Shadow Horse

by Alison Hart

  “If there’s a microchip in his neck, it will signal its number back to the reader. You’ll see it here on this screen.”

  “Then you can compare the number to the one in Aladdin’s file?”

  “Right,” Danvers said, giving her a doubtful look. “Though the odds are zero that it will match. And if he does have a number and it doesn’t match, I’m going to have to call it in to the national registry. It may match another horse. Maybe one that was reported stolen.”

  “Oh.” Jas’s mouth went dry. She hadn’t thought about that. What if Shadow belonged to someone else? Then she would probably have to give him back. Now she hoped more than ever that she was right.

  “Hey! I’ve got a number,” Danvers said, sounding surprised. “He does have a microchip.”

  He showed Jas the digits illuminated on the reader’s screen. “I’ll write it down. In the morning, I’ll have my office assistant hunt up Aladdin’s old file. I’ll call you when I know something.”

  Jas nodded. When Danvers went back to his truck, she burrowed her nose in Shadow’s mane and listened to the cropping noise he made as he tore at the grass.

  Maybe she was making a big mistake. In her zeal to get Hugh, what if she lost Shadow? She’d already lost Whirlwind. She didn’t think she could stand losing Shadow, too.

  Twenty-one

  THE NEXT MORNING, JAS GAVE SHADOW A BATH. “Hold still, you big gorilla,” she scolded as she sponged water on his sweaty back. Shaking his head playfully, he switched his tail, then shook like a dog, spraying Jas with water.

  It was already eleven o’clock, and Jas hadn’t heard from Dr. Danvers. She’d phoned once, but he hadn’t returned her call. The waiting was driving her crazy.

  “Hey!” She jerked on Shadow’s lead, and for a second he stood quietly. Then the geese burst from the barn, and with a snort of terror the big horse leaped in the air.

  Jas gritted her teeth. She knew she should have ridden him for two hours this morning instead of one. Then she could have given him a really good workout. But she didn’t want to miss Danvers’s call, so she cut Shadow’s workout short.

  As Jas whisked the excess water off with a sweat scraper, she studied Shadow from head to tail. He was so powerful and athletic. With the right training, he could turn into a winning jumper.

  At least on Saturday, he would get a start. Miss Hahn was hauling Shadow to her friend Lydia’s house so Jas could work him in her ring. Lydia had lots of money. Jas knew her reasonably well since she’d often come out to High Meadows Farm to look over Hugh’s horses.

  “Get out of here, you stupid birds!” Just then Chase charged from the barn, waving a broom at the geese. Pointing it like a rifle, he sighted it, then yelled, “Boom! Boom! Gotcha!”

  With a snort, Shadow ran backward, knocking over the bucket. “Gee, thanks, Chase.” Jas scowled as she picked up the bucket with one hand while trying to control her wild-eyed horse with the other.

  “Sorry, but those stupid geese keep getting in the feed room. I think we should have a big goose supper this Christmas to raise money for the farm.”

  Jas laughed.

  Chase grinned back at her. “That’s nice to hear. You’ve been pretty grumpy all morning.”

  “Well, I can’t stand waiting for Danvers’s call. I mean, what if Shadow is someone else’s horse?”

  “Jas! Dr. Danvers is on the phone!” Lucy bellowed from the office.

  Jas’s stomach somersaulted. She thrust the lead at Chase. “Be right back.”

  She raced to the office. Lucy was holding on to the receiver, her hand covering the mouthpiece. Arching one brow, she stuck out her hip and looked curiously at Jas.

  “He just wants to know if Shadow’s leg is better,” Jas fibbed. Taking the phone, she turned her back, took a breath to steady herself, and said, “Hello.”

  “I’ve got some bad news, Jas,” Danvers said. “Shelly can’t find Aladdin’s old file anywhere. We may have thrown it out since the horse was deceased.”

  “Oh.” Jas wasn’t sure if she was relieved or dismayed.

  “But don’t give up. I’m going to contact the insurance company. They must still have it on file. You have definitely piqued my curiosity. So I’ll let you know as soon as I find out something. But it may be a couple of days.”

  “That’s fine.” Slowly, Jas hung up. Lucy had left, and the office was empty. She slumped into one of the hard chairs. Sam came up the steps, his toenails clicking on the wood. With a woof of greeting, he laid his head on her thighs.

  Bending, she kissed him on the muzzle, then dug her fingers into his ruff. “Sam, what if I’m making a huge mistake?” she said, echoing her thoughts from the other night. “What if Shadow has nothing to do with Hugh and I lose him?”

  Except…

  Jas stared out the office door, gnawing on her lip. Something was nagging at her. Something she couldn’t put into words. There was another reason why she had to know if Aladdin and Shadow were the same horse. Sure, she wanted to nail Hugh, but something else was bothering her. Only, she couldn’t quite get a hold of what it was. All she knew was that it had to do with Whirlwind. And it was very important.

  She only hoped she could figure it out in time.

  “No, don’t worry. We’re not going to the auction,” Jas told Shadow on Saturday as she led him toward the ramp of the horse trailer. “We’re going to Lydia’s so I can work your butt off in her ring.”

  Hanging back, his front legs braced, the big horse looked as if he didn’t believe a word she said.

  “I don’t think he wants to go in,” Chase said, a grooming box in one hand and a bridle in the other.

  “I don’t know why. We practiced all this week, and he loaded like a dream.”

  “Yeah, but he knew you weren’t going anywhere.” Chase put the gear in the open truck bed. Then sticking his thumbs in his pockets, he rocked back on his boot heels and furrowed his brow as if he was assessing the situation. “Now that you’ve got protective wraps on him, he knows for sure something’s going on.”

  Jas rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Dr. Chase, horse psychologist.”

  “Hey, just helping.”

  “Just helping would be getting me a bucket of feed, please.”

  “All right. All right.”

  Miss Hahn bustled from the office. “Trouble loading? Should I call Lydia and tell her we’ll be late? She expects us in half an hour.”

  “No. Chase went to get grain. That should work.” Letting the lead loose a little, Jas went up to Shadow. Tucking his head, he snuffled at her palm. “I think he expects something horrible to happen. Like a trip to the killers.”

  “Probably. People say horses don’t think, but I disagree. And I know for sure they have a good memory.” A strange expression passed over Miss Hahn’s face, and she glanced hastily away as if afraid to meet Jas’s eyes.

  Jas clutched the lead rope, sensing that Miss Hahn was about to say something that Jas didn’t want to hear.

  Did she find out about Danvers looking for the microchip? Did she tell Hugh about it?

  Jas took a deep breath, wondering how she was going to deal with this. She was too close to finding out the truth to let Miss Hahn ruin everything.

  “Jas, while we’re at Lydia’s farm, she’s going to be watching Shadow very closely,” Miss Hahn said. “I know her and I know what kind of horse she likes. And this”—she nodded at Shadow—“is it.”

  No. Jas’s lips formed the words, but she was so surprised, nothing came out.

  Miss Hahn’s brown eyes filled with sadness. “In three weeks, you’ll have your probation hearing. Your grandfather’s getting better, which means you’ll soon be leaving us. I’d love for you to adopt Shadow, but you know that you and your grandfather will have enough to deal with without worrying about a hay-guzzling animal. Shadow’s too healthy to stay here. Lydia would be wonderful for him, and he’d be wonderful for her.”

  Tears filled Jas’s eyes. She knew Miss Hahn was right. Sh
e’d been so wrapped up in solving her mystery and in her dreams about Shadow that she’d totally forgotten the reality of her situation: Shadow wasn’t her horse.

  Miss Hahn touched Jas’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was thick, as if she was about to cry. “But I thought I better warn you before we go, in case Lydia says something.”

  Turning, she hurried to the truck. Jas watched her through blurry eyes. Chase bustled from the barn, whistling, a bucket swinging from one hand. Tipping his ears, Shadow whinnied at him.

  “Okay, big boy, let’s get you loaded.” Taking the lead from Jas, he walked the horse right up the ramp and into the trailer.

  Jas stood rooted to the spot, dazed. She’d been dreaming about Shadow being the next Junior Jumper Champion. Now it all seemed so shallow and stupid.

  “That’s how to load a horse, ladies!” Chase said triumphantly from inside the trailer.

  The tears spilled over and rolled down Jas’s cheeks.

  The phone rang in the office, and Jas sprinted across the barnyard, needing to get away before she fell apart. “I’ll get it,” she yelled.

  She grabbed the receiver and gasped, “Second Chance Farm.”

  “Jas, it’s Dr. Danvers.”

  Jas’s heart went into overdrive. No. Not now. I don’t want to hear whatever it is you found out. I can’t take anymore.

  “You were right! Shadow’s number matched with Aladdin’s. They’re the same horse!”

  Jas dropped the receiver. It banged hollowly on the desktop, but she could still hear. Danvers rattled on excitedly.

  “I told the insurance guy. We’ve got a meeting tomorrow to try and figure out how Hugh duplicated the microchip and put it in the lookalike horse that died …”

  But Jas didn’t want to hear the rest. Falling against the door frame, she burst into sobs. She buried her face in her hands, trying to shut out Danvers’s words. Because suddenly she realized it didn’t matter if they proved that Aladdin was Shadow, and Hugh had scammed the insurance company. It didn’t even matter if they could tie it to Whirlwind’s death.

  Because no matter how it all turned out, Jas would lose.

  Twenty-two

  “I’LL FIND OUT WHERE SHE WANTS US TO PUT Shadow,” Miss Hahn said as she got out of the truck, which she parked in front of Lydia’s barn.

  Jas nodded. She hadn’t been able to say a word the whole trip. She was too stunned.

  “You all right?” Chase asked after Miss Hahn had gone.

  Jas nodded, afraid to say anything. She didn’t want to start crying all over again.

  “What did Danvers tell you?”

  “He said Aladdin and Shadow had the same microchip number,” Jas said flatly.

  “So they’re the same horse!” Chase smacked his fist against his palm. “We were right!”

  When Jas didn’t say anything, he frowned. “Isn’t that what you wanted, Jas? When the insurance company knows Aladdin’s alive, they’ll investigate Hugh. They should be able to get him for something illegal.”

  “I know,” Jas choked out the words.

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  Pulling up her knees, Jas wrapped her arms around her ankles, the fingers of her left hand hitting the transmitter. She’d worn her breeches, and the stretchy material felt cool to the touch. “I thought getting Hugh would make everything better. But it still won’t bring Whirlwind back. And if Miss Hahn’s friend, Lydia, likes Shadow, she’s going to take him.”

  “She’s what?” Chase shoved his baseball cap off his forehead. “That’s not fair. He’s your horse.”

  Jas shook her head. “No, he’s not. Miss Hahn bought him.”

  “Well, then, when you ride today, knock down every jump. Then Lydia won’t like him.”

  “Or even better, how about if I jump him out of the ring and trample Lydia,” Jas said bitterly.

  “There you go.” Chase ran his finger lightly down her cheek. “I knew you wouldn’t give up without a fight.”

  Jas sighed. “Except Miss Hahn’s right. When Grandfather gets out of the nursing home, and I go to live with him, we’ll be living in an apartment where I wouldn’t be able to keep a horse.”

  Chase whistled. “Wow. I’d forgotten about that. I guess I thought you might still live at Second Chance Farm.”

  “Only I can’t, Chase, you know that. Soon I won’t be a reject anymore.” She tried to make it sound like a joke. “Someone will want me. My grandfather.”

  “Yeah? Well, someone already wants you.”

  When Jas looked at him, he reddened. “I mean, two someones and a horse,” he added under his breath.

  “You were right the first time. Miss Hahn never really wanted me. She took me in so she could spy on me for Hugh.”

  “Hugh?” Chase repeated. “Where’d you get that crazy idea?”

  Jas waved her hand. “It’s a long story.”

  “No, it’s the wrong story,” he argued. “I don’t know what her initial reason was for taking you in, but I know that right now she really cares about you.”

  “Maybe.” Jas shrugged. “But it doesn’t really matter. When I have my court hearing in August, everything is going to change. And I won’t have any control over it.” She laid her chin on her knees. “It’s really weird thinking back to the afternoon Whirlwind died. When I attacked Hugh, I had no idea it would change my life. I remember thinking before my trial that everything had been turned upside down. Now it’s happening again.”

  A kick from the trailer made her jerk her head up. “I guess we better unload Shadow.”

  “Okay, but this conversation isn’t over,” Chase said. “You’re not leaving the farm and just disappearing from our lives.”

  Jas glanced sideways at him. I won’t, she wanted to say. But she had no idea what would happen. “You guys getting out?” Miss Hahn rapped on the side window. “Lydia says to put Shadow in the empty stall in the barn. And Jas, you can borrow Lydia’s saddle in the tack room. It’ll probably fit him better than the old one you’ve been using.”

  “Thanks,” Jas said, trying to muster a little enthusiasm.

  “I’ll unload Shadow and walk him around for a while to get the kinks out,” Chase offered as he got out. “You get your stuff and I’ll meet you at the stall.”

  “Okay.” For a second, Jas looked out the windshield. Lydia’s place was like a miniature High Meadows Farm. Horses and cattle grazed in emerald green pastures surrounded by white board fences. There was an indoor and outdoor ring, and even a cross-country course on the hillside.

  How ironic, Jas thought. A few days ago, she was dying to live at a farm like Lydia’s and try Shadow over a real course. Now all she wanted to do was take him back to Second Chance Farm.

  Jas sighed as she slid across the seat and climbed from the truck. Miss Hahn and Lydia stood behind the trailer, waiting for Chase to unload Shadow.

  Jas pulled her helmet from the truck bed. After tucking her hair behind her ears, she put it on. She pulled out the grooming box and Shadow’s bridle. As she dragged herself into Lydia’s barn, she felt she was moving in slow motion.

  Maybe Chase is right. I should fight for Shadow. If I tried, I could make him look as crazy as a bronco. And if Lydia hates him, then at least I have him for a little while longer.

  Feeling better, Jas hurried down the aisle until she came to what looked like the door to the tack room. Draping the bridle over her shoulder, she opened the door. The room was dark.

  When she stepped inside, she groped along the wall for a light switch. She flicked it on, but nothing happened.

  A thump from the far corner made her stiffen. Eyes wide, she stared into the dark room, her brain trying to make sense of the unfamiliar shapes. She could make out saddles and bridles. But then her gaze stopped at a larger, rounded form silhouetted against the back wall, as if a person was sitting on something.

  “Hello?” she called, feeling foolishly scared.

  “Hello, Jas.”

  The silky-smoot
h voice sent shivers up Jas’s spine. The shape moved, and a boot clunked on the floor.

  Hugh. Jas’s fingers tightened around the handle of the grooming box. No, this isn’t happening, she thought, fear rising in her throat. Your mind is playing tricks.

  “Close the door behind you, Jas. We have a lot to talk about and we don’t have much time.”

  Jas didn’t move. Then she realized that no matter how scared she was, she needed to find out what he wanted. He wouldn’t have risked being with her unless it was important.

  Raising her foot, she kicked the door shut behind her, leaving it open a crack—just in case.

  “What do you want?” she whispered.

  “I hear you’ve been telling people that you have my horse.”

  He knows about Shadow! Anger flared inside her. “Did Miss Hahn tell you?” she demanded.

  “It doesn’t matter how I found out, Jas. What’s important is that you tell me everything and that you give up this obsession.”

  “No! I won’t give up.” Jas glared fiercely at his dark shape. “Especially now. The insurance company knows you cheated them, and when they prosecute you, you’ll find out what it feels like to be guilty.”

  Hugh exhaled, expressing his impatience. “Don’t play dumb, Jas, because I know you’re not. You were smart enough to discover some things that were better left alone. Now be smart enough to quit. The insurance company will never prosecute me. One of the clerks from the company is calling Danvers right now to explain that the company made a mistake and that the two horses’ numbers do not match.”

  Jas sucked in her breath. “But … how …?”

  “Power and money, Jas. They make things happen like that.” He snapped his fingers.

  “But Danvers knows,” Jas protested. “And you won’t be able to buy him off.”

  “The only thing Danvers knows is that his files on Aladdin are gone and he can’t prove a thing. Don’t make it harder than it already is,” Hugh said. “In two weeks, you’ll be free. I lived up to my deal, and your grandfather’s received the best of care. As soon as he’s strong and your probation is over, you two can start life over—somewhere far from Stanford and me.”