“Then I’ll go with you.”
They ended the meeting, and Stella followed Mattie and Robo to their SUV. Once they were buckled in, Stella gave Mattie one of her piercing looks. “Are you feeling better this morning?”
“I am, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
Stella looked out the window while Mattie fired up the engine and recorded the time in her trip log. In silence, they drove out of Timber Creek toward Dark Horse Stable.
Putting on her sunglasses, Mattie glanced at Stella. “Someone’s going to have to keep Deputy Brody in the loop.”
Stella nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
And that appeared to be all they had to say to each other. The silence deepened as Mattie followed GPS guidance and turned the Explorer onto the county road that led into the mountains. When it came to not talking, she could outlast anyone, and she felt more comfortable with stillness than conversation.
After driving another forty-five minutes and following the road ever upward, they breached the final hill before going down into a draw that sheltered the stable. Forest surrounded them, making it impossible to catch more than a glimpse of the barn roof through the trees. Stella finally spoke. “This place is way the hell out of the way, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Where is the spot you found Adrienne’s car in relationship to this place?”
“About twenty miles away and on a different county road south of here. No road connecting this place and that. You have to go back to the main highway and then south.”
Mattie turned into the lane, taking the fork that led toward the barn.
“Someone’s got money,” Stella observed as they drove past the huge log house.
“I’d say so.”
Stella frowned. “Let’s take Robo when we go inside.”
Mattie parked next to the barn’s entrance. A Doberman lunged against a chain, barking and looking like something she didn’t want Robo to tangle with. “All right. But let’s get past that guard dog as quick as we can.”
Mattie gave Robo a drink of water, put him into his working collar, and unloaded him. They weren’t on an official sweep, so she refrained from revving him up with her voice. The guard dog went crazy, snarling and snapping, and she kept one eye on him to make sure his chain held while she led Robo into the barn. Robo darted glances at him, too, but for the most part did what he was trained to do: ignore other dogs. Mattie couldn’t fault him for watching his own back.
When they reached the dim alleyway, Mattie let Robo’s leash go slack, but he stayed close by her side at heel. Either he’s getting too well trained to search without command, or there’s nothing here that sparks his interest.
A man of Hispanic descent was mucking out a stall. He stopped and stared, his eyes taking in Mattie and Stella with a glance, fastening on Robo for a few seconds, and then darting down the alleyway. The fearful expression on his face seemed to indicate he might be looking for help. He had on worn denims, a sweat-stained straw cowboy hat, and cowboy boots.
“Hello.” Mattie went on to introduce herself and Stella.
He shook his head, indicating he didn’t comprehend, so Mattie switched to Spanish, repeated the introduction, and asked him his name.
“Juan Fiero.” He clutched the pitchfork and averted his gaze when she offered a handshake but then took hers in a limp grasp. The proximity brought a whiff of stale cigarette smoke on his breath.
“I’ll get the boss,” he said in Spanish, turning on his heel and heading down the alleyway.
Mattie exchanged a glance with Stella as he left. “Cowboy boots and a cigarette smoker,” she muttered.
“You’ve just described about half the cowboys in Colorado,” Stella responded, keeping her voice low. “But I get what you’re saying.”
A beautiful, petite woman with black hair and dark eyes hurried toward them in lithe strides while Juan disappeared through another door down the way. She wore riding breeches and a fitted brown jacket that flattered her form. No wonder Cole seemed to be taken with her.
She introduced herself as Carmen Santiago, returning Mattie’s handshake with a firm grip. “What a beautiful shepherd,” she said, bending toward Robo while looking at Mattie. “May I pet him?”
A glance at Robo showed him alert and receptive, ears pricked as he watched the new person. “Yes, he won’t mind,” Mattie said. “It’s okay, Robo.”
“What happened to his shoulder?”
“Got in a fight,” Mattie said, not wanting to get into details.
“Oh my, you beautiful young man. You shouldn’t do that kind of thing,” Carmen murmured while petting Robo and setting his tail in motion. She straightened. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Mattie noticed that her smile seemed warm and genuine.
“We’re here to talk with you about Adrienne Howard,” Stella said.
The smile dropped from Carmen’s face, replaced by a frown of concern. “I read in the paper that she died last week. A tragedy.”
“Did you know her?” Stella asked.
“Yes. She was doing massage on some of my horses, although she’d only come up here three times. I didn’t know her well.”
“When did you last speak with her?” Stella asked.
She seemed to search her memory. “I’m not sure. I think it was Monday or Tuesday of last week.”
“What did you talk about?”
“We made an appointment for her to come back. I train racehorses, and I decided to make massage a part of my program. I didn’t have enough time or visits to evaluate the value of that decision.”
Mattie remembered Cole saying that employing a massage therapist to work on a horse tipped the owner into the kind and caring category. She hated to admit it, but so far this woman seemed to fit the mold.
“What day did you schedule Ms. Howard’s return appointment?” Stella asked.
“For Friday. It was the same day I read about her death in the paper.” Sorrow touched her face. “That was also the day my stallion, Diablo, got sick. Such a bad day.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Mattie said. “How is your horse now?”
“Not well. Dr. Walker is . . . Do you know him?” She looked at Mattie.
“I do.”
“Is he good at his business?” she asked, a frown of concern creasing her brow.
“I think so. Everyone says so,” Mattie said.
“Dr. Walker is taking care of Diablo, but he’s not sure what’s wrong. We’re treating symptoms as they arise.” She shook her head. “My horse doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”
Mattie could relate to the woman’s concern for her animal. “I hope things turn around soon.”
Carmen nodded, giving a sad, resigned smile.
“Did Ms. Howard say anything to you about her plans for Wednesday when you spoke with her?” Stella asked.
“No, not at all. She offered a Friday appointment time, and I took it.”
“Did she ever speak about plans for her time off on Wednesday afternoon or another client stable that she might visit?”
Carmen shook her head slowly while thinking. “No. I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything regarding her schedule or her plans.”
“Did your employee, Mr. Fiero, meet Ms. Howard?” Stella asked.
Carmen lifted a hand in a graceful gesture of correction. “I guess you could say they met, although not formally. I worked with Adrienne on the horses while Juan held them or led them to the stocks.”
Mattie thought it could be considered odd that the hired man wasn’t introduced to Adrienne, but possibly not, considering the language barrier. “Did they share any conversations?” she asked.