Mystery at Saddle Creek (19 page)

Sunny's reappearance at Saddle Creek caused a stir. The frantic, sweaty horse galloped the entire way home, stopping in front of Cliff in a flurry of sparks on the barn's cement floor. Cliff put a halter on the quivering animal and walked him down to the farmhouse. He knocked loudly and waited.

It was still early and Hannah hadn't yet come downstairs for coffee. When she opened her curtains and looked down at Cliff, holding a lathered and jumpy Sundancer, she threw on her housecoat. She ran down the stairs and opened the door.

“What's going on? Why's Sunny all upset?”

“Is Bird here?” Cliff asked grimly.

Hannah ran back up the stairs, two at a time. She looked in Bird's room. Empty.

“Paul!” she yelled. “Bird's gone and Sunny's lathered!”

Paul appeared immediately, tying the belt of his dressing gown. “Call the police, Hannah. Tanbark Wedger was here last night.”

“What?”

“Just call the police. Ask for the chief, Mack Jones.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Start looking for Bird.” Paul went downstairs to the door, where Cliff was trying to deal with Sunny. He was rearing up on his hind legs and pulling on the lead.

“When did Sunny show up?”

“Just now. I came right over. He's never done anything like this before. I'm thinking Bird might've taken him out for an early ride and something happened.” Sunny lurched, causing Cliff to swing away.

Paul nodded. “I'm thinking the same thing. Was he tacked up?”

“No.” Cliff jerked the shank and tried to make Sundancer behave. “He was just like this. No saddle, no bridle.”

“We can't put him in his field like this.”

“No, he'd jump out. I'm going to walk him until he's cooled, then put him in a stall until we find Bird.”

“Thanks, Cliff. I'll let you know what's happening.”

“I'd appreciate that.”

Wasting no time, Paul got dressed and started following Sunny's trail of hoofprints. Julia and Hannah stayed by the phone, waiting for Mack Jones to return their call.

Hannah knew that Paul's quest would be fruitless — the ground was too dry for tracking — but she also knew he needed to try. He was worried, but he also felt guilty that he hadn't called the police the night before. Several times before he left he'd told Hannah that this would never have happened if he had.

Hannah turned on the radio.

“There's a storm watch for the area northwest of Toronto. Close your doors and windows, folks. It's going to be a bad one. Look for hail and strong winds up to eighty kilometres an hour.”

Julia looked out the window at the darkening skies. She hoped they'd find Bird before the storm hit.

The phone rang. Hannah jumped, and grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hannah, it's Patty. Sorry to call so early, but I knew you'd be up. Phil got another note.”

“Oh, Patty. What does it say?”

“I'll read it.” Hannah heard the rustle of paper.
“The madness stops when you admit your guilt. Do it now before somebody else gets hurt.”

“Did you call the police?”

“Yes. I'm waiting by the phone now.”

“So am I. Bird's missing.”

“Oh my gosh! What can I do?”

“Nothing. Just hope for the best. Call me later, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Oh — Patty? How's Phil doing with this?”

“I don't know. He went out as soon as he saw the note, and he hasn't come back.”

Hannah sent Julia up to the barn to get Cliff. Within minutes, the tall farm manager and the small blonde girl approached the house.

“Come on in, Cliff,” Hannah said warmly. “Thanks, Julia.”

Cliff stood by the door.

“Cliff,sit down.I want to ask you something.”Hannah pulled back a chair.

Cliff remained standing. “The answer to your question is yes.”

“Yes? What question do you think I was about to ask?”

“If I got another note. I did.” He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He slapped it on the table.

Hannah read aloud.

“The madness stops when you admit your guilt. Do it now before somebody else gets hurt.”

Cliff hung his head. His hands kneaded each other in helpless anxiety. “That somebody else is Bird, Hannah. She's getting hurt because I won't admit my guilt!”

“Are you guilty?” Hannah's voice contained a note of alarm.

“No! But maybe they'll release Bird if I confess.”

“You'd confess to something you didn't do?”

“Yes. And then after they release her, I'll tell the truth.”

“Cliff.” Hannah sank into the chair she'd offered him. “First, Bird's disappearance has nothing to do with anything you've done or not done. Second, we don't know who the ‘somebody else' in the note refers to. Third, never make a false confession— it's against the law. Fourth, Patty Brown just called to tell me that Phil got a note, too. It's identical to yours. That's why I sent Julia to get you.”

Now Cliff needed a chair. Julia pulled one out as his knees buckled, and got it under him before he fell to the floor.

“I thought when Sunny came racing home that Bird was kidnapped and it was because I should confess.” Cliff was babbling now. “This whole thing is making me crazy! I wondered if I should make a fake confession just to stop it all, but then I worried they might believe that I really did it and put me in jail even after I told them I didn't, but I'd do that for Bird, if it would help. I can't think about what she might be going through right now.”

Hannah reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. “I repeat, never make a false confession, Cliff. It would only confuse things further and make the truth harder to find.”

Julia spoke. “That's really, really nice of you, Cliff. You'd get in trouble for Bird. I would, too, if it would help.”

The phone trilled. Everyone stiffened. Hannah picked it up before the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hannah, it's Fiona Malone.” Her tone was cool.

“Fiona! I forgot to call you! I have Moonlight Sonata here.”

“So I hear. Dexter called. They don't want to lease her.”

“Fiona, I know you're upset. We brought her to your farm around four yesterday, after the show. You were ... not home. I didn't want to leave her with nobody around.”

“Dexter also said that one of your students rode her.”

“Fiona, I talked to you about that, remember? You said it was all right.”

“Oh. Well, no hard feelings. Just get Moonie back to me today. I need to figure out what to do with her.”

“It could be a while. A suspicious person was outside the farm early this morning, and Bird's gone missing. I'm worried sick.”

“Hannah! I'm sorry! You should've said something. I understand. Good luck finding Bird. Don't worry about Moonie — if she's no trouble, that is. Otherwise I'll hire old Smythe to come get her.”

“She's no trouble. In fact, I have a student who'd love to ride her.”

“The one who got first place yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead. Let's talk when Bird is found.”

“You bet.”

“Hannah? Please call if there's anything I can do.”

“Thanks, Fiona.”

Hannah hung up the phone and let out her breath. “I completely forgot about Moonie.”

“Understandable,” said Cliff.

The phone rang again. Hannah swept it up.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Hannah — it's Mack. I got your message. Bird is missing and Tanbark Wedger was sighted at your house this morning?”

“That's right. Paul's gone looking for her, but it's dry out there.”

“Do you have any idea where she is?”

“Not really, but Sundancer, her horse, came up from the direction of the Escarpment.”

“I've sent a team with dogs. They'll arrive soon, and will stop by to get something with her scent on it. If Paul comes back tell him to stay put.”

“I will.”

“Tell me about Tanbark.”

“I didn't see him. I was sleeping. Paul told me that the dog woke him up around four-thirty. He went downstairs and Bird was already at the door. When he got closer he saw that Tanbark was there, too. Paul tried to get him to come inside, but he ran off.”

“Did Paul tell you why he didn't call us?”

“Bird asked him not to. She said Tanbark came to tell her something important.”

“I see. I'll talk to Paul later.”

“Mack? There's something else. Cliff is sitting in my kitchen. He got another note.”

“You're not kidding.”

“No. Philip did, too. Patty Brown called me a minute ago. The notes are exactly the same.”

“What do they say?”

Hannah read from Cliff 's note. When she was finished, Mack was silent. “Mack? Are you still there?”

“Yes, Hannah. I'm thinking.” There was another pause. “Something's not right. I'm beginning to smell a rat.”

“A rat? What do you mean?”

“It's just a feeling. After that meeting at Palston, and Justice for the Innocent accepting responsibility for the fire, I didn't expect more notes.” He breathed sharply. “I'm going to bring in Ellen and Jim again for questioning. Tell Cliff not to worry, and tell Paul to hang tight. We'll do everything in our power to get Bird safely home.”

24

 

THE CANINE UNIT

Tan felt so much better outside, where he belonged. The burns were already starting to heal, and the scrapes were scabbing nicely, but it was the freedom that thrilled his heart and made everything seem possible.

Bird would soon wake up, and Tan was feeling more and more anxious. He didn't know how to tell her. Would she help him? He'd let her sleep this long, but his time was limited. They'd be searching for him, high and low.

Tan took a big breath of air. His lungs still hurt. He coughed a few times and tried again.

PAUL WALKED THROUGH THE KITCHEN door and took off his boots. He was grimy and sweaty. “No sign of her. The trails are so well used I can't make heads or tails of anything.”

“Mack's search team is on the way and they're bringing dogs. He says to stay where you are.”

“I went as far as the Escarpment, then turned back.” He sat down heavily in a kitchen chair and rubbed his face. “It's all my fault.”

“Hush! It's not your fault. Cliff thinks it's his fault, too.” Hannah told him about the note and relayed her conversations with Mack Jones and Patty Brown.

Paul listened, then paused in thought. “Remember the night of the Inglewood General Store meeting?”

“Yes, I do.”

“The moon was bright that night, and Bird and I stood outside with Lucky before we turned in.”

“She told me. If I remember correctly, you said something very poetic about how the brightness of the moon obscures the stars, but they're still up there, nevertheless.”

Paul stood, and held Hannah in a warm embrace. “You remember correctly. I'm more and more sure that the answer is right in front of us, but we can't see it because the moon is too bright.”

“And in your metaphor, what does the moon symbolize?”

“Justice for the Innocent, the threatening notes, the commotion. All these things take our attention from the truth.”

“Mack is wondering the same thing.”

Just then the phone rang. They both tensed.

Hannah answered.

“It's your father, Kenneth Bradley.” How many fathers used their full names when calling their children, Hannah wondered as she braced herself.

“Hello, Dad.”

“I heard that Tanbark was seen at your farm. True or untrue?”

“True.”

“Then why the blazes didn't you call me?” His voice was filled with anger.

“I didn't know until this morning, and we called the police immediately.”

“Why call the police when you can call me? I'm the one who posted the reward.”

Hannah took a deep breath. “It's not about the money, Dad.”

“You're trying to tell me you don't want the money? You turn your nose up at ten thousand dollars? With the problems you have balancing your books each month?”

“Dad, stop. I don't want the reward money. I have more on my mind at this moment. Bird's missing.”

“Where is she?”

“If I knew where she was, Dad, she wouldn't be missing.” Hannah had used up all of her patience.

“Don't be snippy with me!”

“The police are coming with dogs. My guess is when they find Bird, they'll find Tanbark, too.”

“Good. I'm coming over.”

“What for?”Hannah caught Paul's eye and grimaced.Kenneth Bradley in her kitchen was the last thing she needed.

“To help look. My son is missing.”

He hung up, leaving Hannah with the phone in her hand. The line was dead.

Paul reached over and took the receiver. He replaced it on its hook on the wall. “What's he going to do? Head up a search team?”

Hannah nodded. “Why does it feel like things are getting worse?”