Outside Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

run, but for now we’re going to tell the lads that King’s picked up a slight muscle strain and has been sent straight from the racecourse to have some intensive physio. If Mikey and Davy Jackson can hold their tongues for a few days we might just carry it off.’
    â€˜Mikey’s pretty good with secrets,’ Ben commented, accepting coffee and biscuits from Bess with a grateful smile. She twinkled back athim in a mildly flirtatious manner, which he knew from previous encounters to be standard issue in her case. It was, however, common knowledge that she was seeing a lot of Rollo Gallagher, Castle Ridge’s highly successful stable jockey.
    As if drawn by the lure of a hot drink, Hancock reappeared.
    Ford raised his eyebrows hopefully but was rewarded by a shake of the head.
    â€˜No. Nothing yet,’ he reported. Then to Bess, ‘Tea, please love.’
    â€˜Where did they take the horsebox to unload the horse?’ Ben asked. ‘Mikey said it was private land. Do we know who the land belonged to?’
    â€˜Yes, it’s up for sale at the moment. Disused brickworks just outside Guildford. Big, locked-up factory building with a huge concrete apron where they used to stack the bricks. Tucked away in the woods it is, down a private back-road. Not much chance that they were seen, especially on a wet day like today. It seems like everything went their way.’
    â€˜Except for Mikey being there to let the others go,’ Ben suggested.
    â€˜Yes, but even so, I should think they were well away by the time Ian Rice telephoned Mr Truman to let him know what had happened.’
    â€˜And he immediately phoned you.’
    â€˜Yes, but unfortunately by that time the horsebox was on its way home. If we’d known sooner we’d have stipulated that it should remain at the transfer point until CSI could get there. Still, it couldn’t be helped. Rice says he couldn’t get a signal.’
    â€˜They seem to have thought of everything,’ Ben observed.
    â€˜Mm. As I said, we’ve located the brickworks but as yet that’s yielded no clues, and we found no trace of them
or
the lorry they transferred the horse into: no cigarette butts, no soft ground for tyre tracks; the place looks clean. But if there
is
anything, forensics will find it. It was rather late in the day for roadblocks, but we did cover the major routes for an hour or two. Meantime, we’ve got people watching ports and airports but, to be honest, without much hope. If that’s their game, I should imagine they’ll have organised a flight from a private airfield. So there you have it, Mr Copperfield. You know as much as us. Possibly even more, as I haven’t had a chance to speak to Mikey myself yet. Talking of which . . .’ He drained his coffee mug and slid forward on his seat, preparing to stand up.
    â€˜Thought you were going to put a tracer on my phone,’ Truman said.
    â€˜We are.’ He looked at his watch. ‘It should be on by now.’
    â€˜Oh. I thought . . .’
    Ford smiled and shook his head. ‘No, there’s nothing to see. No gadget with dials and tape spools. It’s all arranged through the telephone company. All it takes is the proper authorisation.’ Ford got to his feet. ‘Come on, Hancock.’
    â€˜But I’ve only just got my tea,’ Hancock protested, pausing in the act of taking a biscuit.
    â€˜Well, swallow it down or bring it with you. I don’t mind which, just as long as you come.’ He turned to Ben. ‘Here’s my number. If you haveany further thoughts on any of this, I’d be glad to hear them.’ At the door, with a surly Hancock on his heels, he turned again. ‘I’ve taken a chance, trusting you. Please don’t let me down.’ With a wave of the hand he was gone.
    In the silence that followed, Ben finished his coffee, studying the card in his hand and wishing all of