She’s not a talkative thing for certain. Other than a whispered, “Oh no!” she hasn’t spoken since I leapt into the hatch with her.
I must alert Ms. Rodeo to our presence. I’m not certain she’ll discover us soon enough for my comfort. I have no idea how the girl will react for she most clearly didn’t want her existence known.
* * *
Malone stopped at the trailer and listened, but the cat had stopped yowling. She reached into the trailer compartment for a water bucket and the sound came again, louder and closer, with an echoing quality. She had no idea how a cat came to be trapped in her trailer but it was there somewhere, and close. Malone reached cautiously for the handle on the next compartment and lifted the door, stepping to one side as she did. She didn’t want a frightened cat to take a flying leap toward her face.
But, no, a sleek, black cat sat quietly watching as she raised the door. And, there, pressed into the shadows of a corner, a young woman – no, certainly not more than a school girl – stared back at her.
“You’ll need to climb out now.” She made her voice no nonsense.
“Don’t tell them where I am.” The voice held both fear and defiance.
“Climb out,” Malone repeated, more calmly than she felt, not ready to admit she was alone on the property. She couldn’t be certain the girl was unaccompanied. She had a concealed carry in the truck but it wasn’t much use to her from here.
The cat leapt out first and Malone gave a groan as she caught full sight of him. “Good grief! You’re Tammy Lynn’s Trouble. What in the world were you doing in there?”
The girl emerged more slowly and Malone took in the faded jeans and nondescript tee shirt. Green-gold eyes with heavy lashes brushed fair skin as she blinked at the bright sunshine. Her hair was pulled up under a plain red ball cap. The wisps that escaped were dark, almost black, even in the daylight. Any lingering uneasiness at discovering a stowaway yielded to dismay when the morning rays revealed the ugly bruise on one cheek.
Malone caught her breath audibly. She said nothing for a moment, then, softly, “You’re hurt.”
The girl shrugged without responding. Her gaze was steady and guarded.
Malone’s sweeping glance caught a glimpse of another bruise just below the sleeve of her tee shirt. Keeping her tone even, she asked, “Do you need medical attention?”
At the suggestion, something flashed deep within those green eyes. “No.” She shifted a tiny step back. “I just needed a ride, just needed to get away.”
Realizing the girl was on the point of flight, Malone gestured around her at the empty property with its aura of abandonment. “You’re very much away here. Who are you running from?”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to be far enough away from Louisiana that surely it doesn’t matter. What state is this?”
“Georgia.” Then the girl’s words caught up with Malone. “What? Wait! Are you saying you got on this trailer in Louisiana? At the rodeo in Lake Charles?” That had been Malone’s last stop, her last run, before arriving at the Hanna’s.
At the girl’s nod, Malone blew out a breath. She had questions. Too many. And most weren’t going to be answered any time soon if that closed expression was any indication. “Okay, this can wait. I’ve got to get my mare some water, then we’ll go inside and talk.”
“No, ma’am, I’ll just be on my way.”
Trouble growled low in his throat at the girl’s words.
Malone studied her in consternation. The girl was a stranger with a past that could hold anything, any amount of trouble that Malone didn’t need. But, to just let her wander away to an uncertain fate was beyond Malone. “Where are you headed?”
“Anywhere.” The girl reached back and pulled a duffle bag from the trailer compartment. “Someplace I can find work.”
She didn’t look old enough, Malone thought and almost asked, then realized the girl would only lie if she were as young as Malone suspected. Clearly, she had no one to help her, at least no one she trusted. Malone had stopped acting on impulse long ago. At least she thought she’d stopped until she opened her mouth and said, “I could use a hand here, at least for a couple of days.”
“Here?” The girl looked suspicious. “Doing what?”
Exasperated with herself at making the offer and at the girl’s suspicions, Malone asked with a trace of asperity, “Does it really matter? Work is work. Money is money. Food and a roof over your head are just that.”
For the first time, a glimmer of a smile touched the girl’s face. “No, ma’am, I don’t suppose it does matter.”
Malone took a deep breath, wondering what the hell she thought she was doing. This girl was more than likely underage – Malone would get around to asking – and she was most likely a runaway. And it was equally likely that she was running away from something very mean and ugly. Malone would get around to asking that as well. For now, she had to keep the girl from running into worse danger than she’d left. The world was full of predators.
“I’ve got to get water to my mare. You first job is to go in and make sure things are on and working … lights, water heater, refrigerator, which is probably empty but we’ll worry about that later.” Malone pulled out the key chain she’d slipped into her pocket earlier and held it out to her stowaway.
With clear reluctance, the girl took it and started toward the house. Halfway there, she stopped to look back at Malone. “How much are you paying?”
Malone matched her look for look. “We’ll negotiate later. Get moving.”
As she’d expected, the girl responded immediately to that tone of authority. She wasn’t a renegade or a rebel, then, just a little girl lost. Malone watched her walk away, Trouble at her heels, and realized she didn’t even know her name.
* * *
I am doubtful there’s much in the way of true cuisine, but like myself, the young human’s first thoughts turn to food. First stop, the kitchen, painfully clean. No one has cooked here in a while. Not even that menu of British sustenance, fish and chips. While she rummages through the cabinets, I shall make a tour of the other rooms. I sense no other human presence, but far better to be safe than be taken by surprise. Besides, there is little that can be found in a cupboard that tempts my gastronomic interest. Boxes and tins of food hold no appeal for me.
Room by empty room. At least empty of recent human inhabitance. Furnishings, to be sure, clean and bare of any clutter. Someone took the time to clear away any mementos. No photographs in frames. No magazines or books lying about. Even with that clearing away, there’s a story to be read in the polished wood furnishings and chenille bedspreads with filmy curtains over windows that overlook the hills beyond. Whoever passed their years here did so with more of an eye to need and comfort than any fashion of the moment.
Upon my return to the kitchen, I find the girl leaning against a counter, staring out a window unframed by curtains. She remains a mystery, but one I will solve, given time. I leap lightly to the counter, careful to land some distance away so as not to startle her. I peer through the window as well and together we watch as Ms. Rodeo walks purposefully toward the house.
Chapter Three
Cade accepted Avery’s offer of the last cup of coffee in the carafe and she returned to the kitchen for a refill. With Malone on her way to Georgia, he no longer needed a hasty departure and had joined Dirks’ impromptu breakfast party with several other lingering wedding guests. He wondered when he’d gotten to be such a coward, that a woman could make him bolt. But she wasn’t just any woman. Malone was ... Malone.
He wished again that he hadn’t seen her up close and personal, hadn’t felt the warmth of her skin beneath his hands when she’d turned and stepped into him. Her shoulders had been silky smooth and it would be a long time before he forgot the fragrance she’d been wearing. Hell, who was he kidding? He wouldn’t forget. He would simply store the encounter along with all of his other memories of her.
Avery returned to the dining room with the caraf
e in one hand, her cell phone in the other, and an odd look on her face. She handed the phone to Tammy Lynn who sat opposite of Cade. “This is for you. It’s Malone.”
Avery’s expression and tone, as well as the mere mention of Malone’s name, had Cade on alert as Tammy Lynn put the phone to her ear. To his chagrin, Tammy Lynn spent the next few minutes simply listening to whatever Malone had to say. When she finally spoke, Cade found nothing reassuring in her words. “Trouble doesn’t act on whim or chance. If he chose to go with you, there’s a reason. I promise you have a problem whether you know it or not. Are you certain everything is alright? You didn’t see anything odd around your truck or trailer before you pulled out?”
Cade would have given a small fortune to hear Malone’s response. A glance around told him that Avery and Dirks felt the same. The atmosphere in the room had turned from festive to concerned.
Tammy Lynn frowned. “No, he’d best stay right where he is until you figure out why he’s there. Keep your guard up. I’m going to have Avery text you my cell number and your number to me. If you need help, you call me. And, Malone, keep in touch. Please?”
She broke the connection and looked at Avery with faint lines of disquiet creasing her forehead. “Trouble hitched a ride in Malone’s trailer. She found him when she got to her grandfather’s property.”
“She didn’t see any signs of a problem either with her truck or when she arrived?” Dirks asked.
“Well …” Tammy Lynn’s tone was hesitant. “She said she didn’t, but I sensed something in her voice, that perhaps she wasn’t telling me everything.”
“Do you seriously think the cat ended up in Malone’s trailer for some reason other than getting trapped in there?” Cade asked.
Tammy gave a rueful smile. “Well, yes. Maybe. He does seem to place himself in the mix of things when there’s trouble brewing.”
“I have no doubt that Trouble knew I was in danger,” Avery said.
That was all Cade needed. He’d heard the tales of the cat’s brilliance and had taken them with a grain of salt. Still, Dirks swore the cat had saved Avery from the young woman determined to kill her. That, coupled with Tammy Lynn’s suspicions that Malone was withholding something of concern, was more than he could ignore.
Cade stood decisively and looked at Dirks. “You two have a plane to catch. Make sure you’re on it. I’m going to see what’s going on with Malone.” It was what he wanted to do deep down at his core and the fact made it easier for him to act on the premise that a black cat had somehow deduced Malone was in danger of some kind.
Avery gave an audible sigh of relief. “That would ease my mind, Cade. Thank you so much.”
Cade took his leave in short order. He didn’t bother admitting to Avery that his purpose in making the trip was far less for Avery’s peace of mind than for his own.
* * *
It’s interesting to watch these two females dance – conversationally speaking – around each other in Ms. Rodeo’s quest for the truth. I’m listening hard because I remain convinced there is misfortune following the younger of the two. It’s as clear to me as the heartache that follows the older woman. I remain hopeful that I’ll be able catch some nuance that will enlighten me as to what hazards are in the offing. The more information I have, the better prepared I can be.
* * *
Malone placed a glass of tea in front of her stowaway. So far, the girl had volunteered nothing except the fact that the refrigerator was running but bare of food as were the pantry and cabinets. Malone, who’d expected as much, had retrieved a few items from the tiny kitchen space in the living quarters of her trailer.
“Let’s start with you telling me your name.”
“Joss.”
Malone didn’t know whether to believe her or not. “Just Joss?”
“Yes.”
“Last name,” Malone prodded.
The girl hesitated. “Anything I tell you will be a lie.”
Malone gave a short burst of laughter that faded quickly. “Well, that’s honest. What or who are you afraid of?”
“What I was running from.”
Ignoring her stubbornness, Malone propped her elbow on the table, chin in hand, studying the dark bruising along the girl’s cheekbone. “Who hit you?”
“My husband.”
“You aren’t old enough to be married.”
“My folks didn’t think so either. That’s why we ran off together.”
That struck a strong cord in Malone though she hadn’t gotten married and Tyge had never laid a hand on her in violence. But there was something too steady, too detached in the girl’s words and Malone suspected they were no more than that. Just words. A story invented and memorized for exactly a moment such as this. She tested the waters. “So, you got married too young and he couldn’t take the pressure and took it out on you with his fists.”
Joss shrugged. “It happens.”
“But not to you,” Malone said softly.
It took only a heartbeat for the girl to realize that Malone was calling her on the made-up story. As she tensed to rise, Malone placed a hand on hers. “I’m not going to do anything to put you in harm’s way, but I’m not going to pretend I believe that tale of yours. Your first words to me were ‘don’t tell them where I am.’ Them not him, not some made up husband.”
The girl leaned back in her chair but didn’t bother to argue the point. Malone could see the weariness and creeping despair in the rich hazel eyes.
“Whoever they are, I won’t give you away. You’re safer here with me and Trouble than anywhere outside these walls.”
At her words, Joss glanced at the cat. “He’s hungry, I think.”
Malone interpreted that to mean the girl was hungry ... and that she didn’t plan to bolt, at least not for the time being. Pushing aside the questions that clamored in her mind, she rose to her feet. “I turned the water heater on so we’ll be able to shower soon. After we eat, I’ll dig out some clothes that should come close to fitting you. You’re as tall as I am but they may be a bit loose on you.”
“Why would you help me?”
For a moment, Malone just looked at her then she sighed. “Because I can. Because you need it.” It wasn’t a complete answer but it was all she could offer. “After we clean up, we’ll make a trip into town for a few things. Maybe I can talk to the county sheriff while we’re there, see what he can get started to make sure you have legal protection.”
* * *
Well, we learned nothing there except the fact that young Joss is not an accomplished liar which, all things considered, is at least a good thing to know. Panic can make the mildest of souls a hazard to themselves and others, but I don’t believe – at this point – that I need to keep an eye on her for anything except risk of flight. I am, however, confident that menace follows her.
It would take a particularly nasty person to strike a young lady in the face and young is the appropriate descriptor. Young and vulnerable though she bears a quiet dignity that others, far greater than her in age, would do well to emulate.
So now I must put my mind to the task of defense from some unknown threat that could come from any direction. While I await the pleasure of lunch, I shall reconnoiter the house once more with an eye to protecting the two females that fate has entrusted to my care.
I find the rooms in this house an interesting design but not the most defensible. Most are unexpectedly connecting so that – although there is a central hallway as well – it is almost possible to make a full circle of the house room to room.
Hmmm, a curtain is lifted ever so slightly by a breeze in the far bedroom. The open window is low enough to the ground that an intruder could easily gain silent access. Fortunately, I haven’t sensed anything sinister here. It’s plain the house, though vacant, has had caretakers. One was careless, no doubt. However, should some nefarious person seek entry, far better they be compelled to break a glass or force a lock, either of which would be sufficiently noisy to give warning o
f the act.
As I step into the room, I freeze. Our stow-away stands at one side of the window. The disreputable looking bag, which doubtless contains all she can now claim as her own, sits on the bed behind her. It’s not difficult to deduce that she contemplates flight.
* * *
When Trouble came to get her – and there was no doubt in Malone’s mind that that was exactly his intent – Malone followed much more promptly than she might have prior to this morning’s disconcerting cell phone call and the unexpected arrival of Joss into her orderly though fast-paced existence.
As Trouble led her down the hall it occurred to her, that as satisfying as her career was to her and as exciting the world of rodeo might seem to others, she’d gotten comfortable with being alone, responsible only for the horses – her own and those entrusted to her by others – and herself. It was work, hard work, but it was gratifying labor. Sure, there was heartache but also quiet pleasures and breathtaking successes.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, she’d had thrust upon her a girl patently too young to be on her own and a black cat with a reputation for turning up where danger lurked. As convinced as Avery was of Trouble’s abilities, Malone retained a certain skepticism but wasn’t foolish enough to discount the possibilities. She’d lived close to horses for too many years not to realize there were depths to animals that some people never discerned.
When Trouble led her straight to the farthest bedroom, she took in the scene at a glance. Joss had one leg swung over the window sill, the duffle bag balanced in front of her.
“Wait!”
Joss glanced at Malone then flung the bag out the window. She ducked her head and pulled her other leg through the opening. Malone hesitated long enough to wonder if she could run down the hall and out of the house faster than she could dive through the window after the girl. She dove.
The Trouble with Horses Page 22
