in.
“That’s my theory, too,” Stevie agreed.
They found Mrs. Reg in her office off the tack room. “Hello, girls,” she greeted them. “I’m glad you’re here. I have a message for you from the fourth member of your team.”
“You mean Veronica?” Carole asked. “We were wondering what happened to her. What’s the message?”
“She won’t be able to make it today. She’s at the car dealership with her mother,” Mrs. Reg explained.
“The car dealership?” Stevie repeated. “Don’t tell me they’re getting her her own chauffeur-driven Mercedes.”
Mrs. Reg shook her head. “Quite the contrary. Mrs. diAngelo wanted Veronica to come along to the Ford dealership. They’re trading in their Mercedes for a Ford.”
“A Ford?” the three girls exclaimed in one voice. They all tried to picture snobbish, stylish Mrs. diAngelo behind the wheel of such an inexpensive car. They couldn’t do it.
“That’s right,” Mrs. Reg said. “Veronica was careful to explain that after the snow we had this winter, her parents thought a Ford would be able to handle the roads better.”
“Yeah, right,” Stevie said skeptically.
“We’ve heard all kinds of rumors about Mr. diAngelo’s losing his job,” Carole told Mrs. Reg. “Do you know what the real story is?”
Mrs. Reg scratched her chin thoughtfully. “Well, girls, I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about this, but I know you and Veronica have been spending quite a bit of time together, so you might as well know. She might be needing some friends pretty soon.”
“What is it, Mrs. Reg?” Lisa asked.
“Well, I don’t know all the details,” Mrs. Reg said, “but it seems that some important papers are missing down at Mr. diAngelo’s bank.”
“What kind of papers?” Carole asked.
“That I couldn’t tell you,” Mrs. Reg said with a shrug. “But apparently they’re important enough to mean that the bank might have to shut down if they’re not found soon. And if that happens, Mr. diAngelo will surely be bankrupt. Most of his assets are tied up in that bank.”
The girls exchanged glances.
“That’s terrible,” Carole said, speaking for all of them. Even though they had joked about it before, the girls knew that it would be a serious thing if Mr. diAngelo really did lose his job.
“Yes, it is,” Mrs. Reg agreed. “The family would have to sell whatever they could to raise cash. They might even have to sell their home. And Mr. diAngelo has already spoken to Max about trying to find a buyer for Garnet.”
Stevie, Carole, and Lisa exchanged another glance.
“So we were right. That’s why she was so upset the other day at TD’s,” Lisa said.
“But do you think they’ll really have to sell Garnet?” Carole asked Mrs. Reg.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I also don’t know if Max and I will be able to help find a buyer. We’re not really used to dealing with horses as valuable as Garnet. But Max knows a few people farther downstate who might be interested.”
Carole shook her head. It was too horrible to think about. Now not only Stevie, but Veronica, too, might actually lose her horse to a stranger! “How awful,” was all she could manage to say.
“As I said, Veronica is going to need some friends to support her if the worst does happen,” Mrs. Reg told them. “I know you girls haven’t always gotten along in the past, but that seems to be changing. I hope you’ll be there for her the way you always are for one another.”
“We will,” Carole assured her earnestly. “After all, she’s been really supportive of Stevie this past week.” Lisa and Stevie nodded.
“Oh, yes, that reminds me,” Mrs. Reg said, turning to Stevie. “We received a copy of that restraining order yesterday. I’m very sorry, but we’re going to have to enforce it strictly. Otherwise Max and I could get into a lot of legal trouble.”
Stevie felt the blood rush to her face. “I understand,” she said softly. “Does
“That’s my theory, too,” Stevie agreed.
They found Mrs. Reg in her office off the tack room. “Hello, girls,” she greeted them. “I’m glad you’re here. I have a message for you from the fourth member of your team.”
“You mean Veronica?” Carole asked. “We were wondering what happened to her. What’s the message?”
“She won’t be able to make it today. She’s at the car dealership with her mother,” Mrs. Reg explained.
“The car dealership?” Stevie repeated. “Don’t tell me they’re getting her her own chauffeur-driven Mercedes.”
Mrs. Reg shook her head. “Quite the contrary. Mrs. diAngelo wanted Veronica to come along to the Ford dealership. They’re trading in their Mercedes for a Ford.”
“A Ford?” the three girls exclaimed in one voice. They all tried to picture snobbish, stylish Mrs. diAngelo behind the wheel of such an inexpensive car. They couldn’t do it.
“That’s right,” Mrs. Reg said. “Veronica was careful to explain that after the snow we had this winter, her parents thought a Ford would be able to handle the roads better.”
“Yeah, right,” Stevie said skeptically.
“We’ve heard all kinds of rumors about Mr. diAngelo’s losing his job,” Carole told Mrs. Reg. “Do you know what the real story is?”
Mrs. Reg scratched her chin thoughtfully. “Well, girls, I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about this, but I know you and Veronica have been spending quite a bit of time together, so you might as well know. She might be needing some friends pretty soon.”
“What is it, Mrs. Reg?” Lisa asked.
“Well, I don’t know all the details,” Mrs. Reg said, “but it seems that some important papers are missing down at Mr. diAngelo’s bank.”
“What kind of papers?” Carole asked.
“That I couldn’t tell you,” Mrs. Reg said with a shrug. “But apparently they’re important enough to mean that the bank might have to shut down if they’re not found soon. And if that happens, Mr. diAngelo will surely be bankrupt. Most of his assets are tied up in that bank.”
The girls exchanged glances.
“That’s terrible,” Carole said, speaking for all of them. Even though they had joked about it before, the girls knew that it would be a serious thing if Mr. diAngelo really did lose his job.
“Yes, it is,” Mrs. Reg agreed. “The family would have to sell whatever they could to raise cash. They might even have to sell their home. And Mr. diAngelo has already spoken to Max about trying to find a buyer for Garnet.”
Stevie, Carole, and Lisa exchanged another glance.
“So we were right. That’s why she was so upset the other day at TD’s,” Lisa said.
“But do you think they’ll really have to sell Garnet?” Carole asked Mrs. Reg.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I also don’t know if Max and I will be able to help find a buyer. We’re not really used to dealing with horses as valuable as Garnet. But Max knows a few people farther downstate who might be interested.”
Carole shook her head. It was too horrible to think about. Now not only Stevie, but Veronica, too, might actually lose her horse to a stranger! “How awful,” was all she could manage to say.
“As I said, Veronica is going to need some friends to support her if the worst does happen,” Mrs. Reg told them. “I know you girls haven’t always gotten along in the past, but that seems to be changing. I hope you’ll be there for her the way you always are for one another.”
“We will,” Carole assured her earnestly. “After all, she’s been really supportive of Stevie this past week.” Lisa and Stevie nodded.
“Oh, yes, that reminds me,” Mrs. Reg said, turning to Stevie. “We received a copy of that restraining order yesterday. I’m very sorry, but we’re going to have to enforce it strictly. Otherwise Max and I could get into a lot of legal trouble.”
Stevie felt the blood rush to her face. “I understand,” she said softly. “Does
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