Chapter Eighteen: But the Show Must Go on
This story is rated blue star and suitable for all ages.
Trixie tightened her grip on Honey’s arm and looked around for something to defend herself with.
“Trix, Honey.”
Never in her life had Trixie been so relieved to hear her almost twin calling for her in his typically impatient way.
Gavin Parkes spun around and saw Mart and Dan heading in their direction. Mitch Taylor saw them too.
“They always travel in packs,” he sneered. “The others won’t be far way.”
The older man nodded. “I still want a few words with you two,” he said, but taking his nephew’s arm he turned and walked away.
“What was that all about?” Mart demanded as he and Dan joined them.
“He did not look like a happy guy,” Dan added.
Honey opened her mouth to reply but Trixie shook her head.
“We’ll explain when we get home. We have to get to the theatre and you two need to go and pick up the artwork from Bobby’s school.”
“Fine,” Mart agreed, “but later on you two had better spill or else.”
Trixie looked around her and gave a sigh of satisfaction. All of the drop cloths and tape had been removed, and the stage was perfectly framed by the plush velvet curtains. Everything looked just right. She glanced at her watch and frowned. What on earth had happened to Honey? When the boys had dropped them off to make a last minute check, they’d promised they wouldn’t be long and agreed to meet them at Wimpy’s in no more than an hour.
“Honey,” she called, walking to the back of the stage. There was no answer. Honestly, she thought, she is hopeless; she’s probably checking on refreshments for the entrants. With a shrug of her shoulders, Trixie headed for the green room. “Honey, come on. We have to get going.” She stopped in the doorway and her frown deepened. “Where are you? Do you really think—” she broke off as Honey appeared in the opposite doorway. “Why didn’t you answer me?” she demanded.
Honey didn’t respond and Trixie was about to quiz her again when what she saw made her breath catch in her throat.
Honey’s hazel eyes were wide, filmed with tears and her lips trembled, but the thing that really caught Trixie’s attention was the hand that grasped her friend’s slender upper arm. The arm pushed and Honey stumbled further into the room.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Miss Detective.” The tall thin man, Trixie now knew as Stuart Lewis, hooked a shaggy brow in her direction. “I told your friend here to call out to you but she has been stubbornly unco-operative.” He tightened his grip on Honey and she winced.
“Let her go!” Trixie cried angrily.
The man laughed but made no effort to release his quarry. “You two really do live up to your reputation. My… boss was right about you.”
“And just who might that be?” Trixie tried to sound aggressive, but was fairly certain she just sounded more than a little scared.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t,” Trixie retorted, her annoyance quite genuine.
The man offered her a snide smile and then slowly raised his free hand pointing the flick knife in it directly at her.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, “but for now, cutie, why don’t you and your pretty little partner here spill and tell me what you’ve figured out?”
“Run, Trixie,” Honey said, she struggled against him as she spoke and he moved the knife closer to her throat.
“I only need one of you and I don’t much mind which one, so quit squirming around.” Stuart Lewis glared down at the terrified but defiant girl.
“You didn’t count on them sealing the old storage room, did you?” Trixie asked, determined to distract him. “Or boarding up the building either?”
“No,” he admitted. “I came back a couple of months later and this place was like Fort Knox.”
“And you would have been back again but my guess is you ended up in prison on some other charge,” Trixie continued and was rewarded with an admiring and encouraging smile from Honey.
“How did you figure that out?” The man’s eyes narrowed.
“Like you said, my friend and I have a reputation around here.” Trixie was wondering how long she could keep him talking.
“There had to be a reason you didn’t come back sooner,” Honey added, “this place was hard to get into but not impossible.”
“Very clever, aren’t you?” he said sarcastically.
“You were the fourth man, the accomplice even the other criminals denied having.” Trixie was hoping she could catch him off guard and allow Honey to break free.
Lewis nodded towards the sofa. “Take a seat Miss Know-it-all”
Trixie thought about refusing but couldn’t really see the point. Keeping her eye on the pair she slowly made her way over and sat down. “So, now you’re back but you’re not alone are you? Where’s your pal then?”
“He’s around, and if I were you I wouldn’t be so keen to meet him.” He gave Honey a decided shake as he spoke. “I told you to stay still.”
“I can’t do that if you’re shaking me about,” Honey said and though her eyes were still wide with apprehension her voice remained steady.
“She’s always been a handful, so you should probably hold onto me instead.” Trixie raised her sandy brows and Stuart Lewis looked from one girl to the other his expression confused and annoyed.
“Just stop talking, both of you,” he said.
“Why didn’t they give you up?” Trixie asked suddenly. “And don’t give us that honour among thieves stuff, they were happy to name Lionel Simpson. What’s so special about you?”
Stuart Lewis barrelled across the room, dragging Honey along with him, and stood over Trixie glaring down at her.
“You talk too much,” he barked. “Simpson was a traitor, and I’m—”
“For God’s sake keep your mouth shut, Stu.” The voice sounding through the loud speaker system made them all start and after a moment Trixie’s brow furrowed, that voice was definitely familiar, but she was almost sure that it wasn’t Gavin Parkes.
“Get them up on stage now, where you can tie them up and gag them. I don’t want them hanging around down here while we’re collecting our well-earned bounty.” The voice sounded again, and Trixie and Honey exchanged glances. On the move they might just have a chance.
“And keep the knife nice and close to the pretty little girl’s throat,” the voice continued. “That should be enough to remind our feisty detective that escaping isn’t a wise idea.”
“Some kind of family member would be my guess,” Trixie said, undeterred. “Why don’t you show yourself?” She added as she looked around and her blue eyes flashed. She knew that voice. She just couldn’t quite place it. Her head snapped up suddenly. “The speaker system! That’s how you knew where we were the other day—this whole place is wired, and you were listening.”
“You really do have a talent for this stuff you know.” The voice even held a hint of admiration. “I’d love to come down and chat but let’s just say I don’t think you should know any more than you already do. After all I’d hate to have to kill you. You are really something.”
Reluctantly Trixie lead the way back up the stairs and onto the stage. She stopped suddenly, staring in surprise. The stage had been empty when she left, but now Miles’ dummy sat on a chair, dead centre.
“There’s some rope, tape and rags on the piano,” the voice said again.
Stuart Lewis nodded and motioned for Trixie to collect them. She stood her ground and he reached out his free hand and sent her tumbling to her knees.
“We’re not fooling around,” he growled.
She slowly got to her feet to buy some more time but only obeyed when she saw the man press the tip of the knife into Honey’s neck. She picked up the rope and the pieces of cloth and turned to face him.
“Now what?”
“Now, you gag your little friend, tie her hands, and then we tie yours,” the disembodied voice instructed.
“Oh, you can’t do that, she has such delicate wrists!”
All three turned to stare at the dummy.
“What the—?” Stuart Lewis moved back, his eyes wide.
“I want in on the loot,” the dummy continued.
“His name’s Charlie,” Trixie offered helpfully. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on but she knew now that help was close by.
Stuart Lewis moved even further back and his grip on Honey loosened.
“It’s a trick,” he muttered backing away.
“It’s either that or I rat you out.”
Trixie didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or cheer. She had no idea what was going on but it sure was getting to Stuart Lewis. “These guys are bad news,” she said, addressing the dummy directly in a serious tone.
Stuart Lewis spun from Trixie to the dummy his eyes wild.
“The little detective is right. It’s all over buddy. Give it up while you still can.” Charlie snapped.
Suddenly floodlights hit the stage, and almost beside himself, Stuart Lewis lunged at toward the dummy.
“Now, Honey!” A different voice cried over the PA, a voice Trixie had no trouble recognising. Brian’s steady tone filled the auditorium.
As Honey broke free, Trixie turned to see Jim. Her eyes grew round as she next noticed Sergeant Molinson hurrying down the aisle toward the stage.
Stuart Lewis started to run, but Trixie was too quick for him. She stuck her shoe out and Lewis sprawled headlong onto the floor. Not even hesitating, she slammed her small sturdy foot into the center of his back and grabbed the hand that Honey reached out to her.
“It really is all over,” the sergeant said as he climbed up onto the stage. “We have your friend up there in custody,” he stated with a nod towards the sound booth.
Jim had rushed to the girls and now stood with an arm wrapped around each one.
Trixie and Honey exchanged glances, and Jim nodded towards the back of the theatre.
Brian was headed in their direction and behind him was Miles and two police officers. Between Sergeant Molinson’s men was a scowling and subdued Jake Summers.
“Meet John Jake Smith,” the sergeant said with a grim smile. “And this is his cousin, Kevin Stuart Close, the fourth man from the robbery.”
“Cousin,” Trixie and Honey said as one.
“That explains it,” the former said.
“Blood is thicker than water,” Honey agreed.
“You idiot.” Jake Summers AKA John Smith glared at his cousin. “If you had even half a brain, we would never have been in this situation.”
“It’s not my fault,” the other man whined. “I did everything you asked me to, even the gun. When I first came back I couldn’t get in and now I got confused. It’s been years, everything’s different. I couldn’t remember where I hid the stuff. But now I remember the original location anyway.”
The four Bob-Whites stared at him in amazement. A slow smile crossed Trixie’s face and she began to giggle. Honey joined her and after a moment Jim and Brian began to laugh as well.
“Who knew?” Trixie said between giggles. “The real reason they haven’t found the loot already is a lousy memory and some basic remodelling.”
“I think the real reason they didn’t find the loot is down to one, or should I say two, very annoying yet capable girl detectives,” Jim corrected.
Trixie smiled up at him as he tightened his grip on her while Brian reached for Honey’s hand and pulled her gently toward him.
“I’m going to need statements,” Sergeant Molinson spoke directly to Trixie. “And I’ll need a team in here as soon as possible.”
“What about our show?” Trixie cried.
“Not my number one priority right now,” the policeman returned.
“But people are counting on us,” Honey said.
“We made a commitment,” Trixie added.
The sergeant looked as if he was about to make one of his traditional retorts, but Trixie’s anguished tone and Honey’s concerned expression made him relent.
“You’re rehearsing tomorrow morning and the show’s tomorrow night?” he asked.
The two girls nodded.
“We’ll be done by 10am, I’m pretty sure about that. Your father, Miss Belden, and Mr. Saunders brought both sets of plans by to the station earlier. Apparently your youngest brother overheard you and Miss Wheeler discussing possibilities. They became concerned and came to see me. I ran a quick check on the names of the crew and found a couple that didn’t quite fit. Of course I shouldn’t be surprised that the two of you decided to do my job for me.”
Trixie and Honey both looked uncomfortable.
“Perhaps we’ll leave that lecture for later,” the sergeant continued. “Anyway, with Mr. Close’s co-operation I’m sure we’ll find what we’re looking for.” He turned to Brian. “Do you think you can keep these young ladies out of trouble until then?”
Brian nodded his dark head. “It’s a tough job, sir, but I think with Jim’s help I can manage it.’
Ignoring Trixie and Honey’s affronted expressions, the two young men led them away.
The evening of the Benefit Show began well, and Regan, Harrison and Tom employed umbrellas to shelter attendees when a shower briefly spoiled the otherwise perfect weather. Jane Morgan’s ushers had people seated in an orderly fashion, and Trixie and Jim’s opening went smoothly. During the interval, the refreshments had sold like hotcakes under the watchful eye of Miss Trask and Celia, while patrons enjoyed the artwork Bobby’s class had on display.
Trixie smiled, took the hand Jim offered her and walked out on to the stage. The show had gone off without a single hitch, and the capacity crowd greeted every act warmly. Diana’s speech had been moving, with several people getting to their feet at its conclusion, Mart’s magic act a smash and Miles and Charlie such a hit that the Bob-Whites kept bringing the dummy back to comment on the other performers.
“Thank you very much for your attention, ladies and gentlemen,” Jim said to a round of applause, “and we hope you’ve enjoyed the show.”
“Our final act this evening features three of Sleepyside High’s finest students and three of our closest friends,” Trixie added. “The song they’ve chosen sums up the way we feel about tonight. Please welcome Brian Belden, Dan Mangan and Honey Wheeler as they perform the Carole King classic, ‘You’ve Got A Friend.’”
She and Jim hurried off the stage as the curtains opened and revealed their three friends. The heartfelt simple message was beautifully conveyed, and with a sense of pride Trixie noted that there weren’t a lot of dry eyes in the house when the number finished to thunderous applause.
It was an exhausted but elated group that gathered in the green room after everyone else had gone home.
“I can’t believe how much money we’ve made,” Di said, violet eyes shining.
“I can’t believe that the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency took centre stage again, no pun intended, in spite of their promises and resolutions.” Mart shook his blond head in amazement.
“Nix on the criticism.” Jim said. “I think they handled things pretty well, though I wish just once that they wouldn’t try to do it alone.”
“We didn’t.” Trixie and Honey chorused.
“What about Mitch Taylor?” Di asked. “You seemed so sure he was up to no good.”
“And Gavin Parkes. That whole incident got swept under the carpet last night,” Dan added.
“We didn’t get a chance to tell you about that,” Honey said.
Trixie nodded. “Sergeant Molinson talked to him and Mr. Parkes explained that it’s part of Mitch’s probation deal that he work with him. He’s just trying to straighten him out. He had to pay for some damages Mitch caused a while ago and it’s left him pretty stretched and not very friendly, especially to people who seemed to bring out the worst in his Mitch, which unfortunately seems to include us,” she explained.
“It’s not our fault. We’ve never done anything to him. Why does Mitch have to be such a pain?” Mart demanded.
Trixie shrugged.
“I think mainly he’s just scared.” Honey offered. “Only it’s easier to be angry than admit it. I keep forgetting that we have so much that it must be hard for other people to watch sometimes.”
“That’s crazy,” Di said, and Mart patted her hand.
“I could tell him that anger isn’t going to get him anywhere,” Dan said.
“That’s a really good idea.” Trixie gave him a warm smile.
“So yet another Belden-Wheeler suspicion falls by the wayside,” Mart noted, raising his brow.
“Like Jim said, you’re hardly in a position to be critical. What exactly have you done to solve this mystery?” Brian demanded.
“Sorry, I should have remembered that fate itself is perennially on our sister’s side,” Mart said shaking his head.
“It’s not Trixie’s fault that she was right about almost everything.” Honey said defensively.
“Not quite everything,” Trixie admitted, shooting her friend a look of gratitude.
“You were the one who worked out that the robbers really had come back, that there was a fourth person, and you worked out that the differences in the plans could account for how the money and things had stayed hidden,” Honey insisted.
Trixie blushed. “And I had a lot of help from my partner, as usual,” she said. “Plus, to be fair, Brian, if Mart hadn’t talked to Miles and told you guys about the radio controlled, computerised thingy, we might not have Charlie on our side.”
“Well,” Mart admitted, looking slightly shamefaced. “You know, I had planned to play a sort of trick on Honey with Charlie, which is why he was on the stage in the first place. But while we were getting ready to set up we heard the voices over the PA.”
“Dan and Di ran to call the Sergeant and we had to sit still until we could get a visual on you,” Brian added.
“Waiting like that was horrible,” Jim said, his gaze fixed on Trixie. “But Miles turned Charlie into a great diversion.”
“He was awesome,” Trixie declared.
Honey nodded vigorously. “And I for one will never call him creepy again.”
“Just as well,” said Brian with a grin, “cause I think he has a crush on you.”
Honey blushed and Trixie squeezed her friend’s arm affectionately. “You were pretty brave last night.”
“Me?” Honey shook her head. “You were the cool, calm collected one, I was shaking like a leaf.”
“Enough with the compliments already,” Mart said. “I guess we should be grateful that we still managed to make this a success while you two were hard at work on another case.”
“Well, I think both things are great,” Dan said. “We have made a lot more money than we ever hoped to, for a really important cause, and Trixie and Honey have solved a crime that’s more than a decade old, and according to the sergeant, that will probably mean reward money.”
“I guess we have to give it them, don’t we?” Jim said, hooking a brow in Brian’s direction.
“Absolutely,” Brian agreed. “We were wrong and they were right.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Mart groaned, “did you have to say that? Now we’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I think considering the extenuating circumstances we can be…magnanimous,” Trixie said, loving the look of surprise on her brother’s face as her choice of words registered. “Can’t we, Honey?”
Honey nodded. “I believe we can also be altruistic and philanthropic.”
“Shoot me now,” Mart begged, and everyone laughed, though Di tucked her arm through his.
“Well, it’s been a really big day. I say we head for home.” Brian reached his hand out and pulled Honey to her feet.
“Maybe I can drive this time.” Dan held out his hands for the keys.
Jim nodded, passing them over to his friend. “I agree with Brian, home sounds good to me too. What about you Madam Co-president?” He placed a strong arm around Trixie’s shoulders, and she smiled up at him.
“Hot chocolate and some of Moms cookies sound like a good idea to me.”
Diana nodded, a light frown crossing her face. “After all, we won’t all be together forever.”
Trixie and Honey exchanged glances, knowing that their lives were going to be very different with Jim and Brian at college.
After a long moment acknowledging that fact, Trixie tossed her blonde curls and smiled at the others. “I know you’re right, Di,” she said, as they headed for the door, “but we’re together now, and that’s what counts.”
BSM:MAIN
Many many thanks to all my readers who have stuck with me on this one. And hugs and thanks to Dana for her incredible insights and patience. All of the issues, problems and errors are completely my own. Trixie Belden et al remain the property of Random House. No profit is being made from these scribblings.
“Trix, Honey.”
Never in her life had Trixie been so relieved to hear her almost twin calling for her in his typically impatient way.
Gavin Parkes spun around and saw Mart and Dan heading in their direction. Mitch Taylor saw them too.
“They always travel in packs,” he sneered. “The others won’t be far way.”
The older man nodded. “I still want a few words with you two,” he said, but taking his nephew’s arm he turned and walked away.
“What was that all about?” Mart demanded as he and Dan joined them.
“He did not look like a happy guy,” Dan added.
Honey opened her mouth to reply but Trixie shook her head.
“We’ll explain when we get home. We have to get to the theatre and you two need to go and pick up the artwork from Bobby’s school.”
“Fine,” Mart agreed, “but later on you two had better spill or else.”
Trixie looked around her and gave a sigh of satisfaction. All of the drop cloths and tape had been removed, and the stage was perfectly framed by the plush velvet curtains. Everything looked just right. She glanced at her watch and frowned. What on earth had happened to Honey? When the boys had dropped them off to make a last minute check, they’d promised they wouldn’t be long and agreed to meet them at Wimpy’s in no more than an hour.
“Honey,” she called, walking to the back of the stage. There was no answer. Honestly, she thought, she is hopeless; she’s probably checking on refreshments for the entrants. With a shrug of her shoulders, Trixie headed for the green room. “Honey, come on. We have to get going.” She stopped in the doorway and her frown deepened. “Where are you? Do you really think—” she broke off as Honey appeared in the opposite doorway. “Why didn’t you answer me?” she demanded.
Honey didn’t respond and Trixie was about to quiz her again when what she saw made her breath catch in her throat.
Honey’s hazel eyes were wide, filmed with tears and her lips trembled, but the thing that really caught Trixie’s attention was the hand that grasped her friend’s slender upper arm. The arm pushed and Honey stumbled further into the room.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Miss Detective.” The tall thin man, Trixie now knew as Stuart Lewis, hooked a shaggy brow in her direction. “I told your friend here to call out to you but she has been stubbornly unco-operative.” He tightened his grip on Honey and she winced.
“Let her go!” Trixie cried angrily.
The man laughed but made no effort to release his quarry. “You two really do live up to your reputation. My… boss was right about you.”
“And just who might that be?” Trixie tried to sound aggressive, but was fairly certain she just sounded more than a little scared.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t,” Trixie retorted, her annoyance quite genuine.
The man offered her a snide smile and then slowly raised his free hand pointing the flick knife in it directly at her.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, “but for now, cutie, why don’t you and your pretty little partner here spill and tell me what you’ve figured out?”
“Run, Trixie,” Honey said, she struggled against him as she spoke and he moved the knife closer to her throat.
“I only need one of you and I don’t much mind which one, so quit squirming around.” Stuart Lewis glared down at the terrified but defiant girl.
“You didn’t count on them sealing the old storage room, did you?” Trixie asked, determined to distract him. “Or boarding up the building either?”
“No,” he admitted. “I came back a couple of months later and this place was like Fort Knox.”
“And you would have been back again but my guess is you ended up in prison on some other charge,” Trixie continued and was rewarded with an admiring and encouraging smile from Honey.
“How did you figure that out?” The man’s eyes narrowed.
“Like you said, my friend and I have a reputation around here.” Trixie was wondering how long she could keep him talking.
“There had to be a reason you didn’t come back sooner,” Honey added, “this place was hard to get into but not impossible.”
“Very clever, aren’t you?” he said sarcastically.
“You were the fourth man, the accomplice even the other criminals denied having.” Trixie was hoping she could catch him off guard and allow Honey to break free.
Lewis nodded towards the sofa. “Take a seat Miss Know-it-all”
Trixie thought about refusing but couldn’t really see the point. Keeping her eye on the pair she slowly made her way over and sat down. “So, now you’re back but you’re not alone are you? Where’s your pal then?”
“He’s around, and if I were you I wouldn’t be so keen to meet him.” He gave Honey a decided shake as he spoke. “I told you to stay still.”
“I can’t do that if you’re shaking me about,” Honey said and though her eyes were still wide with apprehension her voice remained steady.
“She’s always been a handful, so you should probably hold onto me instead.” Trixie raised her sandy brows and Stuart Lewis looked from one girl to the other his expression confused and annoyed.
“Just stop talking, both of you,” he said.
“Why didn’t they give you up?” Trixie asked suddenly. “And don’t give us that honour among thieves stuff, they were happy to name Lionel Simpson. What’s so special about you?”
Stuart Lewis barrelled across the room, dragging Honey along with him, and stood over Trixie glaring down at her.
“You talk too much,” he barked. “Simpson was a traitor, and I’m—”
“For God’s sake keep your mouth shut, Stu.” The voice sounding through the loud speaker system made them all start and after a moment Trixie’s brow furrowed, that voice was definitely familiar, but she was almost sure that it wasn’t Gavin Parkes.
“Get them up on stage now, where you can tie them up and gag them. I don’t want them hanging around down here while we’re collecting our well-earned bounty.” The voice sounded again, and Trixie and Honey exchanged glances. On the move they might just have a chance.
“And keep the knife nice and close to the pretty little girl’s throat,” the voice continued. “That should be enough to remind our feisty detective that escaping isn’t a wise idea.”
“Some kind of family member would be my guess,” Trixie said, undeterred. “Why don’t you show yourself?” She added as she looked around and her blue eyes flashed. She knew that voice. She just couldn’t quite place it. Her head snapped up suddenly. “The speaker system! That’s how you knew where we were the other day—this whole place is wired, and you were listening.”
“You really do have a talent for this stuff you know.” The voice even held a hint of admiration. “I’d love to come down and chat but let’s just say I don’t think you should know any more than you already do. After all I’d hate to have to kill you. You are really something.”
Reluctantly Trixie lead the way back up the stairs and onto the stage. She stopped suddenly, staring in surprise. The stage had been empty when she left, but now Miles’ dummy sat on a chair, dead centre.
“There’s some rope, tape and rags on the piano,” the voice said again.
Stuart Lewis nodded and motioned for Trixie to collect them. She stood her ground and he reached out his free hand and sent her tumbling to her knees.
“We’re not fooling around,” he growled.
She slowly got to her feet to buy some more time but only obeyed when she saw the man press the tip of the knife into Honey’s neck. She picked up the rope and the pieces of cloth and turned to face him.
“Now what?”
“Now, you gag your little friend, tie her hands, and then we tie yours,” the disembodied voice instructed.
“Oh, you can’t do that, she has such delicate wrists!”
All three turned to stare at the dummy.
“What the—?” Stuart Lewis moved back, his eyes wide.
“I want in on the loot,” the dummy continued.
“His name’s Charlie,” Trixie offered helpfully. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on but she knew now that help was close by.
Stuart Lewis moved even further back and his grip on Honey loosened.
“It’s a trick,” he muttered backing away.
“It’s either that or I rat you out.”
Trixie didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or cheer. She had no idea what was going on but it sure was getting to Stuart Lewis. “These guys are bad news,” she said, addressing the dummy directly in a serious tone.
Stuart Lewis spun from Trixie to the dummy his eyes wild.
“The little detective is right. It’s all over buddy. Give it up while you still can.” Charlie snapped.
Suddenly floodlights hit the stage, and almost beside himself, Stuart Lewis lunged at toward the dummy.
“Now, Honey!” A different voice cried over the PA, a voice Trixie had no trouble recognising. Brian’s steady tone filled the auditorium.
As Honey broke free, Trixie turned to see Jim. Her eyes grew round as she next noticed Sergeant Molinson hurrying down the aisle toward the stage.
Stuart Lewis started to run, but Trixie was too quick for him. She stuck her shoe out and Lewis sprawled headlong onto the floor. Not even hesitating, she slammed her small sturdy foot into the center of his back and grabbed the hand that Honey reached out to her.
“It really is all over,” the sergeant said as he climbed up onto the stage. “We have your friend up there in custody,” he stated with a nod towards the sound booth.
Jim had rushed to the girls and now stood with an arm wrapped around each one.
Trixie and Honey exchanged glances, and Jim nodded towards the back of the theatre.
Brian was headed in their direction and behind him was Miles and two police officers. Between Sergeant Molinson’s men was a scowling and subdued Jake Summers.
“Meet John Jake Smith,” the sergeant said with a grim smile. “And this is his cousin, Kevin Stuart Close, the fourth man from the robbery.”
“Cousin,” Trixie and Honey said as one.
“That explains it,” the former said.
“Blood is thicker than water,” Honey agreed.
“You idiot.” Jake Summers AKA John Smith glared at his cousin. “If you had even half a brain, we would never have been in this situation.”
“It’s not my fault,” the other man whined. “I did everything you asked me to, even the gun. When I first came back I couldn’t get in and now I got confused. It’s been years, everything’s different. I couldn’t remember where I hid the stuff. But now I remember the original location anyway.”
The four Bob-Whites stared at him in amazement. A slow smile crossed Trixie’s face and she began to giggle. Honey joined her and after a moment Jim and Brian began to laugh as well.
“Who knew?” Trixie said between giggles. “The real reason they haven’t found the loot already is a lousy memory and some basic remodelling.”
“I think the real reason they didn’t find the loot is down to one, or should I say two, very annoying yet capable girl detectives,” Jim corrected.
Trixie smiled up at him as he tightened his grip on her while Brian reached for Honey’s hand and pulled her gently toward him.
“I’m going to need statements,” Sergeant Molinson spoke directly to Trixie. “And I’ll need a team in here as soon as possible.”
“What about our show?” Trixie cried.
“Not my number one priority right now,” the policeman returned.
“But people are counting on us,” Honey said.
“We made a commitment,” Trixie added.
The sergeant looked as if he was about to make one of his traditional retorts, but Trixie’s anguished tone and Honey’s concerned expression made him relent.
“You’re rehearsing tomorrow morning and the show’s tomorrow night?” he asked.
The two girls nodded.
“We’ll be done by 10am, I’m pretty sure about that. Your father, Miss Belden, and Mr. Saunders brought both sets of plans by to the station earlier. Apparently your youngest brother overheard you and Miss Wheeler discussing possibilities. They became concerned and came to see me. I ran a quick check on the names of the crew and found a couple that didn’t quite fit. Of course I shouldn’t be surprised that the two of you decided to do my job for me.”
Trixie and Honey both looked uncomfortable.
“Perhaps we’ll leave that lecture for later,” the sergeant continued. “Anyway, with Mr. Close’s co-operation I’m sure we’ll find what we’re looking for.” He turned to Brian. “Do you think you can keep these young ladies out of trouble until then?”
Brian nodded his dark head. “It’s a tough job, sir, but I think with Jim’s help I can manage it.’
Ignoring Trixie and Honey’s affronted expressions, the two young men led them away.
The evening of the Benefit Show began well, and Regan, Harrison and Tom employed umbrellas to shelter attendees when a shower briefly spoiled the otherwise perfect weather. Jane Morgan’s ushers had people seated in an orderly fashion, and Trixie and Jim’s opening went smoothly. During the interval, the refreshments had sold like hotcakes under the watchful eye of Miss Trask and Celia, while patrons enjoyed the artwork Bobby’s class had on display.
Trixie smiled, took the hand Jim offered her and walked out on to the stage. The show had gone off without a single hitch, and the capacity crowd greeted every act warmly. Diana’s speech had been moving, with several people getting to their feet at its conclusion, Mart’s magic act a smash and Miles and Charlie such a hit that the Bob-Whites kept bringing the dummy back to comment on the other performers.
“Thank you very much for your attention, ladies and gentlemen,” Jim said to a round of applause, “and we hope you’ve enjoyed the show.”
“Our final act this evening features three of Sleepyside High’s finest students and three of our closest friends,” Trixie added. “The song they’ve chosen sums up the way we feel about tonight. Please welcome Brian Belden, Dan Mangan and Honey Wheeler as they perform the Carole King classic, ‘You’ve Got A Friend.’”
She and Jim hurried off the stage as the curtains opened and revealed their three friends. The heartfelt simple message was beautifully conveyed, and with a sense of pride Trixie noted that there weren’t a lot of dry eyes in the house when the number finished to thunderous applause.
It was an exhausted but elated group that gathered in the green room after everyone else had gone home.
“I can’t believe how much money we’ve made,” Di said, violet eyes shining.
“I can’t believe that the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency took centre stage again, no pun intended, in spite of their promises and resolutions.” Mart shook his blond head in amazement.
“Nix on the criticism.” Jim said. “I think they handled things pretty well, though I wish just once that they wouldn’t try to do it alone.”
“We didn’t.” Trixie and Honey chorused.
“What about Mitch Taylor?” Di asked. “You seemed so sure he was up to no good.”
“And Gavin Parkes. That whole incident got swept under the carpet last night,” Dan added.
“We didn’t get a chance to tell you about that,” Honey said.
Trixie nodded. “Sergeant Molinson talked to him and Mr. Parkes explained that it’s part of Mitch’s probation deal that he work with him. He’s just trying to straighten him out. He had to pay for some damages Mitch caused a while ago and it’s left him pretty stretched and not very friendly, especially to people who seemed to bring out the worst in his Mitch, which unfortunately seems to include us,” she explained.
“It’s not our fault. We’ve never done anything to him. Why does Mitch have to be such a pain?” Mart demanded.
Trixie shrugged.
“I think mainly he’s just scared.” Honey offered. “Only it’s easier to be angry than admit it. I keep forgetting that we have so much that it must be hard for other people to watch sometimes.”
“That’s crazy,” Di said, and Mart patted her hand.
“I could tell him that anger isn’t going to get him anywhere,” Dan said.
“That’s a really good idea.” Trixie gave him a warm smile.
“So yet another Belden-Wheeler suspicion falls by the wayside,” Mart noted, raising his brow.
“Like Jim said, you’re hardly in a position to be critical. What exactly have you done to solve this mystery?” Brian demanded.
“Sorry, I should have remembered that fate itself is perennially on our sister’s side,” Mart said shaking his head.
“It’s not Trixie’s fault that she was right about almost everything.” Honey said defensively.
“Not quite everything,” Trixie admitted, shooting her friend a look of gratitude.
“You were the one who worked out that the robbers really had come back, that there was a fourth person, and you worked out that the differences in the plans could account for how the money and things had stayed hidden,” Honey insisted.
Trixie blushed. “And I had a lot of help from my partner, as usual,” she said. “Plus, to be fair, Brian, if Mart hadn’t talked to Miles and told you guys about the radio controlled, computerised thingy, we might not have Charlie on our side.”
“Well,” Mart admitted, looking slightly shamefaced. “You know, I had planned to play a sort of trick on Honey with Charlie, which is why he was on the stage in the first place. But while we were getting ready to set up we heard the voices over the PA.”
“Dan and Di ran to call the Sergeant and we had to sit still until we could get a visual on you,” Brian added.
“Waiting like that was horrible,” Jim said, his gaze fixed on Trixie. “But Miles turned Charlie into a great diversion.”
“He was awesome,” Trixie declared.
Honey nodded vigorously. “And I for one will never call him creepy again.”
“Just as well,” said Brian with a grin, “cause I think he has a crush on you.”
Honey blushed and Trixie squeezed her friend’s arm affectionately. “You were pretty brave last night.”
“Me?” Honey shook her head. “You were the cool, calm collected one, I was shaking like a leaf.”
“Enough with the compliments already,” Mart said. “I guess we should be grateful that we still managed to make this a success while you two were hard at work on another case.”
“Well, I think both things are great,” Dan said. “We have made a lot more money than we ever hoped to, for a really important cause, and Trixie and Honey have solved a crime that’s more than a decade old, and according to the sergeant, that will probably mean reward money.”
“I guess we have to give it them, don’t we?” Jim said, hooking a brow in Brian’s direction.
“Absolutely,” Brian agreed. “We were wrong and they were right.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Mart groaned, “did you have to say that? Now we’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I think considering the extenuating circumstances we can be…magnanimous,” Trixie said, loving the look of surprise on her brother’s face as her choice of words registered. “Can’t we, Honey?”
Honey nodded. “I believe we can also be altruistic and philanthropic.”
“Shoot me now,” Mart begged, and everyone laughed, though Di tucked her arm through his.
“Well, it’s been a really big day. I say we head for home.” Brian reached his hand out and pulled Honey to her feet.
“Maybe I can drive this time.” Dan held out his hands for the keys.
Jim nodded, passing them over to his friend. “I agree with Brian, home sounds good to me too. What about you Madam Co-president?” He placed a strong arm around Trixie’s shoulders, and she smiled up at him.
“Hot chocolate and some of Moms cookies sound like a good idea to me.”
Diana nodded, a light frown crossing her face. “After all, we won’t all be together forever.”
Trixie and Honey exchanged glances, knowing that their lives were going to be very different with Jim and Brian at college.
After a long moment acknowledging that fact, Trixie tossed her blonde curls and smiled at the others. “I know you’re right, Di,” she said, as they headed for the door, “but we’re together now, and that’s what counts.”
BSM:MAIN
Many many thanks to all my readers who have stuck with me on this one. And hugs and thanks to Dana for her incredible insights and patience. All of the issues, problems and errors are completely my own. Trixie Belden et al remain the property of Random House. No profit is being made from these scribblings.
