The Harriet Bean 3-Book Omnibus by Alexander McCall Smith Page A

fall.”
    “Thank you,” I said. “It took a lot of practice to get it just right.”
    He nodded. “We like to see cheating as good as that.” He glanced over his shoulder. Ted had melted away and there was nobody else around. “In fact, would you be interested in meeting somebody who could help you with your cheating?”
    My heart gave a leap. This was it! This was the invitation that would enable me to expose the League of Cheats.
    “I would,” I said eagerly.
    “Then come with me,” the man said, nodding in the direction of the other end of the racetrack. “I’ll take you to the boss.”

Charlie Heat
    We struggled through the crowd of racegoers, the dishonest-looking man leading the way. Some of the people recognized me as the jockey who had ridden Black Lightning and fallen off so quickly. One or two of them muttered something under their breath, and another hissed “Cheat” as I walked past.
    There were several cars and trucks parked at the end of the racetrack. Here and there, groups of men were standing around, talking to one another or unsaddling horses. My companion approached one of these groups, telling me to wait until he called me over. I stood where I was, watching while he spokebriefly to a rather fat figure in a white suit. As he did so, this man looked over in my direction and then nodded. With a wave of the hand I was beckoned over.
    I walked toward them slowly, my heart beating like a hammer within me. I had succeeded in getting right to the heart of the League of Cheats, but what now? Ted had promised that he would arrive with Mr. Fetlock, but where were they? Did he expect me to challenge Charlie Heat myself?
    The fat man was looking hard at me.
    “I saw your fall,” he said. “It was a good piece of cheating, very good.”
    I looked at his eyes. They were like the eyes of a snake, small and bright, and very, very sly. Even if I did not know who he was, I would have distrusted him immediately. There was something about him that was frightening. He was the sort of person you met in nightmares, the sort of person who made you wake up with the sharp taste of fear in your mouth.
    “I could use your help,” he went on, his eyes still boring into me. “I could find work for you.”
    I pretended not to understand. “What sort of work?” I asked. “Would it be with horses?”
    Charlie Heat smiled. “Horses could come into it,” he said. “But there’d be other things too. There are all kinds of things to cheat in, you know: running competitions, jumping competitions, quiz shows, dog shows, cat shows. In fact, anything at all.”
    I listened to him in astonishment. What possible reason could there be for cheating on such a scale? Was he crazy? Perhaps that was the answer: perhaps Charlie Heat was a madman after all.
    I decided to find out directly.
    “But how do you manage to cheat in all those things?” I asked.
    As I asked my question, Charlie Heat’s eyes began to glow, and he started to shake as he gave his answer.
    “It’s because of
them!”
he said. “All thoseso-called honest people! Oh, I could tell you a thing or two! I could tell you about the time I sabotaged a dog show by slipping in a cat disguised as a dog. The dogs went wild! You’ve never seen such a scene. It totally ruined the show!”
    He laughed out loud, a horrible, sneering laugh. Then he went on, “And then there was the time my buddy Billy entered a swimming contest and I had my people secretly sew lead weights into the swimsuits of the other competitors. Oh, that was a treat! It was all they could do to keep afloat, let alone swim fast. My friend won by six lengths, he did! Six lengths!”
    “But why do you like cheating so much?” The question slipped out without my thinking.
    He looked at me as if he was puzzled that anybody could ask such a silly thing.
    “Why do I like cheating?” he asked. “As I told you, it’s because of
them
—those snivelling, sneaky, ‘Aren’t I better than you?’