Brunettes, Lies, and Bad Judgment

"You can make fun of me if you want to," she sulked. "When you start comparing me with a jackass, I think that's carrying it just a little too far."

"You wouldn't answer the door if your hands were clean as a pen," Olivia said. "After all, it could be anybody that you don't know and trust."

"For the life of me, I can't understand why Mrs. Dykes hired you," Emily said. "Poor old woman, she's confined to her bed and you'd let anyone into the house."

The heart shaped face petite woman stood on the porch tapping her toe impatiently. She looked to be about sixteen, but her cold brown eyes revealed she was quite a bit older.

"Could you tell me where I could find the manager of the boarding stable?" She said when Olivia opened the door. "I'm selling subscriptions to a horse magazine to help pay my way through college."

"She's at the barn grooming the horses," Olivia said. "I'm sure she'll want to subscribe, she loves horse magazines and I think it's great that you're working your way through school."

"Why did you tell her where Jennifer was?" Emily said peering out the window. "You've never seen her before in your life. She could be up to anything; she might have a truck with a horse van behind the barn with several sleazy characters just waiting for her cue to steal all the horses. Lots of theft rings use women to set someone up; they figure no one would suspect a cute little brunette like her."

"Good grief, Emily," Olivia said as her stubby pudgy fingers struggled to braid her long stringy salt and pepper hair. "I take back saying you were bad as Jennifer's burro being suspicious of people. You're getting much worse than Jackie ever thought about being. At least he has a reason for being so protective of Jennifer. After all, she raised the poor little critter on a bottle when his momma died. There's no excuse for your behavior, you need to have a little more confidence in people. Everyone who comes to the door isn't a lowlife person or a con-man like your conniving little mind always portrays them."

"You admire that dippy Sandy Harper who runs the stable across the road," Emily muttered, bustling around the kitchen, her tall, thin, fragile frame figure looking as if it might shatter as she banged the plates against the table and practically threw the silverware on the napkins.

Emily and Olivia ate in silence. Emily emerged from her chair several times to look out the window; she pushed a wisp of gray hair from her forehead. Nothing seemed to be unusual, but she still felt uneasy, because she was unable to see inside the barn.

Traci crept through the barn not making a sound. She slowly made her way through the line of horses tied side by side, hunkered down next to a horse then pulled a hammer from her shoulder bag. She worked her way closer staying behind the horses making sure she wouldn't be seen by Jennifer. The burro's long floppy ears came forward; he wiggled his nose and sniffed the air instinctively. He knew there was a stranger amidst the horses. His head emerged through the stall window then he let out a spine chilling foghorn sound, "Oong, Oong, Oong!"

Traci jumped backward being scared by the hideous noise, she fell against old Partner the black quarter horse who was napping. Her body brushing against his rump startled the horse and he kicked her. The hammer skidded across the concrete floor and landed at Jennifer's feet. Traci lay on the floor out cold with the imprint of a horse shoe implanted on her cheek.

"Are you all right, Jennifer?” Emily shrieked, coming into the barn. "I heard Jackie braying, I just knew you were in trouble."

"I'm fine, Emily," Jennifer answered, brushing a long strand of dark brown hair from her face. "You better call the police and an ambulance. I have no idea why this woman was sneaking through the barn carrying a hammer."

"What!" Emily shouted. "I'll go to the house and call the sheriff right now.”I told Olivia that woman was up to no good."

It wasn't more than a few minutes when the sound of the vehicle's tires crunched through the deep rocks in the driveway, blue and red lights flashed as the ambulance and the sheriff's car pulled in front of the thirty stall white barn. Sheriff Herbert Marlow asked several questions to get mostly, I don't know as answers. He leaped into the ambulance and sit down next to Traci. Maybe she'd come to so he'd be able to question her.

Sheriff Marlow rang the doorbell late that evening; he removed his tall wide brimmed cowboy hat from his head displaying his shinning bald head.

Jennifer rushed to the door with Emily close behind her. Olivia shuffled her feet back and forth trying to hurry; she managed to get in hearing distance before the sheriff gave his explanation.

"It was a mistaken identity, Jennifer," Sheriff Marlow said. "Traci Anderson was going to steal the horses; she intended to knock Sandy Harper unconscious at the stable across the road. “Traci Anderson had been hired to steal her horses, because Harper had cheated one of her boarders out of six months rent.

"What did I tell you, Olivia"? Emily smirked. "I never did trust that Harper woman. She came sashaying over here with her frizzy brown hair up in curlers just last week; she was acting as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. I told you she wasn't the sweet little thing she pretended to be, but you wouldn't believe me. Now, we find out she's a thief."

"All I can say is it's a good thing Jackie and I have the good sense to know a scoundrel when we see one," Emily said removing her blue flower apron. "Just think about this little incident the next time I'm suspicious before you open your big mouth."


	Emily pounded the dough on the counter top, her eyes sparkled with anger as she turned to answer Olivia. "You can make fun of me if you want to," she sulked. "When you start comparing me with a jackass, I think that's carrying it just a little too far." "I was only kidding," Olivia said. "You have to admit you and Jennifer's burro are both suspicious of strangers." "Get the door, Olivia," Emily snapped. "Can't you see my hands are covered with dough"? "You wouldn't answer the door if your hands were clean as a pen," Olivia said. "After all, it could be anybody that you don't know and trust." Emily rolled the dough out with a vengeance; she whirled around and looked Olivia straight in the eye. "For the life of me, I can't understand why Mrs. Dykes hired you," Emily said. "Poor old woman, she's confined to her bed and you'd let anyone into the house." Olivia eased her short stocky body from the straight back chair then waddled slowly to the door. The heart shaped face petite woman stood on the porch tapping her toe impatiently. She looked to be about sixteen, but her cold brown eyes revealed she was quite a bit older. "Could you tell me where I could find the manager of the boarding stable?" She said when Olivia opened the door. "I'm selling subscriptions to a horse magazine to help pay my way through college." "She's at the barn grooming the horses," Olivia said. "I'm sure she'll want to subscribe, she loves horse magazines and I think it's great that you're working your way through school." "Why did you tell her where Jennifer was?" Emily said peering out the window. "You've never seen her before in your life. She could be up to anything; she might have a truck with a horse van behind the barn with several sleazy characters just waiting for her cue to steal all the horses. Lots of theft rings use women to set someone up; they figure no one would suspect a cute little brunette like her." "Good grief, Emily," Olivia said as her stubby pudgy fingers struggled to braid her long stringy salt and pepper hair. "I take back saying you were bad as Jennifer's burro being suspicious of people. You're getting much worse than Jackie ever thought about being. At least he has a reason for being so protective of Jennifer. After all, she raised the poor little critter on a bottle when his momma died. There's no excuse for your behavior, you need to have a little more confidence in people. Everyone who comes to the door isn't a lowlife person or a con-man like your conniving little mind always portrays them." "You admire that dippy Sandy Harper who runs the stable across the road," Emily muttered, bustling around the kitchen, her tall, thin, fragile frame figure looking as if it might shatter as she banged the plates against the table and practically threw the silverware on the napkins. "Take Mrs. Dykes her tray, Olivia," Emily scowled. "That is if you can stop insulting me long enough to do your job." Emily and Olivia ate in silence. Emily emerged from her chair several times to look out the window; she pushed a wisp of gray hair from her forehead. Nothing seemed to be unusual, but she still felt uneasy, because she was unable to see inside the barn. Traci crept through the barn not making a sound. She slowly made her way through the line of horses tied side by side, hunkered down next to a horse then pulled a hammer from her shoulder bag. She worked her way closer staying behind the horses making sure she wouldn't be seen by Jennifer. The burro's long floppy ears came forward; he wiggled his nose and sniffed the air instinctively. He knew there was a stranger amidst the horses. His head emerged through the stall window then he let out a spine chilling foghorn sound, "Oong, Oong, Oong!" Traci jumped backward being scared by the hideous noise, she fell against old Partner the black quarter horse who was napping. Her body brushing against his rump startled the horse and he kicked her. The hammer skidded across the concrete floor and landed at Jennifer's feet. Traci lay on the floor out cold with the imprint of a horse shoe implanted on her cheek. "Are you all right, Jennifer?” Emily shrieked, coming into the barn. "I heard Jackie braying, I just knew you were in trouble." "I'm fine, Emily," Jennifer answered, brushing a long strand of dark brown hair from her face. "You better call the police and an ambulance. I have no idea why this woman was sneaking through the barn carrying a hammer." "What!" Emily shouted. "I'll go to the house and call the sheriff right now.”I told Olivia that woman was up to no good." It wasn't more than a few minutes when the sound of the vehicle's tires crunched through the deep rocks in the driveway, blue and red lights flashed as the ambulance and the sheriff's car pulled in front of the thirty stall white barn. Sheriff Herbert Marlow asked several questions to get mostly, I don't know as answers. He leaped into the ambulance and sit down next to Traci. Maybe she'd come to so he'd be able to question her. Sheriff Marlow rang the doorbell late that evening; he removed his tall wide brimmed cowboy hat from his head displaying his shinning bald head. Jennifer rushed to the door with Emily close behind her. Olivia shuffled her feet back and forth trying to hurry; she managed to get in hearing distance before the sheriff gave his explanation. "It was a mistaken identity, Jennifer," Sheriff Marlow said. "Traci Anderson was going to steal the horses; she intended to knock Sandy Harper unconscious at the stable across the road. “Traci Anderson had been hired to steal her horses, because Harper had cheated one of her boarders out of six months rent. "What did I tell you, Olivia"? Emily smirked. "I never did trust that Harper woman. She came sashaying over here with her frizzy brown hair up in curlers just last week; she was acting as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. I told you she wasn't the sweet little thing she pretended to be, but you wouldn't believe me. Now, we find out she's a thief." "You don't trust anyone," Olivia said. "You just made a lucky guess about Sandy Harper and Traci Anderson." "All I can say is it's a good thing Jackie and I have the good sense to know a scoundrel when we see one," Emily said removing her blue flower apron. "Just think about this little incident the next time I'm suspicious before you open your big mouth." Copyright © 1992 Jo Ann Lovelace. All Rights Reserved.