Read Online Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) by Jenna Harte - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenna Harte
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advice,
Jack.”
“I don't need advice from you.”
“Take it anyway. When you have a woman
like Liv, who's nice to look at on the outside and probably pretty good in bed,
but lacks any sort of depth, compared to a woman like Tess who has all the same
qualities, plus she's smart, kind, and full of love, go with the woman like
Tess. Because right now, everything you're doing indicates you're choosing Liv.”
Before Jack could find a response that wouldn't get him arrested, Daniel picked
up the pile of folders, rounded his desk and left the building.
~~~~
Tess was beginning to think interviewing
the staff at the Danforth farm was a waste of time. The one person she really
wanted to talk to, George Boone, was running errands in town. The barn staff
reported the same information they'd shared with Daniel and Sam. And now the
trainer, Tanner Rogers, was echoing what the others said. If anyone asked her,
Tess would be able to report that Charles Danforth loved his horses more than
anyone or anything, he was indifferent to his wife, and kept his personal and
business issues to himself.
Undaunted, Tess pressed on with Tanner. “Had
Charles had any unusual accidents?”
Tanner's brows drew together. “No.Why?”
“Sometimes murderers don't get it right
the first time. I'm wondering if anything had happened to him before that might
have seemed like a fluke accident.”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did Mr. Danforth seem upset or worried
about anything?”
Tanner gave an indifferent shrug.
“As someone who works with horses, you
must be in tune to subtle changes of temperament in your horses. Maybe you'd
notice subtle changes in your boss too.”
“I guess. I suppose he was a little off
a few months ago.”
“What happened?”
“Mr. Danforth had wanted to step up the
quality of horses on the farm. He wanted the Triple Crown. So I found this
really great filly. She's a little old, but has great breeding, particularly on
her sire side. If he could swing the cost and breed her with Galaxy Rise, he
might get a horse. But he was distracted or something. I kept telling him about
the deal. That he needed to act fast. But he did nothing, which is odd, because
usually the horses come first in everything.”
“Do you have any idea why he was
distracted?”
Tanner shook his head.
“Maybe he didn't have the money?”
“That could be, but he never said anything.
And recently he asked me to look at a couple of yearlings he was eager to buy,
which would cost way more than this filly.”
“You mentioned earlier about him
'swinging the cost'. Was money an issue?”
Tanner shrugged. “I don't know the
accounting.”
“But you think the money might be an
issue?”
“I don't know. He was always tight with
the money. I think his family trust has limits to what he can spend. I think he
might have a business deal or something that he said would give him the money
he needed.”
“A business deal. The only other
business I'm aware of is the partnership with Mr. Wilson. Is that what he was
referring to?”
“I don't know. Mr. Danforth never gave
much information about anything.”
“What about Theresa Cromwell?”
“What about her?”
“What sort of relationship did Danforth
have with her?”
Tanner gave her an amused look. “She
owned horses, he owned horses.”
“Nothing more?”
“Danforth was a very private person.”
“Were any of the horses he wanted to buy
hers?”
“No. But her horse, Trimeter was sired
by Galaxy Rise and is currently heating up the track.”
Tess wasn't sure what all this meant,
but she made a mental note of it. She thanked Tanner and left him her number in
case he thought of anything further.
Once in her car, Tess wrote down what
Tanner had told her. She didn't know much about horseracing, but hundreds of
thousands of dollars in expenses with the goal of winning millions could lead
to murder, she supposed. She put a star next to the note about the business
deal that
Jack.”
“I don't need advice from you.”
“Take it anyway. When you have a woman
like Liv, who's nice to look at on the outside and probably pretty good in bed,
but lacks any sort of depth, compared to a woman like Tess who has all the same
qualities, plus she's smart, kind, and full of love, go with the woman like
Tess. Because right now, everything you're doing indicates you're choosing Liv.”
Before Jack could find a response that wouldn't get him arrested, Daniel picked
up the pile of folders, rounded his desk and left the building.
~~~~
Tess was beginning to think interviewing
the staff at the Danforth farm was a waste of time. The one person she really
wanted to talk to, George Boone, was running errands in town. The barn staff
reported the same information they'd shared with Daniel and Sam. And now the
trainer, Tanner Rogers, was echoing what the others said. If anyone asked her,
Tess would be able to report that Charles Danforth loved his horses more than
anyone or anything, he was indifferent to his wife, and kept his personal and
business issues to himself.
Undaunted, Tess pressed on with Tanner. “Had
Charles had any unusual accidents?”
Tanner's brows drew together. “No.Why?”
“Sometimes murderers don't get it right
the first time. I'm wondering if anything had happened to him before that might
have seemed like a fluke accident.”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did Mr. Danforth seem upset or worried
about anything?”
Tanner gave an indifferent shrug.
“As someone who works with horses, you
must be in tune to subtle changes of temperament in your horses. Maybe you'd
notice subtle changes in your boss too.”
“I guess. I suppose he was a little off
a few months ago.”
“What happened?”
“Mr. Danforth had wanted to step up the
quality of horses on the farm. He wanted the Triple Crown. So I found this
really great filly. She's a little old, but has great breeding, particularly on
her sire side. If he could swing the cost and breed her with Galaxy Rise, he
might get a horse. But he was distracted or something. I kept telling him about
the deal. That he needed to act fast. But he did nothing, which is odd, because
usually the horses come first in everything.”
“Do you have any idea why he was
distracted?”
Tanner shook his head.
“Maybe he didn't have the money?”
“That could be, but he never said anything.
And recently he asked me to look at a couple of yearlings he was eager to buy,
which would cost way more than this filly.”
“You mentioned earlier about him
'swinging the cost'. Was money an issue?”
Tanner shrugged. “I don't know the
accounting.”
“But you think the money might be an
issue?”
“I don't know. He was always tight with
the money. I think his family trust has limits to what he can spend. I think he
might have a business deal or something that he said would give him the money
he needed.”
“A business deal. The only other
business I'm aware of is the partnership with Mr. Wilson. Is that what he was
referring to?”
“I don't know. Mr. Danforth never gave
much information about anything.”
“What about Theresa Cromwell?”
“What about her?”
“What sort of relationship did Danforth
have with her?”
Tanner gave her an amused look. “She
owned horses, he owned horses.”
“Nothing more?”
“Danforth was a very private person.”
“Were any of the horses he wanted to buy
hers?”
“No. But her horse, Trimeter was sired
by Galaxy Rise and is currently heating up the track.”
Tess wasn't sure what all this meant,
but she made a mental note of it. She thanked Tanner and left him her number in
case he thought of anything further.
Once in her car, Tess wrote down what
Tanner had told her. She didn't know much about horseracing, but hundreds of
thousands of dollars in expenses with the goal of winning millions could lead
to murder, she supposed. She put a star next to the note about the business
deal that
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