Rescue Me: a horse mystery Read online

  RESCUE ME

  Toni Leland

  ©2010 All Rights Reserved

  Seattle socialite Julia Dorsey has it all—prestige, money, magnificent Morgan horses, and a powerful, brilliant husband. But Julia's life is a nightmare of domestic violence and terror, and only an act of courage can save her. Will the price be too high?

  When mysterious Heck Dillon enters her life, Julia's fears return. Who is he? Can she trust him? As Dillon offers her quiet strength and protection, Julia begins to believe in hope for a new future, thanks to her discovery of a horse rescue in need. But the old life still haunts her and, before she can move forward, she must face her past.

  This tale of romance and suspense touches on two serious subjects: horse rescue and domestic violence.

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, a round of applause for your Region 8 Grand Champion Morgan Mare, Cascade Meadows Coquette!” The words reverberated through the huge arena.

  The long ribbon streamers fluttered in a profusion of blue, red, and gold against the horse’s neck as she trotted briskly through the victory pass. Julia Dorsey felt as though her chest would explode with excitement as she rode the mare past the sea of spectators. This was her reward for months of hard work, the final step toward her dream—the Morgan Grand National & World Championship. She gazed at Coquette’s sleek neck and felt the mare’s excitement in every step. Crushing love surged through Julia’s chest and she immersed herself in the glorious moment.

  As she approached the out-gate, her elation faded. Stephen stood at the rail, no visible hint of his mood in the sharp lines of his aristocratic features. She took a deep breath as she rode out of the arena and into the brilliant midmorning sun.

  Leaning forward in the saddle, she stroked the mare’s neck, “You are such a good girl. Carrots and apples for you.”

  Stephen’s clipped words boded no good. “Get down and walk with me.”

  She glanced at her husband’s face, wondering what tirade he was about to unleash. His expression revealed nothing but displeasure. She swung down from the saddle and turned to face him. Whatever it was, she’d get through it. As usual.

  Stephen’s tone was derisive. “Well, you finally qualified for the Grand National, but I don’t understand why it took you so long—you’ve had the best riding instructors and horse trainers money can buy. Except for that first bozo you found.”

  Julia chose her words carefully. “This is not something that happens overnight.”

  “Nonetheless, you should have had a better ride than you did today. Perhaps the judges just chose the lesser of two evils.”

  Julia’s restraint disappeared. “No! Don’t you dare try to ruin—”

  The sentence died in her throat and horror replaced the anger. The look on Stephen’s face sent a chill of fear through her chest.

  His granite gray eyes narrowed and he stepped closer, a cruel smile forming on his thin lips. “Ah, a little feisty are we? You know how that turns me on.”

  Revulsion rolled through her stomach and she stepped back. “I—I’m sorry, Stephen. I’m just a little wound up. You’re right—I could have done better.” She gave him what she hoped was a bright smile. “But the good news is, we’re going to Oklahoma City!”

  “Give the horse to Chet and get cleaned up. We’re flying back to Seattle in an hour.”

  “But, I’d rather ride back with Coquette.”

  “Julia, I don’t have time for this foolishness. I’m in the middle of a big merger, and I’m sure you haven’t forgotten the benefit dinner tomorrow night.” His polished public smile appeared. “Besides, I thought we could shop for something lovely for you to wear.” A frown puckered his brow. “And do something about your hair. Now hurry up.”

  “Stephen—”

  He stepped closer. “Enough. Besides, I don’t like having you out of my sight where I can’t protect you. I’m a very rich man, and you can be sure that someone out there wouldn’t hesitate to grab you for ransom.”

  Julia looked down at her dusty boots. I should be so lucky.

  The groom’s gravelly voice broke into her frustration. “I’ll take good care of your horse, Ma’am.”

  Julia nodded and handed over the reins, glancing at Chet’s faded blue eyes and sharing his discomfort over witnessing Stephen’s egotistical outburst. As they walked along beside Coquette, she listened to the gentle clip-clop of hooves, despair flooding her heart, the joy of her victory crushed.

  Stephen’s cell phone rang and he turned away, responding with authority to whomever had called. Julia glanced at him once more, then hurried to the stall where she kept her tack and supplies. She pried the lid from a large plastic bucket and grabbed two big carrots with fluffy green tops. She could certainly spare a minute to reward her baby for a job well done.

  The chestnut mare’s beautiful dark eyes glowed with excitement and she whickered softly, bringing a lump to Julia’s throat.

  “Do you love me, Miss Cokie, or is it just my carrots you’re after?”

  Julia examined the fine lines and intricate structures of the horse’s face, moved as always by the beauty of this animal that had stolen her heart.

  “Julia!”

  Without looking back at Stephen, she gave the mare a quick pat, then scurried into the tack stall and pulled the curtain across the entrance. While she shrugged out of her jacket and shirt, she listened to the conversation taking place outside in the aisle. Chet’s restraint was admirable—how he could abide Stephen’s rude and dismissive attitude was a mystery to her, but the old guy had worked with horses for over fifty years—he’d probably seen it all. She half smiled. Poor Stephen. He knew nothing about horses, didn’t even like them and, most times, wouldn’t even come into the barn. He complained that the odor nauseated him. Another mystery, since a clean horse barn smelled only of hay and the musky scent of warm horseflesh. She almost laughed out loud. She’d unintentionally picked the one activity in which he wanted no part. She stopped smiling. She was surprised he allowed it, and she’d be damned if she was going to do anything to mess it up.

  Gathering up her show gear, she moved to the tack trunk and allowed herself a moment to gaze at the beautiful custom crafted piece that had cost her almost a thousand dollars. She’d heard about a craftsman who lived up in the mountains, a man whose work was well known among the wealthier horse owners in the Seattle region. Luck had been with her when the wood crafter had set up a booth at one of the horse shows. With just a simple description of what she wanted, he’d built this beautiful and useful creation. The box was constructed of deeply burnished solid walnut, and trimmed with solid brass fittings. Her farm name was expertly etched into the wood and stained black. The trunk was worthy every penny.

  She lifted the lid and gazed at the contents. The warm aroma of leather and horse blankets drifted out. She kneeled on one knee and arranged her clothes, then stopped, aware of the sudden lack of conversation outside the stall. Coquette’s iron shoes tapped against the concrete as Chet led her to the stall next door.

  Suddenly, the curtain swept aside and Stephen’s angry face appeared.

  “God-dammit, will you hurry up!”

  “Sorry, I’m coming.”

  She closed the trunk and briefly ran her fingers over the wood, then rose and gave Stephen her most charming smile.

  “Let’s go shopping.”

  The Learjet banked slightly as the pilot corrected course, and Julia gazed down at the peaks of her beloved Cascade Mountains. Lush green blanketed the view for as far as she could see. In this hottest of summers, thankfully there’d been no forest fires so far, even though it was mid-August when the forests were tinder dry. A thrill ran through her c
hest. August. In two months, she’d be on her way to Oklahoma to compete in her first Grand National.

  Though Stephen’s disparaging remarks had stung at first, she knew her progress had actually been very good, especially considering that, four years ago, she’d known nothing about riding a horse. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, remembering those first few lessons, at a time in her marriage when she was more or less allowed to come and go as she pleased. Now, Stephen seldom let her do anything on her own. She released a deep sigh and closed her eyes to shut out the thoughts.

  Stephen patted her hand. “Tired? You can take a little nap at the office while I make my conference call. I made your hair appointment for two o’clock.”

  His voice grounded her in reality. She nodded and leaned her head back against the seat. The jet engines whined softly, then the plane lurched, sending Julia’s heart into her throat. She simply could not get over her nervousness about being thousands of feet above the earth. Nowhere to go but down. She shook off the thought and glanced at her husband’s profile. Not handsome, but attractive in a powerful way. His charisma had supported him in a steady rise to the top of the entrepreneurial world, and perhaps it was that power and confidence which attracted people to him. She tried to remember how it had been before they’d married, but the memories had dimmed in the debris of their stormy relationship. When had he changed? More important, how had she missed the change? Had she been too close to see it, or had something in her subconscious kept her from looking too closely? She pulled her lower lip gently between her teeth and pushed away the unpleasant self-assessment.

  Glancing out the window again, she was surprised to see the runway racing beneath the plane. A soft thump, and she released a quiet sigh of relief, then smiled, feeling foolish. Her inner goblins could rest now.

  Stephen wove through traffic, muttering under his breath when another driver got in his way. Julia watched the people on the sidewalks and gazed at the buildings that made up the city core of Seattle. Straight ahead, the magnificent Seattle Central Library loomed against a brilliant blue sky, the sun glinting off the thousands of glass surfaces. Though the building was an architectural masterpiece, its very size intimidated her—she preferred the quiet coziness of a branch library, so welcoming and private. She pursed her lips. A library board meeting was coming up soon, but she wasn’t sure of the date. She’d been consumed with preparing herself and Coquette for the regional show.

  A thrill raced through her mind again. She was actually going to compete at the Grand National.

  Stephen pulled into the underground parking garage beneath the modern black-faced building which housed Dorsey International. A few moments later, they rode the elevator in silence to the fourteenth floor. As the elevator slowed, Stephen turned and smiled.

  “I’m looking forward to our afternoon out.” He stroked her hair. “Come back to the office when you’re finished at the hairdresser.”

  The doors opened and he strode away toward the end of the hall. Julia watched until he’d disappeared into his office, then turned down another hall toward the restroom. She felt sticky and unkempt. At least she could splash some water on her face.

  Stephen’s blonde receptionist was drying her hands. “Oh, hi, Mrs. Dorsey. How are you today?”

  “Dusty and sticky and wishing I had a shower.”

  The girl’s brows knit together, and Julia laughed. “I just came from a horse show in Eastern Oregon. Literally got off the horse and got onto the plane.”

  “Oh, yeah, well, nice to see you again.” She started toward the door.

  “Say, do you happen to know how long my husband might be on his conference call?”

  “Probably at least a half hour or more—it’s a four-way conversation with London, New York, and Hong Kong. Awesome, huh?”

  “Yes, we certainly live in a connected world.”

  The restroom door closed and Julia gazed in the mirror. Her hair could definitely use some help. She glanced at her watch. One o’clock. She had plenty of time.

  The afternoon heat washed over her as she stepped onto the sidewalk in front of Stephen’s offices. A ripple of apprehension ran through her pulse. If he found out... She shook her head. When he was doing business, he paid attention to nothing else. He’d never know. She turned left and walked briskly for three blocks, arriving at the revolving doors of First Bank, a time-worn historic building housing one of the oldest financial institutions in the state. Her grandparents had banked there, and their parents before that. She pushed through the moving circular door and stopped for a moment to absorb the atmosphere of the vintage interior.

  A middle-aged man looked up and smiled as she approached the counter.

  “Hello, Mrs. Dorsey. Haven’t seen you in quite a while.”

  “I know. I hardly ever get to town anymore. My horses, you know—they take a lot of time. But I’m not complaining—I love it.”

  “Yes, I used to ride as a young man. Nothing else feels quite like it.”

  Julia held up a key. “I’d like to get into my safe deposit box, please.”

  The man took the key and ushered her back through the hall, then unlocked a door next to the vault. The room was about 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. On three sides, brass-fronted squares rose from the floor to the ceiling. A rolling ladder rested against the back wall.

  Julia signed the register and the man unlocked her box, then smiled. “Nice to see you again.”

  The glass door closed behind him, and she struggled to remove the heavy box from inside the cubicle. With a quick glance through the door to the bank lobby, she opened the lid and gazed at the bundles of bills. Her vision blurred as she thought about her wonderful grandmother and the love that had transcended any fallibility Julia might have.

  “Gram, I miss you so much.”

  Julia removed three bundles and stuffed them into the bottom of her shoulder bag. Risky, but she had nowhere else to carry them. She glanced at her watch. She had twenty minutes to finish and get back to the hair salon. Reaching into the box, she felt along the sides of the wrapped bundles, taking a mental tally of what remained of her inheritance, then she closed the lid, slid the box into its crypt, and left the vault. With a cheery wave to the bank teller, she stepped onto the sidewalk and headed back toward safety. As she walked, she thought about the circumstances surrounding her strange storage of her grandmother’s money.

  After a fairytale courtship that seemed more suitable to fiction, Stephen’s marriage proposal had been exactly what Julia wanted. She’d bowed to his every wish regarding the wedding and the honeymoon, but when he’d informed her that a prenuptial agreement was being drawn up, the fairy dust had scattered. How could he treat her like that? She’d never given him any reason to think she was at all interested in his money. In fact, she’d actually been uncomfortable with his wealth. Her own family had been comfortably well-off, but not to the point of spending money on extravagant non-necessities. Stephen had made it clear there would be no marriage without the pre-nup in place.

  Angry about being distrusted, she’d transferred her inheritance from investments to cash and stored it in a place where there’d be no record. A fluke move that now gave her some semblance of freedom in the prison of her marriage.

  Chapter 2

  Julia stepped into the hair salon at one minute to two.

  Stephen’s eyes glinted like lightning on steel and a rosy flush of anger showed on his cheeks.

  “Where have you been?”

  Julia’s heart thumped. What was he doing here? She swallowed hard and struggled to keep her tone light.

  “I walked down to the library. I have—”

  “You just came in from the opposite direction.” He stepped closer and grabbed her upper arm, his fingers digging into the flesh.

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “Stephen, you’re hurting me,” she whimpered, keeping her voice low. “People are staring.”

  He released her and stepped back. She resisted the urge to rub the
spot where dark bruises would already be forming.

  “I just wanted to walk a little, so I took the long way around the block.” She forced herself to be contrite. “I’m sorry if I worried you. I thought you would be on the phone for a long time.”

  Stephen snorted. “The jerk in Hong Kong wasn’t available. Wasted everyone’s time.” His tone softened. “I do worry about you. I can’t imagine what life would be like without my girl.” He turned to the hair stylist who’d witnessed the whole scene. “Do your magic and make her beautiful. I want to show her off to all the big shots tomorrow night.”

  An hour later, the stylist handed her a mirror. “What do you think?”

  Julia gazed at the new style, obviously something Stephen had requested. Her once ash-brown hair was now a dozen different lengths and streaked with gold. Very sassy and modern, but more appropriate to a twenty-something chick.

  “It’s nice. Thank you.”

  “You hate it, don’t you?”

  The young man’s fine features formed an exaggerated pout in the mirror, and Julia smiled. Yes, she hated it, but how long would it take for Stephen to find that out? Better play along.

  “No. You did a great job. I’m sure I’ll get used to the new look.”

  The stylist whisked away the stray hair clippings and removed the cape. “It changes your looks dramatically, you know. Your friends will do a double take when they see you again.”

  Julia gazed at her image in the wide mirror. He was right—and how interesting that a simple haircut could do that.

  She stood up and grinned. “I just hope my horses still recognize me.”

  “Oooh, that’s right. You have all those gorgeous animals. I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.”

  “Next time you have a day off, give me a call. You can come out to the farm and ride to your heart’s content.” Placing a twenty-dollar bill on the counter, she smiled. “Charge the appointment to my husband’s account.”