“Every time we get a horsey person in, I marvel at their toughness,” he’d told her. “And I bet all you want to do is get back to your pony, am I right?”
And Alice had nodded. That was exactly what she wanted to do. Her phone screen had been smashed in the fall but she could just make out a text from Finn, reassuring her that Secret had arrived safely back at Hyde Park.
But then, hearing a familiar voice, she felt herself crumble.
“My daughter, Alice Smalley.” Josephine sounded frightened. “Thank you.”
Pulling aside the curtain to Alice’s cubicle, her mum dissolved into tears, drawing Alice towards her for a hug.
“I’m OK, Mum,” Alice muttered, fighting back tears herself. She’d never been so glad to see anyone.
“I know,” her mum said, pushing Alice’s pale hair back from her face, wincing at the bruise that had appeared at her temple. “I got your message as I got off the tube outside Olympia, and then when I couldn’t find you, or Finn and no one knew where you were,” her voice broke. “I’ve never been so worried. And I don’t know whether to be mad, or so incredibly proud of you.” She paused. “Both, I think. What were you thinking?”
“I couldn’t let anything happen to Secret,” Alice said simply. Her mum gave a small smile and Alice knew she understood.
Early next morning Alice left the hospital, clutching her mum’s arm and a packet of painkillers. The traffic was quiet and there was a smell of coffee on the cold air from a few street vendors. There was only one place Alice wanted to go: straight to the Hyde Park stables. Alice needed to stroke Secret’s neck, to feel his silken red mane between her fingers, to reassure herself that he was actually there and that he was OK.
Clare was waiting at the yard when Alice got there, pale-faced and exhausted-looking.
“Alice,” she said, sounding distraught. “I’m just so sorry this happened. If we hadn’t swapped stables—”
“Then Kite would have been taken instead,” Alice finished for her. She didn’t blame Clare, or Gareth.
“Yes, you’re right,” Clare said. “Kite has gone now, off to his Olympia stable. The real transporter picked him up as planned, although who knows what will happen to him now. Poor chap. Anyway, Secret’s OK,” she continued. “He came back, had a small feed and a hay net and we kept an eye on him all night. But…”
Alice looked up sharply, hearing the hesitation in Clare’s voice. “What?” she said in a worried voice, and Clare frowned.
“He’s not injured. We had a vet look over him,” Clare explained. “But he’s not the same pony who arrived a few days ago. It’s like he’s lost his sparkle; he’s very subdued. He was happy to see Kite but…” Her words hung in the air as Alice headed straight over to Secret.
Secret was standing at the back of his stable. He’d clearly had a good groom and he was wearing his Olympia qualifier rug. His head was lowered, but hearing Alice’s footsteps and voice he moved forward, resting his head against Alice’s arm and sighing. There were none of the usual kicks of the door or throwing his rubber feed bucket at her. Instead, as Alice rested her own cheek against his forehead, they remained perfectly still.
“Al?” her mum interrupted her gently a few minutes later. “We’ve got to get Secret over to Olympia by lunchtime at the latest to sign him in, if you are feeling up to it. But I know the police want to talk to you first.”
Alice nodded, giving Secret a final stroke. Clare was right, there was something different about him.
“I don’t know, Mum,” she said. “I sort of want to go home.”
Her mum looked thoughtful for a minute.
“Let’s think about it,” she said gently. “You’ve both been working so hard this year, and remember how excited you were before last night.” She paused. “Perhaps if we just take him over there and you can see how he feels during a warm-up?”
Alice hesitated. “OK,” she agreed, knowing they could still be home by tonight if she chose.
From then on it was a whirlwind of activity. Rosie and Edward, the two officers from the mounted police unit stopped by.
“How are you doing, Alice?” Rosie smiled kindly, and Alice nodded.
“OK,” she said, only half truthfully. Physically she was feeling surprisingly OK, but she and Secret had been through the worst night ever. That was going to take longer to get over than the bruise on her head.
“We’ll need to take an official statement at some point,” Edward continued. “But we wanted to check in on you. That was some quick thinking last night. If we hadn’t got your message, there’s no way we would have known where to go.”
“What was actually going on?” Alice said.
Rosie looked grim. “We’ve had suspicions about Nick for years, even in his early showjumping days,” she explained. “When The Talisman was put down, a huge insurance payout was made for his loss.” She paused. “Only The Talisman didn’t die after all.”
Alice felt the shock of the words run through her, thinking about Devon, who had mourned the loss of her pony for years.
“We know from files and paperwork found at the depot last night that Nick sold him on the Continent with false papers,” Edward explained. “So effectively he profited from his ‘loss’ twice.”
“So that was where Kite was headed?” Alice asked, and Edward nodded.
“Yes, along with two other ponies,” he said. “We believe Nick was part of a much wider ring, including a vet who was struck off for misconduct. That’s how he was able to forge the insurance payout. With the value of the ponies who were loaded on to the horsebox last night – along with Kite, if he’d been there – we’re looking at fraud in the region of a quarter of a million.” He paused, and Alice’s mouth fell open. “So a fairly low-priority case – a pony going missing – suddenly becomes something much bigger. We think Kite was booked to go last minute, but he’d probably have ended up there at some point given that he’d recently had a valuation done. We found a whole stack of paperwork relating to him.”
Alice remembered Leah’s concerns during the lead-up to Olympia, sensing something wasn’t right. The vet who had seen Kite must have been part of the circle. And when Leah said Kite wasn’t ready to compete at Olympia, Nick fast-tracked his plan.
“And Secret?” she said hesitantly. “What would have happened to him?”
Rosie and Edward exchanged glances.
“Well,” Rosie said. “I’m not sure Nick would have returned your pony. He would have got rid of him, one way or the other.”
Alice shuddered.
“I can tell it’s all a lot to take in,” Rosie continued gently. “But we just wanted to make sure you and Secret were OK, and let you know that the investigation is very much ongoing.”
Alice thought of Leah and Devon, super-talented young riders who had been given what they’d thought was an opportunity of a lifetime. But all they’d done was build up the ponies’ value so Nick could sell them on in the cruellest way possible. The girl who’d approached Nick on the stand the day before had truly had a lucky escape.
“Anyway, Alice, we’ll be in touch. All the best at Olympia,” Edward said, his blue eyes twinkling, and, with a start, Alice was brought back to the present. Olympia. The word that had dominated most conversations for the latter part of the year, the thing she’d dreamed about, worked towards … and now it just seemed so insignificant. But her mum was right, she needed to at least take Secret over there, and see how he went. Trying to smile, she nodded.
“Thanks,” she said, with a lot more conviction than she felt.
Alice was thoughtful later as she got Secret ready to load him up for the journey across London. He was so quiet. It had to be psychological, Alice concluded, remembering the fear in his eyes the previous night.
“Come on, boy.” She placed her arms around him. “I’m not going to leave your side. Ever.”
As they loaded him on to the box, Secret hesitated, and Alice felt his tension. He normally bounded up the ram
p, keen for another adventure. Had he put up a fight the previous evening, she wondered, when he realised he wasn’t with her, when he realised it was all wrong? Had they hurt him? Alice felt her anger bubble up.
Alice’s mum crawled along with the London traffic in the lorry once Secret was on board, and Alice stared at the vast expanse of green park, where she’d been so excited to ride. And the days she’d had in London had been magical: the hacks around the park, the ice skating, and watching Olympia from backstage. But it all felt like a lifetime ago now.
“Alice!”
A familiar voice met Alice as she walked Secret into the stabling area backstage at Olympia, and, rushing forward, Leah gave Alice a hug.
“Hi,” Alice muttered, feeling a little overwhelmed, clutching Secret’s lead rope for dear life. “How’s Kite? Is he here? Is he safe?”
Leah nodded.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s safe here for now. He didn’t have anywhere to go. Nick had cancelled his livery back home, it seems. But with everything going on … I’m not even sure who he belongs to!” She scuffed her feet on the sand, her green eyes filling with tears. “Turns out Nick was getting sick of us. Kite wasn’t getting to the top as quickly as he wanted. Me wanting to withdraw from the class was the last straw. He was just going to get rid of him, move on to the next pony.”
Alice’s heart went out to her. Kite was still here, but with Leah’s sponsorship deal having crumbled, no one was a winner.
“Oh, Leah,” Alice started gently, but Leah put her hand up, smiling bravely.
“Hey,” she said. “It’s OK. He’s safe, that’s the main thing. And so is Secret.”
Alice put her hand on Secret’s neck as she and Leah walked towards Secret’s allocated stable. Secret was safe, that was true, but Alice still wasn’t sure if she wanted to jump. Even the sight of the big jumps backstage hadn’t perked him up. Instead he’d just nuzzled into Alice and sighed.
“Is he OK?” Leah asked as Alice put Secret into the temporary stable, just two down from Finn. Someone – Finn probably – had put tinsel round the door, and Alice gave a small smile. Turning to Leah as she slipped Secret’s head collar off, she frowned.
“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly. “The vet said he was fine, but…” She searched for the right words. “It’s like for the first time ever, he was terrified. I think when I got taken away by the ambulance, he panicked. He’d ‘lost’ me again. I’ve never seen him like that before.”
Then she paused. “Actually, I’m thinking of withdrawing him altogether.”
Leah bit her lip.
“Oh, Alice, you can’t,” she said sadly. “You can’t let Nick win. Think how hard you’ve worked, and you’ve told me how Secret just adores his jumping.”
“He does,” Alice agreed. “I’m going to ride in the warm-up and then decide from there.”
And then, like a piece of home, Finn approached. Without saying anything, he drew Alice in for a hug, and she collapsed against him, as if reassuring herself, that like Secret, he was there, and safe.
“Alice,” he said softly. “I’m so glad you’re OK. When you fell, and we didn’t know how seriously you’d been hurt…” His voice trailed off.
“But now I’m here.” She tried to smile.
“Yeah.” Finn ran his hand through his dark hair. “Now you’re here.”
Then he looked closely at Alice.
“Do you want to be, though?” he asked, and Alice dropped her gaze.
“I’m not sure yet,” she said quietly. “It just doesn’t seem to matter any more, after last night.”
Finn looked thoughtful. “Secret is fine, physically. He really is,” he said. “But he was searching for you after you were taken to hospital. I think he was as scared of losing you as you were of losing him.”
Alice blinked back tears. “So what shall I do?” she said in a wobbly voice, and Finn put an arm around her.
“You and him are like the other half of each other,” he said. “He needs to know everything is OK. He needs you to guide him.”
Alice tried to hold on to Finn’s words later as she tacked up Secret for their warm-up session. The stable area was full of the excited chatter of the other pony club members who’d qualified for the Christmas Tree Stakes the next day, but Alice was still deep in thought as she smoothed down Secret’s saddle pad, which had been bought especially for Olympia, a gorgeous white one with gold stars.
Zipping her jacket up and pulling on her gloves, she swung herself lightly into the saddle, waiting for the first flutters of excitement. She frowned. Normally by now Secret would have been bouncing with his eagerness to get into the warm-up arena. He adored the warm-up: all the different ponies going around, the chatter from the riders and the excitement of them flying over the jumps as Alice waited her turn. But instead, he just walked on calmly, hardly seeming to notice the atmosphere. It was like he’d shut down.
Alice’s mum, Leah and Finn had gathered to watch as Alice trotted Secret on both reins, before nudging him into his rocking horse canter. With a gap in the crowd, Alice then aimed Secret towards the first warm-up jump, a simple cross pole. He’d been at his very best just before they’d come to Olympia in Alice’s last lesson with Angus, and she tried to recall that feeling as Secret cantered into the jump. But all she could remember was the fear she’d felt that previous night, and suddenly, as a bang echoed from the catering area, she flinched, imagining Nick or one of his associates running towards her ready to grab Secret away. Feeling her tension, Secret hesitated, and then ground to a halt as Alice tried to steady her breathing.
“I’m sorry, boy,” she whispered, knowing it was entirely her fault. As boisterous as Secret could be, he was incredibly sensitive to Alice’s moods. She knew she had to snap out of it; they were both safe. Aware of some glances from the other pony club competitors who were circling the arena, Alice took a deep breath. She could see the anxiety all over her mum’s face as she turned back into the jump again, this time managing to clear it, holding on to a handful of red mane with shaky hands. But it didn’t feel right.
Finn raised the jump, placing one pole behind it to turn the cross pole into a spread, and gave Alice a questioning look.
“OK?” he said carefully, and Alice just nodded, afraid that if she tried to explain herself she might fall apart completely. All she knew was that everything felt wrong.
The jump was bigger now, and Alice knew she really needed to ride it properly. Giving Secret a nudge, she turned the corner in a smooth canter, fixing her eyes on the poles.
Think positive. She tried to remind herself of Angus’s words. Sit up, sit quietly … and then something caught her eye. The bright scarlet of a Hadley Feeds banner – and suddenly Nick’s face as he’d driven towards her in the lorry swam in front of her mind. Secret, who’d been cantering into the jump checked again and took off awkwardly, catching the back rail with his hooves and sending it tumbling to the ground. Alice only just managed to cling on, falling awkwardly on Secret’s shoulder. There was absolutely no mistaking the looks from the other competitors now. Alice must have looked as though she’d never jumped Secret before. This time she couldn’t hold back the tears, hot splashy ones that dripped down on to Secret’s mane and the front of the saddle as she rode back towards her mum.
“I can’t do it,” she sniffed. And then when Leah started to protest, Alice shook her head. “I know,” she said. “I know you said if I pulled out Nick had won, but I can’t. How can I jump him tomorrow?”
She dropped her reins, and Secret’s head hung low.
“It’s all wrong, I just want to go home,” Alice finished, and her mum nodded.
“It’s OK,” she said gently. “You gave it a try. I can see your heart isn’t in it.”
Finn tried to talk Alice round but it didn’t work.
“OK,” Finn sighed when he’d realised he wasn’t going to get anywhere. “Perhaps you and Secret just need to have a break over the New Year.”
&nb
sp; Alice nodded, too tired to think any more. They still had to pack up Secret’s things and officially withdraw from the class, but all she could focus on was getting home.
“Alice, hi!”
Secret pricked his ears forward as a familiar face appeared over his stable door, along with two others. It was Devon, flanked by police officers Hill and Fairbanks, or Edward and Rosie.
“Alice, I’m so glad you’re both OK.” Devon let herself into the stable and gave both Alice and Secret a hug. She looked tired, and Alice realised she’d only just found out what had actually happened to her beloved pony Tally. The whole, painful truth.
“Thanks for your help last night,” Alice mumbled.
Devon smiled bravely. “I only helped a bit,” she said. “But I’m so glad it stopped more ponies disappearing like Tally did.”
“Is there any way you could find Tally, now you know…?” Alice asked, but she knew the answer, deep down.
Devon bit her lip. “No,” she said, glancing at Rosie, who nodded. “It would be impossible. Sold with false papers and somewhere in Europe, he’ll be untraceable, exactly as Nick wanted. Anyway.” She paused and her eyes glistened with tears. “I just know he’s gone, you know? I don’t mean sold. I mean, he’s gone. I just … know.”
For a few moments the girls were silent, reflecting on this, and Alice tried not to let herself think about Secret disappearing like Tally had.
Then Devon seemed to shake herself and glanced at Alice’s partly packed tack trunk in the corner of the stable.
“What’s going on?” Devon asked. “Your class is tomorrow, right?”
“It is,” Alice replied quietly. “But I’m going to withdraw Secret. He doesn’t feel right, after everything…”
Devon looked as though she was just about to say something when Rosie interrupted.
“We were hoping you might stay this evening though,” she smiled. “The press has got wind of the story, and we thought it might make the demonstration tonight extra special if we brought Secret in. He’s the hero of the hour, helping to save those ponies!”
A Dream Come True Page 8
