Blue Ribbon Trail Ride (11 page)

The five of them raced across the pasture, with Jake bringing up the rear. Kate's long legs almost kept pace with Colt, but he reached the north side of the pasture right before she did. He skidded to a halt. “Hey, which corner? He only said north side and the corner, but there are two corners.”

Jake panted to a stop. “You mean we aren't there yet? That was a long way already. How big is this field anyway?”

Kate smiled. “You need to watch less TV and get out more, Jake. It's twenty acres.” She pivoted and pointed to the right. “That's the closest corner. Should we all go that way or split up so we can check both corners at once?”

“Split up,” Colt said in a determined tone.

“Stay here and rest,” Jake sank onto the grass.

Melissa snorted. “Is that what the Spy Kids would do? Or Indiana Jones, or even Kevin in
Home Alone
when he was setting all those traps? Come on, Jake, you can't find treasure sitting around. You've got to be adventurous like the kids in
The Hunger Games
.”

“My parents didn't allow me to watch
The Hunger Games
. They said it's too dark for kids. I mostly watch the old movies and TV shows.”

Tori narrowed her eyes and scanned the entire pasture. “There's four of us without Jake. Let's split up. Jake can sit here, and the team that finds it can holler for the others to come running.”

Jake struggled to his feet. “I'll come, if you don't mind me going with the team that has the shortest distance to cover.”

“Whatever.” Melissa flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Colt, want to race me to the far corner?” She took off without waiting for an answer.

Colt shrugged. “Girls.” He followed her at a ground-eating lope.

Kate laughed. “His legs are so much longer, he'll catch her even with her head start. And they're going to beat us if we don't get with it.” She pivoted, then dashed toward the closer corner, with Tori and Jake not far behind.

They knelt at the post and ran their hands through the grass. Kate slumped in disappointment. “There's no box here.”

Tori frowned. “Maybe Colt and Melissa will find it.”

Jake sighed. “So we have to walk all the way across this pasture to the other post?”

“No,” Kate said. “They'll probably meet us halfway. We should be able to see if they're carrying it before they get to us.” She pushed to her feet. “Don't worry. We won't make you run again.”

They walked at a brisk pace toward the other post and met Colt and Melissa just over halfway. Neither had the box. Colt dug his hand in his pocket and withdrew a paper. “He left another clue instead of the box.”

Disappointment hit Kate hard. She'd so hoped this would be the end of the mystery, and even if they didn't find out who took the box, they'd have it and the entry money back. “Great. Did you read it?”

Colt nodded and glanced at Melissa. “But we're not sure where to go from here.”

Jake held out his hand. “I'm good at puzzles. Want me to give it a try?”

“Sure.” Colt handed it over.

Jake shoved his glasses up on his nose. “Let's see. Hmm. Right. Okay.”

Melissa huffed. “Hey. Out loud. Everyone will want to hear it.”

“Ah, pardon my poor manners.” Jake grinned. “Here goes. ‘If you've found this, then you're halfway to your treasure. Go to the path that leads to the big tree, and tangled in the roots, you'll find what you seek.'” Jake looked up. “Sounds pretty simple to me. So where's this big tree?”

Colt shrugged. “All we could figure out is the tree we found on our trail ride with the roots that stick up above the ground. There was a pretty deep pocket beneath it where he might have been able to put the box.”

Jake groaned. “More running?”

Kate sighed. “Afraid so. But we don't have to run the entire way. We'll walk part of it.”

They trudged across the pasture and up the road to where the path took off through the woods. Colt led as they fell into single file. “Keep your eyes open, in case it's not that tree.”

They walked in silence, then almost tiptoed the last several yards to the tree. Kate held her breath, hoping they'd find the box and all the money as well. Funny that the note hadn't said anything about returning the money, just the box. Of course, the thief didn't have the key, but she'd assumed he'd have destroyed the lock by now and taken the cash.

They formed a semicircle around the tree. Tori leaned closer. “I don't see anything. Should we check under the roots in case he shoved it farther back?”

Jake flapped his hands in the air. “Danger alert! Danger alert! Haven't you seen movies where rats and bats and snakes and all sorts of creatures lurk in dark hidey-holes and spring out at you when you least expect it?”

Melissa tensed. “I hate rats and bats. And spiders.” She shuddered. “I'm not sticking my hands under there. No way.” She took a step back.

“I'm not scared of snakes,” Jake said, “but I wish we'd brought Mouse. He'd root out anything bad.”

Kate planted her hands on her hips. “I thought you told us he's afraid of mice.”

“He is. But a bat isn't a mouse, and no rats have raced out yet.”

Colt dropped to his knees and probed the area beneath the roots. “Nothing!”

“What?” Kate joined him, not caring how many creatures might jump out at her. The box had to be there! “My hands are smaller than yours. Let me try. I might be able to get farther in. Did you feel another note?”

“Nope.” Colt waited for her to try, but she came up empty as well. “Now what?” He rocked back on his heels.

Melissa moaned. “I'm out of ideas.”

“There's got to be another big tree with roots that we haven't thought of yet.” Tori rounded on Kate. “Would it be one of the trees in your yard?”

Kate slapped her forehead. “Why didn't I think of that? The huge pine has roots that stick up. I don't think you could hide the box there, but a note for sure.” She spun around and jogged up the trail, knowing her friends would follow.

It didn't take long to reach her yard, and Kate hurried to the tree. She sank to the ground and felt along each root. Colt arrived at the spot, along with the rest of her friends. “Anything?”

“Not yet.”

Melissa eased down beside Kate. “I don't know what to think. Either there has to be another tree we haven't checked, or this guy is playing games.”

Jake bounced from one foot to the other. “I agree. I was watching—”

Colt laid a hand on Jake's shoulder. “Sorry, dude, but that's not helping right now. We need to figure out what to do. That box of money is pretty important to the kids who want to go to camp.”

“Affirmative. Assuredly. Got it. Sorry.” Jake's posture sagged and he slumped to the ground.

Tori sat next to him and gave him a shoulder bump. “It's all cool, Jake. And sometimes your movie analogies are funny. I kinda like them.”

His face brightened. “Really?” A tiny dimple showed in his cheek when his grin broadened. “You should come over and watch—”

Tori laughed and poked him in the ribs. “Not now, Jake.”

“Oh. Right. My apologies yet again.”

Colt squatted beside Kate. “I hate to give up.”

“Me too. We need to keep thinking. Maybe there's another big tree nearby. The thief obviously knows about one we don't, so let's keep our eyes open anytime we ride our bikes.”

Melissa nodded. “Or when we're placing the items for the trail ride.” She snapped her fingers. “Did you guys realize that the trail ride is next weekend? We'd better get busy and finalize our plans.”

Kate leaned against the tree. “Everything is basically done except placing the items. Between the clues we wrote, ones Mom and her two horse-club-leader friends wrote, and some Dad wrote, we're all done with those. And Mom and Dad went together to the store to buy the items with the money we got when we opened registration again for another two days. The only thing left is for us to hide the items.” She whacked her fist against the tree. “It makes me sick that this guy is playing games. Do you suppose it's Mr. Wallace getting even with us for snooping in his house and knocking over his magazine and newspaper piles?”

Jake snorted a laugh. “I'd say the same about Jerry, but I don't think he's smart enough to think up something like this.”

Tori looked from face to face. “There were a couple of other people we haven't checked into yet. Should we at least go to Mr. Creighton's business or Mr. Addington's and see what we can find out?”

Melissa shook her head. “Do we really have time? We've got a lot of stuff to hide before the ride.”

Jake perked up. “I like it. I say we do it. What do we have to lose except an hour or two?”

Colt tore up a handful of grass and let it filter through his fingers. “What are you suggesting?”

Jake blew out a breath. “My brain is frozen. No connection. Sheesh.” He slapped his forehead. “Guess I shouldn't have said anything.”

Kate thought for a moment. “Mr. Creighton's store is closest. Let's browse through the store like we plan to buy something.”

Melissa frowned. “It's not like it's going to be on a shelf for sale. What do you hope to find?”

“I don't know, but it's a place to start.”

“I agree,” Colt said. “We can ride our bikes over there in ten minutes. Do you need to tell your mom we're going, Kate?”

“Yeah. I'll run in and do that right now. Hey! Jake doesn't have his bike here.” She looked at Colt. “Your legs are longer. Want to ride my dad's bike and let Jake ride yours?”

“Sure.”

Fifteen minutes later they sat on their bikes outside the electronics store. Nobody moved. Colt rubbed his chin. “He might not even be here.”

“All the better,” Kate said. “We can look around without being suspected, if he
is
the thief.”

They parked their bikes and headed inside. Kate's pulse pounded in her ears. She hoped no one would do anything stupid that would get them in trouble, but with the poor success rate they'd had so far, she wasn't going to count anything out.

Kate and Tori stood in the open doorway of the store office.

Tori nudged Kate. “What if someone catches us standing here looking around?” She glanced over her shoulder toward their three friends, who were talking to a clerk.

Kate craned her neck to see farther into the room. “Colt said they'll keep anyone busy who tries to get near the office. It's not like we're going to touch anything, and besides, the door was wide open.”

“I suppose. So do we just stand here and hope we spot the box?”

Kate edged into the room another half step. “I'd like to be able to see behind the desk. It looks like a set of shelves there.” She took another step.

Tori grabbed her arm. “Hold it,” she whispered. “We'll get busted big-time if Mr. Creighton comes back.”

Kate hesitated, knowing her friend was right. They had no business snooping in this man's private office, but if he didn't want anyone looking in here, he should keep the door closed. That led to another thought, and she slumped. “Do you suppose he'd leave the door open if he'd hidden a stolen box here?”

Tori blew out a loud breath. “No way. Come on. We'd better leave. I don't see anything anyway.”

Kate held up her hand. “Hold it. I've got an idea.” She peered behind her into the store and raised her voice. “Mr. Creighton? We were hoping to talk to you.” She noticed a door on the far side of the office in the corner. Why hadn't she seen that before? Great. What if he came out now while she was in the office? She sucked in a lungful of air. “Mr. Creighton? Are you here?”

The corner door whipped open, and Mr. Creighton stepped through the open doorway into his office, then closed the door firmly behind him. “What are you girls doing in here?” He pointed to the door they'd come through. “Didn't you see the sign? It says ‘Private.'”

Kate winced. They were done for. “No, sir. The door was wide open, and the sign must be on the other side, so we didn't notice it. We're sorry.”

He crossed his arms. “What do you want?”

Kate heard a noise outside the room and peered around Tori. Colt, Melissa, and Jake stood there, mouths agape and fear in their eyes. She swung back to Mr. Creighton, thinking fast. “We're so sorry to bother you. Is your daughter excited about the trail ride? Does she have any questions we can help with?”

The man relaxed and let his arms drop to his sides. “Oh. Well. Thank you for asking. I think she has all the information she needs. When is it? Next weekend?”

Kate nodded. “Yes, sir. It starts at ten o'clock on Saturday morning. I remember you said she's not an advanced rider and hasn't done this kind of hunt before. We'll be helping anyone who needs it. There should be a really good turnout, so you can trailer her horse in early if you'd like to.”

“Fine. We may do that.” He smiled. “Anything else I can help with?”

She paused, wondering if she dared ask her next question. “Well … we've been looking for a really big tree with roots that pop up above the ground where something can be hidden. You know. For the scavenger hunt. A tree that would stand out. Do you happen to know of any like that?” She watched him closely.

“Hmm … can't say that I do. But if I notice one, I'll give you a call, how's that?” He walked to his desk and pulled out his chair. “Now I really must get busy. If you'll excuse me?” He smiled but dipped his head toward the doorway.

“Oh. Sure. Thanks. And again, we're sorry for bothering you. Have a nice day.” She backed out of the room, with Tori close beside her. They headed for the front of the store with their three friends following, not one of them saying a word.

They stepped outside and walked a half block before Jake exploded. “Brilliant! Mastermind! Bravo, Kate!”

Melissa scowled at him. “What are you talking about? Half the time I can't figure you out.”

Jake stopped and stared. “Simple, maestro. Kate dropped that genius question on him about the tree out of left field, to see how he'd react. If he'd stumbled around and acted guilty, then we'd know he was the one who left the clues.”

“Right,” Tori said. “But he didn't act guilty. So I'm not sure what it gained us to take the risk of going into his office.”

Colt motioned them forward. “Let's get back to Kate's house. All this investigating has left me hungry and thirsty. I think Jake's right. He didn't act guilty, so we might be able to rule him out as a suspect. Plus, he was awfully nice about Kate and Tori being in his office.”

Melissa shrugged. “So he fell for what they said about his daughter. It's not like they said it's the reason we came.”

“Right,” Colt nodded. “Or he might have been nice to hide the fact that he's the thief. Short of barging into that back room and searching it and his house, I don't think there's any more we can do.”

The following Saturday morning arrived way too fast for Kate's liking. She was excited about the trail ride and scavenger hunt, but she was having a hard time getting over the sense of loss and disappointment they'd all been dealing with since her mom's box disappeared.

So far today, they'd checked in all the riders, given them numbers, and handed them sheets with the clues scrambled. That way there wouldn't be riders running over each other at the same location. Kate and her friends had spent the past two days setting up the course. They'd decided on three different trails: one for young riders who were beginners, and two for advanced and intermediate riders. Now it was time to ride out and check on the progress since all the hunters had left the barn.

Tori stopped beside her. “Do you think we did enough? I hope the horses won't spook at some of the stops we came up with—like that bag of golf balls hanging from a tree.”

“The riders can get off their horses and lead them up to it to get a ball if they need to.”

Melissa giggled. “It was pretty cute what you wrote: ‘You're going to be teed off at this clue. Go find what you need to tee off.'”

Colt grinned. “I liked the school-spirit one, with a lettermen's jacket hanging on a bush, and they have to find a ‘letter.' I think we should have hung the bucket of wooden letters farther away, though. I'm afraid it's too easy.”

Jake pushed his glasses up on his nose. “I still don't see how they're going to win prizes by finding the items from following the clues.” He held Mouse's leash tighter as the dog started to pull away.

Kate tipped her head toward the barn. “Let's get saddled up. Jake, you and Mouse can keep an eye on things around the barn and the pastures, in case anyone has questions. The rest of us will ride out. To answer your question, we give every person who enters a set of clues to find different items. We hid twenty, but the first person in each age category to bring back ten items gets a prize. For example, with the golf balls, they'll follow the clue, and when they find the bag, they'll take only one ball. Each person has to bring back one of everything that the clues lead to. Then the second, third, and fourth persons in each category to bring back all the items get a prize too. The ones who come in first get their choice of the things donated before anyone else.”

“Right.” Jake jerked on Mouse's leash. “Maybe I should have Pete come with us. Mouse loves him and obeys him a lot better than me.”

“Great idea.” Kate waved at her mother, who was talking to the last person who'd arrived late. “Hey, Mom. Can Pete hang out with Mouse and Jake around the barn and pasture?”

“Sure, honey. That's a great idea.” She knelt in front of Pete. “Want to go with Jake?”

He shook his head. “Want to go with Mouse. Not Jake. Rufus too.” He reached out and took Rufus's leash, then trotted toward Jake. “Come, Rufus. Let's get Mouse.”

Kate grinned. “I love how great he is with the dogs, and how it's been helping him to talk more.”

Jake laughed. “And I love how much better behaved Mouse is since he met Pete. Mom and Dad said I can keep him if he behaves better.”

He, Pete, and the two dogs headed toward the large outdoor arena. “We'll cut across and to the pasture. I saw a couple of people head out there.”

“Good idea.” Colt waved, and he and the girls walked to the barn. “Time to mount up and hit the trail. It's going to be interesting to see if everyone finds all the items we hid with the clues we gave them.”

A horrible thought struck Kate, and she shivered. “What's the chance someone stumbles across the big tree with the exposed roots and finds our box?” Her hands intertwined with nervous energy. “I'm not sure if that would be good or terrible, depending on who found it and whether they returned it.”

Melissa narrowed her eyes. “I was thinking about that too, but I don't believe the thief would have left it there. He would have come back and checked to see if we got it and taken it with him. I'm surprised we never heard from him again.”

Tori frowned. “Maybe he decided he didn't feel so bad about stealing it after all and kept it. And if so, there goes most of our money.”