The dead horse in the swimming pool

'Do you seriously suspect that there is a reason for this? Don't you think it's just a prank?' Nicholas asked. He stood by the window looking out to the pool where the police and detectives were searching the area for evidence of the crime. He turned around and could not help smiling at the sick event. Mark sat in an armchair with a glass of scotch in his hand and a forehead creased by troubling thoughts.

'Why should anyone ever want to dump a dead animal in my swimming pool, getting in here with it least of all! Why bother if there wasn't a reason?' his full, British accent drifted as always silent and calculated into the room. Nicholas shrugged and went to the other armchair and sat down.

'The police asked whether you had a dead horse in your freezer,' he said.

'God,' Mark sighed and rolled his eyes. 'This is ridiculous.'

'But we must regard it with serious caution, there may be a very good reason,' said Nicholas.

'I very much doubt it,' Mark poured up the last contents of a Grant's and swallowed the drops. It was ten past two in the morning. 'I was supposed to sleep right now and then go to the meeting tomorrow. There wasn't supposed to be a dead horse in my swimming pool half an hour ago, that damn horse's just spoiled my day of peace.'

There was a knock on the door and a police officer followed by an agent stepped in. She was tall, striking, had auburn, wavy hair and chestnut eyes of a deer. Mark rose, placing the scotch on the table and held out his hand.

'Hi, you must be special agent Calleys,' he said.

'Call me Morgan,' the woman answered and also Nicholas turned to her and shook her hand. 'So, a dead horse in a swimming pool. Anyone here's got a theory?'

'Someone had a horse butchered, needed it dispatched, passed by and saw the pool,' said Nicholas. 'Maybe it was the mafia?'

'We have found a hole in the fence,' said Morgan, 'but no alarm's sounded as far as the guards say. And what's worse: the horse seems to have been killed on the grounds behind the house, out of sight below the trees back there. We found a plastic bag drenched in blood; it was thrown in the shrubbery.'

'Strange,' Nicholas mumbled and looked at Mark, who shook his head.

'Christ, this is getting nowhere,' said Mark. 'I don't have time to worry about dead horses and swimming pools, I have a job to do.'

'So do I, Sir,' said Morgan.

'Just check where it came from, who bought it and what that person did to it,' said Mark. Morgan sighed and looked at Nicholas for response, but Nicholas was watching Mark with an equally despondent expression. Morgan dismissed herself silently, leaving Mark and Nicholas in the room. The sirens disappeared out of the reach of their ears and they watched as the police deserted the area after taking the necessary samples; the security limits remained, the bonds flapping in the wind, thrashing and flying wildly. The rain had begun pouring down outside.

'No wonder they pack up now,' said Nicholas and went back to the window looking at the scenery through the gap between the bleached curtains.

'This has been the silliest night I've ever had, Nicholas,' Mark sighed and drained his glass. 'I'll be off to bed.' He gave a nod at Nicholas, who merely returned it, stiff and uncertain. Mark was too tired to notice this and walked out of the room, leaving Nicholas slightly cold.