Chapter Two
As Case stopped in the parking lot of the apartment complex, he looked around, then opened the door, stepped out, and climbed the stairs to Rachel Norton’s apartment.
He knocked on the door and waited. When no one answered, he knocked again.
Finally, he heard the lock turning, then the door opened, and a young man with his hair tussled, stood there.
“Yeah?”
“I’m Agent Anderson with the Montana Department of Livestock. Is Rachel Norton here?”
“Not now. She’s at work.”
“When will she be home?”
“Around five, but I think she’s off tomorrow. What’s MDOL want with her?”
“I’ll speak with her about that. Here’s my card. She can call me, or I’ll stop by again tomorrow.”
“Sure, man.” The door closed.
“Does anyone have any manners nowadays?” Case shook his head as he walked down the steps, climbed into his truck, then drove back to the office to run the tracks he’d found.
He entered the office, strode to his desk, removed his hat, and hung it up. Then he pulled out his chair, sat down, and turned on his computer. He plugged his phone into it to transfer the photos to the computer, then he’d run a check on them.
“Hey,” his brother, Deke said, as he sat in a chair across from the desk.
“What’s up?”
“Not much. I’m waiting on some info to come back on some missing bison. ”
“Who in their right minds would take bison? It’s not like they’re easy to herd.”
“Yeah, but damn thieves will take anything not nailed down. What are you working on?”
“A missing horse.”
“Just one?”
“Yes. The owner breeds and sells Morgan horses, but her personal horse, a Paint, was stolen from the field.”
“Why would they take the Paint and not the Morgans?”
“I don’t know. Unless someone has something against her for some reason.”
“Is she married or divorced?”
“As far as I know she’s not married. I don’t know if she ever was. She’s a beautiful woman. She has red hair,” Case said with a grin.
“Ahh, a pretty redhead.” Deke grinned. “There you go, Case. We all know how you like redheads.”
“I won’t mix business with pleasure.” Case shook his head.
“Well, maybe after your business is finished, you can ask her out.”
“I’d have to make sure she’s not involved with anyone before I’d do that. How’s Ava and my niece, Ellie?”
Deke got to his feet and grinned. “Wonderful. I’m going to head to the bison ranch and get some photos. I’ll talk to you later.”
“If not, I’ll see you at Dad’s on Sunday.”
Deke nodded, strode toward his desk, removed his hat from the rack, then headed out the door.
Case squinted at the grainy tire impressions on his monitor as the forensic software churned through its database.
The first set matched immediately; standard hauler tires, deep treads with a distinctive pattern.
The second set proved more elusive. He drummed his fingers against the desktop while the program flashed through hundreds of tire cross-sections, the blue light reflecting off his tired face.
When it finally pinged with a match, he leaned forward, his eyes scanning the results.
No purchases within fifty miles of Clifton.
The nearest hits came from a distributor in Butte, Montana, fifty-three sets sold, the most recent transaction dated exactly ninety-two days ago.
“Shit,” he muttered, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. This case had just expanded from a local investigation to a state-wide manhunt.
****
Sydney entered the barn the next day with a client interested in purchasing a Morgan. She always did background checks on people before selling her horses. She wanted to make sure they got a good home.
“There are two mares and three geldings.”
“Do you have any stallions?” the man asked.
“I have two but they’re too young to sell yet. Did you want the horses trained for riding or competitions?”
“I’d like to have one trained for barrel racing. Do you do that?”
“I don’t, personally, but I have several trainers who do.”
“As long as they know what they’re doing,” the man said.
Sydney laughed. “Oh, they do. Any of them could train them as barrel racers. Morgans are good at that competition and very easy to train.”
She stopped at a stall and pointed out one of the horses.
“This is Pedro, he’s two years old, and very gentle.
If you prefer a mare, the next stall is H armony.
She’s also two and gentle . They both have had basic training like groundwork, walking, trotting, and loping the pattern.
It depends on the trainer getting the horse’s trust.” Sydney shrugged .
The man stepped forward and rubbed the mare’s nose. “She’s a pretty girl, aren’t you, Harmony?”
Sydney smiled as the horse butted her head against the man’s shoulder, making him laugh.
“I think I’ll take this one.”
“Would you like for me to set up the training or do you have a trainer?”
“I trust you to pick one.”
“I’ll get with a trainer I know. She used to barrel race, and she was damn good at it.”
“Alright. That works for me. ”
“I’ll need to run a background check on you.”
“No problem. Do you need a check now or once she’s trained?”
“You can give me a deposit of a thousand dollars, if that works for you.”
“Sure.” He removed a checkbook from his pocket, wrote out a check, tore it from the booklet and handed it to her.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Carlton.”
“You’re very welcome. Thank you for your time. My daughter is going to be very happy. This is all she’s ever wanted to do.”
“I’m glad she’s going to get her dream.”
“Me too. She’s been driving me and my wife crazy about it.” He grinned .
“If you don’t hear from me in a few days, that means the background check came back clear. I’ll get in touch with Stephanie about training. If she’s busy, I know others. I only deal with the best. How old is your daughter?”
“Nine. She’s been racing since she was six. She’d race for our neighbor and has always wanted her own horse.”
“I’m happy for her.”
“I can’t wait to see her face. I hope to hear from you soon about the horse being ready. Ma’am, you have a nice day.” He shook her hand, touched the brim of his hat, and strode from the barn.
Sydney smiled as she rubbed Harmony’s soft nose. “You’re going to make a little girl very happy.”
“Well, is Harmony leaving us?” Billy asked as he walked toward her.
“Yes. She’s going to be trained as a barrel racer.”
“She’ll be great at it.”
“I think so too. I need to get in touch with Stephanie. I might just ride out there to see her. It’s too pretty to stay inside.”
“Yes, it is, but tomorrow the temperatures are supposed to drop. I’ll be around somewhere. Oh, have you heard from Agent Anderson yet?”
“No, but if I don’t by tomorrow, I’ll call him.”
“Okay. Be careful.” Billy strode along the barn’s aisle.
Sydney watched him disappear before she turned and retraced her steps to the back door.
Inside, the late morning light slanted across the linoleum floor of the kitchen as she fetched her keys from the little dish by the entry, jingling them in her hand.
She pulled open the door, climbed into her SUV, put the keys in the cupholder, then pushed the button to start the vehicle, and listened to the engine rumble to life.
She shifted into drive, she eased out of the graveled drive and followed the winding lane toward Stephanie and Bonner Gentry’s ranch.
The sun was higher now, gilding the tops of the fields as she pulled up in front of their home. She sat for a moment in the truck, scanning the yard. There was no sign of movement. She climbed out, her boots clicking against the wooden steps, then reached out and rapped gently on the door.
It swung inward at her knock. Stephanie stood framed in the doorway, her smile warm and bright.
“Sydney, come on in,” she said, stepping back.
“Thanks, Stephanie,” Sydney replied, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, something she did out of habit, as she crossed the threshold.
The kitchen smelled of fresh coffee and something sweet baking in the oven. Honeyed rays from a window danced across the table.
“Would you like something to drink?” Stephanie offered.
“No, thank you,” Sydney said, settling onto one of the chairs. She felt the smooth grain of the tabletop under her fingertips. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
“Of course.” Stephanie pulled out the opposite chair and sat, smoothing the soft cotton of her blue T-shirt. “What’s on your mind?”
Sydney folded her hands in her lap and looked at her. “I need a barrel trainer.”
Stephanie’s eyes fell, a glimmer of regret crossing her face. “Oh, uh, I don’t do that anymore. I’m sorry.”
Sydney’s heart sank. “I didn’t know you’d stopped. I should have called you first and not bothered you.”
Stephanie shook her head, her long hair brushing her shoulders. “You’re not bothering me. I’ve stopped because… well, I’m pregnant.” Her smile seemed to light up the room.
A rush of joy warmed Sydney’s chest. “Oh my God! That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you and Bonner.” She leaped to her feet and wrapped Stephanie in a hug, pressing her cheek against the other woman’s.
“Thank you,” Stephanie murmured. “We’re both over the moon.”
Sydney stepped back to get a better look. “You don’t look like it yet, but you have that glow.”
Stephanie laughed softly. “Just two months along. I’d love to train for you, but Bonner’s nervous. He’s afraid I’d fall, and I have quite a few times when training.”
“Completely understandable.” Sydney sat down again, leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “I’ll see if someone else is available. I know Trick does barrel training, and I think Ethan Harrison does, too.”
Stephanie nodded. “They’re both really good at it, though Trick’s nearly booked solid. Either one would help if they can, but I don’t know if Ethan still does any training.”
“I’ll see.” Sydney stood, stretching out a bit after sitting. Just then the kitchen door swung open, and Bonner strolled in, tall and broad-shouldered, grinning when he spotted Sydney.
“Hey, Syd,” he said.