window. Poor guy. He probably was still recovering from jet lag. And it wasn’t as if she’d given him a lot of time to catch up. He’d hit the ground running ever since landing at the Duncan-Loman Airport.

  She saw the sign that said they were four miles from Loman, which offered four blocks of nothing as far as she was concerned. She crumpled the empty chip bag, and tossed it in the back cab. The sound was sufficient to awake
n Marcus, who jerked awake, then yawned, rubbing his eyes.

  “Are we there yet?”

  “Not quite. We’ve got about an hour of quaint country roads to traverse before we hit I-90. You might as well go back to sleep. There’s nothing here to watch except the grass grow.”

  Annie was obediently following Jessica’s rig. A single car separated them, but it soon turned off onto a farm road. She instinctively tapped her brakes, then slightly sped up to ease the gap between her truck and Jessica’s. Even so, Jessica’s trailer was making better time; her trailer was perfectly aligned while, despite Andy’s hard work, the one Annie was hauling still vibrated a bit more than she would have liked. As she saw Jessica disappear over the crest of a small hill, she reminded herself to call her vet once they hit the freeway to tell her to pull back a bit if she expected Annie to keep up with her all the way home.

  “How are the horses doing?” Marcus nodded toward the back.

  “They’re doing fine. I can feel them moving around a bit, but once we hit the freeway, they’ll settle down and be quiet. I’ll check on them when we pull into a rest stop. But in general, I’d like to keep moving. Judging from the time we left, we won’t be at Running Track Farms until nine o’clock. Patricia’s facility is an hour north of my place.”

  “I wish I could spell you. But I’m just not comfortable driving a truck attached to a trailer with four live animals inside.”

  “I understand. And I’m fine for driving, really. I’ll pick up a cup of coffee somewhere along the way. And if I start to fall asleep, you can sing to me or tell me stories.”

  Marcus laughed heartily. “You obviously haven’t heard my voice. Even my mother admits I’m tone-deaf.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to settle for the stories.”

  Marcus leaned over to look at Annie’s truck radio.

  “Why don’t I try to find something for you so I can go back to sleep?”