Deadfall by Lyndon Stacey Page A

aside from that, his visit had patently been a waste of time. He hadn’t time on this occasion to wait and attend the meeting itself, and even if he had, he couldn’t see that he’d have a hope in hell of finding the elusive Barnaby in a sea of owners, trainers and spectators. He would just have to try another approach.
    Between riding Noddy and estate work, Linc hadn’t yet had a chance to look at the day’s mail and a depressing mound of it awaited his attention when he returned to Farthingscourt. Rapidly sorting it into three piles for business, personal and bin, he found a brown manilla envelope from the Post Office and opened that first. Inside, two further envelopes were addressed to his box number: one a reply from another victim of the thieves, and the second a folded sheet of newspaper.
    Puzzled, Linc spread it out on his desk. It was a complete page from the
Sun
and he saw immediately that a number of words had been picked out with a neon-yellow highlighter pen. From top left, working across and down, they spelt out a message.
    People who mind their own business live longer.

4
    LINC READ THE words twice before their meaning really hit him, then it took his breath away.
    It was strange but in spite of what had happened to Abby, he hadn’t really considered how dangerous it could be for him personally to tangle with whoever was behind the tack thefts. The truth was, of course, that the men who had raided the Vicarage that night must be well aware, from newspaper reports if nothing else, that Abby’s condition was serious and should she not recover they would face a charge of manslaughter at the very least. It was not so surprising that they should be prepared to use threats of violence to discourage Linc from prying too closely.
    When the first shock had worn off, though, he was able to think more clearly. The very fact that the warning had come by way of the Post Office box number was proof enough that the sender had no idea of his identity. Rather than panic, he told himself, he should regard this in the light of a wakeup call and be more vigilant in future. All the same,there was nothing like receiving a death threat to alter one’s outlook on life.
    Calling at the Vicarage for his early-morning ride the next day, Linc found the mood there had become even more sombre. Ruth was mucking out the stables in slightly tearful silence, and he learned that after a day of increased brain activity that had raised the hopes of doctors and family alike, Abby had apparently succumbed to an infection and taken a turn for the worse.
    â€˜I
was
going to offer to groom for you at Talham tomorrow,’ Ruth told him. ‘But Josie’s staying at the hospital with Mum and Dad so I’ll have to stick around. Besides, I don’t want to be away from home in case . . .’ Her voice broke, and with a sob she said, ‘We thought she was getting better. Why did this have to happen?’
    Linc gently took the broom out of her hands and pulled her into a hug. ‘Hey, don’t give up on her. You have to keep believing she’ll be okay. She’s a tough cookie, your sister.’
    Ruth sniffed into the front of his fleece. ‘I know. But I wish I could be at the hospital with Mum. It’s hard to be cheerful for Hannah and Toby when you know everything’s going wrong.’
    â€˜Would it help if I stayed here with the kids tomorrow to let you go with Josie?’
    Ruth pulled back, tears shining on her lashes. ‘Oh, no! You must ride Hobo again, and Noddy – you didn’t take him last week. You know Abby would want you to go. You’ll never get to the Olympics if you keep missing competitions.’
    Linc smiled. His mother had been short-listed toride in the Olympic team later in the year she’d had her fatal accident and it was his stated ambition to fulfil that dream on her behalf.
    â€˜I don’t think missing Talham would make much