Best Kept Secrets(84)

Reede turned his attention back to the road. His face was



taut and rigid in the greenish light emanating from the dashboard.

The police radio discharged its scratchy static. The

transmissions were loud and intrusive. There was no other

traffic on the highway, so the siren wasn't necessary, but the

lights overhead continued to whirl and flash, making Alex

feel like she was caught in a weird kaleidoscope.

"I think you had a lot to do with it, you and your close

friend and associate." Her bewilderment only seemed to infuriate

him more. "Reverend Fergus Plummet," he shouted.

"The preacher's a good friend of yours, isn't he?"

"Plummet?"

" 'Plummet?' " he mimicked nastily. "When did the two

of you cook up this idea, the evening he paid a visit to your

motel room, or the other day, on the sidewalk in front of the

B & B Cafe"?"



She took a series of quick, shallow breaths. "How'd you

know?"

"I know, okay? Who called who first?"

"He and his wife showed up at my room. I'd never heard

of him before that. The man's a maniac."

"That didn't stop you from enlisting him to your cause."

"I did no such thing."

Swearing beneath his breath, he pulled the transmitter of

his radio toward his mouth and notified one of his deputies

at the scene that he was only minutes away.

"Ten-four, Reede. When you get here, go to barn number

two."

"How come?"

"Don't know. Somebody said to tell you that."

"Ten-four. I'm at the gate now."

They turned off the highway and took the private road.

Alex's stomach turned over when she saw a column of smoke

rising from one of the horse barns. Flames were no longer

visible, but the roof and those of the adjacent buildings were

still being doused with fire hoses. Firemen, wearing slickers

and rubber boots, were frantically trying to contain the fire.

"They got to it before it did too much damage," Reede

informed her harshly.



Emergency vehicles were parked near the smoking stable

and in front of the house. Nearly every downstairs window

had been broken out. All exterior walls had dire warnings of

Armageddon spray-painted on them.

"There were three carloads of them. Apparently they circled

the premises several times, throwing rocks through the

windows, but only after they'd done their real dirty work.

You can see how well K-Mart did tonight in the spray-paint

department." His lip curled snidely. "They dumped shit into

the drinking troughs. Fine class of friends you've got there,

Counselor."

"Was anybody hurt?" It was a horrendous scene. She was

unable to draw sufficient air into her lungs.

"One of the gallop boys." Alex turned toward him for

elaboration. "He heard the racket, rushed outside the bunkhouse,

stumbled, fell and broke his arm."

Barn number two was the one with the smoldering roof.

Reede braked the Blazer in front and left her sitting in the

truck when he went inside. Alex, feeling like each limb

weighed a thousand pounds, shoved open the door and followed

him through the wide doors, shouldering her way

through the scurrying firemen.

"What's the matter?" she heard Reede demand as he

jogged down the center aisle of the stable.

A horse was screaming, obviously in pain. It was the most

hideous sound Alex had ever heard. Reede picked up speed.

The Mintons were gathered in a somber, pajama-clad huddle

outside one of the stalls. Sarah Jo was weeping copiously

Angus was fervently, but ineffectually, patting her back. Junior

was holding her hand and using his other to cover a

yawn. Reede pushed them aside, but drew up short at the

entrance to the stall.

"Jesus Christ." He cursed a stream of blue words, then

let out a tortured roar that caused Alex to shrink back into

the shadows.

A pot-bellied, bespectacled man stepped into Alex's line

of vision. By all appearances, he'd come straight from his

bed. His corduroy jacket had been pulled on over a pair of



pajamas. Laying a hand on Reede's arm, he shook his balding

head gravely. "There's nothing I can do for him, Reede.

We'll have to put him down."

Reede stared at the man blankly, wordlessly. His chest rose

and fell as though he were about to heave up his supper.

Sarah Jo's sobs increased. She covered her face with her

hands. "Mother, please let me take you back to the house."

Junior placed his arm around her waist and turned her away.

Angus's arm dropped to his side. Mother and son moved

slowly down the center aisle.

They were almost even with Alex before they noticed her.

The instant Sarah Jo saw her, she released a high, keening