Unfinished Business: Kovak & Quaid Horse Mystery Series (Kovak & Quaid Horse Mysteries Book 3)

by Toni Leland

  “Excuse me, Sir?”

  Quaid turned at the voice. The woman with the wheelbarrow smiled.

  “Could you take him out for a few minutes so I can clean his stall?”

  “Sure thing. Hand me that halter and lead shank.”

  A minute later, Quaid buckled the halter and attached the lead. “What do you usually do with him?”

  “Mr. Brooks puts him out in the paddock. He’s the only one who can handle him.”

  She stepped back as Quaid opened the stall door and led Commander out into the aisle. The horse pinned his ears and snorted, and the woman stepped back even farther.

  Quaid shook his head. “I’ll take him over there where he won’t bother you.”

  She didn’t smile, but moved into the stall as Quaid led Commander to the crossties and hooked him up. As he brushed the sleek black coat and picked the tangles out of Commander’s tail, he thought again about what might have happened to the horse to make him so volatile. Kim had mentioned something about a gelding procedure that hadn’t been done correctly, but Quaid doubted that had anything to do with the horse’s hatred of women. More likely, some cruel female had badly abused him in an effort to get him to be a champion. Someone with no conscience – someone like Vivica Wheeler. He shuddered, thinking about that woman killing those foals just because they were the wrong sex. Kim was so right on that one. He banged the brush against the wall to knock the dust off, then took one more swipe at Commander’s back. He hoped Vivica Wheeler got what she deserved, plus more.

  He stepped back and narrowed his eyes. Hmmm. I’m not working for United Equine anymore. Hmmm.

  Chapter 63

  After leaving the barn, Quaid drove to Kim’s condo and parked in Dixie’s old spot. He probably should have called ahead, but after hearing Kim’s voice mail and her acceptance of his job offer, he figured it was best to handle it in person. Besides, seeing her pretty face was just what he needed right now.

  As he climbed the stairs to her door, he thought about what he would say. A monkey wrench in the works. Out of my control. Had no idea this would happen.

  The door opened and she smiled, setting his pulse on a race.

  “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise. Come on in.”

  He bobbed his head once. “Sorry, I should have called ahead, but I was over at the barn and I forgot.”

  “How’s your big guy? Did you ride him?”

  Quaid shook his head and peeled off his jacket. “No, just had a conversation, cleaned him up a bit.”

  Kim’s expression changed slightly, concern dimming her eyes a little. “Is everything okay?”

  He exhaled sharply. “Kim, I feel really bad about this, but I wanted to tell you in person.”

  All the color left her face and he kicked himself.

  “I just quit the insurance company. I can’t hire you to work for them.”

  ~ ~

  Kim stared at Garrett’s tormented expression. He was obviously horribly upset over the job situation. She shook her head and touched his arm.

  “Come sit down and tell me what’s going on. You want a beer?”

  He nodded and walked over to the couch. “Make that a double.”

  She chuckled and pulled two longneck bottles out of the fridge, then sat down beside him. “I’m listening.”

  As he revealed the string of events of his day, she watched his attitude go from dejected to determined. She could envision him telling Anderson to “shove it,” and imagine all the thoughts and scenarios that had raged through his head all afternoon, so strong that he’d gone to his horse for consolation. She could feel his pain at the shambles his life had just become – or so he thought. At this point, he was still too involved in the knee-jerk emotions attached to the situation to be objective about the future.

  She touched his arm. “Garrett, please don’t worry about me. It’s okay. Let’s just figure out what you’re going to do.”

  He gazed at her for a moment and her pulse skipped. At that second, he looked so vulnerable. She wanted to draw him close and reassure him, but they were definitely not at that stage of their relationship.

  He shook his head. “The first thing I have to do is tell Gail she’s out of a job. And someone from headquarters will need to close down the office – I’m sure as hell not doin’ it.” He gazed off toward the deck doors, not saying anything for a moment. “The hell of it is that I spent the last four months building up the company office while I neglected my own business.”

  “Is there any reason you can’t go back to being on your own? You have all the credentials and experience.”

  “Unfortunately, the income from United Equine was more than half of what I earned. Not sure I can duplicate that in the private sector.”

  “Surely there are other insurance companies that would welcome your expertise, want you as a consultant.”

  “Maybe, but I might have given myself a black eye by telling Anderson to pack sand. Word travels fast.”

  “I’ll help you in whatever way I can.” She grinned. “Pro bono.”

  ~ ~

  Later that evening, Kim reviewed the conversation again and again. She was a little surprised at Garrett’s vulnerability in the situation. Weren’t men supposed to be strong and resilient? Take it on the chin? Bounce back with a vengeance? Or was that all a myth, propaganda generated to keep the masculine façade at its best? Kim actually was pleased to see that emotional side of Garrett, know that things mattered to him more than he was willing to let on. Perhaps that extended to his feelings about her. She was pretty sure he had them, sometimes they peeked out at the strangest times, but mostly he kept a lid on it and kept her guessing. But her gut and her heart told her that he cared. She’d always trusted her gut. But her heart? Not so sure.

  By the time he’d left to go home, his attitude had leveled out and together they’d made a plan for the next steps. He would handle the initiation of the closure tomorrow, then the following day they would travel to Dayton to visit Jenna and Ricky. The break would be good for Garrett, and Kim was delighted for the chance to be part of his inner circle. After that, she would do whatever he needed in order to get back on his feet.

  Her phone rang and Shareen’s excited voice rang through. “Kim! I’m coming to Ohio! There was an anonymous tip about where my horses are located and I am coming to get them this weekend. Can you be there?”

  Kim closed her eyes. Something told her this wouldn’t be as easy as it seemed.

  “Shareen, that’s fabulous! Have the horses been moved from the Indiana farm? Tell me everything!”

  “I don’t know too much, only that an officer called me to say that the state would be investigating their location.”

  Kim frowned. “You should wait until they ask you to come up. There’s the possibility that those aren’t your horses, then you’d have made the trip for nothing.” Not to mention the disastrous effect on your emotional stability.

  “I want to be there right away, just in case. My girls need to come home and I want them to know I have found them.”

  Kim’s heart sank. There’d be no reasoning with this feisty Egyptian girl whose entire life revolved around her Arabian horses. All Kim could do was hope that she hadn’t caused Shareen a whole lot of grief.

  ~ ~

  In the wee hours of the morning, Kim awoke with a jolt. What was that sound? She raised up on an elbow and listened hard. Glancing down at the foot of her bed, she noted that Miss Kitty wasn’t in her usual spot. Maybe she was off prowling around and that’s what Kim heard. She listened carefully for a couple of long minutes, then laid back against the pillow, listening now to her thumping pulse.

  A vision of the mangled plane in the snow-covered mountains sent a shiver over her body, even under the cozy quilt. Garrett’s mention of Charles Léon made sense, and she recognized the implications of his involvement with Vivica Wheeler. Maybe he was part of a different theft organization, one of much larger scope. Had there been a war between criminals that res
ulted in one group wiping out the other in that plane crash? Reggie Fortune had supposedly been behind bars in London, according to “Agent” Barevsky. So, why was he on a plane with her? Over Ukraine.

  Kim sat straight up in the bed.

  “Someone got him out. Someone with a lot of influence. Léon?”

  Fortune and Barevsky were definitely linked, but why had Barevsky wanted information from her and Garrett? Information that she apparently didn’t have already. What had she planned to do with whatever she found out?

  And what about that highly-placed agriculture minister? Interesting, in light of the horse theft theme. Kim might never know, but one thing became crystal clear in the darkness of night: Charles Léon was still a danger to whomever meddled in stolen horse trafficking. Had he been responsible for the airplane crash? For the kidnapping? Would he come after her again?

  She reached toward the night stand and touched the holster.

  Chapter 64

  Quaid stepped into his kitchen and glowered, then yanked open the fridge door and grabbed a longneck.

  Ordinarily, beer at eleven in the morning wasn’t his style, but the morning’s activities at the office gave him a good excuse. He took a swig and walked into the living room, noticing for the first time the impersonal and nondescript atmosphere. He’d never really moved in, made the place his own. Who the hell had time? I was too busy taking care of United Asshole. He barked out a laugh, then set the beer down and started picking up newspapers and fluffing pillows.

  His phone rang and Kim’s voice cheered him even more.

  “Good morning. How did it go?”

  “Just peachy. Gail only cried for a few minutes. Headquarters did say she could stay on for a week to close down the office and they’d give her severance pay. God, Kim, I really hate this.”

  Her soft voice crooned through the phone. “I know, but you’ll be just fine. Anything I can do?”

  “No, I’m good, but thanks for the offer. What time will you be ready to go tomorrow?”

  “Whenever you say, but I have to tell you that my friend Shareen plans to come out to Indiana this weekend. Do you know what time we’ll be back on Sunday? I’d really like to see her before she heads back to Arizona.”

  Quaid lifted an eyebrow. “Huh. How come you never mentioned it?”

  “She called late last night.” Kim’s voice softened. “The horses I discovered at Wheeler’s could be hers, but the authorities are just getting involved. I think she should wait to come, but Shareen has a mind of her own.”

  He chuckled. “Like someone else I know. Good work. I wonder if that means Wheeler is part of the theft circle.”

  “I don’t think so, although I could be wrong. I think she just turned a blind eye to the origin of the horses. Her buddy-buddy involvement with Léon pretty much points to that. I’ve learned that most horse folk know exactly who he is and what he does.” Kim’s voice faltered. “I’ve also wondered if he might be the person behind that plane crash or my kidnapping. Scary stuff.”

  Quaid nodded vigorously and took another swig of beer. “Indeed. All the more reason for us to get out to the practice range. I could use some pistol time too.”

  “I’m ready when you are. What time are we leaving in the morning?”

  “Nine o’clock work for you?”

  “Absolutely. See you then.”

  Quaid’s step had a spring to it as he headed back toward his spare room where he would set up his new office, the new headquarters for Quaid Investigative Services. Or maybe that should be Quaid & Kovak. He chuckled. This wasn’t such a bad day, after all.

  ~ ~

  Kim grinned at Dixie’s exuberance burbling over the phone.

  “Way to go, girl! You and Garrett have so much going for you, a little overnight trip should help things along.”

  “Jeez, we’re going to his sister-in-law’s! I hardly think we’ll be having a roll in the hay there.”

  “Oh, I don’t know – sometimes sex in forbidden places is more fun.”

  Dixie’s wicked tone sent a flush of heat over Kim’s face.

  “Okay, okay, enough. I just wanted to let you know where I’d gone, in case you thought I’d been kidnapped again.”

  “Don’t even joke about that, Kim. Those thugs had connections to people you don’t want to know.”

  Kim inhaled sharply. “Like who? What do you know? How do you know?”

  “Dana did a little checking after the State took over. She has a nosy streak, just like you. Anyway, the connection went back to some mob ties in California. I’m thinking it might be the organization that your Interpol agent was tracking.”

  “Could be.”

  Kim recounted the plane crash and what information she had, then added her own ideas.

  “I just have a feeling it wasn’t an accident. Garrett feels the same way, too, but of course, we can’t prove it.”

  Dixie’s tone was serious. “Whatever you do, don’t mess around with that situation any more, you understand?”

  “I won’t.”

  “These scumbags are like rabbits and wire coat hangers – there’s a never ending supply. Now, as soon as I get my duty schedule for next week, we are going to the shooting range. No excuses. Understand?”

  “Yes’m.”

  An hour later, Kim grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. Dixie’s words had rattled around in her head incessantly, leaving her no option but to consider that, even though it appeared that the criminals with whom she’d been involved were all dead or behind bars, she could still be in danger if someone out there felt that she was a loose end. Someone like Charles Léon. Her breath caught as she remembered the scene in Wheeler’s barn at the Scottsdale show. The guy had been right there, knew exactly what she looked like, most likely was the force behind the thugs and the attack. What said that he wouldn’t try again?

  She patted her pocket, reassured by the weight of the weapon concealed there. Though she hadn’t touched the gun since before the riot six years ago, she’d had the foresight to renew her permit after she’d retired from the police force. But now her Ohio permit was about to expire within the next thirty days, and she didn’t want to start over with qualifications and fingerprinting and all the other stuff required to apply for a new one.

  As she drove down the driveway, she automatically scanned the area for anything that seemed out of place. She’d paid the price for ignoring the black minivan, but it wouldn’t happen again.

  Two hours later, she checked in to the registration desk of a Columbus area firing range, one that had been a favorite for off-duty cops. She signed in, showed her new permit, and allowed her weapon and ammunition to be inspected.

  As she walked toward the practice area, a man’s voice called out.

  “Hey, Kovak! Fer chrissake, long time, no see!”

  Kim froze, staring at the chunky, balding man headed her way – the last person she’d expected to run into.

  She recovered, then grinned. “If it isn’t Dangerous Dan himself! How’ve you been?”

  The man chuckled. “Retirement don’t agree with my old lady. I’m workin’ fer a security outfit now.” His amusement faded. “How ’bout you? I heard you had some problems after you left the force.”

  “Ancient history. I’m doing fine. Working with a P.I., doing some photography. Life is good.” She backed away. “Gotta go, but good seein’ ya.”

  A few minutes later, she slipped on the yellow-tinted shooting glasses, adjusted the hearing protection muffs, then took aim at the target. Her first shot went astray and she swore under her breath. For sure, she wasn’t going on a group target practice with Garrett and Dixie until she could show she still “had it.”

  She lowered the gun and gazed down the range at the target with a hole in the upper right corner. The chance meeting with a former fellow officer had shaken her. It was the first time she’d seen anyone from the department since leaving the hospital so long ago. She’d effectively shut everyone out after Peter brok
e their engagement. She pursed her lips. Why had she done that? Those people had nothing to do with her own personal saga.

  Maybe it was time to reconnect with some old comrades, make peace with the life she’d left behind.

  ~ ~

  Quaid carried the trash out to the garage, then returned to his newly rearranged office. He gazed around, nodding his approval. There was plenty of room to work out of his home on a permanent basis. Even have a partner, but he’d need to get another small desk and chair. He picked up a stack of folders and headed for the file cabinet. As he slotted each folder into its appropriate alphabetical spot, he noticed the file for Elizabeth Ferguson. How had that ever turned out for her? Once he’d passed on his information about the husband’s mystery daughter, Quaid had never learned how Elizabeth had handled the potentially explosive situation.

  He shook his head. The foibles of romantic relationships sometimes escaped him. He stood quietly for a moment. He was about to embark on his own journey into the dangerous waters of love. Would he be scuttled again? Find himself drowning in emotions more painful than any war wound?

  He thought about first meeting Kim Kovak, and the circumstances that had brought them together. Seemed almost like a sign that he should get back on the horse. He could only hope that this ride would be better than the last.

  Chapter 65

  “Uncle Garrett!”

  Ricky bounded through the front door and wrapped his arms around Garrett’s middle.

  Garrett laughed and hugged him back. “How you doin’, Sport?”

  Kim watched the exchange with pleasure. Garrett’s nephew was obviously the light of his life.

  Ricky stepped back and grinned. “You wanna see my new bike?”

  An attractive woman appeared behind the boy and cleared her throat. “Ricky, are you forgetting your manners?”

  The boy’s face fell momentarily, then he looked up at Kim. “Hi. Are you Uncle Garrett’s girlfriend?”

  Before Kim could respond, Garrett made a heroic save. “Ricky, this is Kim Kovak. She’s my new business consultant.”