Secrets, Lies & Homicide by Patricia Dusenbury

Author:Patricia Dusenbury [Dusenbury, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime, Deep South, Murder, Mystery, Women Sleuths
ISBN: 9781601741929
Publisher: Uncial Press
Published: 2014-09-12T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

"Good Morning, Walkers, Elaine Reed speaking."

"I'm hoping you can help me." Claire said. "There's a horse I'm considering, and I want to check his background before I commit to buying him,"

"Are you a member?"

"No. I found you in an encyclopedia of organizations at the library. But I'm hoping you can help me anyway."

"I'll try." The woman confirmed that the association maintained a registry of Tennessee Walking Horses. They also kept records of competitions, at least the major ones. "Is the seller one of our members?"

"I don't know. That's really my problem, I don't know anything about the seller, and he says the horses' papers are in a safe deposit box over in Georgia." My real problem is I didn't think this through. What a lame story. "He says the horse has won several shows, but he hasn't anything to prove it. I'm not sure he's telling the truth, and I wondered if there's a way to check."

"It sounds to me as if you'd be better off buying a horse from a seller you trust. Or at least waiting until this seller can produce the papers you want to see."

"But I really like this horse, and the price is so good that I'm afraid someone else will come along and buy him if I drag my feet."

"No papers and a 'good price'. Are you sure this horse wasn't stolen?"

"Oh, no." Claire almost dropped the phone. That was exactly what she thought. "The seller is a reputable businessman. He just doesn't have time for a horse."

"Do you know the horse's name, which shows?"

"No." Silence from the other end. "He's a three-year-old stallion, black with a white blaze, eighteen hands tall. He won his first show when he was just a colt. Like eight weeks old."

"Have you ever owned a horse before?"

"No." This was true. Despite years of determined efforts she'd never been able to convince her parents to buy her one.

"Buying a horse is nothing to be done lightly." The woman shifted into lecture mode. "You're taking on a great deal of responsibility, expensive responsibility. The purchase price is just the beginning. Stallions can be particularly difficult. I suggest you learn more about what it takes before you buy this horse or any other."

"I've been riding all my life and I know what's involved, but I didn't know about Tennessee Walking Horses until I looked at this one. He's gorgeous and he has an amazingly smooth gait, a natural big lick." Claire was talking fast and thinking faster. "If I came to your office, could I try to find him in your files?" She knew enough to find Geneviève's horse among the registered three-year-old stallions. Worst case, she could narrow it down to a few horses.

"Are you near-by?"

"I live in New Orleans, but I'll be keeping the horse on a farm a few miles out. I've already made arrangements." What had begun as a simple lie was growing into a complex fabrication.

"If you want to drive all the way up here, I'll try to help you.

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