Each woman rode back with a heavy heart: Sister, distressed that a young life was wasted as well as a man’s life taken away, no matter his irresponsible behavior. Cody, burdened with shame and fear, fought her tears.
In front of them they heard the hounds heading toward the kennel. Well, Cody would give herself up but they might as well hunt their way back.
They flew over the jumps, galloped across the upper meadow and then through the woods into the creek meadows, around Hangman’s Ridge, reaching the chicken coop in about fifteen minutes of hard riding, the three couple of hounds behind them.
Shaker, on the ground, stood outside the chicken coop. The entire field, mounted, watched with amusement. Doug and Betty had come in from their posts as Shaker blew them in.
“Sister!” Shaker called out. “You okay?”
“Yes. Are you hunting chickens now, Shaker Crown?”
“Look here.” He pointed and Comet stuck his head out from the chicken coop.
“Well, I’ll be.”
Golly, in a tree, bragged,“He’s afraid of me!”
Raleigh ignored this.“I promised he’d be safe.”
“This is a first.” She smiled, dismounting. “Well, folks, you’ll long remember this day. Shaker, take the hounds back to the kennel. And let’s lock up Rooster in the tack room. Folks, we’ve put foxes to ground today but we’ve never put one to a chicken coop, so I think we’ll call ita day. Thank you for hunting with us.”
People raised their caps, others reached down, touching Sister’s shoulder. Betty noticed the greenish-white cast to her older daughter’s face.
Sister smiled up at Cody.“Ride on back to the trailers with your family. I expect you to call Ben Sidell.”
Cody nodded yes.
As everyone left and Sister, Doug, and Shaker got the hounds in, praising them lavishly, they marveled over the day’s hunt.
“If we ignore the chicken coop, he’ll climb out and leave,” Sister advised.
“Funny he hasn’t killed any chickens,” Doug remarked.
“Guess he’s full,” she replied, not revealing that she’d put out enough corn to feed a regiment of foxes. “But to be sure I’ll put out corn.” She left Doug to care for the horses. She opened the door to the chicken coop, warily eyeing Comet. “Here. Go when you’re ready.” She admired him, for he was a handsome gray. “You know, fellow, anyone who says grays aren’t fun to chase doesn’t know foxes.”
“Thank you.”
“Get that fox outta here,” the chickens complained bitterly from under the chicken coop.
“Actually, why don’t I hold open the door.” She did and Comet scooted right out.
“You’re a good dog,” he called to Raleigh in passing.
Golly backed down the tree and Rooster howled from the tack room, deep distressed howls.
Taking a deep breath, Sister returned to the stable, where Doug was putting sweat sheets on the horses.“I’ll go pick up the trailer later. Did Cody say when she would bring back Keepsake?”
“Tomorrow. I told her to take him home for tonight. Easier.”
“Good.” He whistled.
“Doug. Cody killed Fontaine.” He stopped whistling as she continued. “She admitted it and she will turn herself in to Sheriff Sidell this evening. She’s telling her parents and Jennifer now.”
He rested his head on his hand, which was on Lafayette’s neck; then he looked up. “I did it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I did. I hated that she slept with him.”
“Nice try.”
“She confessed because she knew a black man wouldn’t stand a chance. As a woman she can throw herself on the mercy of the court.” He breathed hard.
She put her arms around him.“Honey, I’m sorry.”
“I did it!”
“You’re too smart to kill like that, Doug. I’m sorry she did it. I’m sorry for you, too. I don’t know what will happen. With a good lawyer—” She released him. “Go to her. I’ll finish the horses.”
“Thanks,” he whispered.
As he left, Sister checked the sweat sheets. She finally let Rooster out of the tack room.
Shaker came in from the kennel to discuss the hunt. She told him.“She could have lied and made it worse. But she didn’t.”
He shook his head.“Crazy. People do crazy things.” He sat on a tack trunk. “Maybe it’s better not to feel much.”
“I don’t know, Shaker. I just don’t know. I liked Fontaine. I’m horrified he sold drugs and used drugs to seduce these girls. My God, it’s sordid.”
“Had a leak in his soul.” He crossed his leg over his knee. “How’d you know?”
“Process of elimination. Had to be one of my whips or you, and I could see you all the time. But you are the only people who ride well enough to have pulled it off. That narrowed it down to Betty, Cody, and Doug. When Dean Offendahl started talking, then I figured it was probably Cody.”
“Her mother?”
“Too stable.”
“Jennifer.”
“I don’t think Jennifer could have executed the plan. She’s a beautiful girl but she’s a thirty-watt bulb in a hundred-watt socket.”
“There is that. Doug?”
“Well, he had reason but in the end, character tells. He might have gotten into a fight with Fontaine once he knew the story but I don’t think he knew the whole story until Dean spilled his guts. What a smarmy kid. He’ll grow up to be just like his father. But Doug, he wouldn’t kill a man for that even if he wanted to do it.”
“Bobby?”
“Can’t ride well enough to lay the drag, then fire through that ravine. Although Bobby could kill.”
“I expect any of us could if we had to.” Shaker sighed. “It’s been quite a day.”
“Yes. Thank you for a good hunt. Hounds did well.”
“Not so well. Dragon took a few with him.”
“My fault. I’ve been putting out corn for days. I needed to get Cody back into the ravine. I didn’t know if it would work. Anyway, there were so many foxes out today it’s a wonder the pack didn’t split before then. I even saw a black fox up in a tree when I was in the ravine.”
“I see her now and again. You could have told me about the corn.”
“No. I had to do this alone. I’m sorry for her even if she did kill Fontaine. It will take me longer to forgive her for killing the fox—I know that sounds awful but it’s truly how I feel. It’s a Greek tragedy without the gods.” She paused. “But then I suppose they are always with us.”
“Oh, don’t go into these weighty matters, Sister. Zeus. God. Allah. All the same to me.”
“You’re right. Well, how about fresh coffee? Come on up to the house.”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
The two old friends walked across the leaves, crunching underfoot. Raleigh, Rooster, and Golly raced around them. The chickens settled down again in their house.
As she made coffee she glanced at the photograph of Raymond, Ray Junior, and herself, in full regalia at the start of a hunt, years ago. It was the last year of Ray Junior’s life. She thought to herself that she didn’t know if the gods were always with us or not. She hoped they were or that something kind was out there but she felt, often, that the people she had loved in this life, her mother and father, her husband and son, and now Peter Wheeler, were with her. Love never dies, she told herself and a pain, deep and sharp, caught her breath. If only she could pass on what she had learned to young people. If only she could have stepped in and turned Cody away from the drugs, the downward slide. What love had been given her she wished to give to others. Most times they didn’t much want it but hounds, horses, cats, and dogs did and they were a gift from the gods, too.
Back in Target’s den, Target, Charlene, Patsy, Aunt Netty, and Uncle Yancy felt a satisfaction that Reynard’s killer would pay the price.
After full discussion, including the help of the grays, especially Inky, the foxes dispersed to their separate dens.
When they were alone Charlene said,“Sister thought like a fox.”