Death By Dressage: A Texas woman rides breakneck towards murder... (Robin Vaughan Equestrian Mysteries Book 1) by Carolyn Banks

Author:Carolyn Banks [Banks, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2022-06-19T04:00:00+00:00

I called Braedock, which is the name Edith Conover and her big-time criminal lawyer husband, Harry “Greenback” Conover, have given their place. And the next thing I knew I was stammering into Edith’s ear, “T-t-two hundred dollars?”

“It sounds high, I know,” Edith Conover said, “but she’s a three-time Olympic gold medal winner. And her twins, both of them, are —”

“I know,” I said. “I know.”

“But this is all very much beside the point because we simply have no slots. The clinic has been full since we announced it. We sent the flier around to get auditors and, well —” here Edith chuckled merrily — “perhaps to boast a bit. About having someone of Frau Schwetman’s caliber here at all.”

“Yeah, well, how did that happen anyway?” I asked.

“You’ll probably think I’m making this up —” Edie laughed — “but the fact is, Katerina Schwetman called me. She asked me all about Braedock — how close it was to downtown Houston and all of that, and then, mirabile dictu, she suggested offering a clinic!”

How many people do you know who can inject an expression like mirabile dictu into a simple conversation? I’m just wondering, because I seem to know several. It defies the national average, I bet.

“She was just in the neighborhood,” I asked, “or what?”

“Nothing that casual,” Edith said. “Well, that’s what I assume. Because she even offered to bring her own horse in for demos, a stallion, and I couldn’t believe that she’d gotten him through quarantine and all that.”

Quarantine takes a while. “So she planned this trip,” I ventured.

“Definitely.”

“And there was no publicity.”

“Just what we put out. Fliers. No national publicity, no. As far as I know, this is the only clinic she’s offering.”

I took a deep breath. “Was Veronika Ballinger supposed to ride?” I asked.

There was a painful pause, then a stiff reply. “Even if Veronika had been scheduled to ride, her slot would have gone to the first name on our waiting list.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. I didn’t mean that I wanted her slot.” What did she think I was, a ghoul?

She sounded relieved. “Well, actually, you wouldn’t be the first person to ask for it. Ever since Veronika’s death we’ve had many very hopeful calls. But frankly, Veronika never held a slot. I don’t understand it, really. She was one of the first people I contacted and initially she seemed quite eager.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Originally Veronika said I could probably put her down for two rides a day, every day, but then a couple of days later she called back and said never mind.”

Because she’d arranged to get Frau Schwetman to come to Cliffside early for some private lessons, I realized. “That is weird,” I said. Then I had a brainstorm. “Look,” I said, “I’m obviously not going to get into this clinic, but how about if I come to groom? Wouldn’t someone need an extra groom? I’ve done it before,” I added, “a lot.” Once for Lola, but never mind.

“Oh!” Edith brightened. “Well, do come, yes.

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