“Legs will feel that way after a person smacks the ground that hard. You’re just lucky you didn’t break your neck or back. Now he carried me over by a huge boulder and leaned me against it. “Hopefully, you haven’t broken anything.”
“Me too.”
“You know you’re a day early, Mary.”
“What do you mean?”
“For our date.”
I must say, the guy knows how to lighten things up. I might as well go with the flow. “Oh, darn. I forgot my bowling ball. I need to go back home and get it.”
“I can fix that. Just let me collect your horse, and I’ll saddle you up again.”
“Oh, no.” My hands started shaking uncontrollably.
“Look, I’m going to ride back to the house, get the four-wheeler, aspirin, and a couple bottles of water. Do you think you’ll be all right by yourself?”
“Sure, now that I’m on your side of the fence.” Clint blushed. He had taken my words the wrong way, but I didn’t care. It was nice having him take control. I felt safe with him. Like one does with a cop. That’s it! Nat and Clint were undercover cops. Nat must’ve seen me fly off and called to warn Clint. That’s how he showed up so fast. So, the two of them are running some kind of sting operation. But what’s involved? “When you get back though,” I continued, “we need to have a long overdue talk.”
“Whatever you say, sweet pea. You’re the boss.”
Five minutes later, Clint came tearing back through the pasture with his red and black four-wheeler shouting, “I let your friend know where you were.”
“And how did you do that?” I yelled back as I watched him turn his noisy vehicle off. “Did you buzz your cohort, Nat?”
Clint hopped out and carried the items he promised over to the boulder where he had settled me. “Did I hear you say something about ‘Nat and me’?”
“Yes, you and that gal. I’ve seen you two together before, but I couldn’t figure out what you were up to.”
“Have you now?” he asked real casual-like as he sat down on the ground next to me.
“Yeah, I’ve put some of the pieces together.”
He unscrewed the bottled water and then passed the bottle and a couple aspirins to me. “Like what?”
I tossed the aspirins in my mouth, quickly washed them down, and then ran my hand across my mouth. “You’re definitely not Clint Russell. I’ve seen a copy of his driver’s license.”
Clint pretended to yawn. “Is that it?”
I shook my head. “No.” A sharp pain cut through my pelvic region and I winced. “Clint or whoever you are, I don’t think the aspirins are going to cut it. How about we finish this discussion on the way to the nearest emergency room?”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that.” He stood, whisked me off the ground, settled me in the four-wheeler, and then hopped in on the driver side. “Fasten your seatbelt, sweet pea. You’re in for a real treat.” We tore through the pasture lickety-split, reaching the Ford Focus in nothing flat. Clint immediately transferred me to the car, and we took off for the freeway. “Okay, so where did we leave our discussion at?”
“I said you weren’t Clint Russell, and you asked if I knew anything else.”
He lifted his right hand off the steering wheel for a moment. “Oh, yes. So, do you?”
I swept a hand through my grungy hair. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure you and Nat are undercover cops and since the real Clint Russell got busted on drug charges a couple years back, I think it’s safe to say your sting operation pertains to drugs.”
“Wow,” Clint said with a sarcastic tone to his voice, “You amaze me. You thought of that all on your own?”
“Pretty much.” I wasn’t about to tell him a fellow cop helped a little.
His fiery blue eyes searched my face now. “So, Mary, is your story any better than mine?”
“You betcha. I’m the real deal, Mary Malone, hired to solve Reed’s horse issues.”
He chuckled. “Ah, but you’re not a licensed PI.”
“Found me out, did ya?”
“Didn’t take me long.”
“Yeah, especially when you have help.”
Clint’s eyebrows almost marched off his forehead.
“Don’t deny it. I know Nat’s been spying on me and reporting back to you.”
His face relaxed now. “Okay. You’re right. So, who tied you up at Reed’s and sent you on your merry way?”
“Jackson. I figured out he killed Sally, and he wasn’t too pleased about it. By the way, I’m pretty sure he’s the one who has been sending the horses over the fence. Don’t ask me why.”
“You got any proof to back up your allegations?”
I held up my shirt and pulled out the baggie. “This is part of it. Have it analyzed. The other is stashed in a pig cookie jar in Reed’s kitchen.”
“A cookie jar? Couldn’t you think of a better place to hide it?”
I gave him a cold stare. “That’s where Stephanie Plum hides her gun.”
“Who’s Plum?”
“A fictional character in one of Janet Evanovich’s novels.”
“Good Lord!” Clint ran his hand through his sandy-colored hair now. “Let’s forget about Plum for a minute, okay? Do you think Jackson might be messing with drugs too?”
“Could be.” Another pain shot through me as Clint turned a sharp corner, and I wondered how much longer the ride would be. Just then, St. Agnes Hospital came into view.
Two minutes later we pulled up to the emergency entrance, and a fifty-something bald male hospital attendant immediately rushed over with a wheelchair. “What happened?”
Before I could spit the words out, Clint explained that I had been thrown off a horse and was suffering severe pain in the upper portion of my right leg.
“Has she taken any pain medication?” he asked as if the man speaking for me was my husband. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if he was.
“Yeah, I gave her a couple aspirins about twenty minutes ago.”
“Okay, well let’s get her in there and see about x-rays.”
Now I knew how Rita Sinclair, Matt’s ex-girlfriend must’ve felt when she broke her ankle this past winter in Puerto Vallarta. The injured person gets bypassed as if he or she can’t function. Well, no one was going to get away with that if I could help it. I cleared my throat and said, “Look, I don’t know if you’re going to be with me through this whole ordeal, Mister, but you can talk to me from now on. This man and I are in no way related. You got that.”
“The name’s Dean,” he replied softly.
“All right, Dean, let’s see how fast I can get out of here.”
Chapter 49
Once I was safely situated in the ER, Clint said he’d better skedaddle. He didn’t want to blow his cover. Besides, Nat had just texted him that she was on her way with Zoe. Right before he departed, though, he made me swear to say one of his employees found me out in the pasture if anyone asked. Not wanting to be featured on the Most Wanted list anytime soon, I agreed to stick to the dude’s story.
Now, as I sat idly by twiddling my thumbs in a freezing hallway waiting for someone to come and take me to the x-ray room, I happened to notice the warning sign about cell phones: usage was prohibited in this particular area. Shoot. I had forgotten about mine. It had been safely tucked in a pants pocket when I entered the barn. It’s probably busted after the fall I took, but I’d better turn it off just to be safe. I poked my hand in my left pocket and dug it out. Huh? At least it wasn’t smashed.
Of course, timing is everything. Dean appeared out of nowhere to wheel me off before I could actually check to see if the phone’s apps worked. “Hope your little gizmo there’s turned off,” the short Oriental man said, and then he pointed to the sign by the water cooler. “Can’t have them o
n in this area.”
“I just saw the sign.” Darn. I’ll have to check it out later. I held down a button on the cell phone now until the screen went blank. “Okay, Dean, let’s do some pop-wheelies.”
“Whatever you say.”
Aunt Zoe came rushing down the corridor after me looking like a fire engine chasing a fire. She was by herself. “Mary! Where is he taking you? Please tell me you aren’t having surgery.”
“I’m just going to the x-ray room,” I calmly explained. “I’ll be right back.”
“Are you family, Miss?” Dean asked.
My aunt threw her hands on her hips. “I most certainly am.”
“Well, there’s a lounge around the corner where you can wait.”
“Thank you.” Now, she pressed my shoulder. “Everything will be all right, Mary. You’ll see.”
I crossed my fingers and forced a smile.
When I got back to the lounge a half hour later, I found Nat with Zoe, and I immediately shared that I was good to go.
Aunt Zoe jumped out of her seat. “What does that mean, Mary? They didn’t find anything wrong?”
“Oh, yeah, they found something.”
“Well, what is it? What’s wrong?” my aunt’s face coloring suddenly dimmed to a dull pink. “I’m sorry, Mary. I wasn’t thinking. It just slipped out.”
“It’s all right, Auntie. Nat’s not really who we thought she was either.”
“That’s right,” Nat said. “I’m not mixed up with whatever you gals are working on.”
Aunt Zoe stared at Nat like she was seeing her for the first time. “You’re not?”
“No,” Nat and I both chimed in.
“That means you must have the hots for Reed too.”
Nat laughed. “Sorry. He’s not my type.”
“Then . . .”
I grabbed my aunt’s hand. “I’ll explain later.” Now, I looked up at Nat from the wheelchair. “Can you give us a lift home? I just downed a pain pill for my fractured pelvis, and the nurse said I’m not supposed to drive.”
“Sure, I think I know right where you live.”
*****
“I still can’t figure out how Nat knew exactly where we lived, Mary,” Aunt Zoe said as she helped me off the elevator.
I pressed down on the cane the hospital staff gave me to use for the next several weeks as we progressed along the hallway now. “She happened to stop by at the optical store when I was working. I must’ve told her.”
“Ah?”
The minute we reached our apartment door Aunt Zoe began to dig through her huge purse looking for her set of keys. While she was still digging away, out popped Margaret Grimshaw clad in a white-and-blue stripped apron, blue pants and a white blouse. Our backs were to her. “Oh, good, you’ve returned,” she said excitedly. “I’m anxious to hear about your adventures, but I also have wonderful news to share. Mary, your brother Michael stopped by. He found out Fiona was ready to be picked up so he thought he’d surprise you and bring the car around to the Foley. I slowly turned towards the elderly woman now to thank her for her message. “Mary, what happened? Why are you using a cane?”
“I’ll tell you all about it as soon as we get inside.”
“I found them. I found them,” my aunt said as she dangled the keys in front of my nose.
“Well, perhaps you should put one in the lock,” Margaret kindly suggested.
“Yes, of course,” Aunt Zoe replied, and then she shoved a key in the hole. “I’ll go in first, Mary, just in case Gracie is overly excited.”
“Good thinking,” I said. I already had one fractured bone. I didn’t need another.
As soon as Aunt Zoe stepped in the door, Gracie came flying towards her. Then she abruptly stopped and started sniffing me. Thankfully, she didn’t like what she smelled. She turned and scrambled back to the bedroom.
“Must be the smell of the hospital,” I said as I limped into the living room. “It probably reminds her of her visits to the vet. The vet?”
“What is it, Mary?” Margaret asked as she squished her body to conform to a pillow on the floor.
“Something just dawned on me,” I replied. “Auntie, can I use your cell phone?”
She started towards me with her purse. “What’s wrong with yours?”
“I had it on me when I fell off the horse.”
“Oh, so it might be busted.”
“Yes. Just give it to me, please. It’s an emergency.”
My aunt yanked her cell phone out of her purse and handed it over.
I sat down on the edge of the couch and tried to remember Clint Russell’s number. Was there a two in it or not, Mary? Come on. It wasn’t that hard a number to remember. It finally came to me, and I pressed in the digits. “Clint. It’s Mary.”
Aunt Zoe marched over to where Margaret sat and said, “I can’t believe she’s talking to Clint Russell. When Reed finds out, he’ll fire her for sure.”
“Shh, Zoe,” Margaret ordered. “I want to hear what she has to say.”
“You do?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
“I suppose.”
“I think you’ll find what you’re looking for at Dr. Troy Taylor’s home,” I said, “Don’t forget to let me know how it turns out.” Either the pain pills or the umpteen x-rays had finally loosened up my brain cells. Of course, it could’ve been plain hunger pains, but everything seemed to gel all of a sudden. The day I visited Doc Taylor he had acted mighty strange. I know he purposely dropped the metal object I gave him, but why had he been so determined I not enter his house even though he was choking? I also recalled the loud thud his vet bag made when it a smacked the porch. Too loud for a few instruments to make. Probably packed with cocaine.
Aunt Zoe quickly pounced. “Doc Taylor’s? He left the party right after he ate. What’s going on there?”
“One thing at a time,” I said. “Don’t rush me.”
Obviously, the pain I was feeling registered on my face because Margaret intervened on my behalf now. “I made a French apple pie today. I think we should all have a slice. Zoe, would you mind running across the hall and getting it? It’s sitting on the kitchen counter.”
“That sure would hit the spot,” I added. “I’m pretty hungry. How about you, Auntie?”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have one more sweet after all that’s happened today. I can’t believe how crazy those horses are at Reed’s,” now she traipsed out the door.
“Thanks, Margaret. She was coming on too strong.”
The elderly woman shared a knowing smile. “May I ask why you’re using a cane?”
“I’ve got a fractured pelvis.” I tried to make myself more comfortable on the cushion-less couch, but nothing I did seemed to help.
“Oh, dear. How did that happen?”
“A horse threw me.” Before I could manage to explain the events surrounding the incident further, my aunt waltzed back in the apartment carrying a nicely browned crusted pie in a glass dish. It looked so yummy I was ready to tear it out of her hands.
Aunt Zoe must’ve sensed how desperate I was. She only stopped in the living room doorway long enough to tell us her plans, “I’ll slice it up, add vanilla ice cream and bring it back in here, so you two don’t have to get up,” and then she moved on to the kitchen.
I looked over at the nonagenarian. “Margaret, you don’t need to be so uncomfortable. When Zoe gets back in here, have her help you up, so you can sit in the La-Z-Boy.”
“I’ll be all right. So, how much longer do you think your aunt will keep up this Moroccan style living of hers?”
I flipped my palms up. “I haven’t a clue.”
A couple minutes later, Aunt Zoe buzzed back to the living room and began handing out our desserts. “I bet
you gals don’t know how pie a la mode came about,” she said. Margaret and I shrugged. “John Gieriet from Duluth came up with the name and idea in 1885.”
I bobbed my head. “Thanks for sharing. Now, I’ve got another Minnesota thing to brag about besides Paul Bunyan, 3M, and our 10,000 lakes.”
Margaret giggled.
My aunt chose to sit on a cushion by our neighbor and was having a hard time manipulating her dessert plate and squishing down, but eventually she managed, and as soon as she was situated, she said, “Do you feel like talking yet, Mary?”
“I suppose. Just let me taste this luscious dessert first.” I pressed my fork into the flakey crust and ice cream and then shifted everything to my lips. “Yum. This apple pie is delicious, Margaret. You’ll have to show me how to make it someday.”
Our neighbor nodded. “I will if you continue to keep me in the loop regarding your case.”
I laughed. “I promise. Now, about today’s events . . .”
Chapter 50
Two Weeks Later
You did a fine job, Mary,” my client said as he hoisted his second cup of strong java in the air over his kitchen table, “for a newbie sleuth.”
I turned towards my aunt and gave her a disgusted look.
Her cup began to tremble in her hand. “I’m sorry, Mary. The night of the party the two of us were talking about so many things, I just blurted it out.”
Reed rapidly came to Aunt Zoe’s defense now. “It’s not a bad thing, Mary. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished. I still can’t believe Jackson killed Sally.”
“Not to mention,” Aunt Zoe piped up, “his decision to join forces with your ex, Georgette, to end Angel’s racing career by poisoning her with Maple leaves. What did he hope to gain from that?”
“The same thing he got from smuggling cocaine with Doc Taylor,” I answered, “Money. It is the root of all evil. He and Georgette wanted Angel out of the way, so they could enter another horse that matched her speed, a horse that’s right here in Reed’s stable.”
Death at the Bar X Ranch Page 27