“Maybe not you, like Vivvie said, but maybe her,” Riley suggests.
“Why, though?” I ask.
“Chris finds out about everyone. I told you that. He wants Austen to sell drugs for him at UC Davis when he goes back to school. He sees that as a ten grand monthly paycheck. If he has ten guys making ten grand a month, you do the math.”
“A hundred thousand,” I say.
“Yes.”
“What does that have to do with Janna wanting me out of Liberty Farms?”
“If Chris suspects that you and Austen are dating, you could get in the way of a good thing. You’ve told the guy that you don’t like him. You’ve told James that you know Joel didn’t kill himself. To those guys, you’re nothing but trouble and could be whispering all sorts of these conspiracy theories in your beloved’s ear at night.”
I blush.
“Detective Reed might be onto something. Nice work,” Austen says.
“Thanks,” Riley replies.
“Okay, say I buy that. But doesn’t that make it seem like Janna is working for Chris?” I ask.
“She probably is,” says Austen. “Didn’t you say that when you first got here you two were friends—fast friends?”
“Yes.”
“But she went out right away with Chris. To that expensive restaurant, the first night you got here.”
“Uh huh.”
“And it wasn’t long before you two stopped being so friendly.”
“It’s true,” I say, remembering how she’d interrogate me, then sort of disappear and not talk to me for days.
“I told you guys that Chris is a mastermind at finding people’s weak spots if they have them,” says Riley. “He’s not one you can keep a secret from. Maybe he got some dirt on Janna and used it to blackmail her into getting dirt on you.”
“I think I’m following,” I say. “So you’re saying Chris got something to force Janna into keeping tabs on me.”
“And her lightbulb has gone on, Sherlock.” Riley glances at Austen.
“Shut up,” I say. “That still doesn’t explain how she knew we’d be together on the night of the surprise birthday party . . . Oh, wait a minute. My phone. She asked to use my phone the other day when hers was supposedly dead. I was heading into the shower. And the other day I couldn’t find it when I got up. I was looking everywhere and found it on the floor. Near her bunk. I figured it had fallen off the bed, but maybe she’d grabbed it to read through my texts. I gave her my password so she could make her supposed call.”
I smack myself on the forehead.
“Makes sense,” Austen says. “Wonder what he’s got hanging over her head.”
“Must be big,” I reply. I think of Wills, because I know that Chris has something on him too. I need to get to know Wills better and find out what happened to his sister’s pony.
“If Chris Haverly knows everyone’s weak spots, we need to figure his out,” I say.
CHAPTER forty
Ten minutes later we are seated at the restaurant with drinks on the way, and both guys are looking at me expectantly.
“What?” I ask.
“What?” they both say simultaneously.
I sigh.
“Look here, Vivvie, you called us here to tell us something. Your text was pretty, um, I don’t know—vague,” Riley says. “And now that we’ve figured out what might be going on with Janna, it’s time for you to tell us this big badass unique power thing.”
Austen nods. “You did ask us to come to dinner because you have something special to tell us. I’m with Riley. What gives?”
“Okay. Here goes. You probably aren’t going to believe me, and no matter whether I convince you or not, you have to swear on your life that you will never tell a single soul.”
They both look at each other and then back at me. “Swear,” they say.
“First off, I know for a fact that Chris, Paisley, and James killed Joel.”
“I thought we all were figuring that out slowly, but have you found out something new that proves it?” Riley says.
I nod. “Yeah. I have. I mean, I know exactly how they did it. But I still don’t know how to prove it.”
A heavy silence comes between the three of us for about four seconds. Then Austen says, “What do you mean, you know how they did it, but can’t prove it? If you know how they did it there must be a way to prove it.”
“Yeah. So, tell us,” Riley says.
“This is where things might get weird and unbelievable.” I take a drink from my water and decide to jump in with both feet. “I have a gift. I’ve had it since I can remember. It’s how I was able to find out who murdered Dr. Miller when I started my first semester at Fairmont. It’s how I knew last semester that Harmony was sick.” I turn to Austen. “It’s how I knew that your pony, Harry, didn’t like to jump when we were kids.”
Both guys are looking at me but I can’t tell what they’re thinking. Now that I’ve dropped the bomb, everything could be ruined. But I have no choice. “I’ve had this gift for a long time. I can feel and hear horses’ thoughts and emotions. They talk to me.”
“What?” Riley asks.
“I talk to horses and they talk back. They show me things, like in a photo album, and they express feelings too. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the only other person who knows about this is my mom.”
I don’t want to tell them about Kayla yet, because I don’t think she’d want me to. This is about me and not her. “I used to go out on vet calls to help my mom diagnose, because I was always able to tell her exactly what was wrong when a horse was sick. So, that’s it. I talk to horses. They talk back, and Melody showed me exactly how Joel was murdered.”
Once again that four-second bout of silence sets in between us; maybe it seems even more quiet this time. I feel like I’m in a black hole that’s spinning in the middle of a restaurant filled with people. My stomach aches and I can feel my heart beating hard against my chest. I have just revealed my deepest, darkest secret and no one is saying a word.
And then Austen smiles and says, “Oh my God, I get it. You can. Oh, wow. I’m thinking about the time that my horse bolted on that horse trails at Rebecca Farms and tried like hell to get me off. You walked up to us and I can see it like yesterday . . . Oh holy crap! I so get it. We were like, what, thirteen?”
“Twelve,” I interrupt. “We were twelve.”
Austen nods. “Yeah. Twelve. Anyway, you were talking to him and petting him, and you looked at me and said that I needed to get my mom to call the vet over because you thought the horse was colicking. I thought you were crazy, but that’s exactly what happened! No way! Really? Really! You can talk to horses? Vivienne!”
“Shh,” I say. “Keep it down.”
Riley still hasn’t said a word, so I have no idea what he’s thinking. I’m elated that Austen does really get it. But it’s just as important to me that Riley gets it too.
Austen leans back in his chair and blows out some air. “This is awesome,” he says. “Do you know what you can do with this? How many horses you can help? And people? If people knew you could tell them what was going on with their horses, your life would get crazy!”
Now, finally, Riley speaks up. “That’s why she’s never told anyone. She’d be exposed and everyone would try to manipulate her.”
Tears spring to my eyes, because, like Austen, Riley also believes, and he really gets it.
CHAPTER forty-one
After I explain to Riley and Austen what Melody “told” me earlier, Riley pounds his fist on the tabletop.
“Those bastards,” he says. “They really killed Joel.” He shakes his head and tears form in his eyes. “We have to get them, you guys. We can’t let them get away with it.”
“I know,” I reply. “But how?”
I glance at Austen, and his face looks
more serious than I’ve ever seen it before. “Now that we’re getting in deep,” he says, “I think we should finish this talk somewhere else.”
Riley and I agree, and after we pay the bill Riley drives us back to Liberty Farms and parks near one of the barns. We stay in the car to talk, just to make sure absolutely nobody will overhear.
“We’ve got to trap them,” Austen says.
“They’re effing killers!” Riley says and looks away. I get the sense, he’s feeling his grief over Joel’s death all over again; he’s clearly upset. I want to give him a hug. I’ve had a few hours for the shock to wear off, but when I first found out, I was a mess. It’s only been about an hour for Riley.
“You okay, Ri?”
He turns to me with a fierce look. “It’s got to be me, guys,” he says.
“What?” I say.
“I feel compelled, Vivvie. They killed Joel. I could have helped him. He told me before he left for Fairmont that Chris was threatening him, but I told him that he wouldn’t have to worry now that he was going to live in California. I was wrong.”
“But why kill him?” Austen asks.
“I don’t know,” Riley replies.
“I know someone who might,” I say. “It’s only a hunch, but my gut says it’s a good one.
“What?” Austen replies.
“Do either of you have Wills’s number?”
“Yeah,” they both say.
“We need to talk to him.”
“Why?” Riley asks.
I figure since I’ve already spilled my guts and come clean as to who I really am, I might as well tell them everything. So in one long rush, I explain what Melody has been communicating about the dead pony.
“That pony,” Riley says, “belonged to Wills’s sister. I remember them moving here before I left.”
“The pony ties into this, you guys. I know it. Wills ties into this too. He spent time in juvie. I found him the other day in Tiffany’s den looking at a photo of his sister on the pony. Melody fell while his sister was riding her, and I know that Joel said she never rode after that. What he didn’t say was how badly the girl was hurt. I found Wills with Melody, talking to her and petting her. He seemed really sad. I think him winding up in juvie had everything to do with Chris, the pony, and Melody—and Wills’s little sister.”
Austen says, “I think we better find Wills sooner than later.”
“I hate to be a broken record,” says Riley, “but let’s be careful.”
“Now that I’ve seen how vicious they can be, I agree with you,” I say. “I think Chris and his crew killed Joel for threatening to go to the police. Chris is willing to kill anyone who won’t fall in line with his wishes. I think Wills knows firsthand about that. Now we just have to convince him to tell us about it.”
CHAPTER forty-two
Unfortunately, Wills doesn’t answer his phone, so I say good night to Austen and Riley, who plan to go track him down.
But the minute I get close to my cabin I freeze, unable to believe what I’m seeing. To the side of the front steps I see two people locked in a super passionate-looking kiss—and recognition slowly dawns as I realize it’s Tristan and Emily. So this is the answer to what they were up to that night near the barn. Suddenly, it kind of makes sense; I always knew that Tristan was too smart and too good for Lydia. As the seconds stretch into a minute and I’m still staring at them, I have no idea what to do. I definitely don’t want to interrupt them but I feel ridiculous just standing here like a statue. And clearly, I can’t stay still all night—and their kiss looks like it might last that long. After another thirty seconds, I decide to keep walking and make my first step as noisy as possible, crunching over the gravel.
At the sound, they break apart. Even though I wasn’t the one just caught in major PDA, I feel totally embarrassed as the three of us stare at each other in awkward silence.
“Hi, Vivvie,” says Emily. I can see her blush even in the shadowy light.
“Um, hi,” I say.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Emily says.
Tristan puts a protective arm around her narrow shoulders. “Actually, it is,” he says.
I can’t stop staring at the two of them in amazement. “Don’t feel weird,” I say. “Honestly, I’m happy for you.”
Tristan smiles. “Well, that’s a nice change.”
I grin back at him.
Emily says, “You’re not mad?”
I shake my head. “Are you kidding? I just can’t believe I didn’t guess.”
“You’re the one who told me everyone has their secrets,” says Emily.
I smile. “I’m glad yours is a happy secret,” I say. “Well, anyway. I’m sorry I interrupted. I have to get to bed and I know you two have to . . . um . . .”
Both of them laugh and call out at the same time, “Good night.”
Maybe seeing happy people helps you sleep, because the minute my head hits the pillow, I’m out. When I wake up, it’s early in the morning. The first thing I do is check my phone for new messages from Austen or Riley, but there’s not a word from either of them. Worried, but knowing there’s nothing I can do at this early hour, I do what I do every morning and get ready to ride. What other option is there? I’m trying to keep Chris’s suspicion off of me, and I’m really trying to stay away from Janna.
The sun is just coming up as I walk down to the barn and I’m amazed at the beauty around me. As the first light hits the dew on the grass, everything sparkles, and the soft summer air smells fresh and clean. I have a sense of excitement to take Harmony out and ride her in the back fields. I’m reminded of Kayla’s words, when she told me that I haven’t been focusing on my riding the way I should out here. I’ve been missing out on my horse, and the beauty around me. The place is pretty amazing and if I take a moment to ride her on trail, I’ll have a chance to breathe and think . . . God knows that there is plenty for me to be thinking about.
As I walk into the barn and head toward Harmony’s stall, I spot Lydia brushing Geisha. I’ve never known her to be an early bird when she doesn’t need to be, and I am really surprised. There’s this piece of me that actually feels bad for her. Does she know about Tristan and Emily? It was weird enough for me to find out they were together. And I’m really happy for them. How about Lydia, though? She’s been so into him for so long. If she doesn’t know, what will she do when she finds out?
I breeze past her. She glances my way and gives a cursory, “Good morning.”
“Hey,” I say. I really don’t know how to act so I just start patting Harmony’s neck and giving her some love.
Lydia walks by me, heading to the tack room. When her footsteps stop in front of Harmony’s stall, I turn around. She fixes me with a cold stare. “You know, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?” I reply, but in my gut, I know exactly what road she’s heading down. At the same time, there’s something else going on—my ears are ringing as if fireworks just went off. I lean against Harmony for support, feeling dizzy. My heart quickens and I can feel it heavy against my chest.
“Tristan and Emily,” Lydia says. “You know about them, don’t you?”
Ignoring her, I leave Harmony’s side and walk toward Geisha. I’m not sure why. I feel some kind of compulsion to do so. The feeling is like the day when the horses first arrived at Liberty Farms and Geisha was walked off the trailer—and I couldn’t catch my breath.
I feel Lydia staring after me, so I nod my head, doing my best to seem normal. “I found out last night. I’m sorry.” I don’t know what else to say and my heart keeps beating harder and faster. I feel like I might pass out.
“It’s okay. Kind of shocking, though. Right? Emily over me? I sort of got it when he chose you. You’re pretty. I guess she’s cute in a vampire sort of way, but she’s kind of crazy, if you know what I mean. Over me?” She ducks into the tack room
, shaking her head.
I touch Geisha and my heart quickens even more and I really feel like I might faint. The horse tosses her head. I know the horrible physical sensations I’m feeling are the same ones that are making her suffer. The symptoms remind me of a vet case I went on with my mom once, but I’m not an expert, so I can’t possibly guess the exact problem. “Is it your heart?” I whisper.
Yes.
Oh, wow! Another horse is speaking to me.
She then shows me an image of the cross-country course, and I can hear a pounding heart that skips a beat. “Oh my God.”
I go into the barn office and get a stethoscope out, then place it on Geisha’s chest and start listening. As I listen to the rhythm of her heart, there is another skip—plain as day. This horse has a heart murmur.
Lydia walks out of the tack room, saddle over her arm, and says, “What are you doing?”
I pull the stethoscope away and I’m sure I look shocked. “Sometimes I take their vitals. You know, with my mom being a vet and all, and honestly something about her didn’t look quite right. So, I thought I’d listen to her.”
“What? You are just as weird as Emily. I guess Tristan likes the crazies. Get away from my horse.”
“You need to listen. She has a murmur.”
“No, she doesn’t. My horse is totally healthy.”
“Lydia, please. Please just listen to her. You can’t run Geisha cross-country without having a vet check her.”
Lydia stares at me. “You’re serious,” she finally says.
“I am.”
She grabs the stethoscope from me and listens. She straightens herself slowly and her face goes pale. “I think that maybe I should call a vet.”
She looks completely distraught, and I’ve got to say that I feel even worse for her now than I did a few minutes ago, when her biggest problem was Tristan and Emily hooking up. The facts are that if Geisha has a bad enough murmur then her eventing career could be over.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I mean, it could be minor. There are all sorts of murmurs, so don’t jump to conclusions. But the only way you’re going to know for sure is by getting her checked out.”
Perfect Harmony: A Vivienne Taylor Horse Lover's Mystery (Fairmont Riding Academy Book 3) Page 18
