Chapter 21
Three weeks later, Myrna was beside the track laughing along with Faith as they watched as Shay and Pedro were running, trying to get away from the two horses that were chasing them.
After Cole had read Sally’s file and did some background checks, it turned out that Ball Buster and Sally were brother and sister.
They had been separated when Sally was two, and Buster was only one.
Because of their relationship, and how well Buster ran on the track, they had decided to see if Sally was the same way. They weren’t disappointed.
When it was time for the horses to race, Buster was serious and he watched the first two horses intently and with a critical eye.
When it came to his turn to run, he flew over the track.
His numbers were the same as Champ and Diablo’s, sometimes better.
Off the track, he was a fun-loving animal that liked to steal things from the workers.
They had learned not to take anything into the stall when he was inside.
At first, when Cole suggested taking Sally over to introduce them, to see if they remembered each other, it seemed like they did.
It didn’t take long before they both tried their antics with everyone.
However, when they tried to take her onto the track, Buster tried to stop them.
They were finally able to figure out that Buster wanted Sally beside him as they watched first Champ, then Diablo run.
It had been a shock when Buster had refused to run, but kept nudging Sally forward with his nose until Pedro had Faith take Sally out onto the track.
Everyone stood transfixed once the gun went off, and the humans watching swore that Sally’s feet never hit the ground as she ran.
Pedro had been so shocked that he had forgotten to stop the watch, and had Faith go again.
When Buster had finally gone for his run, the people stood and watched in awe, shaking their heads.
No one said a word as each person took a horse back to the barn.
Pedro went to the office to write down the numbers, while Myrna, Shay, and Faith unsaddled, and rubbed the horses down.
Once they were calm from their run, Pedro rejoined them and turned them out into the pasture.
As they turned to leave, both Buster and Sally stole a pair of gloves from the men’s back pockets, and took off running with them in their mouths.
They stopped and neighed as if to tell them to come get them.
The men took the challenge, and had been running around the pasture for the last twenty minutes, trying to get their gloves back.
At one point, Sally trotted over to the two women, Faith and Myrna, and dropped the gloves at their feet. Myrna recognized them as Pedro’s, picked them up, and held onto them. When Sally neighed, Buster immediately joined her in front of the women, and dropped the gloves he held.
“Bastard,” Pedro said jokingly as he climbed out of the pasture, and looked back at the horses that were eating the grass like they hadn’t just played catch away with the two men.
The four of them headed back to the barn, and when they went to Pedro’s office, he stood before the whiteboard with his hands on his hips.
“What’s up?” Myrna asked.
“Look at Sally’s numbers.” He nodded toward the board, and she whipped back at him with a look of shock.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Hey, Kid,” Pedro called out to Faith before answering Myrna. “How did it feel on Sally’s back?”
“Like I was flying. I don’t think her feet even hit the ground. Why?”
“Did you see her numbers?” he asked as he pointed to the board.
“Holy shit,” Faith said.
“Is that good?” Myrna asked.
“Yes, it’s actually excellent. She’s right up there with the first three.” Faith looked at Myrna. “Are you going to enter her in any races?”
“Me, why are you asking me?”
“Because you’re her owner.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that. She knew she owned Sally, but it hadn’t actually registered that she owned her. She reached up and scrubbed her forehead, then looked at the three other people in the office. “Can I think about it?”
“Yes,” Pedro said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He leaned in and kissed the side of her head. “You won’t get any pressure from us, and you don’t have to, but I would recommend that if you have any questions, reach out to Cole.”
Before she could answer, a phone rang, and Pedro answered his cell. He listened, all the while staring at her, he hung up, closed his eyes, and released a breath.
“What’s wrong?” Myrna asked when she saw his expression.
Pedro turned to her fully and took her hands in his. “That was Ilsa, the District Attorney for the cases against everyone has scheduled a meeting.”
“When and where?”
“Some place called Gunny’s in Fool’s Gold, the day after tomorrow, at ten o’clock.”
“Why not bring them here?” Faith asked with a frown.
Shay answered her, “It’s smart to have the meeting someplace neutral, I bet Jake Cogburn will be there for added security.”
“The guy from Brotherhood Protectors?” Myrna asked.
“Yes,” Shay answered, then looked at Pedro. “Are you going to want an escort into town?”
“I don’t think so, we haven’t been off New Double since returning from Lakewood over three months ago. We should be fine.”
“Besides,” Myrna said with a smirk. “I have no idea about this, but how much do you want to bet that Agent Benjamin will be here to escort us?”
“Really?” Pedro looked at her in confusion. “Do you really think so?”
“I do.” She nodded and looked at Faith. “Since we’re going to town anyway, would you like us to pick you up anything?
I’m going to go grocery shopping after the deposition.
I want to walk around a store with no purpose.
Not that I don’t like the New Double, but I hate not being able to go shopping, and not have to look over my shoulder thinking someone is after me. ”
“Remember,” Pedro said. “They are all in jail.”
“And,” Faith said with a grin. “Hopefully, after your meeting, they will stay there.”
“Yeah, but this is like the preliminary before the actual trial.” She shook her head, then turned to Pedro, “I’m going to go see Cole and tell him about the meeting.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there, I just want to write Sally’s numbers in her book.” He kissed the side of her head, and as he went to his desk, Myrna walked out with Faith and Shay. The couple went one way, while Myrna went the other.
At the ranch’s office, Myrna knocked on the doorjamb and didn’t step inside until Cole looked up and motioned her in.
“How did Sally do?” Cole asked as soon as Myrna stepped into his office.
“Great, she’s less than a second away from Buster’s time.”
“Good, are you going to race her?”
“I don’t know. Everyone tells me I should, but after listening to you, Pedro, and Faith, I don’t want to be out there at the racetrack and have this case over my head.”
“I totally understand. You still have time to decide, you’ve only run Sally for a few times, she has a lot more to learn. Have you heard anything more on the case?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here. Ilsa called Pedro. I’m supposed to meet with the District Attorney the day after tomorrow at some place called Gunny’s.”
“Ah, it’s a bar in Fool’s Gold. Jake Cogburn’s father-in-law is Gunny.”
“Okay, so I’m here to tell you that I will be out of work then.”
“And me,” Pedro said from the doorway as he walked into the office. He looked between her and Cole. “I’m not letting you go into town by yourself.”
“I agree,” Cole said. “You’ve been safe this long, we don’t want anything bad to happen when the finish line is in sight.
” He leaned back in his chair, then wiped his hand across his mouth.
“I’m going to ask that you do something while you’re in town, but not until after your meeting.
I don’t care how many days it takes to talk to the DA, but I do care about this one thing. ”
“What’s that?”
“Pick up a cell phone for yourself.” He saw her expression and grinned.
“Crap, I forgot all about it. Maybe mine is in my truck over at Erin’s Way.
I don’t know if Agent Wilson grabbed it when she got my stuff and brought it here.
I know it’s not in my purse.” She rubbed her forehead and scowled.
“I can’t remember if I had it with me when I left the hospital or not.
That part of my life is still fuzzy.” They all exchanged concerned looks, and Pedro pulled his phone, accessed his contacts, and with it on speaker, he dialed.
“Wilson,” came the barked response.
“Agent Wilson, this is Pedro and Myrna.”
“Oh, hey, have you met with the DA yet?”
“Day after tomorrow. Myrna just remembered something and couldn’t remember if she saw it. That’s why I’m calling.”
“What’s that?”
“When you went to my house at the beginning of all this shit, you got my papers, and purse, did you find my phone?”
“I have it,” Wilson admitted. “Sorry, I forgot all about it. I can tell you now that we had no clue who you were, or what you might have been involved in. I kept the phone to see if we could get any information off it.” She chuckled.
“What I’m about to tell you is my personal opinion, not professional. ”
“Okay, do I want to hear it?”
“Probably not, but after I accessed your phone, I came to one conclusion.” She chuckled over the phone. “Myrna Trenton, you led one boring ass life.”
Myrna threw her head back and laughed. “Yeah, I did. Not so much now, but I did back then.”
“Yeah, you have a lot of activity with Mary Griffin, but once she passed away, it was like your social calendar dried up.”
“Yeah, I think I was in shock, then in denial after she died. I folded into myself in my grief.”
“Yeah, people do that.” Yvonne paused, then sighed. “Agent Benjamin will be accompanying the DA to your location. I’ll make sure he has your phone with you.” She chuckled again. “The battery might be dead, but he can give it back to you.”
“I have a charger here. Thank you, Agent Wilson.”
“No problem. Good luck with the DA.”
“Thank you.”
They hung up, and Myrna looked at Pedro, then Cole. “Guess I know where my phone is now.”
They all agreed, and Cole told them to just stop in and tell him when they left for their meeting.
After they reached their cabin, they did their usual nightly routine of making dinner together, eating, then sitting in the living room talking.
Except after dinner that night, they both went through the house calling out items they needed to put on their grocery list for when they went to town in two days.
Later that night, as they climbed into bed, Pedro gathered Myrna to him, and sighed heavily.
“I want you to know that no matter what happens when you talk to the DA, or at the trail, I will be here for you every step of the way. On my honor, that is my promise to you.” He kissed her soundly, then proceeded to make sweet love to her.