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“Got any ideas who unlatched his stall door?” Vance asked, placing all his veterinary supplies back in his case and walking out of the stallion barn.
“No. I thought it might be vandals, but Zane seems to think it was an inside job, so to speak.”
“Somebody with a grudge?”
Tiffany lifted her shoulders. “I couldn’t guess who.”
“You got any trouble with employees?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Haven’t fired anyone, a stable boy . . . or maybe done business with someone else, made a competitor angry?”
“No.” She sighed wearily and spotted Louise’s car rumbling down the long drive. “I’ve thought and thought about it. I’m sure I’ve made a few enemies, but no one that would want to hurt me or my horses.... At least I don’t think so.”
Vance put his bag into the truck and grimaced. He turned his kindly bespectacled eyes on Tiffany. “Just be careful, okay? Anyone who would let Moon Shadow out would do just about anything to get what he wants.”
“If only I knew what that was,” she said anxiously. “Any news on the foals’ deaths?”
“Not yet,” Vance said, sliding into his pickup, “but I’ve got a couple of new ideas. They’re long shots . . . probably end up in dead ends, but maybe . . .”
“Keep me posted.”
“Will do.” Vance had just pushed his key into the lock and was about to start the engine, but Louise shouted at him. “Hey, wait!” the housekeeper called as she bustled up to Vance’s truck. She was waving a newspaper in the air. “Look, here, on page one.” She proudly handed Tiffany the sports section from theTimes. In the lower left-hand corner was a picture of Journey’s End along with the article written by Nancy Emerson.
Tiffany’s eyes skimmed the columns of fine print and her face broke into a smile. Then, slowly, she reread Nancy’s report, which did bring up the subject of the dead colts but also concentrated on Moon Shadow’s career as well as his two strongest progeny, Devil’s Gambit and Journey’s End. The article ended on an upbeat note, suggesting that Moon Shadow’s victories on the racetrack and as a proved sire overshadowed the unfortunate deaths of the four foals.
“Wonderful,” Tiffany said, feeling a little relief. “At least we got a chance for rebuttal.”
“Now,” Vance stated, “if we can just come up with the reason those foals died.”
“You think you’re on to something?”
“I’m not sure,” Vance replied. “I’ll let you know in a couple of days. Like I said—it could be another dead end.”
“Let’s hope not,” Tiffany prayed fervently.
“Come on, you two,” Louise reprimanded. “Things are turning around, just you wait and see.”
“I don’t know about that,” Tiffany replied.
“Why? What happened?”
“Moon Shadow got out last night. It looks as if someone did it deliberately.”
“What!” Louise was more than shocked.
As the two women walked toward the back porch, Tiffany explained the events of the evening before and Louise clucked her tongue in disbelief.
“But who would do such a thing?” Louise wondered once they were in the kitchen.
“That’s the mystery.”
“You got any ideas?”
“No . . . but Zane seems to.”
Louise’s eyes sparkled. “That one, he’ll figure it out. Just you wait and see.”
