lot. Nancy frowned in frustration. “I think we looked in
every vehicle here. No sign of Aristocrat.”
“No sound of him either,” Lee Anne added. “Most
horses alone in a trailer are going to stomp or whinny.
This place is so silent it's creepy.”
Taking the flashlight, Nancy aimed it around the lot
just to make sure they hadn't missed anything. When
she ran the beam along the fence, her heartbeat
quickened. “Look!”
She pointed the light at one section of fence. The
metal links had been cut and the fence peeled back.
Lee Anne gasped. “Someone cut a big hole in the
chain links!”
Nancy moved closer to inspect it. “Big enough to
lead a horse through.” Eyes on the ground, Nancy
made her way through the hole. The beam picked up
two hoofprints in the mud. On the other side of the
fence Nancy could see a field. When she swung the
light around, she noticed flattened grass in two parallel
lines where a vehicle had been driven.
She glanced over her shoulder at Bess and Lee
Anne. “Looks as if someone led a horse through here,
which means trouble. If it was Aristocrat, it means the
stallion's not on the grounds anymore.”
“Do you think he was stolen?” Lee Anne gasped.
“That's what it looks like. We'd better alert
Security.”
With Nancy leading the way, the three girls hurried
back to the barn. Texel and Klaus were standing in the
middle of the aisle. Klaus was scowling and waving an
arm in the air. Nancy gulped. He wasn't going to like
the latest news.
Quickly she told them what she and her friends had
found.
Klaus's eyes narrowed. “So you were wrong about
my horse being on the grounds,” he said to Texel. “It
sounds to me as if he's been stolen!”
Texel rubbed his forehead. Pulling out his walkie-
talkie, he relayed the information to his men and told
them to alert the state and county police. “Now show
us this break in the fence,” he said to Nancy.
“Lee Anne and Bess will take you there. I'm going to
find Gilly.” Nancy looked sideways at Klaus.
The trainer shook his head and made a noise of
disgust. Then he headed down the aisle after Texel.
“No more delays. Let's find my horse,” he barked.
When they had left, Nancy thought about where
Gilly might have gone. She remembered the groom
saying she'd met with some friends at the coffee shop.
Nancy was about to leave the barn, when she heard a
soft sniffing coming from one of the stalls.
She held her breath and listened. Someone was
crying. Moving quietly, she made her way toward the
sound, which was coming from the tack stall.
She peered inside. Gilly was slumped on a tack
trunk, head in her hands.
Nancy knew she must have heard everything they'd
said. “Hey, Gilly.” Nancy sat beside her on the trunk.
“It's not all bad news. Whoever took Aristocrat couldn't
have gotten much of a head start, and Texel has alerted
the county and state police, so they can be on the
lookout.”
Tears glistening in her eyes, Gilly looked up at her.
“It's not just that,” she whispered hoarsely. Grabbing
Nancy's wrist, she squeezed tightly, her eyes wide.
“You've got to help me, Nancy. I don't know who else
to trust. I know something about Aristocrat's
disappearance!”
8. A Risky Meeting
“Do you know who stole Aristocrat?” Nancy asked
Gilly.
“No, but this morning, when I gave Aristocrat a
bath, I couldn't find his scar,” Gilly said.
Nancy frowned, puzzled. Then the thud of rubber
soles on the concrete aisle made her look up.
Gilly inhaled sharply. “Someone's coming.” Bending
closer to Nancy, she whispered hurriedly, “Meet me
here at five-thirty. I've got to feed early, then braid
Curio.”
The footsteps moved closer. Gilly grew rigid. “If
something happens to me, look for the scar on
Aristocrat's hock.”
blocking the dim light. Hands on his hips, he eyed
Nancy, then Gilly. The groom jumped to her feet.
“Don't look so worried,” Klaus stated. “I came to
apologize for blaming you for Aristocrat's
disappearance.” He spoke slowly, as if the words were
hard to say. “I was distraught. I know you love
Aristocrat as much as I do.”
“I do,” Gilly said, her voice wavering. She glanced at
Nancy. “I need to find out what Security's doing. I'll
see you later.” Excusing herself, she went around
Klaus.
Nancy stood up. “I'd better help, too.”
Klaus extended a hand to stop her from leaving.
“Miss Drew, if I may speak with you for a minute. Mr.
Texel told me you are a detective. I am in need of help.
I do not trust Security to find my horse. Perhaps you
could be of assistance?”
Nancy hesitated. She'd witnessed how overbearing
Klaus Schaudt could be. But he had apologized to
Gilly, something that must have been difficult for him.
“I am very worried about my horse,” he continued.
“Not only is Aristocrat valuable, but I raised him from a
foal. He is family.”
“I understand,” Nancy said. Maybe there was a soft
side to the trainer after all. “And I'll do whatever I can,
though I think Mr. Texel knows his business.”
“Humph.” Klaus threw back his shoulders. “My
belief is that the security crew is behind the theft.”
Nancy's eyebrows shot up. “What makes you say
that?” she asked, startled by his statement.
“Because the theft was obviously an inside job. The
thief must know the showgrounds, as well as the
guards' schedules. Otherwise the person would not
have been able to steal such a large animal without
someone seeing him.”
Nancy nodded. Klaus's observation about the thief
being someone on the inside was similar to her own
hunch, but she'd been so intent on Michael as a
suspect that she'd never thought about the guards.
“In fact,” Klaus said, lowering his voice, “it is my
belief that they are operating a theft ring. There are
several horses here as valuable as Aristocrat. He was
just the unlucky target.”
“It would be interesting to find out if there have
been other thefts at past shows,” Nancy said.
Klaus dismissed her suggestion with a wave of his
hand. “That wouldn't prove anything. Many of the
shows here are smaller, attracting only local horses that
wouldn't be worth stealing.” He straightened. “So. We
will work together. Now I need to find out what Mr.
Texel has discovered. Good evening.”
As she watched Klaus leave, Nancy thought about
his theory. It made sense. Still, she wasn't going to
drop Michael as a possible suspect. As soon as she saw
Lee Anne, she would ask her if the two had been
together all evening.
Then there was Gilly's cryptic message about
Aristocrat's scar. Whatever Gilly knew, she obviously
hadn't wanted to share the information with Klaus.
Nancy checked her watch. It was one o'clock in the
morning. In four and a half hours she had to meet
Gilly. Then maybe she'd find out what the groom knew
about the theft of Aristocrat.
“I'm going to sleep until noon,” Bess said, flopping
down on the bed. She was back in her pajamas. “So
don't anybody dare wake me up.”
Lee Anne plopped down on her bed and began to
take off her shoes. “I wish I could sleep that late. But
I've got to meet Michael at the barn at seven-thirty.
He's got a nine o'clock test.”
Good, Nancy thought as she headed into the
bathroom to brush her teeth. She hoped no one else
would be at the barn when she met Gilly. She could set
the alarm for five and sneak out of the room. Lee Anne
and Bess were so tired they wouldn't hear her.
“So did you and Michael get to talk tonight?” Nancy
asked Lee Anne when she came out of the bathroom.
“Yeah. He was pretty upset when he left the
restaurant.”
“Where did you go?” Bess mumbled, her cheek
pressed into the pillow.
Lee Anne stopped in the middle of pulling her
nightgown on. “Why are you so interested in what
Michael and I did?” she asked, her eyes shifting from
Bess to Nancy.
“We just hoped you two had a good time,” Nancy
said quickly. She didn't want Lee Anne to know about
her suspicion that Michael might have something to do
with the theft.
Lee Anne yanked the nightgown over her head.
“Well, we just drove around and talked,” she said. “And
I was with him all evening.” Grabbing her brush off the
dresser, she stomped into the bathroom, shutting the
door behind her.
“Well, that settles that.” Bess yawned and snuggled
under the covers. “Michael can't be our thief. See you
around lunchtime,” she mumbled and promptly fell
asleep.
Nancy took off her skirt and top. Before crawling in
beside Bess, she put on a clean T-shirt and laid her
jeans at the foot of the bed. When the alarm went off,
it would still be dark and she'd be groggy from lack of
sleep. She wasn't giving herself much time to get to the
barn, so she needed to hit the ground running.
Brrring. The persistent sound woke Nancy from a
deep sleep. Beside her, Bess mumbled something
about Gunter. Reaching up, Nancy hit the alarm's Off
button.
She groaned softly. Four hours of sleep was not
enough.
She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom,
grabbing her jeans on the way. After splashing cold
water on her face and brushing her teeth, she felt a
little more awake.
Ten minutes later she shut the door quietly behind
her. She was tempted to go to Ned's room and wake
him up. Going to the barn alone after all that had
happened wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had.
She knew she had to see Gilly alone, though. The
girl had clearly stated that Nancy was the only person
she trusted. If she brought Ned along, the groom might
be reluctant to confide in her.
The lobby was well lighted. The clerk said good
morning and pointed out a tray of pastries and a
pitcher of orange juice. Nancy grabbed a blueberry
muffin and a glass of juice, then headed for her
Mustang.
The sky was gray, the air cool. While Nancy drove to
the showgrounds, she munched on the muffin and
sorted through everything that had happened since
they'd arrived. If Lee Anne was telling the truth, then
Michael hadn't stolen Aristocrat last night. Still, that
didn't mean he wasn't working with an accomplice.
Nancy rolled her eyes, suddenly realizing how dead
set she was on making Michael the bad guy. Maybe she
wanted to find him guilty because she didn't like his
arrogance.
A sleepy-eyed guard halted her at the front gate of
the showgrounds. He was the same man she and Bess
had talked to the night before.
“Good morning, Fred,” Nancy said. “Any more
news?”
He shook his head. “The only good news is I'm out
of here in an hour. Texel wants us all to work double
shifts, but I need some shut-eye.”
He checked her pass, then asked, “What brings you
here so early on a Saturday morning? The sun's not
even up.”
“I have to help feed the horses. One of the riders has
an early test.” A thought suddenly crossed Nancy's
mind. “You didn't see a dented old station wagon come
in here last night, did you?”
“Nope. Can't say I did. Though another guard, Andy
Brackett, relieved me so I could get some coffee. I'll
ask him.”
“Thanks,” Nancy said, and drove in. No other cars
were parked in front of Barn C. When Nancy glanced
to her right, she saw a few solitary people moving
around the showgrounds.
After locking the Mustang, Nancy went into the
barn. The aisle was empty, the barn quiet. Nancy
walked past several stalls. The horses' heads were
down, and they were munching hay, so Nancy knew
Gilly had fed them already. She peeked into the stall
next to Aristocrat's. The cot was neatly made. Since
Gilly had said something about braiding Curio, Nancy
headed for his stall.
When she reached Curio's stall, the handsome bay
started at the sight of her. Head high, he snorted
loudly. A lead line dangled from his halter, and when
he swung his head, Nancy saw a needle and thread
hanging from a half-finished braid in his mane.
She pushed open the door, which wasn't latched.
“Gilly?” she called. She couldn't believe the groom
would have left without securing the door.
Curio pawed at the straw. Hand outstretched,
Nancy went up to him. “Easy, guy,” she crooned.
Nancy grasped the lead line. Reaching up, she
smoothed his neck, still talking soothingly. With a toss
of his head, Curio swung his hindquarters to the right.
Nancy froze. A denim-clad leg, half hidden in the
straw, extended into the middle of the stall.
Nancy darted around Curio's head. A girl was
crumpled in the straw, her back propped against the
wall. Her eyes were closed, and blood trickled down
her forehead.
Nancy gasped. It was Gilly!
9. A Bad-Luck Horseshoe
Nancy knew she had to act quickly. She jumped up,
startling Curio. The bay nickered nervously, then
banged the mesh door with his hoof. Nancy realized
she'd better get him out of the stall and away from
Gilly.
Speakin
g in a calm voice, Nancy grabbed the
dangling lead line. “Okay, Curio, let's put you in
Aristocrat's stall. Then I'll call for help.”
She opened the door, and Curio leaped out. “Easy.
Easy.” Nancy steered him to the empty stall. A
scuffling noise behind her made her whirl.
A dark figure darted from a stall and disappeared
down the cross aisle. The movement was so sudden
that Nancy thought she was seeing things. But Curio
was staring, too.
Quickly she put the horse in the stall and latched the
door. Then she raced down the aisle. The sound of
receding footsteps came from the other side of the
barn. Nancy dashed down the cross aisle, but when she
got to the other side, no one was there. Then she heard
a car engine rev up.
Nancy reached the open barn door just in time to
see a car speed past the guard's booth and disappear
from the showgrounds, dust and gravel pluming out
from the back tires. The morning light was so dim she
couldn't see the license plate. Still, Nancy thought she
recognized the vehicle as the old station wagon
Michael had driven the night before.
There was no time to think about what she'd seen.
She had to get help for Gilly.
Nancy raced to the guard's booth. Fred Dunlevy
stepped outside to meet her. “What's going on?”
“Call an ambulance,” she puffed. “There's been an
accident. One of the grooms is hurt!”
Fred hustled over to the phone while Nancy told
him what she'd discovered. After he'd finished calling,
she asked him about the car that had left.
“It roared by so fast that I couldn't identify it,” Fred
said apologetically. “I'd stepped out of the booth on the
other side to check the pass of a van coming in.”
Nancy considered what Fred had said. She would be
the only witness, and she wasn't at all sure about what
she had seen.
Ten minutes later Texel arrived, followed by the
ambulance crew.
“She's been hit on the head,” Texel told Nancy as he
left the stall to make room for the three emergency
medical technicians, who bustled in with trauma kits.
Nancy was leaning against the doorjamb. She was
exhausted from lack of sleep and from worrying about
Gilly.
“Now show me the horse that was with her when
you found her.”
“Over here.” Nancy led Texel to Aristocrat's stall.