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“Liar!” Mr. Broadman snarled. “You must know!”
Robbie’s denial came out as a squeak.
“Let him go!” Harry ordered.
Mr. Broadman whipped around, then suddenly released Robbie. The groom staggered as he lost his balance, falling back into the wall, just missing the bridles hanging from a row of hooks. He rubbed his throat, his wide gaze on Mr. Broadman.
Mr. Broadman scrubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. “I, uh, was just questioning him.”
Harry stepped between the two men. “Your methods leave something to be desired.”
“You do it, then. You ask him about doping Panther, Leopard, and God knows how many other horses from the Polo and Gun Club team.” He turned a cold glare on Robbie.
“I didn’t do it!” Robbie cried.
“You must have known. Confess!” He tried to lunge past Harry, but Harry blocked him and managed to keep him back.
Even so, Robbie sank into the wall. “I didn’t know anything about it. I swear to you.”
Mr. Broadman shoved Harry away. “You must know. You’re all in it together, all of you grooms.” Again, he advanced, and again, Harry blocked him. This time he grabbed him, forcing him further back.
“Calm down,” Harry growled. “If you want answers, this isn’t the way to get them.”
“This is because of last night, isn’t it?” I asked Mr. Broadman. “I was there. I saw Mr. Hardwick accuse you of spreading rumors that Mr. Rigg-Lyon’s horse had been doped. But you didn’t know before that, did you?”
The muscles in his jaw bunched. “I suspected but wasn’t sure. Hardwick’s accusation confirmed it, in my mind. The way he reacted…he wouldn’t have behaved so abominably if he and Rigg-Lyon were innocent.”
“Is that what you argued about on the clubhouse steps before last Saturday’s match?”
He nodded. “Rumors had been swirling among polo circles for weeks, but that was my first opportunity to discuss it with Rigg-Lyon.”
“Discuss? You almost came to blows.”
Mr. Broadman blinked rapidly, and his fiery stare was extinguished.
“Do you have any new evidence that Mr. Hardwick was involved, aside from his reaction last night?” I asked.
“That’s enough evidence for me.” He jerked his head at Robbie. “I came here to question the groom who took care of Panther that day. If Panther had been doped before the match, the cocaine would have to be injected beforehand. The groom assigned to him either did it himself or knows who did.”
“His name’s Bert.” Harry indicated Robbie. “This isn’t him.”
“I know, but Bert ran off when he saw me.”
I frowned. We hadn’t seen anyone as we made our way to the tack room, and I’d been outside the stables while Harry checked inside. I didn’t get the chance to ask about it, however, as Mr. Broadman continued to growl his way through an explanation.
“Robbie must know about the doping, too. They all do, all the grooms. How much did Rigg-Lyon pay you?” he snapped.
Robbie shook his head. He looked terrified as he sidled closer to Harry.
Harry put his hand up to ward Mr. Broadman off. “I grant you that Bert is probably guilty. He has run away twice now to avoid questioning. But what evidence do you have that Robbie is involved?”
“They present a united front, this lot. They protect one another.”
“The grooms each have minds of their own.”
Mr. Broadman’s response was a tightening of his lips into a thin line.
“I don’t understand why,” I said. “Why dope your horse to win a match that no one bets on? Why go to such lengths to cheat?”
