had a benign ambivalence toward clothes. Her job usually kept her in jeans and boots, but she had wanted to look good for Maria's wedding. Going shopping in her favorite boutique, she had purchased two dresses. She took them both out of the closet where she had hung them and laid them on the bed. One was a midnight navy colored silk dress with a scooped out back and jewel neckline. It had a matching organza jacket with long sleeves and a large collar, highlighted by rhinestone buttons. The other one was a little black dress with spaghetti straps.
Thinking that she couldn't wear the blue dress because it was for the wedding, she decided to wear the black one she had bought for the rehearsal dinner. The telephone on the nightstand rang, and she answered it. It was Maria.
"I spoke to my Uncle Gus," Maria explained. "He said there's something going on, but the Italians aren't involved in it. In fact they are furious, for they consider New York as their territory. It's something to do with drugs, but that's all he knew about it. Gotta run. See you Friday."
That's odd about the Italians, Kate mused as she showered. She stepped into the little black dress and pulled it up over her rounded bottom. She took her hair out of its pulled straight-back ponytail and let it fall voluptuously to her shoulders.
* * *
As she stepped out of her car at the appointed place, Mose chuckled and said, "What a transformation you've made."
"Turn around, Mose. You look pretty spectacular yourself, black tails and all."
As they walked down the sidewalk, Mose explained, "Once I get you inside, I have to go to work."
"That's fine. I'm going to mingle with the crowd, that's all."
With Mose holding her arm, they walked into the large building. It had a tall podium for the auctioneer and a runway for the horses, surrounded by floor space with seats and a gallery. Just like in the Miss America contest Kate thought. Walking around alone, she took a glass of champagne and some hors d'oeuvres from a waiter dressed in black tie and tails. A large movie screen was being lowered from the ceiling to show the horses that weren't being brought to the auction floor.
With a bang of his gavel, the auctioneer started. Moving quietly among the horse owners and bidders, Kate listened and watched attentively. It seemed to Kate that more syndicates than individuals were buying horses. She was also hearing languages that she believed to be Russian and Chinese.
She walked up to two men standing side by side. "That is a beautiful Arabian you just bought. Are you going to race her in Saratoga?"
One of them answered her in foreign accented English, "After she's trained, we can race her at most of the tracks. Are you here to buy?" he asked, glaring at Kate.
"No, I came to enjoy the ambiance," Kate answered and moved on.
Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of someone. She quickly turned in time to see what she thought was Rod's back. She felt sick. Is this why he came to Saratoga? she thought. Isn't that great. I fell in love with a drug dealer.
Toward the end of the auction, Mose found her. "Are you ready to go? I must be getting old. I can't take these late nights anymore."
She nodded.
"Are you all right? You look flushed," Mose asked with concern in his voice.
"I'm fine. Let's go."
As they were walking back to her car, Kate asked, "How did you come to spend your life at the racetrack?"
"When I was a little kid, my father was a blacksmith at the track. I started coming with him," Mose explained. "I fell in love with the horses, and I guess the excitement around the track, too."
"Are most of the horses always sold to syndicates instead of individual owners?" queried Kate as they reached her car.
"You noticed that too," Mose responded, looking quizzically at Kate. "No, most of the time, it's the opposite. Are you writing something besides a run-of-the-mill article on racing?"
After glancing around to make sure no one was standing close by, Kate answered, "Yes, I am. I'm going to be telling . . ."
"No, don't tell me." Mose interrupted. "I think I'll be better off not knowing."
Kate told Mose goodnight and thanked him for taking her.
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