Driving Force Part 39

'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.'