Recession had hit them hard - prices had gone up just at the time when people had started cancelling lessons and going from full to do it yourself livery. He had suggested selling horses but the market value was almost nil, nobody was taking on average riding school horses and more importantly they felt that they were part of their expended family and parting with any of them would be impossible.
He stepped into the tack room, he knew that the saddles and bridles needed repair or replacement, they were all showing their age and considerable use. He picked up a bridle, glancing at the fraying stitching. It all took money...
Kate watched as the last of the feed buckets were taken out. She threw down the scoop and started to close the feed bins pausing as she noticed a shadow crossing the feed shed's doorway. She turned and saw Adam standing in the doorway. "I'm just dropping this back." He dropped an empty feed bucket on the floor and turned to leave.
"Adam!" He paused still facing away from Kate. "You're not even looking at me now?"
He turned slowly and stepped into the room. "I am sorry... What I did was stupid but I never thought it would come to this."
"No..." Kate sighed. "You didn't think did you? But I guess you never do..."
Adam paused. Common sense told him to walk away, but he had to respond. "What are you trying to say?" He stepped towards Kate. "Come on you've started so why don't you finish?"
"What the hell were you doing? Why didn't you talk to me... Your wife! You just go off and get a loan from a loan shark and put us all in danger. What did you think you were doing?"
"Saving our business..." Adam sighed. "But you wouldn't know that would you? You take no interest in the business side, leave all of that to me. Don't think that you can suddenly take an interest when it suits you."
Kate lunged forward before Adam realised striking him hard across the face with the steel feed scoop. He staggered back in shock crashing to the floor amongst the feed sacks. He lay shocked reaching for his jaw.
Kate dropped the scoop and dashed towards him. "Adam I'm sorry..."
He struggled to his feet away from Kate as she offered her hand, pushing against the feed shed door. The door did not budge, he pushed hard but there was no movement. "The door's stuck."
"Good." Adam flinched as Kate grabbed his shoulder. "Oh don't be stupid, I'm not going to hit you."
"Again...” Adam muttered, he sat down on the pile of feed sacks.
Kate strode towards the door pushing it hard. "It's locked." She kicked the wood. "Who the hell would have locked the door?"
"Sorry I don't know." Adam sighed, his head in his hands.
Kate sat down on the sacks next to Adam. "I'm sorry..."
"No you are right, I was stupid..." He was cut short as Kate put her finger on Adam's lips.
"Shhh..." She smiled. "Listen to me... I am sorry. You did what you thought was right."
"But..."
"Adam for god's sake shut up or I will hit you again. I am trying to apologise here." She paused. "I'm scared Adam, threats from a loan shark, it just frightened me."
"I am scared too..." Adam sighed. "I don't know what to do?"
"Can we pay them back?" Kate glanced across to Adam. "Okay, I am guessing that is no? Can we ask them for extra time to pay? Is that no also." Kate sighed. "Okay, we will find a way, but we do it together, okay no more secrets."
"Thank you..." Adam stood up and hugged Kate. "No more secrets."
"Now how the hell do we get out of here?"
***
Jacqui picked up her mug of tea, took a slurp before stirring in another spoon of sugar. It was a short break between lessons, was going to have to work through lunch as she had a private lesson. She sighed and drained the end of the mug. She yawned, catching herself unaware, thinking that she must be more tired that she thought. She stood up, blinking as the tack room seemed to move around her. She reached out to steady herself as her knees crumpled, the mug fell from her hand smashing on the floor.
***
After two hours trapped in the feed shed, Adam and Kate had been released by the staff preparing the lunchtime feeds.
"Kate, Hi!" Penny Davidson stepped into the office.
"Penny, Hi!" Kate smiled. "How are you?"
"Look I am sorry but I am here for a lesson and Jacqui is not around?"
"What?" Kate stood up. "Let me ask." Kate walked out onto the yard, it was quiet as the staff were eating lunch, she could not find Jacqui anywhere. "Look Penny I am really sorry, I really don't know where she is?"
"Okay..." Penny glanced at her watch. "Look I am on my lunch break, I don't have long. I'll have to come back next week."
"No Penny..." Kate smiled. "I'm not too busy. Let me give you your lesson." Kate grabbed her riding hat and walked out of the office with her.
***
Adam looked at his watch as Kate walked down from the arena. "Hello, I didn't think you were teaching, you have a hack to take out now."
"I know!" She frowned. "I had to take one of Jacqui's lessons. Have you seen her?"
"I haven't… I'll ask the girls to find her. She must have forgotten that she was teaching."
"Thanks." Kate mounted her horse, greeting her riders."
Adam walked around the yard, checking the tack room, stables and even the staff flat but there was no sign of Jacqui. He presumed that she had go out for the afternoon, somehow confusing her day off. He shrugged his shoulders.
The afternoon passed and the staff gathered to make up the evening feeds for the horses. Once the bowls had been filled and passed around the yard the grooms moved to the barn to make up the hay nets for each of the horses. Sarah pushed open the doors of the barn leading the group. She gasped as she saw something in the gloom.
Jacqui was facing the staff, she had been tied to one of the supporting beams opposite the barn doors with large amounts of baler twine. She was shaking her head but her words were lost as she had been gagged with wad of bandages.
"What the hell?" Jane shook her head. "What is going on?" She stepped forward. Jacqui grunted and moaned through the gag, shaking her head more vigorously. "Sorry? What?" Jane broke an almost invisible thread of fishing line, there was a clank as this triggered a flood of black liquid which engulfed Jacqui. Jane leapt back. "Christ! What the hell!"
The staff stared as Jacqui was now before them covered in gallons of thick black ooze. "Hoof oil…" Sarah sighed. "I couldn't find any earlier on, now I know why. Come on let’s get her free." She ran towards Jacqui releasing another trip wire. They were both covered in a flurry of woodchips which stuck to the hoof oil like glue. The silence was broken by the sound of a camera.
"Oh that's one for Facebook!" Caroline laughed.
Jacqui's gag was removed by Sarah. "You!" She snarled at Caroline. "You did this!"
"Oh now, let’s not be hasty. Do you really know who did this to you?" Caroline walked into the barn amongst the staff. Jacqui stammered. "Are you sure it was me? I mean how would you? You were asleep at the time!"
"What the hell did you do to me?" Jacqui snarled.
Caroline walked up to Jacqui dipping her finger in the hoof oil on her hair. "I bet that is going to be hard to get off."
"Tell me you bitch!"
"Oh Jacqui..." Caroline pulled out a small packet of sedatives. "Magpie always hated being clipped, always needed to be sedated. I always wondered what would happen if it was used on a human."
"If I could get you now!" Jacqui yelled and swore fighting against her binding.
"Oh can't take a joke can we?" Caroline mocked. "Oh boo hoo!" Caroline turned on her heel and started to walk out of the barn. Sarah dashed after her grabbing her shoulder.
"You don't think you are just going to walk away now do you." Sarah swung her fist towards Caroline. She ducked, grabbing her fist and twisting Sarah's arm until she cried out. "Ow… ow, you're hurting me!"
"I know..." Caroline smiled. "I intend to. Don't cross me Sarah..." Caroline forced Sarah onto her k
nees and left her there crying as she walked out of the barn. Some of the staff started to follow her.
"Leave her!" Jacqui rubbed her wrists as she was cut free from the twine. "She's not worth it..."
***
"So then she dropped Sarah to the ground and just left." Kate paused. "What the hell do we do?"
Adam looked up. "Wow..." He paused. "I don't know what to think? Part of me is impressed that Caroline did it." Kate glared at him. "No… I don't mean it like that. But it is so out of character and what the hell was she doing, tying up Jacqui, setting traps. I just don't get it."
"Neither do I." Kate frowned. "It is not the Caroline we knew. Not the shy, timid Caroline."
"She has been different since the accident."
Kate sniffed. "Look, I am scared." Adam stepped over and hugged her. "What is wrong with her?" The conversation was cut short by the shrill ringing of the telephone bell.
Adam walked across the room and picked up the phone. "Hello..." He paused listening. "Sorry you'll have to speak up, there is a hell of a racket going on." He stopped before slamming down the phone.
"What's up?"
"It's Caroline, she's smashing up the kitchen in the flat!"
***
Adam and Kate could hear the commotion from outside the flat and as soon as they entered they could see that Caroline was standing in the centre of the kitchen, the rest of the staff were hiding in the front room trying to avoid flying bottles and cans that Caroline was hurling across the room towards them. Every cupboard door had been flung open and the contents scattered across the kitchen which was a mess of ketchup, soup and flour.
A can of baked beans slammed into the wall beside Kate's head. "Caroline what the hell are you doing!" Kate yelled from the doorway.
Caroline stopped dead. Turning to face Kate. She was smiling manically. "Hello Kate..." She slowly picked up a carving knife from the block on the counter, she held it aloft the blade shining in the light. "Pretty isn't it?"
Kate stepped forward slowly. "Caroline..." She spoke softly.
"Kate no..." Adam hissed grabbing for Kate's shoulder. She shrugged him off and stepped closer to Caroline.
"Look Caroline whatever is wrong we can talk about it..." Kate smiled.
"Oh yes, it would be lovely to talk." Caroline sneered. "We could have a nice cup of tea and a chat..."
"That's right." Kate smiled. "Now if you just give me the knife."
Caroline lunged forward, in a split second Kate felt herself falling, a pain flooding across her chest. She landed heavily on the floor winded for a moment. There was a sudden silence in the kitchen, Kate looked up to see Caroline standing with the knife in her hand, Kate noticed dark liquid dripping from the blade, the silence was broken as Kate realised that some of the staff were screaming. She sat up slowly. "I'm okay..." She tried to speak but there was a sudden realisation, her blood ran cold as she saw Adam lying on the kitchen floor.
He was lying on his back beneath him was a pool of dark blood which was growing slowly. His face was pale and his breathing laboured. Kate quickly knelt beside him. "Adam..." The word came out as a wail. She touched his chest and felt the warm flow running from him. He looked up, struggling to speak. Kate touched his face. "Someone call an ambulance!" The staff members remained in place, sobbing and screaming. "Now… Get an ambulance!"
***
Kate had to be physically lifted from Adam's side to allow the paramedics to attend to him. She was helped to her feet by a young WPC. Tears were running down her face as she watched Adam being taken away on a stretcher. "I need to go with him." The WPC nodded and helped her down the stairs to the waiting ambulance. Adam was lying still on the stretcher on the far side of the ambulance, Kate reached out and took his hand.
***
The stable staff watched the ambulance leave before slowly filing back into the flat. Jacqui looked around. "Where is she?" She stormed through the flat opening doors, checking every room. "Where the hell is she!"
"Look, the police will get her." Sarah took her hand. "Leave it now..." The staff quietly gathered on the sofas in the living room.
***
"Mrs Bishop?" The nurse stepped into the relatives room.
Kate looked up, eyes red. "Yes?"
"Would you like to see him?"
Kate nodded, she stood and followed the nurse through the corridors of the accident and emergency department, pausing outside a curtained cubical. The nurse pulled the curtain open and ushered Kate in. Adam was lying still on the hospital bed, Kate rushed to his side.
"It looked worse than it was..." The nurse stood on the opposite side of Adam's bed. "The knife hit one of his ribs, that pushed the blade out of his body. Half an inch either way and..." She stopped, leaving the words hanging.
"Adam?" Kate took his hand, the slow beep of the heart monitor punctuated the silence. He remained still and silent. Kate reached up and wiped her eyes.
"He was pumped with a lot of morphine." The nurse glanced at Adam's notes. "Mrs Bishop, it will take time but he will recover." She took Kate's hand. "Look you have had a long day, he will be sleeping. I can get some transport arranged to take you home.
Kate shook her head. "I want to be with him."
"I understand. He will being moved to the wards soon, you will be more comfortable up there, it is a lot quieter."
***
Adam woke dazed and in pain. He cried out confused by the oxygen mask on his face and the tubes running into the back of his hand. "Shhh..." Kate placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'll call the nurse." Kate pushed the call button.
"Hello..." Adam pushed off the mask.
"How are you?" Kate shrugged. "Sorry stupid question..."
Adam smiled faintly. "Bloody sore..." He paused. "Sorry..."
"What?"
"For scaring you. For getting injured."
"Adam, you saved my life!" Kate sighed. She leant over and kissed him.
***
The taxi pulled up outside the cottage, Kate thanked the driver and stumbled out of the car. Adam had quickly fallen asleep after they had talked, Kate had stayed for sometime before the nurses told her that she had better go home, not least as she had dozed off in the chair beside his bed.
She was exhausted, fumbling with her key in the front door. She wanted to have some sleep before returning to the hospital later, she would have to ignore the yard and hope that the staff were coping in their absence.
Kate pushed the door open, dragging her boots off she stepped onto the stairs. Suddenly she froze, there was the sound of movement from the kitchen. Kate gently pushed open the door to the front room and crept in grabbing the poker from the fireplace as she passed through.
Kate edged into the kitchen, she saw the woman standing with her back to the door. Kate raised the poker. "What the hell are you doing in my house?" she screamed at the woman.
Kate gasped as Caroline turned around. "Kate… Please help me..." She shuddered. "Help me..."
"Help you?" Kate felt a flood of anger course through her body. She swung the poker towards her catching her on the arm. Caroline yelped in pain staggering back. "You tried to kill Adam!" Kate paused as she saw a flicker of confusion in Caroline's eyes.
"What?" She sobbed. "What have I done?" Caroline looked up, I don't remember anything until I was standing in the kitchen, Adam was on the floor." She stopped. "Oh God! I had a knife..." She lurched forward.
Kate panicked and swung the poker hard, it connected with Caroline's skull with a sickening crack. Caroline hit the stone floor hard bleeding heavily from her head, she was silent and still.
Kate dropped the poker with a clatter staring at Caroline's body. "Oh God!" She felt a sudden cold flush her body. "I've killed her..." Panicking she turned and walked out of the room blindly.
***
Adam woke with a start. "Hello..." Kate was standing over him as he lay in the hospital bed. "What's wrong?"
"Why should there be anything wrong?
" Kate laughed nervously.
"Kate I know you too well..." Adam smiled faintly. "What has happened."
"I've killed Caroline." Kate blurted.
"Wow, my concussion must be pretty bad. I though you said that you had..." His voice faded as Kate started crying.
"I hit her with the poker."
"Whoa... Start from the beginning."
"I left here and when I got home she was waiting for me, she was in the kitchen."
"So this was self-defence?" Adam paused. "Did she attack you?"
Kate paused. "No, she was just there... She looked scared. Oh God Adam what have I done?"
Adam blinked. He was still on a strong dose of powerful painkillers, this must be some hallucination. He smiled, yes he was imagining this and the next time he woke Kate would be with him and it would all be okay again. He felt his eyelids getting heavy, he let them close and he slipped from consciousness.
***
Kate parked the Land Rover and walked towards the cottage. She had no idea what to do as she slowly opened the cottage door, tears running down her face. The house was silent. She closed the door behind her and walked into the front room, the kitchen door was still open, she could see the poker lying on the stone floor where she had dropped it.
Kate apprehensively walked towards the door, nudging it open slowly. She gasped as she saw that the kitchen was empty. Looking around she noticed that the back door was ajar. Kate opened the door and stepped out into the garden, there was dark spots of blood tracing a line along the garden path. Kate slowly followed the marks to the top of the garden.
In the top corner of the garden was a small shed, it housed some garden tools but was otherwise unused. Kate pulled the door open. Caroline was slumped on a box in a dark corner of the shed, Kate walked towards her. Caroline was silent, her eyes closed. Kate reached out and touched her.
Caroline woke suddenly her eyes flicking open, blinking in the bright light. She cried out as she saw Kate reaching for her. Shocked Kate staggered back falling heavily on the old tools and empty sacks stacked in the corner of the shed. "Caroline, you're alive!" Kate sobbed. "I am so sorry..."