That Summer (24 page)
“You'll be able to buy some of the mares back,” I said. “You aren't going to lose them all.”
“What about Thunderhead?”
“What if you ask your father not to sell Thunder-head?”
“He was quite clear; he had to sell them all.”
“He might be too expensive, then. You'll have Buster to stand at stud. You might have to wait until you can get another stallion.”
“It's just that… this place is part of me, Annie. It's been my home for all my life. It was home to all of my ancestors. It just stinks that Dad has thrown it away like this.”
“I know, Liam. I know.”
Outside the rain continued to pour down. After a moment he put his hands on the steering wheel. “I'll take you back to your car.”
“Okay.”
“I was thinking of flying up to New York to see Buster. Would you like to come with me?”
“I'd love to. When were you going?”
“Let's go tomorrow.”
“Terrific.”
I ran from the truck to my car and, when I got in, I waited while I watched Liam drive off in the rain. Then I turned the key in the ignition and drove myself home.
W
e flew out of Dulles the following morning and landed at Kennedy in New York right on time. Liam rented a car at the airport and we drove the few miles to Elmont, where Belmont Racetrack is located.
We checked into a local Holiday Inn then went to the track to see Buster.
He was napping, stretched out on his side with his four legs sticking out in front of him.
Liam said with amusement, “He's really feeling the pressure, isn't he?”
I said, “It's great that he's sleeping like that. Sleep is a great restorative.”
Henry, Buster's groom, appeared at the end of the shedrow. “It's just us, Henry, no need to take alarm,” Liam said. “We flew up to get a look at the boy.”
“Hello, Mr. Wellington.” He smiled at me, clearly not remembering my name. “He's been doing great, sir. Mr. Ford is real happy with him.”
“That's good,” Liam said.
“He certainly looks comfortable,” I commented.
“He's a great napper,” Henry said. “Even when there's a crowd of newsmen around the stall, he'll still sleep.”
“Have there been a lot of reporters?”
“They're all over the lot,” Henry said. “Mr. Ford has been galloping Red at five in the morning, just to get away from them.” He looked beyond us. “Here comes one of them now.”
Liam and I stood there as a tall, thin man in a wind-breaker came up to us and introduced himself as John Kerrigan from the
Daily News.
“You must be excited to have a shot at the Triple Crown,” he said to Liam.
Liam said, “We're very excited. And it's nice that he's likely to go off as the favorite. He was getting to feel like a stepchild.”
Kerrigan looked into the stall. “Yeah, he really looks upset.”
Liam almost smiled.
“So you like your chances?” Kerrigan said.
I said, “Our chances are very good—especially if I wear my lucky hat and suit.”
The reporter looked interested, so I explained about my pink suit and Kentucky Derby hat. “My only fear is that Liam is going to make me wear it every time one of his horses runs,” I concluded.
“Hey, that's an idea,” Liam said.
“Now you're a veterinarian, is that right Dr. Foster?” Kerrigan inquired.
“That's right.”
“Do you take care of Someday Soon?”
“No, I have a practice in Maryland. But my dad used to break all of Wellington's horses and I grew up on the farm. Liam and I have known each other since we were children.”
“Did your father break Someday Soon?”
“He certainly did.”
“He must be excited about all of this.”
I didn't answer and Liam said, “Pete passed away just before the Derby was run. But I think we both feel that he is with us.”
I nodded.
The reporter said, “Have you heard that a horse is being flown in from Ireland to run in the Belmont?”
“No,” Liam said. “I hadn't heard. Who's the owner?”
“Coolmore.”
“Wouldn't you know it. What do you know about him?”
“He ran one or two big races in Europe and they think he can last the mile and a half.”
Liam asked, “Is he a front runner or a come from be-hinder?”
“He's like Someday Soon. He comes from behind.”
“Well, all we can do is run our race. If we do, I think we'll come out on top.”
“What do you think is the single most important thing in this race, Mr. Wellington?”
Liam replied without hesitation, “The jockeys. On this long of a race, the jockey is all-important. Only he can judge the pace; only he can know when it's time to make the right move. The trainer can only get the horse ready. Once he turns him over to the jockey, it's all his responsibility.”
Kerrigan asked, “Do you think having a Triple Crown winner will help the sport?”
“I think it would be wonderful for racing,” Liam said. “It's one of the most difficult feats in all of sports. For example, the British Triple Crown spans five months, not five weeks. It's why it's been decades since the last winner. I hope Someday Soon will break that drought.”
There was the sound of rustling inside the stall and then Someday Soon's head appeared over the front door. “Buster,” Liam said. “Hey there, boy. How are you doing?”
Someday Soon allowed his face to be rubbed.
“Buster?” Kerrigan said.
“That's his farm nickname. He's had it since he was just a little guy.”
We talked for another few minutes and then Liam said to me, “Want to take a walk around and see some of the other horses?”
“Sure,” I said.
We said goodbye to Mr. Kerrigan and walked off in the direction of D Wayne Lukas's barn. Liam said, “That was smart, telling him the story about the hat and suit. The press gobbles up things like that.”
“I thought it was kind of a cute story. Plus it will explain to anyone who might have noticed that I do have other clothes.”
We walked around the barns, admiring the horses, then we returned to Someday Soon, where we found John Ford. “Oh, there you are,” he said. “Henry told me you were here.”
“We just flew up for the day,” Liam said. “I had this yen to see my boy.”
“He seems to be fine,” John said. “I don't get any sense that he's tired. I haven't been pushing the speed at all; we're just galloping and galloping. And at the end he's still pulling to go.”
“That sounds great,” I said.
Liam said. “I heard that the Irish are sending a horse.”
John replied, “They are. Solomon's Riddle is his name. I understand he's raced and won at a mile and a half in Ireland.”
“So they know he can do the distance.”
“Yes. He might be our best challenge. The rest of the horses we've already seen and beaten—except for Star Beta, and I don't think we have to worry about him.”
“What else do you know about this Irish horse? Is he here?”
“No, he's not here yet. They're flying him over at the end of the week. That's all I can tell you. Nobody knows much about him.”
Liam said, “They must think he has a good chance of winning or they wouldn't send him.”
“That's so.”
I said, “We took a look at Point Taken and Honor Bright today. They're beautiful-looking animals.”
John said, “They're both good horses. But Someday Soon is better.”
We all turned to look at Buster. “Not only are you faster than those other horses, but you're more beautiful,” I told him.
He pricked his ears as if he agreed with me.
John said, “He's a terrible ham. Every time he sees a camera he poses.”
Liam laughed. “Does he really?”
“He does. He lifts his head as if he's looking off into a long distance and holds the pose until the camera is lowered.”
I said, “He knows he's special. That's good.”
“The TV people are going to film a segment on him this afternoon to be aired on the day of the race. Stick around and you can be in it.”
“Buster's going to star in a TV spot?” I said. “If he likes the still shots he should really hog up the TV camera.”
We stayed around the barn for the rest of the afternoon. The TV people did film Liam, “the man who bred and owns Someday Soon,” and they talked strategy with John. When they asked him what his instructions to his jockey would be, he replied, “Just keep him within striking range, then let him run.”
We got back to our hotel at six-thirty, changed and went out to dinner at a local steakhouse.
“This was a nice break,” I said as we sat down with our salads. “I'm glad we came.”
“So am I. I wish I knew more about this Irish colt, though.”
“You heard what John said. It doesn't matter who else is running, Buster just has to run his own race. Which I'm sure he'll do.”
“God, I hope so. That Triple Crown bonus means an awful lot right now.”
What will you do if Buster loses?
I thought the words but didn't say them.
We'll deal with that when the time comes,
I thought.
Right now Liam has more than enough on his plate.
We had a good American high-fat meal of steak and French fries and ice cream. We both were silent as Liam drove back to the Holiday Inn.
He had taken two rooms for us and they had a connecting door between them. Liam said, “Do you want to stay here, or go down to the bar next door and watch the TV there?”
“Let's go down to the bar,” I said. “It's inter-league play and the Orioles are playing the Mets, so the game will be televised.”
“We could watch it here.”
“That's true.”
“If we go to the bar, you'll order a glass of wine, and you've already had two.”
“Good grief, are you my chaperone?”
“Remember how you felt the last time you had too much wine?”
I shuddered. “I was going to drink ginger ale.”
“We can get a soda from the machine on the floor.”
Clearly, he did not want to go to the bar. “Okay,” I said. “We'll stay in.”
While Liam went for the sodas, I took off my shoes and propped up two pillows to rest my back. When Liam came back he did the same thing. He poured me a glass of ginger ale and put it on the table next to my side of the bed. Then he poured himself a glass of Coke.
“What time are we flying out tomorrow?” I asked.
“Ten o'clock.”
“Good. I'll be home in time to get some work done.”
Liam said, “There's something that I ought to tell you.”
“What is that?”
“I told the police that the miraculous medal they found was mine.”
I froze. “You
what?”
“I told the police that the miraculous medal they found was mine.”
I put down my ginger ale. “In the name of God, why did you do that?”
He looked very grim. “I thought it over and it was impossible to deny that it was mine. Too many people know I wore a medal that summer. So all your blandishment of Kevin went for nothing.”
My heart began to hammer in my chest. I felt as if I couldn't catch my breath. I don't ever remember being so scared in all my life. “Don't you get it, Liam?
That medal puts you at the site of the murder.”
“It puts me at the site of the burial.”
“There's not much difference between the two.”
He said quietly, “The police were bound to find out, and then it would have looked badly for me. I told the police that I had lost the medal and didn't know how it came to show up at the burial site.”
“I thought you told me that you still had the medal,” I said suspiciously.
“I forgot that I had lost it.”
Something about this wasn't sounding right.
“Is there something involved here that I don't know about?”
He smiled at me. “Loyal Annie. I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but there is nothing else to report.”
“What did the police say when you told them it was your medal?”
“They asked me a bunch of questions, but Dad wouldn't let me answer any of them. He's hiring a lawyer for me.”
A cold fist of terror squeezed my stomach. “A lawyer?”
“Apparently I'm going to need one.”
“What did your mother say?”
“Mom wasn't there. She didn't come home; she's staying with friends in Massachusetts.”
“Liam, I don't believe that it was your medal. You were quite sure it wasn't either the last time we talked about it.”
He gave me an impatient look. “Why would I say that it was mine if it wasn't?”
“Why did you tell me that you still had it?”
“I forgot that I had lost it.”
“I don't believe you.”
“Stop being so stubborn, Annie. Your golden boy isn't perfect. I forgot about the bloody medal.”
I still didn't believe him, but this argument was getting us nowhere.
I said in a small voice, “Are they going to arrest you, Liam?”
“I don't know. That's why I wanted to get up here to see Buster. I don't know how much longer I'll be free to move around the way I want.”
“Oh Liam. I'm so scared.”
“Don't be scared, Annie.” He reached out an arm to me and I slid over to sit within its circle. “They won't convict me: I didn't do it.”
“Look at the cases of all those people who were convicted and now the DNA evidence is showing that they were innocent. Innocent people spent years of their lives in jail, Liam! Don't tell me that you're safe just because you didn't do it.”
He said quietly, “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I did do it?”
“No,” I replied immediately.
“Do you really think you know me that well?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And you don't think I'm capable of murder?”
“Maybe we're all capable of murder, if the stakes are high enough. But you didn't murder Leslie because she screwed Kevin. It's absurd even to think that.”
His arm pulled me closer. “I don't deserve you, Annie.”
“Sure you do.”
“I missed you. Why did you stay away for so long?”
“I was staying away from you. I was trying not to love you, you see.”
“And were you successful?”
“You know the answer to that.”
He was silent for a long minute. Then he said, “When I think of my childhood, you were always there.”
“I know. We were a great team, Liam.”
“We were.” I could feel his lips against my hair. “You grew up behind my back.”