St. Just flew toward the den, squawking loudly. Cody, down at the creek crossing, would have seen Sister if she’d looked up but instead she was whipping off hounds and finally went to the ratshot to stop Dragon.
She fired.
“Ouch!” he yelped.
“Leave it!” She commanded. “Hold up,” she yelled at the other hounds, who were scared now.
Sister admired Cody’s whipping ability just as St. Just flew right in her face, screaming about Target. Athena struck again, knocking the raven sideways in the air. She scared Sister, who grabbed the fir limb.
Down below, Cody saw the envelope. She dismounted, holding the reins. She dropped the reins to reach the envelope.
As she did, Aunt Netty, who’d figured out the truth, stuck her head out of the den and taunted, “Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!”
Dragon, butt full of ratshot, bolted toward the den. The others followed and Keepsake, green, spooked. He tore up the ravine.
Cody, hands shaking, whip draped around her neck, knew she couldn’t get him back. Then she heard Lafayette whinny.
“Come stand with me!” the gray called from his hiding place.
Keepsake, scared at the hounds bolting, scared that he would really be in trouble for leaving, picked his way up to Lafayette. By the time he reached the seasoned master’s horse he was lathered.
So was Cody as she read the letter. “I know who you are. Give yourself up and make it easy on everybody, yourself included.”
She slipped the letter into her frock coat pocket, looked around. She didn’t see Sister but she caught sight of Keepsake. She began climbing the ravine to reach her horse.
The hounds dug outside Netty’s hiding place but she was safe in the back with lots of ways out. She laughed at them.
Inky stayed put in the tree. St. Just, bruised, repaired to the top of a walnut. Athena sat opposite him just in case. She watched Cody finally reach Keepsake, where she saw Lafayette. Defeated, she waited for Sister.
Sister reached the rim of the ravine, picking her way around to the horses. Cody led out Lafayette, handing him to a woman she had been trained to obey since childhood.
“Why?”
Tears rolling down her face, Cody simply answered, “Jennifer. Even after rehab he’d give her drugs.”
“Oh, Cody, there had to be another way.”
“I hated him.”
Knowing that hate, like love, can’t be explained neatly away, that passion defies all logic, she put her hand on Cody’s shoulder. “Come on.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.” Sister swung up in the saddle.
“I’m not sorry I killed him. I’m sorry I dragged everyone into it.” A flash of panic hit. “Is there no way out?”
“No.” Sister turned to her as they reached the farm road in the woods. “Crawford shouldn’t pay for your sin.”
“He’s so rich he’ll get off.”
“That’s not the point. You have to turn yourself in.” Sister inhaled. “In a way I can understand why you killed Fontaine. You believed Jennifer wasn’t strong enough to resist him. You were wrong but I understand. But to kill a healthy red fox and to use the hunt for your revenge . . . Cody, that was beneath contempt.”
Although Cody could have fired ratshot straight into Sister’s face the thought didn’t occur to her. She’d acted impulsively once, fueled by love for her sister and hate for Fontaine. Her mind worked clearly enough now, even if her moral sense remained tilted. She hung her head, saying nothing.
Sister cupped her hands. “Come to me.” She yelled for her hounds, who, tricked by Aunt Netty, ran up out of the ravine. Knowing they’d been bad, once in sight of Sister, they crawled on their bellies. “I’m ashamed of you. Now come on.” She reprimanded them, which was worse than any ratshot from a whip, for the hounds loved Sister.
Each woman rode back with a heavy heart: Sister, distressed that a young life was wasted as well as a man’s life taken away, no matter his irresponsible behavior. Cody, burdened with shame and fear, fought her tears.
In front of them they heard the hounds heading toward the kennel. Well, Cody would give herself up but they might as well hunt their way back.
They flew over the jumps, galloped across the upper meadow and then through the woods into the creek meadows, around Hangman’s Ridge, reaching the chicken coop in about fifteen minutes of hard riding, the three couple of hounds behind them.
Shaker, on the ground, stood outside the chicken coop. The entire field, mounted, watched with amusement. Doug and Betty had come in from their posts as Shaker blew them in.
“Sister!” Shaker called out. “You okay?”
“Yes. Are you hunting chickens now, Shaker Crown?”
“Look here.” He pointed and Comet stuck his head out from the chicken coop.
“Well, I’ll be.”
Golly, in a tree, bragged, “He’s afraid of me!”
Raleigh ignored this. “I promised he’d be safe.”
“This is a first.” She smiled, dismounting. “Well, folks, you’ll long remember this day. Shaker, take the hounds back to the kennel. And let’s lock up Rooster in the tack room. Folks, we’ve put foxes to ground today but we’ve never put one to a chicken coop, so I think we’ll call it a day. Thank you for hunting with us.”
People raised their caps, others reached down, touching Sister’s shoulder. Betty noticed the greenish-white cast to her older daughter’s face.
Sister smiled up at Cody. “Ride on back to the trailers with your family. I expect you to call Ben Sidell.”
Cody nodded yes.
As everyone left and Sister, Doug, and Shaker got the hounds in, praising them lavishly, they marveled over the day’s hunt.
“If we ignore the chicken coop, he’ll climb out and leave,” Sister advised.
“Funny he hasn’t killed any chickens,” Doug remarked.
“Guess he’s full,” she replied, not revealing that she’d put out enough corn to feed a regiment of foxes. “But to be sure I’ll put out corn.” She left Doug to care for the horses. She opened the door to the chicken coop, warily eyeing Comet. “Here. Go when you’re ready.” She admired him, for he was a handsome gray. “You know, fellow, anyone who says grays aren’t fun to chase doesn’t know foxes.”
“Thank you.”
“Get that fox outta here,” the chickens complained bitterly from under the chicken coop.
“Actually, why don’t I hold open the door.” She did and Comet scooted right out.
“You’re a good dog,” he called to Raleigh in passing.
Golly backed down the tree and Rooster howled from the tack room, deep distressed howls.
Taking a deep breath, Sister returned to the stable, where Doug was putting sweat sheets on the horses. “I’ll go pick up the trailer later. Did Cody say when she would bring back Keepsake?”
“Tomorrow. I told her to take him home for tonight. Easier.”
“Good.” He whistled.
“Doug. Cody killed Fontaine.” He stopped whistling as she continued. “She admitted it and she will turn herself in to Sheriff Sidell this evening. She’s telling her parents and Jennifer now.”
He rested his head on his hand, which was on Lafayette’s neck; then he looked up. “I did it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I did. I hated that she slept with him.”
“Nice try.”
“She confessed because she knew a black man wouldn’t stand a chance. As a woman she can throw herself on the mercy of the court.” He breathed hard.
She put her arms around him. “Honey, I’m sorry.”
“I did it!”
“You’re too smart to kill like that, Doug. I’m sorry she did it. I’m sorry for you, too. I don’t know what will happen. With a good lawyer—” She released him. “Go to her. I’ll finish the horses.”
“Thanks,” he whispered.
As he left, Sister checked the sweat sheets. She finally let Rooster out of the tack room.