CHAPTER ELEVEN
The boarding stable Iris rode at was about thirty minutes out of Las Vegas to where the terrain began to get hilly and inaccessible at spots except by horseback or 4-wheel drive.
Iris loved this type of challenge to trail ride and to do practice shooting with a rifle she carried on the saddle. This was now being done competitively and she was mulling taking it on as a new side-hobby in keeping with her trail riding. As yet, she hadn't been able to talk Jim into riding with her and Sara had been her only riding buddy from work. Jim had bluntly told her she rode him just fine, seeing her blush furiously in response to his quip, and not to expect him on anything 4-legged soon.
The boarding stable was large facility with two barns where boarders kept their animals, several acres of riding trails, as well as indoor and outdoor arenas. Once there, Iris went to find the horse she boarded there and was greeted with a low nicker as she approached the stall. Kyrie, an 8-year-old Quarter Horse/Arabian cross known as a Quarab, awaited her. Iris proudly snapped a lead on the gelding's halter and led him out. He stood at 14-hands and was storm gray in color with black mane and stockings. His tail flagged behind him and was black with silvery highlights to it. His face had the dish shape of the Arabian profile and a stockier body of the Quarter Horse but refined by the Arab blood. The horse had been rescued from an auction as being bound for slaughter when Iris had bought him. He had been emaciated and abused, but over several months and gentle retraining, he had filled out into a handsome animal and was devoted to Iris. Brass had visited the stable before and met the little gelding and was rewarded with a friendly response.
"Come on, son," Iris said. "We got places to go and not much time." His hooves rang on the concrete as she took him to where she had the saddle waiting. She expertly placed the blanket on his back and cinched the saddle into place, letting him blow out so he would not be uncomfortable once she tightened the girth up securely. Kyrie accepted the bitless bridle she preferred to ride with quietly as he stood ready for Iris to mount up. She blew gently into his nostrils as a greeting and received a hay-smelling huff in return. Grasping the saddle horn, she effortlessly swung up and into the saddle before urging Kyrie out the barn door to head to the trails she loved to explore. Her heart and thoughts were with Jim as he was in route to attend Heidi's funeral.
Brass arrived to the funeral home and it was packed with mourners. Grissom and Sara joined him as well to pay their respects and to represent the CSI lab. They made their way into the chapel room where Heidi lay in her casket of white with pink roses on top. Her peaceful little face was hard for Brass to bear seeing. Janice and Mark stood nearby and acknowledged Brass with a small wave…Janice looking furtively to make sure Iris was not there. Jim slowly shook his head; the couple had no clue the toll this was taking on his own wife who would nearly give anything to be there today as well.
After the eulogy and viewing were concluded, the funeral party was headed to the graveside but here Brass quietly said his farewells to Janice and Mark. He wanted to head back to the LVPD to make sure all was progressing in the charging of Hector Gonzalez. Grissom and Sara also gave their condolences to the parents, opting to also not attend the graveside service. Janice went to say something of a sarcastic nature but was cut off by her husband. Enough sorrow had been experienced that day and he would not allow her to add to it.
Kyrie was headed at a full gallop to a spot that Iris had named her thinking place. It was at the top of a large hill crowned with large rock and shaded by trees that overlooked a small canyon. Here, Iris had an unparalleled view of the countryside and could watch the hawks or eagles fly overhead. She could meditate in solitude and say whatever was on her heart. Sliding out of the saddle, Iris let Kyrie graze nearby on the lush green grass beneath the trees. She leaned back against the rock to gaze up at the clear blue sky and rejoiced to see a hawk soaring high above. Raptor birds were among her favorite animals.
"Hey, up there, it's me. We need a break in this case. I don't know if the right guy's been charged or not. Jimmy wants it the bad guy same as me. And let me say everyday thanks for that man. I just don't have a peace about that and you know us. We want it done right." Iris then looked skyward, her heart soaring with the hawk above. She gasped as she saw it suddenly dive from the sky and streak toward the earth ever nearer. It looked to be a large red tail and majestic in flight. The bird winged on over Iris in its descent, a feather suddenly dislodged from a wing by the powerful beats. The feather drifted down to rest on the ground mere paces from Kyrie who grazed on contentedly.
Iris got up to walk over and retrieve the feather. She gazed at the delicate structure of the feather and recoiled in disgust to find little specks jumping onto her hands and feeling bites in her skin as tiny specks of blood appeared. Blood-thirsty little so-and-so's and opportunistic too. Bird lice were commonly found on feathers and this was no exception. Iris shook the feather repeatedly before placing it into a sandwich bag she had so has to keep her souvenir of a joyful ride. Her mind suddenly clicked as she gazed at the little vampires. Could she really do that?
"Kyrie, we gotta get back and pronto!" she called to her horse. He responded with a whicker and trotted to her expectantly. She vaulted into the saddle and secured the bag as she seized the reins to urge Kyrie back into a gallop to the stable. Once there, she called Greg and gave him her brainstorm in rapid detail and requested his assistance. Even though Greg was now a fellow CSI, his reputation as a lab rat preceded that, and Iris wanted someone with superior skills to help her. Iris also called Sara to get her take on her idea, sorry that she had to interrupt Sara and Grissom's quiet night at home. Iris finally called Brass who expressed chagrin at the idea, thinking they had the right guy in custody, but he supported her decision. He found himself appreciating all the more that the truth made Iris as wild as it did him.