been that interested in the investigation at first, she couldn’t help thinking that now they seemed to be giving up, and that meant they’d failed. It wasn’t like The Saddle Club to fail at anything—and it certainly wasn’t like Lisa. She didn’t like the feeling.
To take her mind off it, she picked up her camera and started fiddling with the focus, aiming it at different people in the crowd. Then, when the horses stepped onto the track for the post parade, she focused on them. But she was so far away that she could recognize Hold Fast only by Stephen’s blue and white silks. She snapped a picture anyway. It turned out to be the last one on the roll, and Lisa barely had time to put in a new one before the race started.
It was an exciting race, and The Saddle Club cheered loyally for Hold Fast, but they weren’t feeling quite as enthusiastic as they had earlier in the day. Somehow just being at the track didn’t seem quite as exciting to them anymore—even when Hold Fast finished third.
“What now?” asked Carole after the race was over.
As Lisa tucked her roll of used film into her bag, she remembered the pictures she’d taken to the developer before lunch. “My film should be ready by now,” she said. “How about if we run and pick it up?”
Carole glanced at her watch. “Okay,” she agreed. “We have a good hour and a half before the Preakness.”
Stevie nodded, perking up a little. “No matter how much we kid you about this photography stuff, I can’t wait to see the pictures,” she said. “I hope you got some good ones of Monkeyshines.”
The Saddle Club quickly told Max and Judy where they were going. Then they headed for the track entrance.
“H ERE YOU GO ,” the clerk at the photo shop said, handing Lisa several thick packets.
“Thanks.” Lisa paid her bill, then she and her friends left the shop.
“Okay, let’s see them,” Stevie urged once they were outside on the sidewalk. “Open them now.”
“All right, just a second,” Lisa said. She carefully slit open one of the envelopes and pulled out the first batch. Stevie and Carole crowded closer so they could look at the pictures over Lisa’s shoulders.
“Oh! There’s a good one of Garamond,” Carole said admiringly as Lisa flipped slowly through the pile.
Stevie nodded. “And check out that one of Judy by the track entrance,” she said. “Some of these are really good, Lisa!”
“I guess all that practicing is paying off,” Carole commented.
“Practice makes perfect,” Lisa said with a grin.
Meanwhile Stevie was staring at the next picture.“Hey, look, it’s Blackie! This one turned out really well—you can see every detail.”
“It’s true,” Carole said. “I think this is the best one yet.” Suddenly she frowned, and leaned a little closer. “Hey, isn’t that that reporter in the background?”
Stevie and Lisa looked closer too.
“You’re right.” Lisa squinted at the tiny figure that could just be seen at the edge of the picture. It was Kent Calhoun, and he was leaving the Maskee Farms stable. “What’s he doing there?”
“I don’t know,” Carole said. “I didn’t notice him there when you were taking the picture.”
“He almost looks as though he doesn’t
want
to be noticed,” Stevie said. “See how he’s sort of peeking out? Like he doesn’t want anyone outside to see him leaving.”
Carole gasped. “You’re right!” she exclaimed. “Do you know what this means? He could have been the one who tried to poison Monk!”
“Of course!” Stevie cried. “Why else would he be skulking around Mr. McLeod’s barn at that time of the morning?”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Well, let’s see,” she said. “He could have been looking for Mr. McLeod to interview him. Or he could have been looking for Stephen to interview him. Or Eddie, or Judy, or the trainer, or any of half a dozen other people.”
“No way,” Stevie declared. “He’s guilty. I can feel it in my bones.”
To take her mind off it, she picked up her camera and started fiddling with the focus, aiming it at different people in the crowd. Then, when the horses stepped onto the track for the post parade, she focused on them. But she was so far away that she could recognize Hold Fast only by Stephen’s blue and white silks. She snapped a picture anyway. It turned out to be the last one on the roll, and Lisa barely had time to put in a new one before the race started.
It was an exciting race, and The Saddle Club cheered loyally for Hold Fast, but they weren’t feeling quite as enthusiastic as they had earlier in the day. Somehow just being at the track didn’t seem quite as exciting to them anymore—even when Hold Fast finished third.
“What now?” asked Carole after the race was over.
As Lisa tucked her roll of used film into her bag, she remembered the pictures she’d taken to the developer before lunch. “My film should be ready by now,” she said. “How about if we run and pick it up?”
Carole glanced at her watch. “Okay,” she agreed. “We have a good hour and a half before the Preakness.”
Stevie nodded, perking up a little. “No matter how much we kid you about this photography stuff, I can’t wait to see the pictures,” she said. “I hope you got some good ones of Monkeyshines.”
The Saddle Club quickly told Max and Judy where they were going. Then they headed for the track entrance.
“H ERE YOU GO ,” the clerk at the photo shop said, handing Lisa several thick packets.
“Thanks.” Lisa paid her bill, then she and her friends left the shop.
“Okay, let’s see them,” Stevie urged once they were outside on the sidewalk. “Open them now.”
“All right, just a second,” Lisa said. She carefully slit open one of the envelopes and pulled out the first batch. Stevie and Carole crowded closer so they could look at the pictures over Lisa’s shoulders.
“Oh! There’s a good one of Garamond,” Carole said admiringly as Lisa flipped slowly through the pile.
Stevie nodded. “And check out that one of Judy by the track entrance,” she said. “Some of these are really good, Lisa!”
“I guess all that practicing is paying off,” Carole commented.
“Practice makes perfect,” Lisa said with a grin.
Meanwhile Stevie was staring at the next picture.“Hey, look, it’s Blackie! This one turned out really well—you can see every detail.”
“It’s true,” Carole said. “I think this is the best one yet.” Suddenly she frowned, and leaned a little closer. “Hey, isn’t that that reporter in the background?”
Stevie and Lisa looked closer too.
“You’re right.” Lisa squinted at the tiny figure that could just be seen at the edge of the picture. It was Kent Calhoun, and he was leaving the Maskee Farms stable. “What’s he doing there?”
“I don’t know,” Carole said. “I didn’t notice him there when you were taking the picture.”
“He almost looks as though he doesn’t
want
to be noticed,” Stevie said. “See how he’s sort of peeking out? Like he doesn’t want anyone outside to see him leaving.”
Carole gasped. “You’re right!” she exclaimed. “Do you know what this means? He could have been the one who tried to poison Monk!”
“Of course!” Stevie cried. “Why else would he be skulking around Mr. McLeod’s barn at that time of the morning?”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Well, let’s see,” she said. “He could have been looking for Mr. McLeod to interview him. Or he could have been looking for Stephen to interview him. Or Eddie, or Judy, or the trainer, or any of half a dozen other people.”
“No way,” Stevie declared. “He’s guilty. I can feel it in my bones.”
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