Nancy frowned. She didn’t want to tell Mrs. Passano yet about the barbed wire in Mr. Jackson’s car. She wanted more proof of his guilt first. And she didn’t want to tell Mrs. Passano about the pitchfork attack, for fear she’d worry. Besides, she might tell Mrs. Shaw, her best friend, that Nancy had almost been injured. With Alexa now a suspect, Nancy didn’t want Mrs. Shaw getting involved.
“George found some correspondence in the Mill River files,” Nancy said. She told Mrs. Passano about Cameron Shaw’s letter to Grant Hathaway.
“Cameron was always worried about the countryside getting too developed,” Mrs. Passano explained. “He did buy up some local acreage for the hunt club shortly before he died. That land will always stay preserved. But most of the land we hunt over belongs to private owners. They could decide to sell it or build on it.”
Nancy filed away that bit of information, though she still wasn’t sure what it had to do with the sabotage.
Laura wandered into the dining room. Her eyes looked glazed. “It’s getting dark already,” she said in a dull voice. “Time for Morning Glory to eat. I sure hope whoever stole him is feeding him okay.”
“Don’t worry, Laura,” Nancy said, putting an arm around her. “I’ve promised to find him, and I will. First thing tomorrow, I’d like to go to Mark Plonsky’s house. Can you tell me where he lives?”
Laura frowned. “You won’t find Morning Glory there—Mark doesn’t have a barn. Though he could have hidden Morning Glory in the woods near his house.” She looked thoughtfully out the window. “Mark lives in a riverside cottage, close to a forest trail. We could all ride over together.” She managed a faint smile. “We can have a nice trail ride, just like I promised you guys—before all this horrible stuff happened.”
I’ve just got to help Laura find her horse, Nancy thought. But how? She was running out of ideas—and time.
• • •
Soon after breakfast the next morning, the girls were on horseback, heading for Mark Plonsky’s cottage. Laura, on her mom’s horse Trimble, led the way.
“Laura,” Nancy said as they rode abreast, “I’d like to know a little more about Mark Plonsky. Has he lived in this area long?”
“He moved here about a year and a half ago,” Laura explained. “He started protesting the hunt last year, when Mr. Shaw was still the master.”
“What does he do for a living?” George asked.
“He directs a local theater company,” Laura replied.
“Really?” Nancy said, interested. “That stuffed fox looked so professional—like it was a theater prop or something.”
“Well, there’s no question Mark has a flair for the dramatic,” Laura said. “Actually, I think he might be a nice guy. But he never even tries to be friendly with anyone he knows is involved with fox hunting. He’s pretty passionate about his beliefs.”
The three girls came upon a large green meadow. Trimble began to dance with excitement. Laura let him break into a canter. “Don’t let the horses go too fast,” she called to Nancy and George. “There’s a jump—a chicken coop—down on the far side of the hill. You don’t want the horses heading into it out of control.”
Behind Laura, Nancy urged on Hopscotch, while George and Lancelot brought up the rear. As she started down the hill behind Laura, Nancy leaned forward, eagerly anticipating the jump.
Suddenly, Lancelot bolted ahead and galloped headlong toward the jump. George frantically sawed on the reins. Nancy realized that Lancelot was totally out of control!
Nancy gasped as she saw Lancelot veering away from the jump and heading toward a thick pine grove. If George didn’t stop him in time, she’d be whipped right into the dense thicket of trees!
Just then, as Lancelot neared the trees, a dark-haired man appeared ominously out of the woods.
It was Mark Plonsky.
12
George’s Near Miss
Just before Lancelot crashed into the thicket, Nancy saw Mark Plonsky rush forward, holding his arms out wide in front of the horse. Lancelot pulled up sharply, and Mark Plonsky grabbed the bridle. Nancy sighed in relief, then exchanged looks with Laura.
“Whew, that was a close call,” Laura said, her voice shaken. “What happened? Did Lancelot shy at something?”
“It looked like Lancelot just took off,” Nancy replied. She pulled Hopscotch up next to Trimble, who had stopped obediently before the chicken coop. “Isn’t it strange that Mark Plonsky would be lurking in the woods at the exact moment George needed him?” Nancy asked Laura in a low voice. Nancy looked down the hill, where George seemed to have struck up a conversation with the handsome activist.
“How could he have known we’d be riding here?” Laura said. “I think it was just a coincidence. Come on—let’s go over and see what’s up.”
The two girls guided their horses over to the edge of the woods. George, still on Lancelot, was thanking Mark Plonsky for coming to her rescue.
“It’s lucky I happened to be out for my morning walk,” he said. “I have an appointment at ten o’clock, but there’s time for you to stop by my house for a cup of tea. To settle your nerves.”
“I’m really fine,” George said. “But I’d love some tea, anyway. As long as my friends can come, too, of course.”
Glancing briefly at Nancy and Laura, he nodded. Then he started off down a woodland path, with Lancelot walking beside him.
“That’s big of him to let us tag along,” Nancy whispered dryly to Laura as they rode down the path.
Laura giggled. Then suddenly, she caught her breath.
“What’s wrong?” Nancy asked.
“The bit on Lancelot’s bridle,” Laura murmured. “It’s a snaffle. Why didn’t I notice that before?”
“I guess because George saddled and bridled Lancelot herself. I remember you saying that Lancelot needs a curb bit, though.” Nancy frowned, puzzled by this new development.
“No wonder Lancelot ran away,” Laura said, keeping her voice low. “He can barely feel a snaffle. He wouldn’t even know George was trying to stop him.” Laura paused, then added, “I wonder if someone swapped his bit intentionally.”
Nancy considered the idea. Someone might have wanted to scare George—and Nancy along with her—off the case.
Could Mark have been spying on them this morning and seen them getting ready for the trail ride? Could he have found a way to get into the stable and swap the bit?
