by Eileen Brady
Before we’d gotten off the main trail, I’d recognized the roof of the supermarket Raeleen had worked in poking up through the trees. Instead of moving closer to the road, we were moving away from it.
A flash of white ahead caught my eye. Whatever it was disappeared into the pines.
“Mari,” I whispered. “I think he’s just above us, moving parallel.”
She casually scanned the tree line then agreed. “You’re right. What do you want to do?”
We broke out of the trees and stood in a vast open field. I needed to find a spot where we could trap him into holding still, calm enough to snap a lead rope on his halter, providing he hadn’t scraped it off. After I explained my idea to Mari, she suggested we walk a little farther to where a cluster of apple trees created a small orchard, and a natural enclosed space.
“Where are we?” I asked her.
She glanced around. “I think it’s an old abandoned homestead.”
The dark woods encircled us. Without the mountains in view, my bearings were off.
“Well, let’s divide and conquer. Once he comes to us, I’ll handle Sweet Potato and you load Lobo up on treats. I bet he’s hungry by now.”
We leisurely strolled into the natural fruit-tree glade Mari had found. A few apples still clung forlornly to the leafless tree limbs. Sweet Potato saw them and nickered.
“That a girl,” Mari said. “Tell him where the party is.”
I almost laughed out loud envisioning the two horses having a frozen apple on a branch party. Still smiling, I was about to tell Mari when she held her finger up to her lips.
To my right Lobo slowly stepped into the cold sunlight.
* * *
It took some coaxing, but Lobo learned a valuable lesson. His barn and pasture were more comfortable than the icy woods. He tossed his blond mane and nuzzled Sweet Potato, who seemed surprised to suddenly find him standing next to her. With a woven blue lead rope safely secured to his halter ring, we decided to circle back when Mari got a text.
“Oh, no. I’ve got to get home.” Her voice sounded a little panicky.
“What’s going on?”
“Lucy might be in labor. I left my friend Ted at the house with the dogs, and he says she’s acting funny.”
Although Mari had helped with many a dog whelping, it wasn’t the same when it was your own dog.
“Take Sweet Potato and ride back,” I told her. “Tell Ashley I’ll follow with Lobo.”
Mari had swung up and was already sitting in the saddle, scanning the horizon. “Okay. Want your backpack?”
“Sure.”
She untied it and tossed it into my arms. “Have you got a cell signal?”
We had different service providers, and sometimes one phone worked better than the other. A quick look showed one bar. I held up one finger. “One bar. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m going to take a shortcut down by the road. Do you know your way back?”
“More or less,” I said. “It’s generally in that direction.” I pointed off to the left. “I’m not going to take him near the road, though. He’s spooked enough.”
Sweet Potato whinnied in anticipation. With Mari on her back, she knew she was headed home.
“Okay. Keep the mountains above you and the road below you, and you’ll be fine. There aren’t many landmarks, I’m afraid. But most of the homes and the supermarket are near the road.”
“Don’t worry,” I told her. “I’ll call an Uber if I get lost.”
She started to leave then stopped, puzzling Sweet Potato with the move. Her face backlit, she said, “I’ve got to tell you, Kate. Cindy told me not to but—it’s important.”
“What is it?”
“Devin’s alibi for the night of Rae’s murder, the mystery woman? It’s Dina. He was with Luke’s old girlfriend.”
“Does Luke know?”
“I think so. But there’s still two hours unaccounted for.”
With that, Mari rode off, waving her hand.
It took a few minutes to process, but I realized the clues had been there all along.
And I bet Luke had suspected it too.
* * *
My plan of following our tracks back proved impossible. We ran into trouble pretty quickly after we moved from open field to forest.
The mustang constantly ducked his head to avoid the trees, but I noticed his sides were getting scraped up from low-hanging branches.
Trying to avoid being cut up by brambles and thorns, I decided to try a path that appeared to go in the right direction. Just large enough for one vehicle, it looked like an old logging trail. Overhead the sun broke out and warmed us up, a nice break from the damp, dark woods. Slush squished under my boots.
“Hey, can I help you?” a male voice called out from the clearing in front of me.
Lobo dug in and stood like a rock, ears flicking. Around the corner came a familiar face.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Devin. After giving Lobo a reassuring pat on the neck, I moved forward.
Raeleen’s ex-boyfriend and Dina’s current fellow fell in alongside me. “I’m draining the water pipes at my dad’s hunting cabin. Usually it’s winterized by now, but I haven’t had much extra time to help him. How about yourself and your friend here?” Devin glanced at the horse then concentrated on me.
“Lobo made a break for it. We’re heading back to his barn.”
“A freedom run. I tried it, Lobo—it doesn’t work.” Glum for an instant, he shook it off and grinned.
Being the recipient of his high-powered smile and striking good looks, I could see how Greta and Raeleen and now Dina had fallen for him. He didn’t really have to try. Women probably tripped over themselves to get his attention. Just looking great didn’t do it for me anymore. I’d spent too much time mooning over those types in high school. Been there. Done that. Over it.
We kept on walking, happy not to be fighting with the forest. All I wanted was to keep going until safely back at the barn. And safely away from Devin.
He pulled the knit cap off that covered his thick, dark hair. “Is this the mustang from Maple Grove Farms? Raeleen showed me a picture of him. She wanted all mustangs to run free.”
“That’s the ultimate goal.”
By now we were halfway across the clearing. A small cabin sat tucked into the woods, a beat-up old Land Rover parked in front. On the roof rack some duffel bags were secured with bungee cords, a tarp half covering them. “Packing up? Don’t let us stop you.”
He turned and noticed the tarp hanging loose.
“Yeah. I decided to take a little break. Too many memories there. Raeleen and me used to come up here and fool around after school.” To my surprise he took a small bottle of whiskey out of his coat pocket and took a slug. “Want some? Keeps the cold away.”
The sudden movement made Lobo halt. I felt his tension, muscles bunching up across his withers. I’d only seen good boy Devin up to now at the animal hospital and at his workplace. Now was I catching a glimpse of his flip side?
“No, thanks. I’m okay.” The sun continued to come out from behind puffy clouds making it a glorious winter day. Picking a treat from my pocket, I calmed the wary horse.
“Hey,” Devin said, excitedly. “Maybe you should rest him here for a bit, tie him up to the deck railing. We could go inside and fool around a little. You know—give the cabin a real send-off.”
I almost laughed in his face. “Devin, that’s not going to happen,” I assured him.
“We don’t have to do anything. I’d just like some company. I hate being alone, you know. Look, a guy’s got to try.” With his eyes on both of us he added, “My buddies are avoiding me. They give me this funny look. Even my boss thinks I killed Rae for the money.” He put his hand on Lobo’s halter. “What about that famous wish you made? Feeling a little g
uilty yourself, Doc?”
This time I forced myself to smile. Devin was making me feel something, all right, but it wasn’t guilt. He had me worried.
“Sorry, got to return a horse. See you,” I told him and firmly moved Lobo in place behind me. The mustang danced a bit to the side then settled in as we made our way out of the clearing and continued on the logging road. Devin stood in front of his cabin, the sunlight glancing off the tin roof.
About ten minutes in we were moving through dense underbrush. The path had disappeared. Dodging branches, I slowed Lobo down. That uncomfortable encounter with Raeleen’s ex disturbed me. I remembered too late the chief questioning the validity of this guy’s alibi.
The forest loomed over us, around us and in all directions. Nothing on this trail seemed familiar.
A branch cracked and Lobo stopped again. I clucked my tongue, urging him forward. “Come on, boy. I’ll get you out of this soon.” It was slow going. The path at one time may have been maintained; however, it hadn’t been kept up. Erosion had dislodged some large rocks in our way, causing a few detours. Problem was, I had no mountains or road to orient me. I checked my phone. No bars. No signal.
Another branch behind us snapped. Lobo’s ears again twitched, eyes alert.
A dark figure wearing a knit cap appeared. “Sorry to frighten you,” Devin said. “But this trail dead-ends. You should have turned off at the fork back there. If you want, I’ll take you down toward the fields.”
“I didn’t see any turnoff,” I told him.
“Musta missed it. Want me to show you?” This time when he reached for Lobo’s halter, the horse jerked away from him.
“Let go of that halter,” I ordered. “You’re scaring him.”
His hands opened in a conciliatory gesture. “Sorry. Sorry. I guess I’ve been celebrating a little too much. It’s not every day you get a million bucks handed to you.”
Over someone’s dead body, I thought.
“Follow me and I’ll lead you to the right trail. Then I’m going back to the cabin and sleep this off.”
My instincts warned me to stay alert. What if he led us farther into the woods? I wished I’d taken my Swiss Army Knife out of my backpack or the pepper spray Gramps insisted I carry. Then again, wishes are what had gotten me here in the first place.
He plunged a bit ahead of us before holding both hands up to stop.
“Here it is.”
In front of us I saw a path winding through the woods, the entrance partially hidden by a large oak. “Where exactly are we?” I asked him, still unsure if I should trust him. I maneuvered Lobo between us.
“It’s either the Gilderman property or Rieven Acres, I’m not sure. You can’t tell till you get past here and out into the clearing. Some of these woods connect up weird.”
“Okay. That doesn’t help.”
He pulled his knit cap off again and rubbed his hair back with a nervous gesture, black eyes glittering. With his body he blocked the trail. “Sorry about this, Doc,” he said. “Rae shouldn’t have told me about all that money.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Once he started talking about Raeleen and her untimely death, he couldn’t stop. For the second time this month a man broke down and cried in front of me.
Devin pressed his face against Lobo’s neck, the mustang still, sensing no threat. “What am I going to do without her? I’ll just screw up like I always do. Already messed up.” Eyes wet with tears, he turned away and stared out into the forest. Then he kissed the horse and rubbed his nose.
Now I saw why Raeleen loved him so much.
* * *
For the next ten minutes, Devin skillfully guided us until the main trail came into view. A lone pine soared high into the sky. Beyond it spread a vast flat field, which gradually sloped down toward the road. “Okay. This is it. Keep going straight out into the field. You’ll see the road. Then turn left and walk parallel to the highway, and Maple Grove Farm is no more than a twenty-minute walk. You’ve got some stone walls to detour around, but it shouldn’t be too bad.”
Lobo and I felt the waning sunshine on our backs. Snow dripped off the nearby branches. That’s when I noticed the big horse was favoring his left front hoof again, the same one I’d removed a stone from a few days ago.
“How close are we to the road?” I asked him.
“Maybe ten minutes. Something wrong with Lobo?”
“He’s come up lame.” I took out my phone. No bars and dead as a doornail.
“Can I use your phone, please?”
“Sure,” he said. Devin reached into his pocket, then patted his jacket. “Left it at the cabin.”
Lobo snorted and pawed the ground.
“Devin, do us a favor, please. Go back to the cabin and call Maple Grove Farm. Tell Ashley to have someone drive the horse trailer over and pick us up. Lobo and I will wait in the nearest driveway.”
“No problem. We have four bars at the cabin. I’ll call and then come back and keep you company if you want. Sun’s going to be setting soon.”
“Bring a couple of flashlights,” I told him. “Will you be able to find us?”
“Sure. Straight down from landmark pine. Look for a lady and a horse.” He turned toward the woods.
“Wait. Which way again?”
“Straight ahead. You’ll hear the road.” He pointed down the hill. “You know it won’t be the same if these fields are sold off. City people are gobbling up everything. Some people just don’t care.”
As the coming sunset changed the sky to pink and gold above the dark blue mountains, I sympathized with him.
He waved goodbye before calling over his shoulder. “Hey, Doc. I’m not as big a jerk as you think I am.”
* * *
While Lobo and I slowly started down the hill, I told the horse all my problems. He nodded sagely, periodically blowing warm breath into the cold air. Definitely on his way to being gentled, he trusted me.
I only trusted one person unconditionally, and that was Gramps. Maybe my New Year’s resolution should be to trust a little more.
“What do you think, Lobo?”
If he knew the answer, he kept it to himself.
A stumble along the path made me glad I decided to trailer him back. Another five minutes walking and the outline of a roof sticking out of the trees became cause to celebrate. In the distance the faint sound of cars and trucks whooshing by confirmed we were nearing the road.
The smell of wood smoke as we passed some saplings meant civilization.
I slipped off my backpack and tied Lobo to a tree. Before the light faded, I wanted to see that hoof. Sure enough, a stone had wedged itself under his slightly loose horseshoe. I’d tell Ashley to get a farrier over as soon as possible. Meanwhile I used a trick with my trusty Swiss Army Knife, using the blunted side of the can opener and my fingernail to pop the stone out.
Faint trails of pink and gold briefly lit up the mountain before the sun made its final bow.
We continued on our way, a vast improvement in his gait. “Snow feels good on that I’ll bet,” I told the mustang as we approached the back of a house. I saw the faint outline of raised beds and someone in a heavy winter coat with a hood throwing trash into a metal barrel, flames and ash flying up with each new load. The flames worried Lobo who reacted by shying away. He backed up, knocking one of the plastic garbage bins on the ground.
“Easy boy,” I said.
The man looked up, startled. “Get that horse off my property.”
“Sorry. He’s come up lame. Can we wait for our trailer in your driveway?”
Abruptly, he moved away from the fire. We recognized each other at the same time.
“Joe?” I asked. “Is that you?”
When he moved toward us, the motion detector light flickered on, casting a bright circle. Lobo turned his head away from th
e glare.
“Dr. Turner? I didn’t know you had a horse.”
The ashes from the fire lifted into the air as a breeze stirred. I moved Lobo back, away from the sparks, and tied him to a garden fencepost.
“Let me tamp that down. Not supposed to be windy tonight.” He went back over to the fire and pressed a metal shovel down into the flames. “Trying to burn the stuff that’s left.”
Something glittered in the rubbish by Lobo’s hoof. Instinctively, I bent down and picked it up. I recognized the gilt edges of a Christmas card and the gold collars on the cat and dog waiting for Santa Claus.
Then the light blinked out.
* * *
Joe’s friendly voice said, “Don’t worry. It comes back on in a minute.”
Before he finished the sentence, the motion detector light shone again, too soon for me to hide the card from him.
“Sorry,” I said, moving closer to Lobo. “He knocked over your trash. Can I help you pick it up?”
Our eyes met and he knew. Still affable, he offered an explanation. “Guess you recognized the Christmas card. Me and my fishing buddies mailed it to you for a joke. Sorry about that.”
I pretended to believe him.
“Well, it wasn’t funny. Just burn the darn thing, will you?” With my other hand I fished my dead phone out of my pocket and texted Luke. It didn’t go through, but Joe didn’t know that.
With a confident gesture, I handed him the card. “Maybe I should wait for the horse trailer somewhere else,” I told him, my voice huffy with anger. Without looking I turned my back to him and headed for the woodpile, unzipping my backpack as I went, searching for the pepper spray.
The light turned off again. My boot banged into something hard. I reached my hand out to stop from falling.
“Ouch.” I’d hit a log anchoring the tarp, slightly dislodging it. Another breeze caught the ragged plastic edge and lifted it up, scattering snow on the uncovered logs and all over my coat. That’s when I knew. Joe had put a log in his mother’s path and disabled the motion detector light. Pinky told the chief that Eloise was lying in the dark when he found her. When he got out of his truck to check her, the motion detector light didn’t come on. He used his plowing headlights to chase away the darkness until the police arrived.
