muscle him up so he'd be in the same shape as
Aristocrat. We didn't bother to train him, since we
planned to steal him before anyone rode him.”
“Very clever,” Nancy said, hoping to keep the man
talking. “So where is the real Aristocrat? And what can
you do with a horse that you're not supposed to have
anymore?”
Throwing back his head, Klaus laughed heartily.
“That's the best part, Miss Drew. Aristocrat is alive and
well and will soon be making me lots of money. Only
you'll have to figure that part out yourself, since we're
running out of time.” His smile faded. “No more
delays. Get over the fence and into the barn.”
Ned jumped down on the other side and waited
while Nancy climbed over. Klaus took the dogs who
had to crawl on their bellies to get under the low
board.
This is our chance to get away, Nancy thought,
casting her gaze around for a safe place. They could
run to the office, barricade themselves in, and call the
police, but the barn was fifty yards away—the dogs
would be on them in a second, Nancy realized.
“Go inside the barn, Miss Drew,” Klaus said, his
words concise and menacing. “And don't try anything.”
They crossed the grass and went into the end of the
barn where they'd first entered. Behind them, Nancy
could hear Andy talking to Klaus in a low voice, but she
couldn't catch his words. She did hear the hesitation in
his voice. Andy Brackett didn't have the guts to shoot
them, she decided. Klaus would have to do it.
Which gave her an idea.
As they passed Salut's stall, the stallion pressed his
nose against the wire door and nickered a greeting.
“Hello, my handsome boy,” Klaus crooned as if talking
to a baby.
That was when Nancy knew for sure what had
happened to Aristocrat. Gilly had been right.
She whirled to face Klaus. “Salut is Aristocrat! That
scar on his hock isn't a new injury; it's the scar Gilly
was talking about. You're passing Aristocrat off as a
new horse.”
“Quite right, Miss Drew.” Stopping in front of
Salut's stall, he waved an arm dramatically. “Meet my
new stallion, the impressive Salut, who already is
attracting so much attention that people are eager to
breed their mares to him. He's going to make me a
fortune.”
Ned's mouth had dropped open. “But how can you
pass him off as a new horse?”
“I have carefully built my excellent reputation, Mr.
Nickerson. Believe me, not one person questioned the
authenticity of the forged import papers and
registration. I have even made up a glowing show
career for the fictitious Salut.”
“But why couldn't you do that with Aristocrat? Why
pass him off as a new horse?” Nancy asked.
“Raising and training horses takes an incredible
amount of money. I need that one hundred thousand
dollar insurance money to build this farm up into a
showplace that screams success and money.' I don't
want to wait five years for my dream farm. I want it
now.”
“And you're willing to kill for it,” Nancy said in a soft
voice. The words were for Andy's benefit. She already
knew Klaus would kill. Anyone who had no qualms
about bumping off his employee and setting up
someone he called his son would be capable of killing
two people he didn't care about. If she was right, Andy
Brackett might not be so heartless.
When she glanced surreptitiously at Brackett, she
knew her hunch was right. He was shifting
uncomfortably from foot to foot, his expression one of
distress. It was then that Nancy realized the guard had
purposely bungled Gilly's “death.” He had never
intended to kill the groom.
“I don't look at it as killing, Miss Drew,” Klaus
stated. “I look at it as an investment in my future.”
Nancy pointed to Andy. “What about his future?
With two murders pinned on him, he will be hunted by
the police forever.”
“That's his problem,” Klaus retorted. “He knew
when he joined up with me that he'd be breaking the
law.”
“But murder?” Ned said dramatically, as if he knew
what Nancy was trying to do.
Andy Brackett cleared his throat. “They're right,
Klaus. Stealing a horse is one thing, but shooting—”
“Silence!” Klaus chopped the air with a hand.
Instantly the dogs stood at attention, their black eyes
trained on him. “You will obey, my stupid helper.”
Brackett gulped, but he didn't back down. “This
time I won't be silent, Schaudt. I only agreed to help
you steal—”
“How dare you disobey!” Klaus roared angrily.
Drawing back his arm, he punched the unsuspecting
guard in the jaw. Nancy stifled a gasp as Andy
staggered backward, hit the stall wall, and slumped to
the floor, dazed.
Nancy raised her eyes to Klaus, whose face was red
with fury.
“No one disobeys me,” he thundered. Then an eerie
grin spread slowly over his face. “Actually this is
perfect. I can say I came into the barn just as Brackett
shot you. To save my own life and apprehend the killer,
I sent the dogs after him.”
“You'll never get away with it,” Ned said.
“And who's going to stop me, Mr. Nickerson? Texel
and his clowns? Now, get in that stall or I'll give the
dogs the signal to turn you into hamburger.”
Nancy and Ned backed into the stall, Klaus moving
with them. As he passed Andy's body, he snorted
disdainfully. “The man will be better off dead anyway.
He's such a mouse, he would have ruined everything.”
He chuckled and gave his stunned accomplice a kick.
Deep growls came from the throats of both dogs.
Nancy froze, staring at the rottweilers in horror. The
two dogs were glaring at Klaus with undisguised
hatred.
Klaus didn't seem to notice. “Sit,” he ordered, but
the dogs ignored him. The hair rose on their backs.
Their teeth gleamed in the dim light. Only then did the
blood drain from Klaus's face as he finally realized the
dogs were not going to obey him.
Beside her, Ned squeezed Nancy's shoulder. She
looked at him, and he nodded toward the barn doors.
She knew what he was signaling. While the dogs were
distracted, she and Ned had to make a break for it. It
was their only chance.
“Sit!” Klaus hollered again. He backed away from
the dogs, his attention momentarily off the teens.
Grabbing Nancy's hand, Ned took off for the barn
doors.
“Zeus! Apollo! Attack!” Klaus yelled, and an instant
later the roar of the dogs followed by the trainer's
hoarse scream filled the barn.
15. Winners!
“Don't look back!” Ned warned as he and Nancy ran
toward the Mustang.
As they reached the car, the wail
of sirens filled the air.
Glancing up the drive, Nancy saw two police cars
and Texel's truck fly over the hill. With a gasp of relief,
she sagged against the Mustang.
Ned ran toward the cars, waving his hands in the air.
They screeched to a halt, and two Iowa State Highway
Patrol officers jumped out.
“Inside the barn,” Ned told them breathlessly. “The
dogs have Klaus Schaudt, the owner of the farm.
Schaudt's partner is in there, too. He's injured.”
“Don't hurt the dogs!” Nancy cried. “They saved our
lives.”
The officers jogged into the barn just as Texel
lumbered over. “What in tarnation is going on?” he
thundered.
“Klaus was behind the theft of the horse,” Nancy
explained.
Texel didn't look surprised. “I never liked that
pompous snob,” he muttered as he headed for the barn
doors.
“Only it wasn't Aristocrat that was stolen,” Nancy
continued, striding beside him. “They substituted a
horse that looked just like him.”
This stopped Texel in his tracks. “What?”
“It's a long story,” Ned said. “When we figured out
his scheme, Klaus decided to get rid of us—
permanently.”
Texel glowered. “That snake. Come on. I want to
make sure my officers get them.”
Ned and Nancy followed him into the barn. Andy
Brackett was still slumped against the stall wall, holding
a handkerchief to his bleeding lip. The dogs stood over
him, licking his face and whining.
On the other side of the aisle, Klaus stood facing the
wall, his head down. His shirt had been torn to shreds.
One of the police officers was cuffing his hands.
When Klaus turned and saw Nancy and Ned, he
barked, “That's them. They're the ones you should be
arresting. They broke into my barn and tried to steal—
—”
“Save it for your lawyer, Schaudt,” Texel snapped.
“Because you're going to need one. Your groom
already pointed the finger at you.”
“Gilly's conscious?” Nancy asked excitedly.
“Yup. She told us that when she discovered the
horse at the show wasn't Aristocrat, she knew right
away that Schaudt had to be involved. Then Lee Anne
mentioned that you'd asked her for directions to
Schaudt's farm. That's why we were able to arrive just
in time.”
“How did Gilly figure out that Klaus was the thief?”
Ned wondered.
“She knew that the only thing the guy loves besides
money and himself is that horse,” Texel explained. “So
she figured there was no way anyone could have
switched animals without him knowing.”
“Bah,” Klaus spat. “The blow on Gilly's head addled
her brain. I'm telling you it was Brackett all along. He
was in it with these two juvenile delinquents, so don't
believe a word any of them say.”
Texel only shook his head. “Klaus, you've been
giving orders for so long, it's hard for you to believe
that, for once, no one's going to jump when you bark.
Especially since Gilly said she saw you the night she
got whacked on the head.”
Klaus's face turned white. “Nonsense!” he sputtered.
“It was Brackett. He knew about the rasp in Michael's
trunk. He sneaked into the stall and hit Gilly before
she even saw him.”
“Brackett may have whacked her, but she did see
you. Before she lost consciousness, she spotted you
smirking outside the stall.” Texel jerked his head to the
two officers. “Get him out of here, and then come get
Brackett. Take them to the county police station. I'll be
there in a minute, and we'll see how many charges
Iowa and Illinois can pin on them.”
Flanking Klaus, the two officers led him out of the
barn. Nancy could hear his bellowing protests the
whole way.
“What will happen to Andy Brackett?” Ned asked.
The guard was still slumped on the floor, the two dogs
lying by his side.
“He did try to save our lives,” Nancy pointed out.
“We'll see how willing he is to talk,” Texel said. “If
Brackett gives us enough information to nail Klaus as
the mastermind, maybe the police will go easy on him.
Personally I want to see the greedy Herr Schaudt go to
jail for a long time.”
“Me, too,” Nancy said.
“Curio has never looked better,” Nancy told Lee
Anne Monday morning. The two were sitting on the
hillside, watching Michael and Curio perform a
fabulous test. “You did a great job of keeping him in
shape for Michael.”
“Thanks,” Lee Anne said, but her attention was on
Michael and Curio. The duo had completed a high-
stepping trot in place. Bursts of enthusiastic clapping
from the audience had accompanied each movement
the horse performed, so Nancy figured the pair must
be doing well.
Nancy had to give Michael some credit. Yesterday
afternoon, when he got out of jail, his mind had been
focused on only one thing—riding this test. Nancy
hadn't liked the way he ignored everything and
everybody, but she finally understood that it was the
only way he was able to emerge a winner.
Glancing to her left, she scanned the crowd. Bess
and Ned had gone to pick up Gilly from the hospital
while Nancy helped Michael and Lee Anne with the
horses. Even though the doctors had told Gilly to go
home to rest, the groom had insisted on coming to the
event.
Nancy saw Ned, Bess, and Gilly on the opposite side
of the arena. Gunter had joined the trio as they
watched the last minutes of Michael's test. When Gilly
spotted Nancy, she waved excitedly. Except for the
white bandage wrapped on her head, the groom looked
great.
Michael trotted Curio into the center of the arena,
halted, and saluted the judge. With a roar of approval,
the crowd stood and applauded him.
“That was the best test he's ever ridden!” Lee Anne
exclaimed, tears of happiness and pride filling her eyes.
“I'm going down to join him.”
She ran ahead. Nancy made her way through the
horses, riders, and spectators until she found Gilly,
Bess, Gunter, and Ned. “You look great!” she told
Gilly.
“So did Michael,” Gilly said. “I need to find him and
congratulate him.”
“And I need to apologize to him,” Nancy murmured.
Putting an arm around her shoulders, Ned gave her
a squeeze. “You didn't put Michael in jail, Nan. The
evidence did.”
The two went over to the edge of the crowd where
Michael had halted Curio. When he dismounted, he
was grinning.
“Perfect ride!” Lee Anne exclaimed when she ran up
to him. Nancy half expected Michael to scoff at her.
Instead, he
wrapped his arms around her, pulled her
close, and gave her a big kiss.
“Thanks to you,” he said when he straightened up.
Lee Anne blushed bright red.
“One thing jail did for me was give me plenty of
time to think,” he told her. “I know I need to
concentrate on my riding to win, but I also decided
that riding isn't the only important thing in life.”
“Good attitude,” Gunter said. He offered Michael
his hand. “Which makes for a good ride,” he added.
Still grinning, Michael accepted the handshake and
the compliment.
Nancy let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to see
that Michael was human after all.
When Lee Anne went off with him and Curio,
Nancy turned to Gilly. “Thank you for saving our lives.
If you hadn't told Texel everything you knew, Ned and
I would have been dog food.”
Gilly squeezed Nancy's hand. “Thank you. If you
hadn't come into the barn when you did, I think Klaus
would have come into the stall and killed me.” Her face
grew pale. “I'll never forget the evil smirk on his face
when I saw him outside the stall that morning. He
looked possessed.”
“He was,” Ned said. “With greed.”
Gunter shook his head. “It's so horrible to see what
greed can do to a person. Herr Schaudt had a
wonderful reputation. His ex-wife, Ruth, is still in
Germany. She is one of the country's top trainers.”
“Michael knows her,” Gilly said. “He already called
and told her what had happened. She's flying in
tonight.”
“I hope not to bail Klaus out,” Bess sputtered
angrily.
“No. To help keep the two farms running,” Gilly
explained. “Michael hopes she will take them over.”
Gunter nodded. “She would be the one to do it. She
will take good care of her horses and her employees.”
“What's going to happen to Klaus?” Bess asked.
“We don't know yet.” Just then Nancy spotted Texel
lumbering across the showgrounds. “Texel might have
an update.”
“Good news!” he called as he approached the teens.
“Between Andy Brackett's testimony and Gilly's, we
should have enough to put Klaus away for a good long
time.”
Nancy grinned. Ned punched the air with his fist.
“Yes!”
“Andy will be charged with assault,” Texel went on.
“But that's nothing compared to attempted murder.”
“So everything's wrapped up,” Nancy said. She knew