by Toni Leland
As he left the bar, Quaid shuddered. This was the one thing he really hated about spying on errant spouses – it had to get real personal.
Back on the main floor, Quaid looked around the lobby and adjoining areas, searching for a vantage point that would give him a full view of the hall leading to the conference kick-off room. Scooping up a newspaper from one of the side tables, he sank into an upholstered armchair that faced the fireplace, but gave him an unrestricted view of the comings and goings of hotel patrons. He didn’t have to wait long. Ferguson appeared from the direction of the elevators and walked purposefully toward the banquet room. Ten minutes later, his lady friend appeared from the same direction, but turned and strode through the lobby and out the front doors. Quaid made an entry in his notebook of the time and circumstances of both people. Then, scrunching around in the chair to make himself more comfortable, he settled in for a long evening. Ferguson would probably not reappear until the event was finished, but the woman might return, might go into the banquet room, might go upstairs. Quaid let out a tired sigh and turned his attention to a television news show.
The man and woman news anchors chatted with each other as though they were at a party, laughing and joking. Quaid thought staged news reporting was ridiculous, but all the stations did it, so it must appeal to the viewers. He watched with disinterest a story about an argument at a city council meeting. A commercial for sleeping pills came on and he turned his attention to the hotel lobby and entrance. If the woman was part of the conference, it seemed reasonable that she wouldn’t have left. So that might mean that she had traveled with Ferguson and would entertain herself while he was busy with meetings. Which probably meant that she was staying at the hotel. It would only be a matter of time before she returned.
The news program came back on and the cameras zoomed in on the woman anchor as she reported the next story.
“Well, today we saw some excitement in the windy city. Horses! Late this afternoon, the horses stabled at the Knight’s Horse Theater in Old Town mysteriously escaped from their secure pasture and roamed all over the neighborhood.”
Quaid jerked upright in his seat. Wasn’t that the name of the theater that Kovak mentioned?
The newscaster continued, “An alert citizen called 911 and the horses were safely rounded up and returned to their owner. No one was hurt, but police are investigating this case of possible malicious mischief.”
The woman grinned at her co-anchor. “Seems like this is the month for horse excitement, huh? Last week we had that runaway carriage horse in the city center.”
The man looked at the camera. “Yes, and no one ever identified this mystery woman who caught the horse and saved the day. A bystander sent us this photo taken from a cell phone.”
Quaid stared at the image on the screen and his chest caved in. Kim Kovak stood in the middle of a busy city street, holding the bridle of a large gray horse. Then he started to laugh. How did she manage to get involved in this stuff? She seemed to be a magnet for horse trouble. He pulled out his phone to check his e-mail. As promised, Kovak had sent the list of people who might possibly be involved in what could be an extraordinary case. He glanced at the quiet lobby again. A helluva lot more interesting than this.
Chapter 14
Kim’s chest began to wobble as she turned in to the driveway of Running Brook. Would she be able to do this? Maybe she could ride Bandit someplace other than the track. She climbed out of the car and looked in that direction. Several riders trotted around the track. She looked in the other direction, seeing a lane that ran around the perimeter of the pasture. That might be a better option – at least there wouldn’t be that “race” feeling that Bandit might associate with the track. And she had no doubt that he would remember his sprint.
As she walked into the barn, she called out his name. He answered immediately and loudly, swinging his head over the stall door and pricking his ears. Kim’s eyes stung with emotion. Even if she didn’t ride, the bond between them was deeply therapeutic for her.
A woman stepped out of a stall and waved, the same woman who had helped Kim up after the fall on the track. Kim tried to remember her name, but it just wouldn’t come. She waved and walked in that direction.
“I’m real sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name.” She laughed. “Must have been the bump on the head.”
“Sandy Barnes, and don’t feel bad.”
“Well, I’m gonna try this again.”
Sandy smiled. “I’d be happy to ride along with you. I like having the company.”
Kim thought a minute. Not such a bad idea, unless Bandit didn’t like having other horses near him. Jeez, why don’t I know anything about my own horse?
“Sure, that would be fun. Although I have to warn you, I plan to ride the perimeter of the pasture. I’m not going near that track again until I know I can control Secretariat here.”
Sandy laughed. “Not a problem. All the better reason for me to go with you, in case something happens. I’ll meet you outside the barn when you’re ready.”
She stepped into her mare’s stall and brought her out, stopping to adjust something on the saddle.
Kim gathered her grooming tools, then entered Bandit’s stall. He nuzzled her shoulder, then began checking her pockets, snuffling and making little noises in his throat.
“You are too sure of yourself, Mister. Why would I bring you treats after you dumped me?”
Bandit’s head came up and he looked at her with large baleful eyes rimmed with long lashes.
“Oh, you are just too cute.”
The carrot chunks disappeared in a flash.
Fifteen minutes later, Kim led him out into the sunshine, wondering if she was ready to try this again.
Sandy tied her horse to the fence and came over. “Let me give you a leg up.”
“Yes, please and thank you.”
Sandy hoisted her up and Kim struggled again with the right leg that didn’t want to make the arc over the saddle. Once settled into the seat, she looked down at the woman and shook her head.
“I’m hoping that riding will strengthen my legs.”
“It will help your balance, but you should be doing physical therapy for the legs too.”
Kim cocked her head and waited.
Sandy smiled. “I’m a volunteer leader at a therapeutic riding facility. I can recommend a sports therapist, if you’re interested.”
As the horses ambled along leisurely, Sandy told Kim a little bit about the therapeutic riding facility where she volunteered. Kim knew such places existed, but hadn’t ever known much about them.
“You should come visit us one of these days,” said Sandy. “I think you’d be amazed at the freedom horseback riding provides to physically and mentally challenged individuals.”
Kim smiled. “I just might do that.”
Sandy nodded toward Bandit, who seemed to be enamored of Sandy’s chocolate brown mare.
“He’s such a great horse. You said you’d only had him three months. How did you luck out with such a find?”
Kim thought for a minute. She didn’t really want to go into any details about the theft ring and all the unpleasantness that surrounded that stretch of time in her life. But Bandit’s story was a good one – she could fine-tune it and share.
“Last summer, the owner of a boarding barn died suddenly, and when all the owners came to get their horses, Bandit was the only one no one claimed. In fact, the person who supposedly owned him said he didn’t.”
“Oh, my gosh, what happened next?”
“Well, of course, the person in charge of getting the barn cleared decided he’d just send the unwanted horse off to the auction. I happened to be there at the time and told him that I would take the horse. He was more than happy to be rid of the problem, and I ended up with Bandit.”
“So, you have no idea what his name is or if he’s registered, or anything?”
Kim squirmed a bit. She didn’t like lying to this nice woman, but the whole story w
as just too complicated and, besides, what difference did it make now? Bandit was hers and he was going to stay that way.
“Nope.” She grinned. “He’s just one really lucky pony.”
The hour long ride in the field was the best thing that could have happened for Kim. She only experienced a couple of sharp twinges in her thigh, and the knee had not bothered her at all. Though exhausted from the sustained effort, she felt exhilarated and optimistic about her future on horseback. Bandit had been the picture of obedience, possibly as a result of having the company of Sandy’s nice mare. Sandy herself was a pleasant riding companion. Her professional background was in adolescent counseling, but her first love was horses, and she had managed to merge the two avocations into a productive and rewarding career.
Back at the barn, Kim watched Sandy walk toward her horse’s stall, then turned and began removing Bandit’s bridle. “You were a good boy today.” She stroked his long nose, letting her fingers linger on the velvet skin around his nostrils. “But you ate all your treats already.”
Bandit snorted, then turned his head in the direction of the stall where Sandy’s horse lived. He whinnied and the chocolate mare whinnied back.
Kim laughed. “No girlfriends allowed. I’m the only one you can love.”
As she carried her saddle and gear toward the tack room, a voice drifted from above.
“Morning! How was the ride today?”
Chance grinned down from his lofty perch on the top rung of a ladder propped against the barn wall.
“It was great. What are you doing up there?”
“Oh, something’s haywire with the fly spray pump and I thought I’d have a look-see before Mr. Brooks has to pay someone big bucks to come fix it.”
Kim craned her neck, trying to see what he was pointing at. “Is that what that thing is? I thought it was a camera of some kind.”
“There’s one at each end of the barn. They provide a timed release of insecticide to keep the fly population down.”
Kim grinned. “Fancy.”
As she turned to enter the tack room, she noticed large dark eyes watching her. She exhaled slowly, drinking in the beauty of the black horse in the corner stall. The animal had the most beautiful small, pointy ears, and a sculpted head set atop a muscular neck. She stepped closer and the horse stretched out his nose to catch her scent, then took a step back and swung his rear toward her.
Kim looked up at Chance. “What horse is this? I don’t remember seeing him before.”
“He’s been here a long time. I don’t know who owns him, or much about him. I do know that no one ever rides him or even comes to see him. He’s just here. He probably has a name, but I just call him Blackie.”
Kim turned to gaze at the horse again. Another abandoned animal? How could anyone ignore this beautiful guy?
Chance came down off the ladder. “You might ask Mr. Brooks about him. I’m sure he knows the story.”
Kim continued through the door to the tack room. And why do I want to know?
Twenty minutes later, she climbed into her car and checked her phone for messages. Nothing from Quaid. Actually, it would be better if she were in Chicago to help smooth the introductions and tell him what she already knew. By now, he had the list of contacts, but he’d been pretty abrupt about when he’d have time to do anything with it.
“Why did I think I couldn’t do this by myself?” She gazed out the windshield at the full parking lot. “Time to pull up my big girl panties and get on with it.”
She checked her phone calendar to see if she had any pressing engagements for the rest of the week. Zero, zip. She could leave for Chicago any time. One small red flag on the calendar caught her eye. The next boarding bill was due on Friday. She grabbed her wallet and opened the car door. Might as well take care of it now so she didn’t forget.
The stable office was located in one end of the large maintenance garage. An older woman was on the phone and she nodded her acknowledgment as Kim entered. While Kim waited, she examined the photographs on the wall. Running Brook Farm had excelled in driving classes all over the country and the horses in the pictures were magnificent. As she gazed at the images, she heard snatches of the woman’s conversation. When the word “auction” drifted on the air, Kim’s attention came to full alert. She felt crummy eavesdropping, but the conversation was one she couldn’t ignore.
The woman’s voice rose. “I know, but they haven’t paid any board for over two years and we just can’t carry the old guy any longer. It’s either get one of the rescues to take him or...well, Lord, I can’t come to grips with the auction alternative, but we have to do something.”
Kim’s chest tightened. The woman was talking about slaughter. The naïve notion that auction horses might go to good homes was ludicrous. Once the animals hit the auction pens, their lives were over.
The photographs on the wall blurred through the sudden burn of tears. Behind her, the phone settled back into its cradle with a clunk.
“I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. May I help you? ”
Kim moved slowly toward the desk. “I need to pay my board bill. Kovak.”
“Oh yes, Bandit. What a sweetie. We all love him.”
But there’s another horse in there that you don’t love.
Kim forced a smile. “Yes, he’s very special.” She handed over her credit card. “Do you know anything about that black horse in the end stall?”
The woman looked up, surprise lifting her eyebrows. “Commander? Yes, isn’t he pretty? He’s a Morgan.”
“Chance says that no one ever comes to see him. Who does he belong to?”
The woman’s face fell. “Actually the owner came on hard times, then left town. We’ve been shouldering Commander’s upkeep for almost two years now.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s a long time.” Kim licked her lips. “Is he the horse you were just discussing on the phone? Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear.”
The woman handed the credit card back. “We have no choice. Someone’s coming to look at him tomorrow.” She shook her head. “It’s sad. But we’re retired and the stable is our only source of income, other than Social Security. It costs a lot to run–”
“I want him.”
You fool! What the devil are you doing?
“I can’t buy him right now, but I could pay his board if that will keep him from going to auction.”
The woman look nonplused, then smiled. “We want him to have a good home. He’s more than paid his dues over the years. If you just want to take over now, that would be fine. Would you be leaving him here with us?”
Kim handed over her credit card again. Next stop, poor house.
“For now, but I have a friend who might be interested in him. I’ll pay next month’s board, and make some phone calls.”
When Kim returned to her car, she began to shake uncontrollably. In the space of an emotional instant, she’d saved the beautiful black Morgan horse from certain death. Horse rescues were overloaded and turning away animals, and the killers were always cruising the sales and barns for horses that were no longer useful or wanted. But one look at that black horse and she’d known he was well bred and had been someone’s beloved friend. The slaughterhouse was not an option.
She climbed out of the car and returned to the barn. Bandit had already been turned out, but Commander still stood in his stall at the end. As she walked toward him, he watched her with wary eyes, shifting his weight nervously and swiveling his ears.
Kim rested her arms on the edge of the stall door. “Hello, Commander.”
“Best be careful around him. He hasn’t been handled in years.”
Kim turned toward the voice and came face to face with the owner, Mr. Brooks.
It was all she could do to keep from bristling. “Why is that? Doesn’t he get to go out with the other horses?”
The old man shook his head. “He’s a bit of a troublemaker. Doesn’t play well with others, so he has to be turned out by himself. But he was one h
elluva driving horse in his prime.”
Kim gulped. What had she gotten into?
Brooks continued. “He was so good as a youngster that the owners left him whole, figured they’d make some money breeding him. Hah! Same old story, backyard breeders and their big ideas. Populating the horse industry with mediocre animals. Anyways, they couldn’t handle him, so they had him gelded and he turned into a hot performance horse.” Brooks glanced away and shifted his weight. “His, uh, operation was not quite legal, so he still produces some testosterone. Makes him a bit of a handful.”
He stuck out his hand. “I’m James Brooks, by the way. Who are you?”
Kim could barely speak. “I’m Commander’s new mom. I hope I haven’t made a mistake. How old is he, anyway?”
Brooks glanced away. “Nah, he’ll be fine. Just needs some retraining and a firm hand.” Then a sly smile crept across the wrinkled face. “I could help you with that.”
Was this guy in used car sales at some point?
“I’m not ready to do much of anything right now, but I’ll sure keep that in mind.”
Chapter 15
Quaid stood up and stretched, then strolled around the hotel lobby to loosen up the kinks. He scanned the event board listing the next day’s activities, then moved into the corridor that led to the conference rooms. The area was set up with comfortable chairs and padded benches, and a long table laden with glasses and pitchers of ice water. A set of doors at the far end opened onto a parking lot. Quaid frowned. He could easily lose Ferguson through that exit. A quick inspection of the doors and Quaid relaxed. They turned out to be emergency-only fire doors and would sound an alarm if used. He headed back toward the lobby. Behind him, the sound of applause drifted from one of the rooms and he checked his watch. Ten o’clock. They might be finished.