laughing meanly. “That useless black maniac? Good riddance to him. What do you want to know about him? I could tell you lots. Follow me.”
Sasha headed off towards the empty office. Rosie, Mia and Alice followed her while Charlie happily volunteered to stay outside and hold the ponies. Sasha shoved some money into a vending machine in the corner and a can of fizzy drink crashed to the bottom. She picked it up, cracked it open and flung herself down on one of the sofas, swinging her leg casually. The other three stayed standing up, and Alice leaned back against a wall of photographs. As they were talking she glanced at the pictures and noticed one of a fine blackhorse with a star and a distinctive white half-blaze.
“It’s just that Pixie…” Mia began. At the mention of her name, Sasha snorted. Mia cleared her throat and started again. “It’s just that Pixie said he went missing from here last weekend. No one’s seen him since.”
“Really?” Sasha said, sounding bored. “I thought he would have turned up somewhere by now.”
“Where?” Alice asked.
“I don’t know, anywhere,” Sasha said, frowning. “Mind you, he’s a stupid, freaky horse so he’s probably wandering about in circles somewhere, scaring everyone witless. Either that or he’s finally got fed up with his useless owner and decided to get as far away as possible from her.”
“Pixie’s not useless!” Rosie retorted before she could stop herself, going pink. “She happens to be very nice!”
Sasha looked over at Rosie, sizing her up, before she took a big glug of drink. Then she leaned forward as if she meant business.
“Listen, I don’t know what she’s told you, but I’m glad that lunatic horse isn’t here any more,” she sneered. “This is meant to be a competition yard and he couldn’t win if he was the only horse in the class. He used to spook at everything – he’d rear all the time. He was a nightmare, full stop. And Pixie couldn’t do anything with him – she was terrified. That’s not the kind of rider we want on this yard, simple.”
“And I bet you told her that, didn’t you?” Mia said, shaking her head.
“I tell the truth. If people don’t like it, they know where to go,” Sasha scoffed. “That nutcase horse was taking up a stable that a better horse could have had – we’ve got a waiting list of top-quality riders as long as my arm. And I don’t actually see what all the fuss is about. It doesn’t make much difference him going last weekend because he would have been chucked off the yard any day now anyway.”
The girls looked at each other, confused. Sasha smiled.
“Pixie didn’t tell you that bit, did she?” she said smugly. “Okay, well I will then. Her dad paid for Phantom’s first six months of stabling when he dropped him off here. That ran out a week before Phantom went missing. He’s been given a reminder but no one’s heard a peep from him about paying any more, not even Pixie.”
“How do you know?” Alice asked.
“I overheard Mum leaving him a voicemail about owing money, so I checked her file to find out for myself. I saw that payment was overdue. I had a word with Pixie, that was all. She snivelled a bit, told me about not hearing from her dad for a while, but it’s not my problem, is it?” Sasha said, leaning back in the sofa. “I just told her to find a cheaper stable somewhere else. I may have given her a helping hand by getting Jade to take the clip off Phantom’s top bolt last Friday night when no one was around. He can let himself out of the stable without it. How was I supposed to know the stupid beast would wander right out ofthe yard and get himself completely lost?”
“He probably couldn’t wait to get away from here!” Rosie cried. “And, for your information, there’s only one stupid beast on this yard, and it hasn’t got four legs, it’s got two!”
With that Rosie stormed off to the door, swung it open and marched through. Straight into
Sasha headed off towards the empty office. Rosie, Mia and Alice followed her while Charlie happily volunteered to stay outside and hold the ponies. Sasha shoved some money into a vending machine in the corner and a can of fizzy drink crashed to the bottom. She picked it up, cracked it open and flung herself down on one of the sofas, swinging her leg casually. The other three stayed standing up, and Alice leaned back against a wall of photographs. As they were talking she glanced at the pictures and noticed one of a fine blackhorse with a star and a distinctive white half-blaze.
“It’s just that Pixie…” Mia began. At the mention of her name, Sasha snorted. Mia cleared her throat and started again. “It’s just that Pixie said he went missing from here last weekend. No one’s seen him since.”
“Really?” Sasha said, sounding bored. “I thought he would have turned up somewhere by now.”
“Where?” Alice asked.
“I don’t know, anywhere,” Sasha said, frowning. “Mind you, he’s a stupid, freaky horse so he’s probably wandering about in circles somewhere, scaring everyone witless. Either that or he’s finally got fed up with his useless owner and decided to get as far away as possible from her.”
“Pixie’s not useless!” Rosie retorted before she could stop herself, going pink. “She happens to be very nice!”
Sasha looked over at Rosie, sizing her up, before she took a big glug of drink. Then she leaned forward as if she meant business.
“Listen, I don’t know what she’s told you, but I’m glad that lunatic horse isn’t here any more,” she sneered. “This is meant to be a competition yard and he couldn’t win if he was the only horse in the class. He used to spook at everything – he’d rear all the time. He was a nightmare, full stop. And Pixie couldn’t do anything with him – she was terrified. That’s not the kind of rider we want on this yard, simple.”
“And I bet you told her that, didn’t you?” Mia said, shaking her head.
“I tell the truth. If people don’t like it, they know where to go,” Sasha scoffed. “That nutcase horse was taking up a stable that a better horse could have had – we’ve got a waiting list of top-quality riders as long as my arm. And I don’t actually see what all the fuss is about. It doesn’t make much difference him going last weekend because he would have been chucked off the yard any day now anyway.”
The girls looked at each other, confused. Sasha smiled.
“Pixie didn’t tell you that bit, did she?” she said smugly. “Okay, well I will then. Her dad paid for Phantom’s first six months of stabling when he dropped him off here. That ran out a week before Phantom went missing. He’s been given a reminder but no one’s heard a peep from him about paying any more, not even Pixie.”
“How do you know?” Alice asked.
“I overheard Mum leaving him a voicemail about owing money, so I checked her file to find out for myself. I saw that payment was overdue. I had a word with Pixie, that was all. She snivelled a bit, told me about not hearing from her dad for a while, but it’s not my problem, is it?” Sasha said, leaning back in the sofa. “I just told her to find a cheaper stable somewhere else. I may have given her a helping hand by getting Jade to take the clip off Phantom’s top bolt last Friday night when no one was around. He can let himself out of the stable without it. How was I supposed to know the stupid beast would wander right out ofthe yard and get himself completely lost?”
“He probably couldn’t wait to get away from here!” Rosie cried. “And, for your information, there’s only one stupid beast on this yard, and it hasn’t got four legs, it’s got two!”
With that Rosie stormed off to the door, swung it open and marched through. Straight into
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