Puss 'N Cahoots

to know.” Sheriff Ayscough’s thick eyebrows rose upward.
    “I don’t know,” Ward said.
    “He’s lying through his teeth.”
Pewter sat back on her haunches.
    “He is. He brought me here,”
Queen Esther volunteered, but the humans missed it, of course.
    Harry asked, “This is the first you’ve seen her?”
    “It is,” Ward solemnly replied.
    “Mr. Findley, where is everyone?” Sheriff Ayscough thought an empty farm mighty peculiar.
    Ward checked his watch. “Lunch, but Benny should be here.”
    “Who’s Benny?” This was no sooner out of Sheriff Ayscough’s mouth than the deputy emerged from the second barn with an older fellow, grizzled, unshaven, walking beside him.
    “That’s him.” Ward nodded as the two men drew closer.
    “Boss, I fell asleep in the feed room. I swear I did. I didn’t touch a drop.” Benny hit verbal third gear without coasting into first, his words rushing out of his mouth.
    Ward’s eyes narrowed. “Benny, I hope you’re telling me the truth.”
    “I am. I swear I am. Shelbyville wears me out. I fell asleep on a chair in the feed room.”
    “You didn’t hear a van or trailer come down the road?” Ward persisted as everyone watched.
    “No.”
    “How’d this mare get in this pasture?”
    “Dunno,” Benny, contrite, replied.
    Renata, overcome at her good fortune, tears in her eyes, kept petting the spectacular mare. “Thank God she’s unharmed.”
    Sheriff Ayscough removed his hat to reveal thinning sandy hair. The slight rustle of wind cooled his head. “Ma’am, would you like to press charges against Mr. Findley?”
    Disconcerted for a moment, Renata stared at Ward, then back at Harry and Fair. “No charges.”
    “You don’t want to know how she got here?” Harry blurted out.
    “Of course I do, but all that really matters is she’s fine. And I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”
    “It will all come out in the wash,” Ward predicted, obviously grateful that he’d been spared legal proceedings.
    “Well, if you folks don’t need me, I’ll be on my way.” The sheriff crooked his finger for an instant at his deputy and then both started for the squad car.
    “Benny,” Renata asked the fellow, eyes a little red-rimmed, “do you think she could have jumped the fence, you know, from another farm?”
    “Like the rehab center,” Ward volunteered. “Backs up to my land. She could have easily sailed over a fence.”
    “Saddlebreds can jump.” Benny shrugged.
    “Ward, will you take Queen Esther to Kalarama?” Renata asked.
    “You don’t want her at Shelbyville?”
    “No.” Renata was firm.
    “I’d be glad to.” Ward smiled, patting Queen Esther.
    Renata finally focused on Harry; a big smile crossed her face. “We both came out ahead.” She paused. “How did you find her?”
    “I found her.”
Mrs. Murphy cast a jaundiced eye up at Renata.
    “Mrs. Murphy found her,” Harry truthfully replied.
    “I was there! I was right behind her.”
Pewter quickly plumped her own contribution.
    “Don’t start,”
Tucker warned them.
    “The cats ran off and they discovered Queen Esther.”
    “But why did you come here?” Renata asked, Ward’s eyes darting from Renata to Harry and Fair.
    Before Fair uttered word one, Harry glibly said, “Fair wanted to drive by the new rehab center. He’d heard so much about it. Joan told me your establishment was behind it, Ward, so we cruised by. Tucker had to go to the bathroom, and when we pulled off, the cats jumped out of the truck and kept going.” She paused. “Why did you come here?”
    Renata, not missing a beat, replied, “Ward wanted to show me a horse for sale.”
    Ward knelt down, not exactly eye level with the cats and Tucker. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome,”
Tucker replied.
    “Yeah, you liar.”
Pewter giggled.
    He stood up. “Benny, bring me a lead rope, will you?”
    Benny ambled off.
    Queen Esther touched noses with Mrs. Murphy.
“Why is he lying?”
    “I don’t know, but it can’t be good.”
The tiger purred, for she loved horses.
    “Do you all need a hand?” Fair inquired.
    “No, thanks,” Ward replied.
    “We apologize for trespassing,” Harry said.
    “Now she’s lying!”
Pewter exploded.
    “Don’t be an ass, Pewter. Mother knows something’s off. She’s trying to protect all of us,”
Mrs. Murphy sharply rebuked her friend.
    “You’ve got a point there.”
Tucker frowned.
    “We’ll be on our way, then.” Harry headed for the fence