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surprised to see her there.
    “What, all alone today?” Veronica demanded. “I didn’t know you could get out of bed without your two shadows to help you.”
    Stevie gave her a long-suffering look. “Carole and Lisa can’t make it till later,” she said, her voice gloomy. “Which is really too bad because we were supposed to go on a trail ride.”
    “Oh, were you?” Veronica said unsympathetically. “And now I suppose you want me to go with you.”
    Stevie raised her eyebrows. “Only if you want to. I mean—”
    “Stevie Lake,” Veronica declared, “your act won’t fool me. You can save the innocent look, too—I know you want something. But I’ll go on a trail ride if you like. Danny’s had so many workouts with top-level trainers this week that he deserves a break. Don’t you, boy?”
    Veronica turned back to Stevie, hands on her hips. “So, we can do this together or not. What’s it going to be?”
    “Let’s hit the trail,” Stevie said, chuckling to herself. She didn’t mind having her bluff called. She was sure all good spies were used to having to make a second attack.
    On the trail Stevie got right down to business. She asked Veronica point-blank if anyone else was going in the Pine Hollow van with her to the Macrae.
    Veronica smirked. “I knew that’s what you were after. You still haven’t abandoned hope, have you? Even though you and Belle wouldn’t have a prayer of winning anything,” she added.
    “It’s not for me, it’s—!” Stevie began hotly. Then a lightbulb seemed to click on in her brain. If she let Veronica go on thinking that she, Stevie, was the one who wanted to go to the Macrae, she’d be able to get a lot more information out of her. Veronica wouldn’t worry about being beaten by Stevie and Belle.
    Belle was a wonderful horse. She could do dressage and jump, go English or Western; she’d been a Pony Club mount and a trail horse. But she wasn’t an expensive Thoroughbred show horse. With a flash of understanding, Stevie realized how lucky this last fact was. “Oh, all right,” she said, making her voice sound reluctant.“So I do have dreams about the Macrae. Is that a crime? You never know, Belle and I might do really well there!”
    Veronica gave Stevie a patronizing smile. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, Stevie.”
    Stevie had to turn her head away so as not to make puking noises in Veronica’s face.
    “As far as the van goes, I’ve rented out two of the stalls,” Veronica said.
    “Two?” said Stevie. “Are you bringing a second mount?”
    “A second mount—aren’t you silly? Why would I do that? Danny’s all I need to win. Even Tom Riley agreed. He thinks—”
    “Then why the second stall?” asked Stevie.
    “For my stuff, of course!” said Veronica. “My tack trunk, my two saddles, Danny’s special grain, my spare outfits, my—”
    “Okay, okay! I get the picture,” Stevie grumbled. Inside she was thinking,
But that still leaves two stalls open.
“So who has the other two stalls?” she asked as they picked up a trot.
    “Search me,” said Veronica. “Why should I care when I’m all taken care of?”
    Stevie didn’t trust herself to reply. For several strides she posted silently in the saddle.
    Veronica was the one to speak next. Stevie felt the girl glance at her curiously. “Say, Stevie, if you want, maybe I could put in a good word for you with Max.”
    Stevie pretended to be thrilled. “Would you really?” she gushed. “It would mean
everything
to me. And Belle, of course.”
    “Sure,” said Veronica, obviously relishing her role as benefactor, “I could do that. And you know, I’d be especially happy to try to help you if you could, you know, do a couple of little things to help me—like maybe give my boots a polish from time to time. Just as long as you understand that you’ll probably come home empty-handed,” she warned. “I wouldn’t want you to get your hopes up and be disappointed.”
    Stevie