"Right,"Isaid.
Frenchwater,pureandsweetfromsprings,wasgoodforhorses.Suchastopwouldbeunremarkable.
"Azizaskedfortomorrowoff,"Isobelsaid."Hedoesn"twanttodrivetomorrow.Somethingtodowithhisreligion."
"Hisreligion?"
"That"swhathesaid."
"He"sarogue.Whereishenow?"
"OnhiswaybackfromtakinghorsestoDoncastersales."
Isighed.Religionsweredifficulttoarguewith,butAzizwa.s.stillarogue,ifnotsomethingworse.
"Anythingelse?"
"MrUsheraskedifwe"dcollectedthecolt.Itoldhimhe"dbeinPixhillbysixtomorrowevening,iftherewerenoferrydelays."
"Thanks."
"Fingerscrossed,"Isobelsaid.
"Mm."
"Youlookawfullyworried,"shesaid.
"It"sthisJoggerbusiness."
Shenoddedinunderstanding.Thepolice,shesaid,hadbeenirritatedtofindsomanydriversawayoutontheroad.
"Theydon"tseemtorealisewe"veabusinesstorun,"shesaid."Theythinkweshouldalldowntools.Itoldthemwecouldn"t."
"Thanksagain."
"Getsomesleep,"shesaidimpulsively,youngbutnofool.
"Mm."
Itriedtotakeheradvice.Concussionnolongerdidthetrick.IlayawakethinkingofLewisstoppingsomewheretofillthecanswithFrenchwater.Ihopedtoh.e.l.lNinawouldkeepherheaddownandhereyes-partially-shut.
OnWednesdaymorningIsawoffthelorriesgoingoutagaintoDoncaster,wheretheFlatracingseasonwouldopenthenextday.TheMarchmeetingofDoncastersalesandraceswerethestartofCroftRaceways"busiesttime:wewereenteringsixmonthsofwork,work,improvisationandscramble,anatmosphereIusuallyloved.Jugglingthenumberofboxes,thenumberofdrivers,againsttheprospectsofprofitability:normallyitexcitedme,b.u.t.thisweeksofarIcouldbarelyconcentrate.
"Thewholefleet,"Isobelsaid,cheeringly,"willberollingtomorrow."
IcaredonlythatLewiswouldrollhometoday.
Atnine,whenthetelephonerangforthenthtime,Isobelansweredit,frowning.
"Aziz?"shesaid."Justamoment."Sheputherhandoverthereceiver."What"s"holdon"inFrench?"
"Nequittezpas,"Isaid.
Isobelrepeated"Nequittezpas"intotheinstrumentandrosetoherfeet."It"saFrenchman,forAziz."
"Heisn"theretoday,"Isaid.
Sherepliedoverhershouldera.s.shewentthroughthedoor,"He"sinthecanteen."
AzizcameinhurriedlyandpickedupthereceiverfromIsobel"sdesk.
"Oui...Aziz.Oui."HelistenedandspokerapidlyinFrench,stretchingoutahandforapieceofmemopaperandapencil."Out.Oui.Merci,Monsieur.Merci."Azizwrotecarefully,thankedhisinformantprofusely,andputthephonebackinitscradle.
"AmessagefromFrance,"hesaidunnecessarily.Hepushedthememosheettowardsme."ItseemsNinaaskedthemantophonehere.Shegavehimmoneyforthephonecallandanaddress.Thisisit."
Itookthepaperandreadthescantwords."EcurieBonneChance,presdeBelley".
"GoodLuckStables,"Aziztranslated."NearBelley."
Hegavemetheusualbrilliantsmileandsmartlylefttheoffice.
"IthoughtAzizhadthedayoff,"IsaidtoIsobel.
Sheshrugged."Hesaidhedidn"twanttodrive.HewasherealreadyinthecanteenwhenIarrivedforwork.Readinganddrinkingtea.Hesaid,"Goodmorning,darlin"."
Isobelfaintlyblushed.
IlookedattheFrenchaddressandphonedtheJockeyClub.PeterVenablesmusthavebeensittingthere,waiting.
"NinasentanaddressviaaFrenchman,"Itoldhim."EcurieBonneChance,nearBelley.CanyouaskyourequivalentsinFranceforanyinformationabout.i.t?"
"Spellit."
Ispelledit."AziztookthemessageinFrench,"Isaid.
"Good."Hesoundeddecisive."I"llaskmyFrenchcolleaguesandphoneyouback."
Isatforafewsecondslookingatthetelephoneafterhe"ddisconnected,andthenwentandfoundAzizinthecanteenandinvitedhimintotheopenair.
"What"syourreligion?"Iasked,outinthefarmyard.
"Er..."Hegavemeasidewayslookwithhisbrighteyes,thesmileuntroubled.
"DoyouworkfortheJockeyClub?"Iaskedflatly.
Thesmilesimplybroadened.
Iturnedawayfromhim.PatrickVenables,Ithoughtbitterly,andNinaalso,hadtrustedmesolittlethatthey"dsentanotherundercoverman,oneIwouldn"tknowof,tomakesureIwasn"tmyselfthevillainIpurportedtobelookingfor.AzizhadturnedupthedayafterJoggerdied.IsupposeIshouldn"thaveminded,butIdid.
"Freddie,"Aziztookastepandgraspedmysleeve,"listen."Thesmilehadfaded."PatrickwantedNinatohaveback-up.Isupposeweshouldhavetoldyou,but..."
"Stickaround,"Isaidbriefly,andreturnedtomyoffice.
Anhourlater,PatrickVenablescameontheline.
"Firstofall,IthinkIoweyouanapology,"hesaid."ButI"mcurious.HowdidyousussoutAziz?Hephonedtosayyou"drumbledhim."
"Littlethings,"Iexplained."He"s...o...b..ightforthejob.I"llbetheneverdroveforaracingstable.ThephonecallerfromFranceaskedforhimspecifically,whichmeantNinahadarrangedforAziztobeavailable.Andyou,yourself,didn"taskwhoAzizwaswhenImentionedhim."
"DearG.o.d."
"Asyousay."
"EcurieBonneChance,"hesaid,"isasmallstablerunbyaminorFrenchtrainer.TheownerofthepropertyisBenjaminUsher."
"Ah."
"ThepropertyissouthofBelleyandissituatedneartheRiverRhonewheretheriverrunsfromeasttowest,beforeturningsouthatLyons."
"Verythorough,"Icommented.
TheFrenchknownothingagainsttheplace.Theyhavehadsomesickhorsesthere,butnonehavedied."
"Thankyouverymuch."
"Ninainsistedongoingonthejourney,"hesaid,"andshewasadamantwedon"tinterceptyourboxonitswayback."
"Pleasedon"t."
"Ihopeyouknowwhatyou"redoing."
Ihopedsotoo.
IphonedGuggenheim."Ican"tpromise,"Isaid,"butflydownandcometothefarmyardtoday,inataxi,andbringsomethingtocarryasmallanimalin."
"Rabbit?"heaskedhopefully.
"Pray,"Isaid.
Thehourscrawled.
LewisphonedIsobeleventuallyintheafternoonandsaidtheyhadcrossedontheferryandwereleavingDover.
AfteranotherslowhourIsobelandRosewenthomeandIlockedtheofficeandwentovertotheFourtrak,startingtheengine.Thepa.s.sengerdooropened,withAzizstandingthere.
"CanIcomewithyou?"hesaid.Brighteyes.Nosmile.
Ididn"timmediatelyanswer.
"You"llbesaferifIdo.Noone,anyway,willhityouontheheadwhenyou"renotlooking."
Imadeanon-committalgestureandheswungintotheseatbesideme.
"You"regoingtomeetNina,aren"tyou?"heasked.
"Yes."
"Whatdoyouexpectwillhappen?"
Idroveoutoftheyard,turnedoutofthevillageanddroveuphilltoaplacewhereonecouldlookdownonPixhillbelow.
"Lewis,"Isaid,"shouldcomeoverthebrowofthatfarhillanddriveintoBenjyUsher"syard.Ifhedoes,I"lldrivedowntheretomeetthem.Ifhegoesanywhereelsewecanseethatfromheretoo."
"Wheredoyouthinkhemightgo?"
"Idon"tknowhowmuchyouknow."
"Ninasaidthemethodwascomplicatedb.u.t.thesimplematteristhatsomeoneisbringingsicknesstoPixhill"shorses."
"Roughly,yes."
"Butwhy?"
"PartlytomakeacertaincategoryofraceseasiertowinbymethodicallyinfectingallthehorsesofthatcategorythatcanbegotatinPixhill."Ipaused."HalvetherunnersintheChesterVase,forinstance,andyoumoreorless...o...b..eyourchancesofwinning.ThereareseldommorethansixorsorunnersintheChesterVase,ortheDanteStakesatYork.Theyareniceprestigiousraces.Winningthemputsatraineringoodstandingintheprofession."
Azizsatdigestingtheimplications."Ablanketillness?"hesaid.
"Occurringhereandthere,"Inodded."It"snotliken.o.bblingthefavouritefortheDerby."
"IrkabAlhawa,"hesaid."RidetheAir."
"RidetheWind."
"No,"hesaid,"inArabicitmeans"ridetheair".It"sthewayjockeysride,standinginthestirrups,sittingonair,notthesaddle."
"Ridethewind"sbetter,"Isaid.
"Butyoudon"tthinkanyone"sgoingtomakethathorsesick?"
AfterapauseIsaid,"Lewisdidn"tkillJogger,hewasinFrance.Idon"tthinkLewisdestroyedmycarortookanaxetomyhouse.I"msureLewisdidn"tcrashtheharddiskinmycomputer.AsIsaid,thatSundayhewasinFrance."
"Hecouldn"thavedoneit,"Azizagreed.
"IthoughtIwasupagainsttwoforces,"Isaid."Muscleandmoney.b.u.t.there"sathird."
"Whatisit?"
"Malice."