Free Hot Potato by Alyssa Brugman Page A

Indebted
    'I remember now,' Lindsey blurted. 'I entered that
Gwen woman's details in the day after I came back
from hospital. I was still pretty groggy. I must have put
in Erin's mobile by mistake.'
    Good save , thought Shelby.
    Mrs Edel narrowed her eyes. 'I double-checked all
your entries. I don't remember this.'
    'I made so many mistakes, remember? You almost
gave up on me.' Lindsey pulled a silly face.
    Lindsey's mother turned her attention to Erin.
'What was that business on the phone all about?'
    'A joke?' she offered meekly.
    'Excuse me, Mrs Edel,' Hayley interrupted. 'I'm
here to give you a cheque, and Mum was wondering
if the annual barbecue was still this weekend. You
haven't put it on the noticeboard.'
    Mrs Edel glared at the girls as she flipped open her
receipt book. 'I haven't got to the bottom of this yet,
but I will!'
    She took the cheque from Hayley and scribbled out
a receipt. 'The annual barbecue. I haven't even thought
about it! Too busy.'
    Every year, just before it became too cold, Mrs
Edel held a barbecue at the stables. There was also a
Christmas party at the end of the year, but the
barbecue was more like an annual general meeting for
all the people who kept horses at the stables. It was an
opportunity for the agisters to mingle, but also to put
forward ideas and vote on future plans for the stables
– what types of new equipment, upgrades or construction
they would like to see.
    'OK, let's look in the diary here,' Mrs Edel
mumbled to herself as she flicked through the pages
and ran her fingers down the rows of dates.
    Hayley smiled slyly. Shelby couldn't tell if Hayley's
mum had really asked about the barbecue, or whether
Hayley had made it up to distract Mrs Edel and save
the girls from getting in trouble.
    'You're absolutely right. Goodness! We'd better
get organised, girls!' She looked up at Lindsey, her
crankiness forgotten. 'Go and put this on the noticeboard
will you, my love? I'll do a broadcast email.'
    Mrs Edel sat, scooted her chair under the desk,
and placed her hands on the keyboard, dictating as
she typed. 'Annual barbecue this Sunday in the
jumping arena. All welcome. Bring a plate.'
    Lindsey nodded.
    'Oh, and no dogs,' she added.
    All the girls left the office together. The afternoon
sun shone fiercely and Shelby shaded her eyes with
her hand. At the bottom of the stairs she thanked
Hayley.
    'No problem,' she said. 'So what's the story?'
    'Umm,' Erin began.
    'It's kind of an in-joke,' Lindsey interrupted.
    'Yeah?' Hayley's eyes twinkled with anticipation.
    'Yeah. Anyway, we've got to get to work now. See
ya!' Lindsey dragged Erin away.
    Shelby hung back for a moment. 'It would be
really great if you didn't mention this to anyone just
for now.'
    'Why? What is it? You have to tell me now. I saved
you guys, remember? You owe me!'
    Shelby looked over to where Erin and Lindsey were
waiting. They had to get to Clint before Lindsey's
mother did. 'I can't now, but I will another day, OK?
I promise. Especially don't tell your mum.'
    Hayley nodded slowly, but Shelby could tell she
was disappointed. Disappointed and annoyed.
    The girls found Clint in the yard at the end of the
row. Ajax was loosely tied to a strand of baling twine
looped over the fence. The big horse had his ears back
and his eyes half closed. Shelby noticed the way Clint
behaved with him – always keeping a hand firmly on
his shoulder or rump, talking to him in a low voice
and watching closely for any change in expression.
Clint didn't trust him either.
    Clint was wearing his leather apron. He selected a
knife from his tub of tools and, tucking Ajax's fetlock
between his knees, whittled at the underside of his
hoof.
    It occurred to Shelby for the first time why Tammy
might have left fifty dollars just inside her tack room
doorway. It wouldn't be there when Clint looked for
it, and there was no way to do anything about it now.
She couldn't even confide in her friends. What would
they think if she told them she'd stolen to pay