Read Online Photo Finish by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
Ads: Link
picture. There was a soft click—andthen a loud whirring sound. “Oh, rats,” Lisa whispered. “It’s the automatic rewind!” She stared helplessly at the camera as the noise continued.
The wiry man had heard the noise too, and looked up. “Hey,” he said angrily. “Did you just take my picture?”
“Uh, no?” Lisa lied, her voice little more than a squeak. “I’m just rewinding my film, see?” She held up the camera.
The man glared at her balefully, then at Stevie and Carole. With an angry snort he turned and hurried away, muttering under his breath.
Lisa let out her own breath in a whoosh. “What a horrible man!” she exclaimed.
“Come on,” Stevie said, grabbing her by the arm. “We’ve got to find out who he is!”
They hurried back to Mr. McLeod’s stable shed. As they rushed inside, they almost collided with a short, slim man who was coming out. “Whoa! Where’s the fire?” he asked with a laugh. He looked at Carole. “Hey, I know you—you’re the girl who was out to steal my job a while back! Prancer’s friend, right?”
Carole smiled back at him. “Right. Hi, Stephen,” she said. “These are my friends Stevie and Lisa. This is Stephen, Mr. McLeod’s jockey.”
“Well, one of ’em, anyway,” Stephen said cheerfully, reaching out to shake the girls’ hands. “So how is that fine filly Prancer anyway?”
“You should ask Lisa about that,” Carole told him. “She’s the one who rides her most of the time.”
“That’s right,” Lisa said, looking up from her camera. She had just removed the used roll of film and was popping in a new one. “And she’s absolutely wonderful. I’m so glad Max and Judy were able to buy her for Pine Hollow.”
“Well, I’m glad too,” Stephen said. “She’s a sweetheart of a horse, and she’s probably a lot happier at a riding stable than she was at the track.”
“Not like Monkeyshines though, right?” Carole said.
“No way,” Stephen agreed. “That colt loves to race, and he loves to win. He came mighty close in the Derby, and I think today just might be his day.”
“We do too,” Stevie said. “We think he’s sure to win.”
“You’re not the only ones,” Stephen told her. “I just checked the morning line, and right now both Monk and Garamond are listed at almost even odds.”
Carole giggled. “Even odds?” she repeated. “What does that mean?”
Stephen laughed. “I guess it does sound a little weird, doesn’t it?” he admitted. “It just means that so many people are guessing the horse will win that his predicted odds are really close. For instance, Monk is listed at two to one. That means that if he wins, anyone who bets on him to win will make back two dollars for every one bet. Garamond is the favorite, so his odds are even lower—six to five.”
“So people would get back six dollars for every five they bet?” Lisa guessed. “That’s not much of a profit, is it?”
“Not really,” Stephen said. “Especially when you consider that some of the other horses in the race are listed at ten to one, twenty to one, or higher. But the important thing is, Monk’s and Garamond’s odds just show how well both horses are regarded. Those odds will probably go even lower as the day goes on and more people place their bets.”
Stevie was growing impatient with the conversation. “Listen, Stephen, we have a question about something. Maybe you can answer it,” she began.
He shrugged. “I’ll do my best. Fire away.”
“We keep seeing this man around the track, and we were wondering who he is,” Stevie explained. “He’s about your height and weight, with dark hair and a mean look on his face. He was wearing an ugly green baseball cap and jeans.”
Stephen laughed. “Green baseball cap? That’d be Duncan Gibbs. He’s a jockey too. In fact, he used to ride for Mr. McLeod.”
“Really?” Stevie said, shooting her friends a look. This sounded like a clue.
“Yep,” Stephen said. “He was
The wiry man had heard the noise too, and looked up. “Hey,” he said angrily. “Did you just take my picture?”
“Uh, no?” Lisa lied, her voice little more than a squeak. “I’m just rewinding my film, see?” She held up the camera.
The man glared at her balefully, then at Stevie and Carole. With an angry snort he turned and hurried away, muttering under his breath.
Lisa let out her own breath in a whoosh. “What a horrible man!” she exclaimed.
“Come on,” Stevie said, grabbing her by the arm. “We’ve got to find out who he is!”
They hurried back to Mr. McLeod’s stable shed. As they rushed inside, they almost collided with a short, slim man who was coming out. “Whoa! Where’s the fire?” he asked with a laugh. He looked at Carole. “Hey, I know you—you’re the girl who was out to steal my job a while back! Prancer’s friend, right?”
Carole smiled back at him. “Right. Hi, Stephen,” she said. “These are my friends Stevie and Lisa. This is Stephen, Mr. McLeod’s jockey.”
“Well, one of ’em, anyway,” Stephen said cheerfully, reaching out to shake the girls’ hands. “So how is that fine filly Prancer anyway?”
“You should ask Lisa about that,” Carole told him. “She’s the one who rides her most of the time.”
“That’s right,” Lisa said, looking up from her camera. She had just removed the used roll of film and was popping in a new one. “And she’s absolutely wonderful. I’m so glad Max and Judy were able to buy her for Pine Hollow.”
“Well, I’m glad too,” Stephen said. “She’s a sweetheart of a horse, and she’s probably a lot happier at a riding stable than she was at the track.”
“Not like Monkeyshines though, right?” Carole said.
“No way,” Stephen agreed. “That colt loves to race, and he loves to win. He came mighty close in the Derby, and I think today just might be his day.”
“We do too,” Stevie said. “We think he’s sure to win.”
“You’re not the only ones,” Stephen told her. “I just checked the morning line, and right now both Monk and Garamond are listed at almost even odds.”
Carole giggled. “Even odds?” she repeated. “What does that mean?”
Stephen laughed. “I guess it does sound a little weird, doesn’t it?” he admitted. “It just means that so many people are guessing the horse will win that his predicted odds are really close. For instance, Monk is listed at two to one. That means that if he wins, anyone who bets on him to win will make back two dollars for every one bet. Garamond is the favorite, so his odds are even lower—six to five.”
“So people would get back six dollars for every five they bet?” Lisa guessed. “That’s not much of a profit, is it?”
“Not really,” Stephen said. “Especially when you consider that some of the other horses in the race are listed at ten to one, twenty to one, or higher. But the important thing is, Monk’s and Garamond’s odds just show how well both horses are regarded. Those odds will probably go even lower as the day goes on and more people place their bets.”
Stevie was growing impatient with the conversation. “Listen, Stephen, we have a question about something. Maybe you can answer it,” she began.
He shrugged. “I’ll do my best. Fire away.”
“We keep seeing this man around the track, and we were wondering who he is,” Stevie explained. “He’s about your height and weight, with dark hair and a mean look on his face. He was wearing an ugly green baseball cap and jeans.”
Stephen laughed. “Green baseball cap? That’d be Duncan Gibbs. He’s a jockey too. In fact, he used to ride for Mr. McLeod.”
“Really?” Stevie said, shooting her friends a look. This sounded like a clue.
“Yep,” Stephen said. “He was
Similar Books
