Horse Race (13 page)

She watched thoughtfully as Garvey led the chestnut filly inside and held her head while a photographer snapped a picture. Then Toby dismounted, he and Garvey shook hands with a few well-wishers, and it was over. A groom stepped forward to lead the tired filly back to the barn for some well-earned rest.

“Should we go back and see if they need us to cool her down?” Carole asked.

Stevie shook her head firmly. “They’ll manage without us,” she said. “We have more important things to do.”

Lisa and Carole turned to give her a questioning look. They recognized that tone of voice. Stevie was up to something.

Stevie saw the look on their faces and grinned. “You didn’t think I was just going to sit back and let him get away with it, did you?” she asked. “We’ve got to come up with a plan. Maybe we can trick him somehow—you know, trap him into admitting the whole thing. That worked last time, remember?” Their last mystery at the racetrack had ended when The Saddle Club had managed to trick the culprit into confessing.

“I don’t know,” Lisa said. “We got really lucky last time. That’s the only reason it worked then.” She shrugged. “This time I have the feeling the only one who’s ever going to hear anything about this again is Mack, as soon as Garvey tracks him down.”

Stevie shuddered. She had seen the burly assistant trainer get angry, but she had the feeling that what she had seen was nothing compared to what Mack was going to see. She would hate to be in the jockey’s shoes right now.

Carole, too, was thinking about what Lisa had just said. And she was starting to get an idea about what they could do. It was risky, but it just might work. “I’ve got it,” she said excitedly. “I know what we can do!”

“What?” Stevie demanded.

Carole shook her head and hurried away in the direction of the clubhouse. “I’ll tell you as we go,” she called back. “We’re going to need some help, and we don’t have much time.”

Stevie and Lisa exchanged looks and shrugged. Then they set off after their friend.

M
OMENTS LATER, THE
three girls were racing toward the unsaddling area. “I just hope we aren’t too late,” Carole panted. It had taken her a little longer than she had hoped to find Josh C, who was now running along with them, his father’s camcorder in his hand.

“Is anyone going to tell me what this is all about?” he asked plaintively, glancing from one girl to another.

“No time right now,” Carole said. She had outlined the basics of her plan to Stevie and Lisa during their search for Josh, but that was different. Her best friends knew the whole story and had caught on quickly. Josh wasn’t likely to understand without hearing the entire story in full detail, and she didn’t want him backing out now. They needed him for the plan to work. “Sorry. Just trust me, okay?”

“Sure,” Josh said with an adoring smile, speeding up a little so that he was running closer to her.

When they reached the unsaddling area, Carole thought for a moment that they were too late. Most of the fillies from the second race had already left for their individual barns. But then she spotted a familiar gray tail swishing
across the ring. It was Leprechaun. Josh A was holding her bridle and talking to an older man.

“There she is,” Lisa gasped. “But where’s Mack?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Stevie said.

She charged across the ring and confronted Josh. He blinked at her in surprise. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

Stevie didn’t bother to answer the question. “Where’s Mack?” she barked.

Josh’s confused look changed to one of annoyance. “What do I look like, his baby-sitter?” he said.

Stevie clenched her fists and opened her mouth to answer. But Carole, who had joined them by this time, shoved her aside. “Sorry about that, Josh,” she said, much more calmly than she felt. “We don’t mean to be rude, but we’re kind of anxious to talk to Mack, and since you were so much help when we were looking for him before, we figured you were the most likely person to know where we could find him now. Could you help us out? Please?” She smiled widely at him and blinked her eyes a few times as she’d seen actresses do on TV. She felt a little silly doing it, but it seemed to work. Josh still looked suspicious, but he tentatively returned her smile.

“Um, well, okay,” he said slowly. He had just noticed Josh C standing behind Carole, and he frowned. But he went on. “He already weighed out and headed back to the jockeys’ room to change.”

“Thanks, Josh,” Carole told him sincerely, giving him another big smile. Stevie and Lisa had already taken off in the direction of the jockeys’ room, Josh C in tow. But Carole paused for another moment. “We really do appreciate it,” she told the boy. “And I promise to explain everything later, okay?”

“Okay.” This time Josh’s smile was a lot bigger. “Oh, by the way, Mack is riding again in the fourth race, so he’ll probably be in the jockeys’ room for a few more minutes,” he offered.

“Thanks.” Carole paused for one last grateful smile, then took off after her friends.

“T
HIS SHOULD DO
,” Stevie muttered, pushing aside some branches of the thick bushes flanking the door to the jockeys’ room. “After you, Show—er, I mean, Josh,” she said, holding the branches back to reveal a hollow space near the center of the bush. “There should be just enough room for all of us.”

Josh stared at Stevie, then glanced down at his clean khaki shorts and white T-shirt. “Um …,” he began.

“I’ll go first,” Carole volunteered, stepping forward. She ducked down and crawled into the hiding place. “Very cozy,” she pronounced, sitting down on the dirt.

That was all Josh needed to hear. A moment later he was seated next to her, so close that their knees touched. “This is cool,” he said, grinning at her and leaning a little closer.

“We’re coming in,” Stevie announced. She crawled in beside the pair, and Lisa followed. Soon all four of them were crouched in the tiny hiding space in the hedge.

“Wow. Talk about togetherness,” Lisa said, moving her arm to avoid a scratchy branch.

Stevie elbowed Josh in the ribs. “Can you see out at all from where you’re sitting?” she asked. “You’re going to need to be able to tape what’s going on outside.”

Josh wiggled around a little until he was able to poke the camcorder through a bare spot. He peered through the view-finder. “I can see a little bit,” he said dubiously. “I just hope whatever or whoever you want me to tape is going to be standing right in front of us, though, or you’re out of luck.”

Stevie frowned, but Carole wasn’t worried. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Even if we can’t get a good picture, we should be able to pick up the sound track we need. That’s more important anyway.”

“Really?” Josh sat back and tapped the top of the camcorder. “That’s good. This thing has an awesome microphone. It picks up everything.”

“Heads up!” Lisa hissed. She was peering through the branches. “Someone’s coming.”

They all looked out. “It’s Garvey,” Stevie whispered, recognizing the big man easily, even though she could only see him from the elbows down. “Your plan’s working perfectly so far, Carole.”

Carole smiled and held one finger to her lips as Josh gave her a questioning look. She pointed to the camera, and he
obediently went into his taping position. “Switch it on when I tap you on the arm,” she whispered in his ear.

“Keep your fingers crossed,” Lisa murmured to her friends.

They waited for what felt like forever. Josh had to shift position slightly once or twice to stay comfortable. The three girls sat completely still, watching Garvey, who was visible in patches through the shrubbery as he paced back and forth.

Finally they all heard the sound of the jockeys’ room door slamming shut. “This could be it,” Stevie whispered.

“Shhh!” Carole leaned forward a little, trying to see who had come out. Before she could get a good look, she heard Garvey stomp forward.

“I’ve got a few things to discuss with you, little man,” he growled.

Her heart in her throat, Carole tapped Josh on the elbow. He obediently switched on the camcorder and leaned forward a little farther, trying to get Garvey in view.

Next Mack’s voice came toward them clearly. “I don’t want to hear it, Garvey,” the jockey said brusquely.

“Well, you’re going to hear it,” Garvey replied. Suddenly the two men moved to a spot where Carole could see them clearly through a break in the leaves. Garvey had taken hold of the smaller man’s arm and was dragging him straight toward their hiding place!

“Uh-oh,” she muttered. A moment later they all ducked back as the branches around them bent back under Mack’s weight. Garvey had just shoved him into the hedge.

“Watch it,” the jockey said calmly. “I’ve got to ride in these silks.”

Garvey didn’t answer. “Come here,” he said, his voice getting quieter as he moved away. “We’ve got to talk in private.”

Carole’s heart sank. If Garvey dragged Mack off to an empty stall in one of the shed rows or the men’s room or someplace else, the plan would be ruined. They hadn’t taped him saying anything incriminating yet.

Luckily Mack didn’t seem eager to go anywhere with the big trainer. “If you’ve got something to say, say it right here,” he said belligerently, his voice still close and clear.

Garvey let out an indecipherable grumble. “At least come over here behind these bushes,” he said at last. “The whole track doesn’t need to hear this.” Apparently the jockey nodded agreement, because the next sound the girls heard was footsteps moving around the side of the hedge where they were hiding.

Lisa gasped and scooted forward. “Do you think they’ll be able to see us?” she whispered frantically. The branches in the back of the hedge were thinner than those in front.

Carole gulped and turned around. The last thing she wanted was for Garvey to catch them spying on him. “Just keep as far back as you can,” she said helplessly, shrinking away from the sound of the footsteps.

“And think green,” Stevie added in a whisper. The men’s legs were clearly visible to all four of the hiders as they emerged and stopped about two yards in front of them. By
crouching farther down and looking up, the girls could see their angry faces.

Josh hadn’t missed a beat. The camera was still running, and he leaned forward just a little to get a clear shot of the two men. Carole bit her lip and watched him, hoping that his white shirt wasn’t too obvious among the green branches.

Luckily, the men didn’t even glance in their direction. They were standing on the bare patch of dirt between the hedge and the outside wall of the jockeys’ room, glaring at each other.

“Now,” Garvey said slowly. “Would you care to explain yourself?”

Mack shrugged. “What’s to explain?” he said. “Anyway, what do you care? Your horse won anyway, didn’t she?”

“That’s not the point!” Garvey shouted. Then, remembering where he was, he lowered his voice. “I paid you to do a job, and you didn’t do it. Doesn’t your word mean anything, you lousy cheat?”

“You’re the cheater, not me,” the jockey replied. “You’re just lucky I’m not going to talk to the track officials.”

Garvey balled one hand into a fist and punched it into his other hand. “You’d better not turn me in, little man,” he said, his voice dangerously low.

“Save your threats,” Mack said, sounding annoyed. “I’m not interested. And if you have any intention of pulling something like this again, leave me out of it. I never felt
right about it in the first place. Leprechaun is a good filly, and she deserves her chance. I only listened because I thought I owed it to you, since we grew up together.”

“You owe me more than a listen now, that’s for sure.” Garvey took a step closer.

The jockey reached back and pulled something out of the waistband of his fitted white nylon pants. It was a long white envelope. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to keep your stinking money,” he said. “Here. I’m sure you’ll need it to pay someone else to do your dirty work.”

Carole forgot her nervousness and grinned. Turning, she saw that Stevie and Lisa looked just as thrilled. Garvey, with Mack’s help, was confessing to everything—and he didn’t even know it! Glancing at Josh, she saw that he looked puzzled, as if trying to figure out what was going on. Promising herself to fill him in fully when it was all over, Carole turned her attention back to the men.

Garvey snatched the envelope, opened it, and pulled out the bills inside. After counting the money, he nodded and stuffed it into his pocket. “I should whip you for not whipping that filly,” he said. “You could have cost me everything. And you’re a fool, man. That money was a lot more than your ten percent would’ve been even if your horse had won.”

Mack just shrugged. “Not everybody is a slave to money, Garvey,” he said, turning away from the big man to go back around the hedge. He paused and glanced back. “Actually,
it was some folks from your own barn who helped me realize it. You could take some lessons on sportsmanship from them.”

Garvey grabbed the jockey by the shoulder. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he bellowed. “You better not have told anybody about our little arrangement, or you’ll be very, very sorry. Was it that rat Toby?”

Mack didn’t reply. He just twisted out of Garvey’s grip and turned to face him. “It wasn’t Toby. Now leave me alone. I’ve said all I have to say to you, you oversized jerk.”

That was more than Garvey could stand. He swung a huge fist toward the jockey’s face.

The girls gasped in horror. But Mack was too quick for Garvey. He ducked the punch easily, then took a few steps out of range. Grinning, he shook his head. “No wonder you never made it as a boxer,” he said. Then he was gone.

With a roar of frustrated rage, Garvey pounded his fist into his own thigh. “It had to be Toby,” he muttered to himself. “I’ll pound him into—Wait.” He paused. “He said ‘them.’ Could it be …?” A look of amazement crossed his face, followed by one of rage.

He didn’t bother to go around the bushes the way he had come. Instead, he shoved his way right through the hedge. His heavily booted foot missed Lisa’s leg by inches, but he never looked down and didn’t see The Saddle Club and Josh cowering in their hiding place.