‘Daniel, it’s Anya.’
It was the next day and Daniel had stopped the lorry in a car park on the edge of Dartmoor to give Taz a good run in his lunch break. It was a place he’d parked before, its location ideal to let him walk on the rising ground of the moor while keeping the vehicle in sight the whole time; important as he still had a good half of his load on board.
‘Anya.’ Daniel was surprised but pleased to hear from her. He had found himself thinking about her a few times in the last couple of days. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘Well, it might be what I can do for you,’ she said, intriguingly. ‘If you’re still interested in our friend Billy Driscoll?’
‘I am,’ he said, stopping and turning to the side to shelter his phone from the weather. It had been raining non-stop all day and was beginning to run and pool on the roads, catching unwary motorists. With the ground clearance of the lorry he had not been affected too badly, but he’d passed several stranded car drivers, up to their axles in water with engines flooded by the wash from their own or other vehicles. Doom-mongers were already beginning to draw parallels with the onset of weeks of flooding, a couple of winters before.
‘So, what have you found out?’ he asked Anya.
‘Well, nothing concrete, as yet, but I’ve had a call from a lady called Emily Rathbone. She’s a long-time greyhound enthusiast who’s had one or two racing dogs of her own. I’ve known her for quite a while.’
‘Not the kind of friend I’d have picked for you,’ Daniel commented.
‘Well, no, not on the surface, but although I haven’t been able to get her to see the error of her ways so far, she is, at least, an owner with a conscience. She has supported my rescue very handsomely over the years and the dogs she’s owned have retired into her keeping – until now, that is. Unfortunately, when her last dog retired, she already had so many, she didn’t have the room to keep it at her home, so, unknown to me, she made an arrangement with Driscoll, who’s been training for her since her previous trainer retired. Anyway, apparently he offered to look after the dog in comfortable retirement, in return for which she pays him a not inconsiderable fee.’
‘I see.’ In the light of what Shane had told him, Daniel thought he probably did see, quite accurately.
‘Mm, well, it so happens that one of Emily’s other retired dogs has been suffering from spondylosis – something greys are prone to, especially ex-racers – and last week it sadly had to be put to sleep. So, Emily now has room for Lily at home, which pleases her, as well as promising to save her a good deal of money.’
‘Let me guess,’ Daniel cut in. ‘Driscoll hasn’t got the dog any more.’
‘Well, he hasn’t admitted as much, yet, but he’s told her it’s not convenient for her to pick the dog up at present – apparently there is a virus in his kennel. This was a month ago, since which time he’s avoided her calls. Emily isn’t stupid, however, she’s still got contacts within the industry and they have told her that there’s nothing wrong with Driscoll’s dogs – he was, in fact, at a race meeting last week with some of them. So she has begun to get suspicious and plans to call in on Driscoll unannounced and demand to see her dog.’
‘Ah,’ Daniel said. ‘That might not be the best idea. I trust you managed to dissuade her.’
‘Well, not exactly,’ Anya said. ‘She was aware that Driscoll might not be too happy to find her on his doorstep, which is why she asked me if I’d go with her …’
‘And you said …?’
‘Well, I couldn’t let her go alone, could I? But then I thought of you.’
‘OK …’ Daniel said slowly. ‘And when have you planned this pleasure trip for?’
‘We thought perhaps Wednesday – tomorrow,’ she said. ‘Unless you’re busy?’
‘I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do,’ he said drily.
‘Great! Will you be OK to pick us up on your way, if Emily comes here?’
They agreed a time and Daniel put his phone back in an inside pocket, wondering whether the proposed bearding of Driscoll in his den was really such a good idea. He found that Taz had returned to his side and was regarding him eagerly; conveying his impatience with a series of high-pitched German shepherd nose whistles.
‘I know; I know,’ he told the dog. ‘We came out to walk, not to talk. Well, come on then – what’re you waiting for? Sitting there whingeing when you could be chasing bunnies!’
Taz jumped up at him and then bounded off, happy to have got Daniel moving again.
By the evening of the following day, the rain had finally stopped but the wind was rising once again and the weather forecast on Daniel’s cab radio was full of dire predictions for the next few days. ‘The calm before the storm’ was the cliché of choice and while some of the accumulated surface water began to drain away, some people could be seen busily filling sandbags in preparation for worse to come.
Daniel drove to Longdogs Rescue in happy anticipation of spending more time with Anya, but wishing it could be in less potentially unpleasant circumstances, and more particularly without a third party along for the ride.
In her yard, sandbags were very much in evidence and rainwater had collected in a long muddy pool outside the kennels.
‘Still dry inside?’ he asked as Anya appeared in the doorway of her house, accompanied by a wiry, elderly lady with greying blonde hair cut in an ageless bob and tanned skin that showed pale in the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. Daniel suspected she might spend a lot of time outside or more probably abroad. Both ladies wore anoraks and wellies, and Anya had on a leather bush hat, the shadow of which seemed to accentuate the clean, sculpted lines of her face.
‘Dry at the moment,’ she said. ‘But the roof of the end kennel is leaking, so I’ve had to bring two more dogs inside. I can hardly move in there! Daniel, this is Emily Rathbone. Emily: Daniel Whelan, a friend of mine.’
Daniel shook Emily’s hand, murmuring a greeting and, emboldened by her introduction, leaned forward and exchanged air kisses with Anya, who favoured him with a quizzical look as they parted.
The journey to Driscoll’s kennels took longer than it had on Daniel’s previous visit because the roads in the vicinity of Barnsworthy were already suffering from the bad weather. The village pond by the Reckless Toad had overflowed and one side of the road was closed to traffic. As they slowed to negotiate the flood at a sensible speed, Emily cast a nervous look at the trees that lined the lane ahead, which were bowing and tossing in the strengthening wind.
‘I hope we don’t get stuck. I should feel it was my fault,’ she said, leaning forward to speak between the front seats.
‘I don’t think it’s very deep,’ Daniel said, reassuringly. ‘As long as the trees stay up, we should be OK.’
‘Yes, that’s what I was worrying about,’ Emily said. ‘Are we nearly there?’
‘Haven’t you been before?’ Daniel asked.
‘No. My old trainer died – a heart attack; it was very sudden, and I was in a bit of a hole because his son wanted to wrap up the business as soon as possible. I was introduced to Mr Driscoll on a race night and he offered to arrange the transfer of my dogs. I can’t say I took to him at the start, so I suppose it was poor-spirited of me not to turn him down and look for someone I liked more, but I was under pressure to move them and he more or less took over. But the thing is, he doesn’t encourage owners to visit. He says it upsets the dogs. Well I love my dogs and when he told me that, I’d probably have taken my dogs somewhere else if I’d just been starting out, but I only had Lily and her sister left and they were both close to retirement, so I just went along with it. The thing is, at my age, you sometimes take the easier option just to avoid a fuss,’ she added, with a touch of wistfulness.
The appearance of the signpost to the kennels forestalled any further comment and in the rear-view mirror, Daniel could see Emily glancing from side to side as they drove down the track, doubtless taking in the untidy state of the paddocks either side, visible even in the gloom of the overcast evening.
As the Mercedes drew up in front of the kennels, Daniel noted the absence of Driscoll’s van with a certain measure of foreboding. The obvious disadvantage of a surprise visit was that they might have chosen a time when the man was out.
‘Oh, I hope he’s here. I’d hate it to have been a wasted journey for you all,’ Emily said, echoing his thoughts, and through the open window of the car they could hear the barking of dogs somewhat bigger and fiercer than the greyhounds.
‘Apparently, he’s got a couple of Dobermans,’ Daniel told the old lady. ‘But it sounds like they’re shut in. Shall I go and see if anyone’s about?’
He had only just stepped out of the car when the door in the corner of the yard opened to reveal a large figure in a bottle-green boiler suit. Seeing Daniel, he took a step backwards.
‘That’s Davy. Billy’s brother,’ Anya said, leaning across the seat.
Daniel had guessed as much.
‘Hi, Davy!’ he called in a friendly fashion, remembering what Shane had told him.
‘Billy ain’t here,’ Davy said, starting to pull the door shut between him and the uninvited visitors.
‘Davy, wait!’
Davy shook his head, looking anxious, but the door remained at least partially open as Daniel approached.
‘No, I can’t talk to you. I’m not supposed to speak to visitors,’ he said. ‘Billy doesn’t like it.’
‘But Billy’s not here, is he?’ Daniel said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘So if you don’t tell him and I don’t, he won’t know, will he?’
‘He’ll find out,’ Davy said looking from side to side and then, bizarrely glancing upwards, as if expecting his brother to be watching him from on high. ‘I’m not s’posed to talk to people, see?’ he repeated and the door began to close again.
‘But that doesn’t mean me, does it?’ Anya’s voice spoke softly from behind Daniel and Davy hesitated once more. ‘We’re old friends, aren’t we, Davy?’
‘Billy says I mustn’t talk to no one when he’s not here,’ Davy said, becoming ever more agitated, but his eyes rested on Anya with obvious pleasure.
‘Where is Billy, then?’ Anya said, and Daniel stood to one side and let her take over the conversation, as Davy seemed drawn to her, unsurprisingly, he felt.
‘He’s at the track, trying out some yearlings,’ Davy told her.
‘Which track, Davy?’
‘Yarnbridge.’
‘Well, that’s all right then, isn’t it? You can talk to us.’
‘I suppose so.’ Davy didn’t seem to see any flaw in this rather vague reasoning.
‘Davy knows all the dogs by name, don’t you, Davy?’ she continued, smiling at him.
‘Yeah. I like the dogs, they’re my friends.’
‘Which one’s your favourite?’
‘Binky. She’s pretty, she is, and she licks my face when I go in to feed her.’
‘Can we see Binky? Can you show her to us?’ Anya asked.
Davy looked worried again and shook his head.
‘I’m not s’posed to let anyone in to see the dogs. It’s security. They’re valuable dogs, you see.’
‘We won’t touch her. We’ll just look through the door,’ Anya told him. ‘You know I wouldn’t hurt them, don’t you, Davy? I love the dogs, too. I’ve got lots of dogs.’
Davy glanced doubtfully at Daniel.
‘Daniel loves dogs, too,’ she assured him. ‘That’s Daniel’s dog in the car.’
Davy took a step forward and peered at the parked Mercedes, from which Taz stared back intently. He returned his attention to Anya.
‘Well, I s’pose it wouldn’t hurt. Billy couldn’t have meant you, could he?’ he reasoned, giving himself permission to accede to her request, as he so obviously desperately wanted to.
‘No. I’ve known Billy a long while, haven’t I?’ Anya said, following up her advantage. She smiled again and Davy’s mind was made up. He came through the door and shut it carefully behind him.
He led the way along the front of the enclosed kennel block to the door, and taking a key from the pocket of his boiler suit, opened it and went inside. Hard on his heels, Anya and Daniel followed, and Emily, who had joined them quietly as they crossed the yard, fell in behind.
A decidedly doggy smell assailed their nostrils as they made their way down the corridor, but the kennel area appeared clean and was lit with daylight from several grid-covered windows in the outer wall.
‘We’ll just look, won’t we?’ Davy repeated as he led the way almost to the far end. ‘Not go in.’
‘No, we won’t go in,’ Anya agreed.
He began to name the dogs as they passed.
‘Susie. Jess. Rosco. That’s Jimbo, he’s bad tempered, he is. Lewis. And here’s Binky,’ he said then, pointing through the meshed top of one of the kennel doors. ‘She’s my friend. She’s pretty – like you,’ he added, looking shyly at Anya and then just as quickly away, blushing furiously.
Daniel looked through the mesh at a black greyhound bitch with a white nose and bib. She was indeed a pretty creature and her coat and eyes shone with good health. She stretched and wagged her tail at the sight of her visitors, coming forward to the door.
‘She kisses me when I put her food down,’ Davy told them again, returning Binky’s fond look.
‘She’s lovely,’ Anya said warmly. ‘I’m not surprised she’s your favourite. I think it’s very clever of you to remember all their names. So where’s Lily’s kennel, then? Do you know?’
‘Lily?’ Davy turned with a frown. ‘Lily’s not here.’
‘Are the retired dogs kept somewhere special, then?’
‘Lily was old and poorly,’ Davy said, looking sad. ‘She’s not here any more.’
‘Poorly?’ Emily spoke up sharply and Davy turned to look at her, as if noticing her for the first time. ‘I wasn’t told she was unwell.’
Davy nodded sagely.
‘Billy said she was poorly. He says it’s not fair to keep dogs when they are old and poorly.’
‘So what happened to her? Did the vet see her?’
‘She’s not here any more.’
‘Did the vet see her?’ Emily’s tone hardened and Davy began to look uncomfortable. Anya put a hand on the older lady’s arm but she shook it off. ‘Did she go to the vet?’ she repeated.
‘Vets charge an arm and a leg. Billy doesn’t need a vet to tell him when an animal’s poorly,’ Davy stated, reciting the phrases as if by rote.
‘Balderdash!’ Emily retorted, and Davy took a step back, flinching as if she had struck him. ‘Billy has a duty of care to the dogs – it’s what he’s paid for! Lily’s my dog. He should have consulted me. What has he done with her?’
‘You should leave,’ Davy said, sidling past them in the narrow corridor and beckoning to them to follow. ‘You shouldn’t be here. Billy wouldn’t like it. I shouldn’t have let you in. Billy will be angry. Please come now. Please …’
Emily was quite clearly not prepared to leave without following the matter up but Anya moved in front of her, putting out a hand towards Davy.
‘It’s OK, Davy. Nobody’s blaming you and we won’t tell Billy you let us see the dogs. Don’t get upset, please.’
Davy’s eyes locked onto hers, pleadingly.
‘You won’t tell Billy?’
‘Of course not.’
‘It’s just that he gets so mad at me cos I do stupid things.’
‘What does he do when he gets mad?’ Daniel asked quietly. ‘Does he hurt you, Davy?’
Davy shook his head vigorously. ‘No! No, he’s good to me, Billy is. It’s only what I deserve. Not many people would put up with me.’
‘It’s not what you deserve, Davy,’ Anya told him. ‘You’re a good man.’
‘I’m a good man,’ Davy repeated.
He had stopped in the doorway and was gazing at Anya with something akin to worship in his eyes. If she had told him he could fly, he would have believed it, Daniel thought.
‘I love the dogs, me,’ Davy said then. ‘I want to keep them all but Billy says it’s kinder to let them go. Billy doesn’t need to pay a vet to tell him what to do …’
‘Yes, I expect Billy knows what he’s doing,’ Anya said with an irony that was completely lost on the younger Driscoll. ‘We’ll go now and come back when he’s here, OK?’
Davy nodded with obvious relief and led the way back to the yard, casting frequent looks back over his shoulder to reassure himself that they were all following.
Once outside, Davy seemed disposed to hurry back to the sanctuary beyond the gate once more but Daniel had one more question for him.
‘Do you know a man called Harvey Myers, Davy?’
Davy’s eyes widened in alarm once again and he shook his head so rapidly that his cheeks wobbled.
‘Billy doesn’t like me talking about the owners.’
‘So Mr Myers owns a greyhound?’
Again the shake of the head.
‘No. I don’t know where he is. He hasn’t been here. Billy doesn’t let me meet the owners. They don’t come here.’
‘Is Mr Myers an owner, Davy?’ Unsure as to why Daniel was so keen to know, Anya nevertheless followed his lead.
The look that Davy turned on her was beseeching.
‘You mustn’t ask me questions. Billy will be mad at me. I say stupid things. Most people wouldn’t put up with me. If I didn’t have Billy I wouldn’t have anywhere to live …’
‘It’s all right, Davy. We won’t ask any more,’ she said. ‘We’ll go away now and we won’t tell Billy you let us see the dogs, so it’s best you don’t tell him, either.’
‘Before we do, though, Davy,’ Daniel said quickly. ‘I want you to take this, and if you’re ever in trouble or worried about anything, you can give me a call.’
Davy regarded the card he was holding out as if it was a stick of dynamite, even going so far as to take a step back. He shook his head, emphatically.
‘Billy wouldn’t like it.’
‘I suggest you don’t tell Billy. Put it in your pocket or somewhere safe and it’ll be there if you need it. Billy need never know.’
Davy looked from the business card to Daniel’s face and then, in an agony of indecision, to Anya.
‘I think it’s a good idea, Davy,’ she said. ‘Daniel’s a good man. He’ll help you if you ever need it. Take the card and keep it safe.’
Davy scanned her face for a long moment, and then, without making eye contact with Daniel, reached out and took the card, tucking it into his boiler-suit pocket, while looking hurriedly about him as though worried that his brother might suddenly appear. The evidence hidden, he immediately started to back away.
‘You need to go now,’ he said, making shooing movements with his hands.
‘We’re going,’ Daniel reassured him.
Emily had fallen quiet now and was looking thoughtful; Daniel guessed that the pathos of Davy’s situation had tempered her anger.
Within moments, Davy had disappeared through the gate and they heard bolts being drawn. Back in the car, Emily was the first to speak.
‘The man’s a monster! Billy Driscoll, I mean, not Davy. Not to mention an out and out criminal. He’s killed my dog, hasn’t he? He’s killed Lily.’
‘It looks like it,’ Anya said sadly. ‘I’m sorry. I was afraid that might be the case. It’s not the first time.’
‘How can he get away with it?’ Emily demanded. ‘Just killing dogs like that?’
‘He gets away with it because a lot of owners are so pleased to have their older dogs taken off their hands, they don’t ask questions,’ Daniel said.
‘If I’d known what he was like, I would never have agreed to let him have my dogs,’ Emily said bitterly. ‘I blame myself for not doing more research, but to be honest, I had no idea people like Billy Driscoll even existed. I mean, he’s a licensed trainer! Why hasn’t anyone complained about him, before now?’
‘Oh, they have,’ Anya said with heavy emphasis. ‘But it’s a self-regulating industry, practically run by the bookies. I expect all he would get is a slapped wrist and a warning to be more discreet. After all, doping is rife, and you can’t tell me that the GBGB aren’t aware of it!’
‘But the owners of the other dogs …’
‘As Daniel said, I suspect many of them are just glad to have the dogs taken off their hands and don’t enquire too closely as to the details. Or maybe, like you, he spins them a story about happy retirement and goes on taking a reduced fee to look after the non-existent dog. Easy enough to invent a sudden illness or accident to account for its disappearance, if the owner should develop a conscience and come looking.’
Emily sighed.
‘I feel unbelievably stupid,’ she said. ‘Poor Lily.’
‘So, who’s Harvey Myers?’ Anya asked Daniel. ‘A friend of yours?’
‘Husband of a friend, or perhaps I should say he was the husband of a friend. He’s gone missing and I have to say it’s not looking very rosy.’
‘You think he’s dead?’
‘Well, either that or he doesn’t want to be found. The police are involved but so far they haven’t—’
‘And he had greyhounds?’
‘I don’t know. It was just a shot in the dark. He apparently knew Billy and as he had a gambling problem it’s possible he had a dog. Or maybe he tapped Billy for insider information.’
Whether Harvey had ventured into ownership or not, Daniel was intrigued by Davy’s response to his query about Lorna’s husband. At first he had trotted out his stock answer that Billy didn’t like him talking but when Daniel had pressed him he hadn’t said that he didn’t know the man but that he didn’t know where he was.
‘So what now?’ Anya’s question cut through his train of thought. ‘Do we go back another day? It seems a bit pointless now we’ve lost the element of surprise. I don’t hold out much hope that Davy will keep quiet about our visit, do you?’
‘No,’ Daniel agreed. ‘Even if he tries, I think he’ll probably give the game away. That’s why I think it might be an idea to drop in on Billy Driscoll’s little track session. I imagine you know the way to this track at Yarnbridge?’
‘I do indeed.’ Anya’s eyes gleamed with a martial light.
When they reached the rural town of Yarnbridge, Anya directed Daniel to a business park on the outskirts where they eventually drew up outside a large modern building which, apart from its size, was indistinguishable from many of the others they had passed on the way in. It appeared to have been fashioned in sections from huge green-painted panels with the only windows, long horizontal panes, high under the shallow overhang of the roof. To Daniel’s relief, light glowed from behind them. He had begun to wonder whether they would reach the track only to find their quarry gone. They drove on alongside the building and, rounding the end, found Driscoll’s navy blue Transit parked next to two other vans and a pimped-up truck.
Daniel got out of the car, let Taz out and went on a fact-finding mission.
A large sliding door was labelled ‘No Public Access’ and underneath that the words ‘Reception & Booking’ with an arrow pointing towards a glazed entrance further along the wall, but there was also a smaller door let into the sliding one and trying this, Daniel found it to be unlocked. He opened it and peered into a dimly lit interior. There was no one about, but he could see a brighter light further off.
Looking over his shoulder to where the two ladies stood waiting, he said, ‘It’s open. I’m going to take a look. You can stay here if you’d rather.’
‘Absolutely not!’ Anya declared. ‘That is, I’m coming – I can’t speak for Emily.’
Daniel couldn’t read the older lady’s expression in the semi-darkness but she gamely announced her intention of going with them.
‘OK,’ Daniel said. ‘Quietly until we see what’s what.’
With Taz padding at his heels, he opened the door and stepped through, followed closely by the others.
They found themselves in what appeared to be a delivery area lit by a couple of inadequate wall lights, but between the machinery, stacks of plastic-wrapped goods and untidy piles of discarded pallets, a largely uncluttered central walkway led to another sliding door that was partially open, allowing a shaft of light to spill through from the area beyond.
Taz cast about eagerly, scenting, and Daniel had to call him to heel as he cautiously led the way through the open door. They emerged between banks of plastic seating into the bright lights of a huge stadium around the perimeter of which was an oval sand track, some eight yards wide. The sand had been rolled but several trails of paw prints showed where dogs had recently run.
In the centre, near a cluster of what looked like low hurdles, a huddle of men stood talking. A number of wire-muzzled dogs were standing or lying nearby, their thin skins protected from the cold by coats. Most of the men had their backs to the newcomers and none of them had yet noticed their arrival.
Anya caught at Daniel’s arm to stop him.
‘That’s Les Mollahan,’ she said softly. ‘The one Billy’s talking to: the one with the baseball cap. He’s a trainer, too. Sells most of his cast-offs to China and the Third World, bastard that he is! Been had up for assault, too. You want to watch him. He’s nasty.’
‘Good job I’ve got you to protect me, then,’ Daniel replied with a wink.
‘Hmm. Now’s probably the time to say that I lied about being a tae kwon do international,’ she told him. ‘I did do it for a while, but only at the village-hall level.’
‘Oh! We’ll have to rely on Taz then, I suppose,’ Daniel said affecting disappointment. ‘Are you OK, Emily? You don’t have to do this, you know, if you don’t want to. You can stay here.’
Resolutely, Emily shook her head.
‘No. I’ll be fine. Go on.’
The track and the centre of the oval were open to the elements and as Daniel’s group stepped out onto the running surface, a light drizzle drifted down.
Although their feet made little noise on the sandy track, the sudden attention of a couple of the greyhounds alerted the men to the arrival of uninvited guests, and Daniel and the others had barely reached the central area before first one, then all of them turned.
Including Billy, there were five men in the group, and Daniel could also see a dark-haired boy of perhaps eleven or twelve who had been hidden from view. Faces that had turned in enquiry quickly became wary in response to a half-heard comment from Billy, and by the time Daniel and the two women reached them, the group were ranged in a line with hostility writ large in both face and posture. As on many occasions before, Daniel was grateful for Taz’s watchful presence at his side.
Without looking, he was aware that the dog had taken a step beyond his usual position at his knee and was tense with anticipation. Like most of his breed, Taz was no slouch at reading body language, and like Daniel, he clearly found little to reassure him about the men they were facing. He steadied the dog with a quiet word.
‘Ms Darby.’ It was Billy Driscoll who spoke first. His eyes flickered over Daniel and he frowned slightly as if trying to remember when and where they had met.
‘Mr Driscoll,’ she returned, coolly.
Daniel noticed that one of the other men, a tall, well-built individual also came to attention at her greeting. His black hair formed the same widow’s peak as Billy’s, and Daniel guessed that this was Johnny Driscoll, Billy’s elder brother and head of the Driscoll clan.
‘So what can I do for you?’ Billy asked. ‘If you want me to train a dog for you, I’m afraid I shall have to disappoint you. My kennels are full.’
From the outbreak of laughter that greeted this statement, Daniel surmised that Anya was known to most of the group and they therefore knew how preposterous the idea was.
‘As a matter of fact, I heard you were giving up the dogs and going into another line of business,’ Anya said. ‘I was thinking of throwing a party.’
‘Kind of you but I can’t make it,’ Driscoll said, assuming a tragic air and provoking another burst of amusement. Anya flushed dark with anger and Daniel took over.
‘We came to see you because Mrs Rathbone here is worried about her dog. She’s paying you a considerable sum to look after it and, not unnaturally, would like to see it to check on its welfare,’ he said. ‘She says you aren’t answering her calls.’
‘I must have missed them.’
‘She left messages.’
Billy’s expression hardened.
‘I’m a busy man. I was intending to call within the next day or two.’
‘And what would you have told her? That her dog is happy and healthy?’
‘Of course. All my dogs get the best of care.’ He looked at Daniel with intense dislike. ‘I remember you. You came to the yard with that little slut Shane was seeing. What’s your interest in all this?’
Daniel ignored the question.
‘So you’d be happy for Emily to visit and see for herself?’
Billy frowned.
‘There’s no need. I can assure you, the dog is fine.’
‘But she wants to. She’s fond of her dog.’
‘Yeah well, the thing is, I don’t encourage visitors; it’s disruptive and the dogs are very sensitive to changes in routine. It can make the difference between winning and losing.’
To Daniel’s right Anya uttered a scornful sound but while he agreed with the sentiment he kept his own scepticism hidden as he said calmly, ‘Nevertheless, I’m sure you agree she’s within her rights to ask to see her dog. What’s more, she’s got room at home now, so she’s decided to have it back.’
Billy’s frown deepened. The other men exchanged silent glances and Daniel thought it likely they knew him well and could guess fairly accurately at his predicament.
‘Ah, now I remember,’ Billy said, as one for whom the light has finally dawned. ‘I have so many dogs, as you know, I sometimes lose track; yours is the little tan bitch …’
‘Black,’ Emily supplied.
‘That’s right, black. I’ve been meaning to call you but I couldn’t find your number. I’m afraid she had an episode of bloat. The breed is prone to it, as I’m sure you know, deep-chested as they are. No warning and nothing we could do. My vet said it was kindest to let her go. I’m so sorry.’ He produced a sympathetic half-smile.
‘You’re sorry but it didn’t stop you continuing to take her money,’ Daniel observed coldly.
‘It’s only just happened,’ Billy stated. ‘I will, of course, be refunding Mrs Rathbone any overpayment. But remind me, again – why is this any of your business?’
‘Because I’ve made it my business.’
‘What are you – some sort of professional busybody?’
‘No, it’s just a hobby,’ Daniel said evenly. ‘And while we’re asking questions – does Harvey Myers have a dog in training with you?’
If he hadn’t been watching Billy Driscoll so closely, he would have missed the momentary narrowing of his gaze, for Driscoll recovered instantly, shaking his head and saying, ‘You may not be a professional, Mr Whelan, but I am, and I wouldn’t dream of sharing the details of any of my clients with you.’
‘So he is a client …’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘But you know him.’
‘I know of him, certainly,’ Driscoll admitted. ‘I saw him at the track now and then. Someone pointed him out to me, I forget why. He didn’t have a dog with me – or anyone else as far as I know.’
‘He has your number on his phone.’
‘So have any number of people, I imagine. I don’t make any secret of it. Now, if you don’t mind, I have business to attend to.’
Dismissing the visitors by turning his shoulder, he said something under his breath to one of the other men that made him nod and smile.
‘Why do you talk about him in the past tense?’ Daniel asked, raising his voice.
Billy stopped and looked back.
‘I wasn’t aware that I had,’ he said smoothly. ‘And if I did, it’s probably because I haven’t seen him around lately. Perhaps he ran out of money. It’s well known that he’s a serious punter, he’s tried to touch me for a tip a time or two, but I’m not in that line of business, am I? I expect that’s why he had my number. Now, if you know what’s good for you, you and your lady friends should go back to wherever it was you came from and leave me alone!’
‘I still want answers about Lily!’ Emily protested, trembling. ‘And I shall want to see the vet’s report.’
‘Yes, all right. I’ll send it to you,’ Billy said, not troubling to hide his impatience.
‘I wouldn’t hold your breath, Emily,’ Anya advised her. ‘I have a feeling you’ll be waiting a long time.’
The trainer curled his lip.
‘I’d forgotten what a troublesome little bitch you are!’ he commented.
‘I think that’s enough!’ Daniel said quietly.
‘Oh, don’t worry about my feelings, Daniel. Being called a bitch is a compliment, as far as I’m concerned!’
Billy shot her a look of intense dislike and made to turn away once more but then paused, leaning towards Daniel.
‘You want to watch it – being a busybody can be a dangerous hobby! I’ve known people have nasty accidents. You might even call it an extreme sport, if you get my drift …’
Distrusting his intent, Taz took a pace forward, lifted his lip and rumbled deep in his throat. Putting a hand in the dog’s collar, Daniel returned Driscoll’s stare.
‘Threatening people can be pretty risky, too,’ he commented. ‘Just saying …’
Billy’s eyes narrowed still further, glinting with anger, but whatever his intention might have been it was forestalled by his brother, who put a hand on his arm and advised him that enough had been said. Shaking Johnny’s hand off, Billy cast a final look of dislike in Daniel’s direction and turned away. As the other men followed, the one Anya had named as Les Mollahan sneered and raised two fingers at Daniel and his companions. The young boy also lingered, staring curiously at them, black-eyed and surly, before he was called away.