by Toni Leland
The memory of that show reminded her that show season would start soon and she still hadn’t booked any jobs. She groaned, realizing that she was probably too late to get onto anyone’s schedule. But she should still get on the phone and see if she could generate some work.
Commuters already jammed I-270 north of the city. Kim hoped nothing would happen to stop the flow and make her late, but by 7:30, she was breezing down the exit ramp toward Garrett’s office. He was just coming out of the building as she pulled into a parking spot next to his truck. She smiled and grabbed her camera bag. This felt so good, and so right. And this time, she wouldn’t screw it up.
Her stomach did a little jig as Garrett stepped up close and grinned. “Ready for a road trip?”
“As long as your heater works.” She climbed into the truck and stowed her bag behind the seat. “Have you ever been to eastern Indiana?”
“Nope, been to Indianapolis for the 500, but that was a long time ago.” He chuckled. “When I had a life and time to have fun.”
Kim nodded, reminded of her ignorance about this man who kept entering her life for short periods of time. A few bits and pieces of his past had surfaced during their work together, but he’d only shared those grudgingly. Like his childhood on a cattle ranch in southeastern Ohio, or his fondness for a nephew now living in Dayton, and a cursory admission that he’d once been engaged. Other facts she’d learned by searching the Internet. Garrett Quaid had served a celebrated career with the U.S. Army, had been part of the elite Caisson Platoon at Arlington Cemetery and, since retirement, had been one of the foremost insurance fraud investigators in the state, if not the country.
But Kim had no personal details about the man – like what was his favorite season, or flavor of ice cream. Or did he have a dog. Or a girlfriend. Did he want a horse in his life. She swallowed hard. Maybe this excursion would present an opportunity to talk to him again about Commander.
As they headed north on Route 33, Garrett described what he knew so far about Wheeler Arabians.
“I originally figured it to be a small operation – and maybe it is – but some of the photographs I found on the Internet indicate that there’s a lot of money involved.”
“And you want to find out if United Equine is funding them.”
He threw her a quick grin. “Damn straight. Of course, this could all be legitimate, but corporate wants a look.” He glanced over at her again. “You do something different with your hair?”
Kim flushed, startled by the sudden detour to personal. “Haircut. It was out of control.”
“Oh, I don’t know ...I kinda liked the carefree look. Oh, I don’t mean I don’t like it now ...uh, you know.”
Kim laughed, delighted at his discomfort. He’d seldom gotten flustered during the time she’d known him. She used the change in atmosphere to spark some conversation.
“How’s your family? Did you spend Christmas with them?”
“Yeah, it was great. Ricky’s growing up so fast. Makes me feel like time is getting away from me.” He glanced over at her. “You know what I mean?”
“I do. The past six months have been a blur.” She glanced down at her knee, remembering that not too long ago she might not have been alive for that six months.
“How’s Bandit?”
Kim brightened. “Oh, he’s wonderful. We haven’t had many outdoor rides this winter, but I do exercise him in the arena.”
“Any problems with your leg?”
“Actually, no. I saw a sports therapist for a while in December and the exercise routine has helped a lot. A friend at my barn recommended him.”
“I think it’s great that you have that social outlet, and a way to make new friends. Working on your own from home must get lonely at times.”
“It does, but I try to stay busy and that helps. And I have Dixie.”
Kim gazed at Garrett’s profile as he focused on the road. This might be a good time to bring up Commander.
Garrett grinned. “Darlin’ Dixie. She still seeing that cop from Delaware?”
“Oh yes. That’s very serious.”
A fleeting shadow crossed Garrett’s features and, for a moment, Kim thought he might disapprove of Dixie’s choice in partners. More likely, it was a man thing. He’d been quite frank in his bewilderment over why a beautiful woman like Dixie would be gay.
Kim shifted in her seat. By her mention of Dixie, the conversation had veered abruptly away from horses and now she didn’t know how to steer it back.
Garrett cleared his throat. “We can stop for a quick cup of coffee in Bellefontaine. This Wheeler woman said she couldn’t be at the farm before ten, but I wouldn’t mind getting there before she does. Something about her tone yesterday bothered me.”
“What do you think she might do?”
“Manipulate the body to destroy evidence.”
Kim fell silent, the images in her head not at all pleasant.
The next half hour took them through the sparsely populated northwest part of Ohio. Kim gazed across the gently rolling snow-covered hills, pondering Garrett’s comment about friends. He was right – the barn was a perfect place to connect with other people with similar interests, but so far, Kim hadn’t made much effort. Sandy Barnes was a really nice gal and had invited Kim more than once to come for a visit at the therapeutic riding center where she volunteered. That had not yet happened. And the young man, Chance, who worked at Running Brook while he studied for the police academy – not exactly someone to hang out with, but certainly a nice acquaintance.
Kim chewed her lip. Why hadn’t she made an effort with either of these people? Had she become so withdrawn into her own miserable existence that she shunned anyone who might make it better? Was she her own worst enemy? She stole a glance at Garrett, noting his set features. He was at work in his mind, what-iffing about this case. She’d seen the signs before. He was the classic workaholic. Did he have any friends or social outlets? She sighed softly. At least he had some family.
His voice broke into her thoughts. “You ever been there?”
She blinked. “Where?”
He nodded toward the large sign ahead on the side of the road. “Grand Lake. St. Mary’s State Park.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been in this part of Ohio. It’s quite beautiful.”
“You ought to check out some of the state parks that offer riding trails. You could take Bandit out in the spring. It’d be a great getaway.”
She turned in her seat and grinned mischievously. “I could do that. And you could come along and ride Commander.”
She was treading on dangerous ground, given that she knew nothing about the black Morgan, but this was certainly an opportunity to broach the subject again.
Garrett laughed. “Ha, I walked into that one, didn’t I? Sure, why not. I should be organized by then, and definitely ready for some R&R.”
“I know you’ve had a lot going on, but have you given any more thought to the horse?”
“Kim, I’ll be honest – I haven’t. But the idea isn’t off the table just yet.” He threw her a quick apologetic look. “I’ll try to come have a look at him in the next week or so. We can talk about it then.”
Chapter 9
Quaid tried not to frown. The damned horse had completely slipped his mind during the transition to the new job. He still wasn’t sure he wanted an extra responsibility, but in all fairness to Kim, he should at least give her the courtesy of looking at the horse she’d taken on with him in mind. Besides, the idea of trail riding together in the spring was rather appealing. It had been a long time.
He took his foot off the accelerator as they approached the entrance to Wheeler Arabians.
“Holy cow. Look at this place!”
A quick glance at Kim confirmed that she, too, was astonished.
He turned into the driveway, his brain on fire. The photos on the Internet hadn’t lied – this was a big-time expensive operation. Large pastures skirted both sides of the paved lane. Perf
ectly matched, dark brown board fences marched alongside. The driveway curved a little, passing a magnificent Spanish mission style home on the left, with more fenced pasture behind it. A few blanketed horses nosed through a pile of hay, but all heads came up to watch the truck pass. A large outdoor work ring and several smaller paddocks sat off to the right side of the drive. But the barn was the most startling feature of the property.
Kim whistled under her breath. “Oh boy, I could stand to live like this.”
Stunning against the white snow, the huge rustic red barn was trimmed with the same dark brown stain as the fencing. The main part of the structure appeared to be an indoor arena, sporting high paneled windows, a well-engineered sloping roof to withstand the weight of snow, and a covered outdoor area with bleachers along the side wall that featured huge windows.
Quaid whistled. “That arena has to be at least three hundred feet.”
Kim nodded. “If this wasn’t out in the middle of nowhere, it would be a perfect place for a horse show. They certainly have enough room.”
An extension off the front of the arena was obviously the stall area, beautifully designed with individual Dutch doors to the outside. Quaid counted ten doors, figuring another ten on the other side of the structure, for a total of twenty stalls. The upper part of the building featured windowed dormers and two cupolas – probably a well-ventilated, bright hayloft.
Pulling around to the far side of the barn, he whistled again. Another extension off the end of the arena had windows and second floor dormers.
“What do you suppose that is?” he said.
“Might be living quarters. A place this size would have a large staff, I’d think. How many horses do they have?”
“Don’t know, but I suspect a lot.”
Quaid turned off the engine and glanced around. Two vehicles were parked side by side, both encased in a thick layer of snow. They’d been there all night. That probably meant that Vivica Wheeler hadn’t arrived yet. He grabbed the door handle and grinned at Kim.
“Bring your camera, let’s have a look around.”
As they walked toward the front door of the barn, a car rolled into the parking area and a woman climbed out. She slammed the car door and called out, “Mr. Quaid? I’m Vivica Wheeler.”
Quaid stared at the woman, then at the old faded red Ford Bronco. They were a good match for each other, but sure didn’t fit with this property. And the woman looked nothing like the pictures he’d seen. Quaid’s radar came on big time.
Chapter 10
Kim studied Vivica Wheeler as they followed her into the barn. Thin, and fairly tall – about the same height as Kim. The woman was not particularly attractive, with limp, medium length dishwater blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, the remnants of a bleach job brightening the ends. Her square tortoiseshell glasses accentuated her long face, and her features reminded Kim of the photographs of Midwestern women during the Depression – gaunt and sallow, with defeat clouding their eyes. But this woman’s gaze was far from resigned. She glanced around nervously as she talked briskly.
“I can’t stay long, so what do you need first?”
Garrett stopped and surveyed the barn, and Kim also took a good look. The building was a showplace, every feature custom designed, built with luxury and comfort factored in. The banks of stalls on either side of the aisle were faced with gleaming oak, stained and rubbed to a soft sheen. The concrete floor had a permanent gritty surface to prevent slippage. Hanging from the rafters, two large fans circled slowly. Garrett’s voice murmured low as he questioned Wheeler, and Kim moved closer to the stalls to have a look at the residents.
Though Kim adored all horses, the beauty and grace of Arabians never ceased to take her breath away. And these animals were no exception. Comparing each of them to Shareen Van Khoten’s horses, Kim realized that Wheeler had some valuable, high quality stock in her barn. At each stall door, the horse came forward, ears pricked, nostrils open to catch her scent. Huge, intelligent eyes followed every movement and Kim was struck again with the horrifying idea that anyone could harm such creatures for any reason.
“Kim? We’re going out back. I’ll need those pictures now.”
Kim followed them to the end of the barn and through a single door leading to the back portion of the building. As she stepped through, her breath caught. The indoor arena was, indeed, at least 300 feet, and finished in the same caring detail as the barn. How much could this place have cost to build? Three million? Maybe more? Kim couldn’t even conceive of having that much money, but some sectors of the horse industry did run in high roller circles. Add the cost of purchase, care, and insurance for a herd of high-pedigreed horses – not to mention whatever showing and travel might cost – and you had a sizeable investment that might or might not give you a return.
As they walked through the arena toward another door, Kim looked out the back windows. A paved parking area contained two extra-large horse trailers, the type that included living quarters. Next to those sat an immense motor home and a late model Lexus SUV. Wheeler had a tremendous amount of money invested in her passion for horses.
Garrett followed Wheeler through the door to the outside, Kim close on his heels. They headed toward a small, snow-covered mound near the fence.
Wheeler lit a cigarette. “Town backhoe is coming this afternoon, so you got here just in time.”
Garrett threw a glance at Kim, then let his gaze drop to her camera. She nodded and turned it on.
Wheeler stuck the cigarette in the side of her mouth, then leaned down and poked through the snow. A second later, she pulled back a green tarp and stepped aside. Kim’s chest caved, but she brought the viewfinder to her eye and began snapping off pictures, trying not to let her mind linger on the tiny creature lying on the frozen ground.
Garrett slipped on a pair of latex gloves, then squatted down and examined the body from head to tail. While he worked, Wheeler remained silent.
Moving his attention back to the foal’s head, he looked up. “You say you think the mare might have kicked him?”
Wheeler’s gaze darted away and she took a quick drag on the cigarette. “Yeah, that particular mare is a bit unstable. We probably shouldn’t have left her alone with the foal in the beginning.” She shrugged. “But these things happen in the horse business.”
Garrett slid his hand under the colt’s head and, with great difficulty, lifted it up enough to feel around on the other side. He spent several minutes probing and pressing, and peering closely, then rocked back on his heels.
“Help me turn him over.”
Wheeler flicked the cigarette into the snow and leaned down to grab the foal’s hind legs. Kim’s stomach churned as she zoomed in on the effort. Clearly, a frozen body was not easy to move.
Garrett continued to probe and examine, and Kim continued to take photographs.
A few minutes later, Garrett stood up and peeled off the gloves. “I don’t find any evidence of trauma. Can you think of any other reason this healthy colt might have died?”
Wheeler shifted her weight and shook her head, but didn’t meet his gaze. “Nope, doc says he couldn’t find anything. Must just be one of those bad luck things.” She finally looked directly at Garrett. “Why would this particular case bring you all the way from Cleveland? I’ve been with your insurance company for a long time. No one’s ever questioned any of my claims before.”
Garrett’s poker face came into full play. “Claims are sometimes randomly picked for further scrutiny. Kind of a checks and balances system that shows if the company’s policy and underwriters are adequate.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, you’ll have to tell the backhoe operator to hold off until we finish this investigation. I’ll have to order a necropsy and I need to see the veterinarian’s report.”
For the first time since their arrival, Vivica Wheeler looked rattled. Kim watched the woman’s body language as she absorbed Garrett’s meaning. He’d hit a nerve.
“You mean I’m supposed to ju
st leave this dead body here to rot?”
Garrett smiled wryly. “Nothing’s going to rot in these temperatures. I’ll let you know within twenty-four hours.” He glanced down at the foal, and his voice took on a steely edge. “Cover him up again and make sure nothing happens to him.”
Wheeler reached down and pulled the tarp back over the body, securing the corners with large rocks. Kim noticed that her hands shook as she worked. She had something to hide and was worried that Garrett would find it. Let the chase begin!
As they walked back through the arena, Wheeler spoke, her composure regained. “I hope you can get this settled before the weekend. I’m leaving for Scottsdale and won’t be back for three weeks.”
Garrett turned on his charming smile. “I’ll do my best. Nice time to travel to a warm and sunny place. You going to be showing horses?”
Wheeler’s face beamed. “Oh, yes. This is my favorite show of the year.”
At that moment, the woman’s face softened, showing a more vulnerable side, and Kim recognized the passion of a horse-crazy little girl.
Chapter 11
Fifteen minutes later, the truck rolled down the driveway toward the road. Garrett’s jaw was set, his shoulders rigid.
Kim latched the top of her camera bag. “That woman is guilty of something. I watched her watching you and she was nervous as all get out. You have any theories?”
“I don’t. For sure, that colt wasn’t killed by a kick to the head, and I don’t think he died of natural causes. I did find a lump on the neck that felt a lot like a hematoma.”
“Which would mean what?”
“Possibly an injection that missed the vein. The cold temperature has preserved it, so if we get a closer look, we might be able to tell for sure what caused it.”
