Mystery at Saddle Creek Read Online Free Page A

me.
    Yeah? In the middle of the woods, smelling crazy? I know crazy and he’s crazy.
    You’re crazy! You ran off like a lunatic. I’m so mad I could, I could ...
    You could what? You never hit animals so don’t pretend. And Hannah said there was a bad man out there.
    Bird stared at him. “Good grief.” She slowly sat down on the gravel driveway. The man in the woods looked just like the sketch.
What if you’re right, Sunny? What if I’d made us stop and he’d attacked me?
    The big horse snorted and nuzzled Bird’s hair.
Okay, maybe I didn’t think of that ‘til now. Maybe I ran because I was scared.
    But maybe your fear saved us. I guess I’ll have to tell Hannah what happened.
    She’ll be upset.
    You have no idea, Sunny.

3
    Â 
    THE WILD MAN
    Tan had not intended to scare the girl with the beautiful horse. He’d only wanted to talk to her. The sound of something moving had woken him up. First, he’d listened to the noises of leaves rustling and twigs snapping. Then, he’d seen movement through the trees. A gorgeous chestnut horse was striding down the trail with a girl on its back. Tan had studied the girl’s face; there was peace in her eyes. He saw something else, too—something that he couldn’t define. Suddenly he knew that he could trust her with his secret. He wanted to tell her about all the blood, and explain how it had happened—he’d need her help if they caught him. And they’d try. People always blamed him. And that man. That man had seen Tan, and Tan had seen him, and the man knew it. Maybe they were stalking him now. He looked at the girl again. She wouldn’t betray him. He could tell her about the morning. He must tell her. She would help. He’d stepped out of the bushes and—in an instant— the girl and the horse were gone.
    HANNAH HAD BEEN every bit as upset as Bird had predicted. Maybe more. She’d yelled about safety and choices and reckless behaviour. And about breaking promises in general, and about her going down the Escarpment in particular. Hannah had never yelled at her like that, and Bird felt awful, mostly because Hannah was right.
    But today was a new day, a fresh start, and Bird vowed to behave herself. Liz had ended up staying the night, and now Julia, Liz, Hannah and Bird were in the barn, saddling up for a light schooling and maybe a short hack. Bird was half listening to the younger girls’ rambling conversation as she worked.
    â€œSo, want to hear something weird?” asked Liz as she bent down to pick dirt and pebbles out of Timmy’s foot.
    â€œSure.” Julia brushed Sabrina’s thick white tail.
    â€œWhen I called my Mom this morning, know what she said?”
    â€œHow could I?” Julia grimaced at her friend.
    â€œYou’re never going to guess.”
    â€œJust tell me!”
    â€œYou know that sketch the police brought here last night?” Liz straightened up and looked at her friend. “When they came to our house, Mom told them it looked like Phil.”
    â€œYou thought so, too.”
    â€œI know, but at least I feel better now. And there’s something else.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œJeremy, who lives next door, told
me
that his mother told
him
Phil didn’t retire on purpose. He was
forced
to retire. He did something bad.”
    Now Bird was listening with both ears.
    â€œWhat did he do?” asked Julia.
    â€œI asked Mom. She said it was something that seemed bad but really wasn’t. She said the person who accused Phil made it all up, but because it looked bad they made him resign.”
    â€œWow.” Julia stopped brushing her pony. “I wonder what it was.”
    Hannah had been listening, too, and now she offered a word of advice. “You know, girls, this is serious. Let’s get the facts straight before we pass on gossip. Liz, your neighbour might have no idea what he’s talking