Dark Fire

by Angela Dorsey

  Lisa was glad the police didn’t seem to realize that her dad was involved yet. They asked her what she had seen, about Mr. Pickering’s illness and Jimmy, and about the horses. She had a hard time making everything sound as if Angelica hadn’t been there and, when the questions finally were finished, she hoped she hadn’t said anything to make the police suspicious toward her dad either. There had been so many questions. Some of them didn’t even seem to relate to Mr. Pickering being murdered, and Lisa didn’t know why the police were asking them. Her dad sat beside her the whole time and, once when Lisa had felt overcome by sadness, he asked the police to stop until Lisa felt she was ready to continue.

  When it was over, Lisa’s dad led her to his car. Lisa sat stiffly on her side of the front seat as they drove home. She kept expecting him to say something about how Mr. Pickering deserved what he got or to be angry with her for sneaking out, but he was quiet the entire way home. When they pulled into the driveway, Lisa was relieved to see the kitchen lights on and her mom standing at the window. As soon as the car stopped, Lisa opened the door. She was about to escape when her dad caught her arm. Lisa couldn’t stop herself from gasping in fear.

  “Are you okay, Lisa?” he asked.

  She could hear the exhaustion in his voice and the lights from the house illuminated the bags under his eyes. She nodded, too afraid to say anything.

  He looked at her with a puzzled expression as if trying to understand what was frightening her so much, then he let go of her arm. “You need some rest,” he said. “And so do I. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  In the house, Lisa’s mom hugged her. She had prepared a warm glass of milk for her daughter, and she walked to Lisa’s bedroom with her.

  “Do you want to talk about what happened?” she asked Lisa quietly, as she pulled the window shut and latched it. She moved to the bed and took Lisa’s stuffed animals and pillow from under the covers.

  “Maybe tomorrow,” said Lisa, listlessly. “But I don’t know for sure.” She felt so tired, she wasn’t even worried that her mom saw how she had snuck out.

  “Okay honey,” her mom said and when Lisa’s bed was made, she kissed her on the forehead just like she had done every night when Lisa was younger. “Don’t worry about school. I’ll call them in the morning and tell them you won’t be in until Tuesday.”

  “Thanks Mom,” whispered Lisa. As soon as her mother left the room, Lisa undressed and slipped into bed. She took a sip of the warm milk and laid back. She was so tired. Her entire mind and body seemed to ache with fatigue. But she couldn’t sleep. Questions nagged at her, questions the police hadn’t asked. She stared at the dark ceiling with aching eyes.

  One of the things I don’t understand is why Dad would want to frame Jupiter? she thought. I know he likes Jupie. He helped me save him when he was an orphaned foal. And it’s not just Jupie — I don’t think Dad would blame Mr. Pickering’s murder on any of the horses. He liked all of them and, no matter how angry he was at Mr. Pickering, he still wouldn’t want any of them to be hurt. He would have thought of another plan.

  Lisa rolled over in bed and pulled the pillow over her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, but it didn’t make her any sleepier. The thoughts continued. And why did Angelica ask me to not tell the police she was there? Could she be involved in Mr. Pickering’s murder somehow?

  Finally her thoughts turned to the man she had become fast friends with. I am going to miss him so much, she thought. He was such a nice old man, and he just wanted to be happy. He was the best owner Evergreen Manor and the horses could have if we couldn’t be there. How could Dad hate him so much? I don’t understand.

  Suddenly, she gasped and sat upright. She turned on the lamp by her bed and hurried to where her jeans were laying in an untidy heap on the floor. The piece of paper was still in her pocket. She pulled it out and uncrumpled it. It was a car rental slip, just like she thought. But the renter’s name on the slip was unfamiliar.

  Thomas J. Short. Who is Thomas J. Short? thought Lisa. Could my dad have used a fake name to rent the car? Or maybe, just maybe, someone else killed Mr. Pickering. That would make more sense than my dad. But who else would want Mr. Pickering dead? I can’t imagine he would have any enemies.

  There was a light tapping at the window and Lisa spun toward the sound, her nerves raw. A dark form was silhouetted on the other side of the glass, the moon edging the golden hair in glowing light.

  Cautiously, Lisa walked toward the window. She unlatched it and pushed it open just a bit, still keeping her hand on the latch so she could pull it shut in a hurry if she wanted to.

  “You have to come with me,” whispered Angelica. “We have to find out why Mr. Pickering was murdered.”

  “First tell me why you didn’t want me to tell the police about you?” Lisa said to Angelica in a low voice.

  “Did you tell them?” asked Angelica.

  “No.”

  “I can not tell you the whole reason why,” Angelica said. “But I can tell you some of it. Come outside where we can easily talk.”

  Lisa looked suspiciously at Angelica. Jupiter trusts her, she remembered. But does that mean I can trust her? Finally she agreed. “Just give me a minute to get dressed again,” she said. “I’ll meet you in the driveway at the front of the house.”

  Angelica gave a little nod and moved quietly away from the window. Lisa turned back to her room and found her clothes where she had thrown them. She shoved the car rental slip back into her jeans pocket before she slipped them on. Soon she was dressed and ready to go. Neptune was lying near his doghouse in the back yard and Lisa stopped for a minute to scratch his ears, then she moved on.

  Angelica was waiting for her in the driveway. “Okay, why didn’t you want me to tell the police about you?” asked Lisa, not wasting any time. “Who are you, really? A criminal? Is that why you didn’t want me to say anything?”

  “No,” said Angelica and sat down in the long grass at the edge of the driveway. She motioned to Lisa to sit beside her, but Lisa continued to stand. She wanted to hear Angelica’s answer first. Angelica cleared her throat. “I am not what I seem,” she said. “I am not a normal teenaged girl.”

  “No kidding,” said Lisa, her voice hard.

  Angelica didn’t change her expression or react to Lisa’s sarcasm. “But I am not a criminal. What I mean is that I understand horses,” said Angelica. “I understand what they say and how they feel, and they can understand me too. Sometimes I can hear them calling me from far away.”

  “Yeah right. And I bet Jupiter or one of the other horses called you here,” said Lisa, her voice full of disbelief.

  “Yes, he did,” said Angelica quietly. “I know it is hard to believe, but it is true. I felt his fear and came to help him.”

  “So, what are you, the patron saint for horses?” asked Lisa, her tone still sceptical.

  “I know it sounds strange,” Angelica admitted. “And honestly, it does not matter if you believe that part or not. I just hope you believe that I did not harm Mr. Pickering. Do you?”

  “Why shouldn’t I?” said Lisa. “You didn’t want me to tell the police about you. What else am I supposed to think? I don’t know anything about you. I don’t even know where you live.”

  “I did not kill him. I promise I was not even there,” Angelica said and lowered her head. She stared at her hands in her lap. “I wish I had been and maybe I could have saved him.” When she looked up, Lisa noticed tears glinting in her eyes. “I asked you not to tell the police because they would not have believed I am innocent. You do not even believe me. They would have thought I knew something about the murder and would have wasted precious time asking me questions.” She stopped speaking and Lisa could hear a night bird singing far away, its song true and clear. “Do you really think I killed him?” Angelica finally asked.

  “No,” said Lisa. “Jupiter walked toward you in the pasture when I turned him out tonight and that means he still trusts you. He wouldn’t if he saw you murder Mr. Pi
ckering.” She walked to the side of the driveway and sat in the grass beside Angelica.

  Angelica breathed a sigh of relief. “I am so glad you listen to Jupiter. A lot of owners do not listen to their horses.”

  “He’s a good judge of character,” said Lisa. “He loves everyone in my family; he learned to like Mr. Pickering and he’s terrified of Jimmy.”

  “We should go back to the Manor,” said Angelica. “We have to find out why Mr. Pickering was murdered, before it is too late.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Lisa.

  “The horses are not out of danger yet. I can not explain how I know or tell you what that danger is, but I can feel it,” said Angelica. “There are things that have happened that do not make sense. If we can understand why they happened, we may understand why Mr. Pickering was murdered. And that can help us understand why the horses are still in danger.” She climbed to her feet and held a hand out. Lisa didn’t hesitate to take her hand but her face was creased in thought. She let Angelica pull her to her feet. “What are you thinking?” asked Angelica.

  “It’s nothing,” Lisa replied after a moment. Though she didn’t think Angelica had anything to do with Mr. Pickering’s death, she still didn’t want to tell her about the car rental slip. Not until she had more information. Not until she knew who had rented the car. “I’m just worried about the horses,” she added.

  “Me too,” said Angelica as the two girls began to walk toward the Manor. “We have to investigate quickly. The biggest mystery to me is why Mr. Pickering was in the stable when the murderer found him.”

  “How do you know he wasn’t forced out to the stable by the murderer?” asked Lisa.

  “The front door to the Manor was open when I went to use the telephone, which, incidentally, was not working. I had to run to a payphone,” said Angelica. “But I believe Mr. Pickering was so weak he did not think to shut the door when he left the house.”

  “Maybe he wanted to see if we had taken care of the horses,” suggested Lisa.

  “It could be that, yes,” said Angelica. “But if Jimmy was not at the Manor, would he not trust you to take care of them?”

  “Maybe he was going to ride to the hospital,” suggested Lisa.

  “But then would he not drive in his car?” asked Angelica. “It would be easier and faster than riding one of the horses.”

  “But what else could it be?” said Lisa, puzzled. “Unless…”

  “Unless what?” asked Angelica, looking sharply at Lisa as they walked into the driveway of the Manor.

  “The cubby hole,” said Lisa. “Maybe he wanted to leave something in the cubby hole. It’s a secret compartment behind a hidden door in Firefly’s stall. You would never guess it was there even if you were looking right at it. It looks just like the wall in her stall.”

  “That could be it,” said Angelica hopefully. “Maybe he wanted to leave something in there for you.”

  “He used to do that all the time,” said Lisa wistfully, as they climbed through the fence to cut across the pasture. “If he knew I was going to be late getting to the stable, he would leave a snack for me. Sometimes he left me things as gifts. Once he left me a teacup and saucer that was from his grandma’s favourite tea set. It was really pretty and had birch trees and spring flowers painted on it. He left an elephant figurine once too. My great-uncle brought it back from India years and years ago and, somehow, we had forgotten it in the house when we moved.” Her voice was sad.

  “You have missed your home a lot,” said Angelica. She put her hand on Lisa’s shoulder for a second. Lisa only nodded. I miss Mr. Pickering even more, she thought. She felt tears welling up inside of her and knew if she talked about him she would cry. With relief, she noticed Jupiter and Topper standing side by side beneath one of the trees in the paddock. They nickered to Lisa and Angelica as the girls approached.

  “How’re you doing, Jupie?” whispered Lisa. “Don’t you worry. We’re going to take care of everything.” Then she turned to Angelica. “You say you can talk to horses?” she asked shyly. “Is he still frightened?”

  Angelica smiled. “They are both still a bit on edge, but they are no longer frightened. They feel a lot better being away from the stable.”

  “Can you tell him that no matter what, I’ll always take care of him?” asked Lisa.

  Angelica nodded and turned to Jupiter. She put her hand behind his ear. Jupiter leaned down as Angelica began to whisper. Lisa listened as closely as she could but all she could hear was the wind brushing through the trees, a sigh softer than a whisper. Then Jupiter nickered and nuzzled Lisa. “He is saying thanks,” said Angelica softly.

  Lisa felt tears come to her eyes again. She loved Jupiter so much. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to keep him safe, she vowed. I’m not going to let him be blamed for Mr. Pickering’s death. I’m not going to let Jimmy sell him to anyone but me. I don’t care what it takes.

  She leaned onto Jupiter’s forehead and stroked his neck for a moment. Then she pulled away. They had work to do. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, Jupie,” she said. “Don’t you worry. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  Chapter 24

  I was right to come back. That kid knows where it is, and she’s going to get it tonight. All I have to do is follow along, far enough behind that they don’t know I’m here.

  I wonder who her friend is. She’s beautiful! I would hate having to get rid of her too. But I have no choice. And it’ll be just as easy to shut up two as it is one, at least the way I plan to do it.

  I hate waiting! I hate this sneaking around! But I’ve got to stay cool long enough for them to lead me to the hiding place.

  Chapter 25

  He is near. I can feel his presence but can not tell where he is. Is he waiting for us in the stable? Is he watching us now? I can feel his impatience and know that he is waiting, but he is waiting for us to…to do what? I do not know yet. I must stay alert, no matter what. I must be ready for his attack and stop him from destroying the horses and Lisa. Because that is what he wants to do. I can feel it. I must stop him, at all costs. Even if I must sacrifice myself to do it.

  Chapter 26

  Within moments Lisa and Angelica were approaching the stable. Lisa was just reaching to open the door, when Angelica put out her hand to stop her.

  “What?” whispered Lisa, pulling her hand back. “What is it?”

  “Let me go first,” whispered Angelica. “Just stand next to the doorway against the wall until I call you, okay? If I do not call after two minutes or if you can tell something is wrong, run home and get your father.”

  “My dad?” whispered Lisa as she flattened herself next to the stable door. “Why my dad?”

  “He is strong and he will find out what’s happening here,” replied Angelica.

  “But I can’t leave you,” protested Lisa.

  “Yes you can,” replied Angelica. “You will have to if you want to save the horses.” She unlatched the door and pushed it open. The tall black rectangle yawned before them. Lisa held her breath as Angelica slipped inside. Slowly she counted to 60 in her head. Just one more minute Angelica. Please hurry. Lisa strained to hear any noise she could, but the stable was silent. Even Firefly and Dakota were still. Lisa started to count to 60 again.

  At the count of 45, Angelica poked her head out the stable door. “It is safe. Come inside,” she said. “I will turn the light on after the door is shut in case he is watching us.” Lisa ducked under the yellow tape that the police had strung across the doorway and stepped into the darkness. Angelica shut the door behind her and then light flooded the stable.

  “Show me the cubby hole,” said Angelica, as she started to walk toward Firefly’s stall.

  “Wait,” said Lisa. Her words pulled Angelica to a stop. “You said ‘he.’ Who do you think is watching us?”

  “Jimmy,” said Angelica, then her eyes began to search Lisa’s face. “You did not know he is the murderer?”

  “Why do you
think he’s the murderer?” Lisa said, her voice breathless. “I thought he was the one who was keeping Mr. Pickering safe. I know they fought sometimes, but he’s Mr. Pickering’s nephew. He was taking care of him.” Suddenly Lisa’s knees felt weak. My dad didn’t do it, the thought raced through her head. My dad didn’t do it!

  “Are you okay?” asked Angelica, her golden eyes filled with concern.

  Lisa smiled weakly. “I thought my dad might have done it,” she finally confessed. Now that she knew her father was innocent, the words came easily. Lisa could hear the relief in her voice as she spoke. “I heard him talking to my mom one night when I was sneaking home, and he was so angry. He said he was going to get Evergreen Manor back no matter what he had to do to get it, even if he had to kill Mr. Pickering. And I thought he meant it.”

  “Your dad may have been angry for having to sell your home, Lisa,” said Angelica, softly. “But he is not a killer. Jimmy is. And Jupiter is the witness that told me.”

  “And Jimmy is here? Now?” asked Lisa.

  “He is near,” said Angelica. “I do not want to scare you, but we do not have very much time to find why he has returned or to stop him before he tries to harm us or the horses.”

  “Let’s look in the cubby hole,” said Lisa and started toward Firefly’s stall again. “I just hope that’s why Mr. Pickering came down to the stable tonight.”

  “And let us hope that Jimmy did not know the cubby hole was there,” said Angelica as she opened the stall door and put her arms around Firefly’s neck. She held the curious mare away from Lisa as Lisa walked into the stall and knelt beside the wall. She pushed in on one board and magically, a small door opened in front of her, revealing an opening the size of a small box.

  “There’s something here,” said Lisa, her voice shaking. She picked up the crumpled paper lying on the bottom of the secret cupboard and spread it open on her lap. “It’s a letter. But there are only a few words.”