Here's part 9. See part 1 for required disclaimers, fine print, etc., etc.
I'll try to finish it up Monday.
***
"Darkness flies, all is light."
Joseph Morr, "Silent Night"
***
None of the first shift team went home that night, although Horatio did buy them all pizza. Speed worked at his fastest amble, never seeming like he was hurrying but actually taking the reconstruction as quickly as he could do it carefully. The rest of them restlessly found other things to do. Eric worked on processing the evidence from Edwards' place, matching the fibers against Edwards' jackets, hoping something else would turn up in the labs that hadn't looked significant at the scene. Calleigh double-checked her work with the pool cue and the gun.
Horatio himself processed the DNA from the hair found in the stall, comparing it to the sample they now had from Edwards, hoping that it would not match. It did, though. Another nail in Edwards' coffin, but Horatio had hoped for a link to the third man, something more convincing in court. Having an ex-con write down your phone number might be circumstantial evidence, but a defense lawyer could make mincemeat out of that one. There was the house sitter's identification, but Horatio desperately wanted, needed, a stronger link. He had uneasy feelings about how the house sitter would hold up as a witness on the stand. As Mrs. Cummings had observed, he had a weak chin.
About 2:30, Horatio finally convinced Calleigh to lie down for a while in his office. She only agreed on the condition that he try to get some sleep, too. Eric had already flaked out in the break room. Speed was still plodding diligently along, listening to music to try to keep his mind alert. Horatio and Calleigh dragged themselves up the stairs to his office. She lay down on the couch, and he turned the two chairs in front of the desk to face each other, sitting in one and propping his feet in the other. He had turned off the main light, leaving the desk lamp on, putting her mostly in shadows.
"So the hair belongs to Edwards," she said, her mind still working the case even as she started to fall asleep.
"Yes."
"His DNA wasn't in the system."
"It is now." He could tell from the glint of her eyes that they were slowly closing. "Ever wonder how many crimes would be solved if everyone in prison now was added to the DNA registry?"
"God only knows." Her voice was lazy. "We've got him, though. Can't get around DNA."
"We'll get the others," Horatio whispered fiercely. She didn't respond. He settled back into the chair, watching her, and slowly his own eyes drifted shut.
Just after 6:00 AM, Speed entered the office. He glanced from one to the other of them. Calleigh was curled up on the couch, looking much younger while asleep. Horatio wasn't curled up, though. If anyone could look elegant and in control while sleeping across two chairs, he did. Speed softly crossed the office and touched him lightly on the shoulder. "H."
Horatio's eyes snapped open instantly. "Have you got it?"
"Yeah. 6 pages back, and I had to untangle it from all the other stuff. There was something written in that spot on every single page. I got it, though."
"Nice work." Horatio got softly to his feet, glanced at Calleigh himself, and led the way down to Trace, leaving her on the couch. Speed walked him through the pages, pointing out the barn lock code and the phone number, and Horatio gave him a light slap on the shoulder. "Go get a few hours of sleep. You've earned it." He studied the phone number himself for a minute, then went into the break room. Eric was still sprawled on the couch there. Horatio started coffee before going over to him and shaking him gently. "Eric."
Eric half rolled over, burying his face in the back of the couch. "Not now, Baby. Give it a little rest."
"Sorry, I'm relentless," Horatio replied. Eric rolled back far enough to see out of one eye, then came straight up out of the couch.
"H. I was just dreaming . . . um . . . " His voice trailed off, and Horatio smiled at him.
"Get yourself a cup of coffee and meet me in the layout room. Five minutes."
"Right," said Eric sheepishly. As Horatio left, Eric took comfort in one thing. At least Speed hadn't heard that exchange. Horatio would just be quietly and privately amused; Speed would have never let him live it down.
***
An hour and a half later, Horatio called Adele. "It's me. We've got the phone number from the notepad, and it's been traced. It matches a cell phone owned by one Craig Thomas."
"Any priors?"
"Nope. Not even a traffic ticket. Clean as a whistle. Let's go check him out. I've got the address."
"No history at all?"
"The only thing that means," said Horatio, "is that he hasn't been caught yet. We're about to correct that." He heard Adele's sigh, but she didn't make any further comment. "Are you coming?"
"Someone's got to keep an eye on you. Meet me in fifteen minutes in the garage."
***
Lisa was grooming Chrissy, humming to herself and the horse to try to convince both of them that she was in a good mood. Only a few mornings ago, Sam had been here helping her. Lisa could replace the help, but she could never replace the friend. The humming trailed off gradually.
She was trying a different agenda this morning. Instead of doing everything else and being too run down to do anything by the time she got to working the horses, she was going to alternate. One hour of chores, work two horses, back and forth. At least she would get a little of everything done that way. Chrissy was first, of course. Lisa hadn't had time to ride, to really ride, in three days. This wasn't a day to work on a freestyle, when she needed to be on top of everything before she started. The drill work was necessary for the dance. No, she decided, she would take the mare outside today and ride her around the property, brushing up the basic movements that formed the building blocks for the musical rides, knocking the rust off herself. Outside, she could make use of the terrain. A hill could be used to put a horse into balance, to remind the rider of the correct feeling.
Just a few days ago, Sam had been there, an invaluable set of eyes from a distance, telling her when it looked right and when she was missing the mark. She had done so much for Lisa. So incredibly much. She had always said Lisa could pay her back by letting her groom for her at the Olympics someday. Now she never would. Lisa felt her eyes welling up with tears again. Such a beautiful, irreplaceable friend. Lisa knew she never could have paid her back fully, even if Sam had lived.
Lisa's head snapped up suddenly, a thought taking hold. Actually, there might be one way she could pay Sam back, even now. She stroked the horse's neck, trying to calm herself down, but her mind took off at a full gallop. It was absolutely crazy. It was absolutely perfect. She touched Chrissy lightly on the nose. "Wait here a second, Chrissy. I need to make one phone call real quick."
Once in the office, she flipped through the stable address book, considering. The problem here with trying to hire help was that she had only tried to contact the people who she knew had time to do it. Now that she rephrased the question, there was only one possible choice. She went through the book a second time, but she had actually made her selection back in the cross ties with Chrissy. Now she just had to catch her before she went off to work. She picked up the phone.
"Emily, it's Lisa."
"Hi, Lisa." Her voice was slightly puzzled. They had just seen each other the day before, at Sam's funeral. "Is everything okay at the barn?"
"Not really. This is just too much work for one person. I've been calling around, trying to hire someone part-time, and I thought of you."
Emily actually took a minute to consider, in spite of her one full-time and one part-time job. "Gee, I'm pretty busy, but I might be able to help you for a few hours on the weekends. Maybe. Would that be any use to you?"
"Anything would help at this point, but actually I had something else in mind." Lisa hesitated on the brink, savoring the moment, remembering it from the other end. "I have a proposal for you. If you'll quit your jobs and come help me with the horses full-time, I'll give you half of the stable, facility and profits. In memory of Sam."
There was a full 15 seconds of stunned silence as the offer sank in. Then Emily burst into tears.
***
"The cell phone was stolen last week," Craig Thomas persisted. "I left my car unlocked."
"In Miami?" said Adele dubiously.
"Everybody's done it at least once." He settled back into his chair, his eyes meeting theirs evenly. "I've never heard of Albert Edwards, or the other two you mentioned either. And I don't use drugs; you can test me right now."
"Could I see your current cell phone, please?" asked Adele. He took it out of a pocket and handed it over. It certainly looked new, and the number was totally different.
"Brand new. I just replaced the old one last week."
Horatio sized him up. He was too calm. This wasn't the calm of innocence. This was studied, professionally acted calm. Regardless of the lack of a past record, this man was a criminal. If he hadn't done this, he had done something else. Horatio was absolutely certain of it. And they didn't have one scrap of proof at the moment that would even convince a warrant judge, much less a jury. Unless they could prove that Thomas still had the phone, there was no link. "Mr. Thomas, would you be willing to take a short drive with us, answer a few questions somewhere else? Understand, you are not under arrest. You have no obligation to comply. You may bring a lawyer if you wish."
"Sure. I've got nothing to hide." Thomas stood up with easy confidence. This man was in a different league than the house sitter. Not as savage as Edwards, but just as professional. Horatio wanted to cuff him right there and drag him down to the station. Adele, perhaps sensing this, walked between them on the way outside.
Thomas rode along in the Hummer, making easy conversation. "I always wanted one of these. Cops must make more than I thought."
"It comes with the job," said Horatio. Of course Thomas weighed life in terms of money. Most professional drug dealers did.
"Then I envy you the job." Horatio wondered what he would actually do with it. Most people would quit in a week, either from the hours or the gruesome details. Thomas could probably handle those, but he could never be a cop, and Horatio knew it. To him, that was the enemy camp. The man showed no tension at all in face, hands, or voice as they drove out to the barn. Horatio wondered if anything could shatter that calm. Well, they were about to find out. He had only one card to play here, so he was gambling everything on this hand.
Lisa was outside riding Chrissy, flying at extended trot along the grass beside the drive. As the two vehicles parked and the passengers got out, she brought the mare to a stop. "Do you need me?" she called to Horatio. Chrissy chose that moment to jump sideways in mock fright at a leaf blowing, and Lisa's attention instantly returned to her horse.
"No, finish your ride," Horatio responded. He knew she hadn't had much chance to ride lately. And really, it didn't make any difference. With or without Lisa, no one was going to actually let Valentine out of the stall. They weren't suicidal.
'Nice set up," said Thomas, calculating the dollars. "Must be more money in horses than I thought."
"Come on inside," said Adele, urging him toward the door. Thomas still had his casual confidence. Horatio followed them.
Thomas stopped inside the main entrance, looking up and down the aisle. "Wow," he said respectfully. "Maybe I ought to get into horses. Actually, I've made some on them. At the racetrack, you know." Horatio looked down the aisle toward Valentine. The gray horse's head was out, his eyes rolling wildly, the ears alert. Adele looked down that way, too, and her own eyes met Horatio's. Got him, he said silently. Still got to prove it, she replied.
Thomas was still standing in the middle of the aisle. He wasn't looking at the gray horse, not seeing him as a threat. "Come down this way," said Horatio. "There's something we'd like to show you."
Valentine let out a shrill whinny that sounded like a scream, then charged around the stall. Thomas was looking at him now. Horatio reached the stall door and turned back. For the first time, he saw uncertainty, then recognition in the eyes. The horse kicked the stall door, shaking it on the hinges.
"What's with that horse?" Thomas tried to make it sound casual and failed. His polished front was starting to crack.
"I don't know," Horatio lied. "He's perfectly gentle, usually. Maybe he thinks you're someone else. I'll let him out, so he can get a good look at you." Val kicked again. Thomas was starting to sweat. Horatio picked up the halter, doing it in slow motion, and reached for the stall latch. Either Thomas cracked now or he didn't. Horatio wasn't about to open that door.
Thomas cracked, all right, but he was made of much stronger stuff than the house sitter. Instead of collapsing in fear, he leaped into action. Horatio was turned toward the stall door, Adele between the two of them, and Thomas shoved her violently into him, knocking them both to the ground. By the time they had disentangled themselves and scrambled up, Thomas had sprinted up the aisle and was turning toward the exit. Horatio pulled his gun out quickly, but the opportunity for a shot wasn't there. He and Adele raced after Thomas. At least, Horatio had the keys to the Hummer, and he had automatically locked his vehicle, as had Adele. Thomas was on foot.
Thomas pounded out of the door and hesitated slightly, realizing that he didn't have car keys. About 50 feet away, on the edge of the grass, Lisa was just dismounting from Chrissy, totally focused on the horse. She hadn't heard him, and Chrissy was focused on the treat Lisa was getting out for her. Thomas' eyes lit up. He had ridden horses a few times, at rental stables, and he had seen this one move earlier as they drove up. Now there was an escape vehicle for him. She could go off road, too. They would leave the cars in the dust. Thomas raced straight toward the horse. She spooked at the last second as she saw him, but he had already grabbed the reins. He shoved Lisa down roughly, thrust his foot into the stirrup, jumped on, and, like he had seen a thousand times in the movies, kicked the mare in the ribs. "Yah!" he shouted.
Chrissy moved. With a snort of rage, she went straight up. Her heels were 10 feet off the ground at the height of her buck. Thomas made it several feet higher. As he fell, the mare whirled around and lashed out with both hind feet, catching him square in the chest and hurling him sideways. He hit the ground in a curiously bent heap and lay still. Chrissy trotted up to him, sniffing him. Thomas still lay motionless. With supreme disdain, Chrissy turned her back on him, trotted off about 100 feet, and started grazing.
Horatio and Adele had come running out of the barn just in time to see Thomas grab the horse. As the dust settled, Adele ran toward Thomas, and Horatio hurried over to Lisa, who was just starting to pick herself up off the ground. He gave her a hand up. "Are you okay?"
"I think so. Is that another one of the killers?"
"That's right. The last one. We've got them all, now." Together, they walked toward Thomas, and Horatio heard Lisa's sharp intake of breath. "Lisa? What is it?"
Her body trembled slightly as she got her first good look at Thomas. "That's him. That's the man who assaulted me." Adele looked up quickly. "Is . . . did she kill him?"
"No," said Adele. "He'll need an ambulance, though. He's starting to come around."
Lisa stared down at his face for a moment, then whirled away. "Lisa!" Horatio reached for her arm, but she brushed his hand off.
"I've got to catch the horse. She could get out on the road." She started for Chrissy at a slow, calm walk, never once looking toward the open gate at the end of the drive. The mare's head came up, studying her. Horatio watched them. "How badly is he hurt?" he asked Adele.
"Strong vitals. He'll make it. Broken leg, broken arm, possibly broken ribs. The horse kicked him in the chest. He might have a mild concussion, too." The eyes were fluttering open now. Adele met them, letting hers show every ounce of disgust she felt. "Not feeling so much like running now, are you?"
Lisa slowly, almost casually approached Chrissy. She stopped five feet away, talking softly as she took a treat out of the pouch attached to her belt. She held it out on the flat of her hand and waited. She knew her voice would do as much as the tidbit, though, and she never stopped talking, knowing from the ears that Chrissy was listening to her. After a minute, the mare came forward willingly. Lisa gave her the treat and stroked her neck for a minute. Then, she tossed the reins back over her head and reached for the stirrup. She couldn't let the horse get away with throwing a rider, no matter how much he deserved it. She mounted, and Chrissy pranced for a second, then stood, reassured by the familiarity. "Just me," said Lisa, stroking her neck. "He'll never touch you again, Chris." She gathered the horse up, putting her into balance, refining the control, then rode toward the small knot of people at the edge of the drive.
Thomas was awake now, and Adele was calling 911 on her cell phone. Horatio looked up, startled, as Lisa rode up to them, then realized instantly, with a slight smile, what she was doing. Lisa rode Chrissy up on the other side of Thomas and stopped her with the front hooves not more than a foot away from his head. She carefully held the horse's attention as she looked down at the man. Horatio realized that Lisa had absolute control of every hoof, down to fractions of an inch. Thomas did not. He cringed and gave a yelp of fear. "Keep her away from me!"
"Quiet," said Horatio. "You wouldn't want to spook the horse, now, would you?" Thomas eyed the steel shoe mere inches from his face and fell silent, but the sweat on his forehead wasn't just from pain now. Chrissy stood like a statue, neck arched, her ears focused on Lisa, her eyes focused on the distance. Not once did she look down at the man. He was beneath her notice. Lisa did look down at him, seeing him broken, seeing him in pain, seeing him terrified, and relishing it. She saw the eyes pleading as he looked up at her. On horseback, she was easily the tallest one there. "Are you certain on the identification? This is the man who assaulted you?" asked Horatio. Not really a question; he just wanted to help her complete her victory while Thomas could hear it.
"Positive." She looked at him for a second longer, then looked away, like her horse, no longer even seeing him. "I need to ride the horse a few minutes more. You never just put them up after throwing the rider. Even this snake." She turned Chrissy away, keeping the front feet on the spot as a pivot and rotating the hind ones around them 180 degrees to reverse her direction. As those steel-shod hooves started rising and falling inches from his face, Thomas absolutely whimpered. Chrissy completed her turn, and Lisa rode her away, not looking back.
Adele finished her phone call. "They're on their way. And after the hospital, you're going to jail. Craig Thomas, you're under arrest for two counts of murder and for the assault and rape of Lisa Wilson."
"Also for the assault of two police officers," added Horatio. "And that we have on video tape." Thomas groaned again, partly in pain but more in defeat. Horatio looked for Lisa and Chrissy. They were already at the fence line next to the pasture. Lisa had lifted the mare into a beautiful slow motion march, the hooves hovering like they were reluctant to touch the ground. The balance was perfect, the control and discipline absolute, but there was elation visible in both horse and rider, and Horatio could see the smile on Lisa's face even from where he stood.
***
"Darkness flies, all is light."
Joseph Morr, "Silent Night"
***
None of the first shift team went home that night, although Horatio did buy them all pizza. Speed worked at his fastest amble, never seeming like he was hurrying but actually taking the reconstruction as quickly as he could do it carefully. The rest of them restlessly found other things to do. Eric worked on processing the evidence from Edwards' place, matching the fibers against Edwards' jackets, hoping something else would turn up in the labs that hadn't looked significant at the scene. Calleigh double-checked her work with the pool cue and the gun.
Horatio himself processed the DNA from the hair found in the stall, comparing it to the sample they now had from Edwards, hoping that it would not match. It did, though. Another nail in Edwards' coffin, but Horatio had hoped for a link to the third man, something more convincing in court. Having an ex-con write down your phone number might be circumstantial evidence, but a defense lawyer could make mincemeat out of that one. There was the house sitter's identification, but Horatio desperately wanted, needed, a stronger link. He had uneasy feelings about how the house sitter would hold up as a witness on the stand. As Mrs. Cummings had observed, he had a weak chin.
About 2:30, Horatio finally convinced Calleigh to lie down for a while in his office. She only agreed on the condition that he try to get some sleep, too. Eric had already flaked out in the break room. Speed was still plodding diligently along, listening to music to try to keep his mind alert. Horatio and Calleigh dragged themselves up the stairs to his office. She lay down on the couch, and he turned the two chairs in front of the desk to face each other, sitting in one and propping his feet in the other. He had turned off the main light, leaving the desk lamp on, putting her mostly in shadows.
"So the hair belongs to Edwards," she said, her mind still working the case even as she started to fall asleep.
"Yes."
"His DNA wasn't in the system."
"It is now." He could tell from the glint of her eyes that they were slowly closing. "Ever wonder how many crimes would be solved if everyone in prison now was added to the DNA registry?"
"God only knows." Her voice was lazy. "We've got him, though. Can't get around DNA."
"We'll get the others," Horatio whispered fiercely. She didn't respond. He settled back into the chair, watching her, and slowly his own eyes drifted shut.
Just after 6:00 AM, Speed entered the office. He glanced from one to the other of them. Calleigh was curled up on the couch, looking much younger while asleep. Horatio wasn't curled up, though. If anyone could look elegant and in control while sleeping across two chairs, he did. Speed softly crossed the office and touched him lightly on the shoulder. "H."
Horatio's eyes snapped open instantly. "Have you got it?"
"Yeah. 6 pages back, and I had to untangle it from all the other stuff. There was something written in that spot on every single page. I got it, though."
"Nice work." Horatio got softly to his feet, glanced at Calleigh himself, and led the way down to Trace, leaving her on the couch. Speed walked him through the pages, pointing out the barn lock code and the phone number, and Horatio gave him a light slap on the shoulder. "Go get a few hours of sleep. You've earned it." He studied the phone number himself for a minute, then went into the break room. Eric was still sprawled on the couch there. Horatio started coffee before going over to him and shaking him gently. "Eric."
Eric half rolled over, burying his face in the back of the couch. "Not now, Baby. Give it a little rest."
"Sorry, I'm relentless," Horatio replied. Eric rolled back far enough to see out of one eye, then came straight up out of the couch.
"H. I was just dreaming . . . um . . . " His voice trailed off, and Horatio smiled at him.
"Get yourself a cup of coffee and meet me in the layout room. Five minutes."
"Right," said Eric sheepishly. As Horatio left, Eric took comfort in one thing. At least Speed hadn't heard that exchange. Horatio would just be quietly and privately amused; Speed would have never let him live it down.
***
An hour and a half later, Horatio called Adele. "It's me. We've got the phone number from the notepad, and it's been traced. It matches a cell phone owned by one Craig Thomas."
"Any priors?"
"Nope. Not even a traffic ticket. Clean as a whistle. Let's go check him out. I've got the address."
"No history at all?"
"The only thing that means," said Horatio, "is that he hasn't been caught yet. We're about to correct that." He heard Adele's sigh, but she didn't make any further comment. "Are you coming?"
"Someone's got to keep an eye on you. Meet me in fifteen minutes in the garage."
***
Lisa was grooming Chrissy, humming to herself and the horse to try to convince both of them that she was in a good mood. Only a few mornings ago, Sam had been here helping her. Lisa could replace the help, but she could never replace the friend. The humming trailed off gradually.
She was trying a different agenda this morning. Instead of doing everything else and being too run down to do anything by the time she got to working the horses, she was going to alternate. One hour of chores, work two horses, back and forth. At least she would get a little of everything done that way. Chrissy was first, of course. Lisa hadn't had time to ride, to really ride, in three days. This wasn't a day to work on a freestyle, when she needed to be on top of everything before she started. The drill work was necessary for the dance. No, she decided, she would take the mare outside today and ride her around the property, brushing up the basic movements that formed the building blocks for the musical rides, knocking the rust off herself. Outside, she could make use of the terrain. A hill could be used to put a horse into balance, to remind the rider of the correct feeling.
Just a few days ago, Sam had been there, an invaluable set of eyes from a distance, telling her when it looked right and when she was missing the mark. She had done so much for Lisa. So incredibly much. She had always said Lisa could pay her back by letting her groom for her at the Olympics someday. Now she never would. Lisa felt her eyes welling up with tears again. Such a beautiful, irreplaceable friend. Lisa knew she never could have paid her back fully, even if Sam had lived.
Lisa's head snapped up suddenly, a thought taking hold. Actually, there might be one way she could pay Sam back, even now. She stroked the horse's neck, trying to calm herself down, but her mind took off at a full gallop. It was absolutely crazy. It was absolutely perfect. She touched Chrissy lightly on the nose. "Wait here a second, Chrissy. I need to make one phone call real quick."
Once in the office, she flipped through the stable address book, considering. The problem here with trying to hire help was that she had only tried to contact the people who she knew had time to do it. Now that she rephrased the question, there was only one possible choice. She went through the book a second time, but she had actually made her selection back in the cross ties with Chrissy. Now she just had to catch her before she went off to work. She picked up the phone.
"Emily, it's Lisa."
"Hi, Lisa." Her voice was slightly puzzled. They had just seen each other the day before, at Sam's funeral. "Is everything okay at the barn?"
"Not really. This is just too much work for one person. I've been calling around, trying to hire someone part-time, and I thought of you."
Emily actually took a minute to consider, in spite of her one full-time and one part-time job. "Gee, I'm pretty busy, but I might be able to help you for a few hours on the weekends. Maybe. Would that be any use to you?"
"Anything would help at this point, but actually I had something else in mind." Lisa hesitated on the brink, savoring the moment, remembering it from the other end. "I have a proposal for you. If you'll quit your jobs and come help me with the horses full-time, I'll give you half of the stable, facility and profits. In memory of Sam."
There was a full 15 seconds of stunned silence as the offer sank in. Then Emily burst into tears.
***
"The cell phone was stolen last week," Craig Thomas persisted. "I left my car unlocked."
"In Miami?" said Adele dubiously.
"Everybody's done it at least once." He settled back into his chair, his eyes meeting theirs evenly. "I've never heard of Albert Edwards, or the other two you mentioned either. And I don't use drugs; you can test me right now."
"Could I see your current cell phone, please?" asked Adele. He took it out of a pocket and handed it over. It certainly looked new, and the number was totally different.
"Brand new. I just replaced the old one last week."
Horatio sized him up. He was too calm. This wasn't the calm of innocence. This was studied, professionally acted calm. Regardless of the lack of a past record, this man was a criminal. If he hadn't done this, he had done something else. Horatio was absolutely certain of it. And they didn't have one scrap of proof at the moment that would even convince a warrant judge, much less a jury. Unless they could prove that Thomas still had the phone, there was no link. "Mr. Thomas, would you be willing to take a short drive with us, answer a few questions somewhere else? Understand, you are not under arrest. You have no obligation to comply. You may bring a lawyer if you wish."
"Sure. I've got nothing to hide." Thomas stood up with easy confidence. This man was in a different league than the house sitter. Not as savage as Edwards, but just as professional. Horatio wanted to cuff him right there and drag him down to the station. Adele, perhaps sensing this, walked between them on the way outside.
Thomas rode along in the Hummer, making easy conversation. "I always wanted one of these. Cops must make more than I thought."
"It comes with the job," said Horatio. Of course Thomas weighed life in terms of money. Most professional drug dealers did.
"Then I envy you the job." Horatio wondered what he would actually do with it. Most people would quit in a week, either from the hours or the gruesome details. Thomas could probably handle those, but he could never be a cop, and Horatio knew it. To him, that was the enemy camp. The man showed no tension at all in face, hands, or voice as they drove out to the barn. Horatio wondered if anything could shatter that calm. Well, they were about to find out. He had only one card to play here, so he was gambling everything on this hand.
Lisa was outside riding Chrissy, flying at extended trot along the grass beside the drive. As the two vehicles parked and the passengers got out, she brought the mare to a stop. "Do you need me?" she called to Horatio. Chrissy chose that moment to jump sideways in mock fright at a leaf blowing, and Lisa's attention instantly returned to her horse.
"No, finish your ride," Horatio responded. He knew she hadn't had much chance to ride lately. And really, it didn't make any difference. With or without Lisa, no one was going to actually let Valentine out of the stall. They weren't suicidal.
'Nice set up," said Thomas, calculating the dollars. "Must be more money in horses than I thought."
"Come on inside," said Adele, urging him toward the door. Thomas still had his casual confidence. Horatio followed them.
Thomas stopped inside the main entrance, looking up and down the aisle. "Wow," he said respectfully. "Maybe I ought to get into horses. Actually, I've made some on them. At the racetrack, you know." Horatio looked down the aisle toward Valentine. The gray horse's head was out, his eyes rolling wildly, the ears alert. Adele looked down that way, too, and her own eyes met Horatio's. Got him, he said silently. Still got to prove it, she replied.
Thomas was still standing in the middle of the aisle. He wasn't looking at the gray horse, not seeing him as a threat. "Come down this way," said Horatio. "There's something we'd like to show you."
Valentine let out a shrill whinny that sounded like a scream, then charged around the stall. Thomas was looking at him now. Horatio reached the stall door and turned back. For the first time, he saw uncertainty, then recognition in the eyes. The horse kicked the stall door, shaking it on the hinges.
"What's with that horse?" Thomas tried to make it sound casual and failed. His polished front was starting to crack.
"I don't know," Horatio lied. "He's perfectly gentle, usually. Maybe he thinks you're someone else. I'll let him out, so he can get a good look at you." Val kicked again. Thomas was starting to sweat. Horatio picked up the halter, doing it in slow motion, and reached for the stall latch. Either Thomas cracked now or he didn't. Horatio wasn't about to open that door.
Thomas cracked, all right, but he was made of much stronger stuff than the house sitter. Instead of collapsing in fear, he leaped into action. Horatio was turned toward the stall door, Adele between the two of them, and Thomas shoved her violently into him, knocking them both to the ground. By the time they had disentangled themselves and scrambled up, Thomas had sprinted up the aisle and was turning toward the exit. Horatio pulled his gun out quickly, but the opportunity for a shot wasn't there. He and Adele raced after Thomas. At least, Horatio had the keys to the Hummer, and he had automatically locked his vehicle, as had Adele. Thomas was on foot.
Thomas pounded out of the door and hesitated slightly, realizing that he didn't have car keys. About 50 feet away, on the edge of the grass, Lisa was just dismounting from Chrissy, totally focused on the horse. She hadn't heard him, and Chrissy was focused on the treat Lisa was getting out for her. Thomas' eyes lit up. He had ridden horses a few times, at rental stables, and he had seen this one move earlier as they drove up. Now there was an escape vehicle for him. She could go off road, too. They would leave the cars in the dust. Thomas raced straight toward the horse. She spooked at the last second as she saw him, but he had already grabbed the reins. He shoved Lisa down roughly, thrust his foot into the stirrup, jumped on, and, like he had seen a thousand times in the movies, kicked the mare in the ribs. "Yah!" he shouted.
Chrissy moved. With a snort of rage, she went straight up. Her heels were 10 feet off the ground at the height of her buck. Thomas made it several feet higher. As he fell, the mare whirled around and lashed out with both hind feet, catching him square in the chest and hurling him sideways. He hit the ground in a curiously bent heap and lay still. Chrissy trotted up to him, sniffing him. Thomas still lay motionless. With supreme disdain, Chrissy turned her back on him, trotted off about 100 feet, and started grazing.
Horatio and Adele had come running out of the barn just in time to see Thomas grab the horse. As the dust settled, Adele ran toward Thomas, and Horatio hurried over to Lisa, who was just starting to pick herself up off the ground. He gave her a hand up. "Are you okay?"
"I think so. Is that another one of the killers?"
"That's right. The last one. We've got them all, now." Together, they walked toward Thomas, and Horatio heard Lisa's sharp intake of breath. "Lisa? What is it?"
Her body trembled slightly as she got her first good look at Thomas. "That's him. That's the man who assaulted me." Adele looked up quickly. "Is . . . did she kill him?"
"No," said Adele. "He'll need an ambulance, though. He's starting to come around."
Lisa stared down at his face for a moment, then whirled away. "Lisa!" Horatio reached for her arm, but she brushed his hand off.
"I've got to catch the horse. She could get out on the road." She started for Chrissy at a slow, calm walk, never once looking toward the open gate at the end of the drive. The mare's head came up, studying her. Horatio watched them. "How badly is he hurt?" he asked Adele.
"Strong vitals. He'll make it. Broken leg, broken arm, possibly broken ribs. The horse kicked him in the chest. He might have a mild concussion, too." The eyes were fluttering open now. Adele met them, letting hers show every ounce of disgust she felt. "Not feeling so much like running now, are you?"
Lisa slowly, almost casually approached Chrissy. She stopped five feet away, talking softly as she took a treat out of the pouch attached to her belt. She held it out on the flat of her hand and waited. She knew her voice would do as much as the tidbit, though, and she never stopped talking, knowing from the ears that Chrissy was listening to her. After a minute, the mare came forward willingly. Lisa gave her the treat and stroked her neck for a minute. Then, she tossed the reins back over her head and reached for the stirrup. She couldn't let the horse get away with throwing a rider, no matter how much he deserved it. She mounted, and Chrissy pranced for a second, then stood, reassured by the familiarity. "Just me," said Lisa, stroking her neck. "He'll never touch you again, Chris." She gathered the horse up, putting her into balance, refining the control, then rode toward the small knot of people at the edge of the drive.
Thomas was awake now, and Adele was calling 911 on her cell phone. Horatio looked up, startled, as Lisa rode up to them, then realized instantly, with a slight smile, what she was doing. Lisa rode Chrissy up on the other side of Thomas and stopped her with the front hooves not more than a foot away from his head. She carefully held the horse's attention as she looked down at the man. Horatio realized that Lisa had absolute control of every hoof, down to fractions of an inch. Thomas did not. He cringed and gave a yelp of fear. "Keep her away from me!"
"Quiet," said Horatio. "You wouldn't want to spook the horse, now, would you?" Thomas eyed the steel shoe mere inches from his face and fell silent, but the sweat on his forehead wasn't just from pain now. Chrissy stood like a statue, neck arched, her ears focused on Lisa, her eyes focused on the distance. Not once did she look down at the man. He was beneath her notice. Lisa did look down at him, seeing him broken, seeing him in pain, seeing him terrified, and relishing it. She saw the eyes pleading as he looked up at her. On horseback, she was easily the tallest one there. "Are you certain on the identification? This is the man who assaulted you?" asked Horatio. Not really a question; he just wanted to help her complete her victory while Thomas could hear it.
"Positive." She looked at him for a second longer, then looked away, like her horse, no longer even seeing him. "I need to ride the horse a few minutes more. You never just put them up after throwing the rider. Even this snake." She turned Chrissy away, keeping the front feet on the spot as a pivot and rotating the hind ones around them 180 degrees to reverse her direction. As those steel-shod hooves started rising and falling inches from his face, Thomas absolutely whimpered. Chrissy completed her turn, and Lisa rode her away, not looking back.
Adele finished her phone call. "They're on their way. And after the hospital, you're going to jail. Craig Thomas, you're under arrest for two counts of murder and for the assault and rape of Lisa Wilson."
"Also for the assault of two police officers," added Horatio. "And that we have on video tape." Thomas groaned again, partly in pain but more in defeat. Horatio looked for Lisa and Chrissy. They were already at the fence line next to the pasture. Lisa had lifted the mare into a beautiful slow motion march, the hooves hovering like they were reluctant to touch the ground. The balance was perfect, the control and discipline absolute, but there was elation visible in both horse and rider, and Horatio could see the smile on Lisa's face even from where he stood.