Carleton Phipps. Who fortunately was free for lunch. He invited her to his home since his boys were with him. Jackie had never visited Fiona’s farm in Suffering Pines before. Smaller that her Virginia expanse, the farm was nonetheless breathtaking. Old money, class, taste, and more money was evident everywhere.
Once the simple but tasteful fare had been consumed and the boys sent outdoors to play, Jackie explained the latest in a lenghtening list of odd occurances. Carleton listened thoughfully, not interupting, never dismissing as outlandish the car that continually pasted the farm, or the slashing of her tack. The kidnapping of Destiny caused him to gasp, and he was very interested in the mutilated picture of Diane Amos.
He filled her in with the little he knew about Heath (he walked up to the farm one day, looking the way he does now, and asked for a job. One of Eric’s fractious fillys took a shine to him and he’s been with him ever since. Nobody knows where he’s from) and Ruth (good kid, came with references from Virginia, but left there in a hurry though).
About Eric, Carleton was very careful to say nothing that could be taken negitively. As a competing trainer, it would be poor sportsmanship to say much of anything at all about him, other than what was known to the general public. But he did disclose his doubts about the meeting between Fiona, Erik and Diane Amos. He said candidly,
"I can’t imagine what Miss Ford would have to say to either of them. The remark I overheard meant nothing at the time. Something about “that horse and money” is all I can remember. "
Jackie pounced on the remark, “Now do you think they were talking about Destiny?” He shrugged.
“The only horse Miss Ford is really interested in right now is called “lovey” or something like it. It was a colt we bred here, nice from day one. Looked like his Momma, colorwise, but you could see English Lord in him.”
Dregging her memory, Jackie asked, “English Lord was Fiona’s stallion wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” Carleton replied. “A great one. Though his fillies were better known, his sons were good too. I think Miss Ford wanted to keep him as a stud prospect, but a friend of her’s fell in love with him as a foal and persuaded Fiona to sell him to her. We kept him here, gelded him, and sent him to the training barn as a 2 yearold.”
Jackie was puzzled, “Surely she knows where her training barn is? Why is she looking for him?”
“The friend sent a letter saying the horse was to be moved while Fiona was in Kentucky. A van came, took him away. When Miss Ford came back, she tried calling her friend and was told the friend was very ill. Soon after, we heard the woman had died and no one in the family knew where the horse was.”
Carleton poured Jackie some more iced tea and said, “I think Miss Ford wanted to buy him back out of respect for her friend. The foal meant alot to both of them. Even if he couldn’t be used as a stallion. That’s just the kind of classy lady she is.”
Perhaps it was the stronger brand of tea he used but a small, albeit dim, lightbulb was peaking through the fear-inspired fog of Jackie’s brain. “This friend, it wasn’t Madeline Evers-Oftinhead, was it? She’s the woman who left me her fortune!”
Suddenly the air was still as the ramifications shot through both their brains. “What did “Lovey” look like, Carleton?”
“I don’t remember, it was several years ago and we have a ton of bay foals every year.” He reached out for Jackie’s hand.
“Jackie, you must be very careful…”
[This message has been edited by Kryswyn (edited 08-10-2000).]
