Races & Rogues

By Sara Tiger Ryan

The Telling Race is not about who gets to the finish line first, but how many make it to the finish line without an accident.
The three racing clubs of northern Conyor Ness join together to show the King how careful they are and how safely they race. The prize is sanction by the King for all future races.
When Sazzy's favorite brother, Dandy. comes to Miss Kitty's Private Spy Agency battered and bleeding and asks for her help, Sazzy doesn't hesitate to say yes.
Accidents have been plaguing the Telling Race and Dandy suspects a saboteur. So far Dandy has used his foresight to avoid possible accidents—for himself and others, but he can only be in one place at a time, and he is in the race as well.
They are already close to their casualty limit and have nearly ten days of the race to go.
So, not only does Dandy need Sazzy's help in finding the saboteur, he wants her to use her foresight to keep the rest of his racing buddies alive.
Now it is up to Miss Kitty's to find out who doesn't want anyone to win.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sara Tiger Ryan
• Release date: Sep 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463094112

Sara Tiger Ryan

Sara Tiger Ryan was born in New Hampshire. She now lives in Florida with her 2 cats. Make that minus one charming boy cat, add in a Mama cat who brought me 5 kittens--all of them adorable! Sara started writing novels in 1973 in high school study hall and hasn't stopped (for long) yet. She started out writing fantasy and added mystery. She also writes metaphysical non-fiction. Ryan was active in the small press in the mid 90's, and had her own 'zine, Star Triad.

Book preview

Races

&

Rogues

Miss Kitty Mystery 11

All characters herein are entirely fictional.

Author’s Note:

All the work herein is copyright Sara Tiger Ryan. Smashwords Ebook Edition, July 2019.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re—sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

Table Of Contents

1 Accidents

2 Another Accident

3 Tucker Lyy

4 A Sabotaged Carriage

5 Two Upset Sisters

6 Smoke Town

7 Smokey Jo

8 Vantage Interviews

9 Cownappers

10 Carrigan Copper

11 A Busy Day

12 Magic Ink & Cheap Paper

13 No Inn Here

14 Clarifying Portraits

15 Egret Slepel Creep

16 Uncle King Ian

17 River of Souls

18 Prizes

Appendices

Cast of Characters

Map of Conyor Ness

Map of Vantage

About Sara

Other Books by Sara

All My Miss Kitty Mysteries

Miss Kitty Mystery 12, first chapter

Chapter 1: Accidents

1898, All The Fates Entire 4

Elder Fates Entire 2

KnifeKissingday

Dark Mortal Moon

Sazzy sprang up to give her favorite brother a welcoming hug, froze, and braced herself on her desk top. What happened to you?

Sorry, I came right here.

Is the blood yours? she asked, her voice refusing to go above a whisper.

Dandy glanced down and brushed at his tunic, dislodging bits of leaves and twigs, but doing nothing to remove the palm-sized blood stain on his chest. No. It's Nash's.

Sazzy wavered a second, but she just had to touch her brother to make sure he was all right. No wonder her foresight had been having fits all morning. She slid out from behind her desk and took his hands—dirty, but warm and strong.

He gave her hands a squeeze and said, If you'll let me use your wash water and come listen while I babble, I'll clean up some for you.

She finally processed his last answer. Nash? Yalarra's brother, Nashanel? Is he all right? She led the way from her office into her suite, then into the kitchen, because the dry sink there gave her brother more space to get cleaned up than her wash basin.

He's sporting a big bandage and resting at the healing gallery here but, essentially, yes.

What happened? She pumped him a pan of water and went to find a shirt big enough for him—a task not as difficult as it would have been the last time she'd seen him; he'd lost weight.

Exactly why I'm here. Dandy ducked his face into the water, then used soap on his face and arms.

Take that nasty shirt off, too, she said, snagging a towel off the knob of the sideboard drawer.

He did and washed his torso. She passed him the towel, waited until he had dried off, and handed him the shirt. It fit worrisomely well.

Cousin closet? he asked of the shirt.

Dragonsilks boy in Sidewise Market, she corrected. I got it to sleep in. Shalaka? She paused and reconsidered. Restoration Tea?

The latter, thanks. He retreated to her sitting room and, a moment later, she heard him groaning onto her couch.

Sazzy used the last of her Savor brandy to make the restoration tea and brought the pot, still steeping, into her sitting room with two mugs and three sweet rolls leftover from breakfast. She poured her brother a cup first.

Dandy took a long swallow of restoration tea, set his cup down and said, I'm here to hire Miss Kitty's Private Spy Agency to find out whether it's all just excessive bad luck or there really is someone sabotaging us.

You think someone is sabotaging the race?

There are a lot of people that don't want the King to sanction our races. The constable of Yellow Fields is one. He wrote Nash off as an accident, but my foresight wasn't saying accident when I was racing to get to Nash in time. He fisted his hands briefly. I had to stop twice for idiots leaping in front of my carriage screaming obscenities or I would have been there earlier, maybe early enough. His carriage wheels were still spinning when I got there. Dandy stopped, took a deep breath and closed his eyes a long moment. When he opened them, he said, I'm trying not to get so upset I just lash out at the first person who makes a wrong move. He rubbed his cheek, and grimaced.

Sazzy said, You have a bruise there.

I bumped it on the brake handle wrestling Nash free from the wreck. He stopped and put his hand over half his face. My foresight started having fits just before the start of the race. I keep arriving later and later. I'm worrying about when I don't arrive before... He stopped. Sorry. Give me a second to gather myself together. He sipped his tea, ate a sweet roll down to the last bite, gazed at that a second, laughed sharply, and popped it in his mouth. Or maybe I won't be able to get calm till the race is over.

You think someone is deliberating killing racers?

I don't know. Yes. No. Maybe. Causing accidents at least. He stopped and put his hand over his bruise again. There's some amount of miscalculations every race, axles bend, pieces tear off when someone drives too close to a tree. He took another swallow of tea. Oh, right, Nash said he saw someone sabotaging Ashie's carriage, but no one else did. I was watching her check over her carriage and I didn't see anyone. Nash said someone came along behind her and messed with the wheel.

Did she find anything wrong with her wheel after?

Yes, but she thinks she just overlooked it. I don't know. Nash has been acting strange lately. I think he's doing mirage. We had a big argument about it. That's why I was a bit late following my foresight prompting; I had to go through my anger first.

Sazz? Dusty, her private spy partner, called from the hallway by her office door.

She answered, We're in here. Dandy wants to hire us to chase down someone sabotaging the Great Fortnight Race.

Dusty came in wearing his dragonscale tinkers coat and dripping rain. He nodded to Dandy, got a towel from her kitchen sink and dried his hair and coat. If you're racing in the rain, it's going to be a mess.

Mostly I've been racing to rescue friends in accidents, Dandy answered dryly. It wasn’t raining till I reached Vantage. I wanted to hire you, but I promised to get back to Nash.

Is he well enough to talk to? Sazzy asked.

I don't know. They had him pretty well drugged against the pain when I was there last. He paused. Along with investigating, I want you to keep a foresighted eye on me and the race.

Dusty handed her his notebook, reminding her she hadn't been taking notes...but then she was too upset with the thought that her favorite brother might be in danger to think clearly.

Instead of taking notes, she sat back and half closed her eyes, tapped into her foresight and drew, while Dusty stood behind her watching and questioning Dandy about what else he knew. At the end she had a scribbly picture that looked extremely dire, with about five stick figures in big messy, scribbly dangers. To her relief, none of the stick figures looked like Dandy. She started to set the notebook aside.

Dusty said, Try drawing what happened to Nash.

She drew a picture of a hand sticking out from under a tipped over carriage. Nash's beautiful red carriage, which Das had driven to rescue Trammer last season, lay strewn across the road.

Dusty took the drawing and handed it to Dandy.

If this is what happened, Nash had crawled partially out by the time I got there. He stood. If you want to go to the heal hall with me, let's go. I want to get Nash a few flowers to heal on.

Change roses? she asked, thinking of the Youngest Sinister Fate who liked to meddle in her life, with one of those ways to meddle being giving roses of change.

They can be. He's already changed a lot since his mother died. For the better in my estimation. He glanced at Dusty. Are you coming?

In reply, Dusty pushed to his feet, took his notebook back, and headed into the hall. Dandy followed Dusty into Miss Kitty's Private Spy Agency’s waiting room.

Miss Kitty peered out of the kitchenette and meowed.

I need to feed the cats, Sazzy said. Then I'm with you.

One sharp-clawed fiend is on my shoulder, Dandy answered.

Stripes loved to climb on people's shoulders by running up their legs—or, in her case, usually, climbing her skirt. Sazzy put three dishes of leftovers down, freshened the cats' dish of water and headed toward the waiting room. On her way by her favorite chair, she caught up her private spy kit.

Thanks to the Younger Fates Entire's sense of humor, her private spy kit changed color to match her Rover skirt and blouse, including matching the embroidered flowers on her skirt hem.

Nashanel Witshard looked as if a dragon had stepped on him. Bandages swathed his head and torso, and a splint bound one arm. His sister, Yalarra, sat next to his bed looking worried. Sazzy touched Yalarra's shoulder on her way into the room.

Dandy asked Nash, How are you feeling?

I don't know. Nothing hurts. I don't feel like anything is attached. I think I saw him here, but Yally says I couldn't have. Why did you bring me roses? I'm not dead yet.

Dandy took a half-step back.

Yalarra said, I think the healers gave him too much pain potion, he hasn't been tracking all that well.

He was here gloating, but I don't know him, Nash said plaintively.

Yalarra patted her brother's arm and Nashanel turned his attention to her, staring as if he'd never seen her before.

Sazzy called them change roses, Dandy said finally. He started to push the flowers into the artfully arranged vase of greenery and flowers that sat on the dresser across the room from the bed and stopped. His expression went blank a second, then he turned and eyed her over. Dusty followed.

The bouquet, which had looked pretty and cheerful at first glance, actually held a small black rose in the center of tiny white flowers and dark green heartbreak vine leaves.

Dusty pinched a white flower off and sniffed it, glanced sideways at Nash, picked up the bouquet, vase and all, and headed into the hall with it.

I feel funny, Nash complained. Why do I hurt so? I want to go home.

Yalarra said something placating. Sazzy followed Dusty into the hall. He greeted her with, Do you happen to have a large evidence box in that kit of yours?

She checked the Fate-made pocket in her private spy kit and pulled out a crystal evidence box big enough to put the flower arrangement in.

As Dusty set the flowers and vase inside the box, he said, I'd meant a normal evidence box. Getting this one makes me even more suspicious. I'd definitely say your brother is right. This is most assuredly not a wish for good health. I was planning to take this to Wort Racher, now I think I'll stop at the Warrior Mage booth first.

Dusty left. When Sazzy returned to Nash's room, she found Dandy had stuck the two orange roses he had brought in Nash's cup of drinking water. Her brother sat holding Nash's hand and asking, Where did you find your hat?

I don't know. It was just there sitting on the bedstand when I woke up. Yally said she didn't bring it. Nash met Dandy's gaze pleadingly. What happened? I don't remember what happened.

Dandy patted Nash's arm. You got a nasty bump on the head. You'll remember.

Nash slumped back into the pillows. I'll never win now.

Dandy took a breath to speak and didn't.

What about my carriage?

I had it towed to Bidler's. If anyone can fix it, he can.

Yalarra stood, touched Sazzy's arm and nodded to the hall. When they reached the hall, Yalarra started to speak. Tears poured down her cheeks instead. Sazzy drew her friend into a hug and held her while she cried.

A few minutes later, Yalarra pulled away. I'm sorry. Why did Dusty take the flowers out.

You didn't bring them, did you?

They were already here when I arrived.

I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, of course you didn't bring them. There was a black rose in the middle and heartbreak leaves, I don't know about the white flowers. Dusty took them, vase and all, to the Warrior Mages and our apothecary friend.

Yalarra paled twice, stared at her, and stammered, You think someone tried to kill Nash with a flower arrangement?

Dandy thinks someone is sabotaging the race. After that bouquet, I'm inclined to agree with him. So is Dusty.

Yalarra made a scared little sound, glanced at the door to her brother's room and leaned against the wall. I've always been terrified for him whenever he races, now...

Dandy came out of Nash's room and closed the door quietly behind him. He's asleep. Where did Dusty go?

As they started out of the healing gallery, Sazzy told him. Yalarra trailed behind saying she needed to go home because her father would be upset if she wasn't there when he returned home for lunch.

At the bottom of the healing hall's outside stairs, Yalarra stopped. Or should I stay?

I'll go tell the healers to keep an extra good eye on your brother, Dandy said. You and Sazzy get in the carriage and I'll take you home. Tell Sazzy anything Nash might have told you that might relate.

As soon as Yalarra sat in the carriage, she buried her face in her hands. He doesn't talk to me about the races because he knows how upset his racing makes me, but I want him to do what he loves more.

Sazzy patted Yalarra's shoulder. She had always trusted Dandy's foresight to keep him alive.

After leaving Yalarra at the Witshard Manor, Dandy turned fidgety. He finally said, I don't know whether to return to the race or stay and worry about Nash. Probably return to the race and hope I don't get any more premonitions. You haven't gotten any, have you?

So far I have to know someone to get a premonition about them.

Sammie is in the race, he said, using the racers' pet name for Elitedaughter Savory Lyy, whose younger brother had died when Sazzy had attended to her family winter follies party rather than going after him. And Carrigan.

Carrigan she remembered; she liked him. I danced with one of the women racers at the Queen's First Season Ball last year, I remember. Not Savory.

Hannah. She died a few races ago. I think you’ve met Rollie, too. He's older than us. And Drew Rell; he's a side relative of Sammie's.

I don't remember.

Dandy pulled up in front of Five Whippet West. Dusty came out immediately as if he'd been watching for them, came over to the carriage, but didn't offer her a hand out. He said, I'm thinking it might be wise to visit the scene of the crime.

Crime not accident? Dandy said.

Considering the black rose with the hex pin in its heart, the heartbreak vine leaves, and the sweet mountain grass—called esile when cultivated, yes, the scene of the crime. Dusty paused, then added, If you don't want to take us, we can rent a carriage and you can tell us where.

I'll need clothes, Sazzy said.

I packed us satchels and asked Edgy to put up a picnic lunch for us, and told our trusty part time scryer to watch the cats. Dandy?

I suppose I won't be of any help at the healers. All right. I left my pack at the club house, I'll need to get it on the way out. I may want to stay with the race—but, if so, I'll rent you a carriage to get back.

Speaking of money, Sazzy took a breath and didn't say anything after all. She hadn't even thought about charging Dandy for her time—but Dusty might expect her to.

Dandy squeezed her shoulder. The club will be paying—as long as the fee isn't too exorbitant.

If your club is paying, Dusty put in, it's our standard fee plus a percentage for danger.

You shouldn't be in danger. Whoever it is, assuming it isn't just a lot of accidents, has only targeted racers.

I guarantee that if it looks like Sazzy and I are closing in on your saboteur, he or she will gladly rig an 'accident' just for us, too.

Dandy glanced at her and said slowly, Maybe I should hire someone else then.

Feeling slapped, Sazzy ducked her head.

Only because I don't want you hurt, Dandy said quickly.

If we aren't involved in your case with its potential for being hurt, Dusty said, we'll be involved in another with the same potential. This way you can be sure that your private spy is definitely in your corner trying to save your skin every minute.

I haven't been— Dandy stopped and motioned for Dusty to get into the carriage.

Instead, Dusty ducked into the building. When he returned he carried two satchels. He tossed those in the back of Dandy's carriage, then hauled himself up onto the seat. Sazzy squeezed over closer to her brother.

Dusty said, Edgy lives on the next block. If you'll stop there, I'll run in. While we're riding, you can tell us all about the accidents you didn't have.

Dandy stayed silent until they had the picnic lunch from Edgy, his pack from the racers' club house, and they were headed out of town. He made an unhappy sound, then said, You're right. My foresight saved me, so I didn't think much more about them. I've been thinking back. The first one I felt confused about was in the race where we donated money to Molly Lyy's new orphanage. I've had three other small accidents since then that make me feel queasy, and several I've avoided entirely. He paused and maneuvered the carriage around a farm cart, and south onto Lost River Road. We should get there about dusk, unless we run into problems.

I have a couple wizard globes with me, Dusty answered.

Sazzy glanced sideways at Dusty, not sure why he had taken on her case as if it was his. He never had before.

He answered, I remembered that our dear friend Jikery Jykrye is a part time racer and he mentioned to me recently about getting into The Great Fortnight Race. We have the earrings he got us for Winter Deep, we might as well be ready in case we have to race to his rescue. Or clear it up early so we don't have to race to anyone's rescue.

Earrings? Dandy echoed, and Dusty told him about the communication earrings that the Prince had given her and Dusty for Winter Deep.

Once past the city traffic, Dandy whistled his horse into a trot and began telling them about recent accidents of various racing club members. About half of them, he said felt off, then he stopped speaking for several minutes, before saying, Maybe if I tell you about them in order, some bell will ring and you'll magically know the culprit.

I have to have met someone to kill-Seek them, Dusty interjected, and have an inkling of who.

I just thought, Dandy said, We threw Beam Prite out a few weeks ago.

Dandy and Dusty discussed Beam Prite, calling the Prites in general hotheads and ladies' men.

Mid the conversation, Sazzy thought of a question to ask, thanks to the classes she had taken at the Syiin School, that might prompt her brother's foresight. What was the first accident that you remember that makes your foresight twitch?

Dandy started to answer several times before saying slowly, This is going to sound odd, but the first one I can think of that makes my magic twitch is before I was in the club. One of the founders was killed, Potter Travis. Everyone says it was as weird an accident as they have ever seen and that he still should have walked away from it. I gather Travis usually had luck enough to spare.

When did the club start? Dusty asked.

Travis, Rollie, Hester, and Ashie started the club unofficially here in 1892. After Travis and Hester were killed in— Dandy frowned. I am getting goosebumps on my goosebumps. I don't think Hester Windova's was an accident either—or not a natural accident. And here I was thinking I was over-reacting like an anxious granny. He fell silent as they passed two carriages full of giggling young ladies, their companions, and chaperones.

A few minutes later, Dandy said, Travis left a new bride and an unborn child. Everyone always says Travis was an accident waiting to happen, he was so reckless, but Hester was practical and solid. I don't know. Now I'm feeling really off. Maybe Nash wasn't seeing things and there really is an invisible saboteur.

It isn't that far out of the realm, Dusty said. There are see-me-not hex stones for sale if you know where to get them. Sazz ran into a real disappearing hex stone while hunting Shalin Lyy.

Sammie is still upset over her brother, Dandy put in. She's blaming herself for Shalin's death.

And Sazzy is blaming herself, Dusty put in. I am blaming Yght, his hex makers, and Angelina Fain and company.

Dandy stayed silent a few seconds, then said, The club became official in 1894 and we named Hester and Travis as the founders as if they still lived. Right after, Rollie moved to Six Hearts, because he was good friends with Travis and didn't want to be constantly reminded by living here. We made it an official club to keep the accidents down. There were about twice as many before then, because we had green racers, and anyone could join a race. He paused and looked troubled a moment, scanned the road, obviously saw nothing amiss, kept going, and kept speaking.

Beam felt really shafted. He says he is innocent, but it looked to everyone else that he had caused the accident that killed Hannah. Maybe he's right, maybe he didn't. Or maybe he did and he is sending black roses to his victims.

Dusty nudged her with an elbow and mimed writing. Right, she should be writing down all the clues Dandy was handing out. She glanced at Dusty. He held his writing hand out, showing her a bandage around his thumb and first two fingers.

What happened? she asked.

Dumbness.

I've had that problem myself a few times, Dandy said humorously, then swore, as a line of six slow moving carriages came around the next bend traveling toward them down the middle of the road.

Uncharacteristically, to Sazzy, her brother continued to swear as the slow moving carriages kept coming without veering to their own side of the road. Dandy finally stopped their carriage on their side of the road and glared at the lead driver, who ignored him at first, then, obviously grudgingly, veered to his own side of the road.

As they passed, a girl inside the second carriage said disparagingly, It's one of those racers.

Sazzy answered, And it is one of those ill-mannered brats from the country come to Season to find a man to curb her excessive stupidity.

Sazz, Dusty complained under his breath, while Dandy stifled a startled sounding laugh.

I've always wanted to say that, she said. Now I'm not Family, I can.

I hope to tell Wisty this story to let her know just how far she has erred, Dandy said humorously as he pulled sharply out, barely missing the last carriage in line. He picked their pace back up. We'll need to stop in Quickville and water the horse. You can unpack the picnic lunch then and we can eat on the way.

Are we in that much of a hurry? she asked.

Your partner wants to get there before dusk, so he can see all the evidence I missed without having to grope around in the dark.

Are you all right?

Instead of answering, Dandy said, We didn't have any accidents during the Chance Week Race when we delivered Winter Deep gifts to orphanages. I was the first slated accident for this race, but we are all so uneasy, we check over our carriages and horses constantly. I don't know how many accidents haven't happened because of that. I've had a couple, Ashie had that one where Nash says he saw someone invisible. She is a quick-tempered, vicious driver, I'm surprised she doesn't have more real accidents than she does.

Dandy picked up their pace again. We should be at Quickville already. I'm running slow today. He paused. Right, two extra passengers, two satchels, a large picnic lunch—soon to be demolished, since I haven't eaten since last night that I remember. Nash had that accident that put his carriage in the shop and he rode with me after. He's come a long way since his mother died. Did I say that already. Good, the town marker. He barely slowed.

Is something wrong? Sazzy asked.

Other than that I'm upset since this is the race we put together to prove how careful we were that the King is to sanction so we could race without worrying about stupid idiots leaping in front of the carriage or like those ah—idiots with the line of purposely slow carriages taking the middle of the road. I usually stop here. They passed into a three building village. Dandy brought the horse and carriage to a halt in front of the third building. A porch wrapped around the west and south side and four hounds slept along the length. The dogs' ears twitched, but none of them moved.

A boy carrying a bucket of water and a feed bag came out and greeted Dandy with, Did your friend make it all right?

Dusty got out, went around the back of the carriage and came back with the picnic basket—which looked, really, like Edgy's laundry basket covered with a blue plaid cloth.

Nash is at the healing gallery with a bevy of healers trying to make sure he recovers, Dandy answered the boy. So far.

The boy glanced at her and Dusty.

Dandy said, This is my sister and her partner. They own a private spy agency. I hired them to look into all the accidents we've been having.

I've caught three problems myself just today, the boy answered. Raffel finally came by and—

Dandy turned white, leapt into his carriage, motioned them in after him, and waited impatiently for his horse to stop drinking and eating. His hands turned white on the reins and the horse glanced back over its shoulder at him, then