Page 15 of No Rules

“You know Marilyn well?”

Mike did a quick nod. “She and I go way back. We’re both local, so we inevitably run into each other a lot.”

“What’s your opinion of her?”

“She’s a fine woman. She does right by the animals and has a good reputation around here.”

“Have you noticed any tension or conflict between her and others involved in the races?”

Mike sighed. “Well, she can come off as a bit…morally superior sometimes. She has strong opinions on how horses should be treated, and she’s not afraid to call out those who abuse them, in her eyes. But it’s because she genuinely cares about the welfare of the horses. You’d think everyone involved in this business would share that sentiment, but sadly, that’s not always the case. Some people might be happy to see her fall off her high horse if you’ll pardon my pun.”

Hmm, that was interesting. Mike was the first to state that not everyone liked Marilyn. But Ryan couldn’t see a clear motive yet. “Thanks, Mike. We appreciate it.”

“Anything else, feel free to contact me. Marilyn has my number.”

“We will. Thanks.”

They talked to a few more people, including a veterinary assistant, and they all repeated the same chorus. It was awful what had happened, and Marilyn was well respected. Nothing new there. Time to change tactics.

They made their way to the security building near the entrance. Before Ryan could knock, the door opened, and a security guard appeared, shooting them an unfriendly look. “What are you doing here, walking around by yourselves?”

Ryan didn’t want to get Daisy into trouble. “Daisy gave us a tour, but she had to leave.”

“Hmm. So what do you need from us?”

“I’m a private investigator, and this is my partner. We’re investigating the death of Sam’s Promise,” Ryan repeated for the god knows how manyeth time.

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “Who hired you?”

“Marilyn Vandervliet.”

The guard sighed. “Seriously? Hasn’t she caused enough damage yet?”

The guy clearly had an opinion, and in Ryan’s experience, people like that were all too happy to share it. “You think she’s guilty?”

“Fuck, yeah. Look, security here is tight, okay? People can’t just walk in here, especially in the restricted area with the stalls. No one is allowed there but owners, jockeys, and veterinary staff. So how would anyone else have gotten access? No, she did it all right.”

Ryan should keep his mouth shut, but he couldn’t, not in the face of this much arrogance and stupidity. “What about the people who work at the track? Do they have access?”

“Some do, but they’re all screened.”

“Security guards?”

The guard made himself tall, puffing out his chest. “What are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything. I’m establishing that your comment that the only people allowed backstage are owners, jockeys, and veterinarian personnel is incorrect. We’ve already identified two more groups with access, and I’m sure I can think of more.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that if your conclusion that Marilyn is guilty is purely based on the statement that no one else had access, it’s thin evidence.”

The guard crossed his arms. “I saw the security footage from that day and the day before. No one suspicious was in that stall.”

“Any chance I could see it too?” He figured his chances were zero, but he might as well ask.

The guard harrumphed. “Not without a warrant, you can’t. The cops have it, so you’ll have to ask them.”

At some point, Ryan would have to talk to the cops, but he was hoping to wait a little longer so he could come bearing proverbial gifts for them. “Right. Let’s get back to your theory that Marilyn killed her horse.”