“And here are Salut’s.” Ned took out a piece of paper and held it next to the one Nancy was holding. “They have the same parents. No wonder they look like twins. The only difference is that Salut is two years younger.”
“How could they possibly have the same scar?” Nancy wondered. She pulled out several stapled papers. “Hey, here’s Aristocrat’s insurance policy. He’s insured for one hundred thousand dollars.” She frowned. “That’s odd. Lee Anne said he was worth about two hundred thousand.”
“Then he’s worth more than his insurance would pay off if something happened to him,” Ned pointed out.
Nancy heaved a sigh. “Which means all this knocks out my hunch that Klaus stole his own horse.”
The sound of tires on gravel made the two teens start. “Someone’s here!” Nancy gasped.
Hurriedly, they replaced the folders, then pushed the drawers and file cabinets shut. Nancy tiptoed to the door that opened into the barn and peered around the jamb. No one had come into the barn. “We can make a break out the far doors to our left, then run around to my car when the person comes inside.”
“Whoever it is will still see your car,” Ned whispered.
“I know, but we’ll have to take a chance that we can get away before they see us.” Gesturing to Ned, Nancy burst out of the office and raced for the open doors as loud barking erupted behind her.
Without slowing down, she tossed a glance over her shoulder. Two burly rottweilers came galloping toward them, teeth bared.
Nancy felt her stomach churn as the dogs charged down the aisle after them, foam flying from their mouths. There was no way she and Ned would make it to the car in time!
13
An Explanation
“This way, Nan!” Ned grabbed her hand, pulling her sharply to the right. She stumbled after him into an empty stall. Whirling, he slammed shut the wire mesh door.
Growling and snarling, the two dogs threw themselves at the door. Ned and Nancy had to brace their shoulders against it to keep the dogs from forcing it open. Nancy could feel the heat of their breath as their sharp teeth tore at the wire.
“Zeus! Apollo! Down!” a firm voice commanded.
Instantly the dogs backed off. Whining, they circled twice, then sat in the middle of the aisle. Nancy and Ned exchanged relieved glances. She didn’t think they could have held the dogs off much longer.
Klaus Schaudt strode into view. He halted in front of the closed door and studied them. “Miss Drew, what are you and your friend doing in my barn?”
“Klaus, are we glad to see you!” Nancy greeted the trainer with forced cheerfulness. “Thank you for calling off your dogs. They scared us half to death.”
That part was true, Nancy thought. She couldn’t exactly say she was glad to see him. Nothing had confirmed her suspicions that Klaus and Andy Brackett were working together, but until she had some answers, she didn’t trust the man.
“We were following the lead about the guard who worked for you,” Nancy explained. “May we come out?”
“Of course. Zeus and Apollo were only doing their job. They are my farm’s security. Usually I let them roam while I am gone. They definitely deter trespassers.”
“Gee, I can’t understand why,” Ned muttered, eyeing the dogs as he opened the door and stepped into the aisle. Nancy followed right behind him. The rottweilers were still obeying the sit command, but she knew if Klaus gave the word, the dogs would be at their throats.
Klaus folded his arms. “You should have told me you planned to come to the farm, Miss Drew,” he said. “I would have advised you not to bother. I informed Mr. Texel about Andy Brackett, but the man seems to have disappeared. I’d say that points to his possible guilt in the theft of Aristocrat.”
“It does appear that way,” Nancy agreed. “And since he worked for you, he must have known the stallion’s value.”
Klaus nodded. “He knew. And since he was a guard at the horse park he was in the perfect position to steal him. I thank you for discovering that fact. I wish I had identified him earlier.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Of course, Mr. Texel wasn’t aware of the connection, and I’m still not certain that he or one of his other men isn’t involved. It would have taken at least two people to pull off the theft.”
“That’s exactly what I thought,” Nancy said. “Someone had to drive the van or trailer that hauled Aristocrat away.”
“And Michael Raines was not one of the thieves,” Klaus stated firmly.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Ned said. “We saw your stallion Salut. He sure looks like Aristocrat.”
“He should. They are brothers. When Aristocrat was so successful, I bought Salut, importing him from Germany this spring.” Klaus’s chin dropped to his chest. “It’s a good thing, since we may never find my Aristocrat.”
His sadness was so real that Nancy suddenly doubted he could have been in on the horse theft. Still, she had to ask him some questions. “Did you have an insurance policy on Aristocrat?” she asked. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear what Klaus would say.
“Yes. Though it will never cover his present or future worth. Anyway, money cannot replace a friend.”
Klaus’s words confirmed what Nancy and Ned had discovered. Obviously, he had no motive to steal the horse. She remembered Gilly’s reaction when Klaus came into the stall after the theft. And what about the scar? Nancy thought.
“Gilly told me that Aristocrat had a scar on his hock,” she continued, watching him closely. “It’s odd that Saluut has one, too.”
Anger flared in Klaus’s eyes. “You went into his stall without my being here?”
Nancy held his piercing gaze. “You asked me to investigate, so I did.”
Klaus inhaled slowly, his face reddening. Nancy knew he was used to being obeyed, not challenged.
“That I did,” he admitted, but his tone was cool. “And Salut has no scar. He scraped his hock several days ago playing in his paddock. The hair has not had a chance to grow back in.”
Nancy was satisfied with Klaus’s explanations. In fact, everything he said made sense. “Thank you for answering my questions. We’re sorry we came on your property without telling you. We’ll head back to the horse park to find out if Texel or the police have located Andy Brackett.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” Klaus made a clicking sound, and immediately the dogs stood at attention and watched him, waiting for their next signal. “I wish I had something more to tell you about Mr. Brackett, but he left this farm a year ago.”
“Was he fired?” Ned asked. “That might be another reason why he chose to steal your horse.”
