Death By a Dark Horse

Eric and Jorge dropped into their chairs. Jorge groaned with relief.

'Oh good, coffee.' Delores made for the coffee pot as she strode in.

'Is Blackie okay?' I tried not to insult her by sounding anxious. Her brief frown told me I hadn't quite pulled it off.

'Yes, he's fine.' She took a mug out of the cabinet and poured what was left of the coffee into it. 'What's for lunch? I'm getting a little wonky.'

'I'll make some sandwiches.' Juliet was on her feet and moving efficiently between the pantry and the fridge. I couldn't help but notice the liberal use she was making of the groceries I'd just bought. But she seemed glad for something to do, and at least wasn't packing them up to take home with her like she often did.

'Did you take Blackie back to Copper Creek?' I asked.

'No, the deputies decided it wouldn't be a good idea.'

My heart stopped. 'You didn't leave him there -'

'Settle down.' Her steady look made me cringe. Of course she'd take care of my horse. 'I took him over to your uncle's place. The deputies seemed to think that Henry might be able to handle him.' She snorted a laugh.

I didn't have to ask whose idea that had been.

'Uncle Henry and Aunt Vi… you told them… are they…?'

'Upset? Of course. They'll be fine, though.'

My heart made an effort to resume beating, but it was worried.

'Delores,' Jorge said, 'Thea noticed something interesting about the gate.'

'Really?' She looked at me across the top of her coffee mug. 'And you think it means Blackie didn't kill Valerie?'

'Yes, exactly. That was what I was trying to explain to that deputy.'

A corner of her mouth twitched, and she took a swallow of coffee. I took the opportunity to explain what I believed the position of the latch on the gate meant. The explanation Marty wouldn't give me a chance to tell him.

Juliet brought the sandwiches to the table. Jorge eyed them and reached for one before she had a chance to set the plate down.

'Marty's not such a bad guy,' Delores said, and raised an eyebrow at me. She picked up half a ham and cheese and took a bite. 'Excellent rye bread. Purdy's bakery?'

'Uh huh.' I frowned.

'So you decided Valerie was murdered?'

'I guess it would have to be murder,' I said, almost apologetic. Why couldn't this be easy? Find Blackie, take him home, and live happily ever after. I looked around the table. I don't think I was the only one who had failed to make the leap from 'Blackie couldn't have done it' to 'murder.' Jorge had stopped chewing, a deep crease was between Eric's eyebrows, and Juliet was gnawing on her lip.

'Couldn't it have been that someone was with her, saw the accident happen and went to get help?' Delores's suggestion was possible, but not very.

'No.' I sat up straighter. 'Let's assume it was an accident like you said, why didn't the person stay there and call from the house or the barn? Why leave? Someone killed her.'

Delores took a swallow of coffee and looked around the table. 'If that's the case, who would want to kill her? I'm sure none of us will miss her, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to do her in because she was an annoying snob.' She took a bite of her sandwich, and chewed for a moment. Her gaze settled on me. 'Unless she did something unforgivable.'

'You think I killed her because she took my horse? How can you suggest such a thing?' I leaned toward her. 'I didn't even know Blackie was missing until this morning. You know that.' My index finger rapped the table punctuating each of my last three words. 'Besides, Jorge was with me when I found her.' I sat back, crossing my arms.

'I know.' Delores put her mug down with a thump. 'I don't think you'd hurt a fly, much less kill Valerie. What I'm saying is, if the sheriff decides she was murdered they're going to be looking at you pretty closely. You had plenty of reason to be angry with her, and they may think it's motive enough to arrest you. If I were you, I'd be reaching for the phone and giving that lawyer boyfriend of yours a call.'

I combed my fingers through my hair. Twice. 'I, uh, I kind of broke up with him last night. Sort of.'

'Already? Holy mackerel, girl.' She reached for another half sandwich.

What did she mean 'already'? Was there a relationship expiration date I hadn't gotten to yet? 'It's been a long time coming and last night was…not good.' I glared at Juliet to remind her she let me down, but it was Eric who blushed. 'Calling him wouldn't be a good idea.'

'What happened?' Delores asked. 'I thought you were meeting his parents in Seattle at some fancy restaurant.'

'We had a disagreement.'

'Must have been some disagreement,' my oh-so-helpful little sister commented. 'You were practically in tears when you phoned, but you wouldn't tell me anything. Just, 'drop what you're doing and come get me.'' She dropped her chin and stared at me.

I now knew why she hadn't come when she knew how upset I'd been, but I didn't ask because of how intently Eric was studying his coffee cup. I tried for evasive. 'He embarrassed me.'

'How bad could that have been?' Delores asked, finishing her ham and cheese.

'Bad enough that I don't feel comfortable calling him right now.'

'I see.' A little smile curved her lips and her eyebrows made tiny jerks up and down.

'No, you don't.' I didn't know what it was she thought she saw, but now I felt compelled to explain my hasty departure from the Georgian Restaurant, Jonathan's parents and Jonathan. 'If you must know, he got down on his knees with this God-awful monster of a ring and proposed. In front of everyone. The whole restaurant. He never even mentioned marriage before last night. I tried to make him stop, but he wouldn't listen. Then his father announced to everyone in earshot that I was a 'foolish young woman.' His mother yelled at his father to sit down, and I accidentally knocked over my chair and a couple of water glasses.' I looked around at the faces of my so- called friends. Eric tried hard to look concerned, Jorge grinned, and Juliet… I could have smacked that highly- entertained, open-mouthed, bug-eyed look right off her face. 'I had to leave.' I raised my chin and shook back my bangs. 'I went to McMurphy's Tavern and ran into Greg.' A ripple of glances passed around the table. 'What? It's a perfectly respectable place. No smoking, well lit, everybody I know goes there. In fact, Greg's got a condo in the neighborhood and… jeez, you guys! He told me his condo was a couple blocks away. I didn't see it. He was with Sarah Fuller – you know her, Delores, she takes lessons -'

'I know who she is. I thought he was dating Valerie.' Delores said.

'Sarah just picked him up at the airport. He was at a meeting in Chicago the last couple of days so there was probably some business he needed to talk to her about, since she works for him.' I sniffed. People could be so dense. 'Anyway, Juliet was supposed to pick me up,' I shot her a skinny-eyed look, 'but Paul Hudson came instead – '

'Paul picked you up?' Delores's interruption and inflection showed genuine surprise. She gave Juliet an incomprehensible look.

'I was busy,' Juliet said. A tiny, ate-the-canary smile settled on her lips.

Eric crossed his arms and slouched in his chair.

'Yes,' I said to Delores, after a frown at Juliet. 'He's Uncle Henry's new tenant.'

'I know who Paul is.' Delores scowled. 'He's my nephew.'

'Your nephew?'

'Yes.'

There were little bobble-headed nods from the other well-informed individuals in the room. Jorge added a smirk as he finished his roast beef on rye. He was such a smart-ass sometimes.

'I didn't know.'

'Really?'

'What?' I beseeched the ceiling. 'How would I know?'

'He didn't mention it?' Delores asked.

'Why would he mention it to me? I just met him, and briefly, I might add, in Uncle Henry's driveway yesterday