Saddled With Trouble by Michele Scott Page A

horrific mixup if one of the other stallion’s sperm was sent out to the mares’ owners. Loco’s fees were some of the more expensive stud fees out there. The other stallions on the ranch were all of excellent breeding, but they weren’t Loco, and Michaela could not blame any of the owners for being upset over such a mixup. People wanted to get what they paid for.
    “ The documents are claiming that there is an ongoing investigation. They also say that in the breeding reports Lou had to file that none of these mares were included. This was supposedly how the owners were first alerted there might be a problem, when they discovered they couldn’t register their foals because there was no breeding report on file with their mares’ names.”
    “ So, the plaintiffs here have not named the stallion they believe to be the stud horse of these foals?”
    Cynthia shook her head. “You know, it may not even be a stud registered with the AQHA. It could be some random horse. I don’t know. At this point I think the AQHA is still trying to track the DNA. I fear that on top of everything, we will lose our business and I’ll have to pay all of these damages.”
    “ Did Uncle Lou indicate anyone who he thought would intentionally switch containers to be shipped to the mares’ owners?”
    She sighed. “He did mention Brad. Brad was working here at the time and knew how the program worked.”
    “ But why? Why would he do that, and how would he get a hold of contracts and checks?”
    Cynthia shrugged. “Maybe it’s as simple as Brad was being plain mean. We all know he’s proven himself not to be the most upstanding individual. Maybe he wanted to sabotage Lou, you know, make sure he ruined Lou’s reputation. And once this gets out, my husband’s memory will be forever tainted in the horse world.”
    “ I won’t let that happen. I don’t believe Lou could have done anything to hurt anyone. Not intentionally. I’ll help you figure this out.” Michaela sighed, trying to wrap her mind around all of this. “What about Bean? I know that everything is on a numbering system as far as which stud’s sperm is which in the freezer, that kind of thing, and you keep records, but could Bean have somehow gotten things mixed up?”
    “ Lou didn’t let Bean have anything at all to do with the program for that very reason. He could have easily mixed things up.”
    “ Who was the person in charge of sending everything out?”
    “ At first it was Brad, then Summer on occasion as business picked up and Lou needed the extra help. I did it as well at times. But Lou was the main handler of all of it. We really should have put better strategies into play. That’s obvious to me now. Because somewhere along the way, something got screwed up. And as far as the contracts and checks go, it could be as easy to explain that with age my husband could have signed them and been having problems with his memory.”
    “ He wasn’t old, though. Sixty-one is hardly an age these days where people begin losing it.”
    “ Alzheimer’s disease can begin in your fifties.”
    “ You know, I wish I’d known he was having health problems. Maybe I could have helped.”
    “ Your uncle was a proud man. I’m his wife and he didn’t confide in me until the other night. But I should have paid more attention.” Her eyes welled up with tears again. “I had noticed that there were little things he’d forgotten, like bills that didn’t get paid, and one night when Dwayne was out and Bean had already gone home, he didn’t feed the horses until I reminded him. But nothing too major. I thought maybe he was working too hard. Or, maybe the blowup with Ethan was eating at him.”
    “ What do you know about what happened between them?” Michaela asked.
    “ All I know is that right before he left on that trip, he and Lou had a huge argument and it tormented Lou afterward.”
    “ What was it all about?”
    “ I don’t know. I could hear this commotion going on