Whirlwind

by Alison Hart

  That meant she hadn’t gotten any better. And if she really wanted to find Whirlwind, she would have to let down her guard. Like Miss Hahn said, she’d have to stop running away.

  Nine

  “I DON’T KNOW, CHASE,” JAS SAID AS SHE FOLLOWED him and Wonder into the quarantine paddock the next morning. After six days of being at the farm, the colt’s stride was stronger and his sores were healing. On the other side of the paddock, Rand was banging a nail into a board.

  “Don’t know what?” Chase asked, raising his voice so he could be heard over the hammering.

  “I don’t know if we can convince Mr. Jenkins.” Jas carried an old towel in one hand, a brush tucked under her arm. “Easy.” When Chase halted Wonder, she gently rubbed the colt from his withers to his rump, getting him used to being touched all over.

  “Maybe you can’t convince him.” Chase wore baggy cutoffs, and his cap was on backward, looking cute in a grungy sort of way.

  “Never say can’t. See? He’s standing quietly.” She pointed to Wonder, trying to keep her attention on the horse, not Chase. “I bet I can convince him to stand still if I flap the towel around his legs.”

  “No, doofy, I mean Mr. Jenkins.”

  “Oh.” Jas laughed. Twirling the towel into a rolled strip, she snapped the end at Chase’s bare calf. Wonder skittered sideways.

  “Hey, what was that for?”

  “That was for calling me doofy. And for doubting my powers of persuasion.” She patted Wonder. “Don’t worry, that wasn’t aimed at you.”

  “You were the one who said you couldn’t convince Mr. Jenkins.”

  “I’m just afraid we don’t have enough real evidence to change his mind.” Jas ran the towel down the colt’s face. “Hugh knows how to cover his tracks. What if we can’t find the agent who sold Whirlwind?”

  “We’re in trouble. And even if we do find the agent, he could be in on the scam. I bet Hugh has partners in crime all over the place.”

  “I agree. I know for sure that Jenny Ferraro is a shark. I’d ride Hugh’s horses when she’d bring clients to the farm. Not only did she order me around, but she was also a barracuda when it came to closing a deal. One day, she was showing a client one of Hugh’s jumpers who had a nasty scar on his leg. She came early. In the trunk of her car, she had a bag filled with cans of shoe polish. She found the right color to match the horse. When she was done rubbing polish on that horse’s leg, the scar had disappeared.”

  Chase scratched Wonder’s neck. “This guy would need a whole can to cover his scars.”

  “He’s too knock-kneed to be a show horse, anyway.” Jas pointed to the colt’s front legs. “You know, I loved showing. But never once did I wonder if the horse loved it, too.”

  “I bet some like it,” Chase said. Jas gave him such a shocked look that he held up his hand in defense. “A few who love trotting around a dusty ring in the broiling heat.”

  “You are so busted.” Jas laughed. “I knew you secretly wanted to wear breeches and black boots.”

  Chase rolled his eyes. “Give me a break.”

  “I bet Shadow would love showing again.”

  “He’d probably eat the competition.”

  “He’s not that ferocious.” Jas snapped him again on the leg.

  “What was that for?” He grabbed the end of the towel and yanked. She flew toward him, falling against his chest.

  “Whoa,” he said, more to her than to Wonder, who jerked backward. Pulling away, the colt trotted across the paddock. Chase, however, didn’t let Jas go. One arm lightly circled her waist. Jas’s cheeks flamed and her heart pounded at his closeness. She pressed her palms against his sweaty shirt, afraid to tip up her chin for fear he would kiss her.

  Or was she afraid he wouldn’t kiss her?

  “What are you two greenhorns doing?” Rand strode toward them, holding Wonder’s rope. Jas and Chase sprang apart. “Trying to teach the new rescue to be a runaway?”

  “Uh, no,” Chase stammered. “We were just … um … getting him used to … um.”

  “Mushy romance?” Rand guffawed. Jas picked up the towel and brush, her whole face burning.

  Rand tossed the rope to Chase. “Don’t worry. I was young once.” He winked, and Chase grinned sheepishly.

  Embarrassed, Jas tackled the colt’s mane with the brush. Thank you, Rand, for interrupting. She didn’t want to ruin the friendship she had with Chase. They’d kissed once before, but it had been so brief she was sure he at least had forgotten it. A second kiss might mean they were more than friends. And that would change everything.

  Fists propped on his hips, Rand appraised the colt. His one cheek bulged with tobacco. “What a sorry-looking critter,” he finally said. “Here I’m volunteering at the farm to pay penance for the bucking horses I spurred. But in all my rodeo days, I never intentionally abused a horse.”

  “Obviously the meth dealer’s first priority wasn’t his pets,” Chase said.

  Jas nodded in agreement, her attention riveted on a burr in the colt’s mane. Her pulse had slowed. Her brain was returning to normal. Not that I am ever normal around Chase. Which had to stop if she was going to find Whirlwind.

  “No excuse.” Rand spit tobacco juice to the side. “The druggy’s wife could have called and told us to pick the horse up before it starved. Second Chance Farm is practically right next door to them. We would have gladly hauled the colt out of there.”

  Hauled the colt out of there. Jas inhaled sharply as the words hit her. “That’s it!” She spun to face them.

  “What’s it?” Chase asked.

  “That’s how we can find Whirlwind!”

  Chase and Rand gave her blank stares. Wonder lowered his head to grab a bite of grass.

  “Someone had to haul her from High Meadows that day,” she explained excitedly. “If we find that person, we can find Whirlwind.”

  “Couldn’t Hugh have hauled her?” Chase asked.

  “No. Phil Sparks and Grandfather had the stock trailer. Hugh wasn’t licensed to drive the big van.”

  Taking off his cowboy hat, Rand scratched his head. “You lost me.”

  Jas froze, suddenly realizing how much she’d just blurted to Rand. He knew about her arrest and about the insurance scam. Neither were a secret. But secrets were leaking to Hugh.

  You’ve got to stop searching for Whirlwind, Hugh had threatened. What if it was Rand tipping him off?

  Jas eyed the grizzled cowboy. There were at least a dozen volunteers. Should she be suspicious of all of them? Or should she follow Miss Hahn’s advice: If we stick together, we can accomplish something. Rand had worked around horses all his life. What if he knew something that could help? And hadn’t Jas decided just last night that she needed to be more trusting?

  Rand whacked the dust off his cowboy hat, waiting for a reply. She cut her eyes to Chase. He was bent over, picking out Wonder’s front hoof, no help at all.

  Taking a deep breath, Jas decided to trust him. She hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

  “Last night we made a list.” Jas told Rand about the half-dozen agents who might have worked for Hugh. “Miss Hahn and I are seeing Mr. Jenkins this afternoon. We’re going to convince him that we can find Whirlwind. One way is through the agent who might have sold her. Another is finding the person who hauled her from the farm. Does that make sense?”

  He nodded. “Yup.”

  “Makes sense to me, too.” Chase set down Wonder’s hoof and straightened. “I say we go through the Yellow Pages and start calling, right now.”

  “Nope.” Rand settled his cowboy hat back on. “Person you’re looking for ain’t going to be listed in the Yellow Pages.”

  “What do you mean?” Jas asked.

  “A reputable hauler has to keep tidy records for taxes and insurance. This Robicheaux guy doesn’t want a record of where his mare went.”

  “Good point. How do we find him, then?” Jas asked.

  “Ask around. I know a few guys who haul horses as a side jo
b. And I bet your grandfather knows some, too.”

  Jas smiled. She’d been right to trust him. “Thanks.”

  “Anything to help a lady.” He touched his hat brim before striding back to his fence-patching job.

  “A lady?” Chase snorted. “That old man needs glasses.”

  “Oh, shut up.” Jas elbowed him in the ribs.

  “You know …” Crossing his arms, Chase studied Rand, who was pulling his hammer from his tool belt.

  “You know … what?” Jas asked, panicking. Did Chase think Rand might be the spy, too?

  “My idea is better,” he finished his thought. “About the Yellow Pages.”

  “Oh.” Jas blew out a relieved breath. “I thought you were going to say Rand was the person reporting to Hugh. Now I realize you’re just jealous of him.”

  Chase gave an exaggerated shrug. “Nah.” Turning, he bent to pick up Wonder’s left hind foot. The colt swished his tail in annoyance. “Rand’s no spy.”

  Jas glanced over at the cowboy, who was nailing boards again. “How do you know? He showed up at the farm about the same time I did. Doesn’t that seem a strange coincidence?”

  “Volunteers are in and out of this place all the time. Besides, he doesn’t sneak around listening at doors and sending messages in code.”

  “Would you be serious? He could have bugged the office or something.”

  Setting down Wonder’s foot, Chase rose up. “Okay, I’ll keep my eye on him—just for you,” he said before crossing behind the colt and picking up his right foot.

  “Good idea. Speaking of ideas, did you ever ask your dad if he had any suggestions about finding Whirlwind?”

  “All he said was that most insurance companies have investigators they can hire who specialize in fraud.”

  “I’ll mention it to Mr. Jenkins. Thanks—for everything.”

  “No need to thank me.” He stared sideways at her, Wonder’s leg secure against his bent knee. “It’s my job.” Pointing the dirty hoof pick at her, he drawled, “Because I’m Bond. James Bond.”

  Jas laughed. “You have seen Goldfinger way too many times.”

  Sam followed Jas down the rocky driveway. Hope, who was finally out of quarantine, trotted by her side on a leash. The mobile home was being delivered this morning, and Jas was checking to see if the truck had arrived.

  She stopped at the sign by the entrance: S COND CHANCE ARM. No one had gotten around to fixing it. Jas ran her fingers over the bumpy black wood letters, remembering the day the social worker had driven her to the farm. She’d compared everything—fencing, barns, horses, and pastures—to High Meadows and found it sadly lacking. Now she was happy to call the tumbledown place home.

  And she wasn’t going to let Hugh ruin it.

  Yesterday, Jas and Miss Hahn had met with Mr. Jenkins. Not only had he agreed to pursue charges against Hugh, but he was also assigning an investigator to the case. He handed Jas a card that said M. BAYLOR. “Best in the business,” Mr. Jenkins had assured them.

  A truck rumbling up the road interrupted Jas’s thoughts. She waved at the driver to stop. “Turn left at the open gate,” she instructed. “Follow the lane to the top of the hill. We’ll be waiting.”

  Jas hurried back up the driveway. Miss Hahn and Grandfather were sitting on the front porch swing. “It’s here!” she called as she ran past them to the side yard. A path led into the field. The trail branched—left to the pond, right up the hill.

  When she reached the top, the truck was winding toward her from the main road. Several days ago, one of the farm’s donors had bulldozed a flat spot. Then electric lines had been run, a well dug, and septic tank installed. Yesterday, Jas had used the string trimmer and Chase had used the Bush Hog to cut the unruly grass and weeds.

  A dog bayed, and Tilly and Reese bounded through the brush. They greeted Jas with eager licks, as if they hadn’t seen her in days. Hope pricked her ears. But then she plopped to the ground and placed her chin on her paws.

  The little dog was eating better but still seemed sad. Officer Lacey had set a Havahart trap at the meth dealer’s place. He’d baited it with hamburger, hoping to entice Hope’s friend—if there was one. So far, all he’d trapped was a possum.

  Jas heard wheezing and panting. Sam was hobbling up the hill, his tail wagging with each step. Grandfather and Miss Hahn straggled behind him.

  “You made it.” Jas trotted down the slope to meet them. Linking her arm through her grandfather’s, she pulled him the rest of the way.

  While he caught his breath, they watched the driver haul the mobile home to the top of the hill. “Where ya want it?” the man shouted.

  “Right there.” Jas pointed. Their new home would overlook the barns, pastures, and pond. On the right, a grove of locust trees would shade the kitchen. In back, there was enough sun for next year’s vegetable garden.

  “What a gorgeous view,” Miss Hahn said. In the distance, they could see the wavy blue line of the Allegheny Mountains.

  Jas squeezed her grandfather’s arm. “What do you think, Grandfather?”

  “It’s perfect,” he said, tears shimmering in his eyes.

  “Yes,” Jas whispered. “It is.”

  The driver shifted gears, and the mobile home jerked forward. One tire bumped over a protruding rock, and a piece of window glass shattered and crashed to the ground.

  The driver flashed a toothy grin out the open window. “Needs a little TLC,” he hollered.

  “Sir, watch out for the—” Jas shouted.

  Too late, the front tire lurched into a rain-washed rut they’d trimmed around. Swearing loudly, the driver braked. The truck jerked to a halt, and the trailer door crashed open. With a screech of metal, it tore off the top hinge.

  Okay, our new home isn’t exactly perfect. Jas sighed as the door flapped like a lopsided mouth. But it’s good enough.

  Ten

  “I KNOW—THE PLACE STINKS LIKE MOUSE poop,” Jas admitted to Chase. He stood in the living room of the mobile home, holding his nose. “But be a man and toughen up.”

  Jas was on her knees, tearing out chunks of rain-soaked carpet. For two days she’d scrubbed counters and walls, while Miss Hahn and Mr. Muggins had dragged out trash bags bulging with empty food cans and fast-food wrappers.

  “Mouse poop I can handle,” Chase said. “It’s the other smell. Like something’s dead.”

  “Gross.” Lucy’s voice came from behind Chase. Jas tensed. She hadn’t realized the older girl had arrived with Chase. “What is that smell?”

  Rrrrip. Jas tore out another soggy section of carpet. What was Lucy doing with Chase? He said he’d been gone for two days visiting relatives with his family. Or had he really been off with Lucy?

  Oh, stop, Jas scolded herself. That is a stupid thought. Sitting on her heels, she blew through clenched teeth, furious for feeling jealous. Chase wasn’t her boyfriend. And why do I care that Lucy thinks this place smells gross?

  Walking over, Chase stared down at Jas.

  “How was your trip?” she asked. Leaning forward, she started on another stubborn strip.

  “Fun. Miniature golf and old home movies. You know, grandparent stuff.”

  No, I don’t know grandparent stuff, Jas realized. Her grandparents had been a mom and a dad to her.

  “I bet you were a cutie-pie in those old movies, Chase,” Lucy cooed as she walked around the living room. Jas half expected her to whip out a clipboard and inspection sheet. Buckled paneling—check. Rain-stained ceiling—check.

  Chase squatted next to Jas. “How about if I get a chain saw? I love hacking up things. Maybe there’s a dead body buried beneath the flooring.”

  “Thanks, but I can handle the dirty work.” Jas wiped the sweat off her brow. It was hot outside and stifling inside. “Rand needs help building the new steps. He’s making a railing for Grandfather.”

  Chase stood up. “We saw him when we came in. I’ll give him a hand.” When Chase left, Jas glanced over her shoulder. Lucy was peeking
cautiously into the kitchen. She wore a turquoise tank top, white short shorts, and jeweled flip-flops. Her legs were smooth and tan and didn’t have a single bruise, scrape, or scab. In her arms, she held a box with a picture of a microwave on the side.

  “Whatcha got, Luce?” Jas forced herself to be friendly.

  “A housewarming present from my mom.”

  “Thanks. We’ll need it. I’m not sure the oven works.”

  Setting the box on the kitchen counter, Lucy looked into the sink and grimaced. “Eww.”

  Jas tossed a strip of carpet into the trash can. “Quit frowning, Luce, or you’ll need Botox.”

  “Not likely,” Lucy retorted, but she immediately smoothed her forehead with two fingers. “How will you stand living here without air-conditioning?” she asked, fanning herself.

  “We’ll do fine.” Jas’s voice tightened. Then she reminded herself that the older girl wasn’t being mean. She was just being Lucy. “Make sure you thank your mom for the microwave.”

  “Yeah, well …” Without offering to help, she sauntered to the doorway and jumped to the ground outside. A second later, Jas heard her talking to Chase and Rand. She pictured the scene. Lucy would have one hand propped on her hip. The other would be flipping her bangs off her forehead while she chatted up the two guys. Rand’s eyes would be hound-dog eager. Chase would be drooling.

  Jas rubbed her lower back. Her jeans were covered with rotted carpet fibers. The skin on her arms and hands was gray with dust. She couldn’t blame Lucy for not wanting to help. And her own frustration had nothing to do with Lucy’s flirtations. It had been two days, and still there was no word from M. Baylor. Jas was losing patience.

  Grabbing the utility scissors, she attacked another section of carpet. She sawed and snipped until her hand ached.

  “Where do you want these?” Chase hollered about twenty minutes later.

  “These what?” She looked over her shoulder.

  Chase slid two boxes through the doorway. “Dishes.”

  “Dishes?” Jas stood, groaning at the pain in her knees. Chase took a running start and leaped into the living room, landing beside her. “Who brought them?” she asked.