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Nikki bounced on her toes, ecstatic about the turn of events. There was no longer any fear of Rick suspending Chico—not when his wife was so keen to ride the horse. Now there were also two security guards posted at each end of Chico’s shedrow. And Rick was sticking to their new jockey like a burr. No way would Durant get past him.
Somehow Ana had managed the one possible feat that would allow Chico to stay.
“How did you know?” Nikki asked, shaking her head in admiration.
Ana’s smile was deservedly smug. “When Rick used your real name and took you to his Jeep, I knew we were in big trouble. His wife was in the next shedrow so I ran over and asked her to exercise Chico. She promised if they got along, she’d ride him in the race.”
Ana thrust a triumphant fist in the air. “And they got along great. Chico floated over the track. Eve is a quiet rider. I know he’ll try hard for her.”
“I’m so relieved,” Nikki said. “I thought I’d messed everything up.”
“No way. You helped us escape Durant. And got Chico here, safe and ready to run. Eve said he strutted around the track like a rock star.”
Chico looked like he was ready to race. He’d returned from his morning exercise with a glint in his eye and a bounce in his step. Gunner was now tied in front of his stall while Chico tugged at his hay net, dropping stalks of hay and playfully lipping them off the dog’s back.
“Is Eve as good as your original jockey?” Nikki asked, rather curious about Rick’s beautiful wife with the flashing eyes and confident smile.
“Yes. She doesn’t have Gary’s experience but probably has more natural talent. She was a jockey on the rise at Santa Anita a while back but doesn’t like to ride green horses anymore. Not after her second baby. She took out a training license though and still rides select horses. So she’s in good shape.”
Nikki nodded. Her first impression of Eve had been that she was petite but every inch an athlete. “Does she know your situation with Chico? Why the race is so important?”
“Yes, that’s why she’s doing it. She’s a big supporter of the track community and started a child care program here. We have some mutual friends who work in the kitchen. She’ll do her best to help Chico win. And she’s not afraid of Durant. I don’t think she’s afraid of anything.”
Eve certainly knew how to handle her husband. And Rick had a powerful personality. Earlier he’d claimed there was no way he was changing his mind about Chico. Yet Eve had done it without any drama, simply by climbing on the horse.
Admittedly Rick hadn’t been pleased. His concern that his wife had stepped into Durant’s firing line had been obvious. Nikki wouldn’t want Durant plotting against anyone she loved either. There didn’t seem to be any limits on what the man might do.
Yet Rick hadn’t tried to stop Eve from riding. And he’d said nothing more about banning Chico. Clearly his wife’s happiness was paramount, and he wasn’t about to interfere with her riding career. Maybe Chico had no real chance of winning but at least he’d be able to compete. Certainly Chico and Eve didn’t act like underdogs. They both had a natural swagger.
Durant might be even more worried about the emergence of this more-talented jockey. But if he planned to hurt Chico or Eve, he’d have to do it soon. The race was less than three hours away.
Nikki pivoted, scanning the road, the horse path and the adjacent shedrow, checking for anyone who looked out of place.
“You can stop worrying,” Ana said, following her gaze. “Eve is sequestered in the jockeys’ room and Chico has track security. I admit he’s a longshot. But without you, he never would have made it to the track. And I still have a chance to own him. That was always the intent of the agreement.”
Nikki gave a tight smile. That agreement might have been intended to reward loyal workers but it had created misery after Durant Sr. died. And though everyone seemed safe now, she couldn’t shake her unease. Chico was worth millions as a stud. Durant would be furious if the horse was shipped to Chile. No doubt he wished Ana would drop dead.
Everyone was focused on protecting Chico and his new jockey. But maybe Ana was the real target. The sloping hill behind the adjacent barn would provide the perfect spot for a shooter. Once Ana left the shedrow, even if it was only to walk to the washrooms, she’d be an easy mark.
“Do you happen to know,” Nikki asked, keeping her voice casual, “what would happen if you died before Chico’s race?”
Ana gave a satisfied smile. “If my death were within twenty-four hours of Chico’s win, my heirs would own the horse. So five o’clock yesterday was the cutoff. Durant will not gain anything by killing me. Not now.”
“So that’s why you were hiding in Chico’s stall yesterday. You must have been terrified. Counting down the hours. ”
“Yes, too afraid to take Chico for his morning grass. It helped that you reported the bone that Gunner found. Nothing much could happen while the police were around. And then you appeared like a guardian angel. Stopping that guard and getting us here safely.” She swallowed, her throat moving convulsively. “Muchas gracias.”
Nikki squeezed Ana’s hand. The gratitude felt good, coming after Rick’s scornful dismissal of her skills. “Gunner was a big help,” she said. “And we still need Chico to win. Gunner can’t help with that.”
“No, he can’t,” Ana said. “But we are here. Just one more win. I’ve been working a long time for this. Living in fear. Afraid I’d end up buried with the horses.”
Nikki tilted forward, locking on Ana’s words. Durant had said something similar last night. At the time, she hadn’t taken his words literally.
“Are horses buried on the property?” she asked.
Ana shrugged and stared at her feet, as usual not wanting to talk about the threats and abuse—or anything related to Durant. Nikki had always respected that wish. However, the implications of a burial ground were too chilling to ignore.
“You keep referring to what Gunner found yesterday as a bone,” she went on. “But it wasn’t an old horse skull. It was a human arm. Is it possible Durant buried more than horses?”
Ana wrapped her arms around her chest, still studying the ground.
“Do you really believe the severed arm was from a morgue?” Nikki asked. “Or is that the easy explanation?”
Ana gave a choking sob, and Nikki’s heart went out to her. She gentled her voice. “You said some of the staff left. Did they leave unexpectedly? Is there a chance someone is buried with the horses?”
“Maybe,” Ana admitted. She dropped on the straw bales, her voice twisting with anguish. “But I can’t say anything. Jorge has a sister in Texas. Durant threatened to kill her.”
“He can’t do anything if he’s in prison.”
“But the police might not even charge him. I can’t risk it.”
“Justin is a homicide detective. He can tell us the best approach.”
“But it will take too long. It’s too risky.”
Nikki fought her frustration. Ana might never be persuaded to talk. True, legal channels would be slow and possibly ineffectual, especially considering Durant’s control of the local police. But it went against her code to stand back and let him get away with murder.
“Are the horses buried on the south side?” she asked, remembering the headstones she’d spotted yesterday. There’d also been a monument, although there hadn’t seemed to be any fresh dirt. “Are the graves marked with headstones?”
“Not anymore,” Ana said dully. “Old Mr. Durant had monuments for his best studs. He honored some other horses with headstones. But that all stopped when he died and his son took over. Now the horses are just walked into the woods.”
Ana raised her head, her eyes moist with unshed tears. “Some of the horses they took away were healthy. They just weren’t fast enough to satisfy Durant. Chico would always be upset when he heard the gunshots... He seemed to know.”
Nikki sank down beside Ana, absorbing this new information.
“Do you know the location in the woods?” she asked.
“No. They did it in the morning when we were working with the horses. And the property is huge. I’ve never been brave enough to follow any of the trails. But Gloria was.”
“Did she tell you anything?”
“No, but I could see she was frightened. A week later, she disappeared. She might have gone back to Panama...but no one has heard from her.”
Ana stopped talking, the pensive silence punctuated by Chico’s rhythmic chewing. Moments later, she spoke again. “You said the arm was from a man, not a woman. That gives me hope.”
It didn’t leave Nikki very hopeful. Perhaps Gloria was safe; however, she feared there was an unfortunate soul buried somewhere on Durant’s property. Maybe more than one. But at least Ana was talking.
“Did anybody else not show up for work? Unexpectedly?”
“Staff came and went all the time,” Ana said. “In the winter, workers drifted down from the north. Most of them left in the spring.”
“Because of the weather?”
“No, bigger tracks have higher purses and most trainers pay a bonus when their horses win. Durant only wants the prestige of winning. He’s not like his father. He would never pay bonuses.”
Or honor worker contracts, Nikki thought. Yet in spite of all the barriers, Ana had succeeded in guiding Chico to a successful string of races. And put Durant in the rare position of losing his horse to an employee.
“Can we talk more about this later?” Ana said. “I need to stay calm, for Chico’s sake.”
Nikki nodded, already weighing the possibility of obtaining a search warrant. But there wasn’t enough evidence. Only a picture of an unidentified arm in an unidentified location, along with the whispers of employees who were too frightened to talk. The local police were in Durant’s pocket so it would come down to Nikki’s word against theirs, and a private investigator had little clout with the FBI. Maybe she and Gunner could sneak onto the property and find actual human bones.
The thought made her skin crawl. She wasn’t eager to take Gunner back onto Durant’s property with its gun-wielding guards. He had barely recuperated from his last bullet. It would be too risky to sneak in there alone. Justin would never help or condone that sort of action, knowing any police evidence obtained would be useless.
“Just one last question,” she said. “I spotted a surveillance camera at the back of Durant’s driveway. Are there any more near the woods where they take the horses?”
“Yes, that’s one of the reasons Gloria was so spooked.”
“So Durant must have known she was there. And she disappeared a week later?”
“Dieu! Can’t you give it up. Going after Durant isn’t healthy.”
Nikki grinned. Tenacity was an essential quality for an investigator. But she didn’t want to upset Ana and understood why the woman didn’t want to handle Chico when she was distressed. Horses picked up on emotions even faster than dogs.
“I won’t talk about Durant again today,” she said, still smiling. “What can I do to help Chico win? Maybe take Gunner to the paddock and scare the favorite?”
Ana laughed, finally relaxing. But her gaze lifted to a spot behind Nikki and she instantly sobered. Nikki swung around.
Rick stood behind them, his forehead creased in a dark scowl. He didn’t seem to realize she’d been joking about scaring competitors’ horses. His arms were crossed, the tattoos stretched over his bulging muscles. The man didn’t need a gun to look forbidding.
“You and your dog aren’t going near the paddock,” he snapped. “You’re staying right here. So even if you attract Durant, there won’t be any threat to innocents.”
Including being a threat to his wife, Nikki thought. And the fact that he was still worried about Durant fanned her own concern.
“Is the jockeys’ room secure?” she asked.
“Yes. But the race isn’t run in the jock room. And I can’t look after everyone.”
He was a natural protector and clearly bothered by his limitations. The racetrack was a huge area and Chico and his rider would necessarily be exposed. If Eve were hurt in the post parade, it would be too late to replace the jockey and Chico would be scratched. Durant would win.
“Gunner and I can look after Ana,” she said, using her most reasonable tone. “That will leave you free to concentrate on your wife.”
Truthfully she wanted to run into Durant, to find him when he wasn’t in a position of power. He might never answer to a court: However, he’d tried to kill Gunner, had nearly raped her, and she had a score to settle. Her hands fisted in anticipation.
“You can’t take that dog over by the grandstand,” Rick said. “And you can’t leave him unattended. So you’re staying here. Where I won’t have to worry about your motivations.”
She widened her eyes, pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about. But he wasn’t fooled, nor was he moved by her frustrated huff.
When Rick turned to Ana, his voice softened. “If you and Jorge want any help in the paddock, I’ll have some people on standby. Just let me know what you need. Good luck.”
He strode down the shedrow, pausing to give last-minute instructions to his security guards who nodded and looked at him as if he were a walking god.
Ana watched Rick with a similar expression. “Mr. Talbot is a good man,” she whispered, even though he was much too far away to hear.
Perceptive too, Nikki thought. And he wasn’t that good of a man. He wouldn’t have let Chico run if his wife hadn’t committed to ride.
In actuality, she now realized Rick had a lawless streak, playing by the rules only when it suited him. And she could roll with that, if only she knew his rules. It was deflating how he’d taken over Chico’s safety while sticking her far from the action. He seemed to view both her and Gunner as undisciplined. Indeed, she wanted to find Durant and cause him some pain, but most anyone would crave payback. Especially after last night.
She rubbed her hands over her arms, remembering her helplessness, how Durant had made her feel so worthless. And how dangerously close he’d come to killing Gunner.
“Don’t be upset,” Ana said. “You should be happy that track security is taking over. Besides, the starting gate will be in the chute so you’ll still be able to see the beginning of the race. Chico will be in the one hole, next to the rail. He’ll need a good break. Otherwise he’ll be blocked in, and that’s not how he likes to run.”
Nikki pushed away the memory of Durant’s sadistic laugh—the clinking of his ugly buckle—and focused on Ana. “How does Chico like to run?”
“Up with the frontrunners,” Ana said. “There’s usually both strategy and luck involved. If he’s pinched back, he won’t be able to make up the ground. His heart is willing but he doesn’t have the closing kick of some of the younger horses.
“Even if he is up front, if the race goes too fast he won’t have the energy to fight off the closers. Hopefully, Eve can control the pace. But she can only do that if Chico comes out of the gate like a bullet.”
“Does Eve know your tactics? How she needs to ride to give Chico his best chance?”
“Yes, she’s a pro,” Ana said. “She’s in the jockey room now watching videos of his past races. She also phoned Gary in the hospital and listened to all his tips. The plan is to hustle Chico out of the gate and grab a good position. This is the only race that starts in the chute so there’s a long straight stretch to the first turn. And Chico is very calm so he’s not wasting energy. He doesn’t have a stable mate with him but Gunner is keeping him relaxed.”
That part was certainly true. Chico was munching hay, looking as nonchalant as if he were home nibbling grass in the paddock. Gunner lay by his stall door, every bit as relaxed. Clumps of wet hay and saliva dotted his hair, and he rolled onto his side, seeming to think Chico might give him a belly rub.
Nikki pulled out her freshly charged phone and clicked a picture to send to Justin. He wouldn’t see it until he was finished with his court prep but he’d be reassured that Gunner was behaving. Maybe Sonja was right and Gunner had been reacting to Nikki’s emotions. He was certainly happier having a job.
The fun was almost over though. Soon, security would escort Ana and Chico to the paddock. Eve was safe in the jock room. The only way Durant could stop Chico now was with a bullet, and he didn’t want the horse dead. He just wanted to make sure Chico lost.
An equipment malfunction might do that. Nikki’s gaze shot to Jorge’s saddle and the colorful foam pad draped over the drying rack. The crowded rack was twenty feet away and unattended. But then she remembered Eve would use her own race saddle. They were smaller and lighter than exercise saddles and kept in the jock room. So the only equipment here was Chico’s bridle.
“Don’t worry,” Ana said, gesturing at a spot beside her where a white bridle gleamed. “Jorge already cleaned the bridle and I’ve double checked all the buckles and stitching. There’s nothing left to do but wait.”
Nikki sank back down beside Ana. “Is waiting for a race always this nerve-wracking?”
“Yes.”
