No surprises there. You left my head alone so I could land easily and keep my hind feet up over the poles. And you didn’t overdo the lead cues. I hate when you jab me with your heel when all you have to do is look where you’re going next. I get that.
Bird slid off Sunny’s back, laughing.
What’s so funny?
Never mind. Bird could only imagine what people would think if they knew the conversations she’d had with this horse.
By four o’clock the chores were done, and Hannah, Bird and Julia started to bring in the horses for their dinner.
Boss had been out of sight all day, sulking. Now, however, he came racing out from under the sink in the feed room. “Ararararara!”
“Cliff must be back,” said Hannah, looking out the barn door.
He’s home! He’s home! Hurray! Hurray!
Calm down, Boss. You’re deafening us. Bird put her hands to her ears.
Hannah had guessed right. A police cruiser stopped at the barn, a cloud of dust catching up and engulfing it. Cliff got out and closed the door. The car turned around and sped away.
“Hi there, folks,” said Cliff with a smile. Boss ran for him and jumped into his arms, licking his entire face.
“Are you all right?” Hannah ran out, followed by the girls. “What happened?”
“They asked questions. I answered them.”
“That’s all?”
Cliff put Boss down and patted the little dog’s head. “They wanted DNA and I gave them some. They scraped some cheek tissue.”
“Did you learn anything new?” Hannah was curious.
“No.”
“Did you see anybody else? Any other suspects?” asked Julia.
“No.”
“You were gone all day and that’s all you can tell us?” Bird persisted.
“You should talk! You went years without uttering a word.” Cliff looked at Bird with affection.
She smiled. “Guilty! Did you see Phil Butler? He was identified by that composite sketch, too.”
“They bring a person in one door and another out a different way. Nobody sees anybody else.”
“Well, we’re happy you’re back.” Julia spoke for everybody. “You must be relieved they let you go.”
Cliff nodded.“You bet,but it’s not over yet. I’m not supposed to leave town, and if my DNA matches, I’m in deep trouble.”
“It won’t,because you didn’t do it.” Hannah gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. “I wonder who told the police the sketch looks like you.”
Cliff cocked his head. “I’ve been thinking about that. Remember Laura Long? When she took her horse away she was pretty mad at me.”
“She was mad because she couldn’t have you on call twenty-four hours a day to change blankets and boots and bring her horse in at whim.” Hannah threw up her hands. “Boarders! We need them and love them, but sometimes ...”
Bird and Julia chimed in unison, “... they can drive us bananas!”
Julia broke into a dance that reminded Bird of a circus monkey, and everyone laughed. Cliff laughed loudest of all, and Bird realized how very happy he was to be home.
Watching him scoop up Boss and join the monkey dance, Bird couldn’t help but shake her head. How unfair that Cliff, of all people, would be accused of murder! What were the police thinking? There was only one way to find out: she needed to get to the meeting in Inglewood.
4
THE INGLEWOOD MEETING
Tan crept closer and closer to the farmhouse. He had watched the adults leave in the truck, but the girl with the horse was still at home. He would speak to her tonight. Tan quickly looked over his shoulder. His stomach rumbled. While he was here, maybe he’d get something good to eat. He’d feel a lot better once he’d eaten something that hadn’t been scrounged from the forest.
He stepped into the shrubs and peeked in a window. Nobody there. He tried to open the window, but it was locked. He moved silently to the next one and looked through the glass panes. Nobody in the dining room either, and it was locked as well. As Tan stealthily made his way toward the kitchen door, the brown dog inside the house began to bark. He moved away, confused. Then he sensed a presence: a savage presence. A low growl sounded behind him, and suddenly, a small coyote with a snarling face and glowing eyes appeared. Tan didn’t wait for it to bite. He ran.
BIRD LAY FLAT under a horse blanket in the back of the Ford pickup, wondering if this whole thing was a good idea. Oh well, she thought. If she was caught, Hannah would be mad. It wouldn’t be the first time.
The truck slowed. Bird could hear people talking, tires crunching on the gravel and lots of activity. She lifted a corner of the blanket and peered out. Hannah backed into a spot close to the store, beside the hill that crested at the railroad tracks. Perfect.
“I hope this meeting doesn’t run too late,” said Paul, as he got out and closed the door behind him. “I’m up early tomorrow.”
“We can leave any time,” answered Hannah.
“The police think this will calm everyone down. Bet on it riling everyone up instead.”
“I think it’s more for information. Awareness.” Hannah’s voice grew fainter as they walked toward the store.“I hate leaving the girls alone with the attacker still on the loose.”
Bird felt a twinge of guilt. Because she was here, Julia was truly alone — all by herself in the farmhouse. Bird had told Lucky to guard the place, but she really hoped her little sister wasn’t afraid.
Nobody had noticed Bird slipping onto the back of the truck as it idled outside the kitchen door — she’d taken the opportunity when it had presented itself. Just in case Hannah asked where she was, she’d prepared Julia with an alibi. Julia was to fib about Bird being up in the barn nursing a cat whose tail had been stepped on by a horse.
Now Bird lay still until she was pretty sure everyone had gone into the meeting. She had a cramp in her leg and the horse hairs from the blanket were making her itchy. But just as she began to uncover herself, another car drove quickly over the gravel and stopped. She waited while the door slammed and a woman’s running footsteps headed for the store.
Okay. All’s quiet, she thought. Time to figure out how I’m going to hear what’s going on. Bird climbed off the truck and circled the store. At the far side was a window that was open just a crack. Bird smiled as she settled into the bushes and waited for the meeting to begin.
