Hayburner (A Gail McCarthy Mystery) Read online

  The broken leg turned out to be a sole abscess, a vastly more fixable problem, thank God; it was followed by two more colics, a bowed tendon, and then a bad wire cut. At nine o'clock I was in the middle of a complicated stitching job when the phone call came in from the answering service.

  The usually prosaic operator sounded breathless. "Harkins Valley Stable has a barn fire. They need you right away."

  SIXTEEN

  “I can't come," I said. "I've got to finish this job. Call John Romero; tell him I need him to cover. I'll be there as soon as I can."

  I hung up the phone with a rush of adrenaline surging through my veins. Another barn fire in Harkins Valley on a Friday night. This made three in a row. Some very sick person was setting horse barns on fire. To a pattern.

  Taking a deep breath, I consciously relaxed all my muscles and went back to the job in front of me. This two-year-old filly had gotten her hind leg caught in a barbed-wire fence, and had struggled, unsuccessfully, to free her herself. Her leg was deeply lacerated, almost to the bone in places. Worst of all, her hock was severely cut. There was no way of knowing how badly the joint was injured without X rays, which the owner refused to have, saying they cost too much. He just wanted the mare stitched back together.

  Just patching her up was going to be an expensive job in itself, but I didn't tell him that. Judging by the sagging shed and falling-down pen where he kept the horse, he was probably short of money. I resolved to do the stitching, which badly needed doing, and worry about the bill later.

  It took a good long time. Almost half an hour after the phone call, I finished her up. Brushing aside the client's protests about the cost, I told him we'd send him a bill and to pay what he could each month. He was still talking as I got in my truck and left.

  Twenty minutes later I was driving down Harkins Valley Road, with the light from Lucy Kaplan's barn fire visible through my windshield-an orangey glow on the dark horizon. In another minute, I pulled in her driveway and parked.

  The scene was pure pandemonium. Once again, the leaping flames, the running horses, the struggling firefighters, and the frantic or enthralled crowd of owners, neighbors, and spectators. I spotted Tony Sanchez, clinging to a neighing horse; in another second I saw Bart Bishop dash out of the burning barn, two loose horses charging with him.

  I scanned the crowd. Sure enough, there he was. Pudgy Larry, staring at the flames, rapt. There was something wrong with this guy; I knew it. Where the hell were Jeri and Walt?

  Before I could begin to look, Clay Bishop grabbed my arm. "Gail, there's a horse with real bad burns, down in the ring."

  "Coming," I said, and went.

  Hans Schmidt and John Romero were already there. Both were staring at the horse. I knew by the expression on their faces what I would see. Slowly, I walked to join them.

  The horse's whole body was a mass of burned flesh; I couldn't believe he was standing and appeared structurally intact. I looked at Hans and John in turn.

  "What the heck do you do?" I asked softly.

  Both shook their heads somberly.

  Most of the horse's body appeared to be charred and flaking; he smelled of burned hair and meat. His face was undamaged, but I couldn't read the expression in his eyes. They seemed blank. He stood perfectly, rigidly still, as if frozen, his head down.

  "I guess we could try hauling him to the equine hospital," I said slowly. "Whose horse is he?"

  "Lucy's," Clay said. "That's what one of the boarders told me."

  "Where is she?" I asked.

  "She's not here," Clay said. "I guess she was gone when the fire started. She doesn't live here. Someone called her. She was in town, at a movie. She ought to be here any minute."

  As if on cue, a white pickup pulled into the crowded driveway. Lucy Kaplan got out and ran toward the barn. For a moment she stood there, staring, and then turned and said something to the woman next to her. A minute later, I heard Lucy's scream from where I stood.

  "Frank!"

  I looked at the group around me. "Who's Frank?"

  No one answered. Clay departed in Lucy's direction. Hans moved off after him. John and I stared at the horse's disfigured flesh.

  "Better put him down," John said at last.

  I nodded slowly. "I'll ask Lucy."

  I started in the direction of the driveway and met Lucy coming toward me, guided by Clay. Lucy was in tears, sobbing so hard she was stumbling. Clay was trying to support her and pat her back at the same time.

  "Oh, Frank, I'm so sorry," Lucy moaned.

  "Who's Frank?" I asked Clay.

  Clay looked at me. Even in the dark I could read the shock in his eyes. "A caretaker. An old man. He lives in the cottage behind the barn."

  "Did the cottage burn?"

  "No, it's fine. But no one's seen Frank. Lucy's sure he wouldn't have gone out. She thinks he must be in the barn."

  "Oh no."

  "She thinks he must have been trying to get the horses out and got trapped before anyone else got here. Tony Sanchez saw the fire and called 911," Clay said. "Then he called me and Bart and some other neighbors. No one's seen the old man. He's not in the cottage."

  "Oh no," I said again.

  "I'm sorry, Frank," Lucy said through her tears.

  I put a hand on her arm, hating what I had to say next. "There's a horse in the ring that's very badly burned. I understand he's yours. Do you want me to put him down? Or do you want to consider having him hauled somewhere?"

  "Oh my God." Lucy sounded as completely overwhelmed as I ever imagined this very tough, thirtyish woman could sound. "I better have a look, I guess," she said.

  "I don't know," I said. "He looks pretty bad."

  She gazed at me helplessly. "Can you save him?"

  "It's possible," I said slowly, "that he could be saved. It would be expensive and it would take a lot of time and he'd always be disfigured. "

  "It's Clancy," Lucy said, as if talking to herself. "He'll never be worth anything." Once again she looked at me. "Don't let him suffer," she said finally.

  "You want me to put him down?"

  Lucy nodded, tears still running down her cheeks.

  "All right."

  Going out to my truck, I got the shot and then headed back. John still stood there, holding the burned horse by the lead rope.

  "She said to put him down," I said. "I think it's the right choice."

  He nodded wordlessly and got out of my way, taking a firmer grip on the lead rope.

  I stepped forward and found a spot on the underside of the animal's neck that wasn't burned. Carefully, I inserted the needle in the jugular vein and injected the shot. A minute later the horse lurched forward, staggering and falling at once. Expertly, John used the lead rope to steady the animal, easing the horse's fall and encouraging him to go down at the same time. In another minute, the horse was on the ground. His legs thrashed convulsively once and then he settled into stillness.

  "Poor guy," I said slowly.

  This was the worst part of being a vet. Facing these poor suffering animals that I couldn't save. John said nothing, but his eyes never left the horse's burned body. We stood, in silence, until the howl of the inferno behind us grabbed my attention. The roar and snarl of the fire carried over the hubbub of human voices; incandescent, surging tongues reached high into the night sky. Smoke billowed outward. The barn was engulfed. Seething and snapping, the flames held me riveted. Like some huge, powerful beast, the fire coiled and leaped and bellowed. I could feel my mouth dropping open in awe.

  "It's really something, isn't it?" John's quiet voice.

  "Yeah," I said. "It's something, all right, and it's horrible, too. I've got to find somebody. Come get me if you need me."

  I headed back toward the barn, looking for Jeri. It didn't take me long. She and Walt Harvey were right out front.

  "That Larry guy," I said without preamble. "He's here."

  "I know," she said. "So's Marty Martin. So is half the Lushmeadows subdivision, or I
miss my guess."

  I looked at Walt Harvey. "Fire number three," I said.

  "Oh yeah." Walt looked excited. "We've got a real pyro here. A serial arsonist. You don't see too many of these."

  "Do pyros," I asked, saying the word a little gingerly, "like to watch their fires burn?"

  "Some do," he said. "What we call vanity arsonists. The ones who get their jollies out of fires, so to speak."

  "Is this what's going on here?" I asked.

  "Don't know yet," he said.

  "But you do have a pattern," I said. "Friday night barn fires in Harkins Valley. All in the same neighborhood."

  "That's right," he said slowly. "Friday night barn fires ... that reminds me of something." He was quiet for a long moment and then he turned to Jeri. "I need to check my laptop. It's in the car. I'll be right back."

  And he disappeared into the crowd of people in the drive.

  I asked Jeri, "Have you checked Larry out yet?"

  "We talked to him. He said his wife can give him an alibi for this evening. Same for the last two fires. He said he showed up when he heard the sirens-just like the rest of the crowd."

  "Does an alibi from a wife count?"

  Jeri shrugged. "It's better than nothing."

  We both stared at the roaring flames in front of us. I could feel heat on my face. Small, struggling forms of firefighters looked trivial, silhouetted against the blaze.

  "I hear there might be a man in there," I said slowly.

  Jeri shook her head. "I sure hope not. Firefighters didn't see anyone. But then, they weren't really looking. By the time someone noticed the caretaker was missing, the fire had really taken off. No one can get in there now."

  "If the caretaker is dead," I said, "is it murder?"

  "That's right," Jeri said grimly. "Homicide for sure. Second degree murder, probably, since I doubt our arsonist meant to kill anyone. Doesn't seem to be his pattern. But it's still murder."

  "Speaking of patterns," I said, "do you know what Walt went to check on? I said 'pattern' and he disappeared."

  "Walt's got an encyclopedic memory for fires. Whatever you said probably triggered something in his brain. He's really thorough, so he'll want to check it out before he says anything to me."

  "So, who are you working on?" I asked her. "Marty Martin?"

  "He's still suspect number one at this point. He's saying his parents can give him an alibi for tonight. He was at home until he heard the fire trucks, so he tells us. And I'm sure his folks will back him up. But like a wife, his parents aren't worth much as an alibi."

  As she finished speaking, Walt Harvey emerged from the crowd on the drive. If he'd looked excited before, he now appeared delirious. Eyes shining, mouth parted, he grabbed Jeri by one elbow.

  "Barn fires of ' 85!" he shouted.

  Jeri grabbed his arm in return. "What?

  "We had a series of barn fires in '85." Jim's face was six inches from Jeri's. "On Tuesday nights. Four of them. When we caught the guy, it turned out there was some shoot-'em-up cops and robbers show on TV on Tuesday nights. Got him all riled up.

  "These fires were in the Soquel Valley. All old barns, all within five miles of each other. Turned out to be a neighbor. Guy in his early twenties, lived with his parents. Get this: his name was Larry. Larry Rogers."

  Jeri stared at Walt.

  He nodded. "He's a registered arsonist."

  SEVENTEEN

  At ten o'clock the next morning I was down at my barn, waiting for Blue. The sky was brassy and overcast, the air heavy and humid, as it had been all week. I could feel the gathering charge in the atmosphere; when I brushed my hair, the strands crackled with static electricity.

  As my body tingled with desire. It had been five days since I'd seen Blue and I wanted him.

  Like electricity, like flames, the current surged along my nerves. Just the thought of Blue's touch set a pulse up the insides of my thighs.

  How could it be so sudden, so complete? A month ago, Blue Winter was an interesting possibility on my horizon; today he was a presence deep in my core.

  Nature's way. Even as I twirled a stem of oat hay between my fingers, Jack the rooster flapped his wings and jumped on Red's back in the ubiquitous act of passion. Red squatted to support him; in an instant, or so it seemed to me, Jack was done and off. Both chickens fluffed their feathers up and looked satisfied. Mates.

  The sexual urge meant one thing in the natural world. Find a partner and procreate. I shivered suddenly as I watched the chickens peck happily in the dust, their peeping chicks spread around them. Was that what was happening here? The old biological clock catching up with me? Did I just want a mate?

  Maybe I did. But, I reassured myself, this urge was particular. I didn't just want a mate. I wanted Blue.

  Roey woofed softly by my feet. A green pickup driving in. My heart beat faster. My God, I thought. Just the sight of his truck is enough.

  Blue parked and opened his door. Freckles jumped out before he did. In a moment the dogs were sniffing noses, tails wagging. Freckles wiggled all over.

  I laughed. Blue met my eyes.

  "There's something about that dog that makes me giggle," I told him.

  "I know. World's funniest-looking dog."

  "She is different." It was an understatement. Half Jack Russell terrier, half Australian shepherd, Freckles had stiff, wiry fur that was mostly white with assorted liver-colored blotches. Her eyes were light blue; her muzzle had terrier whiskers and her tail was long, white, and plumed. She was about the silliest-looking dog I'd ever seen.

  "Here, Freckles," I called.

  She ran up to me to be petted, wiggled once, ran back to Roey and frisked around her. In a moment both dogs were playing tag, Roey yapping happily as she ran.

  "Well, they're having fun," I said.

  "How about us?"

  In another moment I was in Blue's arms, my mouth pressed to his, his hands running up and down my spine. Sensations overwhelmed me-the texture of his lips, the warmth of his tongue, the firmness of his body against mine.

  We broke apart and Blue smiled. "I missed you," he said.

  "Me, too."

  I stared into his smiling eyes, my heart thumping crazily in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to drag him into the hay barn and wrestle him to the straw.

  No, Gail, my mind lectured. Don't go there. Maintain some semblance of control. I took a deep breath. "Maybe we should work the colt first," I said.

  Blue's grin grew wider. "If you want. How about one more kiss, just to keep me going?"

  And then we were in each other's arms again.

  So much. So much feeling rushing through me. So much wanting, so much need. It felt like a torrent, gushing through my body as I wrapped my arms around Blue's neck and pulled him down to me.

  "I want you," I murmured.

  "I can tell."

  We both laughed, breaking apart again.

  "Okay," he said. "First the horse."

  "Right."

  I went to the corral to catch Danny, thinking that I had never felt desire like this before. Never had I wanted any body so much. Literally any "body." My body wanted Blue Winter's body in a deep, yearning, intense way I was unprepared for.

  It unnerved me somewhat. I put the halter on Danny without really seeing the horse, doing the familiar actions on automatic pilot, still wondering what in the world had come over me. It wasn't just lust; I knew that feeling; I could deal with it. This was something else, this longing to be mated.

  Danny bumped my elbow with his nose as I opened the gate of his pen, as if to say, Look at me.

  I stroked his neck absently as I guided him out the gate, noticing that he walked quietly, obedient to my control. A good sign.

  Leading the horse up to the round pen, I asked Blue, "How is it going to work, just riding him on weekends?"

  "It's not ideal," he said quietly.

  "That I know. There just isn't much I can do about it right now. I haven't gotten home before dark
once this week."

  Blue shrugged. "You do what you can do. Just like everything else in life. In a perfect world, you'd work with this horse every day, except when you felt he needed some time off. It will be harder to train him if you can only work with him on weekends. But if that's what you can do, that's what you can do."

  "You're right." I sent Danny trotting around the pen, admiring his long, graceful stride as I spoke. "Anything I can do to help compensate?”

  "Take a lot of time with his warm-up. Make sure he's thoroughly aired out and has all the kinks out of his legs before you try to teach him anything new. Especially before you get on him. That will give him a chance to settle down and learn."

  "All right," I said.

  Twenty minutes later Danny's coat was damp with sweat and his breathing was notably elevated. He'd more or less volunteered the exertion, moving freely around me with very little encouragement. I could see in his eyes that he was ready to rest.

  "What do you think?" I asked Blue.

  "I'd get on him right now," he said.

  Without hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, I said, "Whoa" to Danny and waited until he came to a stop in front of me. I rubbed his forehead, checked to make sure his cinch was tight, took the lead rope in one hand, and climbed on him, all in one motion. The colt stood quietly, and I patted his neck.

  Blue grinned from ear to ear. "That was perfect. Just like you did it every day of your life."

  I grinned back at him in a rush of exhilaration. Clucking to Danny, I walked him around the pen a few times, then trotted a couple of laps. He responded obediently, completely docile, and answered my "whoa" with alacrity.

  "Now what?" I asked Blue as Danny came to a stop.

  "I'd quit if I were you. He's really accepting the idea of being ridden. Tomorrow we can work on bitting him up a little, maybe."

  "Sounds good to me." I patted Danny's neck and slid off of him. Stroking the horse's shoulder one more time, I loosened the cinch and led him out of the pen.

  Blue met me at the gate with a hug. "You done good," he said into my ear. And then we were kissing each other again, Danny forgotten at the end of his lead rope.