Page 86 of The Agent
“Oh yeah, and he has a hell of a lot to answer for.”
Minutes passed with only sporadic bursts of keyboarding from Leland. “I’m into his brokerage account,” he said.
“What have you got?” Tully asked.
Leland whistled. “Van Houten has taken a lot of money out of the stock market in the last few days and then transferred it out.”
“Probably offshore,” Tully said and banged his fist against the wheel. “I’m going to nail that son of a bitch so he never sees another dime of his family fortune. Derek and Alastair can make sure it all goes to Regina and the baby.”
The cab took the exit ramp off the highway.
“Okay, it’s almost showtime,” Tully said. “You’ll see on my vest cam when I get inside the mansion. I’ll let you know when I want you to get hold of the police chief in Cofferwood. He knows Natalie and me, so he’ll make things happen.”
“How are you going to get in if the taxi is being stopped at the gate?” Leland asked.
Tully smiled with a razor edge. “Van Houten is providing my transportation.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Leland said.
“You will when you see where we’re stopping.”
They followed the taxi’s route through the winding roads of rural New Jersey. The only streetlights were at major intersections, so most of the drive was lit by the moon, the headlights, and the glow of Leland’s laptop screen.
Tully slowed to make sure he didn’t miss the turn and then spotted the gateposts, pulling in between them and stopping almost immediately. “Here’s where I get off. You go ahead to the estate, but park out of sight.”
Leland peered out the window. “Where the hell are we?”
“At the stables.” Tully pulled the black cap on. “Van Houten raises Thoroughbreds, so I can get there fast.”
“You’re not going to try to jump a horse over the gate!” Dawn said, sounding alarmed.
“No. I know a place where the border hedge is thin and low. The horse can brush its way through, even if it’s a lousy jumper.” Tully grinned. “No one expects a man on horseback, so the guards will figure it’s a deer or something.”
“Good, because you need to be in one piece to rescue Natalie,” Dawn said, her voice both shaky and stern. “I’m counting on you.”
Tully turned to meet Dawn’s gaze. “She’s as important to me as she is to you. Maybe more so.”
Leland was still unconvinced. “You’re going to ride a horse in the dark past armed guards?”
“Think of me as the cavalry.” Tully swung out of the SUV and jogged up the road toward the barns.
In fact, his plan was risky, but he couldn’t figure out any other way to cover the distance from the perimeter of the estate to the house fast enough to protect both Regina and Natalie. He didn’t mention to Leland that he intended to take several horses to create confusion among the guards. He hoped like hell none of the Thoroughbreds got spooked and injured themselves.
As he veered right toward the barn that housed the tack room and the less valuable horses, he thanked his lucky stars that Van Houten had offered him the tour of the stables ... and that he’d taken the man up on it. Some whims paid off.
He slid his lock-pick set from one of his pockets and made short work of the outside door into the tack room. As he walked into the dark space, the smell of saddle soap, fresh hay, and warm horses brought a welcome, if false, sensation of comfort, an illusion left over from his adolescent years, when Farmer Hollinger’s barn had been his refuge. He shoved that aside and flicked on the lights since there were no windows in the room. Collecting one saddle and bridle along with two lead lines, he flicked off the light and opened the door into the stable’s central corridor.
The head groom had pointed out a couple of their hunter-jumpers to him, so he headed for those stalls. Several horses put their glossy heads over their stall doors, following him with dark, liquid eyes.
“Sorry, fellows, no horse treats tonight,” Tully said. “This is strictly business.”
He found the horse he’d had in mind, a big bay gelding named Samson. Tully didn’t ride light, so he needed a good-sized mount. Stroking Samson’s nose, he hooked a lead line on him and led him out into the corridor. Tacking him up at high speed, he tested the security of the girth. Guessing his neighbors would also be hunter-jumpers, he snapped the extra lead lines on their halters and brought them with him. Unhitching Samson, he slid open the big barn door just enough to get his equine entourage outside.
He swung onto Samson’s back, holding his mount’s reins in his right hand and the other horses’ lead lines in his left. Horses were herd animals, so they should follow Samson without too much coaxing on Tully’s part.
He hoped.
He turned the big Thoroughbred’s head toward the gravel road that led between the pastures to Van Houten’s house and urged him to a brisk trot.
