Mystery Rider (5 page)

Chapter Six

Kate stayed right on Colt's heels as they pushed through the dense brush, and Tori and Melissa pressed close behind them. After what seemed like an hour but was probably only a few minutes, they got to the edge of the deep stand of trees and halted to catch their breath. Kate glanced at Tori. “You doing okay?”

“Yep. Great, now that we're not being scratched by branches anymore, and I can see the sun again.” Her friend pulled a tangle of leaves out of her hair.

Melissa peered over Kate's shoulder. “Do you see anything?”

“Nothing. Just an open field.” Disappointment hit Kate hard. They'd found a path of sorts most of the way and occasionally noted hoofprints, but those had ended when they hit that final patch of brush. There was no sign of tracks there either.

Colt squatted and peered at the ground, running his hand over the thick weeds. “It's possible the horse came this way, and the weeds and grass sprang back up, but I don't see any impressions. Why come this way, and why all the secrecy? I don't get it.”

“Me neither. So what now?” Kate wasn't sure what to do anymore, and she hoped one of the others would have a good idea.

Silence was her only answer for several long seconds. Then Tori held up her hand. Kate knew what she'd say—go home and give this up.

Tori put her hand down and gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I kind of felt like I was in school. Anyway, we've come this far. I think we should walk across the field and see if there's anything there. If there isn't, we go home. I mean, what could it hurt, right?”

Melissa's eyes rounded. “Seriously? Wow. I'm impressed, Tori. I was going to suggest we give up, but if you're willing, I am. How about you guys?” She looked from Kate to Colt.

Colt nodded. “Sure. Let's do it.”

Kate smiled. “I'm in. Tori's right, we've come this far. And if we go home now, we'll probably always wonder if we missed something by not going a little farther.”

They stepped out of the woods and headed across the open meadow. Kate looked around her, loving the sense of peace in the quiet spot. Grass and purple wildflowers dotted the field, and a robin fluttered from an ancient apple tree. “I wonder if this used to be an old homestead. Look—is that a stone fence that fell down?”

Colt stopped a few yards from where Kate pointed. “I think it's the remains of a stone foundation from a small house or a cabin.” He shielded his eyes against the bright sun. “There's a fence ahead made of wood rails. Looks like some of it's starting to fall down. Should we check it out?”

The girls nodded, and the four spread out in a line as they walked the direction he indicated. Minutes passed, and they slowed as they neared the fence. Tori put her finger to her lips. “Shh. There's a house over there.” She waved off to her left. “And look! I see the black horse!” Her voice rose in excitement.

“Awesome!” Kate breathed the word. She leaned her arms on the rail fence. “Now what?”

Colt glanced from one to the other. “I say we get a little closer. Maybe we'll see the woman outside, and we can tell her we like her horse. If she's friendly, we can ask questions and maybe find out what she's up to.”

No one spoke for a minute. Then Tori frowned. “Uh, I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Wouldn't that be trespassing?”

Melissa scanned the fence in both directions. “There aren't any signs posted. We're just going for a friendly visit. I can't see that she'll be upset over some kids asking about her horse.”

Kate hated to go against Tori, but she was dying to know more about this horse and the Mystery Rider. “I guess she can only tell us to get lost. Tori, will you be mad if I say we should go?”

She hunched a shoulder. “Naw. It's okay. I'd like to get a closer look at that horse, but I don't want to get in trouble either. If you guys say we should do this, then I will too.”

Colt gave a short nod. “Good. I'll lead, and we'll take it slow.”

He stepped on the bottom rail, then vaulted over the top bar. He turned and waited for the girls to climb over or through the rails. “Let's not talk, all right? We don't want to spook that woman if she's around.”

They headed toward the two-story house with faded-green paint. The horse stood in a fenced pasture nearby, and as they got closer, he raised his head and whinnied. All of a sudden, the back door of the house burst open, and a small woman stepped onto the porch, her long gray hair sticking out in all directions. She stood under the porch roof, and the shadow fell across her face, but a ray of sun glinted off the barrel of the rifle she clutched. She peered around, apparently trying to see what had alerted the horse.

Kate, Colt, Tori, and Melissa halted where they stood, about a hundred feet away. Kate's hands started to shake. “What should we do?”

Before anyone could answer, the old woman raised the rifle and waved it in the air. “I told you kids not to bother me anymore! Get off my property!”

Melissa, Kate, and Colt turned and raced for the fence. It wasn't until they'd run several strides that Kate looked for Tori. Her friend stood frozen where they'd left her, and Kate skidded to a halt. “Tori! Come on! Don't stand there and get shot!”

Tori seemed to wake up, then shook her head. She raised her hand toward the woman, whose face was still in the shadows. “We don't mean any harm. We only wanted to tell you we love your horse. We're so sorry we bothered you.” She pivoted, then walked toward Kate but kept peeking over her shoulder.

Kate held her breath as Tori moved; then she glanced at the old woman and gasped. She had placed the rifle down on the porch floor and had sunk into a chair, her hands covering her face as though she was crying.

Panting and shaking, Kate and her friends burst out of the brush at the road where they'd stashed their bikes, but Tori was strangely quiet. Kate grabbed her friend's hand and tugged her the last several feet. “What was all that about? Why did you talk to that woman when she had a gun pointed at us?”

Tori shook her head. “She wasn't going to hurt us.”

Melissa crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. “And how do you know that?”

Colt nodded. “Yeah, Tori. You could have been hurt. I didn't even realize you weren't with us until I heard you say something, but I was too far away to understand what was happening.”

Tori looked from one to the other, her face calm. “She loves that horse.”

Melissa rolled her eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Didn't you notice? Her house is in terrible shape, the porch roof was practically falling down, she's dressed in old clothes, and her hair was a mess, but that horse was perfect. His mane and coat are so silky and shiny, it looks like he's been brushed for hours every day. The fence around his paddock is practically new, and he has fresh hay and a shiny water trough. He's not neglected, and he didn't act scared, just curious. No one takes that good care of an animal unless they love them, or they're worth a lot of money. Since she doesn't look like she has much money, I doubt he's supervaluable—except to her.”

“Yeah … so?” Melissa continued to stare, but she uncrossed her arms.

“So I don't think she's as mean as she tried to act. I think maybe some other kids have been harassing her, and she thought we were them. She was protecting her property, like anyone would do.”

Kate bit her lip. “I don't think everyone would protect it with a rifle.”

Tori planted her hands on her hips. “I agree, but she's an old lady, and if she lives alone and people have been bugging her, she might feel she has to do that.”

Kate thought for a moment, remembering what she'd seen at the very end before she ran. “Did you notice she put the rifle down before we took off?”

Tori gave a sad smile. “Yeah. And I think she was crying.”

Colt's eyes widened. “Huh?”

A car drove past, kicking up dust. Kate waved toward their bikes. “We'd better head home. But Tori's right. I saw the lady cover her face with her hands, and her shoulders were shaking.”

“Weird,” Melissa said. “What's up with that?”

All of them grabbed their bikes and climbed on, then headed back toward Kate's house. No one spoke as they pedaled their way home, but Kate kept an eye on Tori, worried about what might be going on in her friend's head. Something didn't feel right about how Tori was acting, but Kate couldn't quite figure it out. She needed to get her alone and see if she'd tell her. Maybe Tori didn't want to say any more in front of Melissa, or even Colt, but she and Kate were best friends. Kate knew in her heart that Tori would tell her everything as soon as they were alone.

Chapter Seven

Kate and Tori sat on Kate's bed after telling Melissa and Colt good-bye. Tori had barely spoken after they'd returned and parked their bikes in Kate's backyard. Since no one seemed to have any interest in planning their parade costumes or talking about anything else, their other friends left. They agreed to get together again sometime the next day, but Kate had whispered to Tori, asking her to stay a little longer.

Kate scooted up against the headboard and tucked a pillow behind her back, while Tori sat cross-legged at the end of the bed. “So what's up, Tori? Something's bugging you, and it's got to be that horse.”

Tori ducked her head. “That woman looked so sad, Kate. I think there's something wrong. Maybe even something worse than kids bothering her.”

Surprise surged through Kate. This wasn't what she'd expected. She knew Tori had fallen in love with the black horse, but she didn't realize she'd be worried about the woman. On the other hand, her friend was one of the kindest kids she'd ever met, and if anyone would feel sorry for someone who threatened to shoot them, it would be Tori. She frowned at Tori's bowed head. “I guess that's possible. But there's nothing we can do about it.”

“Why not?” Tori lifted her head and met Kate's eyes.

“You didn't see that rifle and hear her tell us to leave? You really want to try that again?”

Tori's dark eyes blazed. “Yeah. I do. But just you and me, not Colt and Melissa. I think there were too many of us, and we scared her.”

Kate stared at Tori. This couldn't be for real. “No way. That's nuts. I mean, next time she might shoot us!”

“Naw. I don't think so. If she was going to, then I think she would have shot in the air to really scare us. Besides, I told you she was crying. That doesn't sounds like someone crazy enough to shoot at a bunch of kids.”

“Maybe, but I'm not willing to take that chance.” Kate figured that would end the discussion. She'd always been the bold one, and Tori was always so tenderhearted.

“Fine.” Tori worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and settled deeper into the pillow. Maybe she should go get them a soda or something or suggest they call Colt and Melissa to come back and do more planning, now that this subject was settled.

Tori leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her crossed legs. “If you don't want to come, then I'll go alone.”

Kate almost fell off the bed in shock. She'd never seen Tori act like this before, and she couldn't believe how firm her friend's voice was, or how determined her face appeared. “Seriously? You want to go back there, and you'd go alone if I don't come? Why?”

“I'm not sure.” Tori tapped her chest. “But I feel it in here. Like God is telling me it's the right thing to do. That we're supposed to help her somehow. I don't know any more than that. But I won't be mad if you don't want to come. I understand.”

Kate sat up straight. “No way will I let you go alone.” She shuddered. “That old woman could shoot you and bury you behind the house, and no one would ever know. You're my best friend, and if I can't talk you out of it, then I'm going with you.”

A smile lit Tori's face, and her eyes sparkled. “You'd do that for me?”

Kate didn't hesitate. “You bet. You've always backed me up, and I'll do the same for you. That's what friends are for, right?”

Tori beamed. “Right. I've never had that kind of a friend before you came along, that's all.”

“So what's your plan?”

Tori's smile faded. “I'm not sure. I hadn't thought that far.”

“And what do we tell Colt and Melissa?”

Tori shook her head. “Nothing. I don't want anyone else involved. We have to do this alone, Kate.”

“O-kay …” Kate didn't like it, but Tori was the boss on this one. If she didn't go along with her friend, Tori might decide to do it alone, and that wasn't an option. “But we need some kind of plan. We can't just walk up to the house again. She'll chase us off like last time.”

“I agree.” They were quiet for a minute before Tori spoke again. “We could bake cookies or brownies or something and take them to her as an apology for upsetting her today.”

Kate nodded. “I suppose. I'm not crazy about cutting through the woods again, though. I sure wish we knew if there was another way in.”

“I saw a driveway on the far side of the paddock where the horse was.”

“Seriously? Man, I didn't notice anything other than that rifle.” Kate stared at her friend in awe.

“I don't know where it comes out, so I suppose we'll have to go in the same way.” Tori's shoulders drooped. “I wish we'd stayed longer and tried to talk to her.”

Kate raised her brows. “Uh … she told us to leave. I don't think that was a good time to try to talk.”

“I know. So, what do you think about taking cookies?”

“Sure. Mom won't care if we bake a batch. Are we going to tell our parents?”

Tori worried her lip again. “Could we tell them we're taking cookies to an old lady who's lonely, and not tell them the rest?”

Kate hesitated. They wouldn't be telling a lie, but they wouldn't be telling the entire truth either. “I'm not sure. I guess we can try that, but if my mom or your mom asks any questions, we'll have to tell them more. Do you care if we tell them we're taking the cookies to the Mystery Rider, but we don't know her name?”

Tori smiled. “That's a great idea. We'll tell them we found her house and want to do something nice for her. I don't think they'll object to that.”

Kate nodded, but it still didn't feel right. She wasn't sure Mom and Dad would approve if they knew everything, but she couldn't take the chance that Tori would go alone and get herself into trouble. “All right. When do you want to go?”

“Colt said something about working on the parade stuff sometime tomorrow. How about we bake a big batch of cookies to share with Colt and Melissa so they won't ask questions. Then after they leave, we'll head over on our own. We'll ask them to come in the morning so we'll have the afternoon free. Sound good?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Kate shoved her doubts to the side. She wished they could at least tell Colt. He was sensible and didn't rush into stuff the way she sometimes did—but she'd promised not to tell, and she wouldn't break her word. She felt stuck between two bad choices, but her friendship with Tori was important, and she couldn't let her down. All she could do was pray she wasn't making a bad decision and they didn't find themselves in more trouble than they could handle.

The next morning, Kate swung open her front door a few seconds after the doorbell chimed.

“Hey, guys. I'm glad you made it. Tori's already here.”

Melissa stepped inside, with Colt right on her heels, and his nose went up in the air. He sniffed. “Wow. Something smells awesome.”

Kate grinned. “We've been baking. We thought we might need a little brain food to help us while we're planning.” A twinge of guilt hit her. If only she could tell Colt and Melissa about their plans, she wouldn't feel so alone, but a promise was a promise.

“What kind of cookies are they?” Colt kept sniffing as he headed toward the kitchen.

Kate giggled. “You look like a bloodhound on a trail. Chocolate chip oatmeal with coconut and walnuts. The coconut keeps them soft, and we put tons of chocolate chips in them. Dad likes them better with raisins, so we're making a panful that way too. But Tori and I voted for chocolate in the rest of them.”

Colt closed his eyes. “Mmm-mmm. I think I'm going to eat until I get sick.”

Melissa rolled her eyes. “Boys can be so dramatic.”

Colt's eyes snapped open. “Now that's funny. I'm a growing boy, and I love cookies. There's nothing dramatic about it.
Girls
are the dramatic ones.”

Kate grabbed them both and pulled them the rest of the way to the kitchen. “Quit arguing and get some cookies and a glass of milk. We'll sit at the table to talk.”

Melissa huffed but didn't argue.

Colt grinned. “I'll stop arguing if I have my mouth full of cookies. Besides, I got the last word, so I win.” He dodged sideways as Melissa's elbow shot toward his ribs. “Ha! Missed.”

Kate's mom breezed into the kitchen, and Pete followed slowly behind. “Hi, kids. Mind if Pete and I have a few cookies? His tutor is here, and I'm sure she'd appreciate a couple too.”

“Sure, Mom. Hey, Pete. Are you having a good time with Mrs. Ingersoll?”

Pete kept his gaze on the plate of cookies. “Cookies.”

Melissa stooped to Pete's level and held out the plate. “Here you go, bud.” Her tone was soft, and the same one that Pete had often responded to.

He averted his gaze but reached out and took one, then slowly lifted it to his mouth.

Kate touched his hair, but he shrank back. “Pete, can you tell Melissa thank you?” She wished this was one of his good days when he'd let her touch him, but sometimes he became more withdrawn when his special teacher came, while on other days he seemed to blossom.

He took a bite of cookie. “No.”

When he was in a mood like this, there was no point in pushing. Kate glanced at her mother, who smiled. “Come on, Pete. We'll take the cookies back to Mrs. Ingersoll, and you can have another one after you finish your work. Okay?” She extended her hand, but he ignored it and started humming a tune. Mom lowered her hand but stayed beside Pete. “Let's go, Son.”

No one spoke as Kate's mom and Pete left the room, and in the quiet, Pete's humming could be heard all the way down the hall to her dad's study.

Melissa cleared her throat gently. “He's having a bad day, huh?”

Kate's eyes misted. “Sometimes I think he's improving so much. He talks more and occasionally looks someone in the eye—even lets us touch him or hug him. I start thinking maybe the autistic thing is in the past. Then he goes backward like this.” Kate sighed. “I feel so bad for him.”

Colt put his cookie on the plate in front of him. “But his good days are better than they were before, right? So he
is
improving.”

Kate swallowed a lump in her throat. “I guess so … if I think of it that way. I just want him to be totally okay
now
,
know what I mean?”

They all nodded.

Kate looked at her friends. “Thanks, guys. Now let's get to work and come up with super banners to drape over our horses.”

Melissa held up her hand. “Before we do that, I found out some stuff about that old woman on the black horse.”

Kate's heart pounded, and she chanced a glance at Tori, but her friend kept her eyes on Melissa. Kate leaned forward. “Did you talk to someone?”

“Yep. I called one of my mother's friends who knows everything about everybody, and she filled me in.” Melissa dropped her voice and peered toward the kitchen door leading to the study. “I don't think your parents would want you going over there again, if they knew.”

Colt drummed his fingers on the table. “Knew what? Spill it.”

Melissa made a face at him, then turned to Kate and Tori. “Well, first of all, there's another way into her place. I don't know why she went down that trail, except maybe it's a shortcut. But if you keep on the road for another half mile or so, then turn right at the fork, her driveway is the first gravel road on the right. It's a short distance to her house from the road.”

Kate groaned. “It would have been nice to find that before we went through all the brush. Plus, she might not have thought we were trying to do something bad if we'd come down her driveway instead of across her back pasture and over her fence.”

“Did your mom's friend know anything else about her?” Colt asked.

“Yes. Some people say she's a witch and that's why she rides a black horse, but others say she's crazy. Someone disappeared from the area years ago, and rumor has it they might be buried behind her house. No one has ever proved it, but there's talk. My mom's friend says her house is haunted.” Melissa waved her hand in the air. “Oh, and she has this long, jagged scar on her face, and I guess that's why she wears the hood.” She shivered. “I wonder how that happened. Maybe she got in a knife fight with the person she buried on her property.”

Colt laughed. “She's too little and too old to get in a fight with anyone. All that stuff you heard is gossip, and we shouldn't even listen to it. As for the scar and the hood, if that's true, she probably gets sick of people staring at her. I don't blame her.” He reached for another cookie.

Melissa glared at him. “Some of it could be true. But no matter what, we solved the mystery, and we don't have to go back. I'm done with that place.”

Tori nudged Kate's foot under the table, and Kate knew exactly what she was thinking. They'd made the right decision not to invite Melissa. But how about Colt? If the woman was dangerous, it would be awfully nice to have a boy around.