asked. “The kids, too?”
“Yeah. And before he left, that detective guy said he was gonna talk to Mr. Hill and Mr. Bradley and the other owners. Said he’d be back.”
“When?” Aidan sounded a bit apprehensive. “Tomorrow? Did they want us to be present?”
“Didn’t say.”
Cat knew Aidan was anxious about getting Mac settled at the track so he could start training him there, get him used to the new surroundings. “I assume they’ll call if they want to interview us further,” she said, “but I can’t imagine why Pierce would need to question you again, Aidan, considering you didn’t even know George and he disappeared weeks before you arrived.”
“The detective seems to be a careful man,” Aidan said.
“I hope so.”
“Interviewing everyone, even the youngsters, searching the barn manager’s trailer—”
“Pierce didn’t really know George, either,” she said. “What if he missed something important in the trailer?” Something she might spot as being out of place. “Maybe I should take a look myself.”
She wanted in the worst way to simply put everything out of her mind for the moment and get a good night’s sleep. Only she couldn’t. Now that the idea had occurred to her, she wouldn’t rest until she gave the trailer a thorough going-over.
“Um, do you need me for anything, Miss Clarke?” Bernie was shifting uncomfortably.
“Oh, no, Bernie. You can go back to whatever you were doing.” She looked to Aidan. “I’ll see you later.”
Exhausted, she decided to drive to the trailer, though it wasn’t all that far. Opening the vehicle door, she realized Aidan was getting in on the other side.
“Perhaps you can use a second pair of eyes on the place.”
“Sure. That’s a good idea. Thank you for offering.”
Not that she would have asked Aidan to help her, but Cat was glad that he’d suggested doing so. He didn’t have to do this, to get himself further involved in a murder, but she sensed that he had a code of honor that made him carry through. Or maybe he was simply being protective, considering the circumstances under which they’d discovered George’s body. Either way, the comparison with Jack lost ground.
Cat imagined entering her barn manager’s trailer would be one of the most difficult things she’d ever have to do. And a few minutes later, when they stood in front of the double-wide set off by itself in a copse of trees, she found she was correct. Reluctant to open the door, she was relieved when Aidan did it for her.
“I’ll be going in first to make sure there are no more unpleasant surprises,” he said.
A grateful Cat simply nodded.
Aidan was inside for less than a minute before he stepped back to the door and indicated she should come in.
The quarters that had always seemed so spacious for a trailer suddenly felt too cramped. Or perhaps Aidan was the problem. Cat was too aware of how close they were as they stood in the middle of the living area and looked around at the disarray. No doubt her discomfort came from the circumstances. Would she ever be able to put them behind her?
“This trailer is a mess.” She put some room between them. “The police tore it up in their search.”
“Are you certain it wasn’t like this before this afternoon when they came inside?”
“George was the neatest man I ever met. Everything in its place.” She couldn’t help herself—she started straightening up the room. “I was in here right after I returned from Ireland and once again last week. If anyone else came in and made this mess, it would have to be in the last few days, which doesn’t make sense.”
She picked up mail tossed all over the table and gave each envelope a cursory go-over.
“What are you looking for?”
“I have no idea. I guess I’ll know it when I see it.”
But see it she didn’t, not in what turned out to be mostly junk mail, everything from cable providers to retirement homes. Sure, like George had ever intended to
“Yeah. And before he left, that detective guy said he was gonna talk to Mr. Hill and Mr. Bradley and the other owners. Said he’d be back.”
“When?” Aidan sounded a bit apprehensive. “Tomorrow? Did they want us to be present?”
“Didn’t say.”
Cat knew Aidan was anxious about getting Mac settled at the track so he could start training him there, get him used to the new surroundings. “I assume they’ll call if they want to interview us further,” she said, “but I can’t imagine why Pierce would need to question you again, Aidan, considering you didn’t even know George and he disappeared weeks before you arrived.”
“The detective seems to be a careful man,” Aidan said.
“I hope so.”
“Interviewing everyone, even the youngsters, searching the barn manager’s trailer—”
“Pierce didn’t really know George, either,” she said. “What if he missed something important in the trailer?” Something she might spot as being out of place. “Maybe I should take a look myself.”
She wanted in the worst way to simply put everything out of her mind for the moment and get a good night’s sleep. Only she couldn’t. Now that the idea had occurred to her, she wouldn’t rest until she gave the trailer a thorough going-over.
“Um, do you need me for anything, Miss Clarke?” Bernie was shifting uncomfortably.
“Oh, no, Bernie. You can go back to whatever you were doing.” She looked to Aidan. “I’ll see you later.”
Exhausted, she decided to drive to the trailer, though it wasn’t all that far. Opening the vehicle door, she realized Aidan was getting in on the other side.
“Perhaps you can use a second pair of eyes on the place.”
“Sure. That’s a good idea. Thank you for offering.”
Not that she would have asked Aidan to help her, but Cat was glad that he’d suggested doing so. He didn’t have to do this, to get himself further involved in a murder, but she sensed that he had a code of honor that made him carry through. Or maybe he was simply being protective, considering the circumstances under which they’d discovered George’s body. Either way, the comparison with Jack lost ground.
Cat imagined entering her barn manager’s trailer would be one of the most difficult things she’d ever have to do. And a few minutes later, when they stood in front of the double-wide set off by itself in a copse of trees, she found she was correct. Reluctant to open the door, she was relieved when Aidan did it for her.
“I’ll be going in first to make sure there are no more unpleasant surprises,” he said.
A grateful Cat simply nodded.
Aidan was inside for less than a minute before he stepped back to the door and indicated she should come in.
The quarters that had always seemed so spacious for a trailer suddenly felt too cramped. Or perhaps Aidan was the problem. Cat was too aware of how close they were as they stood in the middle of the living area and looked around at the disarray. No doubt her discomfort came from the circumstances. Would she ever be able to put them behind her?
“This trailer is a mess.” She put some room between them. “The police tore it up in their search.”
“Are you certain it wasn’t like this before this afternoon when they came inside?”
“George was the neatest man I ever met. Everything in its place.” She couldn’t help herself—she started straightening up the room. “I was in here right after I returned from Ireland and once again last week. If anyone else came in and made this mess, it would have to be in the last few days, which doesn’t make sense.”
She picked up mail tossed all over the table and gave each envelope a cursory go-over.
“What are you looking for?”
“I have no idea. I guess I’ll know it when I see it.”
But see it she didn’t, not in what turned out to be mostly junk mail, everything from cable providers to retirement homes. Sure, like George had ever intended to
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