Purebred (13 page)

“Aye,” Cashel agreed. “’Tis an odd thing.”

A thing that sent suspicion skittering through Aidan.

Tim Browne had arrived at McHenry Racecourse not long before him but after Cat had made her partnership offer. It was almost as if the man had been tracking his movements and arranged the coincidence of meeting him here. So he could hotwalk Mac? Or so that he could race him? If so, why hadn’t Browne approached him the way Placido had? Why would a jockey pretend he was something other than a jockey?

Chapter Fourteen

Their sharing a bed seemed inevitable. At the end of another difficult day, the only thought that made Cat feel better was not being alone. When Aidan took her in his arms, she sensed his need, as well. He held her close. Protectively. And something inside her blossomed.

Things were getting scary between them.

It wasn’t just the sex anymore.

While she enjoyed every minute together, every kiss, every touch, Cat looked forward to what came afterward, to being held in strong arms that made her feel like she wasn’t alone.

Like she was safe.

With her head tucked against his chest, the drum of Aidan’s heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

Waking sometime later, she regretted having to leave his side. He didn’t so much as stir as she pulled away from him, slipped out of bed and pulled on some clothes.

She needed to check on the two mares she’d bred that day.

Topaz and Smokey dogged her through the kitchen. She ruffled their ears and left them behind.

The night was dark, the wind blowing in gusts as it had two nights ago. No sign of rain, though, something for which she was grateful. She didn’t need to be spooked again—over the past few days, she’d experienced enough fear for a lifetime.

As was her habit, when she entered the barn, she felt for the flashlight on its wall hook. A soft nicker from one direction and a hoof meeting a barn board from another froze her in place.

The wind soughed between the timbers.

Her heart kicked up a beat and she held her breath to listen. When she didn’t hear anything more, she grabbed the flashlight, and, clicking it on, gave a cursory sweep of the barn. The only thing she accomplished was to disturb several horses who grumbled at her.

Thinking that since she’d bred Sweetpea Sue first she should check on her first, Cat turned toward the aisle where Martin’s horses were stabled. Something didn’t feel right, but she put it to nerves. And yet…a few steps more and she swore she heard a noise behind her.

“Who’s there?” she cried, turning smack into a wall of pain.

The inside of her head lit up like a fireworks display.

And then flickered out.

* * *

A
IDAN
LUNGED
OUT
OF
A
dreamless sleep to find Cat’s side of the bed empty and both dogs barking like they were desperate to get out of the house.

Heart thundering, he called, “Cat?” and when she didn’t answer, tore out of bed and into his jeans.

The dogs came to his call. They barked at him now, their voices tinged with anger and fear. Focusing on the sound, connecting with the dogs the same way he had when they’d gone down into the ravine, he fine-tuned what they were trying to tell him.

Cat was in trouble.

No…not the nightmare come true!

He hadn’t warned her…

Shoving his feet into his boots, he grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it over his head as he rushed out of the bedroom. The dogs were ahead of him, waiting with growls at the back door even as he took his first step into the kitchen.

The horses…she must have gone out to the barn to check on them.

When Aidan opened the back door, the dogs exploded outward with him. There was no keeping them back. They raced to the barn. Just inside, they stopped and began whining.

Dear Lord, he hoped Cat was all right.

Running, he got to the entry in seconds and felt for the light switches. The barn lit up. The horses squealed and snorted. And the dogs stood guard on either side of Cat, who was sprawled facedown on the barn floor.

It hit Aidan like a hammer—the knowledge that he’d done this, that Cat being hurt, or worse, was his fault.

He’d dreamt it and he hadn’t warned her, hadn’t forbidden her from coming into the barn alone at night.

Not that she would have believed him any more than Pegeen had.

Sheelin O’Keefe had struck again, straight from her grave, and he’d let it happen. He only hoped he wasn’t too late to save another woman who’d captured his heart.

“Oohh.”

To his relief, Cat stirred, and the dogs whined and stuck their noses in her hair and Aidan dropped to his knees beside her.

“What happened?” she croaked, rolling over.

He helped her sit and cupped her chin. Gently, he turned her head so he could take a better look. Blood oozed from a cut on her forehead that slashed into her hairline. His chest tightened, for he was reminded of finding George with his head bashed in. But this veered off from what he’d seen in his sleep the night before.

“It looks as if someone wanted you unconscious.”

She tried to put a hand to the cut, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“Do not touch the wound, or you will surely put yourself in a world of pain. Do you remember anything?”

She frowned and thought a moment. “I came to check on Sweetpea Sue and Diamond Dame. I had just gotten the flashlight when I thought I heard something. I turned and…I guess someone clobbered me.”

Aidan immediately wanted to find whoever had done this to her and give him some of his own medicine. But whoever was probably long gone. And Cat was his first concern.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Had someone shot her up with something?

“No. Would you move so I can get up?”

“And your head is clear?”

“As much as it can be, considering I got hit pretty hard.”

So she wasn’t drugged. Where had that part of the dream come from?

He said, “I just wanted to make certain it was all right to let you up.”

She frowned at him then. “I can get up myself.”

Before she could try, he hooked hands under her arms and practically lifted her to her feet. The dogs crowded them, expressing their concern in low, pitiful voices.

“She is all right now,” Aidan told them. Intent on easing their distress, he patted each dog reassuringly and silently communicated—
Calm down…your mistress will be fine
—even if he didn’t quite believe it himself.

A noise issued from the rear of the barn, and both dogs went back on alert.

Aidan turned to see Bernie coming toward them.

“What the heck happened?” he demanded.

“Bernie, what are you doing here at this time of night?” Cat asked.

“I heard the commotion the dogs were making all the way back in my trailer. I came to see what was wrong. Are you okay?”

She groaned. “I’ll live.”

She would for the moment…but for how long? Aidan wondered, realizing how deep his feelings for Cat went. Surely he couldn’t lose a second woman to Sheelin’s curse.

Hoping that Bernie hadn’t had anything to do with the attack, he said, “I need to get Cat to the nearest emergency room.” Fearing she wouldn’t be able to give him directions to the hospital in her condition, he asked Bernie for that information. Then he said, “Would you look around, make certain there is no one here on the property who doesn’t belong?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“And check on the mares,” Cat added. “I never got a chance.” As Aidan headed her straight for the SUV, she stopped. “I don’t really need to see a doctor. A couple of aspirins and an ice bag will do.”

Not willing to let her beg off, Aidan lifted her into his arms and kept going toward the vehicle. She didn’t fight him, merely lay flaccid against his chest, her head tucked under his chin. His pulse was racing and his gut was in knots, and a dread he’d only once before experienced filled him. He steeled himself against showing what he was feeling.

“I beg to differ about the doctor, Cat. You could have a concussion. I will not be taking that chance.” He stopped at the SUV and set her on her feet. When he opened the passenger door for her and helped her into the seat, he realized the dogs were there, waiting for an invitation to get in. “Sorry, you cannot come,” he said, and closed the door.

The dogs sat and watched with sorrowful eyes as he rounded the vehicle, got behind the wheel and fetched Cat’s keys from where she kept them in a compartment above his head. Starting the car, he glanced at her and realized how shaken she appeared to be.

“How bad is the pain?”

“Bearable. I just want to close my eyes and go back to sleep.”

“No sleeping until you have been checked over.”

Once on the road, he pulled out his cell phone and called the authorities, who promised to send someone to the E.R. to take a report, as well as to the farm to investigate the scene of the crime.

“Talk to me and keep talking,” he urged Cat.

“About what?”

“Anything. I just need to know that you are all right. Tell me about your horses.”

Cat did as he asked. “Dangerous Illusion—that’s my stallion—” she reminded him “—was born on the farm. Dad bred his sire and dam and foaled him for Martin Bradley, who raced him as a two-year-old and as a three-year-old. Dangerous Illusion was fast, but despite his lineage he wasn’t a champion. He won a few Grade 2 and Grade 3 races, but he never made the big time. He was difficult, too. Temperamental. He can be impossible at times. But when he cooperates, he makes beautiful foals.”

“So your father bought him from Bradley?”

“Actually, I did when I took over the business.”

Aidan only listened with half an ear. His attention wandered to Pegeen and how she’d died because he’d thrown caution to the wind and had defied the curse and he hadn’t done what was necessary to stop her. As a result, he’d put her in mortal danger and had lost her. He’d thought the curse was over, had even thought he might be able to find happiness again. At the moment, his emotions were in overdrive, proof that he’d been unable to keep himself from becoming overly attached to Cat.

Apparently, he was falling in love with her.

Apparently, the curse wasn’t over.

The moment he’d allowed himself to hope there was some happiness in his future, it was taken from him.

But did it have to be this time?

He had to tell Cat about the curse and about the warning in his dreams, but would she believe him any more than Pegeen had? Remembering how close-minded she’d been about his psychic connection with Mac, Aidan wasn’t certain that she would. She’d compared him to her ex-husband, who’d lied to her and had betrayed her. Would she think the same of him, that he was lying to get close to her?

Still, he had to find some way to tell her. To warn her. To make her believe him when he told her that her life could be in danger.

And if he couldn’t convince her, what then?

Chapter Fifteen

By the time Cat was released from the hospital, it was midmorning the next day. The doctor had insisted on keeping her overnight for observation. After making out a report with the uniformed officer who had come to the hospital, she’d slept only to be awakened once an hour to make sure she didn’t have a concussion. And Aidan had spent the night in a semicomfortable-looking chair.

He looked absolutely haggard.

“I’m sorry you missed Mac’s morning workout.”

“It couldn’t be helped. Nadim took Mac out on the track. His time was a bit off yesterday, but only by less than two seconds.”

Not good,
Cat thought, but she didn’t care to point that out to a man who was probably worried already. She didn’t need to add to his burden. He should have gone to the racetrack for the morning workout and come back for her.

“You can still go out there after you let me off—”

“Nah, nah, I will not be doing that until I am sure you are safe.” He hesitated a moment and added, “Your life may be in danger.”

How he could be confident of any such thing, she wasn’t certain. Still, she had to remain positive. She wouldn’t live in fear.

“It was a random event, Aidan, probably a thief just looking for something he could take and hock and I interrupted him.” She had to believe that. The alternative—that it was someone she knew—was unthinkable. “I won’t go out to the barn alone at night anymore.”

“The authorities did not find any indication of mischief or theft.”

“Maybe my walking in on him was enough to scare the intruder away.”

“I would like to think that.”

“What
do
you think?”

“That I’m to blame.”

Cat started. “You? Why would you say that?”

“’Tis the McKennas’ lot to lose the people they care about.”

He cared about her? Her pulse quickened. “I don’t understand.”

“’Tis a curse.”

She listened to his story about Sheelin O’Keefe and Donal McKenna, and how when Donal left the supposed witch for another woman, Sheelin cursed his progeny to put their loved ones in mortal danger.

“You certainly have an open mind,” Cat said. “You believe in a psychic connection with your horses. And now a witch’s curse.”

“You think I am making all this up?” He sounded upset.

“I think you have an Irish sense of whimsy.”

“Is that what it is?”

“It makes a good story.”

“’Tis all true!” Aidan argued. “My family has lost too many loved ones to think otherwise.”

“Everyone loses someone they care about.”

“But not always the person who is their soul mate.”

Was there such a thing? “Your mother is still alive, isn’t she?”

“Aye, but she wasn’t my da’s true love. He let the woman who has his heart go rather than bring Sheelin’s curse on her head.”

Cat frowned. “Did your mother know this when she married him?”

“That she did, indeed. She loved Da, and Da treats her with the greatest respect. ’Tis only occasionally the melancholy sets in him and he drinks to forget.”

“But no one died.”

“Not that time, because Da avoided the curse.”

What other time was he referring to? she wondered. “What a sad life your father must lead believing in curses and therefore never accepting love.” And how sad that Aidan was following in his footsteps.

“So you refuse to believe me.”

Cat realized he sounded angry and upset that she didn’t. As incredible as this curse thing sounded, she could sense he really did believe in it.

“No offense, Aidan. I’m not sure my sense of whimsy was ever that advanced. Or if it was, Jack killed it for me.”

Aidan made a strangled sound. “Perhaps you need to open your mind. Many things in the world have no logical explanation.”

What wasn’t he saying? “I’m just not there. I’m sorry, Aidan, but none of this makes sense to me. I simply don’t believe it. If you’re letting this supposed curse rule your life, then I feel sorry for you.”

“’Tis you that gives me worry.”

“Stop worrying, please. I’m fine.”

He’d said something about caring. Was that why he was so worried about her? Was that why he was telling her all this? Did he think he was in love with her?

Her heart nearly stopped at the thought.

Surely not. They barely knew each other. And yet…

She knew Aidan well enough to realize that he was a man of honor, one whose feelings ran deep, one who worked hard and dreamed big. They came from the same world of Thoroughbred horses, and that world was their life. They had more in common than not.

Aidan McKenna was exactly the kind of man she’d always hoped to have in her life.

Burned by the emotionally destructive relationship with her ex-husband, having thought she would never be attracted to another horseman, Cat had complex feelings about Aidan.

Jack was a liar and a cheat.

Aidan was a man she could count on.

Who else but another horseman—an honorable one—would understand her, share in her triumphs, support her when things went wrong?

Thinking about it—examining her own feelings—was too much for Cat right now, so she tucked the disturbing thoughts away. At some later date, she would take them out and analyze them.

Just not now.

As the SUV turned onto farm property, Cat realized they had company. A police car sat in front of the house, and Detective Wade Pierce leaned on the hood waiting for them. Aidan pulled up next to the police car, then hopped out and rushed around to the passenger door to help Cat out. Though she was still moving slowly and her head throbbed if she turned it too fast, she was feeling better than she had even a few hours ago. She walked toward Pierce, Aidan supporting her with an arm around her back that felt really good. And right.

“Detective Pierce, I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I called the hospital and they told me you’d been released, so I figured I might as well come straight to the farm.”

“I didn’t know you worked attempted burglaries.”

“I don’t. Can we go inside? You’re not looking too good. You probably need to sit down.”

That didn’t make Cat happy. Why did she need to sit? Had he found out something definitive about George’s murder and was reluctant to tell her?

She let Aidan lead her inside. “The dogs aren’t here.”

“I called earlier. Bernie said he would feed them. They have probably followed him, wherever he is.”

Sitting, she asked, “So what is it, Detective? You learned something about George?”

“Afraid not. I have more bad news. This time it’s about Helen Fox.”

“The veterinarian?” Aidan asked.

“Yes.” Cat could hardly catch her breath. “What happened?”

“I’m afraid she’s dead.”

Cat gasped and Aidan clasped her shoulder to let her know he was there to support her.

“The cleaning woman found her body this morning, but we think she was murdered about thirty-six hours ago.”

“Murdered?” Cat could hardly fathom it. First George, now Helen. She’d never known another person who’d been murdered and here there were two people she’d known well in the space of a month. “No wonder I couldn’t scare her up yesterday. I called several times.”

“Yes, we know. We found her cell phone and ran through all her messages.”

“What happened?” Aidan asked.

“The paramedics who brought her in thought she’d had a heart attack—”

“But she’s only in her early forties!” Cat said.

“Which is why the ME performed an autopsy. There was one needle mark in her back and another in her neck. It seems that she was sedated and then injected with a second drug intravenously.”

Cat cried out. “Are you saying she was euthanized like a horse?”

“Exactly like she would have put down a horse or any other animal. The drugs were right there in her office.”

“Oh, no,” Cat whispered.

“’Tis a terrible thing,” Aidan said. “Do you have any idea of who the murderer might be?”

“Obviously someone familiar with animals and the drugs and method used to euthanize them. Possibly the same person who killed George Odell.”

“They were not killed in the same way, so how do you make that connection?” Aidan asked.

“They have something in common. This farm.” He locked gazes with Cat. “And you. All three incidents in less than a month.”

Cat’s pulse leaped, and Aidan seemed to sense it. He moved in closer so she could feel him and put his hands over her shoulders.

She tried to catch her breath. “I—I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Cat was attacked, as well.”

“I’m well aware of that, and someone could have had darker reasons for the attack than you simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m not saying you did anything illegal, Cat—at least, I hope you didn’t—but I don’t know that for certain. You and your farm are the common denominators. George Odell ran your barn and Helen Fox vetted your horses. I can’t say whether or not you’ve been involved in whatever it is, but I have to learn the truth of the matter.”

“Accusing the lass is ridiculous—”

“It’s not an accusation. It’s simply something I have to investigate and hopefully rule out.”

With a glance out the kitchen window, Cat saw that two police vehicles were coming down her drive and heading for the barn. “What’s going on?”

From inside his sports jacket, Pierce pulled out a sheaf of papers. “This is a warrant to search the premises.” He put the paperwork on the table and slid it toward her.

“You didn’t need a warrant. You can search every inch of the place if it will help you find George’s murderer.” She glared at it and then glared at him. “I want to nail whoever did it as much as you do. No,
more
than you do. He was family to me.”

“And Helen?” Pierce watched her closely.

“I only knew Helen professionally, but of course I want see her killer caught!”

“Good. Evidence techs will be doing a more thorough search on your property this time.”

“What will they look for?” Cat asked.

“George’s blood, for one.”

Cat shuddered and was glad for Aidan’s support. She hoped against hope that one of her broodmare owners wouldn’t simply show up while the evidence techs were at work. Remembering the argument between Martin and Dean, she knew both men could quickly lose their tempers. That could prove to be a disaster for business.

“So your techs will look for blood in the barn?”

“Everywhere, Cat. Including in this house. I’m sorry, but we have to be thorough. I’ll have one of my men stay here with you in the kitchen. You won’t be able to go into the other rooms until we’re done. Either one of you.”

“The lass needs to lie down.” Aidan’s tone was reasonable. “She was desperately hurt last night.”

Pierce gave him an unsympathetic expression. “Then perhaps you’d better take her to a motel.”

“I’m not leaving my farm!” Cat said. “If you find something, I want to be here to see it for myself.”

Cat stubbornly stayed put despite her throbbing head. She even refused Aidan’s idea to get back into the SUV’s passenger seat and recline the back so she could rest for a while. The search of her home felt like a personal violation, but she put her own feelings on the back burner. She understood the police had to look at everyone. If only they’d done so when she’d asked. They’d be lucky to find any evidence now.

“What can I get you to eat?” Aidan asked.

“Nothing. My stomach is in too much of a knot to eat. Help yourself, though.”

The wait seemed interminable.

Barely an hour later, Pierce himself came back into the house to deliver the news. “We found it. Blood in the barn.”

Cat caught her breath. “Mares give birth in that barn.”

“It’s not anywhere that you’d find that kind of blood. There’s a distinct pattern—”

“I want to see it.”

“Cat, no!” Aidan protested.

But she was already on her feet and heading toward the back door. She glanced once to make sure Pierce and Aidan were following, then left the house. By the time she got halfway to the barn, her stomach was tied up in knots.

And as she drew closer, she could see the evidence technicians had put up yellow tape around the area they were investigating.

Crime scene tape.

“Is that really necessary?” Cat could only imagine the horror her clients would feel when they saw it.

“I’m afraid so,” Pierce said. “It shouldn’t be there more than a day or so. It’s possible we might have to come back to look for additional evidence.” When they got to the barn, he lifted the tape and let her and Aidan enter the secured area. “The blood wasn’t visible to the naked eye. We used a chemical spray that caused the blood to fluoresce under the right light.”

Pierce gave one of the evidence techs the high sign and then shut off the overhead lights. The tech turned on an ultraviolet light and shone it over boards between two aisles. A splatter on the boards glowed in the dark, and to Cat, it looked like a pattern that could have been made when George’s head was smashed with a heavy object.