Free The Mystery of the Masked Rider by Carolyn Keene

back in the corner of the stall, braiding a horse’s tail. Besides, people don’t usually get here until six or later.” The woman strode over and swung the gate shut. She had an athletic build and wore a down vest and paddock boots. Her face was deeply tanned, and squintlines fanned out from her eyes, as if she spent a lot of time outdoors.
    â€œWhoever left that gate open ought to be more careful,” the woman declared in a no-nonsense voice. “Your horse could have gotten onto the highway. It’s a good thing I heard you holler. But I know I shut the gate an hour ago when I came in.”
    Nancy straightened in surprise. “You got here that early?”
    The woman nodded. “Of course. When you’ve got five horses to groom and braid before they compete at eight in the morning, you don’t get much sleep.”
    â€œYou’re going to ride five horses?”
    She laughed. “No. The three spoiled girls I work with are riding them. Only they partied all night and won’t bother getting up until the last minute.”
    The woman gave Nightingale a curious look, then glanced back at Nancy. “Isn’t that Colleen Healey’s mare?”
    Nancy nodded. “Right. I’m helping Colleen. My name’s Nancy Drew.”
    The woman stuck out a hand and shook Nancy’s with a firm grip. “Gloria Donner.”
    â€œGloria Donner?” Nancy’s brows shot up. She remembered Colleen telling her about taking lessons from someone named Gloria Donner. “You’re a trainer, right?”
    â€œThat’s me. And boy, would I love to work more with Colleen and Nightingale.” She patted the mare’s neck with solid slaps. “This here’s one talented animal.”
    â€œI know. But if I don’t get her back in her stall, she’ll be one talented, sleepy animal,” Nancy said. “Nice meeting you, Gloria.”
    â€œLikewise. And you tell Colleen I’ll be around to see her.”
    Nancy waved and started down the aisle with Nightingale. When she turned right, she saw an overturned metal bucket in the middle of the concrete floor. That was what must have made the clang, Nancy thought. Had someone deliberately dropped it to scare Nightingale?
    Nancy turned the bucket over with her foot. It was an ordinary bucket with no clues as to whom it belonged to.
    Instead of going back to the stall, Nancy led Nightingale up and down each aisle, looking for signs of the costumed person. There were several kids sacked out on cots and in sleeping bags, but no one she recognized. When she went past the San Marcoses’ stalls, everything was dark and quiet.
    That didn’t mean anything, Nancy decided. Anyone could have sneaked in and out of the stable—Phil, Marisa, Diego. She’d have to ask Colleen if she remembered a black-caped costume at the party. It was just too bad Gloria hadn’t seen the person who left the gate open.
    With a sigh Nancy walked Nightingale back to her own stall. The mare walked in and immediately stuck her nose in her empty feed tub.
    â€œAll right, piggie.” Nancy laughed. “I guess you deserve a treat.”
    â€œWhat’s going on?”
    Nancy turned and saw Bess standing in the doorway of the extra stall. Her friend’s hair was tousled, and her eyes were heavy with sleep.
    â€œNightingale got out,” Nancy explained as she tossed a handful of grain in the mare’s bucket.
    â€œHuh?” Bess looked bewildered.
    As Nancy closed the stall door, she scrutinized the latch. “Looks okay to me. And I know I checked and double-checked it last night. That means someone opened her door and deliberately let her out.”
    Rubbing her eyes, Bess shook her head. “But there was nobody around.”
    â€œNot true.” Nancy told her friend about the person wearing the cape and about Gloria Donner. “And somebody left the gate to the parking lot open,