You go back often enough, dont you?
He did, except that he hadnt been there in a while. His academic parents were living in London. His little sister, Rayna, had grown up to be a country music singer. But shed been on tour for the past year. Hed caught up with herand his folksfor a few days in London earlier in the summer.
Yes, but I havent been back in about a year, he said.
Thats not too long, David said. Have you ever heard of a man named Marcus Danby? Malachi Gordon asked him.
Marcus Danby. Dustin repeated slowly. The name was familiar. Of course. Yes, he said. He founded a therapy center. He brings in clientspatientsto work with horses. Or dogs, sometimes. He was the black sheep of a very elite family, wound up addicted to everything known to man. He did time, but he was the last living member of his family and inherited property. He also changed his ways. The Horse Farm is extremely well-respected.
Danby is dead, Gordon said abruptly.
Im sorry to hear that. How did he die?
Fell into a ravine, Gordon told him. He was buried two days ago but the autopsy report was just released. He had drugs in his system.
Thats a pity. The man mustve been clean for at least twenty years, Dustin said. What does this
Some people close to him dont believe what theyre hearing. Wed like you to investigate, Jackson Crow broke in.
You dont believe it was a fallor you dont believe he was on drugs?
Neither, Malachi replied.
Are the police suspicious? Dustin asked.
No. Crow shook his head.
Then I dont really understand
Special Agent Blake, we often find ourselves slipping in when local law enforcement doesnt see an immediate problem, Crow said.
I see.
Malachi Gordon told him, Wed like you to go in as a patient.
As a patient. You want me to go in as a patient and investigate an accident brought on by substance abuse when no one believes it might have been anything other than it appeared?
We have more than a suspicion that he was murdered, Malachi said bluntly.
Dustin stared at him. How? Why? Im in the bureau. I know how it works. Were usually called in when theres a suspicion that a serial killer is at large or when a killer is crossing state lines.
Agent Blake, Jackson Crow began. We move in on cases when were afraid the truth may never be known because of unusual circumstances. We dont go barging in as a unit. We send one or two people and they assess the situation for us.
Dustin was surprised and, he had to admit, disappointed. This didnt sound like a case that was worthy of the Krewe.
The units had handled many truly unique cases. The sad demise of a man, even a black sheep whod changed his own life and created a lifesaving enterprisejust didnt sound like the kind of puzzle that desperately needed to be solved.
He shook his head, baffled. I need more than youre giving me. Yes, Im interested in working with a unit. As youre well aware, a man can grow weary of finding excuses for knowing what he shouldnt because hes managed to have a conversation with someone whos dead. And can I go in easily? Yes. The Horse Farm is about twenty miles outside the city, but Id have to go in as myself because I do have friends in the area. But, God knows, that could be easy. Enough people in law enforcement crackthats a plausible reason. But I dont understand how this even came to your attention.
My cousin called me, Blake, Malachi Gordon said. She works at the Horse Farm and shes convinced that Marcus Danby was murdered.
Great. Someones relative was upset.
Still...
It was an invitation to get a foot in the door with Jackson Crow and one of his Krewe units.
But if he was stepping in just because someones relative couldnt accept the harsh fact that even the strongest person sometimes failed...
That wouldnt bode so well.
Why? he asked Malachi. Why is your cousin convinced that Marcus Danby met with foul play?
Because, Special Agent Blake, Marcus Danby told her that he was murdered.
I dont get this horse-assisted therapy, Joey Walters told Olivia as they walked around inside the pasture. Unless, he said, flashing her a belligerent glance, its because our He hesitated a minute. She knew the word folks had been on his tongue. But he didnt have folks anymore. our guardians think were as stupid as horses and that theyll somehow fix us? The dumb leading the dumber?
Olivia lowered her head, smiling, before she looked back at Joey. Whatever makes you think horses are stupid? she asked. She was glad to be working. Theyd all taken a few days off for Marcuss funeral, but now they were back.
And she was especially glad to be working because her mind kept racing in denial regarding the autopsy reports.
Theyre not smarttheyll eat themselves to death if you let them, Joey muttered.
Horses have no hidden agenda, she said. They have their boundaries, just as we have ours. And for your information, Mr. Walters, horse therapy works well for those who tend to intellectualize everything. You cant bully a horse. A horse can learn to trust you, but he or she requires you to be trustworthy, as well.
As if to emphasize her words, Trickster, the twenty-year-old mare she was using with Joey that afternoon, nudged him in the back.
Hey! Joey said. But he turned and looked at Trickster. The mare snorted and shook her head, looking back at Joey.
It was a simple exchangevery simple. But Olivia saw something in Joeys expression and the smile that touched his face. He might be telling her it was all a bunch of bull, but he already cared about Trickster and it was only their second time out.
You werent paying attention to her, Olivia said. You brought her out here and then paid no attention to her. She wants to be noticed. She wants you to remember that you came to her.
Technically, you brought her out here.
Yes, but you brushed her and talked to her and started walking with her. She wants your attention.
You taught me that we learn about our boundaries through horses, as well. Most of the time, a horse will want to be in control. Isnt that what you said? Not to let the horse push you around. She just shoved me!
Something else to learn, Joey, Olivia told him. Trickster does care about you. She nudged you to get some affection back. You can maintain controland give her affection. Life is like that, Joey. You can love peoplebut you can maintain your own thoughts and opinions, as well.
Joeys smile deepened. He stroked the horses cream-colored neck, and Trickster clearly enjoyed his touch.
But then Joey stepped away. Ill get attached to herand then have to leave her, too, he said. Ill be alone again, like after my parents died.
Your parents would never have left you on purpose, Joey. And Trickster wont leave. Youll move on, but you can always come back and see her.
Everybody leaves, he said sharply.
Joey had been sent to the Horse Farm because his parents were both killed in an automobile accident. At first, hed been quiet, grieving, uncommunicative, his uncle had told them. Then hed begun acting out. An athlete, hed never been into drinking or drugs.
That had changed.
After his uncle had picked him up at a police station in Sarasota, their hometown, hed begun to look for help. Joey was enrolled at Parsonage House about ten miles from the Horse Farm. The facility offered horse therapy to their students.
Joey, Im sorry about your parents. It was tragic and unjust. But like I said, you have to realize that they didnt desert you, they loved you.
Its not fair!
No. Life isnt fair, she said quietly. We learn to cope with it the best we can. She paused and walked over to stroke Tricksters forelock. Look at Trickster, for example. She was a racehorse once upon a time, Joey. She was destined for greatness. Then a jockey whipped her into frenzy and she broke a legand she was worthless to the man who owned her. Instead of being grateful for the races shed won and the money shed made for him, his owner planned on having her euthanized. But
Joey, Im sorry about your parents. It was tragic and unjust. But like I said, you have to realize that they didnt desert you, they loved you.
Its not fair!
No. Life isnt fair, she said quietly. We learn to cope with it the best we can. She paused and walked over to stroke Tricksters forelock. Look at Trickster, for example. She was a racehorse once upon a time, Joey. She was destined for greatness. Then a jockey whipped her into frenzy and she broke a legand she was worthless to the man who owned her. Instead of being grateful for the races shed won and the money shed made for him, his owner planned on having her euthanized. But
Her voice broke, which surprised her. She believed shed accepted that Marcus was dead. She hadnt seen him since his death, and she and the rest of the employees at the Horse Farm were moving forward with the work Marcus had deemed so important.
But? Joey asked, puzzled.
But Marcus heard about Trickster, and he bought heroffering her owner more money than the glue factory. He brought her out here, cared for her, and now shes beautiful, as you can see.
They were going to make glue out of her? Joey demanded, horrified.
What matters is that shes here now. And she knows we love her. It took a while, because she was just thrown out in a pasture and allowed to starve, living in constant pain, before Marcus rescued her.
But Marcus didnt stay with her, Joey pointed out.
Marcus died, Joey. But he left her in the care of people who would continue to love her.
Joey took a deep breath and ripped out a strand of grass to chew on. He looked across the landscape and said, I shouldnt have made life so miserable for my uncle, huh?
He was only miserable because he loves you. And I dont think hes miserable anymore because he knows you really do want to live a productive life. You just need to come to terms with what happened.
He shrugged. At sixteen, he was a tall boy, a good-looking kid in great physical condition. He turned to her with one of his rakish smiles. You like me, huh?
Of course I like you, she told him.
His grin broadened. I like you, too. But how I know you like me is that youve forgotten the time.