The Missing Horse Mystery Read online

  “Nancy!” Bess and Ned came running from the

  other side of the parking lot.

  Ned reached her first. “Are you all right?” He placed

  both hands on her shoulders, then gave her a hug.

  Still shaken, Nancy could only nod. Ned looked

  toward the open door. “Is something in there?” His

  fingers tightened on her shoulders.

  Bess jogged up, gasping for breath. Her eyes

  widened when she, too, saw the gaping doorway. “Who

  . . . what's in there?” she stammered.

  Nancy shook her head. “It's all right. No one's in

  there. At least no one human.”

  Ned cocked one eyebrow at her. Nancy walked up

  to the trailer door, leaned in, and reached around the

  hay net. When her fingers touched the lifelike latex

  skin of the mask, she shivered.

  After pulling out the mask, she held it over her face,

  then turned toward her friends. Bess shrieked.

  “Meet our thief,” Nancy said as she lowered the

  mask.

  “You mean the guy wore a mask?” Ned asked.

  Nancy stretched it out. The skin color and texture

  made it look real. “Right. No wonder Roberta Flanagan

  said he looked deformed.”

  Bess wrinkled her nose. “That thing is really creepy-

  looking.”

  “But effective,” Nancy said. “Our thief is being

  careful not to be identified.”

  Ned touched the bulging eye. “We'd better show

  this to Texel.”

  “We should bring Texel here,” Nancy said. “I'm

  going to hang the mask back up in the trailer so he can

  see where it was. He and his men might find

  fingerprints inside the trailer, too.”

  Bess pointed to the side of the trailer. “Look, there's

  a dent right over the wheel. That will help us

  remember which one it is.”

  After climbing inside the trailer, Nancy hung the

  mask back on the hook. Pushing aside the hay net, she

  peered over the divider into the back of the trailer.

  Was the thief planning to use this to haul away a stolen

  horse?

  The trailer wasn't hitched to a vehicle, but Nancy

  thought maybe the thief was going to back a truck up

  to it later, after the excitement had died down.

  Nancy could only hope that they'd catch the thief

  before he did steal a horse.

  Ned led the way back to Barn A, where they found

  Texel talking to a half dozen irate horse owners. One of

  the owners was shouting about the lack of security.

  “We're doing everything we can,” Texel explained.

  The owner didn't act reassured. “If someone almost

  got away with stealing a horse, it's not enough.”

  Gesturing for Nancy, Ned, and Bess to follow him,

  Texel moved down the aisle and away from the crowd.

  Nancy figured he was grateful for an excuse to get

  away.

  “Did you find anything?” he asked, his tone urgent.

  “We found a mask in one of the trailers,” Nancy told

  him.

  “A mask, huh?” Rocking back on the heels of his

  boots, Texel gave Nancy, Bess, and Ned a skeptical

  look.

  “We all saw it,” Bess said emphatically.

  “And it explains why Ms. Flanagan thought the

  thief's face was deformed,” Nancy added.

  “All right,” Texel said. “Let's go look at it.”

  Nancy led the way through the parked vehicles with

  Ned, Bess, and Texel right behind her. When she

  rounded the Twin Meadows van, she stopped dead.

  The gray horse trailer was gone.

  “Hey, where'd it go?” Bess asked in surprise.

  “Wasn't this where it was parked?”

  Ned looked around. “Yes. Someone must have

  moved it.”

  “All right, where's this mask?” Texel asked. His face

  was red from the hike in the hot sun. Sweat rolled

  down his forehead.

  “Uh . . .” Nancy glanced at Ned, but he could only

  shrug his shoulders. “It was in the trailer that used to

  be parked right here.”

  “You mean you lost a trailer?” Texel scowled.

  Ned, Nancy, and Bess all nodded.

  “Wait a minute. Is this some kind of prank?” Texel's

  voice grew low and threatening. “Some kind of early

  Halloween joke?”

  “No, sir,” Nancy said quickly. “I know it seems

  strange, but somebody must have seen me find the

  mask. As soon as we left, he or she moved the trailer.”

  “Look, there are some marks in the gravel.” Ned

  pointed to what could have been a tire track. “It took

  us about fifteen minutes to find you and get back here.

  That gave somebody plenty of time to hitch up the

  trailer and take it somewhere else.”

  Texel wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “That's a

  lot of if s.” After folding the handkerchief, he stuffed it

  back in his pocket. “Next time be sure you've got

  something.” With an exasperated grunt at Nancy, Bess,

  and Ned, Texel stomped off.

  Ned threw up his hands. “That's it. I'm not helping

  Texel anymore. He and his men can solve their own

  crimes.”

  “I agree,” Bess said.

  “He's just frustrated because he's not getting

  anywhere and everybody's breathing down his neck,”

  Nancy said. Hands on hips, she scanned the parking

  lot. “So do you think the trailer's still on the

  showgrounds?”

  Bess and Ned groaned.

  “Nancy!” Bess declared. “Give it up. Didn't you hear

  Texel?”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Nancy grinned at her two friends.

  Bess's nose was getting sunburned, and Ned's brow

  was sweaty. “Let's get something to drink, then see

  what Lee Anne's up to. I feel as if we've spent our

  whole day hunting for nonexistent criminals.”

  “That's because we have,” Ned said as they started

  back.

  As Nancy followed her friends, she thought about

  the attempted theft, the mask, and the disappearing

  trailer. All the clues added up to one thing—the thief

  was someone who knew the showgrounds and could

  slip in and out of the barns without raising anyone's

  suspicion. Someone who had to wear a mask so he

  wouldn't be recognized.

  But who?

  Nancy let out a breath in frustration. Hundreds of

  men at the show fit that description—owners, grooms,

  riders. Texel and his guards couldn't watch every horse

  every second.

  When the trio reached Barn C, they found Lee

  Anne in the aisle grooming a horse in cross ties.

  “You found a mask?” She looked as surprised as

  Texel after they had told her the story.

  “And lost it again,” Bess said.

  Lee Anne giggled. “Wearing a mask sounds like

  something Michael would do. Last October he scared

  Gilly and me half to death with a Halloween mask. He

  popped out of one of the stalls.”

  Nancy patted the horse. The name Divine was

  etched on a brass nameplate on the side of his halter.

  “What did the mask look like?”

 
; “Kind of like this.” Twisting her lips, Lee Anne

  grimaced at Nancy. “Only worse because one of the

  eyeballs hung out.”

  Nancy's eyebrows shot up; Ned's jaw dropped; and

  Bess reacted by opening her eyes wide in surprise.

  “What?” Lee Anne stopped brushing the horse.

  “What did I say?”

  “Nothing!” Nancy blurted out. She shot Ned and

  Bess a don't-say-a-word warning.

  Instantly Bess plucked a curry comb from the

  grooming box. “Need help?” she asked.

  “Sure.” Lee Anne gestured to the horse's other side.

  “I need to get Divine polished and ready for this

  evening. Michael's riding him in an Intermediate One

  test.”

  Nancy was glad Bess had distracted Lee Anne.

  There was no way Nancy wanted her to know that she

  had just described the mask the thief had worn.

  “Ned, didn't you want to look at those belts again?”

  Nancy asked him. Taking Ned's hand, she tugged him

  down the aisle.

  “Uh, sure,” Ned said. “We'll see you guys later,” he

  called.

  When they were out of earshot, Nancy stopped

  outside the barn door. “Did you hear that? Lee Anne

  described the mask perfectly!” she exclaimed.

  “Do you think Michael's involved?” Ned asked.

  “I don't know. We'll have to find out where he was

  after he rode. Still, the facts do add up.” Nancy put up

  a finger. “Number one, he knows the barns. Two, he

  knows the horse that was almost stolen. Three, he

  needs money. Four, he had a mask like the thief s.”

  “I don't know, Nan. Lee Anne keeps saying how

  ambitious Michael is. Why would a rider working

  toward being on the Pan American team jeopardize his

  chances by stealing a horse?”

  Nancy's eyes lit up. “Maybe because the theft might

  actually improve his chances! Come on. I need to

  check out a hunch.”

  Nancy hurried across the showgrounds to the

  secretary's booth, a place where owners and riders

  entered their horses, paid fees, and checked on their

  standings. The small building was bustling with activity.

  “May I see the entry list for this evening's

  Intermediate One test?” Nancy asked a harried woman

  who was pulling prize ribbons from a box. Without

  pausing, the woman nodded to a stack of papers. “It

  would be in there.”

  Leafing through the stack of papers, Nancy found

  the list. All the horses and riders entered in the test

  Michael was riding that evening were itemized.

  Nancy ran her finger down the list. There. Roberta

  Flanagan and Sweet and Klean.

  “Look,” she whispered excitedly to Ned. “Roberta

  and her horse are competing against Michael and

  Curio tonight. Gilly said that at the last show, Sweet

  and Klean beat Michael by a lot. That gives Michael

  another reason to steal her horse—he's so competitive,

  he'd do anything to win.”

  6. Missing!

  “Stealing a horse just to win a class at a horse show?”

  Ned shook his head in disbelief. “That seems pretty

  far-fetched, Nan.”

  “Not if you're as competitive as Michael.” Nancy

  continued to flip through the prize lists. “Don't you

  remember what he said when he heard that Valerie

  Dunn's horse had injured its hoof? Michael seemed

  positively happy.”

  Ned shrugged. “That just proves he likes to win.”

  “This is what I was hunting for.” Nancy held up a list

  of riders entered in an Intermediate Two test

  scheduled for the next morning. “Look.” She tapped

  her finger on a name halfway down the list. “Valerie

  Dunn. She was supposed to compete against Michael

  tomorrow.”

  “That does seem like more than a coincidence,” Ned

  agreed.

  As Nancy stacked the prize lists, she mulled over the

  evidence that pointed to Michael. He'd been warming

  up Curio when the fire was set, so he couldn't have

  been responsible for that incident. Unless he was

  working with someone. But who? And what would that

  person's motive be?

  She shook her head, realizing how few answers she

  had. “At dinner tonight we need to keep our ears and

  eyes open,” Nancy told Ned as they left the secretary's

  booth. “Michael may let something important slip.”

  Ned made a face. “Hey, what happened to having a

  plain old fun evening?”

  Smiling up at him, Nancy linked her arm through

  his. “Oh, I think we can manage to fit in a little fun.”

  “So, what do you think, Bess?” Nancy turned slowly,

  modeling her new skirt and red top. Her hair was

  brushed back in soft waves, and her cheeks were

  tanned from the day in the sun.

  “You look great.” Bess wore a knit dress and sandals.

  Her new turquoise earrings dangled from her ears.

  It was seven o'clock. The two girls were dressing in

  the room they were sharing with Lee Anne. They were

  about to meet Ned and Gunter.

  “You look great, too,” Nancy said as she swung open

  the door to the room. “We'd better hurry. Lee Anne

  and Michael are picking us up out front.”

  “Michael's driving?” Bess asked as they walked into

  the hall.

  “Right. He borrowed one of Klaus's cars.” Nancy

  locked the door, then followed Bess down the corridor.

  When they reached the lobby, the girls spied Ned and

  Gunter.

  Gunter was wearing new jeans and a light blue shirt

  with a button-down collar. His sleeves were rolled up

  casually, and his wavy blond hair was slicked down.

  Ned was dressed in khakis and a polo shirt.

  “Hey, you two look great,” Ned said.

  “You don't look too shabby either,” Bess answered.

  Gunter pointed proudly to the label on his jeans.

  “This brand is hard to get in Germany. I bought five

  pairs to take home.”

  “How long will you be in Illinois?” Bess asked as

  they headed for the main doors.

  “About a month. Usually Americans come to

  Germany to train in dressage,” he explained. “But I

  wanted to learn more about American techniques.”

  As they stepped outside, Michael and Lee Anne

  were just pulling up.

  “Our chariot awaits,” Ned whispered to Nancy as

  they approached a dusty, dented station wagon. Ned

  opened the back door, then gestured for Nancy to

  climb in. Nancy slid in next to Bess, who'd gotten in

  from the other side.

  Lifting her nose, she sniffed. The whole car smelled

  like manure. She glanced over her shoulder. The back

  of the wagon was piled high with buckets, blankets, and

  a bag of grain.

  “Ah, what a great aroma,” Gunter said.

  “It must be Nancy's new perfume,” Ned joked, and

  everybody laughed.

  Michael drove the car out of the motel drive. While

  the others talked about the show, he stared intently

  ahead, as if preoccup
ied. Nancy wondered what he was

  thinking.

  “I invited Gilly along,” Lee Anne said, “but after that

  horse was almost stolen, Klaus was adamant about her

  keeping an eye on Aristocrat all night.”

  “That doesn't sound like much fun,” Bess said.

  Michael snorted. “She's not paid to have fun.”

  Lee Anne frowned at him. Since Lee Anne was

  sharing the room with Nancy and Bess, Nancy knew

  how much time and effort she had taken with her

  makeup and hair. Nancy bet Michael hadn't even

  noticed how pretty Lee Anne looked.

  “Where are we going to eat?” Ned asked.

  “I thought we'd try the Steak House,” Lee Anne

  said. “Klaus recommended it, and it's just a five-minute

  drive away.”

  Fifteen minutes later the group was seated around a

  large table overlooking a pasture filled with horses. A

  round of sodas had been served.

  Lee Anne and Gunter were explaining the different

  dressage movements to Bess, Nancy, and Ned. Michael

  had slumped down in his seat, his expression sullen.

  Michael was handsome, Nancy decided after

  watching him for a moment. She knew a lot of girls

  would be attracted to him. Still, she wondered why Lee

  Anne seemed so crazy about him. Even away from the

  showgrounds, he acted tense. Except for their interest

  in horses, they seemed to have nothing in common.

  “The Grand Prix is the ultimate test.” Nancy tuned

  in to what Lee Anne was saying. “The horse has to

  perform difficult movements like the passage you saw

  Curio do this morning during his test.”

  Michael rolled his eyes. “You'd hardly call that

  hopping up and down a passage.”

  Lee Anne cleared her throat. “Well, I thought you

  did fine—”

  “Except it's what the judges thought that counts,”

  Michael cut her off. “And they showed me what they

  thought by giving me a score of sixty-four.”

  “Sixty-four's pretty good,” Gunter said.

  Michael turned his dark eyes on him. “Right. Like

  you'd be satisfied with a sixty-four.”

  “If my horse did his best, yes.” Gunter nodded

  emphatically.

  “That's a laugh. You Germans never score lower

  than a sixty-seven. So even if my horse did his best,

  you'd still win. Just like in the Olympics.”

  Slowly Gunter set down his soda glass. “Would you

  like to explain that remark?” he asked politely.

  “You know what I'm talking about. Dressage is big