Chapter Six

Dyna dropped the blanket away and stared over at Rico. “What are you implying?”

Rico didn’t want to alarm her, but what was left of the small barn indicated this was no ordinary fire. He couldn’t seem to convince her of that.

“Look around,” he said. “I don’t think this was an accident. They either wanted to send you a message or … they wanted to get rid of something. You need to make a list of all of your employees and former employees and any delivery vans or trucks that have been through here in the last few days or so.”

“That’s crazy. Hard to pin everyone down.” Brushing at her hair, she shook her head. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do this. But … I have let a couple of people go lately and no, they weren’t happy about it.”

“If this was intentional, you’ll need to question anyone and everyone.”

Putting a hand to her head, she started pacing. “Like you said, we need to wait and hear what the fire department finds.”

Rico stopped her, a hand on her arm. “Yes, but … you also need to be aware. I joined the army right out of high school and went straight to Afghanistan. I’ve seen explosions like this. Too many times.”

Her gaze held his and softened. “Edwin didn’t mention you’ve served in the military.”

“Not important,” he said, shrugging it off. “The point is, my gut is telling me this was planned for tonight when everyone had settled down for the day.”

Glancing at the ruined barn, she asked, “Why would someone want to do this?” Then she remembered the strange phone call she’d had earlier.

“Maybe as a distraction,” he suggested. “Or like I said, maybe to hide or destroy something that could incriminate them.”

“You’re not making any sense and I don’t have time to discuss this. I’m going to find the fire chief and see what he thinks.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No,” she said, whirling so fast her hair flew out around her shoulders. “You go and check on Domino. After all, he’s the reason you’re here.”

Being put in his place, Rico nodded and stalked past the burned-out building. He did need to stop poking in her business and get back to focusing on Domino. But … what had happened here tonight indicated a lot more was wrong here than an ornery rodeo horse. Someone had verbally threatened her on the phone and now a burned down building. What more did she need to convince her?

When he ran into one of the firemen, he called the man over. “What do you think happened?”

“Hard to say just yet,” the exhausted, sweating man said. “But if I could make a guess, I’d say arson.”

When the fireman hesitated, Rico pressed him. “It sounded like an explosion of some sort to me. Would I be right on that?”

“Like I said, we’re still working on the source,” the other man replied. “But … yeah … you could possibly be right on that.”

That was enough of a confirmation to convince Rico that something sinister was going on. He’d talk to Sean when he got back to the Triple Seven tonight. Dyna might need the services of the Knight Investigation Agency.

His mind still on Dyna and his concern that someone was targeting her, he found one of the stable hands and asked where they put Domino.

The young man took him toward the back of the main stable and pointed to the west. “We managed to get him into a separate corral but it took several of us. Left him with Eddie. The last practice arena before the big pasture. The horses were all kind of skittish after that fire started but Domino was really antsy. Eddie threw a towel over his head and managed to rope him long enough to get him moved. Once they were on the lane, Domino calmed down some.” He glanced out the door. “You can take the Rhino to the corral. Just follow the lane to the left. It’s lit up pretty good.”

After thanking the teenager, Rico headed down the long empty aisle of the main stable, checking each stall just in case Domino had wandered back here. No horses in the stalls, but a couple of hands nodded to him in passing as they went about their tasks. Could one of them know something about that fire?

Spotting the off-road vehicle the young man had mentioned, Rico hopped on it and cranked the dust-covered machine. He drove past the turnouts and practice arenas nearest the stables and soon was in open country. When he came up on the arena the groom had mentioned, he glanced around in the muted light.

No Domino and no Eddie. Where were the horse and the groom?

Rico called the stable number Dyna had given him in her email.

“Is Eddie Anderson back up there?” he asked, his gut roiling with concern.

“He was here an hour ago,” one of them said. “But he’s supposed to be watching Domino.”

“Domino and Eddie are not at the practice arena,” Rico said. “Call in the other hands. He could have bolted and maybe Eddie went after him.”

Rico ended that call and then hit Dyna’s personal number. He dreaded it, but he’d have to tell her that Domino was nowhere to be found.

When she didn’t answer, he got back on the Rhino and headed back toward the stables. No sign of Eddie or Domino anywhere in-between. Now he had to wonder if the explosion had been a distraction. Had someone taken Domino?

* * *

Dyna stood staring at the charred remains of the burned down barn. Thankful that the main stable was intact since they’d completely renovated it four years ago, she turned to go and check on the other building that was set away from the main stable and this one. While the third barn didn’t contain stables, it did hold a lot of farm and livestock equipment, the farrier’s work space and a turnout for any horses her farrier Sandie Benton might need to work on.

Sandie, who lived in a small cabin on the property, had taken a few days off, so the building was closed up tight and only a few people had keys. Her friend, one of the few female farriers in this area, would want to double-check everything when she returned next week.

“Hey, Dyna.”

She turned to find Jonah coming toward her. “They’ve got the fire contained but they’ve called in the fire inspector. Still can’t find out what caused the explosion.”

“So it was an explosion?” she asked, remembering Rico’s words to her earlier.

“That’s what I’m hearing,” Jonah replied. “Why don’t you go rest and let us worry about it.”

“No,” she said, wondering where Rico was. Her watch showed ten P.M. No wonder her stomach was churning. She’d last eaten at breakfast. “I’m going to check on the farrier barn and make sure all of our equipment and supplies are intact.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jonah offered, walking along beside her.

Dyna was too tired to argue with him. Jonah was her right hand man so he had every reason to help her inspect the barn.

“What a day,” she said. “First, Rico Knight comes to take a gander at Domino and now … an explosion. I have no idea what’s going on around here.”

“Odd that this happened right after he showed up,” Jonah said before pulling out his key ring to unlock the big barn doors that opened into the farrier shop.

Did Jonah suspect Rico?

“I don’t think the two are connected,” she said in Rico’s defense. “Besides, I was with him when the explosion happened. He was in my office.”

“I’m grasping at straws,” Jonah said after giving her a cool glance before they entered the muted darkness of the building. “I still don’t know why Edwin deemed it necessary to call in an outsider. I’m not a trainer but anybody can see that Domino just needs to be ridden by a well-trained saddle bronc rider. Throw him back out there and he’ll shape up.”

“Rico apparently is the best at exactly that—riding bucking horses,” she replied, wishing Jonah would drop this conversation. “He rides the animals he trains.”

Jonah didn’t comment any further. But she could feel the heat of his distrust almost as much as she’d felt the heat earlier from the fire.

“Nothing out of the ordinary here,” she said, admiring how meticulous Sandie was about her workshop and tack room. “Let’s go talk to the firemen before they leave.”

Jonah seemed relieved to be out of the farrier shop. He and Sandie didn’t always see eye to eye, mainly because fiery, red-headed Sandie didn’t like anyone telling her how to do her job.

Dyna missed her friend. Sandie was easy to talk to and understood how tough Dyna’s job could be but lately Sandie had seemed distracted about something. Dyna locked up the building. “I should call Sandie but she needed this vacation and she’d come rushing back if I tell her what happened.”

“Nothing she can do,” Jonah said. “We’ve got this covered.”

They finished up and started back toward the burned building. When she saw Rico hurrying toward them, Dyna told Jonah she’d catch up with him after she talked to Rico.

“Fine,” Jonah said with a bit too much disdain. What was it with his attitude these days?

“I’ve been trying to reach you,” Rico said, breathless.

Dyna checked her jeans pocket. “I think I left my phone near the burned-out barn.” Sensing something was up, she asked, “What is it? How is Domino?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Domino is missing.”