Horse Thief (5 page)

“Celeste, is there anything else I can do for you right now?” Howard asked eagerly. His voice was high and nasal—definitely a nerd, decided Stevie—and the expression on his face was adoring as he gazed at Celeste.

Celeste looked disdainfully at Howard, then opened her mouth and daintily extracted a wad of gum. “You can throw out my gum for me,” she said with icy sweetness.
Howard reverently took the wad of gum from her, and Celeste turned and walked toward the stable.

“I guess I’m taking her horse to the ring for her,” muttered Lisa. She picked up the palomino’s lead rein.

“You’re welcome!” Stevie called out jokingly after Celeste. Celeste didn’t appear to hear.

Howard handed the reins of his horse to Carole. Then he carefully removed a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, laid Celeste’s gum in the handkerchief, folded it, and replaced it in his pocket.

Phil made a gagging sound, which he quickly turned into a cough. Carole, Lisa, and Stevie all gaped at Howard.

“I bet he’s got a collection, and he calls it ‘My Favorite Pieces of Gum Chewed by Celeste,’ ” whispered Stevie.

“Isn’t that highly unsanitary?” Carole added, also in a whisper. She was completely amazed at Howard’s sickening devotion to Celeste.

Howard bustled importantly over to Lisa, who was still holding the reins of the palomino horse. “Give me those reins,” he commanded in a prissy tone. “
I’m
the only person whom Celeste trusts with Gold Rush.”

“Fine with me,” Lisa said, nettled, as she handed over the reins. “But who’s going to lead your horse?”

Howard hurried away with Gold Rush. “Oh, you can
follow me with my horse. His name is Ghost,” he said over his shoulder.

Carole began walking toward the indoor ring with Ghost. She didn’t mind taking care of other people’s horses if she had time. As she often joked, she’d never met a horse she didn’t like, and Ghost was a real beauty, with a silky gray coat and a mane and tail that were almost silver.

“I think Howard is going to end up following
us
,” she said dryly. “Just about now, he’s going to realize that he has no clue where he’s going.”

“Oh, Celeste! Can I please kiss the ground you walk on!” Phil said, imitating Howard’s nasal whine. Everyone laughed.

“I have to say, I’m not crazy about the Mendenhall riders so far,” Lisa commented. “I haven’t met a single nice person from that club.”

“I have,” Stevie said. “Her name is Mo, and she’s the reason I came to find you guys in the first place. Or rather, her horse is the reason I came to find you guys. Oh, never mind. Just wait till you see her horse, Carole! You’re not going to believe your eyes!”

“What is it?” Carole asked, alarmed. “Is it weird-looking? Does it need my help?”

“Just wait and see,” Stevie answered mysteriously.

As the group walked quickly toward the indoor ring,
they noticed Denise and Red huddled near the doorway. They were talking quietly, but it was obvious from their gestures that something was wrong. Denise looked even more upset and distracted than she had all week, and Red seemed worried.

Lisa slowed her steps. “I wonder what’s wrong,” she said.

Stevie slowed down, too. “Maybe we should stop to find out,” she suggested.

Just then, Ghost snorted and pulled at his lead. He was obviously feeling frisky after his long van ride, and Carole spoke to him gently and patted his nose. “Let’s keep going,” she said. “Ghost needs some exercise to work out these travel kinks. And besides, it could just be a lovers’ quarrel. I’m sure Denise and Red don’t want us butting in to their business.”

“Why not?” Stevie demanded. “We’re so helpful. We give such good advice.”

“Girls!” groaned Phil. “Always trying to fix things. Let’s leave them alone.”

A
S THE GROUP
entered the indoor ring, Mo was tying Indy to the fence. When Carole caught sight of Indy, she was shocked. “Hey! What the …!” She paused and then understood both her mistake and what Stevie had wanted her to see. “He looks so much like Starlight!” she exclaimed.

“That’s what I thought, too,” Stevie said triumphantly. “Isn’t it amazing? Maybe they’re really secret twins! Maybe,” she continued dramatically, “Starlight and Indy were separated at birth by cruel people, who forced them to live apart until the day they accidentally met …”

“No, Starlight wasn’t a twin,” said Carole, shaking her head. She knew how Stevie’s imagination could go on … and on. “It’s just an incredible likeness.”

The group walked to Mo and Indy. Stevie quickly made the introductions while Carole patted her horse’s near twin. Indy even liked to be scratched on the cheek, Starlight’s favorite place.

“I’m curious to meet Indy’s double,” said Mo, smiling at Carole.

“We’ll show you,” offered Lisa. Mo was just as friendly as Stevie had said. After her unpleasant encounters with Kurt, Celeste, and Howard, Lisa was relieved to finally meet a rider from Mendenhall that she liked.

Mo made sure that Indy was hitched securely to the fence. Then she double-checked her gleaming, carefully polished show tack, which was slung over a bench just outside the ring. She was ready.

The young riders made their way into the stable, Carole in the lead, Mo walking beside her. “Indy’s sixteen hands. How tall is Starlight?”

“The same,” said Carole. “What’s Indy’s favorite snack?”

“Apples,” said Mo.

“Granny Smith?” Carole asked. Mo nodded. “Starlight’s, too.” This was getting weird!

When Mo saw Starlight, her jaw dropped. “You weren’t kidding!” she said. She scratched him on the cheek and laughed when his ears flicked forward like Indy’s.

After visiting Starlight, the group returned to the indoor ring. “I just can’t believe it,” Mo repeated for the fourth time. “I just can’t believe how much Starlight looks like Indy.”

“Or how much Indy looks like Starlight,” Carole said teasingly. “I can’t believe it, either.”

“Good thing you don’t ride at the same stable,” joked Stevie. “It would be like wearing the same outfit as the other person all the time.”

Everyone laughed. “I sure hope Starlight and Indy don’t feel that way, especially since I spent hours cleaning his tack last—” Mo stopped suddenly, staring just beyond her horse. Her newfound friends stopped just as suddenly.

“Oh no!” Mo exclaimed. Stevie, Lisa, Carole, and Phil looked where she pointed. Indy’s shiny clean show tack lay in a tumbled heap on the dusty floor!

“I
SPENT HOURS
polishing that tack last night!” wailed Mo. She picked up her bridle and tried untangling the reins. All her tack was covered with a fine layer of gritty dust. Someone had even seen fit to put a muddy footprint on Mo’s saddle.

The Saddle Club was shocked. “Who would do something so mean?” Lisa wondered aloud.

Mo looked grim. “Celeste and Howard, that’s who,” she said. “Celeste will do anything—
anything
—to win in competition, and Howard will do anything Celeste asks him to do. Have you met them? They’re totally awful.”

“Well, they
were
pretty awful when we met them,” admitted Carole. “But would they deliberately sabotage
someone else’s equipment?” Even though she had disliked Celeste and Howard, she couldn’t believe they would stoop so low to win a ribbon.

“Yes,” answered Mo. “You just don’t know them like I do. They’ve done horrible things to me. This is actually minor compared to some of the stuff they’ve done. But what am I going to do about my tack?” Her eyes looked suspiciously bright, and The Saddle Club could tell she was on the verge of tears. The dressage rally was due to begin in about forty-five minutes, and it usually took at least that long to get tack into show condition.

Stevie stepped forward. “C’mon, we’ll take it to the tack room and help you polish it again. With all of us working, it shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes.”

“You’d help me clean my tack?” Mo asked in disbelief.

“Well, I certainly couldn’t let Starlight’s twin go into the ring looking like that,” Carole said, leading the way to the saddle soap.

When they got to the tack room, they found Celeste and Howard putting a few finishing touches on Celeste’s tack. Or rather, Howard was working on Celeste’s tack. Celeste herself was sitting on a stool, giving Howard directions in her icy-sweet voice. She was swinging her riding crop lightly, using it as a pointer to direct Howard to spots he had missed.

Mo stood in front of the pair and put her hands on her
hips. “You’ve done some nasty things to win, Celeste, but this is the final straw! How dare you throw my tack onto the floor?”

“Why, whatever are you talking about?” Celeste asked sweetly. Howard didn’t say anything. He just shook his head and continued to polish Celeste’s saddle.

The Saddle Club was astounded. Celeste was obviously guilty. “I can’t believe you would be so mean,” Stevie said, glaring at Celeste and Howard. She was always the first person to jump into a fight, and her temper was heating up. Mo was by far the nicest person from Mendenhall, and she was clearly the victim in this case. Carole and Lisa didn’t say anything. Even though they were also appalled, they felt uneasy about getting involved in such an ugly situation.

“Maybe you don’t know the whole story,” suggested a quiet voice from the corner. It was Kurt, who was slowly polishing a pair of stirrups. No one had noticed him before, and after giving him one angry glance, Mo turned her attention back to Celeste and Howard.

“What’s there to know? I left my tack in perfect condition and five minutes later it was on the ground,” fumed Mo. “I know you two did it. I just know it!”

“Why would I need to damage your tack?” Celeste asked smugly. “I’m a good enough rider to beat you any day.”

“I’ll tell the officials,” Mo threatened, her voice tightening
into an infuriated squeak. Celeste’s coolness seemed to be angering her even more. “You can’t beat me if you aren’t allowed in the competition.”

Howard stood up and raised a bony hand, attempting to look dignified. “Now, Mo, I don’t think you should make a scene,” he said pompously.

Stevie chimed in again. “You should be barred from competition,” she said loudly to Celeste. “Better yet, you should be barred from all riding stables in the area! This goes beyond bad sportsmanship. You—”

“What’s going on here?” Max’s voice broke in. The group turned and saw Max and Denise standing in the door of the tack room.

Then Veronica poked her head in the other door. “You’re upsetting Danny before the competition. I’ll bet you’re doing it on purpose. What’s all the noise?” she demanded.

“What a busybody,” muttered Carole to Lisa.

“Everyone, in my office,
now
,” commanded Max. Everyone, even Kurt and Veronica, obeyed immediately. No one argued with Max when he spoke in that tone.

Once they were all in his office, Max shut the door and turned to face the entire group. Denise stood off to the side, also looking stern.

“Now, will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Max asked. He looked at Stevie. Obviously, he had heard Stevie’s voice arguing loudly along with the rest.

Stevie fidgeted. She hated to be the one to tell on Celeste and Howard. But the memory of what they had done to Mo’s tack still rankled, and she couldn’t keep silent. Besides, maybe Max could do something about the way Celeste and Howard treated Mo. “Well, you see, Celeste—” she began.

“I am very sorry,” Celeste interrupted sweetly. She stepped forward and smiled at Max. “We apologize for making so much noise, don’t we, Howard?”

Howard nodded. “Yes, we’re sorry.”

Stevie was shocked. They were going to try to get away with the whole thing! Outraged, she turned to Mo, waiting for her to tell the dreadful story about her tack. But Mo didn’t say a word. So Stevie began again to tell the story. “Mo left her—
Ow!
” Mo nudged Stevie with her elbow, hard. Stevie knew a hint when she felt one. She stared at Mo, saw an icy look on her face, and stopped talking. Carole and Lisa also noticed Mo’s nudge and looked at each other in puzzlement.

Stevie found Mo’s sudden reticence disturbing. Although she and her friends weren’t generally tattlers when riders misbehaved or made mistakes, Celeste’s behavior was outrageous and deserved some sort of punishment. Stevie gagged on her own words, then tried to clear her throat. Mo nudged her again, this time even harder.

Stevie lost her balance and stumbled against a nearby
table stacked high with catalogs of horse-related equipment, tack, and riding clothes—all of which cascaded to the floor. As she bent to retrieve them, she noticed a bulging envelope lying haphazardly on the rag rug. She picked it up and saw that it was full of cash.

“Max, what’s this?” she said, straightening up and holding out the envelope.

Max turned pale. “Thank you, Stevie,” he said, taking the envelope. “That’s the refund from the feed company that delivered the bad hay. I must have dropped it—I can’t believe I could be so careless.” He checked to make sure that none of the bills had dropped out, then put the envelope on a high shelf. He tucked it far behind a stack of books so that it was hidden from view.

Carole, Lisa, and Stevie noticed that the money jar for CARL was also sitting on the shelf and was almost full of change and bills. It looked like Pine Hollow had come up with a substantial donation. After hiding the envelope, Max also pushed the CARL jar behind the stack of books.