You Can Lead a Horse to Murder

by Tara Meyers

  TWENTY THREE

  Friday morning came way too fast, and Ember was unprepared for how much the hiking scare got to her. After a fitful sleep, she dragged her sore body out of bed but took twice as long to get ready, going through the motions like a robot. She texted Mel to let her know she was running late and to take her time getting to the clinic.

  Standing at the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth, Ember felt like she was staring at a stranger. Fear had transformed her features, making her look older and harried.

  I’m letting them get to me, she realized, and the thought caused a welling of hot anger to bubble to the surface. Her eyes flashed, and she spat once into the sink before stepping back. This was her home. Her town. No one was going to manipulate her or force her out of Sanctuary.

  Stomping out to the kitchen, Ember grabbed the box that Ellsworth had given her and slammed it down on the table. Then, snatching her leather bag from its spot near the front door, she dug out the file for Black Shadow and set it on top of the box. Thinking for a moment, she spun around and walked with purpose to the guest room she was using as an office, Daenerys trailing behind her, and came back with a copy of her sworn witness statement for both the “accident” scene and the examination of Tom’s body. Laying those sheets of paper on the table beside the box, she crossed her arms over her chest and spent a couple of minutes staring at it.

  “I’m missing something,” she said to Daenerys.

  Shaking her head, she gathered the loose papers together and put them all in her bag. Looking at the remaining box in disgust, she then glanced down at Daenerys who was watching her earnestly.

  “I’m taking that back on Monday. I might not be able to prove anything, but I’m not going to get caught up in whatever scam he has going or be the target for his psycho daughter.”

  Daenerys’s ears sprang up, and she surprised Ember by leaping to her feet and barking. It wasn’t until she ran for the front door that she realized there was a car coming up the driveway.

  Pulling back the curtains, Ember groaned when she saw Sheriff Walker getting out of his vehicle. What now?

  “You’re making the rounds early,” she stated after opening the front door.

  He leaned against the railing on the front porch and reached down to scratch at the labradoodle’s ears. “I wanted to catch you before you went into town,” he explained. “Mel told me you were still out here. You okay?”

  His concern seemed genuine, and Ember softened a little. “I’m fine. Just slept in. Would you like some coffee?”

  Waving a hand, he then patted his generous stomach. “I already had my fill. Mel forced me to drink a cup of her special French press blend. It’s actually pretty good.”

  Smiling in response, Ember wondered if they would discuss the weather next. It was obvious he had something to say, and she wasn’t in the mood for indirectness. “What do you need to talk to me about?”

  “I wanted you to know that even before Becky called and demanded I do my job or retire, I tracked down Sandy Ellsworth.”

  Ember could imagine the very animated conversation with her aunt and suppressed a laugh. It would have been bad timing. Walker was trying to be serious. Curious as to what he found out about Sandy, she instead tilted her head. “And?”

  “Ember, Sandy was at the rodeo fairgrounds the whole afternoon and was still there when I finally found her at eight last night. Without telling her why I was asking, I was able to determine she took over the booth at three, for a six-hour shift. I happen to be good friends with the gentleman running a display next to her, and he confirmed she was there the whole time, without anyone relieving her. In fact, he looked after things for her while she used the restroom because she was alone.”

  Tapping her socked foot on the boards of the patio, Ember mulled over the information. It certainly blasted a very large hole in her theory. Unless— “So, she had someone else do it.”

  Straightening, Walker took his hand from Daenerys’s head and pointed it at Ember. “I’d suggest you be mindful of the company you’re in when you think out loud.”

  Blushing, Ember didn’t back down. “What do you expect me to do? Someone doesn’t like the information I’ve dug up, and they’re trying to intimidate me!”

  “I didn’t say I disagree with you, just that you need to stop broadcasting everything. And maybe not let your personal feelings cloud your judgment when making accusations.”

  Stunned at the suggestion that Walker might actually believe her, she almost missed the insinuation that there was something more to her involvement. She hadn’t a clue what he was referring to.

  “Sheriff, you’re right about me running my mouth. It’s why I’m a vet and you’re the law. I have no idea how to do your job, so it’s a relief to know that you’re looking into things. Thank you. But as to whatever personal feelings you think I have about any of it, you’re missing the mark. Care to expand upon that?”

  Staring back at her, Walker pursed his lips, apparently considering his reply. Shaking his head, he slapped at his leg as he pushed off from the railing. “It’s none of my business, I suppose. But do me favor, will you? Let’s get through this weekend, and Monday we’ll sit down and go back over things. I’m responsible for the safety of the people in this county, and I take that very seriously. Now, just because I don’t check in with you and detail all that I’m doing doesn’t mean I’m not exploring things. I’m talking to people, Ember, and I haven’t completely closed the book yet on Tom’s death. Just be satisfied with that for now and let me do my job, okay?”

  Ember was more than happy to relinquish any sense of obligation, now that she knew Walker wasn’t letting it go. Relieved, she smiled thankfully at him. “Absolutely,” she answered. “Trust me, there’s nothing I’d like more than to relax and have some fun this weekend.”

  ***

  After stopping by Becky’s to reassure her aunt that she wasn’t dead, Ember finally made it to the clinic around ten. In spite of Ember’s urging, Mel already had a big head start on her.

  When she and Daenerys entered, they were greeted by a large banner spread out on the front counter. On the left end was the clinic logo, followed by the words: Dr. Burns, Local Royalty & Animal Specialist. Trying not groan, Ember knew that in spite of the corniness, it was appropriate for a parade sign.

  “Ember!” Mel shouted as she ran out, a dust pan in one hand. “Your post from yesterday has over twenty shares and two hundred likes! You better start ordering the animal hiking gear you promised, because it’s going to take us places.”

  Laughing, Ember took the dust pan from her. “Good. I’m thinking over there,” she suggested, waving the pan toward the tower of canned dog food. “If I get one of those full wall display racks and a couple of turnstile ones to space out in front of it, I think we can have a decent little selection of goods.”

  “Yes!” Mel squealed. “I tried to get Doc Bernie to do something like that for months, but Marissa shot down all my ideas. And of course, Doc listened to her.” Taking Ember’s hand, she dragged her back to the breakroom. “Here,” she urged, pouring a dark brew of coffee from her French press. “Try this. You’re going to love it. Once you drink it made this way, you’ll never go back to drip.”

  Grabbing some creamer from the small fridge she’d bought for the room, Ember noticed a new Cylon toaster on the counter. “Where on earth did you find that!” she exclaimed. It was awesome.

  “You can find anything online,” Mel said. “Wait until you see the blanket that’s coming!”

  “Oh my gosh, this really is good,” Ember praised, taking another sip of the extremely strong coffee. Reaching for more sugar, she doctored it up a bit more than usual.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened last night?” Mel asked, her tone turning more serious. “Because Becky called me twice, asking if I had heard from you, and then Sheriff Walker was looking for you this morning. I mean, you answered my text last night, saying you were fine and all, but you didn’t s
ay what was going on.”

  Stalling, Ember took another long sip while mulling over what she should and shouldn’t say to Mel. She didn’t want to upset her, and Walker’s words of caution weighed heavily on her. While she wanted to confide in someone, it was probably best to wait and see what the sheriff came up with next week before dragging anyone else into it.

  “I was stupid and was wearing my silver backpack over a green T-shirt. I guess someone mistook me for a deer or bear or something and almost shot me.”

  “What!” Mel gasped. “Oh my gosh! Did they realize what they did?”

  Not wanting to lie, Ember chose her words carefully. “It wasn’t a gun; it was an arrow. I was so startled that I ran away. When Nathan and I went back—”

  “Who?”

  “Nathan Sparks, a park ranger. I met him the other day when I bought my forest pass. He saw my truck at the trailhead and went looking for me.”

  “Oh, really?” Mel questioned, batting her lashes. “And so, this Nathan guy came to your rescue?”

  Laughing, Ember appreciated the way Mel could turn anything negative around. “Yup! No shining armor, but he is kinda cute.”

  Eyes widening, Mel leaning forward. “Well? What happened?”

  “Oh, the arrows were gone when we got back, and it was getting dark so he wanted to get off the trail.”

  “Who in the world would be out shooting with a bow this time of year? That’s just stupid.”

  “Yeah,” Ember agreed, doing her best to not reveal her true feelings about it. “Nathan said the fines for poaching are really big, so whoever did it took off. Sheriff Walker met us at the trailhead because Aunt Becky convinced him I was out there dying.”

  “What about Nathan?” Mel pressed. “Get a number?”

  “I’ve already got his number,” Ember countered, eliciting an approving laugh from Mel. “But, Nathan did say he’ll be in town tomorrow for the parade and stuff, so maybe you’ll get a chance to meet him.”

  Before Mel could press her for more information, the front door chimed, and Sean called out for Ember. Looking at each other, both girls raised their eyebrows.

  “Do you have to tie up every eligible bachelor in town?” Mel whispered. “Just remember that the sheriff’s son is off limits. I’ve already called dibs.”

  Throwing a dishtowel at her friend, Ember went out to see Sean. They hadn’t spoken for a few days, and she’d been starting to think he wasn’t interested anymore. Seeing him leaning casually against the counter in his white doctor’s coat, she couldn’t help but think how striking he was.

  “Hey, Ember,” he said warmly. “Ben told me what happened with the poacher last night. Glad you’re okay.”

  “Thanks,” she said, trying not to be irritated. She knew word would get around, but she expected it to come from friends of Becky’s after she talked to everyone over the weekend, not the sheriff. Although, the information was likely to be more accurate. So maybe it was better that way.

  “Who would have ever thought that living in Sanctuary would end up being more dangerous than the big city?”

  “You have a point there,” Ember agreed. “Although the views here are much better.”

  “Maybe,” Sean countered. “Look,” he continued, taking a step and narrowing the space between them. “I wanted to share my good news with you. I just got word that I’ve been selected for the position I told you about.”

  “That’s great!” Ember couldn’t help but notice the tension growing as he moved closer. What was it about the man that made him so enticing? “When do you have to start?” Her spirits fell when she realized this meant Sean would be moving away from Sanctuary.

  “Not until the fall,” he replied. “Plenty of time for me to convince you that city life is better.”

  Blushing, Ember wasn’t sure how to respond, but he was suddenly being pretty bold about his interest in her. “You’ll have to work hard then,” she countered. “Because I made a promise to my mom that I’d make this clinic successful, and I’m awfully stubborn once I’ve made up my mind to do something.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, moving away. “But how about dinner to help me celebrate? The Rusty Wagon Wheel is having a rib special tonight.”

  Enjoying the cat-and-mouse antics more than she should, Ember smiled at him. “Dinner would be nice, but I’ll have to take a raincheck. I have hours of work left to do here still, and I have to be up by five in the morning to get to the parade on time. Mayor Gomez will skin me alive if I’m late.”

  His smile faded. “Oh. Well, I spoke with Vanessa.”

  The abrupt change in subject threw Ember off, and she struggled to keep up. “Yeah? What did she say?”

  “That Tom had been spending his money faster than he made it and was trying to find a lender to give him a loan for the garage.”

  Ember pondered the information. She wasn’t sure it was helpful. “Well, thanks for asking.”

  When Sean turned to leave without trying to persuade her to change her mind about dinner, Ember was disappointed he gave up so easily.

  “Hey!” she called out.

  He stopped and looked back at her. His expression was a mix of hope and concern and made him appear vulnerable. She acted impulsively and ran up to him, giving him a hug.

  “Congratulations on the job, Doctor Austin. Can we celebrate with some fair food tomorrow night at the rodeo, and then maybe watch the fireworks?”

  Flashing a warm smile, he hugged her back. “It’s a date.”

  TWENTY FOUR

  “Whoa, Butterscotch.”

  The large horse sidestepped briefly before settling down and moving to the open spot being held for them. In spite of allowing what Ember thought was plenty of time, she was still running behind schedule. Not by much, but just enough to be cutting things close and adding more anxiety to an already stressful event.

  Sitting atop the quarter horse, Ember felt ridiculous. She’d spent way too much time on her hair and makeup. The hot pink sash stood out in painful starkness against the purple T-shirt, and she could only imagine how it all looked in contrast to her bright-red hair. The large banner was draped across the back of the horse, and what felt like a great marketing plan only the day before, now had her fearing she came across as unprofessional and a clown.

  At least Butterscotch seemed to be in his element. Though spirited, he was still easy to manage and was getting along fine with the other animals in line. This caused Ember to think about Daenerys, and although she knew the dog was perfectly okay inside the clinic, she still felt bad leaving her behind.

  “Oh my goodness, Ember, look at you!”

  Startled out of her thoughts by the loud squeal, Ember discovered Mayor Gomez standing to her left, clapping her hands together gleefully.

  “You are absolutely beautiful! And look at that banner. Mel really outdid herself with that logo. It’s simply perfect! Do you have candy? No candy? Here.” The older woman dug in a large satchel hanging over her shoulder and pulled out a plastic bag covered with red, white, and blue stripes. Handing it up to Ember, she then clapped her hands again, only to hop back when the sound caused Butterscotch to flinch.

  Ember laughed and then quickly covered it up by thanking Mayor Gomez. “I’m sure the parade will be a hit! You’ve done a great job.”

  The mayor appeared pleased at the compliment and then moved on to the next entry in the lineup: an antique covered wagon being pulled by four huge draft horses. It was complete with a red-checkered tarp and men dressed as rough cowboys in the driver’s seat.

  Located farther back in the parade were several floats, the high school marching band, and logging trucks. Ember’s favorite exhibition was the Native American Circle Drum group and Pow Wow Dancers. It was hypnotic to watch.

  Moments later a whistle was blown, signaling the start of the procession. Sitting up as straight as possible, Ember decided to make the best of it. Waving regally with one hand, she sporadically tossed candy to the kids with the o
ther. Butterscotch was more than able to follow the horse in front of him, which happened to be carrying the current reigning Miss Sanctuary Rodeo Queen of 2018.

  The sky was broken up by scattered clouds but it was an otherwise sunny day, with the temperature expected to reach the eighties again. That early in the morning it was still a pleasant seventy. The smell of roasting peanuts, kettle corn, and fresh hay all mingled together to create the prefect atmosphere for a small-town celebration.

  A huge banner was stretched across Main Street, between city hall and the post office, that read: 100 Years of Sanctuary. Ember had just passed under it and was starting to relax and enjoy herself, when a large commotion started from somewhere behind her in the line.

  Twisting in the saddle, she leaned out as far as she dared, but she couldn’t see what was happening. A small spotted pony darted past, dragging a little turned-over wagon behind it that used to hold bottles of water. The sides of the street were crammed with people watching the parade, and they grabbed for their kids that were darting out to collect the thrown candy.

  Someone screamed.

  When Ember heard the barking, she didn’t recognize it at first because it was so frenzied, but when yet another horse sprinted past, its rider doing its best to get it under control, a horrible suspicion rose to the surface. Turning Butterscotch so she could see behind them, she began to hear Mel yelling.

  “Daenerys! Daenerys, stop!”

  Her worst fears confirmed, Ember watched the parade procession behind her part in various directions as the barking got louder. Before she had a chance to react, the nearest draft horse pinned his ears back, snorted once … and then bolted. The other horses followed suit, and as Daenerys emerged and darted behind the wagon, the draft horse was already moving for the far side of the road and the cleared crossroad beyond city hall.