Page 34 of The Perfect Hosts
“Did you see anything strange or anyone acting suspiciously?” Jamie asks and then there’s a tap on the office door.
“Sully, honey,” comes a voice. “What’s going on?”
Jamie turns around in his chair as a woman a good thirty years younger than Sully leans against the doorway. She’s dressed in yoga pants and holds an arm in a bright pink cast close to her body.
“This is Agent Saldano with the ATF,” Sully says. “And this is my wife, Mia.”
“You were injured in the explosion?” Jamie asks.
“Yes,” Mia says. “It was terrifying. One minute everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves, and the next I’m flat on my face with a broken wrist.”
“That’s too bad,” Jamie says. “But I’m glad you weren’t injured more seriously. Exactly where were you when the barn exploded?”
“Sully and I weren’t next to each other,” Mia explains, “but I was standing with a group of women off to the right of Wes and Madeline. The barn was behind me. Wes and Madeline were aiming the shotgun at the truck in the field. They pulled the trigger, and it exploded. A few seconds later I heard another big boom and was knocked to the ground.”
“By the explosion?” Jamie asks.
“I don’t think so,” Mia says. “It happened so fast, but I think in the panic, someone knocked into me. A bunch of us went down like dominoes.”
“How about you?” Jamie directs the question to Sully. “Where were you?”
“I was directly behind Wes and Madeline,” Sully says. “It was like Mia said. Everything was fine one minute, and the next there were people bleeding all over the place.”
“But you weren’t injured?” Jamie asks, scanning.
“Miraculously, no,” Sully says. “But Dix Drake wasn’t so lucky. I tried to stop the bleeding, but he was in pretty bad shape by the time the EMTs arrived.”
“Any idea what hospital they took Dix to?” Jamie asks, remembering that his family was looking for him.
“No. No idea,” Sully says. “You mean you can’t find him?”
Jamie ignores the question and instead says, “Tell me about bute.” Mia and Sully exchange glances.
“So Wes did talk to you,” Sully says flatly.
“He’s lying,” Mia breaks in. “We would never hurt a horse, and we would never put a rider in danger.”
“It’s a—what?—tranquilizer or something?” Jamie asks, feigning ignorance.
“It’s like aspirin for horses,” Mia explains. “But we aren’t the ones who gave the horses any. We wouldn’t do that.”
Jamie knows that bute is much more than aspirin. It’s used to ease the pain caused by musculoskeletal disorders, joint disease, arthritis. He recalls Lucy saying it can also temporarily mask any issues a lame horse may have, making them easier to sell. Jamie consults his notebook again. “What about acepromazine?”
“Absolutely not!” Mia says.
“But the horses were drugged,” Jamie says. “Why? And who would do it?”
“You’d have to talk to Wes and Madeline about that. I sent them healthy horses. They should be looking at their own people, not me.” Sully takes a deep breath. “Listen,” he says, holding up his hands, “I buy and sell horses. I’m the matchmaker, the middleman. You’re looking for a certain kind of horse—racing, dressage, an old nag for the kids to learn to ride on—I’ll find you the perfect one. What I don’t do is drug horses.”
“I imagine these accusations aren’t good for business,” Jamie observes.
“I’m not worried,” Sully says, getting to his feet and coming around his desk. “I’ve been in this business for a long time. People around here know me, trust me. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’ve got a call in ten minutes.”
“Just one more question. For now,” Jamie says, remaining in his chair. “Have you ever been inside that barn?”
“The one that blew up?” Sully asks. “No, never. I’ve been in the Drake stables plenty of times, but not that barn, and if Wes tells you otherwise, he’s lying.”
Jamie stands and reaches across the desk to shake Sully’s hand. “I’ll be in touch if I have more questions.”