Рита Браун - The Tell-Tale Horse

“Go,” Sister simply said.

Ben Sidell, already making his way down on foot, confirmed what Sister and Shaker had suspected, as crows lifted up when Ben drew closer. The crows’ lunch was Clayton Harper.

In the distance, receding, people could hear Cabel screaming.

Ben climbed back up; his cell wouldn’t work in the ravine. He called the department and flipped the phone back, leaving it on.

Kasmir helped Vajay back up. The horse was fine but Vajay had fallen flat on his back, knocking the wind out of him.

Mandy held the horse’s reins, feeling an unspecified sense of dread. She shrugged it off, deciding that Cabel’s screams were unnerving. Then again, St. Just’s display of the eyeball certainly ruined the appetite.

“Sister, take everyone back, will you?” Ben turned to Walter. “When my team comes, will you bring us back here? You know the terrain better than I do.”

“Of course.” Walter nodded.

As the field rode back, everyone talked. Gray stuck with Sam, since in company with hounds, humans, and other horses Sam’s steeplechaser grew restive. Fortunately few saw Clayton since Sister prudently kept them back, but everyone saw the offending king of the crows.

CHAPTER 29

Back at the trailers, Ilona caught up with Cabel. “What have you done?”

“Help me. Help me get out of here.”

“Cabel, what have you done?” Ilona dismounted quickly, tying her horse to the side of the trailer, slipping the halter over the bridle first. “You told me he was in rehab.”

“He figured it out. What else could I do?” Although rattled by Gray and Sam’s discovery of her husband’s body, she evidenced no regret. “He even figured out that I put the silver bowl in Sister’s barn, because I left early for hunting that morning. What could I do?”

“For one thing,” Ilona coolly responded, “you could have dumped him anywhere but a fixture.”

“Didn’t have time. We were driving out this way. Walter was at the hospital, so once Clayton cornered me I had to work fast.”

“Did you shoot him?”

“Hell, yes, I shot him. Do you think I could strangle him? He was so fat I’d never get my hands around his neck.” She snorted. “What a fool he was. Typical male. Thought he had nothing to fear from a woman. When I pulled my twenty-two out of my purse and shot him between the eyes—well, Ilona, that was one of the happiest moments of my life.”

“Where were you?”

“Here. He’d been hectoring me, you know, citing the time I left the Casanova Ball, how I loathed Faye Spencer. I asked him if he’d slept with her and he said that was none of my business. He tried to pin it on Ramsey, who did call on her, but this is one instance where your dear husband bearded for mine. Or for all I know they bearded for each other. They fooled everyone. What shits.” She smiled wryly. “One down, one to go, but I’ll deal with Ramsey later. I need to get out.”

“I’ll deal with Ramsey. How did you ever drag Clayton down that ravine?”

“Easy as pie. I shot him in the bed of the truck. First, I told him to drive down the Mill Ruins farm road because I wanted to help feed foxes at Shootrough, and when we neared the widest part of the ravine—where I remembered it anyway—I told him to stop. Then I climbed into the truck bed and lifted a twenty-five-pound bag of dog food but I pretended I couldn’t quite do it so he clambered up and I shot him. It never occurred to him that it might be odd to carry your purse into the bed of a truck.”

Despite herself, this made Ilona laugh. “No blood?”

“Hardly. I hit him square between the eyes. So he now has the third eye of prophecy. The silly bastard. I should have killed him first, you know, before dispatching that Indian slut to Shiva or whatever those people worship. Then again, waiting made it sweeter, plus he had to pretend he didn’t know anything about her.” She threw a cooler over her horse. “The hard part was getting back in the woods without scraping up the truck. Got as close as I could and then I kept rolling him until I rolled him right over the edge. The snows came as a godsend, I will admit. Covered my tracks. And you know what else? It also never occurred to him to ask me why I was feeding foxes. That’s not my job. Nothing but air between those ears—which, of course, I found out for certain when I shot him. The bullet just sailed right through.”

Ilona’s head snapped up. “Cabel, I can hear the horses.” She put her hands on her friend’s forearm. “Give yourself up. You can’t get away. There’s not even time to unhitch your trailer.”

Cabel realized Ilona was right. “Guess they’d catch me anyway.” Her eyes blazed. “But I’m not going down without a fight. If I have to die, I’ll die on my feet.”

“Cabel, please, there were extenuating circumstances. A good lawyer can spare you the death penalty.”

“Well, you’re an accessory. I killed for you as well as for me; Ramsey slept with Aashi. You didn’t have the guts.” She sighed. “You always were a softie.”

“I know.” Ilona admitted what to Cabel was a flaw. “Yes, I am an accessory. I helped you with both women. But I’ll face the music. We can’t go on. We can’t.”

“Are you sorry?” Cabel did love her best friend.

“Yes and no.” Ilona, tears in her eyes, confessed. “I’m sorry we’re going to get caught but I’m not sorry Aashi and Faye received the deaths they deserved. I’m not sorry I helped you. After all, I owed you one.” She smiled sadly. “Revenge is much sweeter than people want to believe.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Cabel laughed. “That’s the point of Christianity, to remove revenge from our hands. Mine are covered with blood and I’d do it again.”

They heard Shaker’s strong voice. “Good hounds, good hounds.”

Cabel grabbed Ilona, kissed her on the cheek, and sprinted to the old mill, opening the heavy door and closing it behind her.

Ilona stood there, face wet with tears. She turned to take the halter and then the bridle off her horse, slipping the halter back on. She also loosened the girth for Cabel’s horse, removing the bridle.

When Sister rode up she noticed Ilona’s tears. “Where’s Cabel?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t catch up with her but I found Mickey tied to the trailer. She’s so distraught there’s no telling where she is. I’m afraid she might—”

Sister, thinking Ilona meant suicide, looked down from Lafayette’s back and said, very low, “We’ll check the millrace.”

“Oh, God.” Ilona burst into sobs.

Sister hurried to her trailer and handed her horse’s reins to Tootie, who was already on the ground. “Tootie, I need your help. Take care of Lafayette.” She walked over to Shaker, Betty, and Sybil, still mounted. “I’ll get the door.” She opened the party wagon door and the hounds walked in, glad for a fresh drink of water from the big buckets. Sister counted heads as they walked in. “All on.”

Huntsmen and two whippers-in dismounted.

Betty patted Outlaw’s neck. “A day not to be forgotten, for both good and ill.”

“And it’s not over yet.” Sister rapidly repeated what she had assumed was Ilona’s fear.

Shaker exhaled. “I’ll walk the millrace.”

Sister hurried back to her trailer with Betty. “Tootie, when you finish with Lafayette, help Shaker, will you? Staff has an extra chore.” Then, hoping she appeared calm, she walked to the Custis Hall van. “Val, will you tell Walter, he’s in his stable, staff is walking the millrace. I’ll explain to him later.” She checked her pocket watch. “Be another twenty minutes before Ben’s people reach us. Pamela, make sure everyone gets into the house for the breakfast. Lorraine’s in charge today, but she’ll need you and Felicity. People are at loose ends, obviously. If they’re all together, maybe Lorraine—” She turned as Charlotte Norton rode up. “Charlotte, I’ve given the girls assignments. If I may, I’ll give you one also. Pamela and Felicity will herd everyone into the house. Will you help calm folks? Keep them out of the way of Ben’s people.” She paused. “Just in case something else pops up.” Realizing what she’d just said and thinking Cabel was in the millrace, she shut her eyes for a second.