Chapter Sixteen: Trixie Follows A Lead

            Much to their surprise, most of those waiting anxiously for any news about Honey and Brian actually managed to sleep at least a little. Trixie opened her eyes and found Jim looking down at her, his own green eyes gentle and concerned.
            “How are you feeling?” he asked
            Trixie shrugged and shifted against him in the chair. “I didn’t even realise I’d closed my eyes. What time is it?”
            “It’s just on eight o’clock.” As Jim spoke, the others began to stir and Mr. Wheeler emerged from the bathroom.
            “I thought a shower might clear my head a little,” he said. “I’m really not sure what to do with myself now.”
            “There’s still plenty to do,” Dan said encouragingly, stretching as he got up from his sleeping bag.
            “Shouldn’t we leave it to the FBI now?” Di’s tone was tentative.
            “They said we could still help,” Trixie said, suddenly grabbing Jim’s arm as she realized something. “What about the assignments?”
            Jim clapped a hand to his forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot to call the last couple of names on the list.”
             Dan glanced at his watch. “It’s still kind of early now. What do you think?”
            Jim looked at the list. “I can call Terry, he’s an early riser.” He hurried to the phone and it quickly became apparent that he’d been successful. When he hung up, they all regarded him expectantly.
            “Pay dirt,” Jim said, sinking down onto the sofa. “It was Terry—you know, you met him the other day, Trix. He lives a bit further down the road and ran into Brian outside at about five-fifteen.”
            “That locks our time line in,” Dan said.
            “Did he see anything else?” Trixie asked
            Jim nodded. “He saw Mick Andrews up on the balcony and Ally, who must have been visiting her brother, was in the car park. Our friends went flying past him about ten minutes later.”
            “And they could have had Brian and Honey in the trunk,” Dan mused.
            “How does that fit in with the van around the corner?” Mart asked
            “It doesn’t,” his sister returned, scowling.
            “Maybe that was just a random thing. I guess there are any number of reasons for someone to park there,” Dan noted
            “Such as?” Di asked.
            “Stolen car, stolen goods, just broken down,” Dan said.
            “What was she doing in the car park?” Trixie demanded, sitting up straight.
            “Her brother does live here,” Jim reminded her gently.
            “Well, it’s something else to tell your Dad and the FBI,” Mart added.
            “What should we do?” Di asked.
            “I think you and Mart and Dan should take the Queen and try Rhumba’s. Jeff has a breakfast shift there, and you can check him out.”
            “Be careful though, and whatever you do, don’t mention the ransom note,” Trixie warned.
            “What about you and Jim?” Mart said.
            “We’ll stay with Mr. Wheeler in case the FBI calls,” his sister replied.
            “You know, Trix, you should go with the others; you’re the one that’s met Jeff and most of the others,” Jim said, a little reluctantly. “That’s bound to make it easier, and I really don’t want to leave my dad.”
            “Okay, then, I’ll stay with Jim,” Dan said. “If you like, that is.”
            Jim nodded. “I’d sure appreciate it.”
            “Let’s get on with it,” Dan said.  

            Although it was only eight-thirty, Rhumba’s was busy and it took the three Bob-Whites a few minutes to get a table. There was a great deal of noise, people jostled one another and the place was sill relying on its lamps to stave off the dull grey morning.
           Trixie was glancing around anxiously looking for Jeff, and she didn’t notice Ally and Kyle approach their table.
            “Hi,” Kyle said. “Do you mind if we join you? It’s really busy this morning.”
            “Sure,” Trixie mumbled and moved closer to Di.
            The twins sat down and Kyle nodded to the others. “These must be more of your friends. Hi, Kyle and Ally Waters,” he said.
            “I’m Mart Belden, Trixie’s brother, and this is our friend, Diana Lynch.” Mart offered his hand across the table, and Kyle shook it.
            “Now this brother you look like,” Ally noted and flushed when her brother gave her a sharp poke in the arm.
            “Have you had any luck finding your friends?” Kyle asked.
            Trixie shook her head.
            “The police sure seem interested, but they’ve probably just gone off for a romantic weekend,” Ally said with a sickly sweet smile.
            “No way,” the three Bob-Whites chorused.
            “Oh, really?” Ally ran her fingers through her long red hair. “I thought they were special friends.”
            “They are,” Mart said shortly, before Trixie could explode. “But that’s still not something they would do.”
            “Not without telling us,” added Di, sharply causing both Beldens to regard her with some surprise. Di was almost always well-mannered.
            “Hope they’re somewhere warm anyway,” Kyle said, adjusting the scarf he had wound around his neck. “It’s chilly this morning.”
             “It’s not that cold,” Trixie said.

            Jeff came up to take their order, and Trixie shot an agonising glance at her two friends. What was she supposed to do with Kyle and Ally sitting right there?
            Mart gave her the slightest of nods while Di shrugged her slim shoulders. Trixie bit the bullet.
            “Hey, Jeff, how are you?”
            “Fine,” Jeff said, his pen poised.
            Much to her chagrin, Trixie found herself tongue-tied, and she squirmed in her seat.
            “I think I’ve seen you before,” Di said suddenly, noting her friend’s dilemma, as she batted her long dark lashes.
            “Really?” Jeff sounded surprised, but not suspicious, and Mart and Trixie exchanged knowing looks.
            “The other night, near Jim and Brian’s apartment, where was it? Oh, I know,” she exclaimed with seemingly genuine surprise. “You were visiting those neighbours, the ones with the fancy car.”
            Jeff blanched slightly. “Right, yeah, I don’t know them all that well, though.”
            “The Whedon Brothers, isn’t it?”
            “Yeah, look, I should really take your order.”
            “Three orders of pancakes and maple syrup and three hot chocolates,” Trixie said.
            “We’ll have two of the same,” Kyle added.
            Jeff nodded in relief and hurried away.

            “I guess the Whedons are those guys who drive like it’s the Indy500,” Kyle said. “I saw Brian talking to them             Wednesday afternoon, and they didn’t look happy.”
            The three Bob-Whites were instantly alert. “Are you sure it was Wednesday?” Trixie asked, endeavouring to keep her query casual.
            Kyle nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, I should have mentioned it before, but it didn’t seem important.”
            “I’m sure they’ll turn up soon,” Ally added.
            Mart and Diana nodded their heads, but Trixie was doing her best to pretend the other girl wasn’t there—she was pretty sure she’d lose her temper if she engaged with Ally, and studiously avoided looking at the redhead.

            Their food arrived, but it was not delivered by Jeff, who had managed to avoid their table. They were almost done with their meals when Trixie overheard another staff member saying he’d gone home early and turned to Mart. “What time is it?”
            While Mart consulted his watch, Di studied Ally Waters, who was doing the same thing, through her dark lashes.                  “Oh,” she said suddenly.
          “Are you okay?” Mart asked
          “Mm, mm sure,” Di said. “Well, it was nice meeting both of you. We’ll see you again.” She jumped up from the table and hurried off leaving her friends to say their goodbyes and follow her out.

         Out on the sidewalk, Mart grabbed Diana’s arm. “What was that about?”
            Di faced them both, violet eyes wide. “That girl, she’s wearing Honey’s watch!”
        “What?” Trixie and Mart shrieked in unison.
        “We’ve got to go back and get it!” Trixie yelped. “Rip it off her arm if we have to!” She turned around, but Mart’s hand restrained her.
        “Wait a second, Trix. Let’s just think for a minute.”
        “I knew she had something to do with this,” Trixie fumed.
        “Stop jumping to conclusions,” Mart said. “Are you sure, Di?”
        Di nodded and Trixie said scornfully, “Of course she’s sure. Di and I know that watch as if it were our own.”
        “Okay, but, Trix, we won’t get anything out of her if you barge in there and rip it off her arm, as you so charmingly propose. I think we should tell the police and the FBI.”

        Trixie paced up and down on the sidewalk, refusing the shelter of Diana’s umbrella. She didn’t want to consult the police; she wanted to handle things herself.  Honey was her best friend, and that girl had no business wearing Honey’s watch. She took a deep breath and faced Mart and Di. “Okay, I’ll wait, but we better hope she doesn’t decide to ditch it.”
        “I’m sure she didn’t notice me notice it, if you know what I mean,” Di said.
        “Strangely enough, we do,” Mart returned with a soft smile. “You were great in there, by the way.”
        “You were, too,” Trixie added. “I just froze, but you were very cool.” She squeezed Diana’s arm. “I know you don’t much like batting your eyes at people, but it does seem to work.”
        Di gave a half laugh. “I love Honey and Brian a whole lot more than I hate batting my eyes, Trix. Whatever it takes, right?”
        “Right,” Mart agreed.
            “Come on, let’s get back to the apartment. Jeff”s gone, and you two won’t let me interrogate that girl, so there’s nothing else we can do.”
            Wisely, Mart and Di made no further comment, and Trixie led the way back to the car.

        Trixie was fuming. Once they had relayed their news to the others, Mr. Wheeler had immediately contacted the FBI.             Within an hour, Agent Briggs had dropped by with Honey’s watch. He had tried to rouse the Whedons but had been unsuccessful. The brothers were no-where to be found. He’d gone on to inform them that Ally had been happy to hand over the watch, horrified to discover that it might be connected to the just-reported kidnapping and unwilling to accept Mr. Wheeler’s offer of a reward. According to her, the watch had been given to her only a couple of days earlier by none another than Tim Whedon.

            The Agent had scratched his head, admitting that although the brothers were known to authorities, kidnapping was way beyond anything in their past. He also explained that, while their ages matched those of the two oldest Campbell children, there was nothing in their background to suggest a change of identity. But Honey’s watch, coupled with Kyle’s reporting of an altercation between Brian and the brothers, put them at the top of the list.
            “It’s certainly the strongest lead we have, so until we get something else we’re working on a search warrant for their apartment and their car,” he’d said. “Of course, we could still be working in the dark. If the man Trixie saw hanging around was responsible, his accomplices, if they were any, may never have crossed our paths.”
            It was a disquieting thought, but Trixie simply didn’t believe it. Whoever had taken Honey and Brian had to have been keeping an eye on them and after the agent left, she said just that.

            “Okay,” Mart conceded. “But doesn’t that bring us right back the Whedon brothers? They could be related to your friend from the bus. And now, knowing that they had Honey’s watch…”
            “Why do you all think Ally’s telling the truth?” Trixie demanded.
           “Why would she lie?” Mart wanted to know.
            “Why would she take something like that watch from someone who, according to Agent Briggs, had been almost harassing her?” Trixie continued, “He thought it was fishy too, I could tell.” She wished the agents hadn’t shared the news that it was officially a kidnapping, but she guessed they knew what they were doing. “And the watch is engraved.”   
            “Something you can’t see without opening it up, as I recall,” Mart said.
            “As if she wouldn’t do that.” Trixie sniffed.
            “I know you don’t like her, Trix.” Jim was careful not to sound critical.
            “I agree with Trixie,” Di said, and her friend flashed her a look of gratitude. “That is not a nice girl.”
            The boys exchanged glances. 
            “But there’s nothing else to connect her with this.” Jim’s tone was reasonable. “And the Whedons have been acting oddly, to say the least.”
            Trixie was not convinced. “Dan, you talked to them. We all agree that this kidnapping took real planning. Do you honestly think that someone who couldn’t even work out that you weren’t old enough to be a policeman is smart enough to have done that?”
           Dan shrugged. “I wouldn’t have thought so, Trix, but it sure is starting to look that way.”
            “Why?” Trixie wanted to know. “Before, you said they could be doing any number of things that might make them wary of the police.”
        “That’s true,” Dan admitted.
        “I know we’re on the wrong track,” Trixie said suddenly. “I can feel it.”
        “Fine, let’s trust your feelings rather than the combined knowledge of the police and the FBI,” Mart said, shaking his head.
        “Hey,” Jim interposed. “That’s not fair.”
        “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just tired and worried,” Mart said.
        Trixie stood up and tossed her sandy curls. “I do trust the police and the FBI, but even Agent Briggs has doubts about them and I’m not just going to sit around and stuff my face all day, waiting for them to get back to us..” She stared pointedly at the bagel in her brother’s hand, and Mart flushed. “I’m going for a walk,” she added.
        “I’ll go with you,” Jim said quickly.
        “No, thanks,” Trixie said. “If Honey were here I might feel differently, but for now I just need to be on my own.”
 
        Later on that afternoon the group prepared for their run to the airport.
        “I think I’ll stay here and have a nap,” Trixie said. She’d returned from her walk calm but resolute. She needed more time to think. She hadn’t realised how much she relied on bouncing her ideas off Honey to make sense of them. The Whedons might have made convenient, obvious suspects, but they didn’t feel right to her.  Jeff Corelli knew them and had access to Brian and Jim, so it did make sense— in a way. But she wasn’t convinced.  She’d come to the conclusion that she needed to follow her instincts. Otherwise Mr. Wheeler would be out three million dollars and maybe whoever had taken Honey and Brian would get away with it. She didn’t allow herself to even think about an even worse outcome.

        Mr. Wheeler was reluctant to leave her behind until both Di and Dan offered to stay with her. Both assured the adult that they too were feeling pretty tired.
        “Plus,” Dan had said, “there’s not room, even in the Bob-White station wagon, for all of us, plus the Beldens and Mrs. Wheeler.”
        After the others had gone, Trixie and Di went to the bedroom to lie down and Dan flung himself onto the sofa. Trixie was tired, but even though she closed her eyes several times, sleep eluded her.
        “I’m sorry, Trix,” Diana said softly from the bed opposite. “I know how much you miss having Honey to talk things through with.”
        Trixie managed a weak smile. Her friend’s words reminded her of a remark Honey had made in Mississippi about Diana’s ability to almost read minds. “I do miss her,” she admitted. “You’ve all been fantastic, but Honey and I…” she trailed off and Diana returned the smile.
        “You and Honey have a special connection, Trix. It’s why you make such a good team. I miss her too— and Brian. But we are going to get them back.” A yawn escaped the young girl. “I might just close my eyes for a little while.”
        Trixie nodded. “Me too.”

         She lay in the near silence wondering how her brother and best friend were doing. She had just about decided to get up when she heard the sound of a familiar engine. She got up as quietly as she could and ran to the living room, crossed over to the window and, eyes widening, saw the Whedons’ distinctive car in its usual spot. One of the brothers was hurrying up to their apartment, the other, she saw as she craned her neck, was still in the car. She hurried to the phone and hesitated, not wanting to lose sight of the brothers. She glanced around a little wildly, realizing Dan wasn’t on the sofa and recognizing the faint sound of the shower running. Just as she was about to call the authorities, she saw Tim Whedon hurrying back toward the car, at the same time a cab pulled into the parking lot. Trixie hastily scribbled on a nearby piece of paper.

            Following the Whedons on a hunch. Will be careful.  Am sure we are on the wrong track. Will find a phone and call soon.

            She grabbed a twenty-dollar bill and a handful of change from the desk and ran down to the cab, from which an attractive young woman was alighting. As she approached the cab, the Whedons began backing their car out of its spot. Trixie flung herself into the backseat and spoke to the driver. “Follow that car.”

            The driver was obviously used to eccentric passengers because he merely followed Trixie’s instructions and exhibited little interest. Trixie tried to keep her eye on the Whedons’ car as they drove through the area of the same abandoned warehouses she and Honey had seen on their way in. Suddenly, the car disappeared into a driveway and Trixie yelped.
            “Stop!” She paid the driver and headed quickly in the direction she had last seen the Firebird. She dashed down the driveway, but there was no sign of the Whedons. With no real alternative available, she continued on foot past the warehouses, hoping to catch a glimpse of the car or its occupants.
            Suddenly, a door opened about thirty feet away from where she was. Trixie quickly flung herself behind a nearby dumpster not wanting to be discovered. Luckily, the dumpster was on wheels, and she was able to push it forward, affording herself a view of the door and the person exiting the building. Her blue eyes widened in horror as she saw the ski mask that covered the man’s face; she knew then with complete certainty that she had stumbled upon the kidnappers. In all likelihood, Honey and Brian were in that building.
            Her brow wrinkled. I should get help, she thought, her heart racing, but what if they’re about to move them? By the time I get help, they could be gone and I wouldn’t know where to begin looking for them.
            If they’re here at all. A small voice of doubt sounded inside her head, but Trixie ignored it. They had to be in there; it was too much of a coincidence otherwise. It wasn’t what she’d expected but she couldn’t walk away.

            The man in the ski mask glanced around for a moment, then headed down the side of the warehouse and out of sight. Trixie didn’t hesitate. The impetuous young woman raced across the car park, pulled on the door and, when it opened, stepped inside. She stood at the top of the flight of stairs, uncertain what to do next. A sudden sneeze outside made her decision for her. The stairs were flanked by two tall metal cupboards. Frantically, Trixie pulled on one, climbed inside and pulling it closed behind her.
            She heard footsteps pass her and fade into the distance and tried to make herself a little more comfortable. How long she waited she couldn’t exactly say, as it was completely dark in the confined space and she had no hope of seeing the face of her watch. After a while, her muscles began to cramp and she tried unsuccessfully to stretch.
    I just can’t sit here all night, she thought. That won’t help anyone. Slowly, as quietly as possible, she opened the door, at first just a crack and then wider. She strained her ears, listening for signs of life—nothing. She eased out of the cupboard and stumbled a little as her feet hit the floor. She had two choices—she could open the now-bolted door and go for help, or she could descend into the semi-darkness below and continue her search. She shrugged her shoulders unconsciously. She knew what was outside, but possibly, even probably, Honey and Brian, were somewhere nearby—and that really left her with no choice at all.  

          Trying not to think about what might lie ahead, she made her way down the stairs, wishing more than anything that Jim were with her. Why, oh, why did I have to go off on my own? She wondered, as she investigated one corridor after the other. Most of the doors she tried opened, but they only revealed empty rooms or closets. Maybe I should risk calling out, she thought. If Honey and Brian were here and they were able to call back, she could run back down the corridor, up the stairs and out into the middle of the road and start screaming. Surely somebody would stop. “You could get caught, you could wait for ages, you could get hit by a car.” She could almost hear Honey cautioning her. She took a deep breath and opened the next door; three masked men sat inside, Trixie turned to run. She didn’t get far. 
MBW:MAIN                                                                                                                                                                                                                         NEXT

Author's notes:  Dana's editing continues to better my story.  My ability to make additional errors when adding and making changes also continues.
Word count: 3590
    Disclaimer: Trixie et al belong to Random House and not to me. No profit is being made from these scribblings.