The Pine Hollow Conspiracy
Chapter 2
The Next Day at Pine Hollow all the Major competitors from all over the valley and the rest of the region began to arrive. The morning hours past in a whirl of activity as Red Jace and the other stable hands made one trip after another moving one horse after another into their assigned stall carrying luggage and whatever else needed to be done. Just about fifteen minutes before lunch there was finally a lull in activity. Jace found himself sitting on the fence of the dressage ring fixing a bridle. He was sitting out here doing it because he knew that he'd never get it done of he sat inside. That girl Kristy had been hovering around like a vulture.
"Hi," the girls voice suddenly breaking the silence made Jace jump so bad that he almost fell off the railing. He had grab hold of the fence to keep from landing in the dirt. Looking up as he righted himself he saw that the girl who had spoken to him was Lisa Atwood.
"Oh hi," he said
"I didn't mean to startle you." She said, "I just saw you out here alone and I wondered why."
"Well," said Jace, "if you want to know the truth I've been avoiding that girl Kristy. She's been following me around all day."
"I don't blame you one bit." Said Lisa, "That girl is the most shameless flirt I have ever seen in my life. She chases every boy who shows up here."
"So I'm not the first guy that she's driven up the wall." Said Jace
"Not by a long shot." Said Lisa, Just then the lunch bell rang.
"Lunch," said Lisa.
"And not a minute too soon I'm starving." Said Jace, he held up the newly repaired bridle, "I'll just drop this off in the tack room first."
"I'll walk with you." Said Lisa
After Jace had put the bridle away, he and Lisa walked out the stables side door and headed toward the lounge. They were about halfway to their destination with Jace suddenly stopped short.
"What is it, Jace," said Lisa. He nodded in the direction he was looking. She looked in the same direction and saw a rough looking man come skulking out of the back door of guesthouse #3 and down to his car that was parked in some trees.
"What was he doing here?" Jace said to himself.
"You know that guy," she said
"Not personally," said Jace, as they resumed walking."I just know who he is."
"Who," said Lisa as they entered the lounge and got in the food line. Next to Carole and Stevie
"His name is Pete Harrison," said Jace. "He works as muscle and Messenger boy for Harry Joe Brannigan the biggest bookie in the valley."
The girls looked at each other. They got their food and sat down at the nearest available table.
"how do you know?" asked Carole
"I have a photographic memory," said Jace, "I remember everything I see and that includes the private rogues gallery that my dad, who's a cop, has on his computer at home.
"If his boss is a bookie," said Lisa, "does mean people are actually betting on the regionals!?"
"Some people will bet on anything," said Stevie, " so I wouldn't be a bit surprised."
"What worries me," said Jace, "is that Harry Joe Brannigan never bets without an ace up his sleeve. And now just a few days before the regionals we find his stooge skulking around the stable and the other riders. That's like having a weasel guarding the hen house!"
"You mean you think that he'd try to sabotage the regionals to win his bets?!" said Lisa
"In a minute." Said Jace, "That's probably what Pete was doing here looking for ways to fix the competition."
"Well," Said Carole, "Let's just all agree to keep our eye and ears open now that we know something is up." the others nodded in agreement. Jace looked up and cringed.
"Oh no," he whispered,
The girls looked up and saw Kristy headed their way. They knew that lustful look in her eyes all too well.
Suddenly, before either Carole or Stevie could think of a way to keep poor Jace out of Kristy's clutches. Lisa suddenly threw her arms around Jace and kissed his cheek.
"Oh Jace," she gushed loud enough for Kristy to hear, "How sweet of you to ask me. I'd love to go on a hack with you this afternoon!"
Much to Kristy's jealous displeasure, Lisa wrapped her arms around Jace's more muscular arm, laid her cheek against his shoulder and sighed happily. Fortunately Kristy was too busy glaring daggers at Lisa as she skulked back to wear Veronica was sitting to notice the completely stunned look on Jace's face.
Just then Max walked in and saw Lisa still snuggled up to Jace.
"And just what may I ask is going on here?!" he said in mock seriousness
"Well," said Jace, "I have just been informed that I'm taking Miss Atwood here on a hack this afternoon.
"Well okay," said Max with a twinkle in his eye, "As long as she promises to have you home at a decent hour."
After he had left Lisa let go of Jace's arm.
"I can't believe it did that," she said, blushing furiously as she, Carole and Stevie walked outside.
"Hey, Lisa," called Jace, hurrying to catch up with them, "Would 3:30 be alright for our Hack?"
"You don't really have to_," started Lisa
"No, no," said Jace, "I want to, beside I owe you one for saving me from that female barracuda in there."
"Oh Okay," Said Lisa blushing again
"I'll see you then." Said Jace hurrying off toward the Stables to help unload the new delivery of feed. By the time that the girls got to the stables Jace was already carrying two sacks of feed one on each shoulder into the barn.
The girls headed for their personal cubby holes in the tack room. just as they came through the door Lisa stepped on something that made a crunching sound. But it was the wrong kind of crunching sound to be Hay. Looking down she found that she had stepped on a small piece of paper that was half folded and half crumpled.
She picked it up and opened it up to see what it was. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw what was written on the paper.
In big bold letters it said:
You'll do what You're told, Or Else!
"Guys look at this." She said Stevie's eyes widened and Carole gave a low whistle.
"First that crook is Skulking around her then we find this note," said Stevie, "Jace was right there's something going on around here!"