Chapter 10

When the Coroner's Inquest was held, the death of Edgerton was proved to be the result of his own misadventure. I was innocent of any charges, at least in the eyes of the law.

However, the press thought differently.

I had hoped, vainly I know, that the notoriety of my killing the Duke would pass us by but ... this was England, after all. Murdock and his compatriots tried to make out that I had had a torrid and tempestuous affair with the Duke. Things got worse when I wouldn't grant interviews with anyone from the media.

However, my story didn't last long on the front page. Jackie Lambert, the champion steeplechase jockey in the UK, was shot during the Gold Cup race! The press exploded with indignation, and lost interest in my story ... for a time, until it was noted that Jackie was supposed to be riding my horse: 'Thor God of War'. I had raised and trained that horse since it was a colt. Things got worse as the press began to blame me personally for the death of a favorite son. Apparently my father had not realized that I had pulled my horse and that poor Jackie was riding for someone else.

I say my father, for I was sure that since he couldn't get any of us personally, due to our heavy security, he was now targeting the horses and jockeys, it was only logical. Because of all of the notoriety and the fact that I refused to enter any of my charges in races, the owners shifted their horses to other trainers. By the end of five weeks, our yard was close to empty. Thank God that I was now rich, and could cover expenses out of my own pocket for a while. The physical yard, with all of the security, was safe; but the good will and good name that I had built was now gone, and who knew how long it would take to rebuild those.

I kept all of the lads on even though there were only the horses that I personally owned left in the yard. Well ... there were two older animals whose owners could not bear to let go. They were like beloved puppies. I had to admit that the two old mares did have great personalities! Both animals belonged to two widowed sisters. Even though they were titled, they were a bit eccentric, and very feisty; they remained faithful to me as well as to their old 'girls.' The two women would come every week to visit their 'babies' and then they would come into the house and visit with me.

One day one of them said as we chatted and sipped our coffee Royals, "Lacie, my dear, this will all blow over and then the owners will come rushing back to this yard. No one knows horses the way you do, it is quite magical, you know. Besides all of this bother will give you some caché, some spice. That cannot hurt in this business."

"Quite so! Quite so!" echoed her sister.

"The thing is, we are surprised that you are not taking a more proactive stance, here. Why are you just sitting waiting for things to come to you? You have all of that martial arts training, what would your Sensei say about sitting on your arse and waiting for the trouble to come to you? During the big war Ethel and I joined the intelligence service and went after Hitler and his minions in France. You should be doing the same."

Ethel just took another sip of her beverage, and nodded vigorously in agreement.

I just stared, open mouthed, at them. I truly couldn't picture them as spies.

"Well, child, we will leave you to mull that one over a bit. But, I expect to see some of that spunk you showed us in the past, when you argued with me about old Apollo. Moving him from the flats to jumping, that was a stroke of genius ... and me never wanting to own a jumper! You fought tooth and nail with me, girl. No one else had that kind of courage!"

Once the horses started to leave I called a meeting with the lads.

When we were all gathered in the large sitting room of the dormitory building and each person had his or her favorite drink I said, "Ok! You all have read the papers and I'm sure that you have questions..."

Willie, one of the most taciturn men that I had ever met, surprised the hell out of me by standing up and interrupting me. He spoke in a loud, clear, confident voice.

"Miss, there ain't a one of us here that believes a word that's in them papers! We knows you, and we saw those two when they came here to cause you trouble, that time. You don't have to worry 'bout us, Miss."

There was a general murmur of agreement that went around the room. As I have said before, I'm not a 'girly' girl but these rough people had me blubbering like a small child. I had to sit down. It took a few uncomfortable (the English don't show their emotions the way Americans do) minutes for me to regain control. After a couple of big gulps of my coffee I stood again as I wiped the tears away.

Still a little shaky but gaining control more and more, I then said, "Ok, lads. We have lost a lot of ground here, of late, but I'm bound and determined to regain our good name. Towards that end, I want to keep all of you on. Full pay! The only difference is that we will be doing all of those little things around here that need doing, painting, repairing, cleaning and such. Now I know that you are all horse people but what say that we make this place the best yard in the county if not the country?"

I looked around and they all, to a man, agreed to stay on and help fix the old place up.

"I would like you all to think about the yard and how you would make it better, for the animals and you lads. Talk it over. Make lists and we will see what you come up with ... and ... Thank you."

I then passed out assignments for the repairs that I had wanted to do for quite some time but was too busy to get done. All jumped to it with smiles of relief. It was then that I realized just how loyal these people were to me. Normally lads move about from yard to yard with little notice or loyalty. Here today gone tomorrow. The way these people were behaving was way above the boards!

The security teams were still doing their thing and I felt that we were safe in the yard but Annie was a worry because she needed to go to classes.

I went looking for Erica.

"Erica? May I have a word please?"

"Of course, Miss Lacie."

Even though Erica was Thomas' second and partner and the company was based in America she was very English and quite simply refused to call me by my name without prefixing it with the 'Miss.'

"Do you think that Annie's cover is sufficient?"

The woman looked me in the eye and said firmly, "No! But it is the best that we can do under the circumstances. I would be more worried for the lads when they go to town, though. THEY have NO cover and we have no way to cover them except keeping them here at the yard."

I was confused and asked, "What do mean?"

Erica looked a bit flustered and began to blush as she answered me, "Well ... Miss ... When the lads go to town they ... ah ... look for a bit of company and don't want us sitting there watching what they do, if you get my meaning Miss."

I was a bit slow on the uptake and said, "No, I don't get your meaning, Erica; I ... Oooohhhhhh ... You mean that they go to pick up someone to lay!"

"Quite right, Miss. We can provide cover before they go to the pub but then all bets are off as the lads all find a 'friendly girl' and snog her face off while getting pissed to the eyeballs. Then they move to the woman's place, to shag for the rest of the night. They really don't want us watching AND we don't wish to watch either."

"Okay, okay! I get it. You're saying that the only way I can keep them safe is to pimp for them and fill the dormitory with working girls!"

With a very distasteful expression Erica said, "I would not have put it in those words Miss but ... yes."

I sighed, sat down at the kitchen table and dropped my head into my hands.

Erica refilled my coffee cup and sat down across from me. After a moment of silence she said, "We call these people lads but they are adults one and all, Miss Lacie. They are all well aware of the risks of working here; they accept those risks because they love you and the Cutters. Whether you know it or not everyone here considers you three his or her family. In fact even my people have become emotionally involved with all of you. I have never seen anything like it before!"

I looked up at Erica and stared at her without a word.

"It is the truth, Miss," she said with a shrug and an embarrassed expression. "I cannot explain it; it just is."

"You, too?"

She just nodded, took a long pull on her tea and said, "We live lonely lives, moving from place to place but there is something different, here. Somehow, Miss, you connect to people ... even Thomas. In all of the years that we worked together, I never saw him act the way he did with you! Until the night of the Gala I didn't know that he could dance. Miss Lacie, I saw his face when he was dancing with you. That was the first time that I ever saw him looking happy, content. For what it's worth, he died HAPPY ... and you gave that to him. Most of us know that we will die while doing our job for some nasty sod, or other. You gave Thomas a great gift—he died with a smile!"

As Erica talked she just stared into the bottom of her cup contemplatively. It was as if she were talking to herself not me.

I was stabbed in the heart as Erica said these things and I said bitterly, "Then it's my fault that he is dead! I distracted him and got him killed!"

Erica's head snapped up in shock and anger as she yelled at me, "NEVER! HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL, AND WAS ALWAYS ON THE JOB! EVEN IF YOU MADE HIM HAPPY! DON'T YOU EVER AGAIN DARE TO BESMERCH HIS MEMORY BY SAYING THAT!"

Erica's anger increased with each word and by the time that she had finished she had knocked her chair over and was standing leaning on the table and looming threateningly over me.

Jean, Annie and their minders came running into the room but I raised my arm to stop them and with the flick of my hand signaled them to leave us alone.

I looked up at Erica and said softly, "You loved him too, didn't you?"

The poor woman went white as a sheet, covered her mouth with both of her hands and then broke down. She shattered, like a piece of crystal, into a thousand pieces right there in front of me! She just sagged to the floor, wailing and sobbing inconsolably. It was obvious to me that she had been holding everything inside for a very long time.

I pulled the poor woman to her feet and quickly took her to Ben's office. It was just down the hall, and next to the back door. I didn't want her people to see her in that state. I set her down in the huge wingback chair and then went to the desk. Ben always kept a bottle of good brandy in his bottom drawer, along with a couple of glasses. I poured us both a large portion and then went back to Erica. She was now crying silently but with huge body shaking sobs.

I managed to get her to drink the brandy. What happened next, was a surprise! Obviously, Erica didn't drink the strong stuff. She choked, coughed and wheezed at the 'fire' of the brandy. In fact she choked so badly, that she turned blue! I feared that she would pass out for lack of air.

I pounded her back vigorously, and she finally started to breathe normally. Quite frankly, the woman had scared me! I was beginning to fear that I would have to call for an ambulance.

With a major grimace Erica pushed the glass back into my hand as she kept trying to clear her throat.

Finally she managed to say huskily, "I don't drink!"

"Oh! I'm sorry."

"That's quite all right. The shock did help me to regain my control. Crying in public is not to be tolerated."

"WHAT? Why not?"

"Because I'm English."

I just looked at her then said, "That is pure bullshit!"

"Quite so, but still true," she said with a weak smile.

"You know that this will not be enough, don't you?"

"I expect so but the floodgates have opened and I am sure that the pillow will be wet for many a night from now on."

I squatted down in front of her and took her hands in mine. She resisted a little but my words caught her off guard.

"Erica you and I are now sisters. We both loved that man and we will need to talk things out and cry on each other's shoulders. We can help each other here regardless of the fact that you're English."

She smiled at my last comment and nodded.

"That is exactly what I was talking about, Miss Lacie. I cannot even be jealous of the fact that it was you that made him happy and not me. You have some kind of power over those that follow you. You would make a great General!"

"I doubt that Erica. However, in the evenings you and I can get together and just be women ... girly girls, if you will. We'll let our hair down with each other. None of our people need know."

"That does sound attractive," she said pensively.

Time passed and things moved on from there and we became close friends. Uncle Joe also kept me apprised of what the authorities knew of my father's movements during that time. The problem was that the authorities were always a step behind the bastard. Interpol and New Scotland Yard believed that they had found all of my father's accounts and had moved to freeze them. It was thought that father's cash supply had to be running out and because of that fact, all felt that he would be making a move soon and that the next move would be a bold one, possibly against me personally but most certainly at the yard.