Mystery Rider (7 page)

As I stepped around the corner and saw you three there on your bikes, I immediately assumed you were my tormentors come back to cause more havoc. As soon as I shouted at you and you started to ride away, I realized you were far too young to drive a vehicle, and you must have been the same children who came the day before. I especially remember the compassion on the face of the girl with the dark brown hair, and her kind words about my horse. I liked the looks of that girl as soon as I saw her, but I already had my rifle raised in my hand.

I hope you'll forgive an old woman and allow me to make it up to you. If you'd care to return, I'd like to make you some tea and cookies and show you my Sam's grave. I'll understand if you don't care to come, or if you'd like to bring your parents. I know the children in this area think I'm crazy or a murderer, but believe me, that is far from the truth.

With humble apologies and a hope that you might give me another chance,

Martha Maynard

Kate lifted damp eyes and met her mother's gaze. “Wow.”

“You can say that again. Now you get on the phone and ask your friends to come over here. I want to know exactly what's going on. We're going to get to the bottom of this.”

Kate froze. “Melissa too? Or just Tori and Colt?”

“Was Melissa with you when you went to this woman's home?” Mom's stare didn't waver.

“Uh … the first time. But she didn't go with us yesterday.”

Mom gave a firm nod. “Then she comes too. I've finished feeding the horses, and the rest of the stalls can wait. I want answers.”

Chapter Ten

Kate looked around the room at her three friends. Then her gaze stopped briefly on Tori's mom before moving on to her own mother, who held the letter in her hands. Pete sat in the middle of the living-room floor, intent on working an intricate, one-hundred-piece puzzle that he loved putting together.

Her mom glanced at Tori's mother, Maria Velasquez. “Do you have any questions, Maria?”

The woman adjusted her petite body in the overstuffed chair. “Why are we only hearing about this woman now?”

Tori bit her lip. “We told you, Mom. Remember, I said I was coming over to Kate's to bake cookies for an old lady up the road?”

Kate's heart thudded at the disapproval on her mother's face. Melissa and Colt were lucky that their moms hadn't decided to come. “That's right. And Mom, you knew it was the woman who's been riding past our house on the black horse, and we'd been trying to find out who she was for days. It's not like we were keeping all that from you.”

Mom lifted the letter in the air and waved it. “But you somehow forgot the little detail about that same woman waving a rifle at you and chasing you off her property, not to mention that three of you went back the very next day.”

Melissa looked as if she was trying to hide a satisfied smile, but Kate still caught a glimpse of it. She must be feeling happy right now that she hadn't wanted to return after that first trip. Kate gritted her teeth. It was so not fair that she and Tori were the ones their moms were pointing their fingers at. She shifted uncomfortably and tried to ignore Melissa. “But she says in her letter that the rifle wasn't even loaded, and she felt terrible about it.”

“She does say that, but you didn't know it at the time. What if it had been loaded, and she'd decided to take a shot at you? Even if she'd only been trying to scare you, the gun could have gone off, and any one of you could have been hurt.”

Kate huffed. “But it wasn't loaded, Mom. And she didn't hurt us. She said she was sorry for scaring us.”

Mrs. Velasquez leaned forward. “I'm more concerned that you kids didn't tell us the truth. You kept things from us.”

“You're right,” Colt declared. “We all should have told our parents, whether we only went once or twice.” He didn't look at Melissa, but Kate could have hugged him for his comment. “We felt bad that we kept it from you, but we wanted to apologize, and we weren't sure you'd let us if you knew the whole story.”

Mom's posture relaxed a little, but she kept her gaze fixed on Kate. “Is that right, Kate?”

“Um, yes. Tori and I even talked about telling you, but we didn't feel like we were lying. We told you where we were going and why—to take the cookies to Mrs. Maynard. We just didn't tell you everything that happened the day before.” She hung her head. “I'm so sorry. I guess I knew it was wrong when I made the decision, but I wanted to help.”

Tori sprang to her feet. “I made the decision, Kate, not you. I said I'd go alone if no one wanted to go with me, and you only came to protect me. Then Colt agreed to come because he's our friend and was worried we'd do something stupid.”

Kate chanced a look at Melissa, who was staring straight ahead, her face resembling a stone mask.

Tori leaned forward. “Melissa, we didn't ask you because you said you never wanted to go again. We weren't going to ask Colt either, because I figured Mrs. Maynard would be spooked if four kids showed up. But Kate called him anyway, 'cause she thought it would be better to have a guy along in case anything went wrong.” She sucked in a deep breath. “We weren't trying to leave you out, really. And Mom, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you everything. It all happened so fast, and we didn't get hurt or anything, and we wanted to make it right.”

Kate's mom raised her brows at Tori's mom, and something seemed to pass between them. Nan Ferris gave a quick nod. “All right, then. Here's what we're going to do. We're all going over to see Mrs. Maynard. You will apologize again for trespassing on her property and scaring her; then you'll thank her for her gracious letter, and we'll leave and never bother her again. Agreed?” She slowly looked from Kate to Tori to Colt and then stopped at Melissa. “Melissa, I realize you didn't go the second time, so I won't insist you come with us, unless you want to.”

Melissa didn't even hesitate. “Only if they want me.” She tipped her head toward Kate and her friends. “I'm not going where I'm not wanted.” Her voice had an edge to it, and a little sneer tipped the corner of her lips.

Kate wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't. Melissa was playing the sympathy card big-time, and Kate bet she was loving every minute of it. It felt as though they were starting over at the beginning. “Of course you can come. Like Tori said, we weren't trying to leave you out.” She peeked at her mother and noticed a slight frown. “Uh … and we're sorry if you felt like we were. Come with us, okay?”

Melissa finally met her eyes, but the arrogance she'd expected wasn't there—only what appeared to be genuine longing.

Kate didn't get it. Half the time Melissa was nice and acted like she wanted to be friends. Then suddenly she was sneering and smirking again. Kate wanted to be nice and act like a Christian, but sometimes Melissa made it hard. Then all of a sudden, she'd get that puppy-dog look—all sad and lonely—and Kate didn't know what to think. She sighed. “So, you coming with us or not?”

Twenty minutes later, Kate sat in the backseat of her parents' Subaru Outback, wishing she could have ridden with Tori, Mrs. Velasquez, and Colt. Instead she got stuck with Melissa, who sat in the front seat, while she and Pete ended up in the back. “We should have tried to call Mrs. Maynard before we barged over here, Mom. She's probably going to freak.”

Her mom opened the door and swung her legs out. “I couldn't find a phone number for her, and she invited us to come. I assume she'd expect us to show up not long after she delivered the letter.”

Tori's mom parked her car behind them, and everyone got out. Mom had parked partway down the driveway, and they could see the house not far ahead.

“What now?” Kate asked.

“We go up and knock on the door like civilized people.” Her mom waited for Mrs. Velasquez to step up beside her. Then they headed to the house.

Kate's stomach jolted like it contained a hive of angry bees. Would Mrs. Maynard be the woman who shouted at them and chased them off, or the one who had written the letter? She bumped Tori's shoulder as they walked. “Is your mom still mad?”

Tori shrugged. “Not as much as she was earlier, but I'll probably be grounded if Mrs. Maynard gets upset again.”

Colt and Melissa drew alongside, and Colt's normal happy attitude seemed to be missing. “Guess we blew it, huh?”

Melissa glanced at him, then at Kate and Tori. “I still don't get why you guys wanted to come back after I told you the old lady was crazy.”

Kate stiffened. “Did she sound crazy in the letter Mom read? I think people have gossiped about her for so many years, they've forgotten she's a nice person.”

Melissa huffed. “She didn't act nice the day we were here.”

Kate couldn't help it. She blurted out what she was thinking. “Then why did you agree to come today if you still think she's crazy? You heard my mom—no one was going to make you.”

“I dunno. I guess it's better than sitting around at home while my mom watches TV and drinks wine all day.”

Tori's eyes widened. “She does what? Seriously? I mean, hey, I'm sorry.”

Melissa scuffed her feet on the gravel as she slowed her pace. “I shouldn't have said that. Forget it, okay?”

Colt nodded. “Yep. We didn't hear a thing. Right, girls?”

Kate and Tori exchanged a glance, then both replied, “Right.”

Tori's mom led the way through the gate in the picket fence, and Kate's mom smiled at the color surrounding them. “This is lovely. Mrs. Maynard has quite a green thumb. I wish I could create something like this at our house.” She stopped to lean over a rose and sniffed. “Nice. So many roses don't have fragrance anymore.”

Some of the tension drained from Kate at her mom's peaceful expression. If only Mrs. Maynard wouldn't come out waving a gun.

Chapter Eleven

Kate slumped in relief after Mrs. Velasquez knocked twice with no reply. They weren't going to have to face Mrs. Maynard's wrath after all—assuming she'd changed back into the person she'd been when they were here last. Kate swiveled and then headed down the porch stairs. “Come on, she's not home. Let's go.”

Tori caught up with her and grabbed her wrist. “Hold it. Remember last time she was in the back, burying her poor dog. Maybe she's there again and can't hear us knock.” She looked at her mom. “She invited us.” She pointed toward where they'd seen Mrs. Maynard burying her dog. “Shouldn't we at least walk around the house and check?”

Kate couldn't believe it—and right when they were about to make an escape. “Last time we were here, you said you never wanted to come back. Now you want to check behind the house? What's with you, Tori?”

Colt stopped beside them. “Sorry, Kate, but I agree with Tori. If we don't find Mrs. Maynard today, we'll have to come another time if we're going to make things right.”

Kate's mom headed for the gate. “It can't hurt to check. Kate, please keep an eye on Pete.” She strode toward the corner of the house and rounded it, Tori's mom on her heels.

Melissa stared after them. “What happens if they don't come back?” she muttered. “I don't care what that letter says. I still think that old lady is crazy. She could have made all that stuff up, and it wasn't a dog she was burying.” She glared at Kate.

Pete started to whimper and rock, and Kate glowered at Melissa. “Knock it off. You're scaring Pete. Mom believed that letter, and so does Tori's mom. You can walk home if you don't want to be here, but we're staying.”

Melissa's eyes widened and she knelt in front of Kate's brother. “I'm so sorry, little guy.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “But you guys never should have come back yesterday. If you'd listened to me, this wouldn't be happening, and your mom wouldn't be in danger.”

Tori and Colt moved closer to Kate.

“I think you're freaked out for nothing, Melissa.” Colt leaned down in front of Pete. “It's okay. Your mom went to talk to a nice lady, and she'll be back soon. Right, Kate?”

Kate squatted on her heels. She wanted to wrap her arms around her little brother and give him a hug, but she knew he wouldn't allow it. “Hey, buddy, Colt's right. And you never know. The lady might even have M&M's.”

Pete's eyes darted to her face for a second, then shifted to the far corner of the house where his mother had disappeared. “Want Mama, not M&M's.”

“I know. She'll be back soon, I promise.” Kate prayed that was true—her little brother so rarely showed a need for anyone. She bit her lip. Why had she allowed Melissa to get to her? Why did she agree to let Melissa be part of their group when she knew what kind of person she'd always been?

But was that fair? Not long ago, she'd felt that God had brought Melissa into their group for a reason. Maybe she should wait and see what happened before making a judgment.

Mrs. Velasquez appeared at the corner of the house and beckoned. “Come on, kids. Mrs. Maynard asked me to get you.”

Colt and Tori moved forward, but Melissa hung back, her eyes wide.

Kate stopped beside her. “What's up? Are you coming?”

Melissa shook her head. “I'm scared.”

That was the last thing Kate expected to hear. She thought Melissa had been hassling them about Mrs. Maynard being crazy simply to cause trouble. “She's not going to hurt us. Tori's mom wouldn't have told us to come if she was dangerous.”

Sweat broke out on Melissa's forehead. “What if she still has that rifle?” She whispered the words, then took a step toward the car.

Kate reached out her hand. “Come on. I'll walk with you. She's just an old lady.” As soon as she said the words, she knew they were true. How silly she'd been to worry. “You heard what she said in her letter, and I don't think she was lying.”

Melissa stared at Kate's hand, then edged forward. “All right. But I'm outta here if anything goes wrong, and you guys will be on your own.”

Kate stifled a laugh. “Works for me. We'd better hurry before they get out of sight.”

Melissa bolted forward as though hit with lightning. “I don't want to be alone!”

Kate followed behind her at a jog as Melissa rushed toward the corner where the others had disappeared. As soon as they reached the backyard, Kate drew to a stop by Tori, unsure of what was happening.

She peered around the run-down area, wondering why this was so different from the front with all the beautiful flowers. Most of the yard was hard-packed dirt, with an occasional shrub, patch of grass, or green plant, but there was no sign that anyone had put much effort into landscaping. As she remembered, the covered porch was in terrible shape, with the screen door open and hanging on its hinges, and several of the shingles loose or missing. But there wasn't a scrap of litter or garbage in sight. Even though it was bare and almost ugly, it was neat and clean, as if someone had taken pains to tidy the area for company.

Kate leaned close to Tori and whispered, “What's going on?”

Tori pointed, and Kate's gaze followed her finger. Mrs. Maynard stood by the new grave, her head bowed and her shoulders shaking.

Kate's mother stood beside her. She slipped her arm around the older woman and drew her close. “I'm so sorry. I know how hard it is to lose someone or something you love. His name was Sam?”

Mrs. Maynard swiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Yes. He was my friend, and the best dog I've ever had. I didn't own him. You can't own an animal, you know. If they give you their heart, then you're simply taking care of them for God while they live out their life. Sam gave me his heart when he was a puppy, and I gave him mine. I miss him so much.” The last word ended with a sob. “Thank you for coming. I had no one to share this with, and I'm grateful.”

Mrs. Velasquez patted her shoulder. “We're glad you invited us. I think our children have something they'd like to say.” She turned. “Tori, Kate, would you come over here?”

Kate glanced at Tori. “Sure.” She tucked her hand into the crook of Tori's elbow, feeling the need of a little support, and Colt followed.

Tori drew in a deep breath. “Mrs. Maynard, we're so sorry we upset you when we came. We were only curious about your beautiful horse and why you were riding at night.”

The older lady raised her head and stared at Tori, and it was all Kate could do not to gasp. A horrible scar ran from the outside of her eyebrow all the way down her face and under her chin. It looked as if someone had taken a jagged knife and slashed her face. Kate raised her hand and touched her own cheek. Whatever caused that must have hurt terribly.

Melissa gave a little shriek and backed up a step, but Colt caught her by the wrist and whispered something Kate couldn't hear. Melissa stopped in her tracks and bowed her head.

Mrs. Maynard gave a gentle smile. “I didn't realize you children hadn't seen my face before—I'm sorry for startling you. That's why I ride in the evening with the cloak and the hood. I got tired of explaining or putting up with frightened stares and whispers from children and even adults. I know that's part of the reason for some of the rumors over the years. That and the fact that I prefer to stay close to home and don't go out more than I must.”

“But what happened?” Kate blurted the words before she'd even realized they'd formed in her thoughts.

“Kate!” Her mother frowned. “That was rude. Please tell Mrs. Maynard you're sorry.”

The older woman shook her head. “No need. She only asked what I'm sure all of you are wondering. Won't you come sit while I bring some iced tea?” She gestured toward a tree off to the side, not far from the pen where the black gelding paced. She took a step toward Pete and gingerly lowered herself to his level. “What's your name?”

“Pete. What's your name?” He lifted blue eyes and met hers for a moment before they shifted away. “Do you have M&M's?”

“It's very nice to meet you, Pete. My name is Martha. I don't have any M&M's, but if you come visit me again sometime with your sister or mother, I'll be sure to have some. How does that sound?”

“Good. Can I pet the cat?” He pointed at a cat curled up in the sun not far away.

“I'm sure Milton would like that. He's a very friendly cat, and he thinks I don't give him enough attention. Can you be very gentle with him?”

He nodded, then wandered over and sat on the grass by the cat.

Kate noticed six wicker chairs and a little table sitting on the only patch of grass in the area. “That's pretty. And your front yard is beautiful.”

“Thank you, dear. I was starting on this, but I got sick a few months ago and didn't have the energy to continue. It's as much as I can do to keep the flowerbeds watered and exercise Starlight occasionally.”

“Starlight?” Tori breathed the word. “Is that your horse? He's so beautiful.”

“Yes. You probably didn't notice when you were here before or when we rode by, but he has a tiny spot of white on his forehead about the size of a silver dollar—the only white on his body—and it's shaped something like a star. He's a good boy, but he's getting mighty restless since I haven't been able to ride him as much as I used to.” She motioned to Colt. “Would you help me bring out a tray with glasses and iced tea?”

He nodded, then followed her to the back porch, reappearing a few minutes later with a heavily laden tray.

Kate sank into one of the chairs. “If you used to ride him a lot, why have we only seen you this summer?”

Tori giggled. “Silly. You moved here a few months ago, remember? And none of our houses are on the same road where Mrs. Maynard lives.”

“Oh. Right.” So much had happened since Kate's family had moved to Odell that it seemed as though she'd lived here a lot longer than a few months.

Colt served the drinks, then settled onto the grass so Mrs. Maynard could have a chair.

She seated herself and took a long drink, then set her glass on the round table. “I'm sorry I startled you today, and that I scared you the other two times you came. As I explained in my letter, I thought you were the teens who have been bothering me—that is, until I found your cookies and note. If you'd be willing to humor an old woman and listen, I'll tell you my story.”

Kate's mom nodded. “It's not a bother at all. We'd be honored to listen if you'd care to share.”

“Thank you. It's not a long story, and I'm not complaining, simply stating facts. Many years ago, when I was a few years older than you girls”—she nodded at Kate, Tori, and Melissa—“I was considered quite pretty, but I didn't care about boys or clothes or the things most girls craved. All I cared about was horses.”

Melissa quit fidgeting in her chair, and Tori leaned forward.

Kate smiled. “That's how all of us kids feel, even Colt.” She giggled. “What I mean is he doesn't care about clothes or boys—uh, I mean girls—and he likes horses too.” Warmth crept into her cheeks as Colt burst into laughter. “Sorry for interrupting, Mrs. Maynard.”

“It's fine, dear. I don't mind at all.” She smiled at Tori. “And I thought that might be the case after I read Victoria's letter.”

Tori's brows rose. “How did you know my real name?”

“Your mother told me when I complimented her on the lovely note her daughter had written. She said that her Victoria has always been good with words, and I have to agree.” She waved a wrinkled hand in the air. “Now back to my story. When I was seventeen, I was a princess in the Fort Dalles Rodeo, and I was crowned queen. I was so excited that after the coronation and the parade, I went out with my friends to celebrate. The young man who was driving had been drinking, but none of us worried about it. At that age, we thought we were invincible—especially me, after I'd won the crown. I felt everything in my life was going my way.”

She took a sip from her glass, then set it back down. “But all of that changed when he ran a red light, and a pickup smashed into the side of our car.”