“But not always the person who is their soul mate.”
Was there such a thing? “Your mother is still alive, isn’t she?”
“Aye, but she wasn’t my da’s true love. He let the woman who has his heart go rather than bring Sheelin’s curse on her head.”
Cat frowned. “Did your mother know this when she married him?”
“That she did, indeed. She loved Da, and Da treats her with the greatest respect. ’Tis only occasionally the melancholy sets in him and he drinks to forget.”
“But no one died.”
“Not that time, because Da avoided the curse.”
What other time was he referring to? she wondered. “What a sad life your father must lead believing in curses and therefore never accepting love.” And how sad that Aidan was following in his footsteps.
“So you refuse to believe me.”
Cat realized he sounded angry and upset that she didn’t. As incredible as this curse thing sounded, she could sense he really did believe in it.
“No offense, Aidan. I’m not sure my sense of whimsy was ever that advanced. Or if it was, Jack killed it for me.”
Aidan made a strangled sound. “Perhaps you need to open your mind. Many things in the world have no logical explanation.”
What wasn’t he saying? “I’m just not there. I’m sorry, Aidan, but none of this makes sense to me. I simply don’t believe it. If you’re letting this supposed curse rule your life, then I feel sorry for you.”
“’Tis you that gives me worry.”
“Stop worrying, please. I’m fine.”
He’d said something about caring. Was that why he was so worried about her? Was that why he was telling her all this? Did he think he was in love with her?
Her heart nearly stopped at the thought.
Surely not. They barely knew each other. And yet…
She knew Aidan well enough to realize that he was a man of honor, one whose feelings ran deep, one who worked hard and dreamed big. They came from the same world of Thoroughbred horses, and that world was their life. They had more in common than not.
Aidan McKenna was exactly the kind of man she’d always hoped to have in her life.
Burned by the emotionally destructive relationship with her ex-husband, having thought she would never be attracted to another horseman, Cat had complex feelings about Aidan.
Jack was a liar and a cheat.
Aidan was a man she could count on.
Who else but another horseman—an honorable one—would understand her, share in her triumphs, support her when things went wrong?
Thinking about it—examining her own feelings—was too much for Cat right now, so she tucked the disturbing thoughts away. At some later date, she would take them out and analyze them.
Just not now.
As the SUV turned onto farm property, Cat realized they had company. A police car sat in front of the house, and Detective Wade Pierce leaned on the hood waiting for them. Aidan pulled up next to the police car, then hopped out and rushed around to the passenger door to help Cat out. Though she was still moving slowly and her head throbbed if she turned it too fast, she was feeling better than she had even a few hours ago. She walked toward Pierce, Aidan supporting her with an arm around her back that felt really good. And right.
“Detective Pierce, I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I called the hospital and they told me you’d been released, so I figured I might as well come straight to the farm.”
“I didn’t know you worked attempted burglaries.”
“I don’t. Can we go inside? You’re not looking too good. You probably need to sit down.”
That didn’t make Cat happy. Why did she need to sit? Had he found out something definitive about George’s murder and was reluctant to tell her?
She let Aidan lead her inside. “The dogs aren’t here.”
“I called earlier. Bernie said he would feed them. They have probably followed him, wherever he is.”
Sitting, she asked, “So what is it, Detective? You learned something about George?”
“Afraid not. I have more bad news. This time it’s about Helen Fox.”
“The veterinarian?” Aidan asked.
“Yes.” Cat could hardly catch her breath. “What happened?”
“I’m afraid she’s dead.”
Cat gasped and Aidan clasped her shoulder to let her know he was there to support her.
“The cleaning woman found her body this morning, but we think she was murdered about thirty-six hours ago.”
“Murdered?” Cat could hardly fathom it. First George, now Helen. She’d never known another person who’d been murdered and here there were two people she’d known well in the space of a month. “No wonder I couldn’t scare her up yesterday. I called several times.”
“Yes, we know. We found her cell phone and ran through all her messages.”
“What happened?” Aidan asked.
“The paramedics who brought her in thought she’d had a heart attack—”
“But she’s only in her early forties!” Cat said.
“Which is why the ME performed an autopsy. There was one needle mark in her back and another in her neck. It seems that she was sedated and then injected with a second drug intravenously.”
Cat cried out. “Are you saying she was euthanized like a horse?”
“Exactly like she would have put down a horse or any other animal. The drugs were right there in her office.”
“Oh, no,” Cat whispered.
“’Tis a terrible thing,” Aidan said. “Do you have any idea of who the murderer might be?”
“Obviously someone familiar with animals and the drugs and method used to euthanize them. Possibly the same person who killed George Odell.”
“They were not killed in the same way, so how do you make that connection?” Aidan asked.
“They have something in common. This farm.” He locked gazes with Cat. “And you. All three incidents in less than a month.”
Cat’s pulse leaped, and Aidan seemed to sense it. He moved in closer so she could feel him and put his hands over her shoulders.
She tried to catch her breath. “I—I didn’t kill anyone.”
“Cat was attacked, as well.”
“I’m well aware of that, and someone could have had darker reasons for the attack than you simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m not saying you did anything illegal, Cat—at least, I hope you didn’t—but I don’t know that for certain. You and your farm are the common denominators. George Odell ran your barn and Helen Fox vetted your horses. I can’t say whether or not you’ve been involved in whatever it is, but I have to learn the truth of the matter.”
“Accusing the lass is ridiculous—”
“It’s not an accusation. It’s simply something I have to investigate and hopefully rule out.”
With a glance out the kitchen window, Cat saw that two police vehicles were coming down her drive and heading for the barn. “What’s going on?”
From inside his sports jacket, Pierce pulled out a sheaf of papers. “This is a warrant to search the premises.” He put the paperwork on the table and slid it toward her.
“You didn’t need a warrant. You can search every inch of the place if it will help you find George’s murderer.” She glared at it and then glared at him. “I want to nail whoever did it as much as you do. No, more than you do. He was family to me.”
“And Helen?” Pierce watched her closely.
“I only knew Helen professionally, but of course I want see her killer caught!”
“Good. Evidence techs will be doing a more thorough search on your property this time.”
“What will they look for?” Cat asked.
“George’s blood, for one.”
Cat shuddered and was glad for Aidan’s support. She hoped against hope that one of her broodmare owners wouldn’t simply show up while the evidence techs were at work. Remembering the argument between Mart
in and Dean, she knew both men could quickly lose their tempers. That could prove to be a disaster for business.
“So your techs will look for blood in the barn?”
“Everywhere, Cat. Including in this house. I’m sorry, but we have to be thorough. I’ll have one of my men stay here with you in the kitchen. You won’t be able to go into the other rooms until we’re done. Either one of you.”
“The lass needs to lie down.” Aidan’s tone was reasonable. “She was desperately hurt last night.”
Pierce gave him an unsympathetic expression. “Then perhaps you’d better take her to a motel.”
“I’m not leaving my farm!” Cat said. “If you find something, I want to be here to see it for myself.”
Cat stubbornly stayed put despite her throbbing head. She even refused Aidan’s idea to get back into the SUV’s passenger seat and recline the back so she could rest for a while. The search of her home felt like a personal violation, but she put her own feelings on the back burner. She understood the police had to look at everyone. If only they’d done so when she’d asked. They’d be lucky to find any evidence now.
“What can I get you to eat?” Aidan asked.
“Nothing. My stomach is in too much of a knot to eat. Help yourself, though.”
The wait seemed interminable.
Barely an hour later, Pierce himself came back into the house to deliver the news. “We found it. Blood in the barn.”
Cat caught her breath. “Mares give birth in that barn.”
“It’s not anywhere that you’d find that kind of blood. There’s a distinct pattern—”
“I want to see it.”
“Cat, no!” Aidan protested.
But she was already on her feet and heading toward the back door. She glanced once to make sure Pierce and Aidan were following, then left the house. By the time she got halfway to the barn, her stomach was tied up in knots.
And as she drew closer, she could see the evidence technicians had put up yellow tape around the area they were investigating.
Crime scene tape.
“Is that really necessary?” Cat could only imagine the horror her clients would feel when they saw it.
“I’m afraid so,” Pierce said. “It shouldn’t be there more than a day or so. It’s possible we might have to come back to look for additional evidence.” When they got to the barn, he lifted the tape and let her and Aidan enter the secured area. “The blood wasn’t visible to the naked eye. We used a chemical spray that caused the blood to fluoresce under the right light.”
Pierce gave one of the evidence techs the high sign and then shut off the overhead lights. The tech turned on an ultraviolet light and shone it over boards between two aisles. A splatter on the boards glowed in the dark, and to Cat, it looked like a pattern that could have been made when George’s head was smashed with a heavy object.
“We found this, as well.” Pierce picked up a mucking shovel and held it under the light.
More splatter.
Seeing the murder weapon like this was too much for Cat. Her stomach boiled and she barely made it back outside before heaving the little breakfast she’d eaten at the hospital. Aidan quickly came to her rescue and held her from falling to her knees.
“Sorry about that,” the detective said. “You okay?”
Cat glanced at Pierce. “Just great.”
“The men are done with your house. Didn’t find anything. You can go get some rest now.”
“A good idea,” Aidan agreed.
But Cat needed to know how things stood. Twin barks alerted her to the imminent arrival of the dogs. “What’s next?”
“We have to confirm the blood was your barn manager’s. My men are dusting for fingerprints now.”
In their excitement, Smokey and Topaz knocked into her. Bernie wasn’t far behind. She said, “You’re bound to find all our prints around that area—Raul’s, Bernie’s, mine. The kids. Even the owners. The same on the shovel handle, since we all use the equipment.”
“Maybe we’ll find prints that don’t belong.”
“You found prints?” a wide-eyed Bernie asked.
“And blood. George was struck with a mucking shovel just inside the barn.”
“Holy…” Bernie wandered into the entryway to watch the evidence techs at work.
“It’s too bad you couldn’t find George’s suitcase,” Cat said. “Maybe the killer’s prints would be on it.”
“That’s right,” Pierce said. “When you first called about George being missing, you said he’d packed some of his things and disappeared. What did the case look like?”
Though that had been part of her initial report, she told him again. “A small silvery-gray one with wheels. Like the ones you take on a plane.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for it,” he promised.
Aidan tugged her away from the barn. “Come now, there’s nothing more you can do here. You need some rest. And some food.”
“I probably ought to make some phone calls.”
“Who needs telling?”
“The owners. They’re not going to be too happy. They should hear about this from me.”
“I am certain Pierce will be talking to them again.”
“Great. You should have seen Dean Hill’s reaction to the first interview. Now a second murder…both connected to Clarke Acres…he’ll go ballistic if Pierce gets to him before I do. I have to call.”
“Take a lie-down first. When you are rested, it will go easier.”
Too exhausted, too heartsick, to answer, she let him head her for the house. Once inside, she went straight to the bedroom. He didn’t follow.
Waiting wouldn’t change how the owners reacted to the news of another death, of how Pierce had put it together that she and the farm were somehow at the center of the crime. They could all choose to pick up and move their broodmares to another breeder.
And then where would her business be? In shreds.
Still, she couldn’t stand to do it now, so she took Aidan’s suggestion. The moment her head hit the pillow, her world floated away.
Chapter Sixteen
Aidan fed Cat leftover pot roast and that afternoon somehow got her through the ordeal of calling her owners. After which, she’d collapsed on the bed again. As much as he wanted to go to the racetrack to check on Mac, Cat might need him.
And later, he slept on the sofa, just in case her attacker returned.
Though he hoped for a dream that would help the investigation, he got nothing this night. Exhausted, he slept like a dead man, waking briefly twice. Both times he looked in on Cat. Watched her sleep. Wondered if he had really condemned her by having sex with a woman who roused his softer emotions.
Convinced that she had somehow been hurt because of him, he vowed never to touch her again.
Would that work?
Could he obliterate the curse from his life and especially from hers somehow?
He didn’t know. He only knew that he cared about her more than he should, and that he was now likely responsible for her very life.
Morning brought with it televised news of the vet’s murder. Undoubtedly the story had been picked up on the internet and in the local paper. No mention of Clarke Acres. No cameras set up outside the property or reporters waiting for an interview.
Something for which to be thankful.
At Aidan’s prompting, Pierce had agreed to assign a police officer on the farm to guard Cat while Aidan was at the racetrack. The officer showed up as promised at dawn. Having police protection wouldn’t last long, Aidan was certain, but at least he could count on it for now.
Even so, he left for the racetrack with a heavy heart and vowed to return as quickly as possible.
The morning workout was Mac’s best. He had Nadim take him on several shorter runs to get the colt out of the gate with more power. The race was only ten days away, and still he didn’t have a jockey. Cat’s attack had put him a day behind schedule. He should at least be talking with potential jock
eys or their agents.
Speaking of jockeys…
After the workout, he stood in the shedrow, watching Tim Browne working, not as a jockey but as a hotwalker. The other man circled Mac around the shedrow to cool him off.
What was his game? Aidan wondered.
Why would he leave Ireland for America and hide who he was by taking a commonplace job?
Surely he wasn’t involved in whatever was going on at Clarke Acres. Though Aidan wished he could be certain of that.
When the colt was cool enough, Browne brought him back to his stall and turned him loose inside. He told Aidan, “Everyone who has seen Mac run the last few mornings has been impressed.”
Smothering his sense of pride for the moment, Aidan couldn’t help but bait the man to pry information out of him. “Mac is doing a fine job of it, hopefully good enough to impress a leading jockey into taking the ride.”
“’Tis certain he’ll attract the attention of someone who will do him justice.”
So, still no admission. Had Browne come here to this country, to this very racetrack, in order to secure a ride on Mac? Then why hadn’t he just been honest about it?
Browne said, “I haven’t seen your partner around the shedrow since the first day.”
Aidan started at his interest. “Cat has her own business to run.”
“But she has an investment in the colt, as well.”
Browne seemed to know more than he should have, considering he was someone Aidan had met only three days ago.
“Aye, an investment,” Aidan agreed, “but broodmares are also in season. She must attend to them first.”
“Is that it, then?”
“What else?”
“I heard about the attack. I assume she’s recovered.”
How did he know about the attack on Cat? Aidan wondered.
Before he could ask, Browne added, “And then there are rumors of murder associated with her farm. I thought perhaps that is why she has stayed away.”
“Only inasmuch as the murdered woman vetted her horses as well as those on many other farms.”
“Aye, you are correct, of course. Perhaps it was inappropriate of me to speak of it.” Browne backed away down the shedrow. “Tell her for me that I sincerely hope she has fully recovered from the attack.”
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