The Mystery of the Masked Rider by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online Page B

jumper, and maybe we’ll sell him.” He shrugged. “Who knows?”
    Marisa nodded in the direction of the other stall. “Topflight’s over there, and next to him is Golden Glory. This is Mr. Sunshine’s first year showing jumper, but I think we’re going to try him in the Worthington Cup.”
    â€œYou must be busy!” Nancy said, impressed.
    â€œTotally.” Marisa patted down a braid, then jumped off the bucket. “But I love it—especially the winning part.”
    â€œI must go, Ms. Drew,” Diego said in his formal voice. “Some business matters to take care of.” He smiled at Nancy, then gave Marisa a stern look. “I will see you at exactly four o’clock in the warm-up ring.”
    â€œYes, sir,” Marisa said politely. But when Diego left, she turned to Nancy and rolled her eyes. “Fathers!”
    Nancy laughed. “I know what you mean.”
    â€œBut if it wasn’t for my father, I couldn’t do this,” Marisa said as she unbuckled Mr. Sunshine’s blanket.
    Nancy leaned against the doorframe. She was dying to find out what Marisa and Diego had been arguing about. And what had Diego meant when he said, “I am doing everything possible to ensure that you will win”?
    â€œAre you going to the party tonight?” Nancy asked in a casual voice. Father and daughter might have been fighting about a night out.
    â€œI wouldn’t miss it.” Marisa giggled. If Diegohad forbidden her to go, Marisa didn’t seem the least bit worried about it.
    â€œIs your father going, too?”
    â€œNo way,” Marisa scoffed, but then she lowered her voice. “Fortunately, he has a meeting with some business partner or something.” She slid the blanket off the horse and carried it into the aisle.
    â€œAre you wearing a costume?” Nancy asked, thinking about the red and black mask.
    Marisa’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Yeah, and it’s wild. I’ll show it to you.”
    She glanced up and down the aisle as if to make sure no one was looking, then kneeled down in front of a big trunk. After opening it, she rummaged beneath piles of horse bandages and brushes and pulled out a fancy dress wrapped in a plastic bag.
    Nancy’s eyes widened when she saw the costume. It was black with red sequins—exactly like the mask Bess had found outside Nightingale’s stall!

7
Food for Thought
    â€œWhat a beautiful costume!” Nancy exclaimed as Marisa pulled the plastic off the dress and held it up.
    Trying to cover her surprise, Nancy pretended to admire the fancy dress. The red sequins swirled across the black bodice in a sunburst design. The short, full skirt was made of red chiffon.
    â€œDoes it have a mask?” Nancy asked, suppressing her excitement. “That sure would make it perfect.”
    â€œYeah, it does.” Bending over the trunk, Marisa hunted through the equipment. “But I don’t see it. I hope it didn’t fall out when I pulled out the horse blankets. I had to hide it in here so my dad wouldn’t see it,” she confided in a low voice.
    Nancy’s mind whirled with questions. If themask in the aisle was Marisa’s, when had she dropped it? Was she the person who’d been in Nightingale’s stall? Nancy wished she’d gotten a better look at the person. But with their identical hunt caps and breeches, all the riders looked alike.
    Nancy watched as Marisa carefully folded the dress and hid it under some leg wraps. “I take it you don’t want your dad to see the costume,” she said.
    Marisa giggled. “You know fathers. Not only doesn’t he want me to go to the party, but he wouldn’t like the grown-up dress, either.” She sighed. “Sometimes he’s just so old-fashioned . . .” Suddenly she stood up and gave Nancy an embarrassed smile, as if she’d realized she’d revealed too much.