So thinking, she fed the girls a quick lunch of grilled cheese, put Chloe down for a nap, then retreated to her den, where she put in aquick call to Jill at the station, but was forced to leave another voice mail.
She was being stonewalled.
Something important was up.
Had there been another murder?
Had the police and the FBI found a link between the victims?
Had the killer been identified?
A dozen questions chased after her, and she could get no answers.
In the late afternoon, the heat of the day lingering over the city, Nikki still had had no response from Pierce or anyone in the department. She drove Phee to her lesson at the riding academy. Maybe she could wangle some more information from Annabelle Van Camp. It was a long shot, but Nikki decided it was worth a try.
Except today Annabelle wasn’t Phee’s instructor.
Instead, another twentysomething woman greeted Phee in the riding area that smelled of horses and dust. And the ceiling fans mounted high in the rafters were unable to cool the building on a day that promised an early summer.
With short, near-black hair, a smattering of freckles, and an effervescent smile, the replacement instructor introduced herself as Gia, then immediately went all googly-eyed over Chloe. “You know, you’re never too young to ride. I started when I was three.” She crouched down to Chloe’s level and added, “I bet you’d love to ride a pony, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes!” Chloe declared. “Pony.”
“Maybe later, Chloe,” Nikki interjected swiftly, watching as Phee mounted a rangy palomino mare.
“So what happened to Annabelle?” Nikki asked Gia, who was adjusting the stirrups to fit Phee’s legs.
She shrugged. “I was just called in to sub for her at the last minute, and believe me, I take any chance I can get to work with kids. I think they can have a really special bond to the horses, you know?”
“Sure,” Nikki said, just to agree.
Gia patted the palomino fondly, then looked up at Phee and said, “Come on, let’s see what Daisy here can do. Or what you can get her to do.” Clicking her tongue, Gia led the horse and rider to the dustyarena just as Nikki spied the same stern-faced woman she’d come across during Phee’s previous lesson.
She appeared as dour and taciturn as ever, her expression severe, her hair pulled back in that no-nonsense gray bun at her nape. Pinned to her shirt was a name tag that read simply: Miss Stacy. She sent Nikki a hard glare.
So she remembers me, too.
Great.
Oh, well.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Chloe was entertaining herself by feeding handfuls of straw through a wire enclosure, where a couple of pygmy goats were eagerly nibbling the bits offered.
Nikki turned her attention to Miss Stacy and extended her hand. “I’m Nikki Gillette, Ophelia’s aunt.”
“I remember you.” Miss Stacy’s eyes were positively glacial. Pointedly, she ignored Nikki’s outstretched arm.
So much for civility. “I’m looking for Annabelle.” She dropped her arm.
“She’s not here.”
“I see that. But she was supposed to give my niece a riding lesson.”
“I’m sure Gia can teach a beginner.” She gave a nod to the arena, where the dark-haired girl was offering advice and encouragement while Phee rode the big mare around the ring.
“Do you know why Annabelle didn’t come in today?”