spies and spells 02 - betting off dead

by Kappes, Tonya

“No.” Her tone was matter-of-fact. “It was nice to see you, Amber. Let me know if you need anything.” She crossed her hand across her chest. “I’m so sorry about what happened.”

  “Thank you.” Amber waved her off.

  “Doesn’t she know it’s fall and she shouldn’t be wearing white?” I thought I made a funny joke.

  “Joan Kirkpatrick can wear what she wants, when she wants.” Amber’s brow lifted.

  “Kirkpatrick?” I recalled Vinnie pulling up stats on the Kirkpatricks a few days ago. “As in the horse people?” I tried to remember how I knew them.

  “As in Riley Kirkpatrick, Riley Kirkpatrick Tucker.” The words sent caution, causing my insides to tremble. “Riley about died when she saw her mother at my home. Her father refused to come, but Joan has always been very fond of Joel. They went to the same country club when Joel and Riley were growing up.”

  “So Joel knew Riley?” I asked.

  It made me sick how Riley saw people with money as better than everyone else. She was going to write Amber off when she saw their house was just a log cabin. Without the Wright name, it was still just a log cabin.

  “Not only did they grow up together, they dated.” Her eyes bore into me. “In fact, he told me that Riley went crazy when he broke up with her. She sort of stalked him and he even had to file a restraining order against her. Though her parents used their pull to get it taken care of, if you know what I mean.”

  “But you and her are,” I started to say.

  “Chummy?” She finished my sentence. “Keep your enemies closer. Haven’t you ever heard that?”

  “Yes, but what about Joel?” I wondered how he felt about having Riley in his home.

  “He couldn’t care less. If he can make some money on the horses, he’s going to let anyone in our house.” She continued to drink her coffee.

  “Did Riley say anything to you about her mom being at your house?” I asked.

  “She dragged me into the bathroom and was so upset.” Amber reminded me of the conversation I had overheard, well eavesdropped on, when I was at her house. “I told the police that I wouldn’t doubt it if Riley was the one who set my barn on fire.”

  “Why would she do such a thing?” I asked.

  “Didn’t you see how jealous she was of my house? She also was the only one who had bid against me during the auction for Rails and Nails when it was already decided upon by Forest and Joel that we would bid on the horse before the auction. Then she was beside herself when she saw Joan at my house. The next day she calls me to go shopping. Coincidence?” She dragged her head side-to-side. “I think not.” She cocked a brow.

  All of this made sense and was good information for me to tell Mick.

  “I’m going to go to the bathroom and then we can shop ’til we drop.” I excused myself.

  I locked the bathroom door behind me and took out my phone from my clutch.

  “Twice in one day?” Mick asked.

  “Listen, I think you need to look into Riley and Forest Tucker for the barn explosion.” I quickly told him what Amber had told me, feeling pretty good about what I’d found out.

  “That’s great, but that’s not what we’re investigating. We’re only looking into the doping which will come pretty soon. Right now we are just getting more involved so they trust us.” Mick made my mood take a dive. “But, I’ll pass along the information to the right authorities.”

  “Fine. I’ll see you at six.” I hit the end button and threw the phone back into my clutch.

  When I got back to the table, Amber was gone. There was a handwritten note on a napkin underneath my cup of coffee from her saying she’d had an unexpected call and had to get going. She’d take a rain check on shopping with me and she’d see me tonight.

  Chapter Twenty

  When Vinnie turned down St. James Street, I noticed Auntie Meme stalking over to Mrs. Hubbard’s house across the green.

  “Pull over!” I demanded and Vinnie jerked to a stop.

  I jumped out of the car and scurried up the entrance of Belgravia Court.

  “Auntie Meme! Whoohoo!!” I flailed my arms in the air above my head.

  The wind carried my voice and stopped her. She turned and looked at me. She curled the edges of her cape around her neck to ward off the sudden change in temperature.

  “What are you doing?” I asked after I caught up with her.

  “I’m going to eat crow.” She held out a plate of her special brownies.

  “When you say you are going to eat crow, you really don’t eat crow.” I couldn’t help but pinch off a piece of Auntie Meme’s crow brownies. Who knew crow tasted so good? It was one of my favorite desserts she made.

  “It makes me feel better. She won’t know it’s the crow that’s been sitting in her plastic garden either.” Auntie Meme beamed with pride.

  “I have to say that you’ve surprised me. You would never have been over here apologizing before.” Maybe her happy disposition this morning was because she was turning over a new leaf.

  “Well, I am.” She stomped up the steps of Mrs. Hubbard’s home and gave a loud knock on the door.

  “I’m coming!” Mrs. Hubbard waddled to the door. King yipping behind her. His tail tucked. “I’m calling the law!”

  “I’ve come with a peace offering.” Auntie held the plate of brownies out in front of her. “My best brownie recipe. I’m come to eat crow.”

  “I’m glad to see that you can see that you faulted me and can come clean by apologizing.” Mrs. Hubbard’s eyes focused on the brownies. They were moist and looked delicious. She licked her lips. “I guess I can offer you some tea.”

  “I’d like that.” Auntie nodded and sat down in one of Mrs. Hubbard’s chairs on the front porch.

  “I’ve got some fresh on the stove. I’ll be right back.” Mrs. Hubbard shut the screen door behind her.

  “Get in there and get those binoculars,” Auntie jumped to her feet. She gripped the brownies. “Now that you are here, I don’t have to go in there and make nice. Get them binoculars right now.”

  “And I thought you changed.” I glowered but did what she said.

  Mrs. Hubbard was in the kitchen beating and banging around, talking to King like he was a person. I was in and out, maybe with a little magic.

  “Got them.” I knew it was too good to be true. Auntie Meme was too old to change her ways. “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

  “Get on home and throw those in my room.” Auntie Meme was back in the chair, relaxed as if she were up to nothing, and chowing down on a crow brownie.

  At least she didn’t lie about that, she was eating crow.

  A couple of times I had glanced out my bedroom window to see if the two old bats were playing nice. It was good to see them laughing and at one point, Auntie was holding King. I couldn’t promise she wasn’t sizing him up for a spell or a recipe, but at least she was touching him and he wasn’t gnashing his teeth at her.

  “Isn’t it nice that Auntie is finally making friends?” Mom came into my room.

  I’d just finished picking out a cute denim dress that was perfect for the sudden temperature change and my tall riding boots that fit with the horse theme of the group we were investigating.

  “I guess.” I didn’t have the heart to tell Mom the truth behind the brownies or the fact I’d stolen Mrs. Hubbard’s binoculars.

  “You look nice.” Mom picked up the brush and started to comb through my hair. “What time did you want me to meet you to talk to the horse?”

  “About that.” I’d forgotten to tell Mom about the horse. “You know the explosion from the other night?”

  I looked at her in the mirror as she stood behind me. She peered back at my image from over my shoulder.

  “The horse I wanted you to talk to was in the barn.” I bit back the tears as I thought of Rails and Nails in there. “I swear I thought the people who were in there were going to take him, but they didn’t.”

  “Oh, honey.” Mom squeezed my shou
lders. “The mortal world is so cruel. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” The faint sounds of Vinnie’s horn trickled through my window. “I’ve got to go or I’m going to be late for work.”

  “If you need me, let me know.” Mom clasped her hands in front of her. “I’d love to help.”

  I ran down the hall. Briefly I stopped to see if Mom was looking or had left my room. When I saw the coast was clear, I put my finger on my nose and blinked myself into the front seat of Vinnie and drove over to pick up Mick.

  “You’re late.” Mick tapped his watch when he got into the car. “But I guess you looking so good is a great excuse we can make.”

  “Mick Jasper,” I smiled. “Are you complimenting me?”

  “I might be.” He winked, sending me all a flutter. “That ring looks good on your hand.”

  I held it up in front of my face. I hadn’t taken it off since he’d given it to me.

  “It does, doesn’t it.” I ran my other hand over it.

  “Whoa!” He hollered and grabbed the steering wheel. “Hands on the wheel.”

  “Oops,” I said sheepishly, completely forgetting he didn’t know about Vinnie. I gripped the wheel.

  He had a file with him and he read from it.

  “Let’s go over the report again about the barn explosion. I told Burt what you’d told me about the history Amber had told you about. He asked me to read the fire chief’s report to you and make sure there wasn’t something else you remembered so they can start looking into pressing charges against whoever did this.” He took out a piece of paper.

  “Sure.” I had told them everything I knew. There was no harm in listening.

  “Rails and Nails was in the stall when you got in there. You heard the voices saying that the quicker the better before they came in and took the horse.” Mick looked at me and I nodded in approval. “Did they say anything else?”

  “Nothing. I ran back to the house.” I lied. I’d done magic and transported myself into the basement where I had gotten his attention.

  “Why did they switch stalls?” he asked.

  “Huh?” My brows dipped.

  “According to your report, you were in the left stall with Rails and Nails. Ranger came in and took him out. Why did they put him back in the right stall?” His eyes narrowed as he stared at the paper.

  “Right stall?” I questioned.

  “The bridle and remains were found in the stall on the right.” What he was saying didn’t make sense.

  “I thought they loaded him up in the trailer that I’d seen speeding away.” I vividly remember hearing them lower the gate and seeing the lights of the trailer in the darkness.

  “No.” He shook his head and put the file away when we pulled into the large circular drive of the massive concrete home.

  “I didn’t expect any less,” I simply stated and looked over at the pasture. “The barn is almost nicer than the house.”

  “They are filthy rich.”

  “Riley sure doesn’t need her parents.” I noted before I parked Vinnie in the circular drive and got out.

  “Keep up your good work at getting in with those women. It’s working.” He put his arm around me and we walked up the marble staircase.

  The home was tucked away on a hill that overlooked the Kentucky River. It was a semi circle. Marble pillars stood like soldiers next to the leaded glass door that was three times the size of the one in our little house on Belgravia Court.

  The sounds of chatter and good spirits were coming from inside. A butler opened the door that led into an entrance hall that I swear could’ve fit my entire house. There was practically an entire orchestra playing in the middle. A chandelier similar to the one-hundred-candle chandelier in our basement hung in the middle. Straight through the entryway at the far end of the house, there was a large wall of open glass doors that let the cool breeze in leading out to a balcony that overlooked the river.

  There was a rock band on the far end of the balcony. It was so far away from the entry hall where the orchestra played that one couldn’t hear the other.

  “There you are.” Amber curled up to me. “I would’ve never thought to wear denim. You make it look so elegant and fun.” She tapped my pendant. “That necklace is to die for. Did you get that cute outfit this afternoon?”

  I nodded.

  “About that, I’m so sorry. Joel needed me and I needed to go to him.” She waved as someone passed. “I’ll be right back.” She patted me and walked off to talk to someone else.

  “Are you okay?” Mick asked.

  “I forgot to tell you something.” I curled up on my toes and whispered into his ear.

  His smell swirled around me and made me tip into him as I lost my balance. He caught me and held me to him. I couldn’t tell if it was for show, but it sure did feel good.

  “Amber said that she didn’t know why Riley bid against her at the auction because Joel and Forest had already agreed that they would buy the horse.” I took another whiff of him before I pushed myself off of him.

  “Interesting.” He looked deep in thought as though he was trying to process and put all the pieces together. “Excuse me.”

  I walked down the balcony and took notice that it wrapped all the way around the back of the home. Being up so high, the wind whipped with a bite, but people were so warm from all the alcohol that no one seemed to notice.

  “I’ve always told you to keep your enemies closer.” The voice I’d heard from the barn that I didn’t recognize came through the double-doors that were barely cracked. It was the higher pitch that sounded like a woman.

  “It’s hard to do that.” The other person in the conversation did sound familiar. I tapped the pendant and taped the voices as they talked.

  I peeked into the small crack and noticed the grey-headed woman instantly.

  Joan Kirkpatrick.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I hurried back around the balcony and got caught up in the crowd that’d gathered near the band. They were dancing and jumping, spilling their drinks all over the place. I skimmed the tops of their heads to see if I saw Mick.

  We had to get out of there. Our cover was blown and we didn’t need to be in any danger. I walked back in the house and touched my pendant. Vinnie told me to go to the barn.

  I walked out the front door and saw a shadow go into the barn. The marble steps were firm under my feet as I ran down them and through the yard to the pasture. I tiptoed around the barn and looked through one of the barn windows.

  “Mom?” I saw my mom standing in the stall with Bet The Farm. She was rubbing her hand down his nose.

  I knocked on the window and she waved me in. Without trying to find my way into the barn, I blinked and witched my way next to her.

  “What a lovely horse.” Mom’s voice carried love to the horse’s ears. “He’s so sad that his friend was switched and died because of him. He’s so scared of those needles.”

  “It’s okay Bet The Farm.” I ran my hand down his back. “How did you know to come?”

  “I had a feeling.” She smiled. “He loves seeing you again.”

  He brayed and nudged me with his nose.

  “You are a good boy, Bet The Farm.” I ran another hand along his nose.

  “Why do you keep calling him by his friend’s name?” Mom questioned.

  “Friend’s name?” I asked.

  Mom and the horse came nose-to-nose.

  “Oh,” she nodded her head. “I’ll tell her.” Mom drew back, pulled her shoulders straight. “Honey, this isn’t Bet The Farm. This is Rails and Nails.”

  “No, Mom.” I corrected her. “Rails and Nails died in the barn explosion I’ve been talking about.”

  “No, dear. The bald man led Rails and Nails out of the stall. When they walked him out of the barn, Bet The Farm was standing outside waiting there. They brayed and greeted one another before the bald man loaded him up in the trailer. The last thing he saw was the bald man walking Bet The Farm back into the b
arn. When the other person with them drove off with him in the trailer, the barn exploded behind them.” Mom let out a happy sigh. “This is Rails and Nails.”

  I grabbed the bridle and it read: Bet The Farm.

  “Oh my god.” I walked around Rails and Nails and talked out loud. “So whoever the other person was, is a woman because the voice was so much higher. It could only be Riley. She wanted to bid against Amber but Forest had told her not to. Then she wanted to win the Derby and knew the stats for Rails and Nails would be the best bet, so she switched the horses and the bridles. Somehow she tricked Ranger into helping her, but found out he was with SKUL somehow, then boom! She exploded the building with the horse and Ranger inside, sending her little secret up in flames.”

  “Bravo.” The high-pitched voice along with clapping pierced the silence in the barn. “You almost have it right.”

  I glanced around. Mom had disappeared.

  Joel stood at the stall door with Riley next to him. He had a gun pointing straight at me and she had her arm wrapped around him.

  “You?” I asked Joel. “Your voice.” I realized I’d never really heard him talk. I’ve only heard Amber talk over him. “It’s a little high-pitched.”

  “You are a smart cookie, you and that fake husband of yours. I told Forest that I couldn’t trust you, but he insisted on letting you in and that is why we have to kill you.” Riley’s words were filled with hate.

  Joel pulled out a piece of paper. The piece of paper that I’d written on during the auction to tell Mick about the conversations I was listening to. “I watched you throw this away in the trash, so I knew to watch you. Ranger asked a lot of questions so we simply wired the barn to a cell phone and boom.” He let his cheeks puff out when he made an explosion sound by letting air out of his lungs.

  Joan Kirkpatrick walked in.

  Riley glanced between me and her mom and Joel. She let out an exhausted sigh. “Mom, you were right, keep your enemies closer.” She rolled her eyes. “Just kill her, Joel. And while you’re at it, can you kill Forest? He’s so drunk that he’s going to want me to sleep with him and that’s a chore.”