2.
Jason just stood there looking at Max incredulously. Max looked confused.
"What do you mean 'am I trying to get us all killed'?" he said finally as he handed over 100 dollars, as a retainer.
"You want me to investigate a case and keep it a secret from Lisa 'I love a mystery' Atwood!" replied Jason, "Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be for our life expectancies?! It's a good thing I'm getting my retainer in advance!"
"Oh, come on," said Max, "Lisa's not going to be that bad if she finds out!"
"Wanna bet?" said Jason over his shoulder as he headed for the door.
Jason decided to go over to the headquarters of the local chapter of the National Dressage and Show jumping Association and ask around about the Chandlers' new trainer. Lisa had taught him enough about riding and equestrian world for him to pass himself off as rider. He decided to play the part of a wealthy rider looking for a trainer himself.
He teleported back home just long enough to get out and put on the fancy riding jacket he had. In the spare bedroom he had turned into his detective agency's office was a walk-in closet where he kept different outfits and other props he used as disguises he used whenever he had to go undercover.
He materialized in the tree line across the street from the building.
When he was sure no one was looking he came out of the trees and walked toward the building. To play the part he deliberately put a slightly arrogant swagger to his step as he walked. He walked into the building and up to the receptionist.
"To whom do I have to speak to hire a trainer." He inquired
The receptionist, who was leaning on her elbow reading a magazine, looked up at him and he could immediately tell his disguise was working, she looked so done with the type of person he was pretending to be. The bored, unimpressed look on the raven-haired girl's face forced Jason to fight off he urge to bust out laughing.
She just jabbed her thumb toward a bulletin board on the wall that had a list of trainers and went back to her magazine.
Jason walked over to the board and scanned the names. Then he came across the name he was looking for, Randolph, 'Randy' Yates. He also noticed that all the contact info had been torn off the bottom of the notice.
He pulled the notice off the bulletin board and walked back over to the reception desk.
"This one's info has been completely removed, torn off!" he stated
"Consider that a blessing," snarked the Receptionist, "First, that guy was hired a few weeks ago by the Chandlers, and second, you couldn't pay me enough to let that guy near my horse."
"Oh?" said Jason verbally nudging her to go on. he had a feeling he was now getting somewhere.
"Yeah, Yates has been investigated at least three times for his, shall we say, less than ethical, approach to training horses." Said the girl, "The problem is that, while almost everybody knows that, he's so good at covering his tracks that no charges ever stick!"
"Well maybe I can change that." Murmured Jason half to himself.
"What?" said the Receptionist
"Nothing," said Jason, "Thank you ever so much."
With that Jason turned and left. He was already thinking that Yates was definitely on the suspect list!
Jason slipped around the corner and teleported to Pine Hollow. He materialized in the tack room. Taking off the Jacket he teleported it home with a nod of his head. It reappeared on the hanger he had taken it off of. Recently he had discovered that, as long as he knew where something was, he could teleport it to himself or send it back where it came from no matter the distance.
He opened the tack room door and started toward Max's office when suddenly Lisa, Carole and Stevie came walking around the corner.
Jason shot forward, bounded up the stairs and dove head first through the doorway of Max's office. Max looked bewildered as Jason scrambled over had hid behind the doorframe. Jason looked at Max and held a finger to his lips in the universal sign for be quiet.
Lisa could've sworn that she had seen a flurry of motion as they came around the corner but she looked around, and not seeing anything out of the ordinary, shrugged it off and went back to talking with her friends.
When the sound of the girl's voices finally faded in the distance, Max looked down at Jason and shook his head.
"Don't look at me that way Max," said Jason, "It was your idea to keep this a secret from Lisa, and Just to give you fair warning, when she finds out, and she will, I going to make sure that she knows keeping it from her was your idea!"
To Be Continued…Let me know what you think