Page 34 of Bridles and Bribery

Instead of waiting for his cab driver to call or honk, he stepped outside to the covered walkway running alongside the motel. As luck would have it, his yellow cab was pulling into the parking lot when he was locking up.

He waved it down and took a seat in the back. “Triple J Ranch.” He rattled off the address.

The driver, a young guy with a blonde mullet, gave a low whistle. “The media are climbing all over that place like fleas on a stray dog.” He gave Dave a once-over through his rearview mirror. “Are you from a television station?”

“Nope.” Dave leaned back in his seat. “Old family friend.”

“Nice cover story.” The kid nodded in approval as he gunned the motor and left the parking lot in a skid of gravel. “For real, though. What station do you work for, sir?”

Dave was normally a need-to-know kind of guy, but something about the driver’s open-faced curiosity made him give an honest answer. “I went to high school with Jordan. Really nice guy.”

His driver scowled. “Yeah, that lawsuit against his family is pretty rotten. Gimme a break! The guy’s dad is dead.”

Dave’s interest piqued. “Agreed. What’s up with the lawsuit? Anything new happen while I was flying here?”

The driver shrugged before jamming on his brakes at a stoplight. Dave had to brace his feet against the floorboard to avoid flying forward.

“Not really.” The guy shook his hair back, making Dave suppress a snort of derision.

A mullet? Dude, if I had hair, I’d pick a much cooler style than that!

The guy went on to mumble something about how there was no way Jason Jacobson was guilty of bribery.

Bribery?Yep, Jan Jacobson was definitely up to her ears in something more than denial over her husband’s untimely death.

“He was the nicest person in the world,” the cab driver lamented. “Everyone loved him. He went to church, fed the homeless, and donated to charities all over town. There’s no way he would’ve paid anyone to throw a race, just so his own kid would win.” He shook his head vehemently, making his stringy hair slap against his cheeks and eyes. “No way!”

They reached the entrance of a one-lane paved road. A tall rectangle made of logs framed the entrance. At the top of it, three large iron J’s were mounted. They drove another quarter mile or so and reached a bigger ranch than Dave had been expecting. A white metal barn sprawled in front of them. Commercial grade. Not cheap. The Triple J Ranch looked like it was operating in the black. Nothing about its appearance shed any light on how or why its owners might’ve become embroiled in allegations of bribery.

The cab drew to a halt at the entrance of the horse barn. The driver rattled off the final cost for the trip there. Dave handed him a few dollarbills. “Keep the change.”

“Thanks!” The man wadded up the money and stuffed it in one of the front pockets of his cargo pants. “Hope you’ll call me when you’re ready to head back to the motel.” He held out a business card. “You can request my cab. My cab number is on the card.”

“Sure thing.” Dave didn’t mind patronizing the same cab driver if he was available when he called. He especially appreciated the fact that he hadn’t attempted to pull a gun on him after their arrival.

It’s the small things in life.

Jan Jacobson rushed out a side door of the white metal barn before Dave made it to the front entrance. “Dave!” She walked his way with her arms outstretched. “It’s so good to see you again, hon!”

She was many years older than the last time he’d seen her, but she still looked like the Jan Jacobson he remembered. Countless lines stretched around her eyes and lips from years of overexposure to the sun. She’d always been super skinny, never wore makeup, and smelled like horse leather and saddle soap. Her jeans still had dirt stains on them, and her boots were still scuffed. Her hug, however, had changed. It felt weaker than he remembered. Vulnerable somehow, and her smile looked strained.

He enveloped her in a bear hug. “I’m sorry about your loss, Jan. I truly am.” In hindsight, he probably should’ve ordered flowers to be sent ahead of his visit.

“Thank you,” she choked, stepping back. Glancing furtively around them, she lowered her voice. “Follow me to my office. We’ll talk there.”

She led him inside the building, past horse stalls lining both sides of the center aisle. She nodded at an employee who was mucking stalls and greeted another employeewho was brushing down a horse. They looked like they’d just gotten back from a trail ride.

Jan’s office was located in the back of the building. Her desk looked like a cyclone had hit it. Papers and folders were strewn everywhere. Half a dozen empty cardboard coffee cups were plopped in random spots on top of them.

“Have a seat. Please.” She waved him into a red vinyl chair with a torn cushion.

Dave sat. “On my way here, the cab driver mentioned something about bribery allegations.”

Jan’s mouth grew pinched. “It’s not true. None of it’s true.”

He certainly didn’t want to believe it was true, but he merely leaned forward in his seat, silently encouraging her to continue.

She hiked one skinny hip against her messy desk, spreading her hands in agitation. “The owner of one of the biggest horse racing stables in the country, Horseshoe Valley, is claiming my husband bribed a few of their riders to throw their pre-season races so that our son would win. It’s a completely bogus claim, of course. They’re just trying to get the Texas Racing Commission to disqualify Jordan and prevent him and his horse from competing in this year’s races. With the way he and Western Storm performed the last two years and the improvements they’ve continued to make, the sky is truly the limit for them. Maybe I’m biased, but I think they might even have a Triple Crown in their future.”

---