Zachary's Horses by Stan Krumm

Author:Stan Krumm
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-77151-043-1
Publisher: Touchwood Editions
Published: 2014-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

JACK ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL next morning in a state of great distress. Between muttered curses, he informed me that Christy was off in the town buying some things to take back to the farm, and then he planned on riding back to Sooke in the afternoon.

I was surprised. “He’s given up? He’s not even staying to watch the race?”

Jack shook his head. “There will be no Riordan at the race. Not with Billy Horne riding. Christy says that if he’s forced to witness that man whipping his horse like a donkey again—he still thinks of Miss Deception as his horse—he says he’ll drag the bastard down and give him a whipping of his own.”

We were by this point drinking coffee in the kitchen. I had other questions I wanted to ask, but Cook was banging about with his pots and pans and I didn’t want him listening, so instead I asked, “Isn’t it common practice to use the whip in a race, now and then?”

“Of course it’s common practice, but not with the Riordan family. Matter of principle. They’re more farmers than racers, really, and they don’t hold with what they consider brutality—particularly on a filly they consider part of the family. I had hoped Miss Deception would absolutely refuse to respond to Horne’s tactics, but he put the bully on her rather successfully, from the look of it.”

“Does this mean that we’re still safe to put all our money on her?”

Jack kicked the end of the wood pile. “Not in the slightest. He just surprised her. Next time she might just as easily bite back and go sideways. Horses are so much like women, Zachary! Nothing is ever predictable, but disaster is always close at hand.”

I shrugged, took a long drink of my cool coffee. “Well,” I whispered, “I’d say the next step for us is obvious . . .”

Jack raised one eyebrow.

There was a pause then, until Cook carried a basin of water out the back door to throw it out on the ground. I leaned forward. “How much money will it take to convince Billy Horne to withdraw his services?”

Jack gave a wan smile. “I don’t know, but I agree with your train of thought,” he replied calmly. “As a matter of fact, I’ve arranged dinner with the young man tonight.”

“I’m not above an investment in practical bribery.”

“Thank you, Zachary, and it really would be an investment, you know. If the famous jockey disappeared, the gamblers would take notice. It would change the odds on the race. Miss Deception would be far less favoured, and we’d win some of that money back with Christy in the saddle.” He scowled. “Although for me, it’s honestly more a matter of principle.”

I nodded as if I were in total agreement, but in truth for me it was about money.

Another thought came to me. “But you say Christy’s already gone, so what does it matter what we do?”

“Well,” replied Jack, leaning back in his chair, “the boy’s not gone yet.

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