by Toni Leland
She leveled a stern look at him. “As long as we’re on the same playing field. No more games.”
“You got it. I’ll call you in the afternoon.”
She nodded and climbed out of the car. Quaid waited until she was safely inside her own vehicle, then headed toward Pasadena to get some sleep.
~~
Kim sat in the car, trying not to think about what she’d just been through. Even with the years that had passed since Columbus, it only took one trigger incident to send her reeling into the depths of fear. Would she ever move past it?
She started the car and drove slowly around the access road surrounding the facility. Mr. Tough Guy had certainly shown a surprising side to his personality. Thinking about his comforting arms, warmth moved over her skin. In the moment, she’d only cared about being safe, but in retrospect, the sensation of being held was more than pleasant.
They’d sparred all evening, neither one wanting to give an inch to the other, playing cat and mouse with ideas and information. Her smile faded. Playing games with someone else’s future. Teri murdered—it seemed incomprehensible, but Quaid certainly had the resources to get solid information. Could it possibly be the wife of the errant husband? Murder seemed a little extreme for a domestic issue, but passion could be a powerful force.
Kim’s car moved slowly past the practice rings and the outbuildings, down the road between the many barns, and on through the exhibitor parking lots. She glanced around as she drove, then hit the brakes.
Jasper’s rig was parked by the fence near the last barn.
~~
Quaid’s phone rang just as he let himself into the motel room.
“It’s Kim. I just found Jasper’s truck and horse trailer parked in the lot. You might want to come back and surprise him.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t leave and don’t go anywhere near him.”
The line went dead and he scowled at the screen. I see Miz Kovak is back to normal.
Twenty-five minutes later, he strode across the parking lot toward the horse trailers. A car flashed its lights and he headed that way. Kovak popped her door lock and he climbed in.
“You think he’ll be in the barn with his horses?”
She pursed her lips. “Hard to tell. We don’t know when he got here, but it was obviously after the show closed.”
Quaid looked out the window at Jasper’s rig. “He must be here, ’cause the truck is still hooked up.”
“Sometimes trainers sleep in the tack stall to be near the horses during the night. This place has good security, so I can’t imagine he would need to.”
Quaid opened the door. “I’m gonna go find him. You stay here.”
“Hey, wait just a minute! You need to stop treating me like a subordinate. I gave you the courtesy of the phone call, and I didn’t go over there, like you asked. Now, I want to see what’s going on just as much as you do.”
Quaid hesitated. “Okay, but let me do the talking.”
She climbed out of the car and, without further conversation, they walked toward the barn with Jasper’s stalls. At the end of the row, they peered into each stall, then looked at each other in surprise.
The stalls were still empty.
Quaid headed for the door, Kovak right behind him.
“He might have just gotten here and the horses are still on the trailer,” she said.
“We’ll know in a minute.”
The trailer was empty.
“Maybe he put them in a different barn.”
Kovak moved to the front of the truck and laid her hand on the hood. “It’s stone cold. Been sitting here for hours. I think you might be right—Jasper has pulled off a vanishing act.”
“None of this makes sense. The first time I went to his place, there were seven horses. When I went back out this afternoon, there were only four.”
“Did you talk to anyone there?”
“Yeah, his obnoxious sister. She gave me jack-shit. Sent me here to supposedly talk to Jasper in person. She was gone when I went back today.”
“Rumor has it that the sister owns all the horses. She could be the key to the whole thing.”
Quaid exhaled sharply. “There are too many pieces to this puzzle, so I’m beginning to think we’re working on two puzzles.”
After Kovak drove away, Quaid moved the driver’s seat back and stretched his legs. From where he’d parked, he had a good view of both the doors to the barn and Jasper’s rig. If the guy was still on the premises, or tried to move the truck, Quaid would know it. He wrote down the license numbers, then began organizing his thoughts about what he knew. The horse show seemed a perfect cover if Jasper planned to skip town, but something didn’t quite mesh.
Okay. Put his name on the show stalls so people would think he’s here. Bring the rig and leave it to reinforce that supposition. Have another vehicle in place to use later? Have the sister pick him up? Is he already long gone?
A movement by one of the barns caught Quaid’s eye and he sat up straight. Someone was leading a horse between the buildings, headed for the barn with Jasper’s stalls. Quaid jumped out of the car and moved quickly between the parked vehicles, keeping the shadowy figures in sight. He broke into a trot as the person and horse disappeared into the barn.
Slipping through the door, he spotted a man leading a brown horse straight toward the end stalls.
Quaid caught up to him, then realized it wasn’t Jasper.
“Excuse me, do you have horses in this barn?”
The man gave him a curious look. “Yeah, why?”
“Have you seen the owner of those stalls at the end?”
The guy looked where Quaid pointed, then nodded. “Yeah, he was here earlier, but I haven’t seen him since.”
Quaid glanced at the animal. “Nice horse. What breed?”
“She’s a Holsteiner. You own horses?”
“Not any more. Sure wish I did, though.”
The man whipped out a business card and smiled like a used car salesman. “You just give me a call when you get ready. We breed top show horses from some of the best bloodlines.”
“Gee, thanks. I’ll do that.”
The man nodded. “Well, nice talkin’ to you. I need to get this lady to her bed. She has a big day tomorrow.”
“Good luck.”
Quaid pocketed the card and waited until the man was out of sight, then he moved down the aisle toward Jasper’s stalls.
Still empty.
Chapter 24
The telephone on the nightstand shrilled and Kim came awake with a start, groping to silence the damned thing and knocking over her glass of water in the process. An automated voice announced her wake-up time of five-thirty.
She struggled to sit up and clear her head. Exhausted as she’d been when she went to bed, the crowd scene in town had dominated her brain all night. Today would be horrible, but she didn’t have much choice. Lots of coffee and some energy bars would be her only hope.
An hour later, somewhat refreshed by a shower and beginning to feel the effects of the caffeine, Kim headed for the equestrian park. Thinking about how little information she and Quaid had shared, she wondered if they’d ever land on the same page and solve the mystery. Or, as Quaid had said, two mysteries. Kim glanced at the dashboard clock and calculated time differences. She could make a couple more calls to the Midwest and East before she started work. Late last night, she’d checked her voice mail and found a return call from Bob Fisher. If he knew Teri well, he might also know a relative or close friend. Someone needed to step forward and be there for that poor girl. Had her body even been released for burial? Who would bury her? Kim counted the days since Teri’s death. If she’d been claimed, the funeral would probably be the coming week. If there was no family, then Teri would rest in the morgue until someone took responsibility for her remains.
Kim parked near the show office and pulled out her phone. She had forty-five minutes before she had to be in the arena. She was going to get some answers.
>
“Mr. Fisher? Kim Kovak. I called you yesterday, sorry I missed your return call.”
The man’s voice wavered with age. “Not a problem. You said you were looking for show horses? I have a few left to sell.”
“Actually, no. I’m calling about Teri Fortune.”
“Oh my, yes, what a shock. She was a wonderful girl.”
“One of her clients said you knew her quite well...do you happen to know if she has any relatives or a husband or children, or anyone who would be responsible for her, uh, business?”
“Yes, I knew her very well for many years. She took such good care of my horses when they were stressed. One time—”
Kim tried to be gentle. “Excuse me, but you were going to tell me about Teri’s family?”
“Oh, yes, of course. She never married, always said the horses were all the family she needed.” He chuckled. “Said they were more dependable than husbands or lovers.”
He fell silent for a moment, then continued.
“You know, I think there was a brother somewhere. She never talked about him. I think they had a big falling out when they were younger. It’s too bad, isn’t it, the way families fall apart over insignificant stuff? You know what I mean?”
“I do. You know where the brother might be? Or his name?”
“No idea on either count, but I do know he was in the investment business of some kind. Hah, what a bunch of crooks those guys turned out to be! Makin’ a fortune off the backs of us ordinary people. You hear about those demonstrations in the cities? I’d be there if I was younger.”
Kim shuddered and gripped the phone harder, trying to modulate her tone. “Thanks so much for calling me back. If you think of anything else, please get in touch with me.”
She disconnected and exhaled slowly. The name Fortune couldn’t be too common. Narrow it down to men in the financial sector and she’d probably only have a couple hundred to search through. She ran her finger along the rim of the steering wheel. She didn’t have the resources to look for the guy, but she knew someone who did. If she could make even one aspect of Teri’s death understandable, it would be worth it.
~~
Quaid started making calls early. He checked in with United Equine, then called Jenna at the house. Her recorder picked up immediately and he remembered they’d gone to Dayton for the weekend. He hung up without leaving a message, then dialed her cell phone.
“Hey, Jenna, how’s the trip so far?”
Her voice sounded more relaxed than it had in years.
“Really good, Garrett. I’m so glad you insisted I do this.” She lowered her voice. “Ricky’s in the bathroom, so I’ll have to make this quick. We met with the psychologist yesterday and he’s given Ricky a clean mental health bill. He doesn’t feel there’s a risk of self-destruction, just the expected post trauma depression, which he’ll treat with mild anti-anxiety medication.”
“That’s great news. Are you going to the museum today?”
“Yes, we’ll get some breakfast in a few minutes, then spend the day just relaxing. I met with base housing yesterday and we do qualify.” Her tone saddened. “I hate to move away from everything that’s so familiar, but I don’t have a choice. And there’s plenty of work in the area, so getting a job shouldn’t be too hard.”
A hard knot formed in Quaid’s chest. He couldn’t imagine having what was left of his family living so far away. Guilt pushed at the knot. He’d been right there the whole time and had squandered many opportunities to be part of that family. He had no right to feel anything but happiness that Jenna and Ricky could get their lives back together. Now if only he could do the same.
“I’m still in California, but I’ll be home Tuesday night. I told Ricky we’d take a road trip next week, so if that’s okay with you, I’d like to plan on it.”
“Absolutely. He’s talked about nothing else. Thank you for doing this for him.”
“I’m doing it for me, too, Jenna.”
The phone beeped and Quaid said goodbye, but Kovak had already hung up. He dialed her back and she answered, sounding out of breath.
He chuckled. “You running with the horses?”
“No, I just let the time get away from me and had to sprint to the arena for the first class. Now they’ve taken a time out, so I have a minute. I have a lead on Teri’s brother, no first name, but he’s in the financial sector, maybe investment, maybe banking. I don’t know, but I don’t have any way to track him down. I thought you’d probably have better luck.”
“Good work. I’ll get on it right away. I was about to call the sheriff’s office to see where they stand with the investigation and who’s caring for the horses. I’ll call you when I have something.”
“Great. Gotta go.”
She hung up and Quaid pursed his lips. The two of them actually worked pretty well together, except when they were competing. He wasn’t used to working with anyone, especially a woman, but she might turn out to be okay.
“Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, how may I direct your call?”
“This is Garrett Quaid, United Equine Assurance. I need to speak to Deputy Dexton.”
“I’ll transfer you.”
Quaid drummed his fingers on the table while he waited. He’d better not get the runaround again.
“Dexton, homicide.”
“Yeah, we talked a couple of days ago about the Fortune Farms case. I’m just following up on a couple of things.”
“We didn’t discuss the case, Mr. Quaid, and it’s still an open investigation. So why are you bothering me?”
Quaid closed his eyes and tried to picture the woman on the other end of the line. She had a clipped way of speaking, and the image that came to mind was a tight-lipped, pasty-skinned blonde with no boobs and a flat ass. That helped.
“Actually, I need to know the disposition of the facility and those animals. Are they being cared for?”
“Yes, Animal Control sent someone out there until we find a relative or friend to take responsibility. Do you know anyone connected with the deceased?”
Quaid scowled. No help from her, but he was supposed to spew information.
“No, I don’t, but I do know that some of those horses belong to other people and I think they need to be notified to collect their animals.”
“We didn’t find a client list.”
“You can probably figure it out by looking through the accounting ledgers. But I’m sure you’ve already done that, right?”
Dexton hesitated just a second before answering. “Of course. But if you have any information, you’re required to give it to us.”
“Hey, I want this solved as much as you do. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know. Have a nice day.”
He disconnected and kicked the chair. “I hate working with hormones!”
~~
After the lunch break, Kim returned to the center of the arena to photograph each jumper as they completed the pattern. All morning she’d watched classes and, amongst the spectators, she’d frequently seen the man and woman who now seemed to play some important role in the mystery. They either stood at the rail or sat in the grandstand, always watching closely, talking, and writing things down. To outward appearances, they were simply interested and involved in what was going on, but Kim was sure that something ominous lay behind their presence.
She glanced toward the other side of the ring, wondering when Quaid would show up. Had he started looking for Teri’s brother? If anyone could find the guy, it would be Quaid.
The last round of jumps finished, the announcer called for a break and the ground crew entered the arena to start rearranging the obstacles. Kim sucked up half a bottle of water, then walked toward the barn where Jasper wasn’t. Many stalls were now empty, their residents on the road home after a busy weekend. Some would be going home to celebrate and others would be dejected at having spent the time and money to get to the qualifying show only to go home without enough points for the championships. Kim’s memories flew bac
k to her own brief showing career. The little girl who would rather jump fences than jump rope. She’d done okay, but hadn’t had the ambition to become a world-class equestrienne. She’d only wanted to have fun with her horse. Thank God, Grandpa had recognized that. Kim remembered the horseshow moms who’d made everyone’s life miserable, including those of their horse-crazy daughters.
Kim passed a woman stuffing blankets and supplies into a large tack trunk. She looked tired. A roan pony gazed listlessly through the bars of the stall. Kim continued to the end of the aisle and around the corner to Jasper’s area. Peering into the empty stalls, she blinked in disbelief. Fresh bedding, and water buckets full to the brim. Someone had expected horses to fill these stalls. Was it Jasper? And why now, when the show was all but over?
She headed back toward the arena to finish the last leg of the show. She was so glad to have the work, but happy that it was almost over. Her thigh ached as it always did when she was stressed, and she wondered if the mob incident had triggered the pain.
A woman leading two horses appeared and Kim moved aside to let them pass. They were beautiful animals and, for one moment, Kim wondered if maybe it was time to own a horse again. She at least had the flexibility of schedule and leisure time to enjoy riding. She gazed down the aisle at the shiny rumps undulating rhythmically with the even cadence of the walk. Her knees wobbled and a murmur ran through her chest. Would she ever be able to do that again? The horses rounded the corner out of sight and Kim took a deep breath, then continued toward the exit.
At the door, she came face to face with the man she’d been watching for days. Her breath caught in her throat, but she nodded and started to pass by.
His deep voice formed words rounded with what sounded like a British accent. “You’re the show photographer, right?” His dark eyes seemed to belie his attempt at a smile. “What’s your name? We were thinking of having our stallion photographed.”
“Kim Kovak. I’m from Ohio, but I could give you a referral to someone from around here.”
