Blood Sport Part 8

'Moving?'

'Yes.ToCalifornia.'

'Movingthestud?Horses,andeverything?'

'That'sright.Dave'sjustboughtafarmdownnearSantaBarbara,andwe'removingoverthereinthefall.'

'Iwouldhavethoughtyouweresettledhereforlife.Wasn'tthisDave'sfather'splace?'

'Ohno.Wemovedhereabouttenyearsago.TheoldfarmwasontheothersideofLexington,outontheVersaillesRoad.'

'Californiaisalongway,'Icommented.Butshedidn'trespondwithareasonforthemove,andafterapauseIsaid,'Ifitwouldn'tbemuchtroubletoyou,I'dlikeverymuchtoseethehorsesandstablesyouhavehere.'

Shenarrowedhereyes.'Businessorpleasure?'

'Both,'Ismiled.

Sheshrugged.'Helpyourself.Butgetmeanotherdrinkfirst.'

Apoolsideicebox,Ireflected,wouldsavealotofwalking:butmaybeshestillneededtheillusionthatshedidn'tdrinkintheafternoon.Ifetchedherarefill,changedintomyclothes,andfoundherstillfacedowninthebikini.

'SayIsentyou,'shesaid.

BeforeIcouldmove,however,DaverangfromEngland,andEvabroughtaportabletelephoneoutandpluggedthelongcordintoasocketinthehut.Dave'swifemadethreeorfourunanxiousenquiriesaboutherhusband'scondition,andthensaid,'Yes,he'shererightnow.'Sheheldoutthereceivertome.'Hewantstotalktoyou.'

'Gene?'Hisvoicewasasclearasifhe'dbeeninLexington,andmuchstrongerthanithadbeenthepreviousmorning.

'Hi.'Isaid.

'Lookfella,SimandIwantyoubackhereforaconference.Canyougetaplanetomorrow?'

'b.u.t.thefare...'Iprotestedmildly.

'Toh.e.l.lwiththefare.You'vegotareturnticket.'

'Allright.'

'Youhaven'tfoundthehorseyet?'

'No.'

'Doyouthinkyouwill?'

'Idon'tknowyet.'

Hesighed.'SeeyouThursday,then,'andthelinewentdead.

Thestableslaysomedistanceawayonthefarsideofthehouse.Iwalkedroundthereandwa.s.shortlytalkingtothestudgroom,ChubLodovski,alargegood-naturedmanwithslowspeech,abirdhead,andgreatham-likehands.Heshowedmeroundthewholesetupwithunlimitedpatienceandan.o.bviousprideinhisjob.Thestateoftheplacewas.h.i.+stestimonial.Themaresandfoalsatepeacefullyinneatlyrailedpaddocksreachedbyimpeccablenarrowdriveswithsharplycutgra.s.sedges.Thestallionslivedinashortrowofsixlargeairybox-stallsinas.p.a.ciousbarn,withawoodenrailedexercisepaddockinfront,flankedbytwohigh-walledmatingcompounds.

Onlyfiveofthesestallswereoccupied.ThevacancywasforChrysalis.

'IsthiswhereyoukeptAllyx?'Iasked.

'That'sright.Secondstallfromtheend.Hewasonlyinitfourdays.'

'Andwherewasthefire?'

Hefrowned.'Itstartedinsomestrawonenight,justabouthere.'Wewerefairlycentral.'Itwasn'tmuch.Mostlysmoke.'

'Andyouturnedthehorsesoutintotheexercisepaddockinfronthere?'

'That'sright.Justasaprecaution.Butoneofthosedoggoneanimalsgotscaredandbrokearailonthefarside,andthewholebunchgotoutacrossthatstretchofgra.s.sontothatdirtroadoverthere.WeneverdidfindAllyx.Therehasn'tbeensightnorsoundofhimsince.'

Wetalkedforawhileaboutthesearchthey'dmadenextmorning,but,Lodovskisaid,thewholeofKentuckywasplasteredwithhorses,andnoonethoughtmuchabout.i.tiftheysawoneloose,andalthougharewardhadbeenoffered,andtheinsurancepeoplehadswarmedaroundlikebloodhounds,they'dneverfoundhim.

'AndnowChrysalis,'Isighedsympathetically.

'Sure.Andtheysaylightningneverstrikesthesameplacetwice!'

Hewasmoderatelyupsetthatthestudlookedlikelosinganothermajorattraction,but.i.twasn'thismoneythatwasinvolved,andbesidesthathewasproudenoughofthestallionsremaininginresidence.Iaskedhimifhe'deverbeentoCalifornia.

'Thefarm'smovingoutthere,didyouknow?'hesaid.

'Areyougoing,yourself?'

'Mebbe,mebbenot.Dependsonthemissus,andshecan'tmakeuphermind.'HegrinnedcomfortablyandacceptedthenoteIgavehimwithdignity.

WhenIgotbacktothepoolDave'swifehadgotherdressonagainandEvawasbrus.h.i.+ngthesplintersofwhiskygla.s.sintoadustpan,whichshecarriedcarefullyawayacrossthelawn.

'Well,whatdidyouthinkoftheplace?'

'Thehorsesalllookedverywell.Thestallionsespecially.'

'Sowouldyou,ifallyouhadtodowas...'shebegan,andthenstoppedandshrugged.'Sowouldyou.'

Apartfromanoccasional'b.l.o.o.d.y'whichcreptinfromhabit,thatwasthelastofherverbalsquibsfortheday.Butmylackofscandalisedreactiondidn'thavethesameeffectonherdrinking,andshekeptupas...o...b..tsteadyintakerightthroughduskanddinner.Hermentalbrakesremainedhalfon,halfoff,asbefore.

Overthickslicesofrarebeefshesaid,'Areyoumarried?'

'No.'Ishookmyhead.

'Divorced?'

'No,'Isaid.'I'veneverbeenmarriedatall.'

'Areyouqueer?'sheasked,a.s.simplyasifshe'dsaid,'areyoucomfortable?'

Ismiledslightly.'No.'

'Thenwhyaren'tyoumarried?'

'Ihaven'tfoundanyonewhowillmarryme.'

'Don'tberidiculous.Youmusthavewomenlyingdownforyouindroves.'

'It'snotthesamething.'

Shelookedatmebroodinglyovertherimofhergla.s.s.'Soyouliveallalone?'

'That'sright.'

'Noparents?'

'They'rebothdead,'Isaid.'AndI'ven.o.brothers,nosisters,nouncles,auntsorcousins.'Ismiled.'Anythingelse?'

'Staythenight.'

Shesaiditabruptly,asifitcamefromadeeperlevelthanherfairlyharmlessinterrogation,andtherewasanelementofsurpriseandalarmonherfaceafterwards.

'I'msorry,'Isaidmatter-of-factly,'butIcan't.'

Shelookedatmewithoutexpressionforabouttenseconds.

'Ihaveamother,'shesaid.'Andsisters,andbrothers,anddozensofrelations.Andahusband,andason,andallthis.'Shewavedahandaroundthemillionairebracketwalls.'Ihaveeverything.'Hereyesfilledwithtears,butshewentonlookingstraightacrossthetable,withoutblinking.

'Ihave...b.l.o.o.d.y...everything.'

CHAPTERSIX.

TherewasanenvelopefromWaltinmyroomatthemotelcontainingashortnoteandalist.

'Gene, Thisisallthedriverscameupwith.Ithinkit'ssafetobetthattheyactuallydidseethesevehicles.Thetopthree,theybothremembered.Theothers,onlyoneofthemremembered.Nohorsevans,though.

Thelistread: 'Impala,lilac,2yearsold,Californianumberplates.Pa.s.sengersincludedafatchildwhomadefacesoutoftherearwindow.Bothdays.

Greystationwagontrailingaloadoffurniture.Bothdays.

DarkgreenFordMustang,Nevadaplates.Youngcouple,nodescription.ThehorsevandriversrememberthisonebecausetheywerediscussingwhethertheMustangwasagoodcarornot.Seconddayonly.

Whiteconvertible:youngwomanwithblondehairwoundonrollers.Seconddayonly.

Armygreenpick-uptruckwithwhiteletteringonthedoors.Seconddayonly.

Thepick-up,oneofthedriversthinks,wasprobablyonInter-btate70,afterZanesvilleandbeforetheyturnedoffsouth.Hedoesn'trememberclearly.'

IreadthelistthroughthreetimeswhileIundressed.Theloadoffurniturelookedthemostpromising,butnoneofitexactlyinspired.

Walt,drivingtotheairportinthemorning,dampedeventhefurniture.

'ItwasonlyoneofthoseSnailExpresstrailers.'

'LiketheU-Haul,'Isaid.

'That'sright."Carryyourhouseonyourback,butletustaketheweight".'hesaid,quotingtheSnailExpressadvertisingslogan.'Thedriverssaiditwasn'tbigenoughtoputahorsein.'

Therewerefurnituretrailersofallsizesalloverthecountry:peoplemovinghousehiredoneattheiroldhome,loadedup,anddroveofftothenew,maybesixStatesaway.Theretheyunloadedandsimplyleftthetrailerinalocaldepot,fromwherethehaulagefirmhiredittothenextremovingclient.ThebrightorangeU-HaultrailersandthealuminiumandblueonesoftheSnailExpresswereasfrequentontheroadsastheGreyhoundbuses.

'Howaboutthepickup?'Iasked.

'Muchtoosmallforahorse,'Waltsaidgloomily.

HecamebackwithmetoNewYorkandrubbedhisthumbcontinuouslyoverthefingerpadswhileIwentthroughthefilewehadmadeonthecase.

Therewasabatchofphotographsofthemissinghorse,mostlytakenfromstudbookadvertis.e.m.e.nts,bythelookofthem.Notaveryremarkablecreatureonpaper,Ithought.

SamHengelmanhadsenthistwomostcarefuldriverstofetchChrysalis.HehadhadacallfromMrsTellerinforminghimofthedatefixedforthehorsetoflyover,andalsoacablefromEnglandwhenhewasonhisway.HengelmanhadtelephonedKennedyAirportandbeentoldthehorseswouldbethroughthe24-hourimmigrationregulationsatnoon,Tuesday.Hehadsentthevana.s.soonashegotthecable,onSunday.Therewas,heagreed,asystemliketheU-Haulinoperationamonghorsevans,toavoidtheneedforlongemptyjourneys,butsomefolkslikedpersonalservice,andMrTellerwasoneofthem.

Theb.u.t.tressLifeInsurancecoveredtransport.SamHengelmanhadnothadtotakeoutapolicyforthetrip,andneitherstoodtolosenorgainfromthehi-jacking.

Bothdrivershadcleanrecordsgoingwayback.

Bothgroomshadbeenintheirpresentjobsformorethanthreeyears.OneofthemcamefromMidwayFarm;theotherfromanotherfarmwhichhadahorsecominginonthesametrip.

AninterviewwithMrsEuniceTellerhadproducednohelpfulinformation.

Ishutthefolderwithasmile,andgaveitbacktoWalt.

'HowaboutcheckingwithSnailExpress,ontheoff-chance?'

Helookedsceptical.'Thedriverssaidthetrailerwasn'thighenough.'

'They'reusedtothinkingintermsofordinaryhorsevans.Andtheywerelookingdown,fromtheircab.Youcouldsqueezearacehorseintoaboxaboutsevenfeetbyfour,bysixfeethigh,ifyouwereruthlessenough.FindouthowmanytrailersthatsizeorlargerSnailExpresshadoutlastMondayorTuesday,whichmightconceivablyhavebeenontheturnpike.'

'Allright,'hesaidexpressionlessly.'Ifyousayso.'

Withthetimelagworkinginreverseitwas3a.m.ThursdaymorningwhenIlandedatHeathrow,and12beforeIwalkedintoDaveTeller'sroominaReadinghospital.FlamingJunehadcomeandgone:itwasrainingagain.

Ifonediscountedtheropes,pulleys,slingsandplastersuspendinghisleginmidair,thepatientlookedhealthyenough.Hegreetedmewithoutfuss,thedirecteyessteadyandbright.

'Tiringtrip?'

'Soso.'