“You’re making a mistake,” the young man shouted, trying to pull away, but Brian had a hold on him and the guard behind him had a handgun trained at his back.
Kate and Simon walked a little closer. “That’s Mack! He’s one of our grooms,” Kate said, feeling deflated, as if all the breath had left her body.
“I’m sorry, Dr. English.” Mack’s eyes darted around. “I had no idea you had security. I came in through the woods, like I always do.” Mack had been working with the horses for over a year now. He was the son of friends of theirs whose house backed up to the same woods. He’d been away on vacation the past week.
“Let him go,” Simon commanded. Brian dropped his grip, and Mack stumbled into the house.
“Sorry about this, Mack,” Simon told him. “Come into my office, and I’ll fill you in on what’s going on.”
Blaire raised her eyebrows. “Well, that was quite a scare.”
Kate nodded. She should have known it was too good to be true.
“Are you going to be okay? I’ve got a call with my editor this afternoon—she’s on vacation next week, and we have to iron some things out today. I can come back tonight.”
Kate nodded distractedly. “I’ll call you later.”
She wandered around the house after Blaire left. She’d become more withdrawn, more in her own head, which she knew was in part due to the Valium her doctor had prescribed. But she needed something to help calm her right now.
How long was she going to be a prisoner in her own home? She looked out the window. The sun was warm today; so far it had been a mild winter. She stood. “I’m going to change and go for a hike,” she said to Simon.
“I’ll be in my office. I need to make a call.”
“On a Saturday?”
“Just checking on a job.”
A likely story, Kate thought. She pulled on her hiking boots and went past Annabelle’s room before going downstairs. A couple of days ago, Kate had requested a guard to watch over Annabelle at all times, and she was glad to see Alan at attention just outside the child’s door. She worried about Annabelle’s isolation, but as long as someone was after her, Kate wanted her at home, even though it had become plain that there was no safe place.
The sun against her face felt wonderful, and she inhaled deeply as she walked through the field behind the house. She was grateful that Brian was the guard on duty today, as he always kept a discreet and silent distance. It was almost as if she were alone, birdsong and the crunching of broken twigs beneath her boots the only sounds. She walked for over an hour, stopping to look at a robin perched on a branch. Nature had always been her restorative.
As she approached the house, she saw Simon coming her way. “Enjoy your walk?”
“Yes. I think I really needed it.”
Simon smiled at her. “It’s so nice out. Why don’t we ride? Be good for the horses to get some exercise. What do you say?”
Kate hadn’t been back to the stables since Lily was killed. Riding had been one of their favorite pastimes, and when she was young they’d ridden together twice a week. Maybe it would be good for her to get back on a horse. She’d prefer not to have Simon along, but she was too tired to get into it with him.
“All right,” she said. “I’ll go change my boots.”
He waved his hand at her. “Don’t bother. You’ll be fine. We’ll take it easy.”
They walked down the hill to the stables and saddled up Napoleon and Rembrandt. The wind was beginning to kick up as they walked the horses to the large arena, mounted, and trotted around for a while.
“Shall we take them out on the trail?” Simon said.
“I don’t know. Will Brian be able to follow us?”
“We’ll just stay on our property,” Simon pressed. “Just for a little while. It’s such a great day. Not many like this in December.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
They headed for the trail that led around the thirty-five-acre property. Watery winter sunlight bled through the leafless branches as they rode.
They had ridden in tense silence for about twenty minutes when they came to a clearing. The wind whipped across the open land, blowing a white plastic bag like a ghostly kite. Where had it come from? Kate wondered. The bag must have caught Napoleon’s eye. Spooked, he snorted, then reared and bolted, sending Kate backward and out of the saddle. Her left foot got stuck in the stirrup as Napoleon galloped on. Her head hit the ground as she was dragged, the dirt and rocks tearing into her back and scalp. Her leg was wrenched, bent awkwardly. She was crying now, the pain excruciating, spitting out the dirt that filled her mouth. “Whoa! Whoa!” she screamed, terrified that she would break her neck. Her vision was blurred with caking soil and tears. Exhausted and finally calming down, Napoleon slowed to a halt, giving Simon time to catch up to them, free Kate’s foot from the stirrup, and secure the puffing horse. He knelt beside her.
“Kate! Kate! Are you all right?”
Pain shot through her back and side. “Everything hurts. My ankle is throbbing,” she said through tears, as she tried to sit up. “Maybe it’s just bruised.” She was angry with herself for not changing her boots.
“Don’t sit up. I’ll go back to the stables and bring the ATV up to get you.”
“No.” She sat all the way up now. “It’s just sore. I can ride back.”
“What if something is broken? You don’t want to make it worse. It’s going to be too hard for you to get back up on the horse.”
She sighed. Maybe he was right. But she didn’t want him to leave her alone in the middle of the woods. “Call Mack and ask him to bring it up.”
He put his hand in his pocket and came up empty, patting his vest pockets too. “I don’t have my phone with me.”
“What? You always have your phone.”
“I must have left it in the barn.” He leaned over, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t you move. I’ll be right back with Mack and the ATV.” He jumped on his horse and rode away.
Kate hoisted herself up anyway, wincing as she put weight on her foot. She pulled her pant leg up. Her ankle was swelling. She must have sprained it. Had he planned to spook her horse? She jumped when she heard the sound of a branch falling. “Who’s there?” her voice cracked as she called, but no one answered. The sun was going down and she felt chilled. What was taking Simon so long? She limped toward Napoleon and stroked his mane. Maybe she should try to ride back. She didn’t like being all alone in the woods. She was about to try mounting when Simon and Mack returned with the ATV.
“Let me help you,” he said as he reached for her hand.
She snatched it away. “I’ll bet you want to help me. Right into an early grave.”
“What? Why would you say that?”
She waved her hand. “Just take me home.”
10
Blaire liked playing detective. Maybe it was because in her heart of hearts, she believed she knew almost as much as any real cop about crime. She hadn’t spent hours sitting in on classes at the police academy, going on ride-alongs, and interviewing detectives without picking up a thing or two. But these stakes were much higher than figuring out the plot of the next Megan Mahooney book.