Chapter 8

Hi! I read all your reviews and will keep the suggestions in mind.

For the guest who assumes Douglas was involved in the theatre case. Mr. Gull is a serial killer the squad caught with Lauren's help in my first story Hollywood murder. The theatre murder couldn't have been committed by Mr. Gull, he was already in prison then. Sorry for the confusion.

I promised sometime earlier there would be horses aaaand here we go!:-) This chapter is mostly Sharon, Rusty and Lauren and we get to meet Bill Raydor, Jack's brother who looks like Edward James Olmos in my mind.

„I need a vacation", she had told Taylor and surprisingly he didn't fuss about it. He saw the exhaustion in her eyes when she had come to his office. She would take Rusty and meet her daughter at a ranch on the outskirts of the city.

It was Friday afternoon when they left the rush of city traffic behind. Rusty hadn't yet decided if he was exited or horrified by the prospect of spending a week on a horse ranch. He had talked to Lauren who was already there and she was probably exited enough for both of them. Sharon had bought him a pair of Timberland boots.

When they drove up the driveway, there were horse pastures up to the street with wooden fences. "It looks like Southfork", Rusty observed and Sharon had to laugh "Don't tell Bill that."

"Is he like Jack?"

"Who?"

"This Bill, he's his brother right?"

Sharon smiled and hummed a no. Rusty waited and asked, when nothing else came from his foster mother "Information?"

"Uh he's hard to describe you'll have to meet him."

Sharon was nervous she hadn't seen Bill in years, based on a very nasty fight about Jack, whom Bill always knew better. Sharon hadn't been able to admit he had been right and he couldn't overlook it, so they hadn't spoken for several years. Yet he accepted her request to spend some time at his ranch when she called him yesterday.

Sharon had never run from something in her life but she needed some time to sort things out and she found horses always had a calming effect on her. She glanced sideways at Rusty who was still taking in the place. Sharon parked her car in front of the house that looked like a Victorian villa. The stables were off to the right. And schooling area was located behind the stables. On stable rested against the big indoor school. There was a second indoor arena slightly smaller and 3 Outdoor arenas. It was a big Ranch giving over 120 horses a home and serving as a riding school as well as a stud farm.

Bill gave lessons and had competed in show jumping and dressage till he deemed himself too old. His horses still were well known for their success. Sharon asked one of the stable boys where they would find Bill and kept Rusty close to not lose him, when she walked through the stable aisle. On the left and right were box stalls occupied by horses of all heights and colors. It smelled of hay, straw and well horses. Rusty didn't find it reeked. He thought it would be smellier but it wasn't, actually he liked the smell. The walked out of the stable and over to one of the arenas where several jump were placed. He saw a whitish-gray horse and recognized the woman on it. It was Lauren, although she wore a helmet, he could tell it was her. She had traded her usual attire for dark green breeches, black leather boots and a black polo shirt. In the middle was a broad shouldered, bulky man with salt and pepper colored hair in jeans and a checkered shirt.

"More elevation", the man barked. Sharon didn't say anything and just leaned on the fence and watched. Rusty followed suit. The man had to be Bill, he was definitely gruff. Lauren gave the horse an impulse with the reins and caused the dappled grey horse to carry its neck slightly higher. "Good now take the oxer and then left hand over the blue upright."

Rusty asked Sharon silently which obstacles were meant. She pointed to a white-green colored obstacle who's highest pole was eyelevel for Rusty. His eyes widened and he followed Sharon's hand to find the blue jump she pointed at to be as high.

"She's really doing that?" Rusty asked wide eyed.

"Seem's so", Sharon said eyes fixated on her daughter. She knew better than to point out the insanity of this. Lauren hadn't been on horseback for too long to be doing this after only some days of training. And yet, her daughter made it over both obstacles without touching a pole.

"Enough for today", barked Bill and walked over to where Sharon and Rusty stood, while Lauren let the horse trot and letting the horse chew the reins lose in her hand so it could stretch its neck forward and downwards.

Sharon bit back a comment on demanding too much too fast from Lauren and greeted him, before she introduced Rusty. Bill shook hands with Rusty and drew Sharon into big bear hug, holding her close "Good to have you here", he mumbled before he released her. She smiled at him and Bill's gaze fell on Rusty "So you've never been on a horse farm huh?"

"That's right."

"Hey Lauren, why don't you show him around?" he called out over his shoulder to Lauren, who had gotten off the horse and led it to them. "Ok, I need to pack Midnight away, come on Rusty." Rusty reluctantly left Sharon with Bill, while Lauren explained him enthusiastically how to behave around horses, like never to walk close behind one.

Sharon followed them till they vanished into the stable, while Bill scrutinized her. She looked exhausted and still as beautiful as ever. Jack had been an idiot to fuck this up. "I want to you show you something", he said and walked off to another stable. Sharon followed him and soon they walked down the stable aisle. "You remember the young stallion I bought in Europe?" he asked. She only hummed. Bill stopped and opened a stall door "Well he grew", he simply said and stepped aside so Sharon could see the horse. The horse had grown up. He was black with white feet and a white star on his forehead.

"He's gorgeous", Sharon mumbled and went into the box stall. The broad breasted horse drew nearer and flared his nostrils taking in Sharon's scent before he buried his nose in her hair in the crook of her neck. Sharon gently pet his neck. Bill smiled "I want you to ride him. His rider quit last week and I haven't found someone who can do it yet. His name is Tender Heart but we call him Teddy."

Sharon turned so Teddy had to draw back his head, but rested it on Sharon's shoulder again. "Bill I haven't ridden a horse in years."

"It's like bicycling you don't forget such things and Teddy seems to like you. Start with riding out. We'll find a nice western horse for the boy too. Shar you didn't plan to come here for a week and not ride, did you?"

Sharon caressed the nose of the stallion with her hand and said "Oddly enough I didn't make any plans. I just wanted to get away from the city."

"And?"

"What and?"

"What else?"

"Let's just say I need a vacation."

"Is it Jack?"

She hummed a no, "Haven't heard from him in months."

"Me neither. Last time he told me he was staying at your place till he found something else."

Sharon nodded "He was there for some days and vanished like always."

As an uncomfortable silence stretched between them Lauren and Rusty had groomed the mare, Lauren had told him it was a mare, and walked around. Between explanations of the place Lauren asked. "What happened that Sharon take's a week off?"

"I think it has to do with this McGregor guy."

"What went wrong?"

"I don't really know after that weekend she just stopped talking about him, although he still sends a white lily every day."

Lauren hummed. She had really hoped her mom would find a fresh new romance that lasted longer but on the other hand she had known McGregor meant trouble. She made a mental note to find out more.

"Listen uhm I haven't told mom, but I got a job offer from the UCLA and I consider taking it."

"You mean like moving back to LA?"

Lauren nodded. "Are you moving in with us?"

"As funny as it might be, I don't want to share a bed with my mother indefinitely."

They both laughed, before Lauren told him with the job offer came on campus housing.

"Sounds cool."

"Are you going to take the offer?"

"I'm not sure. I'll meet with them and see if I like it there."

"Can you like wait with this decision?"

"Uh well, I already talked to the dean and the Professor I'd be working for."

"Does Professor Phillips know?"

Rusty remembered Lauren had talked a lot about her Professor over their phone conversations. Lauren seemed to give his opinion much credit.

"He suggested me for the job", Lauren explained. She sighed and shook her head "I don't know I'm not sure about moving back to LA."

"Why?"

"Uhm, well I … I have panic attacks since Mr. Gull caught me. I'm not sure living in the very same city where that happened is good for me."

Rusty looked at her. She seemed so composed. Hell she just jumped over an obstacle that was about his height. "Panic attacks? Seriously?"

Lauren hummed. "I thought it was temporarily but it isn't. I'm going to see my therapist twice a week and go for group therapy also twice a week. For as long as I'm here."

"You are a psychologist. Why do you need to see one?"

"Because sometimes you need a different perspective and a therapist can help you to look different at things. Than sometimes you need to talk about stuff you think you can't tell anyone else."

"But you weren't the sick one, Gull needed to see a doctor, not you."

Lauren smiled she had kind of looked forward to set the purpose of therapy straight for Rusty. Her mom had told her how opposed he had been to psychological treatment. "And you are right but sometimes we need help to move on from things sick people do to us or we might get sick ourselves. Right now my body is telling me I need to deal with what Mr. Gull nearly did to me."

Falshes of memories of Gull's victims, severely mutilated women, crossed her mind and Lauren felt her heart beat accelerating and the now familiar dizziness. She stopped abruptly and sat down against a stable wall. Her body started to shake, although she tried to take even deep breaths. "Hey Lauren are you ok?" Rusty said panic in his own voice.

"Panic attack", was all she managed and felt her head spinning. She thought she might pass out this time, and fully laid down on the ground. She didn't hear Rusty anymore only her blood rushing in her hears. Rusty ran outside furiously looking for his foster mother. He called out for her and only seconds later Sharon, shocked by Rusty's panicked voice dashed around the corner. "It's Lauren", he called out and ran back into the otherwise deserted stable. Sharon and Bill followed him and found Lauren with still shaking hands and white as a sheet on the ground. Sweat had broken on her brow and she had her eyes still closed. "She said something about a panic attack", the boy panted as Sharon hunkered down next to her daughter and took her hand. Lauren wasn't passed out since she held on tight to her mother.

"Honey you need to breathe slowly, ok", Sharon said soothingly and started to stroke her hair gently. The effects of the attack subsided after 10 minutes and Bill helped Lauren up and led her to the main house.

Lauren didn't want to talk about it, but she wanted a shower, so they all parted for their Rooms and would meet again for dinner. Bill showed Sharon and Rusty the way before he went to his office. Rusty had big room that was furnished with hand crafted light colored wooden furniture. He was amazed. It wasn't luxurious or something but cozy. There was a broad windowsill perfect for sitting on and reading. A fluffy dark blue carpet decorated the wooden floor and the curtains had the same blue color and the bed picked it up too.

Sharon's room was held in dark wood, beige and deep red. It was vintage but artful and cozy. She had slept here often when times were different. It was strange to be here again, strange and comforting at the same time.

She took a quick shower and traded her suit for blue jeans and a fluffy brown cashmere v-neck. Lauren had opted for a similar combination but with a wide gray pullover. Rusty grinned at the similarities obvious when they entered the kitchen, where Bill had brought him, when he found him lingering on the stairs. Rusty got to meet the housekeeper an also gruffy elderly looking woman in her late fifties with a grey hairdo that kept her curls in a shape that reminded him of the British Queen. She was stumpy but very fast. She worked like a whirlwind, greeting Rusty only briefly. Bill told him this was Helga. She had an accent Rusty couldn't place but probably not American or British. She placed a coke in front of the boy without asking what he wanted. Lauren smiled at Rusty while she waited for Helga to see Sharon, who walked over to the table. Bill read the newspaper and was oblivious to his surroundings.

"Lauren would you please set the table", Helga asked finally looking up at the table. A shrill cry escaped the housekeeper and she rounded kitchen counter and Sharon was pulled into a bear hug for the second time today. Bill only looked up briefly from the newspaper and smiled. Lauren and Rusty set the table. Helga had reluctantly let go of Sharon and started to babble nonstop about how thin Sharon looked, how beautiful and how tired and how long she hadn't seen her, spiced with words from a language Rusty couldn't decipher, till Lauren had pity and explained Helga grew up in Bavaria, Germany. "She still speaks Bavarian dialect sometimes."

Rusty nodded and whispered "That explains a lot", the odd pronunciation for example and later the meal roasted pork with bread dumplings beer sauce and coleslaw salad.

"No wonder you can't drop any weight!" Lauren said to her uncle.

"Why would I want to drop weight?"

"It would be good for you!" Sharon said already done with her slice of Pork. She had eaten the dumpling and half of the meat and given the rest of it to Rusty who was always hungry. Lauren was still fighting to eat more. She didn't feel like eating but knew she had to put something in her stomach. Bill had unashamed taken a second helping, much to Helga's delight, who had already eaten and was cleaning up the kitchen. Lauren and Rusty helped the housekeeper albeit her protest. Bill grumbled something about getting up early and left. Sharon wanted to check her mails and Lauren took Rusty to show him the rest of the buildings. When they walked out through the backdoor of the kitchen a tall reddish brown dog ran towards them. Rusty flinched "That's Hudson, my uncle always had Irish Setters", Lauren explained petting the dog. The ran around them wagging its tail. Lauren raised a finger and said "Sit", so that Hudson sat down in front of her.

"You can caress him if you want" she told Rusty, who hesitantly held his hand out to the dog. Hudson sniffed it and put his nose under Rusty's hand who started to stroke over the dog's head. "Well if that isn't a new friendship", Lauren observed. The dog followed them on their tour. "Hudson was with Hank the whole day. Hank is Bill's stable master and they brought some young horses from one pasture to another and Hudson checks that none is left behind, when he find's a horse left back or injured he ran's to Hank and takes them there."

"Wow, cool. Is he like, special trained?"

"Yeah, my uncle promised to teach me how to do it. I never understood how he managed to teach the dog not to try to herd the horses but just show people where a horse is."

Bye the time they got back to the house Hudson had practically adopted Hudson and followed him upstairs. "Lauren, what do I do?"

"You tell him where to sleep either in your room or you tell him off", she explained and walked away to her room.

Rusty eyed the dog who had laid his head to one side as if to ask for permission to come with him. Opening the door to the room he turned and motioned the dog in before he closed the door. He looked around and made a decision. He pointed at the carpet "Go there Hudson!" he said and in answer Hudson only looked at the carpet. Rusty sighed and walked over to the carpet and hunkered down to pet a hand on the ground "Here, Hudson" he tried again. The dog trotted over to Rusty and when the boy said "Down", the setter finally laid down, only to walk over to the bed an lay on the ground in front of it when Rusty had fallen asleep.