Asa had stashed herself away at a mom-and-pop motel in Key Largo recovering from a bullet wound. It was a 1950s motel that owner, Eva Hanover, had renovated keeping its mid-century allure and Florida charm while installing all the conveniences of a more modern age. Even the furniture was chic and modern, which relaxed Asa as it reminded her of the Butterfly, her mother’s home.
Hearing her phone beep, Asa casually glanced at it. The number 99 popped up. Asa stared at it for a moment and then jumped into action. She called an associate in Lexington, Kentucky who had been hired to keep tabs on Josiah.
A woman answered.
“It’s me.”
“I’ve been expecting your call.”
“What’s happened?” Asa asked, dreading news that her mother might be seriously injured for she loved her mother more than anyone in the world.
The woman quickly told Asa about the stolen colt and the night watchman who had been murdered.
Asa asked, “Any suspects?”
“The police are coming up blank.”
“I see. Assemble the team. I’ll be in Lexington within four hours.” Asa hung up and then dialed for a helicopter to take her to the Miami airport. From there, she would charter a private plane home. She was still healing from a bullet wound and broken ribs from a previous assignment and was not in peak condition to tackle another mission, but home was calling. She had to go, so she swallowed some pain pills and packed a light bag.
Asa hurried to the front office where she called out for Eva, the proprietor. Eva came out of the back office to the front desk. “Yes?” she said warily as she never knew what to expect from this dark-clad woman with dark hair and wary eyes.
Asa slapped three thousand dollars on the desk. “I have to go away. Keep my bungalow for me. No one needs to go inside.”
“Doesn’t it need to be cleaned?” Eva asked, staring wide-eyed at the bundles of fifties.
Asa shot back, “No.”
Eva asked, “When will you return?”
Not responding, Asa turned and strode out of the office. A black sedan awaited outside the office to take her to the helicopter pad. She settled into the back while a man in the passenger’s seat handed her a dossier about the incident involving Juan’s murder: the police report and photos of the crime scene including the stall of the missing colt. “I trust no one can detect that you hacked into the Lexington Police Department’s computer.”
“In and out within minutes. No one can follow the trail,” the man responded, looking smug and telling the driver to put the pedal to the metal.
“I want a complete background check on this murder victim, Juan Gomez.”
“You got it, Boss.”
“Any theories?”
The hacker replied, “Shaneika Mary Todd has made lots of enemies because of her legal work, but then so has Lady Elsmere over the years, although this could be a simple case of jealousy. Maybe someone thinks the colt might have a chance of becoming a Triple Crown winner and doesn’t want it to happen?”
“What about my mother?”
“Other than discovering the body with Shaneika Mary Todd, your mother doesn’t seem to be involved.”
Asa ruminated, “That won’t last long. She will stick her nose in this case just like she always does, but I’m gonna beat her to the punch.”
The hacker smirked. “Good luck with that.”
Asa leaned back and pondered on how to keep her mother out of harm’s way. She was worried. Something in her gut told Asa this was not a simple case of horse stealing. Something darker was afoot, and Asa fretted over her mother’s involvement, especially since she secretly knew of her mother’s declining health. Even if Josiah’s health was perfect, sooner or later, her mother would meet her match one day and falter. There were only so many times one could cheat death.
And the specter of death was something Asa knew all too well.