�Why so quiet?� twenty-three-year-old Honey Wheeler asked her best friend, Trixie Belden, on their way home from New York City. �Cat got your tongue?�

Trixie didn�t seem to hear her friend, but instead, just stared out the window at the scenery whizzing by. She was deep in thought about summer and what kind of events would unfold.

�Agent Belden, do you copy? Agent Wheeler to Agent Belden. Do you copy?� Honey said as she reached over and nudged the quiet girl next to her. �What�s on your mind? You�re never this quiet.�

�Hmm? Oh, nothing.� Trixie knew how false she sounded, but didn�t quite know how to talk to Honey about it because �it� involved Honey�s adopted brother, Jim Frayne.

�Hey, if you don�t wanna talk about what�s on your mind, that�s fine with me,� Honey said. �But please talk to me about something! After the Economics and Government finals yesterday, every ounce of my brainpower and energy has been thoroughly sucked away, and I might fall asleep while driving�and it�ll be all your fault.�

�It�s about Jim.�

�Okay, I�ll risk falling asleep.�

Half an hour later, Honey dropped her friend off at Crabapple Farm and sleepily waved good-bye and headed up to the Manor House. Fishing the house key out of her pocket, Trixie let herself into her childhood home expecting to find at least one family member home. Sadly, no one was home and the absent aroma of crabapple pies, turkey roasts, freshly baked bread, and home made ginger snap cookies made Trixie heave a sigh of disappointment.

Since Trixie had graduated from high school and started attending the university in New York City, Mrs. Belden paid less attention to housework, gardening, and cooking and more attention to other things. Up on the mantle next to a painting she finished thirty years ago in high school, was a portrait of her youngest son, sixteen-year-old Rob. This was a new painting and Trixie was very taken in by it. He was definitely taking after the Johnson side of the family with his fair complexion, blond curly hair and big wide blue eyes, but at the same time, had the Belden chin and high cheekbones.

Trixie heard the familiar tip tap tip tap sound coming through the kitchen and turned around to see an elderly Reddy coming toward her, with his lips curled up and nose wrinkled, as if he were smiling. Giving Reddy attention was all she needed, and suddenly she felt like she was home once again.

Reddy stayed at the base of the staircase and watched as Trixie lugged her suitcase and bags up to her old bedroom and began to unpack. Brushes, combs, and accessories in arms, she headed for the old antique dresser but stopped short upon seeing a small package tied with a ribbon and �Trixie� on the front of a small card. After setting her things down, she picked up the card and box.

Inside the box was a small, cream-colored pocket photo album. Opening it up, Trixie noticed on the inside cover in Jim�s hand writing were the words, �Another mystery for my favorite Schoolgirl Shamus.� The photos Trixie saw made no sense to her at all. In order, the pictures were of an over grown field, a farm, a chicken coop, the Wheeler�s veranda, The roof of the Bob-White clubhouse, an old math assignment of hers, an old shack, an ice skate, a red barn, the conference table in the Bob-White clubhouse, a mountain side, a boarded up old run-down building, an old stable, and a brick wall.

The familiar sound of the family car took her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Taking two steps at a time, she raced down stairs to greet her parents. They teased her about how she lived only an hour away but hardly ever came to visit, and how they�ve written countless letters to her with no answer. Trixie just laughed and hugged them once again.

�I�ve been a busy girl,� she said firmly. �Between school, work, and sleep, there isn�t much time for writing a letter.�

�Hey, I did all that, including writing to my parents,� her father said with a grin and twinkling dark eyes. �So what have you been up to lately? Anything new from Belden-Wheeler?�

Trixie rolled her eyes. �No time for mysteries either. I still love them though.�

�Wow, she is busy,� Peter Belden raised his eyebrows and said to his wife. �I�d have thought that there would definitely be time for a mystery or two. But I believe this is a record!�

�Oh stop it!� Trixie laughed. �Its hard to put in forty hours of school and another twenty to thirty hours of work each week. The rest of the time I use for sleeping. When are Brian and Mart supposed to be home?�

�This evening,� answered Peter.

�Which reminds me,� Trixie�s mother spoke up, �I need to get the turkey in the oven now. It�s thawed, cleaned, and dressed all ready, but just needs to be cooked.

�Need any help?� Trixie asked as she started opening cupboards and drawers.

�Good heavens, no Trixie. I got along all these years making a dinner for six. I think I can handle three.� With that, Trixie�s mother set to work.

�Maybe I�ll go up and see if one of the horses needs exercising,� she said after a few minutes. It seemed that her parents had fallen into a different routine and it looked strangely odd to her. �What time do you want me home?�

�Oh, whenever,� Mrs. Belden answered. �Rob�s spending the afternoon with Terry and Larry, and Brian and Mart won�t be home until after dinner, so it�s not going to be anything formal tonight.�

�All right,� Trixie said and headed for the door. A few minutes later she found herself standing in the stable doorway.

�Well, look who decided to drop in to visit these terribly neglected horses!� Regan exclaimed to the young blonde woman standing in the stable door. �None other than Miss Fidget herself!�

�Hi Regan, how�re you doing?� she said as the two wrapped their arms around each other in a hug.

�Never mind about me, it�s Susie that I�m worried about.�

Trixie�s eyes showed concern. �Why? What�s wrong with her?�

Regan placed his freckled hands on his hips and playfully glared at her. �Only that she�s been such a good girl, but the young woman who was �just going to die if she didn�t get a horse� never seems to find the time to take her out once in a while.�

�I know. I�m so bad, aren�t I?� Trixie headed for Susie�s stall and immediately bonded again with her little black mare. �You sweet girl. This whole time I�ve lived only an hour away, but you wait so patiently.� She then turned her curly head to Regan. �Has she been out yet today?�

�Yes she has, but maybe you could take her out this evening for a little bit of a workout.�

�That won�t work,� she said with a frown, �Brian and Mart are arriving home tonight and I�d like to be there when they do. I�ve seen them only once since the school year started.�

�Well, if you�d come home instead of chasing a mystery or whatever it is that you do in New York, you�d have seen them more often.� Regan turned around and headed for his office door. �If you change your mind and do want to take her out, go ahead. I won�t be here tonight.�

Jim�s car wasn�t in the Wheelers� driveway, so Trixie headed back home. Upon entering the house, she noticed that everything was quiet again. The family car was in the driveway, but a note on the refrigerator told Trixie that they were out for a walk while the turkey was roasting.

�Coming home was not supposed to be this boring!� she yelled at the empty room, then chuckled when there was no answer.

Trixie flung her bedroom door open and threw herself on the bed. Isn�t there supposed to be ten million things happening all at once? Whatever happened to endless pies coming out of the oven, Bobby yelling for someone to do something for him, Mart eating food just as fast as Moms prepares it, and where did the other Bob-Whites go? They made it a practice to come over whenever they wanted. Not even Moms and Dad hung around to catch up on things with me. There wasn�t even a �How�s school?� or anything!

Next to her head lying open was the small photo album, right where she had tossed it when she heard her parent�s car drive up. The roof of the Bob-White clubhouse rather stood out for her.

Days of long ago, when the Bob-Whites of the Glen would hold meetings, work on projects, and have parties in that club house held a special place in her heart. She admired Brian for putting his hard-earned money into fixing the roof when a hurricane ripped a hole in it. Trixie laughed as she remembered that whole week and how it all started with Tom and Celia getting married, progressed on to the feminine performance of a lifetime, and ended with a new roof for the clubhouse and Brian buying his jalopy.

But what did the clubhouse roof have anything to do with the field, farm, a chicken coop, a brick wall, and the other pictures? Trixie was determined to find out. After studying the first picture for a few minutes, she realized what the message was. �There�s the summerhouse in the background! Gleeps! It�s a treasure hunt!�

Within minutes she was tearing along the bridle path on her bicycle towards the old Frayne property where the burnt ruins of the mansion still stood. It had been years since she came back to this house, and like last time, it pulled a few heart strings to see the old land that brought back memories of her first encounter with Jim Frayne.

It had always rather amazed her why Jim had never done anything with the property, but had never said anything about it. Half a wall from the east side of the house still stood, half-burnt, half-weathered from the years of countless rainstorms and the winter snow. She knew she shouldn�t go inside, especially since there were large holes in the ground floor where she could see through to the old basement.

Standing on the old rickety porch, she peered into what used to be the living room, where she and Honey had found Jim that morning, sound asleep. Trixie had no idea why she never came back to this place, but she wasn�t about to let Jim show her up in a mystery or a riddle, whatever his little puzzle was. There was something about this place that was part of the answer to the riddle, but the question was, what?

The firemen had pretty much cleared away all the rubble from the old house. The only thing left was a few nests and some holes in the walls.

A bird perched on top of one of the scorched walls. �What�s all this supposed to mean?� she asked the bird. The bird in turn cocked its head at her and flew away. �You�re a real help,� she scolded.

Spying an old tree stump across the yard, she strolled over and took a seat and turned to the second picture. A farm.

A farm. Crabapple farm? Uncle Andrew�s farm? Hickory Farms?

Then she saw a clue. Off to the side was a part of a red wall, as if it were part of a building. Looking up she saw the red barn nestled into the preserve out behind the Frayne house. Comparing the picture to the barn, she decided that it wasn�t the Frayne property because of the very large farm. And the apple orchard! Trixie�s eyes grew wide as it dawned on her just what she was looking at.

�Oh Jim, you nutball,� she said to herself as a grin spread across her face.

�Well, you win. You did find some hidden treasure, after all.�

�Well, I never! You tracked me down in less than a week, you sleuths you!�

Next, she studied the picture of the chicken coop. It was definitely the Beldens� chicken coop. While riding back down the bridle path back to Crabapple Farm, she began thinking about what the chicken coop had to do with Ten Acres and the Smith Farm. Minutes later, she was entering the messy coop and hastily looking around for clues.

The chickens were minding their own business as she invaded the hen house looking for a clue. Nothing. Stepping back out of the hen house, she couldn�t help but glance up at the Manor House. It kind of brought back the memory of the day when the Wheelers were moving in and she looked up the hill to see Regan directing traffic with the horse trailers. Turning to face the hen house, she spied the chicken feed bucket.

�Wait for me! I�ll help you feed the chickens. They may need fresh water.�

Leaving her bike up against the chicken coop, and not bothering to shut the gate, she ran like a bullet up the footpath up to the Manor House and stopped short at the huge terrace with the wicker porch swing.

�Do you still think Di�s Uncle Monty is as slippery as an eel, Trix? I mean, do you still think he�s an imposter?�

�Yes, I do. And I�ll prove it someday. Wait and see.�

Small moments were beginning to come back to her. Both of them had shared moments that might seem insignificant to others, but they meant the world to her. Trixie didn�t even have to race to the clubhouse to understand the gist of the next picture.

She remembered that day the boys were fixing the hole in the roof, and both she and Honey had come along talking about how much the Wheelers needed a gamekeeper. One look at Jim�s husky, supple form up on the roof making repairs was enough to convince her that he would make the best gamekeeper. And he still would. Trixie sat down on the swing, pushed it back and forth with her feet, put her head back, and sighed.

�But Trixie sort of grows on you. Now that I�m used to her form of insanity, I�d hate to lose her.�

Moving on to the next page, her smile faded as she remembered how poorly she did in math. Math was something that she just couldn�t comprehend, and was always one step away from failing the course every year. She pulled the old math assignment out of the small album and looked it over.

�It�s really no wonder I nearly failed every year,� she said to herself. �Gallons became miles, feet became liters, and ounces became kilometers.�

A small tear welled up in her eye as she remembered back to their trip in Arizona to Uncle Monty�s dude ranch resort, and how she had promised to her parents that she�d let Jim and Brian tutor her in math just so they�d let her go. Then, when she was supposed to be studying and doing her homework, doggone it, a mystery came along. There was the mystery of why Petey ran away, the mysterious disappearance of the Orlando family, and Tenny�s phony accent.

Then her eyes clouded over as she could still hear Jim�s voice:

�You got the wrong answers to every one of your problems. Your mistakes were in simple addition and subtraction which certainly proves that you weren�t exactly concentrating.�

It was frustrating. She would�ve given anything to just haul off and smack him, but she knew that her sturdy, but small fists were no match for his dukes. Even if she had slapped him, he would never have hit her back. Besides, she didn�t like fighting with him anyway. �Just what gives him the right?� she had thought that night about ten years ago before going to bed. �Just because he�s new in the neighborhood doesn�t mean that he can order me around. He even said ages ago back at the mansion that he never was good in math, so he should understand.� With tears in her eyes, she fell asleep that night.

The first five memories had been so sweet; she wondered why on earth he had to bring this up. Dreading the next clue, she turned the page to see an old shack. The Bob-Whites were forever finding shacks and abandoned houses on the game preserve. But, there was only one shack that Jim and Trixie spent their first night together in: the old schoolhouse in the clearing.

�Okay, so Brian was with us,� she said to herself as a wicked grin replaced her long face and teary eyes. She stepped down off the veranda and hurried along the footpath up the hill behind the Manor House, all the while thinking about the game they played.

�Twenty questions,� she chuckled to herself. She began laughing harder as she remembered one of the several times that it was her turn.

�Animal, vegetable, or mineral?� Brian asked.

�Neither.�

�Tangible or intangible?� Jim asked her.

�What?�

�Can you touch it?� he clarified for her.

�Nope!� she answered.

�Can you smell it?� Brian asked.

�Nope!�

�Is it harmful to people?� Jim asked.

�Well, sort of.�

�Is it pollution?� Brian asked.

�Nope!� Trixie answered zealously, proud of herself for actually getting this far in the game.

�Is it a mystery?�

�Hey! That�s not fair! You knew it all along didn�t you?� Trixie lightly kicked his shin as he grinned at her.

Trixie stood outside the old schoolhouse where the three of them had been stuck during an awful blizzard. Reddy had been out gallivanting around in the game preserve when he�d gotten his foot stuck in a trap. It was getting late, and he wasn�t coming home, and Bobby was having fits about it.

�Trixie is the one who will find my dog! I want Trixie to go!�

Trixie peered inside the old log schoolhouse and immediately imagined she smelled chicken soup. She laughed upon seeing the three benches still placed around the stove.

Remembering the old panicked feeling of being marooned in the middle of the great labyrinth which was the Wheelers� game preserve made her shiver, even though it was warm out. She blushed as she recalled her reaction to Brian falling down on top of Jim and how she thought Jim was dead. Both boys teased her about it from time to time, but in reality, they were quite thankful they had her along�for it was Trixie who thought to ring the school bell when Jim got lost in the blizzard.

�I�m coming, and we will find a way out!� Trixie cried in a vigorous and sure voice.

�That�s the girl!� Jim answered.

The Wheelers� lake looked refreshing, and Trixie felt hot. It was a hot summer day in June. Her clothing stuck to her and she found it rather uncomfortable to move. The schoolhouse had been hot, dusty, with dead air that made it hard to breathe. Looking around, Trixie made sure that no one was looking and slipped her shirt and shorts off and left them on the dock, and dove right into the cool water.

She really didn�t care if anyone was watching, because it wasn�t the first time she had been there by herself while someone was secretly watching her. Of course, the situation was different beforehand. At the time, she was practicing spins and jumps for the ice carnival. �Hey, at least I still have my bra and underwear on,� she thought. After a few minutes of a refreshing swim, she hoisted herself up on the dock and let herself air dry for a bit before putting her clothing back on.

She felt more at ease this time, even though she was practically naked, because she didn�t have that feeling that someone was watching. Even if they were, she was too hot to care. Suddenly she got this mental picture of Old Mr. Lytell spying on her, and laughed at the thought of the old huffing and puffing in the state of shock at seeing someone swimming in their�in their undies!!

Deciding she was dry, she put her clothing on and looked at the next picture. An ice skate. �Makes sense,� she thought to herself. �It was this lake that Dan finally got to participate in a Bob-White activity.�

Dan was a story all of his own. When he first came to Sleepyside, she didn�t even want to give him a chance because he was rude. He snarled at her, insulted Honey, and made it all around difficult to even like him. She began to put things into a different perspective that day in the lunchroom at Sleepyside Junior/Senior High when she had a small conversation with Jim.

�I can tell by the look in his eyes that no matter how big he talks, he�s scared.�

Trixie frowned. �You know, Jim, Honey said the same thing. She thought he looked sad too. But I think he just looks ornery.�

�I know somebody else who had the same reputation not so long ago. He was a runaway kid that didn�t believe that anyone�d want to be friends with him. Then he met two girls who made him change his mind. They even helped give him a sister and a dad and a mother he�s very fond of.�

She couldn�t physically travel back to the old red barn, but she remembered it all quite well. It was another adventure that pitted three of them against nature as she, along with Jim and Honey, survived a downpour and flood in Iowa. When they had perched on top of an old barn to keep out of the water, they kept their sanity by playing twenty questions.

Her voice was so hoarse from yelling like crazy that it hurt. It never occurred to them at the time, but they should�ve done the Bob-White signal. It would�ve saved their voices. But, they were terrified, and weren�t thinking straight. She tried to keep her wits about her the whole time because Honey kept going on about �when the rescue team finds their bodies� and even Jim was beginning to panic.

She had to admit, for teenagers, they were sure using their heads to get out of the situation�but certainly weren�t using their heads when they got in the situation.

�I�m sorry I�m such a goon,� Honey said. �I�d like to be big and noble like you, Trixie��

�Oh rubbish,� Trixie answered. �I�m not big and noble and you know it. I just have confidence that we�re going to get out of this.�

The rest of the spring had been hard on Trixie emotionally. Her dreams at night had begun to include Jim. Some were romantic dreams, others ended up as nightmares. One night she dreamt of the flood in Iowa, and that things had happened differently�that he had fallen off the barn into the water and never came back up. She felt weird about her new relationship with him and that there were new expectations to live up to now that he had confessed his feelings for her and labeled her his �special girl�.

Girls in love were supposed to act like ladies, and not like tomboys all the time. Though they hadn�t shared a first kiss, they had done the next best thing to it�holding hands. The only problem with the situation was that he hadn�t bothered to come forward and say anything until she mentioned Dot Murray, the beauty queen of Happy Valley.

Dot had been a senior at Rivervale High in Happy Valley and was every underclassman�s dream. She was tall and beautiful, and was more graceful and charming than Trixie felt she could ever be. Her eyes were the perfect color blue, nose was the perfect shape, and not a red zit marred her pretty, perfect face.

Dot also made cameos in Trixie�s dreams, and often appeared at Jim�s side. The �he�s mine� hand gesture she had given different girls while talking to Jim was now directed at her. She would try to tell Jim her feelings, but would constantly lose her voice or say the wrong thing. Instead of talking about Dot, she would say something like �I think penguins are cute� and Jim would give her this look as if he were asking her what planet she was from.

Honey and Diana had changed that spring as well. The other girls had started developing physically, making Trixie feel left out and left behind. Adding to her awkwardness was the grief they gave her when they saw the bracelet Jim had given her. Finally, to stop the teasing, she quit wearing it for a while.

Trixie giggled as she took a look at the photo of the conference table in the clubhouse. Many good things took place around that table right along with the few sweet, romantic moments. Her face reddened with embarrassment as she reflected back on one of her less than stellar moments.

Trixie barged into the clubhouse without knowing that Jim would be in there studying. He was so deep into his books that he didn�t even notice that she was there. Quickly, she backed out and in the process, tripped and fell over.

�Now what are you up to? That�s no way for a lady to come calling on a gent.�

�I wasn�t coming, I was g-going. I was b-backing away so I wouldn�t interrupt your studying.�

The rest of the school year became a game of cat-and-mouse between Jim and her. Their developing feelings made Trixie more and more aware that she was the she would be Jim�s first. She began to have fewer dreams about Dot, and her jealous feelings began to fade. But, Trixie had to thank her because if it weren�t for Dot, Trixie would never have discovered how she really, truly felt about Jim.

Trixie had succeeded with her clues up until this point. She thumbed through the remaining five pictures but couldn�t grasp what in the world Jim was trying to tell her. A mountainside, a boarded up old shack, an old stable, and a brick wall.

It had always been maddening to her when she couldn�t grasp a clue, or when the solution to the case was under her nose and she didn�t realize it until later. Because of the heat and humidity, she wished his clues were a tad bit easier to understand.

�If you know what�s best for you, you won�t stay here right now,� Mr. Belden said to his daughter as she came in through the front door. �Rob came home from Larry and Terry�s to feed the chickens and found them running amok in the backyard. He�s fuming right now.�

�Oh, Dad, the chickens!� Trixie wailed. �I�m sorry I left the gate open.�

Mrs. Belden came around the corner into the living room as she heard her daughter�s voice. �You know, Trix,� she started. �Rob has been promoted to the daily chore of feeding the chickens, so there�s really no need for you to do that anymore.�

�I would go out and apologize but if his temper is anything like it used to be, I think I should pack back up and go back to the city before he decides to get his sweet revenge on me.�

�And you know how sweet his revenges are,� her dad reminded her.

�I know, I know,� Trixie mumbled. �Bobby�s revenge, as Mart used to say, was �saccharine sweet.��

�What were you doing in the chicken coop anyway?� her mother asked.

�I don�t know, Moms,� Trixie cried as she plopped herself down on the sofa. �Jim left me clues to some kind of treasure hunt and one of them was in the chicken coop. Only when I left for the next clue, I probably left in such a hurry I didn�t shut the gate.�

�Clues?� Mr. Belden asked with a grin. �I just knew you�d scrounge up a mystery.�

Trixie showed them the photo album that Jim had left for her up in her bedroom. She was in the middle of telling them about what she�d found already when Rob came in through the back door. For a few seconds he stood there and glared at her.

�Welcome home,� he said sarcastically and stalked back outside letting the screen door slam behind him.

�I�m going to apologize,� she said and started for the back door. �I used to hate it when he did these things to me, constantly getting in my way, or trashing my room or something. I owe him an apology.� With that, she darted out the back door.

Rob was in the garage getting his bike ready to ride back to the Lynches when Trixie came racing inside. �Rob, I didn�t mean to let the chickens out.�

�I know you didn�t, but just the same, it was irresponsible of you,� Rob shot back at her.

�Where�d you learn that? Brian?� she snapped. �Listen, Rob. It was a mistake. I didn�t mean to do it.�

�Well, valuable time was wasted while I was herding chickens back into the coop.� He hopped on his bike and steadied himself with his foot. �Larry, Terry, and I were gonna go riding this afternoon, but we won�t be able to now.�

�Okay, just a darn minute!� Trixie scolded him before he could leave. �You were always in my hair, wrecking things, spoiling my plans, and constantly getting into scrapes that we had to get you out of. So we�re even. I�m sorry I let the chickens out and I�d like to make it up to you.�

�You know, no favor is worth this,� he retorted. �Next time Jim wants something done, he can do it his own self.�

�What favor?� Trixie asked. �What did Jim want done?�

Rob didn�t answer. Instead, he peddled his way down the driveway.

�NICE TO SEE YOU TOO!� she yelled after him.

�I think there�s a law against peace disruption,� her father said behind her.

Trixie jumped and looked over at her dad, who was standing at the front door. �Can you believe that little brat? I was never like that at sixteen, was I?� Her face was bright red as she watched her younger brother peddle up Glen Road to the Lynch Estate. �Ungrateful little�baby.�

�Don�t worry about it,� he said as he held the door open for her. �Just let him vent to Terry and Larry about it and he�ll be fine. Then when he comes home, don�t bring it up. Forget about it. It�s history.�

�But I feel so bad now,� she said as she once again plopped down on the sofa.

�Dear, remember how you reacted when he broke your china cat that Aunt Alicia gave you?� her mother asked.

�How�d you know he broke Spotty?� Trixie asked dumbfounded. �I never told you because it was really a gift to you and Dad.�

�You don�t think that for as many times as I cleaned your room, dusted, and put away laundry that I wouldn�t notice that Spotty was missing?� Mrs. Belden grinned as she folded her arms. �I asked Rob if he knew anything about it, and he told me the whole story. But that�s not the issue here. Remember how you reacted to Rob breaking the cat?�

�Not really,� Trixie answered.

�You got over it in seconds flat, and you really had loved that cat because of the flower design on it and it�s soft greenish-yellow eyes.� Mrs. Belden stepped back into the kitchen to check on the turkey. �My advice is to let it drop.�

�Dad, Rob mentioned something about a �favor� and �the next time Jim wants something done�. Do you know anything about this?� She held up the photo album for her Dad to see.

Her father took the small album from her and thumbed through the pages once again. �All I know is that last weekend Jim was wandering around taking pictures of things. I have to admit, I�m very puzzled as to why he was taking pictures of the chicken coop. I assume you must know something about it?�

�All I remember is that he helped me feed the chickens ages ago,� Trixie replied. �Remember when I proved how the Wheeler�s new chauffer was a phony and that he was really after a diamond that he had left behind? That was the only time I ever remember him helping out with the chickens.�

�What about this shack?� he asked her as he held up the picture of the old schoolhouse.

�Oh that�s where Brian, Jim, and I all spent the night after we got stuck in a terrible blizzard.�

�I remember that night,� he said. �You three kids acted very smart and level headed when it came to survival, even if it was just for one night. I just wish I could�ve been here instead of in the city.� He thumbed through the pictures and handed the book back to Trixie. �I don�t really know what Jim�s getting at with this album, but you could ask him tonight when he comes over for dessert with Honey.�

Trixie�s face brightened. �I�ll have to be sure to do that �cause it�s sure baffling me.� Trixie set the photo album down on the coffee table and headed out to the kitchen to help Moms prepare for dinner.

�Will Brian and Mart be home in time for dessert?� Trixie asked her mother.

�I�m sure they will be,� she answered. �They said they had some errands to run and won�t be home until after eight. So, I figured we could have a light dinner and then a �welcome home� party when everyone gets here. It�s been a while since we all ate like pigs, and frankly, I miss it.�

�Yeah, Moms, I miss it too,� Trixie said with a smile as she noticed Moms preparing a fruit salad. �Where are the marshmallows?�

�Up in the cupboard,� she said as she pointed with a mixing spoon.

Trixie collapsed on the sofa in the living room after helping Moms with the last of the dinner dishes. Reddy cantered to the front window and jumped up to see who had driven up into the driveway. �Who�s here, Reddy?� Trixie whispered to the old dog in hopes of getting a reaction, but he remained quiet until he saw who it was. Suddenly, he was twisting himself inside out and wriggling his body all over the place and sending rough barks through the house.

Trixie stood up and looked out the window to see two tall figures coming up the walkway to the front door. She whipped the door open to see her two older brothers with bags in their arms and big smiles on their faces.

�Hey sis,� Brian said with twinkling dark black eyes. �Here, can you take this?� He handed his sister a grocery bag and stepped inside. Mart came following after with two more bags.

�Man, what�d you do?� Trixie asked eyeballing the bags. �Buy out the store?�

�Well, we figured that since Mart was gonna be here�� Brian started but stopped when Mrs. Belden came rushing into the living room to wrap her sons in big hugs and take the grocery bags with her into the kitchen.

�Hey Trix!� Mart said as he gave his sister a hug. �It�s been a while, huh?�

�Sure has,� she said as he passed her on to Brian for another hug. Suddenly, it hit Trixie that she hadn�t seen her brothers since last summer. Brian hadn�t changed much other than putting on a few pounds. He still had that wonderful curly dark chocolate brown hair. Mart no longer kept his hair in that dorky looking crew cut. He let it grow a bit so that it had a nice wave. Life had really been that busy.

�Correspondences via telephone wires are great,� Mart finally said to break the awkward silence, �but gracing your elder siblings with the presence of the real McCoy would have been preferable. Couldn�t even spare a weekend to come see me, you�re �almost twin�?�

�Guilty as charged,� Trixie said, holding up her right hand. �Come on, guys, life�s tough you know.�

�But, dear sister,� Brian said as he ruffled her curls, �you don�t go to school full time, work full time, and sleep none of the time.�

Trixie dodged his hand. �Oh knock it off. I�ll have you know that I�m just as busy as you are.�

�Me thinks that our younger german means that, other than being a disciple of education, she is also preoccupied with a mystery.�

Mr. Belden strolled over to his sons and shook their hands. �I�ll say. She�s in the middle of one right now.�

Mart and Brian simultaneously groaned and headed for the kitchen.

Trixie�s eyes twinkled and danced as she participated in a noisy game of Charades with her brothers, parents, Diana Lynch, her brothers and sisters, and Dan Mangan. The game was so noisy, that no one heard a knock at the door.

�You started without us!� Honey wailed from the front door.

�Come on in!� Mrs. Belden called as she hurried to let the young woman in.

Brian strolled over and wrapped his arms around his tall beauty and �said hello� the informal way.

Jim followed his sister into the familiar Belden living room and was instantly caught up in a tangled web of hugs right along with Honey. Finally breaking free from the group, he caught sight of Trixie and spread his lips in the widest, happiest smile he could manage.

�Hey Trix,� he said as he put his husky arms around the blonde woman with the big, deep, blue eyes. �How�s my favorite detective doing?�

�You mean since last weekend?� she said with a slight smile as she wrinkled her nose at him. �I�m doing quite well, thank you.� She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gingerly.

�Honey, Jim, there�s more pie in the kitchen,� Mrs. Belden said over her shoulder as she led the way. Both Honey and Jim made a beeline for the kitchen.

Diana raised her eyebrows at Trixie when Jim left her side. Trixie simply shrugged and said, �What can I say, he�s a growing boy.�

They joined the game and got even noisier until everyone was nearly sick from laughing so hard. The girls all did a victory cheer and flaunted it at the boys, while Mart declared them cheaters for having a drama major on the team. Diana simply stuck her tongue out at him.

Mart reached into the drawer of one of the living room end tables and fetched a deck of cards. �Anyone up for a game of Hearts?� he asked knowing that four particular Bob-Whites would decline and that Dan would join them.

�Honey and I are going for a drive,� Brian said as he grabbed both their jackets and headed for the door. �We�ll be back soon.�

�Just keep in mind that Mr. Lytell still lives around here,� Mr. Belden piped up. �I don�t want rumors going around about my kids.�

�Don�t worry, Dad,� Brian replied. �We won�t do anything that�ll create talk.� Brian knew that because of Mr. Wheeler�s wealth, nosy reporters were constantly around waiting for a nice juicy picture to plaster all over the newspapers. Everyone knew that as long as Julius Whitmore owned the Sleepyside Sun, it would print gossip over actual news any day. After all, sex and gossip tie for as the number one seller.

Trixie couldn�t help it, but her face blushed at the mention of Joseph Lytell and how she felt that she wouldn�t have cared if he had seen her swimming earlier. It might�ve shocked the pants off of the old goat, but it wouldn�t have stopped him from calling her parents and Miss Trask, and if he called Miss Trask, that would mean that Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler would know. Next thing she�d know, the whole neighborhood would find out that the First National Bank manager�s daughter, Beatrix L. Belden was showing her goods off for the entire world to see�even if she was still wearing her underwear.

�Trix, are you alive in there?� Jim breathed in her ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist. �What�s up? You�re a million miles away.�

Trixie grinned and shook her head. �Oh, nothing. I just started to day dream, that�s all.�

�Figures,� he said with a sideways glance and a small grin spreading across his freckled face for the second time that night.

�I�ve been meaning to ask you something,� Trixie said as she allowed him to wrap both arms around her body. �What�s with the photos? What does it all mean?�

�Care to join me for a walk?� Jim said instead of answering her question right away.

Trixie took the hint and headed for the door. �Moms, we�re going for a walk,� she called and headed out.

Mart waited until his sister and her boyfriend were down at the end of the driveway before he shut the living room curtains. �Let�s just hope that Brian and Honey were watching,� he said to the rest in the living room.

Instantly, Dan had the card table closed up and Diana was putting the cards back in the box. Mrs. Belden shut all the curtains in the kitchen and living room while Mr. Belden called Frank and Carolyn Lynch. Rob, Larry, Terry, Cindy, and Mindy raced around the living room and kitchen collecting garbage and dirty glasses, plates, and forks. Within minutes, Honey and Brian came in through the back door followed by Regan, Miss Trask, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, Tom and Celia, and Mr. Maypenny. Celia set a large double layer chocolate cake down on the table while the rest of them set to work preparing and decorating the living room.