Disconcerting: Day 2

Word Count: 12,064

Summary of Events:

As part of his medical schooling, Macaulay joined his father at the hospital for practical work hours. Caetline went for a ride outside the school grounds on one of the school horses while thinking about how she would not be able to make enough money in the next year to possibly be able to buy the horse she wanted. Macaulay and his father, done at the hospital for the day, got in the car and headed for home . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Da turned up the radio as the news came on. Macaulay wasn't one for listening to the news much — not that Da was either — but they both figured it was at least worthwhile to hear a little bit of it once a day.

"In other news, animal rights group Aberdeenshire Rescues has made public stills from a video they allege to have shot on the property of Allan Douglass-Milligan showing an emaciated and abused horse and a man who matches Mr. Douglass-Milligan's description beating the animal," the newscaster said. "They allege that the horse is being starved and beaten and that it should be removed from the property. The stills are very graphic and have caused a stir, with many people offering trailers, blankets, and other supplies to help rescue the horse. To this point neither authorities nor Mr. Douglass-Milligan have made any comment on the matter."

"He can't seem to stay out of the spotlight, can he?" Da asked.

"I didn't know he had horses," Macaulay replied.

"His wife, the one who died here two years ago, she was an avid rider, competed across the Island, even on the Continent if I'm not mistaken," Da replied. "I thought he'd sold the horse after she died. Apparently he didn't. Well, if the allegations are true."

Macaulay nodded. "I'd hope they wouldn't lie."

"I would too," Da agreed. "It's not right to beat an animal, not in the sense of making it bleed. If you have to be a little rough or firm to get them to understand something or to acknowledge you're the top horse is one thing, but blood should never be shed in that effort."

"No," Macaulay agreed, shaking his head.

"It'd be interesting to see the stills," Da said. "I'd like to know why they didn't release the whole video, surely that would make their case stronger."

"I wonder how they got the footage," Macaulay said.

"Mr. Douglass-Milligan has staff, maybe one of them reported the beating," Da said.

"But why wouldn't they report it to the police?" Macaulay asked. "There are anti-animal abuse laws that could get Mr. Douglass-Milligan jailed if he is guilty."

"I guess that is true," Da agreed.

Macaulay followed Da's gaze out the window and across the other lane to the long, immaculate driveway that led down to Mr. Douglass-Milligan's estate, a much smaller estate than Greyham.

Trees obscured the yard site, preventing Macaulay from being able to see if there was a mews on the property where a horse might be kept in. Considering it was an estate that had been around a long time it probably had a mews, being as horses had been a major mode of transportation until the last century or so, but Macaulay had never thought of Mr. Douglass-Milligan as the horse-owning type, frankly.