Performance

Chapter 1 - Undercover

I am absolutely blooming with excitement about sharing this book. I've had this idea for a long time, and I'm finally deciding to bring it to life. Please keep in mind that the equine industry does face a tremendous amount of scams that are still going on today. This book brings to light a fictional tale of the scams that do occur in the industry. Enjoy!

. . .

Saturday, October 21st 

I exhaled, resting my palms against the edge of the window, a clustered breath of which I felt had been congested in my lungs all morning. The weather was mild, but the wind kept me from removing my sweater. Although I could easily afford heat in my apartment, I enjoyed the cooler temperature the autumn breeze had to offer.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the window, my curly long black hair tied loosely into a pony tail and the loose ends wrapping themselves around my face. In that moment, I felt at ease. As if, regardless of the obstacles I've faced, I am alive and doing something I love.

A loud, urgent knock made me jump out of my trance. The large glass door made it possible for me to see the shadow of a thin women. "Come in!"

"Oh, Miss Lodge! We need to talk." She scurried her way inside before I was able to intervene. She shut the door behind her. I eyed her questionably.

"Miss White, what's going on?" I pondered. She looked around my office nervously, examining the multiple black and white photographs that hung professionally along the small room. She turned around and looked at me.

"I need your help. I think- I know! someone killed one of my broodmares. I found the month-old foal prancing in his stall frantically around it's mother's lifeless body this morning! There was no signs of struggle or discomfort. So here I am... I need you to help me find the bastard who did it- and why." Lady White fiddled with her hands as she spoke, her face gleamed in anger.

I gestured for her to sit down in one of the light grey sofas facing my desk. I made my way to the coffee machine, which rested on a rustically modern wooden table by the windows. "Lady White, this must be a deeply knotted case for you to come knocking at my door on my only day off." I chuckled as I pressed a few buttons on the machine.

When I first arrived in Toronto, I'd visited a few stables in hopes of finding one that provided me with a place to stay and any source of money. Most of them had heard about The Incident back home, therefor I became accustomed to the infamous rejections and denials. My dual citizenship made it possible for me to live both in Canada and the United States. Thank God.

"It is... I'm just worried." She replied after a long pause. She had calmed down now, and the coffee machine hummed along with the silence that followed.

It was the last stable I planned on visiting, and Lady White owned the entire facility. The 58 acre property was a dream; paddocks for miles, a successful riding school, and a large breeding facility. The two sand rings and the enormous indoor arena made it extremely difficult to find an excuse not to ride- even on the busiest days.

She'd told me about her own experience on the circuit when I first visited. "I was framed. The horse I was showing, Ferrari, had been given a performance enhancer the night before the big class. Instead of believing me when I'd said it wasn't me, they disqualified me from all the circuits in that zone. The owner of the barn I worked for finally decided to fire me, thinking I was lying." She'd chuckled. "I never caught the bastard who did it."

She made a deal: she'd pay for my tuition fees, if I exercised and competed her young horses, in hopes of selling them. I'd help muck out the stables and teach lessons as well. I lived with Miss White my for two years.