Puss 'N Cahoots

Kentucky Derby, this murder sent shock waves throughout the horse world, but in truth, many good, useful horses were destroyed daily.
    “This is a good horse. Swing by tomorrow? I’ll be at the farm all day.”
    “We’ll come by, won’t we, Fair?”
    Although he hadn’t heard Paula’s end of the conversation, he replied, “Yes.”
    “I do have a request. Even though the owners want out from under, I work with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, and I would like a donation of two thousand dollars. He sold as a yearling at auction for three hundred fifty-seven thousand.”
    “If we take him it will be done.”
    “What if Alicia doesn’t like him?”
    “If she doesn’t, I will.” Harry meant it, for she could usually get along with most any kind of horse, as long as it wasn’t mean.
    After saying good-bye, she gave Fair Paula’s side of the conversation.
    “Worth a look.”
    “I was thinking, the first class goes off at seven tonight. If we dress, grab a sandwich on the run, we could swing by Charly Trackwell’s barn, because he’ll be at the show. He knows something. I just feel it.”
    “No.”
    “Why?” She didn’t expect such a firm no.
    “Because there will be a watchman, for starters, my darling. Why would we be there when Charly’s at Shelbyville? To snoop.” She started to protest. He held up his hand. “Let’s go tomorrow, after we leave Paula’s. She’s in Lexington, he’s here, so we’d get to his place, what, maybe twelve? We should ask him if we can drop by.”
    “But, Fair, he’ll have time to hide whatever he, well, whatever he has to hide.”
    “I don’t think so. He knows we’re best friends with Joan and Larry. His first thought might be that we’re coming to see Frederick the Great, spy on the horse. Is he in good condition? Is he lame? Are there drug bottles in his stall? Which I doubt. Charly is too smart to leave Banamine or whatever around. But I can say, truthfully enough, that I’d like to see his setup, and if there’s a vet on the premises, I’d like to meet him or her.”
    “He’ll still know we’re coming with the searching eye.” She used the old Southern expression.
    “He will, but it won’t be as sneaky as coming when he’s showing horses. If you think about it, how mad would it make you if someone trolled through our barn and you were out hunting or at a show?”
    “Yeah.”
    “And furthermore, you beautiful girl, if we were to go now, we’d make an enemy. If we’re aboveboard, we probably haven’t made a friend, but we haven’t burned our bridges. And you never know when you might need someone’s cooperation.”
    “I never thought of that.” She sighed. “Between you and Miranda, I get set straight.”
    “That’s why we need people. All of us are smarter than one of us.” He leaned back on her, she put her arms around his chest. “Let’s get dressed, eat at the grandstand.”
    She concurred. “The food is fabulous.”
    “It is. If we get there early, we’ll have a nice place to sit, enjoy the meal, and then we can go down to the barns or the box. But I need a little R and R.”
    “Me, too. We’ll have to put the critters in the hospitality suite, because they won’t be allowed in the grandstand.”

    When Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker walked into the hospitality room, the sight of Cookie softened the blow of not going to the grandstand. Pewter in particular believed she needed to sample the food and provide her expert opinion to the humans. Being an obligate carnivore, Pewter knew she could taste meats and fishes better than any human.
    “I could save them from mercury poisoning,”
Pewter declared as she was plopped in the burgundy, white, and black room.
    Harry suffered a twinge of passing guilt.
    She and Fair enjoyed a lovely meal while watching the first three classes: hackney pony pleasure driving, five-gaited pony, and junior three-gaited stake.
    When they finished, Fair escorted Harry to the box. Paul and Frances sat up front on the rail. Conversation started immediately.
    “Joan will be here in a minute. She’s been down at the practice arena. Trying to get Looky Lous out of Barn Five,” Paul informed them.
    “Folks, I’ll be back in one minute.” Fair smiled. “You take care of my girl, now.” He nodded at Paul.
    “With pleasure.”
    To some women, this might have sounded like an insult. After all, women had been taking care of themselves and others for thousands of years without getting much