by Tara Meyers
“How many officers are working for you?” Ember asked. The county itself was very spread out, and she imagined it would be a challenge to patrol it. The main police station was located in Sanctuary, likely because of its central location, but she thought there were also a couple of satellite offices in the other towns.
“I have two deputies here and eight more assigned to the other regions. We’ve finally gotten to where we have at least four officers covering Haven County at all times. It was a challenge convincing some of the councilmembers of the need, but the population has been steadily growing, especially in Parker. I imagine they may end up forming a city agency there before too long.” Pausing, Sheriff Walker gestured to the blood tubes Ember was still holding. “You think that’s going to tell us why the horse went homicidal?”
Ember cringed at the term, concerned at what might happen to the animal. “I hope so,” she said with some trepidation.
“So now what? If it isn’t an illness that can be treated that drove him to kick a man to death, what do you do with him? Put him down?”
Great, Ember thought. My first day on the job and I’m already in a situation I have no clue how to handle. She decided to be honest.
“I don’t know. I’m going to have to make some phone calls to get some advice. My exam is inconclusive, and while he’s much calmer, that may just be from the tranquillizer. For now, I’ll suggest he be kept in quarantine with continued sedation until the lab work comes back.”
“Can horses get rabies?”
Ember looked at Sheriff Walker, not wanting to reveal that he’d voiced her primary concern. Rabies was rare but not unheard of, even in vaccinated horses.
“Of course they can get rabies, Ben,” an unknown voice interrupted. “I know you weren’t raised on a farm, but I figured even you would know that.”
Ember squinted as the bright light coming in through the open barn doors turned the approaching man into a silhouette. He was tall with broad shoulders, and as he walked under the first light, Ember surmised that he must be Dr. Austin. He had classic good looks with blonde hair, an aristocratic nose, and blue eyes that shone with intelligence. He wore a white lab coat with the name “Haven Medical Clinic” stitched over the breast pocket.
“As pompous as ever,” Walker mumbled, but it was obvious the two men were friends by the way they shook hands.
“He’s right,” Ember confirmed. “It’s one of the viruses I’m testing for. I’m Dr. Burns,” she continued, turning her attention to the new arrival. As the full weight of his gaze fell on her, she could feel a wall start to go up, and she fought against it. Something about good-looking men made her defensive. Especially smart ones. It was a character flaw she’d struggled with since high school. She didn’t even have a nasty breakup story to justify it.
“That’s right; you’re the new vet in town!” Reaching out, he gave her a solid handshake. “I didn’t think you were opening your doors for another week or two. I’m Dr. Austin, but please, call me Sean.”
Blushing slightly in spite of her attempt to remain emotionally neutral, Ember had to admit that he seemed like a down-to-earth guy. “Technically, I’m not open yet. I have my business license, and everything else in place; but the clinic is still a mess. My aunt runs the local animal shelter and got the original call about the horse. She asked for my help, so I came out.” Desperate for an excuse to look away from his direct stare, she resumed rubbing Butterscotch’s neck and then began re-examining him, starting with his eyes.
Moving up behind her, Sean leaned forward to get his own look at the horse. “Did you sedate him?”
“Yes. Just enough to keep him from hurting himself or anyone else.”
Nodding in approval, Sean stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve been the county coroner for two years now, and I have to say that this will likely go down as the strangest case.”
“I hear ya, Doc,” Walker chimed in. “Deputy Trenton will help you remove the body—”
“Sheriff Walker! What is going on?”
Ember grabbed the lead rope as Butterscotch reared back, shying away from the loud voice. Stomping into the barn was a large middle-aged man. His work clothes were covered in dirt, and Ember figured he had to be Carl Hathaway.
“Carl, I told you on the phone not to go making a big fuss out here!” Bonnie ran in after her husband, a steaming mug of coffee in each hand. “Now you’ve spooked the horse!”
“Spooked the horse?” Carl yelled in disbelief. “There’s a man lying dead in our barn, and your concern right now is that I don’t spook the horse?” Pulling off his leather work gloves, Carl glared at the horse in question before accepting the coffee his wife held out patiently. It appeared that the two were used to tumultuous exchanges. “I told you we didn’t need another horse!”
“Carl Hathaway, I was here the day you took that horse in, and you were the one to make the final decision to keep him.” Becky had followed the couple inside, and Ember recognized the look of determination on her aunt’s face.
Uh-oh. Time for an intervention. “Aunt Becky, can you please bring me some of that coffee?” Ember knew she was being obvious but didn’t care. Emotions were running high, and it wasn’t the right time for the conversation of who was at fault.
Becky hesitated, but then her expression changed as she came to the same conclusion. “I’m sorry, Carl,” she said as she walked past him. “I know Tom was a friend. This is a crummy situation all-around.”
Carl’s shoulders sagged, and he nodded silently. Avoiding looking at the stall, he turned to the sheriff. “Just tell me what happened, Walker.”
“I wish I could, Carl.” Gesturing for his deputy to take the doctor back to where Tom was, he then focused on the older man. “It looks like Tom was in working on the gelding’s shoes. His tools were set out. We don’t know why, but for whatever reason, the horse managed to trample him.”
“Tom is … was an experienced and certified farrier,” Carl stated. “He was planning on shoeing him this week, but when I closed up the barn last night at six, he wasn’t here.”
Sheriff Walker removed a small pad of paper from his back pocket and took some notes. “So, you say he wasn’t here at six? Did anyone see him after that time?”
Ember watched the exchange silently. A farrier was someone who specialized in hoof care. It wasn’t regulated in the United States, but there were some associations that would give accreditation with specific requirements. Carl was right; someone who went to the length of certification was good at what they did. Looking at Butterscotch, Ember had a growing sense of unease.
“He’s been doing extra work around the place for us a couple days a week,” Bonnie offered. “But he’s normally gone by five. I didn’t see him leave last night, but that wasn’t unusual. Sometimes he’d be on the back forty and then just go home from there. Ya know his place is only a few miles away. His wife, Vanessa, dropped him off yesterday, and he was going to walk home. Oh, no!” Bonnie gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “That poor girl. Does she know? Has anyone told her yet?”
“I’m going to go notify her when we’re done talking,” the sheriff said, scribbling down something else. “I want to make sure I understand as much as I can before I speak with her. Have you had any further trouble with Tom like you did last year?”
Bonnie looked uncomfortable with the question, and Carl’s face reddened. “I don’t see why you need to ask something like that,” he growled.
“Because it’s my job. Now, I know you chose not to press charges, but the equipment you caught him stealing was worth a lot of money. I respect the fact that you wanted to help him and his family get through a rough spot, but I have to ask. Have you had any other altercations with him, Carl?”
Ember did her best to busy herself with putting things away in her bag so it wouldn’t appear that she was paying attention, but Becky didn’t have the same concern. Tsking in disapproval, she placed her hands on her hips and interjected. “I
heard that he’d gotten sucked into that casino in Parker. Spent all the mortgage money a month before Christmas last year. It was kind of you to help him, Bonnie. I know Tom spoke to my husband just a few weeks ago about putting up a garage, so I figured they were doing well now.”
“They were,” Bonnie agreed. Placing a calming hand on her husband’s arm, she answered the question for him. “We never regretted our decision, Sheriff. Tom was a good worker, and he never gave us any more trouble. He’s been getting lots of work lately at another ranch.”
“Maybe he came back later in the evening to get a jump on his workload,” the sheriff suggested.
“He was tired,” Ember added, “and got caught off guard by a sick horse.”
“Sounds plausible,” Carl agreed, visibly relaxing.
“I’d say it sounds very plausible,” Dr. Austin offered, joining the group. His hands were gloved, and his expression was grim. “I’ll have to do a more thorough exam before writing up an official report, but I think it’s obvious the cause of death is blunt-force trauma to the head.”
“What are you going to do about the horse?” Carl demanded, turning on Ember.
Ember straightened and tried not to look as dismayed as she felt. There was a very good chance she wasn’t going to be able to save the life of her first client.
FOUR
Becky had her door open before the truck even finished pulling up to the clinic. “If I really hurry, I might still pull off a miracle and get Lizzy to her friend’s by noon,” she called back to Ember as her feet hit the pavement.
Ember was too emotionally drained to laugh, but she still smiled at her aunt’s antics. She couldn’t fathom how much Becky still had to do that afternoon, and it didn’t appear she was thrown off at all by the scene they just left. Ember knew that wasn’t true. It was a unique ability most mothers had to keep going in spite of how or what they felt. She planned on making a very strong pot of coffee and eating something sweet and fattening.
“Here! I almost forgot to give this to you.”
Ember jumped at the abrupt reappearance of Becky at the passenger door. She was holding a large cloth grocery bag overflowing with what looked like stuffed animals.
“What’s that?” she asked, turning the truck off and pulling the keys out of the ignition.
“Danny’s stuff. Harness, leash, bowls, small bag of food, brush, and toys. I forgot the bed.”
Ember realized that Becky was serious. “Beck, I sell dog beds. We’ll manage. And do me a favor and take a deep breath or something.”
Shaking her head, Becky dropped the bag on the seat. “I’m fine. But I have a date with a bottle of red wine and a hot bath later tonight. A large bottle.” She started to turn away again but then paused and looked back for a second time. “I want to apologize for dragging you into this. I shouldn’t have asked you to go out there when you aren’t even open for business.”
Jumping out of the truck, Ember walked around to the other side and gave her aunt a big hug. “I’m glad I was able to help. You couldn’t have known what was going to happen, so don’t give that another thought, okay?”
Nodding, Becky returned the embrace. “All right. Gotta run. Give me a call if anything else happens or you have a question about Dann—umm … Daenerys.”
Grinning, Ember dug in the bag for a squeaky toy. “Don’t worry about us.” Pulling out a rubber bone, she motioned for Daenerys to come. The dog happily leapt down from the truck and snatched the toy from her hand. “I’ll check in with you later tonight.”
Waving goodbye, Becky hopped in her SUV and sped across the street to the coffee shop where her children were waiting, likely in need of a sugar detox.
Still trying to steady her nerves, Ember reached back into the truck for the leather physician’s satchel and the blood samples it contained. A lot was riding on the test results, so she wanted to get them to the lab in Parker ASAP. She and Becky stayed with Bonnie for a full hour after the coroner and police left. Ember tended to Butterscotch and made sure he was settled into a new stall while Becky made lunch for the owners. For whatever reason, the impact of horrific events can usually be lightened by holding a warm drink and eating some comforting food.
Embers stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten yet. After caring for the gelding, she waited for Becky in the truck with Daenerys. She’d already felt bad about leaving her in the vehicle for as long as she had and wasn’t going to totally abandon her. Fortunately, the morning didn’t start off as hot as the day before, and there were plenty of trees to park under. One of the first things she needed to do was to make a space for Daenerys in her office. She wouldn’t be able to take her on any more house calls.
“Ahem.”
Jerked from her thoughts, Ember looked up to discover a young woman sitting on the front step of the clinic. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and was very petite with dark brown hair and matching eyes. The main entrance was slightly recessed, so Ember hadn’t spotted her before. She experienced a brief moment of confusion before recognizing the visitor. Dr. Bernie had two previous employees: an elderly receptionist who retired at the same time and wasn’t interested in coming to work for her, and an eager local girl who recently completed her Veterinary Technician certification. Ember emailed her last week and had gotten a response right away, which included her profile picture. They’d set up a time to meet and discuss the possibility of her coming to work at the clinic.
“Oh my gosh!” Ember gasped. Rushing forward, she set her bag on the sidewalk and reached out a hand. “Are you Michelle Johns? This morning did not go as planned, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I totally forgot about our meeting.”
Michelle surprised Ember by grasping onto her offered hand and using it to pull herself up instead of shaking it. “No worries. I found Elizabeth and the boys next door, and she told me you and Becky took off for the Hathaways’ place. Is everything okay? I saw a couple of cops heading out that direction on my way over here. And please, everyone calls me Mel. It’s easier to say.”
Ember always relied heavily on her first impression of a person and found her initial instinct was usually correct. She liked Mel. Her voice was deeper than expected, and she was even smaller standing than she appeared when sitting. However, she was one of those people whose personality filled a room, and Ember had always been attracted to that type. They were fun to be around.
Encouraged by the prospect of having a good employee and co-worker, Ember returned the smile. Becky was the one who gave her Mel’s email address and recommendation. The animal shelter and veterinarian always worked closely together.
A young couple walked past them, obvious tourists with shopping bags and the “on vacation” glow about them. The woman nodded a greeting to them before stopping to pet the tail-wagging labradoodle.
Suddenly aware of several other people strolling about and cars driving by, Ember felt a need to be discreet about what happened at the farm. Grabbing her bag, she unlocked the front door. “Let’s talk about it inside,” she told a patiently waiting Mel.
One of the features Ember liked best about the clinic was the fact that it was a single-story, stand-alone unit. All of the buildings on the block were considered one of the “newer” sections of town, having been built in the early 1970s. Dr. Bernie liked to brag about how he purchased it brand-new. It was an attractive small brick structure without either a basement or upstairs and had a nice patch of grass in the back along the alley. While the façade still matched the original buildings on the next block over, those all had at least two stories and often featured the store on the main floor and apartments above or below.
Ember’s clinic was on the corner, so the charming coffee shop and bakery was to the right of it, across the street. On the left side of the clinic was a popular gift shop filled with all of the expected keepsakes vacationers longed for. In addition to the souvenirs, the owners also set up a photoshoot area in the back, complete with authentic western-style costumes. It
was a popular destination, so there was plenty of foot traffic on the sidewalk.
Not needing any further explanation, Mel followed Ember inside and immediately went for the dog treats. “What did you name her?” she asked, kneeling down with the milk bone. “And please don’t tell me you’re going with Cujo, because I told Becky that no respectable person would do that to this beautiful girl.”
“I agree,” Ember laughed. She headed for the back counter and went about making the pot of coffee she was daydreaming of. “I decided on Daenerys—wait! You said you saw the police responding on your way over here. Have you really been sitting on that step for two hours?”
“Gosh, no!” Mel retorted. “I have to confess that I live in a small apartment under the coffee shop. I sat with the kids and helped dose them up with caffeine and then came over after Becky messaged Elizabeth that you were on your way back. But if the sympathy vote helps me get a job, then sure; I was sitting on the step for two hours.”
“The snark is strong in you, young Padawan,” Ember teased, warming up to Mel immediately.
“Whoa, Game of Thrones and Star Wars references?” Mel gasped. “You and I are going to get along famously!”
The fact that Mel got both of her geeky insinuations was all the confirmation that Ember needed. She already knew that she’d be a good employee based on Becky’s referral. “I know what Bernie was paying you,” Ember said, getting right to the point. “I’ll give you two dollars more an hour. Plus, I need you to work full-time at forty hours a week instead of the thirty you were doing for him. I can’t offer you insurance, but you’ll accrue one day of sick leave and one day of vacation a month, starting immediately. I’m pretty laid back, and all I ask is for good work ethic and professionalism. Well, at least while we’re in front of customers,” she added, conscious of the joking she’d just done.
“Just like that?” Mel asked, standing to face Ember. “You don’t want to sit me down and grill me about my parents or schooling or sordid breakup with the sheriff’s son?”