Small Town Filly (Sandbar Stables Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and calling loudly. "What are they yelling about?" she called to Lance.
    "Breakfast is late," he called back over his shoulder, "and they want to know what these four are doing out running around without them."
    Alex grinned, listening to the horses talking back and forth. Then Lightning raised his head and gave a piercing call right back to them, and she wished she had earplugs. "I never knew horses could be so loud!"
    "What?"
    "Never mind," she said, still grinning. "Let's get them home!"
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER SIX
    They took the horses across the road, and Alex thought she'd never been more relieved about anything in her life than when all four of them walked down the gravel driveway of Sandbar Stables. She felt even better when the runaways were safely back inside their own paddock.
    "Lance, how did this happen?" she asked. Now that the horses were safe, she found that she could not keep her voice from shaking. "One of them could have been killed. Or a driver. Or anyone."
    "I don't know what happened." He stood with one arm on the metal gate, just looking at Jet and the three ponies.
    She looked at the horses again. "Are you sure you locked this gate?"
    Lance was very silent and still for a long time—so long that Alex finally turned to face him. He had such a cold look in his eyes that she took a step back.
    "Yes," he finally said. "I wrapped it and hooked it just like I always do." His voice was just as cold as his expression.
    She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. I know how hard you work to take care of this place and all these horses that aren't even yours. I'm just trying to figure out what happened, that's all."
    Lance turned and looked out over the gulf, and she could see him clenching his jaw. "I am positive that last night when I threw in the hay, this gate was shut with the cord hooked around it."
    "Did you see whether it was wrapped up this morning?"
    "No. I didn't. We haven't fed yet, remember?"
    "Yes. I remember. Meaning, you hadn't been out to look at the paddock yet."
    "No. I had not. I was in the barn with those horses when I heard the hoofbeats and looked up. That's when I saw Jet leading the other three out of the front gate."
    "So the front gate was open by then."
    "Yes. It was closed last night, but I'd already opened it today." He sighed and glanced down. "I've been leaving it open for you every morning."
    She smiled at him, though she wasn't sure he saw it. "Yes, I know you do. And I appreciate that very much." Alex looked at the horses again. "And there's no way one of them could have gotten the bungee cord off of the gate? Jet's pretty clever with things, from what I've seen."
    "No. I've never seen a horse that could manipulate a bungee cord—not when it's been wrapped and hooked the way I do it. Besides," he went on, "I've never seen any of them even try to mess with it. I just can't believe it was one of them."
    "Okay. If you say it wasn't one of the horses that did it, then it wasn't."
    She started to walk away, but Lance just stood there with his arm on the gate. "Are you coming?" she asked. "I'll help feed. I pretty much know how much everybody gets by now."
    He let go of the gate. Alex watched it swing inward by a few feet. "The bungee cord is gone. That's another way you can be sure that it wasn't the horses who took it off. They would have just let it fall right here and then taken off. But there's no sign of it anywhere between this paddock and the road."
    "So what are you saying? If it wasn't you and it wasn't the horses, then what happened to the bungee cord?"
    "I don't know. But I don't think we're going to find it."
    "Then you're saying it was deliberately done. That somebody deliberately turned the horses loose to get out onto the road."
    He was silent for a moment. "I'm just saying that you need to hold this gate shut while I go to the garage and get another bungee cord."
    Alex stepped up and took hold of the gate. In just a few moments he was back