HORSES AND HEROIN (Romantic Mystery) Read online

  The thin lady who’d clearly been uncomfortable with horses had been booted out as well as the curly haired man who chain smoked behind the barn. Surely the school couldn’t afford to lose three students in one week? She knew of no way to hunt down Joey other than to start at the spot where he’d disappeared.

  Garrett gestured at the sofa. She sat, keeping her arms loose, hoping he wouldn’t sense her desperation. He lowered himself on a chair and thumbed through several files, obviously searching for her progress report. Rex sniffed curiously at her jeans and she patted his big head, grateful for the diversion.

  “You initially applied for the jockey program,” Garrett finally said, “but didn’t meet the physical requirements.” He lifted his head, his eyes narrowing. “Now that you’ve been here a week, do you think you’ll be happy galloping horses for a living?”

  “Oh, yes,” she said. “I love being around horses. I’m not used to the short stirrups but it’s getting a lot better.” She crossed her fingers at the blatant lie. She didn’t feel like she was improving, not a bit.

  He smiled, but not unkindly. “Lydia tells me you’re having a little difficulty with the position. A lot of experienced riders have trouble, especially dressage and some of the western disciplines.”

  “That’s good to know.” She let out a cautious breath. “I feel like I’ve never been on a horse before. Lydia said I was the worst she’d ever seen.”

  His face flashed with amusement. “Lydia tends to exaggerate, but she does a heck of a job teaching. A bit of fear is often good for the younger students.”

  The tension in Megan’s shoulders eased a notch. She leaned forward and scratched the itchy spot at the base of Rex’s left ear. It didn’t sound as if Garrett were going to kick her out. In fact, he seemed rather friendly. Too friendly? His warm gaze lingered on her breasts, and she wished she hadn’t followed Tami’s suggestion about wearing a low-cut shirt.

  “Remember it’s about balance, not grip,” he added, glancing back at her resume. “I see you finished high school ten years ago and have been working at your family ranch. Have you thought about building on your program? Our courses are recognized at Bay University. A degree would open up more opportunities in the equine field.”

  His voice strengthened with sincerity and she swallowed, hating to lie. She’d neglected to list her fine arts degree from Berkeley. Garrett may have earned his reputation as a womanizer, but he seemed to genuinely care about the future of his students.

  “I can’t afford to go to school for longer than six months.” She scratched harder at Rex’s ear, avoiding Garrett’s gaze. “I just need to finish the exercise rider program and find a job.”

  “But money shouldn’t be the deciding factor,” he said. “Not when you’re mapping out your future. Scholarships are available. I can help with the application. So many opportunities exist now, especially with the grooms and exercise riders.”

  “But not for the jockeys?”

  He smiled, such a dazzling smile she couldn’t help but smile back. No doubt about it, this man knew how to charm. “The jockeys are convinced they’re going to make the big leagues,” he said, “despite Ramon’s warnings. They don’t consider a backup plan. A few will make a living of course, but most won’t. And many will never even ride at a public track. They’ll just disappear.”

  Like Joey. She tried to control her expression but Rex seemed to sense her tension. He cocked his head, staring at her with soulful brown eyes. “Do you have many quit your jockey program?” she managed.

  “If they do, it’s usually the first month. Some riders don’t have the ability or courage. That’s something that simply can’t be taught.”

  “I heard one guy recently quit, after seven months of riding.” She willed her voice not to crack.

  “An unusual incident.” Garrett shrugged. “That particular student has been trouble since he was a kid. He’s a convicted felon who enrolled under false pretenses, trying to establish drug runners at the track. As you know, we have zero tolerance here. And all students sign a form to that effect.”

  Rex whined, nudging her hand with his nose, and she automatically resumed scratching. But her mind whirled. Joey’s juvenile record was sealed. Garrett and Lydia shouldn’t know his complete background, not unless the police had spilled it during the investigation. Not surprising though. Most cops had big mouths.

  “Don’t you check for a record during the admission process?” she asked.

  “Guess we didn’t look into his background closely enough,” he said ruefully. “And that was truly unfortunate since the student was very talented. Ramon said he had more potential than anybody he’s ever seen. Now enough of that, Megan.” His smile was slightly apologetic. “Lydia suggested you need more practice on the Equicizer. She says you’re still trotting in the field.”

  “Yes, that’s right. But I’m close to getting the hang of it.”

  “Really?” He rose and walked toward a mahogany cabinet. The diamonds in his Rolex watch flashed as he reached for two wine glasses. “Red or white?”

  She’d intended to refuse any drink, but her heart thumped with panic. He looked amused but disbelieving at her assurance that she was getting better. Apparently she wasn’t over the hump yet, but dammit, she couldn’t leave the school. Not yet. She hadn’t learned anything of value, hadn’t had a single meaningful conversation with the jocks.

  She swallowed, wetting her dry throat. “Red wine would be lovely,” she said.

  An hour later, Megan leaned back on the sofa, laughing as Garrett told another joke about his university football team. Some of their escapades had bordered on insane but he had a very persuasive personality, and his tales were definitely entertaining. He moved the wine bottle to a side table—she was surprised to see it was empty.

  “Sounds like you weren’t very nice to the rookies,” she said.

  “I probably wasn’t, but our quarterback looked after everyone. He didn’t tolerate too much razzing.”

  At some point, Garrett had joined her on the sofa and his leg now grazed her knee. She inched away, careful not to jostle Rex whose big head rested on her ankle. However, she’d reached the edge of the sofa and there was simply nowhere left to go.

  “Some guard dog.” Garrett leaned over, his arm brushing her thigh as he patted Rex. “I’ve never seen him act like that. Clearly he has excellent taste.”

  He gave her a look full of such blatant appreciation, she considered rising and darting to the bathroom. He must have sensed her unease and immediately leaned back.

  “So keep up the hard work,” he added smoothly. “The first week is the toughest, but you’re through that now. If you ever need to talk, just let me know. I’m meeting someone in half an hour, but usually I’m available.” His gaze flickered over her chest. “Any time.”

  “Thank you.” She rose so quickly, Rex’s head bumped the floor. He gave a reproachful grunt but thumped his tail to indicate no hard feelings. She gave him an apologetic pat. However, it was clear Garrett wasn’t talking about student interviews, and she didn’t feel the least spark of attraction. He was the shallow flirty type she always avoided.

  Still, Garrett headed the school. If he didn’t know the truth about Joey, he was acquainted with people who did.

  “Great,” she added. “I might need your advice sometime.” She forced a smile so fake it felt as if it caught on her teeth.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “How did it go with Garrett?” Tami leaned over the table, her words almost unintelligible against the jangle of cafeteria trays and cutlery.

  “The interview went fine.” Megan reached for the jug of iced tea and topped up her glass. “I’m not being sent home yet, although he’d heard about my trouble with the two-pointing.”

  “I’m not talking about the interview.” Tami rolled her eyes and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. She took a crunching bite, her inquisitive face tilted toward Megan. “How did you get along with Garrett? Isn’t he gorgeous?
”

  “Yes, he’s nice. He talked about the degree program. Told me which courses are transferable. That new addictions course is worth a full credit.”

  “But did you sit in the office or the living room? Did he give you anything besides water? That’s a big indicator, where you sit and what he gives you to drink.” Tami gave her an objective once-over. “You’re definitely his type.”

  “What type is that?”

  “Pretty, but not tiny like the jocks. Rumor is he prefers long legs and lots of curves. His wife recently left him. So, you know, I’m really curious if he came on to you?”

  Megan busied herself with her tea. Tami generally leaped to another question if her first one was ignored, and Megan hoped this time wouldn’t be any different.

  How far would I go to find news of Joey? Garrett had seemed mildly interested although it appeared the nature of their relationship would be her decision. He wasn’t enamored enough to pursue so if she kept things at a business level, all would be fine. No big deal.

  He probably wouldn’t be so amiable if she pretended interest and then shut him down. But while he was nice, he definitely didn’t make her pulse kick. His divorce was also recent, never an ideal situation.

  Maybe she wouldn’t be so reluctant if she hadn’t met Scott earlier today. Now that guy was the real deal. And she’d see him the end of April. She sighed and folded her palms over the table, conceding she wasn’t capable of faking interest with someone like Garrett. Undercover work definitely wasn’t her strength.

  “Sheesh, this isn’t much bigger than a cherry.” Tami waved her apple disdainfully beneath Megan’s nose. “I bet Lydia measures them. At least we have more than vegan. Look at what the jockeys are eating. And their plates are so tiny.”

  Tami had already jumped to a different subject and Megan nodded, relieved her roommate had forgotten the questions about Garrett. She followed Tami’s gaze to the jockeys, happy to encourage this new topic.

  Generally the students ate in groups. Grooms sat closest to the kitchen, exercise riders claimed the middle of the dining hall and the jockeys hung out at the far end, furthest from the kitchen, probably so they weren’t tempted by second helpings.

  And their plates were smaller. Megan had noticed the difference in size on the very first day. She wondered where Joey had sat. There was an empty chair by Eve, the pixie girl. It was precisely the location he would have chosen, back against the wall and slightly removed from the others. Joey was always a little reserved. Like her, he avoided meaningless chatter.

  Eve’s gaze met hers, and Megan shot the girl a friendly smile. Eve looked away. Unfriendly, shy or a snob? Difficult to tell. Megan did know it was frustratingly difficult to make friends with any of the jocks.

  Tami followed her gaze, switching topics without missing a beat. “Jockeys are a special breed, aren’t they? Imagine having your weight a public record, every extra pound announced. Not for me. They are cool though. And one of those twenty could be the next superstar.”

  “Nineteen,” Megan said absently. “Unless they already replaced Joey.”

  Tami’s lips moved as she counted the people at the far table. “There are twenty now but that cute guy by the aisle is new. He showed up a few days ago. I heard he stays with Ramon. They’re always talking in Spanish.” She blew out a frustrated sigh. “I’ve never seen such a cliquey bunch.”

  Megan nodded. They were a clique, and that was a problem. Joey had spent most of his time on the oval, yet she couldn’t ride there until she was approved to gallop. And because the jock program was longer and more specialized, the jockeys had already molded into a cohesive family.

  Megan had one class with Eve, but so far they’d barely exchanged pleasantries. Most of the jocks’ horses were stabled in a different barn. Almost eight full days here and she still knew nothing about Joey’s life. Her idea of selling chocolate bars hadn’t helped—the grooms and exercise riders were solid customers, but the jockeys certainly hadn’t come knocking on her door.

  “Don’t look now but that new guy is staring,” Tami whispered, still eying the jock table. “Do you think I’m taller than him?”

  “Wish I could get close enough to tell,” Megan said ruefully.

  “He’s still looking. Hide the napkins. I’ll give him a reason to come over.” Tami abruptly dropped the napkin dispenser out of sight on Megan’s lap, then reached for her water glass.

  Splash!

  Tami’s squeal sounded so shocked Megan jerked back, her flinch totally genuine when cold drops sprayed her arm.

  Tami scrambled to her feet, blue eyes wide with dismay. Her white T-shirt was soaked and she clearly had bigger boobs than any girl at the jock table.

  She glanced around helplessly, as though searching for something to absorb the water. Three jocks rushed over, including the new one, with napkins bunched in their hands.

  “Thank you so much,” Tami said graciously, even letting the new guy blot the front of her shirt. He lingered, chatting up Tami while Megan sat at the table, feeling old, clueless and invisible.

  The new jockey was the last to swagger away and he shot Tami a smoldering look over his shoulder.

  “He’s definitely taller than me,” Tami whispered triumphantly as she sat down on her newly dried chair. “His name’s Miguel and he’s going to give me a tour of the jock barn tomorrow night.”

  Megan gathered up the soggy napkins, trying to remember if she’d ever been that young. Tami was only nineteen and no doubt resented being saddled with a roommate who was a decade older. She’d already confided she’d broken up with her last boyfriend and was gunning for a replacement.

  “I really love an accent,” Tami went on. “Did you see the muscles in his arms?”

  Megan’s attention had been more focused on his colorful tattoos, but Tami leaned forward, still bubbling with enthusiasm. “If you don’t like Garrett, what about Ramon? He’s older but he’s been watching you. He has his own villa, and he and Miguel are friends. Wouldn’t that be cool!”

  “I’m only here to get my license as an exercise rider,” Megan said sharply, afraid Tami would try to hook her up with Ramon if given any sort of encouragement.

  “Fine.” Hurt shadowed Tami’s eyes. “But you sure were interested in the jockeys earlier. I was only trying to help.”

  “Oh, Tami, I’m sorry. Mine was more of a…professional interest.” Megan took a quick sip of tea, feeling slightly guilty. She had asked a lot of questions, especially the first couple of days. Unfortunately Ramon wasn’t a big talker and she hadn’t been able to encourage much conversation. Little wonder her young but big-hearted roommate was confused.

  “I’m going to do some laundry this weekend,” Megan added meekly. “I can do yours at the same time if you’d like.”

  “Sweet!” Tami’s smile returned. “Could I also borrow your truck to run into town tomorrow? I want some new jeans, maybe some sexy underwear. I’ll need a little cash too, just a few bucks. We could consider it an advance on the bar sales.”

  Tami definitely knew Megan was a softie. However, Megan had learned a lot from dealings with her younger brother so she shook her head, pretending to frown.

  “Of course, I’ll also clean our bathroom for the next week,” Tami added quickly.

  “Three weeks,” Megan said, already aware Tami’s idea of clean was much different from her own. She’d definitely be scrubbing the toilet when Tami wasn’t looking, but a little negotiation was always healthy. And if she couldn’t find any news of Joey in another three weeks, it probably wasn’t going to happen. At least they’d have a spotless bathroom.

  ***

  Garrett gestured toward the bright kitchen filled with gleaming appliances. “The fridge and bar will be restocked every day,” he said, “and meals delivered from the cafeteria. Just leave a list if there’s anything else you want. You saved my ass again, buddy.”

  “No problem.” Scott grinned. “I’m banned from my office anyway.”

 
Garrett leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with interest. “You finally did something illegal?”

  Scott tapped his forehead. “Just a little headache. Doctor wants me to relax a bit.”

  “You seem fine. Women will love the scar. Besides, that’s what you get for trying to save the world.” Garrett gave a dry chuckle. “I only want to save a jock school.”

  Scott flipped through the stack of brochures Garrett had dropped on the coffee table. “Looks like more than a jock school. There’s something here for everyone.”

  “Yeah. We offer programs for grooms and exercise riders but the jocks are high profile. Longer terms, bigger money and of course, the exchange students pay almost triple.”

  “How many kids am I teaching tomorrow?”

  “Thirty, and there’s a waitlist. The course is fully accredited at Bay University so everyone is clamoring for a seat. And these students aren’t all kids. Ages are from eighteen to mid-fifties.”

  Scott studied the class list and the range of ages. Naturally the jockeys were the youngest since that was so physically demanding and they also had weight restrictions. He shook his head, realizing the last time he’d made jockey weight was back in grade six. Jocks were also the ones most prone to drug and alcohol dependency.

  “You want just the basic info?” he asked. “Stick to the outline we discussed?”

  “No. I want you to scare the hell out of them. Can’t afford to have any more shitrats sneaking in. That trouble last month almost lost me the business.”

  “Lost the business? You mean the school?”

  “Of course, school,” Garrett said quickly. “The kid was a damn good rider too. Could handle the toughest horses but it was only a front. He planned to set up drug runners at the tracks. Targeted my students.”

  “What happened to him?”

  Garrett’s lip curled in disgust. “He knew we were onto him. Ramon asked some tough questions when they were in Mexico and the kid bailed. He’s still down there unless he managed to get a fake passport.”