Nancy whirled in time to see a man dart out of the barn. All she could make out was the tan shirt he was wearing. Halfway down the aisle Nancy saw a horse with its lead line dangling from its halter.
“Stop him!” the woman shouted. “He was trying to steal my horse!”
4
A Clean Getaway
Ned and Nancy ran down the aisle. When they passed the horse, it skittered sideways. The woman ran up and caught the lead before the horse could bolt.
Nancy raced outside. The sun was blindingly bright, and she stopped short. She looked toward the showgrounds. The area was swarming with horses, riders, and spectators. “There’s no way we’ll find him in that crowd,” she told Ned in frustration.
“Maybe he went in the other direction,” Ned said.
Glancing toward the parking lot, Nancy caught sight of a man disappearing behind a van. “That could be him!” she cried. “He’s wearing a tan shirt, just like the person who ran from the barn. Let’s split up.”
With a nod, Ned circled left around the rows of cars. Nancy sprinted right, weaving her way past trailers and trucks. When she reached the van, she dashed to the other side. There was no sign of the fleeing man.
Ned jogged up. “I think we lost him.”
“We did,” Nancy said. “He could be anywhere. This parking lot’s as big as a football field.”
“Let’s get help,” Ned suggested. “Texel and his men should be alerted.”
Nancy agreed. When they reached the barn, Texel was already there with two uniformed guards. They were talking to the woman who had discovered the thief. She’d phoned Security as soon as she’d caught her horse.
“Ms. Drew,” Texel declared. “What are you doing here?”
Nancy waved toward the parking lot. “We heard someone yell for help. We saw a man flee and followed him to the parking lot.”
“And you know for sure it was the thief?” Texel asked.
“No, but it was a man, and he was—”
“Ms. Drew there are hundreds of men here today,” Texel cut her off.
Nancy fumed for a second, then added, “He was wearing a tan shirt, just like the person in the aisle.”
“Oh. Still”—Texel stuck a finger in Nancy’s face—“you leave this to Security.” Stepping away, he spoke into his walkie-talkie. Nancy couldn’t hear his words, but she hoped he was alerting his men. When he turned back, he ignored Nancy and Ned. “Now, Ms. Flanagan, finish your story.”
Nancy gritted her teeth. Part of her wanted to take Texel’s advice and leave, but the detective part of her wanted to hear Ms. Flanagan’s story.
“I was outside washing buckets when I heard the clunk of hooves on the concrete aisle,” Ms. Flanagan began. She was dressed in baggy shorts and an oversize denim shirt. A bandanna covered her gray hair. “I thought it was odd because the people who have horses in this section of the barn were either at lunch, riding, or watching the competition. When I ducked around the doorway to see what was going on, I saw a man hurrying down the aisle—with my horse!”
“Did you recognize him?” Texel asked.
Ms. Flanagan shook her head. “He had his back to me, and for a second I was so stunned I just stood there. When I finally hollered, he turned. I caught a glimpse of his face and—” Hesitating, she plucked at her lip as if unsure of what to say. “Well, he looked… deformed or something,” she finally said.
“You mean he had a scar?” Texel asked.
“No. More like he’d been burned all over his face.” She touched both cheeks to show what she meant.
Nancy tried to picture the man she’d glimpsed in the parking lot. Had his face been disfigured? she wondered.
Texel rubbed his chin. “Now, Ms. Flanagan, someone who fit that description would stand out in a crowd. Are you sure that’s what you saw?”
“I only saw him for a second,” Ms. Flanagan said. “When I yelled again, he dropped the lead and ran. I was so worried about my horse, I didn’t pay attention to him after that.”
Texel looked at Nancy. “Does that sound like the man you saw in the parking lot?”
“I didn’t see his face,” Nancy reluctantly admitted.
Texel turned to his two men. “Circulate the description to the other guards. Then start interviewing everybody in this barn. I want to find that man. Rumors of a horse thief will stir this place up worse than hornets.”
Nancy was turning to leave when Texel touched her arm. “I could use your help,” he said in a low voice.
“What?” She was surprised by his request.
“There are as many as fifty horse owners in this barn alone,” he said to her and Ned. “I can’t pull all my guards off duty to interview everybody. I’d appreciate you talking to anyone who rides or owns a horse in this barn. Somebody might know this guy.”
“We’ll be happy to help,” Nancy said. Ned added his agreement.
“Good.” Nodding curtly, Texel strode off. “And report to me as soon as you know anything,” he called over his shoulder.
“Well, Nan, looks like you were recruited by the chief himself,” Ned said.
“We were recruited.” Nancy took his hand. “Do you mind?”
He grinned. “No. I love a good mystery as much as you do.”
