bull? Frustrated that yes, that is what he’d hoped, he lay still in the grass and got control of his heartbeat and his breathing.
He’d play dead.
He eased forward on his belly, an inch at a time. Five more feet and he’d be on the old verandah. He slithered through the damp grass like a snake, and prayed none of those critters were out tonight.
****
Dena walked ahead of Stanton into the kitchen of the hacienda. She hadn’t said anything to Stanton, because she couldn’t prove it, but she’d remembered something while giving her statement. She’d heard Rocky speak in Spanish. His voice was nothing like the man’s voice had been. Not even that day when he’d been angry and cussed about Manny and the art fair. Her pulse raced in anticipation of giving Zeke that information.
The interview hadn’t taken long. Manny sat at the long table, his hands wrapped around a mug of tea, a gloomy look on his young face.
Dena looked around as an icy feeling ran up her spine. “Where’s—”
“Manny, where is Zeke?” Stanton asked.
Dave shoved past her and ate up the space between the door and the table in a split second. For a chubby guy he could move fast when he wanted.
Manny moistened his lips. “He went to get dressed. He’s been gone a couple of minutes.”
“Gone where?” Stanton asked, hand going to his holster. “Don’t be lying to me, son.”
“He said he was going to get some clothes on,” Manny said, and moved his chair back, his hands up.
“Did he come back through here, after he got dressed?” Stanton asked.
Dena froze. Manny stood, looked apologetically toward her. He shook his head. “I heard the sound of the garage door, but it didn’t close again, and I never heard a car start up, or—”
Stanton took off down the hall.
Dena walked over and put her arm around Manny’s shoulders. “You did the right thing. The truth is all that’s needed.”
“I think he went on horseback,” he whispered.
Dena knew where he’d gone. She ran out through the garage door without another word. Across in the paddock, the horses grazed. Stanton had gone in the opposite direction, down to the casita. She could see him, standing in the glow of the interior light in conversation. Deputy Ortiz shook her head and waved her arms around.
The stables stood huge and dark. Dena turned her gaze from the deputies and ran. She slid one door of the stable open and shoved a handful of apple slices in her pocket. In the tack room she pulled up a saddle and reins, and puffing, lugged the stuff through the back door and around to the fence.
“What are you doing?” Manny asked, running up behind her.
She hadn’t realized he’d followed.
“You stay, Manny,” she said roughly, and balanced the heavy saddle and wondered what she was doing. Her heart raced again at the thought of Zeke in trouble. Would Rocky be armed? “Don’t give the cops anything negative to think about.”
“But where are you—?”
“To prevent a fight, and all because of me,” she said in a hoarse whisper. She climbed over the fence, dropping to the grass on the inside of the paddock, and tugging at the saddle.
Manny took it from her, and slung his legs over the fence. “Which horse?” he asked softly.
“José,” she said. He’d already trotted to meet her, and she stroked him between the eyes as Zeke had done. She slipped a piece of apple out of her pocket and offered it to him.
“Are you sure? I mean this horse can be ornery and—”
“I’m certain. Is there a gun in the stables?”
Manny stiffened. “Why do you want a gun?” he asked.
She heard the fear in his voice. “Quick, we can’t be gabbing…a gun, a knife, anything?”
“There are some hunting rifles.”
“Get one, and some ammo. Hurry.”
Manny left her to finish saddling the horse, and he ran back to the stable. Dena gave José another piece of apple.
“We have to find Zeke,” she whispered.
She climbed up and sat astride the horse, and turned him slowly, taking in the scene at the hacienda. Both cops were headed up the stairs to the back verandah. She’d bet they’d called for back-up and knew she had only seconds left to escape.
Manny ran back, handed her the rifle and she rested it across her lap. She wished she had a handgun. She knew how to use one of those better. “Is it loaded?”
“Yeah.” Manny swallowed hard. His eyes were wild and frightened.
“Run on back to the hacienda,” she