Ask Anyone

“No, thanks. I have to drive.”

“If that horse is missing, you’re not going anywhere till it’s found, am I right?”

She sighed and reached for the glass. She took one sip and choked on it. “I really don’t think I’m the brandy type,” she said. “Is there any root beer around?”

It was Bobby’s turn to sigh. “I’ll get it.”

He was on his way back to his office when Tucker arrived, sirens blaring and lights flashing.

“Announce to the world that I’m in the middle of another scene, why don’t you?” Bobby grumbled.

“You wanted me here in a hurry, didn’t you?”

“Not half as much as I want the woman in there gone,” Bobby told his brother.

“So send her home,” Tucker said, as if it were a simple matter.

“I would, but there’s the issue of the missing horse.”

Tucker’s lips twitched. “The carousel horse?”

“That’s the one,” Bobby confirmed. “Gone. Apparently stolen out of my front yard this morning.”

Tucker glanced toward Bobby’s office. “Think she had anything to do with it?”

“The exact same thought crossed my mind,” Bobby admitted. “But no. I saw her face when I told her it was gone. Nobody’s that good an actress.”

“How much is that thing worth?”

“I’m guessing not much without the carousel,” Bobby said. “But then the rest of the merry-go-round isn’t worth a heck of a lot without the missing horse, either. Even if she found a replacement, it would be a miracle if it were a perfect match.”

“It’s quite a dilemma, isn’t it?” Tucker said. His expression brightened. “Maybe someone will call and demand a ransom.”

“Your wait-and-see attitude toward crime is beginning to get on my nerves,” Bobby told him. “Don’t try it with Jenna. She’s in a fragile state.”

His brother looked fascinated by that revelation. “Is that so? And that’s a concern of yours because…?”

“Because I want that woman and that horse out of town and out of my life,” he said. “I can’t believe that twenty-four hours ago I had exactly the kind of peaceful existence I like.”

“You were in a rut,” Tucker countered. “This is good for you.”

Bobby scowled and stalked right past him. He was not going to get into a debate about his low-key lifestyle choice with his brother, not when they had a crisis to resolve.

“Tucker’s here,” he announced as he walked into his office.

Jenna looked up at him with bright eyes shimmering with unshed tears. His heart did an unexpected flip-flop. Probably some sort of fibrillation, he concluded hopefully. He did not want that sensation to be in any way connected to Jenna Pennington Kennedy or her problems or those huge, vulnerable green eyes of hers.

“Thank you for coming, Sheriff,” she said politely to Tucker.

“No problem,” Tucker assured her. “Why don’t you tell me what you know?”

“I don’t really know anything,” she said, regarding him miserably. “I didn’t even know the horse was gone, till Bobby told me just now. I’d paid the security company to keep a guard with it till I picked it up on my way back to Baltimore.”

“What’s the name of the company?” Tucker asked.

Jenna told him. “They’re based in Richmond. They’re very reputable. I made sure of that. My father always expects the worst of me, so I was trying very hard to do this right.”

Tucker pointed toward the phone on Bobby’s desk. “May I?”

“By all means,” Bobby said.

His brother called information, got the number for the security company, then called and asked for the owner.

“Mr. Kendrick, this is Sheriff Spencer over in Westmoreland County. I understand you were supplying security for Pennington and Sons at a private home over here.”

Bobby watched Jenna as she listened to Tucker’s end of the conversation. She looked increasingly dejected as Tucker nodded, jotted a few notes and murmured quite a few completely unintelligible replies.

“I see,” he said at last. “Thanks for your time. I’ll be in touch.”

He hung up the phone slowly, then glanced at Jenna, his expression unreadable.

“What?” she said. “What did he say?”

“That the guard who was supposed to be on duty this morning just got back to Richmond and left on vacation.”

Bobby stared at his brother. “What the hell does that mean? Was it sudden?”

“Nope. He’d scheduled it weeks ago. But it could be he stole the horse himself and is anticipating a big payday,” Tucker suggested. “Or somebody else has already paid him off to disappear. How much is that horse worth, anyway?”

Jenna named a staggering amount, her voice barely above a whisper. “The carousel is very rare,” she added.

“No kidding,” Bobby said dryly. “What the devil were you thinking?” Jenna’s face crumpled, and tears slid down her pale cheeks. He felt like he’d just kicked a kitten. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“Of course you did,” she said, her expression bleak. “Why shouldn’t you say it? My father certainly will.”

“Which is precisely why I shouldn’t have,” Bobby said. “Believe me, I’ve been in your shoes more times than I care to count.”

“He has,” Tucker confirmed. “When it comes to sensitivity, King Spencer missed the classes.”

Jenna heaved a sigh. “My father didn’t even know there were classes.”

Ignoring his better judgment, Bobby gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. “Don’t worry. Tucker will track down that security guard and figure out what’s going on.”

“I don’t have time to wait for that,” Jenna said. “I have to get home. I have a daughter who wants to dye her hair purple.”

Bobby held up his hands. “I don’t even want to know about that one. You go on home. Keep the dye away from your daughter. Tucker will be in touch.”

She shook her head. “This is my mess.”