For Sale or Swap - Alyssa Brugman [43]
Shelby put her arm around Lindsey's shoulder. 'We all forgot. It's not really turning out like we expected, is it?'
Lindsey stared out across the paddock.
'I'm sorry you got in trouble from your mum. Thanks for sticking with it anyway,' Shelby added.
'That's OK. I had a feeling that Hayley and Erin would back out.'
'Me too.' Shelby drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around them. 'I understand, though. It's not their problem.'
Lindsey shook her head. 'That's not true. Friends help each other out. That's what friends are supposed to do.'
Shelby wasn't so sure. She thought you should help your friend when they needed you, but what if your friend was about to do something really stupid and dangerous? Shouldn't you try to stop them?
21 Stupid and Dangerous
Shelby sat cross-legged on Lindsey's veranda. She could hear insects chirruping in the lawn, and there was a streetlight directly opposite the house, which lit the front paddock. She could see the riding school horses cropping grass, or lying with their feet tucked under them.
They'd had a subdued night. Lindsey's mum was still cranky, and the two girls had gone to bed early. They had decided to take it in turns to keep watch, but after midnight Shelby left Lindsey asleep, and crept outside. Lindsey had done enough already. Besides, Mr Morgan probably wouldn't turn up anyway.
It had been several hours and she was feeling really sleepy. Every now and then she rested her eyes, leaning her head against the wall of the house, and then she would jerk awake, wondering how much time had passed.
Only three cars had driven by the whole time. Shelby had watched their headlights rounding the gentle curve, momentarily illuminating the letterbox and the padlocked gate before they disappeared out of view.
Shelby had just closed her eyes again when she heard a vehicle approaching. She could tell it was a truck because the engine grumbled. As it came around the curve the lights turned off, the engine cut out, and it rolled to a stop a few metres further down the street.
Shelby sat up straight, wide awake now. She heard a door open and shut, and she crouched near the veranda railing so that she could get a better view.
Mr Morgan appeared from around the back of the truck and stood at the gate for a moment inspecting the padlock. He plucked the wire of the fence next to the gate. Most of the paddocks at Lindsey's place were bordered by post and rail – strong timber fencing – but on either side of the front gate there were star pickets run with three strands of wire.
Shelby breathed in and held it as she realised what he was thinking. It didn't matter if the gate was padlocked. He could cut the wire and make a gate of his own.
Mr Morgan climbed through the fence and then stood still, listening. He started up the driveway, walking along the grassy kerb. When he was level with the house, Shelby held her breath again and stayed perfectly still. She was in shadow, and as long as she didn't move, he shouldn't be able to see her.
Mr Morgan continued up the drive towards the stables. Shelby thought about what to do. He hadn't cut the fence yet. If he was going to take a horse now, he would have done that first. It would be difficult to hold a horse and cut the fence at the same time, and he would need a tool to do it. Maybe he wanted to see how easy it would be before he tried it for real?
She considered waking Lindsey, but dismissed it. By the time she had gone inside, Mr Morgan might be on his way back. The best thing would be to run down, memorise the number plate, and run back again while he was still at the stables.
She slipped over the edge of the veranda and made her way down the driveway, keeping to the shadows. She slid through the wire, as Mr Morgan had done, and ducked behind the truck.
It looked like the same truck he had used to take Blue. She stood back and took a moment to memorise some detail about it.
It was white – plain white with no markings, not