The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3 (31 page)

"We don't know," Michaela said.
"Hopefully, it's a short-lived virus of some sort or an isolated case of
anxiety that he'll work through."

Camden handed Dwayne and Michaela each a drink.
They toasted. "To Rocky," Camden said.

Michaela nodded and silently prayed that her
gorgeous stallion would be as fine as Dwayne had assured her.

THE NEXT MORNING MICHAELA PULLED INTO AUDREY'S
ranch, Sampson's Corner, which was only ten minutes down the road. It was quite
a bit smaller than her own place, but pristine. Audrey had worked alongside her
husband, Charlie Sampson, for years, racing quarter horses. After Charlie died,
Audrey ran the place on her own. Charlie had left her with a substantial
insurance policy that kept her self-sufficient and able to take care of the
horses. Money wasn't a problem, but time was. Audrey found herself needing to
keep busy. That was when she'd gone back to her roots—music; she'd become a
small-time entertainment manager and went back to using her maiden name, Pratt,
for business purposes. She'd made a little here and there with new talent who
usually wound up succeeding to a certain point with Audrey, then jumping ship
to find someone bigger and better
and
located in Hollywood. The little
money she made from her the management gig went back into her ranch and charity
distributions. She took great pleasure in purchasing retired racehorses and
providing them a home where they could live out their days in peace and
solitude.

Michaela rapped on her door. Audrey appeared,
smiling. "Hi honey," she said. "You ready?"

"You bet."

"Excellent." She picked up her overnight
bag by the door. "I need to give Francisco some instructions. Come on out
with me to the barn?"

"Sure."

They took a short walk outside to where Audrey
housed her animals. She called out to her ranch hand. "Francisco?"

As they entered the breezeway, a thin, older
Hispanic man appeared.
"Sí, Señora?"
He smiled and nodded at
Michaela.

"I'm getting ready to head out. If you need
anything, call my cell. Please feel free to eat anything you like, watch TV.
The guest room is set up for you. The cat food is in the laundry room and you
know what to do with the horses. My house is your house," she said in
Spanish, which Michaela understood because she'd grown up on a ranch, too,
often working with Hispanic grooms and ranch hands. Audrey struggled to take a
key off her key ring. "Damn. Thing won't come off," she said.
"It's the house key."

"I've got one," Michaela said.
"From when I took care of your place a few months ago."

The key Audrey had been trying to get off came
loose. "Oh no, you hang on to that just in case I'm ever in a bind and
Francisco can't help out. Besides, I got it now." She handed the key to
Francisco.

"Have a nice time," he said. "
Es
bueno
here, okay."

Audrey smiled. "Okay.
Adios.
"
They started back toward Michaela's truck. "I don't know what I'd do
without him. He's been a godsend since Charlie's been gone. He takes care of
everything around here for me. Even changes my car's oil when I need it."

"It's good you have him."

"It is. Oh, and it is grand to see you,
Michaela. We always wait way too long to get together. For goodness sakes,
you're only a few miles up the road. Life really has to stop getting in the
way. I am so pleased you could join me today."

Michaela took Audrey's bag and put it in the back
of the truck. Audrey, a pretty woman, looked to be aging well, with only fine
lines around her lips and light green eyes, some freckles from the sun, and a
hint of silver weaving through her light brown hair, which for as long as
Michaela could remember had always been worn pulled straight back. When Audrey
climbed into the truck, Michaela thought her thinner than usual. Though usually
pleasant and generous, Audrey had a tendency to stress rather easily. Michaela
hoped everything was okay with her friend.

They followed the circular drive in front of
Audrey's ranch-style home. The early morning sun illuminated large paned
windows that fronted the family room, a place where memories of hot chocolate
with marshmallows warmed Michaela on crisp winter days after a riding lesson
when she was a kid. The porch swing swayed as a slight breeze billowed down
through the Coachella valley, only to be stalled by the rising dead heat of the
Indio desert.

They headed down a dirt road. Beads of
perspiration slid down Michaela's back as she leaned against the leather seat.
She rolled down the window, the combined smell of hay, dirt, horse, and manure
wafting in as they passed by Audrey's large pasture on the right, the
springtime green grass beginning to yellow with the onslaught of the summer
months. Rows of date palms lined the pasture fence, their olive-colored fronds
casting shadows that one of the foals inside the pasture chased as he tossed
his head and pawed at the ground, trying to make sense of the tricks his eyes
were playing on him. All babies seemed to be ever curious of their shadows,
human and horse alike. His mother and a few other horses spread out, enjoying
their freedom and the grass, a couple of them hard at play, nipping at each
other's rear ends, then whirling and racing down the side of the whitewashed
fence, tails waving flaglike in the air, a look of wild instinct in their big
brown eyes. God, they were beautiful to watch. Michaela couldn't help but smile.

They pulled out on to the highway, passing several
ranches along the way, heading toward Orange County. The desert sky was
cloudless, an azure blue that turned into a haze of light brown as they headed
farther west. Ah, L.A.

"So, what's new? Catch me up," Michaela
said.

"Good news. My brother, Bobby, is working for
Eq Tech. He runs all of the research studies."

"That's great. I bet you're proud,"
Michaela said. She knew how close Audrey was to her only sibling and living
relative. Bobby had been through a rough period over the last decade or so.
He'd graduated with honors from the veterinarian school at UC Davis, but a
broken heart combined with an accident where a horse had fallen on him,
breaking both his hips, led him to pain medication and alcohol dependence. The
addictions had consumed him for a time. But his sister never gave up on him, and
about a year earlier, after paying for his treatment at the Betty Ford Center,
saw him on his way to recovery. Hopefully, for both their sake, Bobby would
stay clean and sober.

"I am. He's worked so hard, and they seem to be
real happy with him there."

"I use some of Eq Tech's products. Good
stuff. Seems to work well with my horses. Ethan recommends their
products." Michaela glanced over at Audrey feeling her eyes on her.

"Ethan. Yes. Have you seen him lately?"
Audrey asked, referring to Michaela's childhood friend and now veterinarian.

Michaela shrugged. "You know he comes by monthly
to give Legend to one of my older mares."

"Really? I would think you could give that to her.
You know how to do an IV injection."

Michaela sighed. She could see Audrey nodding and
smiling from the corner of her eye. "I know what you're getting at. I like to
have him out because I, well, because it's good to have him come by and I can
ask hime questions about any other issues I might have with the horses."

"Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that."

"Audrey were friends. That's it. And I don't
think his new wife thinks much of our friendship." Michaela waved her
hand. "I don't want to go into it. Tell me more about this thing with
Bob."

Audrey gave her a look that told her she'd drop
the inquisition,
for now.
"Yes. Eq Tech…well, I don't use much of
the supplements myself, though I have been giving some to that colt you just
saw. Been awhile since I had a baby at home. Thought I might make sure he gets
the best. The other horses I have are kind of pets, you know. And…" She
smiled. "I suppose I pride myself in being budget-minded. Bob is good
enough to give me Eq Tech samples from time to time. I just can't see spending
that kind of money on vitamins."

Audrey had always been thrifty. But the woman was
never cheap with her relationships. Once she made a connection it was a
lifetime thing, as it had been between Michaela and her. Michaela had total
respect and admiration for Audrey, who had taken her under her wing as a kid
and introduced her to the show circuit. Michaela's dad and Uncle Lou had taught
her the ways of the ranch and the ranch horse. She'd learned how to ride like a
cowgirl. But it was Audrey who had recognized talent and put her through her
paces in the show ring, until Michaela's family wound up having financial
difficulties and could no longer pay the entry fees. "Yes, they are
expensive vitamins."

"I'm just pleased Bob is working for them. I
can't wait to get a look at his mug tonight. He had me a bit worried when I saw
him recently."

"Really? Why?"

"I don't know. He seemed preoccupied.
Edgy."

"Oh." Michaela didn't want to voice the
question running through her mind, but Audrey answered it for her.

"No, I don't think he's using drugs again, or
drinking. He just seemed distracted is all. He also gave me one of those
large-sized envelopes to give to
your vet
, Ethan. I think there was a
study in there he wanted Ethan to look at. He said that since we lived so
close, it would be easier if I gave it to him this week because he knew that
Ethan was going to be out of town for a few days and Bob was afraid he'd forget
to get it to him. He knew he was going to be busy with the track and over at Eq
Tech. Now, I've got that envelope out in my office in the barn, and I sure hope
Ethan doesn't need it real bad. Anyway, Bob can be eccentric. When I pressed
him on what was going on in his life, he told me it had to do with a woman, and
some stuff going on at work. Jealousy in the company, that sort of thing. I
tried to press him even more about it, but he insisted it was nothing. He
clammed up and it bothered me, but I know my place, and I figured it was time
for me to shut up, if you know what I mean. If you see
your vet
before I
do, let him know that I have a file Bob thought he might want to look at. Some
kind of research thing apparently."

"I'm sure Bob is fine, and it'll be great to
see him. I think it's been a couple of years since I saw him last." And,
Michaela recalled, it hadn't been pretty. A drunken Bob Pratt had made a scene
at Audrey's Memorial Day party. She decided against bringing it up. "What
do you think? Today's races going to be fun? It seems like every year, there's
some type of craziness going on. If we don't hear about someone screwing
someone over, or screwing someone else's wife, then it wouldn't be the races.
What good dirt do you think we're in for today?"

"Oh, honey, today's races will be more than
dirty. I am afraid the shit might fly. I got a feeling that today might prove
to be downright…well, how do I put this? Different to say the least and
sticky—even ugly—if I don't watch my step. I'm going to need your help to make
it through."

Michaela stared at her, at first thinking she was
kidding. But the strain in Audrey's face told Michaela that she was dead
serious.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" MICHAELA'S STOMACH
tightened. "I don't like the sound of that."

"You know, I realize that you've only met
Kathleen Bowen a few times and she's even more high maintenance since the
divorce." Audrey shook her head. "She's just not herself, and I need
to ask a favor of you. It would be a good idea if you didn't mention that we're
going over to Hugh's place tomorrow morning to look at horses."

"You mentioned to me that we were going to
check out horses, but you didn't say anything about doing it at Hugh Bowen's
place."

"I didn't?" Audrey asked, not
convincingly.

"No. I think I'd remember that. It's not
exactly every day that I visit the wealthiest and most famous racing quarter
horse breeder in the country, not to mention restaurateur."

"Well, honey, it's not as if you haven't met
Hugh before. We've known each other for years."

"I know, but, I haven't been to his place.
It's kind of…I don't know, overwhelming. I understand it's the Taj Mahal of
training facilities."

"True. Hugh, he's good man. Good natured.
Even so, he's Kathleen's ex-husband, and she
is
my friend."

"Let me guess, she has that you-can't-talk-to-my-ex
thing going on?"

"It goes a bit deeper," Audrey replied.
"It has to do with Olivia."

"Their daughter is an adult; what's the deal?"
Michaela asked. "Don't tell me they've pinned the kid between them. I hate
when parents do that." In some ways, Michaela was happy she'd never been
able to have a baby with her ex-husband. Surely she'd have figured him out at
some point and wanted out of their marriage, and she'd never want to put a
child through that. Her parents had been married for forty years and counting,
and she was thankful they'd stayed together throughout the years, for better or
worse.

"Kathleen has very high expectations for her
daughter. She wants Olivia to be the next Carrie Underwood. And she could very
well be on her way after tonight. Being a part of the opening entertainment is
great for her. She's on right before Steve Benz."

"I've heard of him."

"He's moving his way up the charts; she's not
yet. He's becoming quite the star, and Kathleen wants to see the same thing
happen for her daughter. You know why I manage Olivia's career, don't
you?"

"Because you're connected and you were in the
business yourself for years," Michaela replied.

Audrey shook her head and frowned. "Sure, I
thought I'd be the next Dolly Parton or Loretta Lynn. I started out my music
career playing with Kathleen. It's how we became friends."