rated * adult themes

 

This takes place about 12 months after ‘The Rival’. In that, Dan and Trixie admit that they are love with each other at Honey and Brian’s wedding. Mart also proposes to Di, a proposal that she accepts readily. She had almost given up on him.

Not long after, Trixie is kidnapped by her fellow police officer, Steve Acheron. Of course Dan comes to her rescue, and proposes to Trixie at the end of the story.

So starts the next installment.

 

The Mystery of the Ballerina

by Laws

 

Prologue

The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon. The soft summer breeze gently ruffled Trixie’s long blonde curls. Beside her stood her two close friends; Honey Wheeler and Diana Lynch. Opposite the three girls stood Dan Mangan and Trixie’s two older brothers, Mart and Brian. They were all standing on the bluffs overlooking the glorious Hudson River below, although to Trixie and Dan, it felt like they were standing there alone.

“Do you, Beatrix Belden, take Daniel Mangan to be your lawful wedded husband?”

“I do,” she said softly

“Do you, Daniel Mangan, take Beatrix Belden to be your lawful wedded wife?”

“I do,” he replied, his voice cracking slightly.

“Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

A cheer went up from the assembled throng of family and friends, as Trixie and Dan sealed their marriage with a kiss.

 

Chapter 1

“Honey, are you ready?” Brian Belden asked, knocking at the door of the bathroom

“Just a moment!” Honey called back. She sat down on the toilet holding the pregnancy test in her shaking hand. It was positive. They had been trying a year to fall pregnant, and now she was. She couldn’t believe it. There were definitely two pink lines there.

“Honey?!” Brian’s voice sounded exasperated.

Honey quietly opened the door and handed the test to Brian. He looked at it, his eyes widening, then wrapped his arms around his wife, picked her up and swung her around as he let up a whoop.

“Brian, you’re making me dizzy,” Honey protested, laughing

“Sorry,” he apologised. “This is definitely right? It’s not a mistake?”

Honey laughed again. “Bri, you’re the doctor around here, you know how these things work.  If there is a line, no matter how faint, it is positive. And it definitely is right, because that is the third test I have done.”

“Well, I think you should still head down and get Doc Ferris to check you out. I mean I could do it, but I think you would be better to be under the care of Doc Ferris for the time being, and an obstetrician later on.”

“Yes, Doc,” Honey said solemnly.

“Stop being cheeky, miss,” Brian told her, picking her up and kissing her gently on the lips.

 

Chapter 2

“Dan, we’re late. Honey said she and Brian would meet us at the theatre at 6pm. It’s twenty minutes from now!” Trixie shouted up the stairs of their house.

Not long after they had married, Trixie and Dan had decided to buy a larger house further out of town and closer to their families.

“I’m ready,” Dan told her, coming out of their bedroom.

It was nearly twelve months since Steve Acheron had kidnapped Trixie and taken her to an abandoned house on the outskirts of Sleepyside. Dan had arrived the next day and had rescued her, but there were a few moments when she wondered if she was ever going to see Dan again. Not long after that, Dan had proposed to her. Though it had been a whirlwind romance, their families had been happy to see them marry, reasoning that they had known each other for twelve years.

“Finally!” Trixie told Dan, “And they say women take forever to get ready.”

“Says she who took all afternoon to get ready, and made me late,” Dan grumbled.

 Trixie laughed lightly and pushed her husband towards the door.

“Good on you. I promised Honey that we wouldn’t be late. I don’t even know why she asked us to go to the ballet. She knows it isn’t my thing. What are we meant to be seeing again?’

“Clara’s Story,” Dan said, locking the door behind them. “It is based on the story of the Nutcracker Suite.”

“I’ve never heard of it before.”

“I doubt you would have. We’re going to see the New York Ballet Company perform it. The choreographer is Graeme Murphy. I’ve heard some interesting reviews on his ballets, his stuff tends to be modern, so this is a bit of a departure for him. I’m curious about this one.”

“You seem to know a lot about it and the choreographer,” Trixie commented

“When I went to Australia, on my last day they took me to one of Graeme Murphy’s more modern ballets. It was interesting.”

“Oh.”

Running late, as normal, Dan and Trixie raced to the place where Honey and Brian were meant to meet them, only to find they weren’t there.

“Gleeps, I hope they haven’t gone in,” Trixie told Dan.

“Stop stressing,” Dan replied, pulling one of her curls. “Besides, here they come now. Stop looking for mysteries where there aren’t any--we get enough at work.”

Trixie stuck her tongue out at him.

“Sorry we’re late,” Honey puffed. “We better go in.”

“Yep, let’s go,” Brian said, looking around at the nearly deserted foyer.

 

Trixie was entranced. She had never been to a ballet before and she wondered why.

Before them the dancers told the story of Clara, the lead character from the story the Nutcracker Suite. They told of her childhood in Russia which despite the struggles had been a happy one. The mood darkened when the rats depicting the Russian KGB danced onto the stage, taking away Clara’s father.

Trixie jumped as she heard a gun shot. Screams filled the stage as the young ballet dancer who was playing the lead role collapsed to the ground.  Suddenly Trixie realised that the shooting wasn’t part of the ballet and jumped up. Panic started to sweep across the audience as they realised what had happened. Trixie looked at Dan for a moment, nodded, then turned to her brother and motioned him to follow her, reasoning that he wouldn’t hear her over the increasing din. Leaving Honey ashen-faced in her seat, the three of them made their way to the stage. When they reached the steps that led onto the stage, a burly guard stood barring their way. Trixie and Dan flipped out their ID’s.

“We’re from the Sleepyside Police Department,” Trixie told him. “My brother here is a doctor.”

“So?” the guard replied

“That girl on stage needs first aid and my brother can do that, so stand aside.”

“There are first aiders with the girl now,” he replied

“Joe,” Brian stepped forward, reading the guard's ID card, “that girl on stage has been shot, she needs more than first aid. You need to let us up on the stage now.”

“I have my orders not to let anyone up here,” he replied stubbornly.

“Okay, the way I see it is this, Joe,” Dan remarked, “you can let us up on the stage and nothing will happen. However, if you do not let us up on the stage, I will book you for obstruction, and should anything happen to that girl, such as her dying, I will charge you for manslaughter.”

The guard mulled over Dan’s words.

“What on earth is going on over here?” another voice interrupted.

“We were just trying to gain access to your stage. We are police officers with the Sleepyside Police.  This is my brother, a leading doctor at our local hospital,” Trixie told the newcomer

“Joe, step aside. Let these people up here. Phoebe needs more than first aid, and the police need to start their investigation into what has gone on,” the man said firmly.

 Trixie, Dan and Brian stepped up on the stage and headed toward the young dancer.

“My name is Peter Simons,” the man told them. “I am the stage manager here. I’m not sure what has happened. First Aid are with her, but I guess it is the first time they have actually been asked to put their skills to use.”

By this time they had reached the fallen dancer.

“My name is Doctor Belden; please give me some room to look at the patient,” Brian said as he knelt down beside the dancer.

The first aiders stepped back quickly.

“Thank you. Now what is her name?”

“Phoebe,” one of them replied.

Brian had full control of the situation.

“I need a pair of scissors, now,” he told them firmly. Someone handed him a pair, and he cut back the dancer top, exposing the wound. “Has an ambulance been called?” Brian asked looking up at Peter Simons.

“I’m not sure,” he replied

“Trix?”

“On it right now, Brian,” Trixie told him as she pulled out her cell phone. A quick glance told her that the wound to the dancer was serious, and that she needed to be moved to a hospital as quick as possible.

“Dan, I need you help,” Brian told him.

As Dan knelt down to help Brian, her call was answered by the ambulance department.

“Hi, this is Detective Belden here. We need an ambulance at the White Plains Community Centre, as soon as possible. We have a young dancer here with a gunshot wound.” She paused, listening to the operator on the other end of the phone. “Yes, she is unconscious. A doctor is with her at the moment, and he has said that it is urgent.” She paused again. “Thank you, Linda.” She hung up the call. “The ambulance will be here shortly, Brian.”

“Good! She needs to get to hospital as soon as possible. She is bleeding too much for my liking, and there is no reason for it that I can figure.”

“Do you need me at all?” Trixie asked

“Nope, Dan and I have it under control.”

“Okay, I am going to start asking some questions,” she told them.

 

It was 3am by the time Trixie and Dan got home and into bed, but Trixie couldn’t sleep. There was something not quite right about the whole incident, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. For a start, the guard had her puzzled. Why wouldn’t he let them onto the stage? Fortunately for him, Brian’s skill had saved Phoebe's life in the interim, but she was still in intensive care, and they weren’t sure if she would actually make it through. She rolled over restlessly.

“Can’t you sleep either?” Dan asked quietly.

Trixie rolled back over to face her husband.

“No. There is something that just doesn’t add up. One thing that is bothering me is why Joe acted the way he did.”

“Trixie, you know as well as I that people react differently in times of stress, and the situation was pretty stressful.”

“Maybe,” she replied doubtfully

“Did you get much from the dancers?”

“Not really.” She made a face, “They were all too shaken up, and that shook their words up too. About all I was able to get out coherently was that they couldn’t believe she had been shot. Oh, except for one person, who was positive that there had been no threats against her.”

“Not much then. I guess we will have to wait until she wakes up.”

“Let’s hope she wakes up, anyway.”

“True. Brian did a pretty good job on her. It’s lucky he was there. I’m not sure if she would even be in ICU without him.”


“Well, you know Bri,” Trixie replied with a note of pride in her voice.

“I surely do. Anyway, since we both can’t sleep, how about we do something to help?”

“Like what?”

“Like this!” Dan replied, pulling her closer to him and kissing her.

 

Chapter 3

“Do you know if any threats have been made against Miss Western, Mr Michaels?”

“No.”

Trixie and Dan were interviewing the guard that had detained them the night before at the ballet.

“How would you describe Miss Western?” Dan asked quietly

“Quiet, introverted. She seemed to be a bit on the outer with the other dancers,” Joe Michaels replied.

“Has there been anyone unusual hanging about the performances at all?”

The guard shrugged his shoulders.

“We always get weirdos hanging around, but we’ve not had any one lately to give me any concern.”

“Why wouldn’t you let my partner and me, and my brother onto the stage last night?” Trixie asked suddenly

“We had a bloke hanging around that was masquerading as a police officer last year,” the guard explained. “I got into a bit of trouble for not realising that he wasn’t an officer.”

“Do you remember what he looked like?” Dan asked

“Blonde, tall, heavy set. Had a moustache.”

Dan stepped to the filing cabinet, and pulled out a photo of Steve Acheron and showed the guard.

“Is this him?”

“Yes, it is.”

Dan looked at Trixie for a long moment, then turned to the guard.

“Thank you for your help, Mr Michaels. It has been much appreciated. We may have a few more questions for you later in the week.” He offered the guard his hand, then showed him to the door.

Once the guard had left, Dan turned and looked at Trixie again.

“Well?” he asked.

“Talk about the past coming back to haunt me,” Trixie commented.

“Hasn’t it just. Are you happy with his story?”

“Sort of. I can understand him not letting us on the stage now. I’d be pretty cautious myself. The irony being that Acheron was a police officer.”

“How did it go?” John Teal asked at the door of the office.

“We really don’t have much,” Dan told him. “The only thing of interest that he told us is that Acheron was hanging around for a while. It could be coincidence, or something a bit more sinister. According to the other dancers, she hasn’t been seeing anyone, and there had been no threats made against her.”

John Teal grunted sourly.

“We’ve just haven’t got much to go on. We just have to wait until Phoebe wakes up and see what she has to say about Steve Acheron. It could just be coincidence.”

“Has anything turned up at the scene?”

“Sorry boss. The only thing of use at the scene is the bullet which is with ballistics now, so hopefully we will hear something from them soon.”

“Well, since you two are at a standstill with you investigation, why don’t you have an early night. You both look exhausted.”

“Thanks, boss,” Trixie said gratefully.

“Don’t be too grateful miss, the time will come when you are going to have to do some very long hours,” the grizzled detective said gruffly.

“I know, don’t remind me,” Trixie replied dismally. “Tell me why I decided to go into this profession?”

 

Chapter 4

“Hi, sweetie,” Mrs Belden greeted her daughter, kissing her on the cheek. “Hi Dan.”

“Hi Mrs B.,” Dan replied.

“Hi, Moms.”

“You both look tired,” Helen Belden told them, looking at them critically.

“It’s been a long week,” Dan replied truthfully.

The ballistics team had been unable to match the bullet to any other shootings. All they could tell Trixie and Dan was that it was from a Colt. The only good thing that had happened was the young dancer woke up, though that in itself was a mixed blessing. About all she could tell them was what the other dancers had told Trixie and Dan anyway. They had found out that Phoebe was a gifted dancer and had come from virtually nowhere to win the part of Clara, which was highly sought after. More than one principal dancer had been quite unhappy about her winning the part. They had spent a long frustrating week, interviewing and reinterviewing people in the hope that they would find a lead, but to no avail. They had no real suspect and the trail was growing colder by the day.

“Well, go into the lounge room and relax,” Helen told them

“But, Moms, isn’t there anything I can do to help you?”

“No, sweetie, now scoot,” Helen told her.

“Dan can scoot and talk to Dad, I’ll stay in here and keep you company. Would you like a cuppa?”

“That would be nice. Brian and Honey should be here at any moment, and so should Mart and Di for that matter.”

“Great. I got the impression that Honey and Bri wanted to tell us something the night we went to the ballet, but work kind of intervened. I felt awful leaving Honey there by herself, but we absolutely had to get Brian down there.”

“I’m sure Honey understands, dear. I’m surprised she hasn’t rung you at work to tell you her news then.”

“She has, but we have been so flat out this past week on this case. We had a few leads and they went dead cold on us, and we have to do something. I’ve spent most of this week in the interview room. I hate that place,” Trixie explained to her mother as she filled the electric kettle and put it on. “How are Mart and Di going? I haven’t spoken to Mart this week either.”

Helen nodded. She knew Mart and Trixie were close, and confided everything in each other, possibly even things they would rather not know about each other, certainly stuff Helen Belden didn’t want to know about at any rate.

“They have both been busy. Di is looking at expanding her childcare centre. It’s getting very popular. Mart, well, you know your brother. He is happy as a pig in mud being the manager at the Agricentre.”

“Oh yes, he always did like mud,” Trixie answered dryly.

Helen Belden laughed at her daughters comment.

“What about Bobby?”

“Breaking hearts,” was the succinct reply. “But it’s not Bobby now, we got told the other week. It is Rob or Robert. Bobby is too babyish.”

It was Trixie’s turn to go into peals of laughter.

“I was wondering how long it would be.”

“Knock, knock!” Mart called, coming in the back door.

Trixie jumped up and gave her almost twin brother and his fiancée a hug.

“Where have you been all week?” Mart asked her.

“Busy with a case. You know how it goes. We can be dead quiet then it is all stations go,” Trixie explained.

Mart nodded.

“Hi, Moms,” Mart said, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. “Where’s Dad?”

“Where else? Cuppa?”

“Yes, please. I’ll ask Dad and Dan.”

“Sounds like heaven,” Di answered Helen’s question.

“Two cuppas in here, Moms!” Mart shouted.

Helen Belden shook her head. Trixie started to pull mugs out for the drinks.

“Moms said you were looking at expanding the centre?” Trixie said to Di.

“Yes. I’m run off my feet at the moment. But it’s more than just expanding. I’m looking at opening another centre on the other side of town. I have about 200 names on my waiting list. I think if I build another centre, about half of the people that are currently sending their kids to me will go over to the other building, and I should be able to pick up some of the short fall here. Of course some of the kids on the waiting list will go to the new centre because it is closer.”

“Wow, I didn’t realise you were going to expand that way,” Trixie commented, putting some tea leaves in a pot, and opening a new jar of instant coffee to make Dan’s beverage.

“We were originally going to do that... Oh, hi Honey.”

“Hi, Honey, Bri. Cuppa?” Trixie asked.

“Please,” they replied in unison.

As Di continued telling Trixie about the plans to expand the childcare centre, she finished making the cups of tea and coffee, and handed them out. She picked up her cup of tea, turned and leant against the counter.

“What have you been up to Honey?” Di asked.

“Not much, but I have some news,” Honey replied,

“Well, come on, share,” Trixie told her impatiently. She always loved to hear Honey’s news.

“Well, Brian and I are going to be parents. I’m eight weeks pregnant,” she told the other women ecstatically.

All three women jumped as Trixie’s cup crashed to the floor.

 

Chapter 5

“Oh Moms, I’m so sorry,” Trixie mumbled as knelt down on the floor and started to pick up the pieces of the shattered mug.

“Trixie, are you okay?” Honey asked dropping to the floor beside her and helping. She was concerned about her friend. She was as white as a ghost.

“I’m fine, Honey,” Trixie answered.

Honey gave Trixie a sceptical look, but didn’t say anything.

“Everything okay?” Peter Belden asked at the door of the lounge room. Brian, Dan and Mart were standing behind him.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Trixie told her father. “My hands must have been wet, and the mug slipped out of my hands.” 

Di, Mart and Dan exchanged uneasy glances. All of them had a fairly good idea of what had caused Trixie’s reaction.

As soon as he had walked into the lounge room to join his father, brother and brother-in-law, Brian had told them that he and Honey were expecting a baby. Other than Dan; Mart and Di were the only people that knew that Trixie had suffered two miscarriages in the past six months and, despite her claiming that she was okay and was over it, this episode proved to the three of them that she was not as okay with it as she claimed to be.

Dan stepped past the other men, and went over to help his wife and sister-in-law to pick up the mug. Taking the paper towel that her mother offered her, Trixie mopped up the tea that had been spilled everywhere. As Dan helped her to her feet, he asked if she was okay. She nodded, but leant into him for  hug. Helen Belden looked onto the exchange with concern. She knew more was being communicated between her daughter and her husband than what had been said aloud, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was. What she did know though was that it took a lot to rattle her normally self assured daughter and she meant to find out what it was.

Mart could feel the tension in the air and stepped in to cover his sister’s tail feathers.

“My inquisitive sibling requires the use of her questionable investigative skills to deduce the origin behind her jelly fingers.”

“For your information, my almost twin brother, those fingers which you liken to jelly were wet,” Trixie sniffed and stuck her tongue out at him.

Everyone started laughing at the exchange between Trixie and Mart, and the tension had gone out of the room.

“Congratulations Honey, Bri,” Trixie said, giving her best friend and her brother a hug.

Everyone else followed her cue and gather around Brian and Honey offering them their congratulations.

 

Chapter 6

As usual, the meal the Helen Belden had dished up was both yummy and filling. Afterwards, they all sat back groaning about the amount of food they had eaten.

“Well, you did all have to have seconds, and you do know that there is a trifle in the fridge?” Helen told them all, smiling at their groans. “How are Jim and Amy going over in England, Honey?” she asked, changing the subject

“They’re really good, Helen. They’ve tracked down an aunt of Amy’s and they are trying to find her grandmother at the moment,” Honey replied.

Jim was Honey’s adopted brother. He had been a runaway when Trixie and Honey first met him. He had run away to escape his evil stepfather Jonesy, who used to beat Jim.

“One day I’d like to be able to do that,” Dan murmured quietly. “Uncle Bill and I don’t know much about our family. About all we do know is that my great uncle and aunt moved to Australia, but we lost touch with them. When I was over there, I didn’t have much time to track them down.”

Trixie put her hand on his leg. One thing Dan really wanted to know was about his family. After his mother had died, he had turned to a gang called the Cowhands as family, but he soon found out that was a mistake, and he was on the verge of going to a juvenile detention centre when his Uncle Bill, the groom at the Manor House, stepped in and bought him to Sleepyside.

“You should do it, Dan,” Honey told him

“One day,” he replied. “But for the time being I have too much on my plate.”

“Come on, Di,” Trixie said, breaking the mood, “let’s grab up these plates and get them washed. Moms, you sit here and relax, you have done so much today. Coming to keep us company, Honey?” She stood up and started retrieving plates.

“Of course,” Honey replied as she stood up and followed the other two girls into the cosy kitchen.

“Okay, Trixie,” she said firmly when they were in the kitchen, “what on earth happened earlier? I know you well enough to know the reason that you gave for dropping the mug was not true.”

Trixie turned to look at her best friend, and then sighed.

“Okay.” She put the dirty dishes down on the sideboard of the sink, then sat into a chair opposite her friend. “I suspect Di already knows this, because Mart knows.”

Di nodded her head in agreement as she also slipped into one of the chairs.

Trixie took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Honey, I…” she paused slightly trying to put into words what had happened, then looked at Di silently begging for help. It still hurt and she didn’t know if she could tell her best friend without crying

“Honey, Trixie knows how you feel about being pregnant. She’s been pregnant twice in the past six months, but lost both babies at about eight weeks,” Di explained softly, coming to Trixie’s aid. “Dan knew, of course, and the only other person they told was Mart. That is how come I know.”

“Honey, I’m so sorry.  I just couldn’t tell you because you and Brian had been trying for so long and…and I didn’t want to worry you.” Trixie could see the hurt in Honey’s eyes. “I’m sorry. We kind of weren’t planning either, it kind of just happened, Honey, that’s the other reason I didn’t want to say anything.”

“Oh Trixie, you goose. You shouldn’t have worried.” Honey leaned across the table and took her hands into her own. “I can understand why you didn’t tell me, but it still hurts just a little.”

“You’re not angry?”

“No. Why should I be? It would have been hard, and I probably wouldn’t have told any one either.”

“When Mart told me, he was worried about you, Trixie,  and didn’t know what to do,” Di added.

“I should have told you both personally.  You are the best friends a girl could have, but I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you. It meant dealing with something that I wasn’t ready to deal, and then as time went on, it just wasn’t the right time, and then it seemed unimportant.”

“Honestly, Trixie, I understand,” Honey assured her sister-in-law. “It’s hard to lose a baby and it would be harder still to tell people about it. People think you should just get on with life, but it isn’t that easy.”

Trixie nodded.

“How did Dan take it?” Di asked quietly.

Trixie shrugged her shoulders “You know Dan. He was upset, of course, but he hides what he feels so well. Sometimes he puts up that brick wall, and it’s impossible to penetrate, until he works out whatever is bothering him. He disappeared behind there for a while, but I don’t think he distanced himself from me, as much as everyone else. He’s been worried about me.”

“He rang Mart a couple of weeks ago about it. He was worried that you weren’t dealing with it all, and just burying yourself in work instead,” Di told her, nodding her head

“I guess I have been. It’s easier to just work, than think about it.” Her smile suddenly broke through the pervading gloom. “I feel better already, sharing this with you guys. I should have done it ages ago. I’m sorr,y guys, I should have told you, you are supposed to be my best friends, and when I had a problem, I shut you both out.”

They all sat there looking at each other for a moment, feeling a bit awkward.

“Anyway, we should be washing up dishes; we’ll never get any dessert at this rate.”

 Trixie jumped up, but leant down to give both Honey and Di a hug each.

“Do you have to?” a weary voice drawled from the back door.

“Bobby! Moms said you were staying at a friend’s tonight.”

“Yeah, I was. But Matt’s throwing up everywhere, so I figured I may as well come home instead. What’s all the hugging about, anyway?”

“Oh, Trixie was just congratulating Honey, Bobby,” Di told him easily. “You’re going to be an uncle, Bobby.” Trixie threw a grateful look to Di for covering the real reason she was hugging her and Honey

“Cool. Way to go, Honey,” Bobby told her, walking over and pulling her up into a hug.

“Oh, Bobby, I thought I heard your voice.” Helen Belden had been listening to the girls' conversation in the lounge room. In fact, everyone in the lounge room heard the conversation the three girls were having. “I thought you were staying at Matt’s tonight.”

Bobby repeated what he had told his sister

“Anyway, Moms, it's Rob, not Bobby,” he added in an exasperated tone.

“Yes, Rob. Why don’t you go into the lounge and join your father and the boys, and I’ll bring out some trifle for you all.” Rob grinned at his mother, and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You’re trifle is to die for, Moms,” he told her as he disappeared. Helen Belden turned to the girls and looked at her daughter, who seemed much happier now, in fact much happier than she had in a long time. Obviously talking to her friends had helped a lot.

“Okay girls, let’s feed these boys,” she told them, heading towards the fridge.

 

Chapter 7

It was a beautiful warm day, though the clouds in the sky indicated that there was a change on the way. Trixie, however, was not interested in the weather. Dan, John Teal, and she had travelled up to Westchester County Jail to talk to Steve Acheron. This would be the first time they had met face to face since he had kidnapped her. Of course she had seen him when she had given evidence at his trial, but there had been quite a bit of space between them at that time, and there were other places she could look when she had been in the court room.

She drew a deep breath. “Right, let’s get on with this,” she told the two men.

As they walked toward to the entrance to the jail, John Teal looked at Trixie. She had been determined to come here and talk to Steven Acheron about the shooting of the dancer Phoebe Western, but he was not at all sure it was a good idea. He could see Trixie was white as a ghost. He and Dan had spent a long time talking about what to do when Trixie announced that she was going with Dan to interview her kidnapper, and they had eventually decided that all three of them should go just in case Trixie decided at the last minute that she couldn’t go through with it.

After identifying themselves to the security guards, they were escorted to a little room where Steve Acheron sat, handcuffed, at a table. He smirked as his three former colleagues entered the room.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked drily

“We just have a few questions, Steve,” John Teal told him.

“About what?”

“About Phoebe Western.”

“What about her?”

“Well, she was shot in the shoulder a couple of weeks ago.”

Steve jumped up. “What? How did it happen?” he demanded

“She was dancing the principal role in a ballet, and she was shot from the wings,” Dan told him. “We were there and saw it all happen. Sit down, Steve.”

The other man sank to the chair again, his face dark.

“I’d like to know who did it,” he muttered. “She’s my cousin. We were, and still are, quite close. I knew she was in town, and I was wondering why she hadn’t visited me yet.” 

Trixie was watching closely, but didn’t say anything.

“Do you know why she was shot?” Steve continued. He was clearly upset.

“No. That’s what we are trying to work out. She got a few backs up when she won the main role of the ballet she was in, but that is about all we have,” John told him. “Do you know if there is any reason or any one who would do this to her?”

“She was seeing one of the managers there for a while, but she dumped him because he was giving her the creeps. He was trying to control her life. She started seeing another person, but I think he may have been with another woman. Phoebe didn’t say as much, but it was just the impression that I got.”

“Do you have any names that you can give us?”

“The first man she was seeing, she didn’t tell me his name, but I think he was a floor manager or something like that. The second bloke she started dating, his name was Michaels, I think.”

“Does the name Peter Simons ring any bells?” John asked tersely

“Actually, yes! That was the first bloke that she dated. Is she okay?”

“It was touch and go there for a while, but she is fine now. They are releasing her from hospital today or tomorrow,” Dan told him. “She’s a very lucky girl. Brian Belden saved her life.”

“Tell him thanks from me. Will you see my cousin at all soon?”

“Yes, we are planning to speak to her again tomorrow.”

“Let her know that I love her, and I’d like to see her.”

“We will. Thank you for your help, Steve,” John Teal told him.

Steve looked at Trixie.

“Trixie, I’m sorry that I did what I did to you. It was wrong, and I realise that now I could never have made you love me. You and Dan belong together. Can you please forgive me?” 

Trixie drew a sharp breath.

“No, Steve, I can never forgive you for what you did to me. You took me away from my family and my friends, and the man I love. Tell me why should I forgive you for what you did to me?” Trixie retorted and walked to the door and tapped on it.

The guard on the outside opened it, letting the three of them out. Once in the hall, Dan put his arms around his wife, breaking their unspoken agreement about touching whilst they were working.

Rules are meant to be broken, Dan thought grimly, She needs her husband more than her work partner.

She was, if possible, even paler than she had been before they had entered the penitentiary. It had taken a lot of courage to come down here and face her kidnapper, and as much as he respected her reasons for coming down, Dan wished that she hadn’t. He certainly hadn’t expected Steve Acheron to ask for her forgiveness, and that is what had shaken her most, Dan suspected.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his arms still around her.

She nodded.

John Teal looked on in sympathy. He admired her courage, not many people would be game enough to step foot in the room where their former kidnapper was. He cleared his throat.

“Shall we go and get a coffee, and discuss where to go from here?”

“Definitely,” Dan replied.  He turned, his arm still around Trixie’s shoulder, and followed the older detective.

 

Chapter 8

“So what do we have?” John Teal asked Trixie and Dan over the steaming cups of coffee. He noted that Trixie had regained some of the colour in her face.

“Well, we have four suspects now. Peter Simons, Joe Michaels and his partner, if indeed he has one; and of course Steve Acheron, unless what he told us was true,” Trixie answered.

“I think we can rule out Steve as a suspect. I now know where I have met Phoebe Western before. Steve and I met her for lunch years ago, when we were training together. His story is genuine,” Dan told her quietly.

“Okay, three suspects then. I wonder why Steve and Joe Michaels didn’t get along?”

“I don’t know. Maybe Steve knew something about Joe Michaels,” Trixie mused.

“Maybe it had something to do with his significant other?” Dan suggested

“Before you two start speculating too far afield, I think you had better try and get it from the horse’s mouth,” John Teal said gruffly.

“Hmm,” Trixie murmured.

“What?” John and Dan asked suspiciously

“I think we need to have a long talk to one Miss Western and get to the bottom of this. Then we go and talk to the men.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Dan asked.

“We need to get answers from that girl. She is starting to annoy me, I’ve put myself through hell to help that girl, and I find out she has been concealing stuff,” Trixie stated. “And I really want to know what it is about her that has all these men falling over her,” she added.

Dan groaned.

“Looks like you’re in for a long couple of days,” John commented to Dan.

“Yep. That appears!!” Dan agreed.

Half a day later, Trixie and Dan stood beside the hospital bed that Phoebe Western was in. She hadn’t been released yet, but it looked as though she would be released the next day.

“How are you feeling today, Miss Western?”

“Fine,” she snapped. “Have you found out who shot me, then?”

Dan was a little taken aback by the belligerence in her voice

“We have a few people in mind,” he replied.

“What’s taking you so long?”

Trixie was furious. The attitude of this girl was beyond what she had experienced before. Despite repeated questioning about her life, she had not told them everything, then had the cheek to ask them why they hadn’t made any progress on her case.

“You,” Trixie told her bluntly. “I think it’s time you told us the truth Miss Western, starting with your involvement with Steve Acheron. Unless you help us, we CANNOT help you. You have been less than honest with us, and I am just about ready to pull the pin on this whole case. We have spent the past three weeks trying to solve your shooting, and I personally have been to hell and back for you. And what thanks do we get? Attitude. So unless you can tell us the whole truth, and start being pleasant, Detective Mangan and myself are out of here.”

The girl looked ashen at Trixie’s fury.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that…okay, I will try to explain. First of all, Steve is my cousin. Despite the fact he is in jail, we still remain close. I think it helps him a bit. The family have distanced themselves from him since he kidnapped that policewoman about a year ago.”

She was obviously unaware that Trixie was the policewoman in question.

“Steve seemed to think that there was more to your relationships with Peter Simons and Joe Michaels than what you told us,” Dan told her quietly. He sensed that Trixie was still upset from the visit with Steve Acheron, and that was behind her bluntness with the petite dancer. It had worked however.

“Peter was my first love and lover. I met him when I was eighteen when he started working at the company. I adored him, however after a while he became really possessive of me, and increasingly violent. I tried to leave him several times, but he threatened to hurt my family, so I always came back. In the end I demanded that he get counselling. He changed after that, and let me go. We still had to work together though.” She smiled sadly. “It was against the rules for us to date anyway. So it was a difficult situation, to say the least. Anyway, he met another woman, and took off for a while, then came back married to her. I hope he treats her better than he did me. I swore off men for good after that.

“Last year, Joe Michaels started working as a security guard with the company. He and my cousin never got along. I’m not sure why. Joe and I did though, and I got along brilliantly with his wife, Dannii. Then Joe got jealous over our friendship, and demanded that Dannii stop seeing me. Things hadn’t been good with them for a while, I guess, and that was the final straw. Dannii packed up and left him, and came to stay with me.” She took a deep breath and continued, “It was about three months after she left Joe, we got drunk and well one thing led to another, and we woke up in bed together the next morning. We talked for a long time that day, and Dannii told me she had feelings for me. Indeed, I had for her too. Dannii filed for divorce not long after. Joe went ballistic, especially when Dannii told him that we were together and planning to get married once the divorce was final. He told me that I was a good for nothing, and that I’d pay.”

“What happened after that?” Trixie asked quietly. Her anger had been replaced by sympathy for the young girl in front of her.

“Joe has been giving us a hard time. He has been threatening to hurt me or Dannii. He has also threatened to tell the ballet company about my relationship with Peter, and that he would let everyone know about my secret.”

“Why didn’t you tell the police?”

“Because…because he said he would hurt Dannii if I did. I just couldn’t risk it. I love her so much.” Phoebe pleaded with her eyes for the two detectives to understand.

“Okay, what’s Dannii’s address?” Trixie asked suddenly in a business like fashion. “I want to organise some police officers to protect her. I am also going to organise some for you.” Trixie looked at Dan

“I’m on it Trixie,” he told her, opening the door and exiting, leaving the two women alone.

“Are you and he together?” the younger girl asked Trixie

“Yes, he’s my husband,” Trixie told her quietly. She didn’t normally share that information about her and Dan, particularly to victims of crime.

“I thought you were. You can just sense the electricity between you. You make a good couple. How long have you known each other?”

“Since I was thirteen, so about thirteen years,” Trixie laughed.

“You love him a lot, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I can see it, and he adores you. I’m glad I met Dannii. She is just… I can be myself around her. She just looks at me and knows how I feel. Whether I need a hug or…” her voice trailed off. “I’d just die if anything happened to her.”

“I understand,” Trixie told her. “We’re working on preventing that right now.”

About twenty minutes later, two plainclothes officers arrived at the hospital to watch over Phoebe, and Dan and Trixie excused themselves to head back to the police station.

“I think we should get both Joe and Peter in here as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling, Dan,” Trixie told him

“So do I. Let’s see if we can track them down.”

“We need to get our questioning straight first. I think we might send a squad car down to pick them up.”

“You’re up to something,” Dan accused.

“Yep. I want them to think about life in jail. It may make them easier to crack.”

“You believe what Phoebe Western said?”

“Yes, Dan, we talked a little after you went to organise Peter and Meagan. She is very much in love with Dannii Michaels, and she is terrified of both Peter Simons and Joe Michaels. Peter used to abuse her terribly. She told me some of what happened between them. I think we may be able to do something about both of them.”

“What did he do?”

“He used to push her around. Sometimes force her into having sex. I suspect though that she knew him a while before she said she did, but I didn’t want to press her. I think it is still too painful for her to deal with. It explains a lot about her relationship with Dannii. She feels safe. But  I don’t doubt that she loves her.”

“Well, let’s hope we can sort all of this out soon.” Dan changed the subject, “How are you feeling, babe? It’s been a pretty hard day for you.”

“Dan, I don’t want to talk about it. Let me just concentrate on this first. I’m…I’m not ready to talk just yet.”

Dan understood. Trixie hadn’t had a chance to come to grips with the meeting with Steve Acheron in her mind yet. Once she did, she would be ready to talk to Dan about it. Until then, well he just had to wait.

 

Chapter 9

Dan woke up suddenly.

Trixie was thrashing around, moaning. ““No, no! Steve, please don’t. Please…”

He had wondered if this was going to happen. For the first couple of months after she had been kidnapped, Trixie had often had nightmares about her ordeal. Obviously the events of the day had affected her more than Trixie realised.

“Trixie, baby. Wake up.” He shook Trixie gently.

Trixie sat up suddenly wide awake, and burst into tears.

“Shhh, baby, I’m here,” he told her, pulling her close to him. “It’s over, it was only a nightmare.”

“Why? Why did he have to do it? Why did he ask me to forgive him?” she asked him through her tears.

“I don’t know, Trixie.” Dan didn’t really know what to say to her. He has seen some people redeem themselves, but he wasn’t at all sure about Steven Acheron. It was possible that he did feel remorse for what he did to Trixie, but Dan had his doubts.

When she finally calmed down, Dan lay down and pulling her down with him and holding her close while she explained the turmoil in her mind. Most of it was caused by Steve Acheron’s apology and request for Trixie to forgive him. She felt guilty because she didn’t think that she could forgive him for he had done to her and put her through.

Dan listened quietly, only telling her that she didn’t have to forgive him, and that perhaps she needed to go and visit her counsellor and see what she had to say.

Trixie finally fell asleep, but Dan couldn’t. All the stress of the day and the case was haunting him. He looked at the small clock on Trixie’s bedside draw; 5.30am. He slipped out of the bed, being careful not to wake his sleeping wife, put on a pair of boxer shorts, and went downstairs to the gym that he and Trixie had set up for themselves.  He paused long enough to strap his boxing gloves on then started hitting the punching bag, taking out all of the stress of the previous three weeks out on it.

The case had been going nowhere, and because of the dancer not revealing everything about her personal life, his beautiful lovely wife had to take a trip down hell’s lane to get the break that they needed. He knew Trixie had been furious with Phoebe Western, but he was even more so. He was the one that had to deal with the fallout from that visit. He had reservations about Trixie going to interview Steve Acheron, but she had been so determined to go that he ended up backing off. Now they had both been up half the night because of the nightmares that haunted her.

He landed a pretty hard punch on the bag.

They had basically been wasting their time for the past three weeks trying to get the break, when, if the dancer had been honest, they could have had an arrest probably a week after the incident.

He landed another hard punch.

Then, of course, there was the more personal turmoil. Honey and Brian were going to have a baby. He knew Trixie had been upset about it, but to Dan it was like a kick in the guts. He had wanted to have a family for so long. At first there was his Mum and Dad, but after his parents had died, he had no-one and had turned to the gang for support. Then his uncle Bill had turned up to take him back to Sleepyside. After a rocky start, the two men had become solid friends, and his uncle had become all the family that he had needed, for a while. Now it was something else.

He paused, and leant his head against the punching bag. He hated to see Trixie hurting, and he hated showing her that he was hurting also. They had been overjoyed when Trixie found out that she was pregnant, despite the fact it had been totally unexpected, but that joy had been so short-lived. The second time they were happy too, but that, too, had been snatched away from them too quickly.

Tears filled Dan’s eyes. He must be paying for his past life, he thought grimly. He wasn’t too proud of his past when he was caught up the gang. He did things that he wished he never had and now spent his time trying to protect people against people like he had been. He tried to wipe away the tears that were falling, but he couldn’t stop them. Finally he gave in and let the tears flow.

 

Trixie woke up with a start. Dan was no longer in the bed with her. She sat up and looked at the time. 6.30am,  she thought, I wonder where Dan is?

She got up and pulled on her pale blue satin robe and padded downstairs barefoot. When she got to the kitchen, she put the kettle on, then stopped. She could hear Dan in the other room, and it sounded like he was crying. Quietly, she tiptoed into the other room.

Dan was sitting on the floor, his head in his hands, sobbing like his heart would break. Trixie knelt down behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She knew that he had been under a lot of strain lately. Between her nightmares over the kidnapping, and the two miscarriages she had, she knew it had taken more of a toll on Dan than he had let on.

She laid her head on his back, still holding him, feeling his sobs and pain. For thirteen years they had known each other.   Unlucky thirteen, she thought to herself.

Finally, Dan got control of his tears and he stopped crying. Trixie quietly got up and went into the kitchen to get a tissue for him. Dan followed her into the kitchen, and after accepting the offered tissue, blew his nose, then pulled her close to him and held her. They stood there for a long time, just holding each other, and taking comfort in each other’s embrace.

Finally Trixie broke the silence.  “Coffee?” she asked.

Dan nodded.

Without saying anything, Trixie pulled herself away and busied herself with making a coffee for Dan and a cup of tea for herself. She knew Dan was like her, and would talk once he had made sense of everything that was going through his head. Silently she handed him the steaming cup of coffee. Dan was sitting at the table in the kitchen. Trixie slipped into the seat opposite him.

“What time are we meant to be in the office?” Dan asked

“7.30am.” Trixie shrugged. “I want the both of those men to think about a life behind bars.”

Dan nodded.

Silence.

When Dan drained his coffee mug, Trixie got up and took it to the sink and rinsed it, as well as hers, then came back to the table, straddled Dan’s lap, and buried her head in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body through her light robe. He had goosebumps, but he couldn’t tell if he was cold, or whether it was the fact that Trixie was nuzzling at his neck that was causing them. He gently pushed Trixie back from his neck, and looked into her eyes, then pulled her face down to his to claim her lips as his own.

 

Chapter 10

John Teal sat at a one way window watching and listening to his two detectives, Trixie Belden and Dan Mangan, interview Peter Simons over his relationship with Phoebe Western.

The two of them had been late into work, which was very unusual. One look at their faces had given him some idea as to why they were late. They both had bloodshot eyes, which meant that something had happened during the night. He knew the day before had been pretty stressful on both of the young detectives and that the past six months had been anything but easy for them. He figured that things had gotten to breaking point last night, but he wasn’t sure if that involved an argument or what. They had apologised profusely for being late, and the gruff detective had just told them to get on with their work. He wasn’t angry with them, sometimes personal stuff took precedence over work. He understood that, especially when they had never let it come between their work before.

“Mr Simons, did you or did you not have a relationship with Phoebe Western?”

“No.”

“She said you did. It started when she was eighteen.”

“I did not have a relationship with her,” he replied again.

“Okay, how did you meet Miss Western?”

Peter Simons scowled at Trixie’s question. “She’s a dancer with the company I work for. I’ve known her since I started with the troupe--about four years ago. I’ve answered all these questions before. Why are you asking me again?” he demanded

“Just routine, Mr Simons,” Dan told him.

“Routine. More like you don’t have any suspects so you are harassing innocent citizens.”

“Oh, we have suspects Mr Simons,” Dan told him. “Tell me about when you met your wife.”

“What has she got to do with this?”

“I’m just curious.”

The fair-haired stage director glared at the young dark-haired man on the other side of the table.

“I met Julie about a year ago. We met at a cocktail party put on by a friend.”

“How long have you been married?”

“About six months.”

“Pretty whirlwind romance, wouldn’t you say?”

“So? How long were you with your wife before you married?”

“That’s beside the point, Mr Simons.” Dan said coolly. “Please answer the question.”

“I suppose some people may call it quick,” he answered grudgingly.

“Particularly if you were with someone else beforehand.”

“I told you, I had nothing to do with that slut!” Peter Simons yelled.

Dan was unmoved.

“Why do you call her a slut, Mr Simons?”

“I, uh, I…”

“Did you shoot Miss Western out of jealousy, Mr Simons?”

“No!”

“I think you need to explain why you think Miss Western is a slut,” Dan told him

“She just had a few people going at one time.”

“How many? And can you give me names?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if she was.”

“Mr Peters, you have just made a serious allegation, now you need to back that up with some evidence.” Dan looked at the older man for a moment, then raised his eyebrow, “Oh, I get it. You were involved with her, but she met someone else, and wanted out, but you didn’t like that, did you?”

Peter Simons had a trapped look on his face.  He sighed. “Okay, I did have a relationship with Phoebe. She was seventeen when we first got together. I realise that she was underaged, but she was so beautiful, I couldn’t help myself. Anyway, when we were able to go public with our relationship, things started to change. She got really possessive of me, and we had frequent arguments about it. Things also got violent. At first she would throw things at me, but that escalated early last year. She got physically violent with me, punching and screaming, biting, you name it. I couldn’t handle it anymore, so I told her to seek counselling, but she refused to at first. In the end she did agree, and I was finally able to get away from her.”

“Do you know if Miss Western is with anyone now?”

“No, sorry, I can’t help you on that side of it. That’s about all I can tell you.”

“Thank you, Mr Simons.”

 

“What do you think?” Trixie asked Dan after Peter Simons had been escorted out of the building.

“I don’t know. It’s totally opposite of the story Phoebe gave us. Something's not right somewhere.”

“Hmmm.”

“What did you talk about while I was organising protection for her and her girlfriend?” Dan asked

“Just about our relationships. She twigged that you and I were together. She said something a bit odd, though.”

“What?”

“Well, she asked me how I would feel if something happened to you, then she said she would die if something happened to Dannii.”

“Interesting.”

“That’s what I thought. Anyway, let’s go and have a chat with Mr Michaels.”

“Are you up to it? I mean, do you want to get something to eat first? We kind of didn’t have breakfast this morning.” Trixie grinned impishly at her husband,

“No, that we didn’t, but other things were more important.”

They didn’t realise that the loudspeaker was still on in the room, and that part of their early morning activities had just been revealed to their boss.

John Teal smiled. So that’s what they had been up to. They both seemed happier than they did the previous day, and John was not one to pry.

Laughing, and joking with each other, Trixie and Dan came out of the interview room, just as John Teal walked out of the listening room.

“Hope you enjoy your breakfast, guys,” he told them. Trixie went bright red, as she realised that John Teal had heard their conversation. “Good interview, too.” He turned and went up the corridor whistling.

“Oh my…” Trixie said turning to Dan.

“Oh, well, the cat's out of the bag. He’s not worried, otherwise he would have gone through us. He realises that sometimes other things take priority, and he knows that yesterday was pretty hard on both of us. Let’s get something to eat over at the coffee shop, then come back and have a long chat to one security guard.”

 

Chapter 11

It was an evening much like the one in which Brian and Honey had announced their impending arrival. All of the Belden children, along with their partners, had descended on Crabapple Farm for dinner. After dinner, everyone had gathered in the comfy lounge room and were discussing the plans that Honey had for the nursery.

Helen Belden sat slightly to one side of the conversation, studying her only daughter. Despite the fact that Trixie was animatedly involved with the conversation, Helen could see the defensive barrier which her daughter had put up to keep the hurt away. Gradually the conversation led around to how Honey was feeling. After a few minutes, Trixie excused herself to go outside. Dan rose to follow her, but Helen, who had risen at the same time, put her hand on her son-in-law's arm to restrain.

“I’ll go,” she murmured.

Dan nodded.

When Helen stepped out onto the back veranda she saw Trixie leaning against one of the posts looking out into the darkness.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly.

Trixie turned to face her mother, tears streaming down her face.

“It should be me,” Trixie replied simply.

Helen stepped forward and took Trixie into her arms as she dissolved into tears.

“I’m sorry, Moms, I should have told you. I just couldn’t. It wasn’t like we planned to have children just yet, but we were thinking if it happens it happens. Then it did. When I lost the first one, I just wanted to forget it ever happened. It was easier that way I guess.”

Helen nodded.

“Then I fell pregnant again, and I really wanted everything to be okay, but it just wasn’t to be.”

They were sitting on the low swinging seat talking.

“Sweetie, I wish you had come and told me sooner, but I know how hard it is. You feel silly because you think you should be getting on with your life and you just can’t?”

Trixie looked at her mother in amazement.

“I know exactly how you feel, Trixie. I’ve been there myself. You see your father and I always wanted five children. We had almost given up hope, because I had a couple of miscarriages myself. So, in a way, Bobby was our miracle child. Back then,  though, you were expected to just get on with life and not mourn. But it didn’t quite work. I was very close to developing full blown depression when your father took steps and got me to see a psychologist. When I allowed myself time to grieve over those little babies I lost, I was able to get better.” Helen gave her daughter a direct look. “Look after yourself, and give yourself time to grieve, sweetie. You are allowed to.”

“Oh, Moms, I never knew.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. You and Mart were too young to remember. Brian can, just.”

“Did you try for anymore children after Bobby?”

“No, I couldn’t bear the thought of going through a miscarriage again. It may not have happened.” Helen made a face. “Besides, I’m not sure how I would have been able to cope trying to keep you from getting into all of those adventures. I am telling you, Trixie, you sent my hair grey, more than any of your brothers, although Mart made my heart stop a few times.”

Trixie grinned. “And now I do it for a profession.”

“Yes. It’s a wonder my hair isn’t snow white,” Helen replied wryly. “But, thankfully,  you have a good partner who seems to keep your more adventurous side controlled.”

“Dan’s been so patient with me. I know he is hurting over it all. I think he blames himself for it all,” Trixie confided

“Your father was the same. I think it is a male thing. But, in Dan’s case, I think he feels that the life he led before he came to Sleepyside is coming back to haunt him. Your father felt like that because he was working such long hours at the bank.”

 Trixie nodded slowly. “I suspect as much. He won’t talk about what used to happen back then. He won’t talk about how he feels.” Trixie hesitated slightly, debating how much to reveal to her mothe., “I think some of it caught up with him the other day.” Then she changed the subject. “Mart seems to be enjoying his new job.”

“Yes. I’m not sure that Di is so impressed about the hours he has been working, but she understands he is trying to make and impression.”

The noise of someone opening the door loudly interrupted them.

“Am I interrupting?” Honey asked.

“No, Honey. What’s up?” Trixie replied.

“We’re going to put the kettle on. Do you want a cuppa?”

“Yes, thanks, we’ll be in in a moment,” Helen told her. She turned to Trixie. “Remember what I said, dear. If you need to talk, I’m here anytime.”

“Thanks, Moms. I know I’ve said this plenty of times, but you’re the best.”

“I know,” Helen replied modestly.

 

Chapter 12

“Mr Michaels, we need to know about your relationship with Miss Western., Trixie told the security guard crisply.

They had been interviewing Joe Michaels for the past hour and all he had done was tell them everything other than what they needed to know.

“I’ve already told you.”

“Not today you haven’t.”

“We’ve had information contrary to what you told us previously,” Dan explained, from his standing position behind Trixie. “How can you explain the discrepancy?”

“Where did you hear that?” the guard asked suspiciously

“We’re not at liberty to discuss our sources,” Dan replied.

“Mr Michaels, please tell us about your relationship with Miss Western,” Trixie repeated.

“What about it?”

Dan sighed. The guard was being difficult. He hated these interviews. After a few more attempts to get the guard to answer the question, Dan lost his cool, which was unusual.

“Mr Michaels, we know that you have a different relationship with Miss Western than what you told us earlier. My partner and I have spent the past three weeks investigating a crime where no-one seems to talk to the other person despite the fact they work together closely almost every single day. I’ve heard more lies in the past three weeks than I have ever heard before, and I have seen my wife go to hell and back because of this case. I’ve just about had it up to here with all the crap.” Dan made a gesture above his head.  He leaned down and putting his hands on the desk, looked into the guard eyes. “Now, let me be clear about this. You are in a police station, under suspicion of shooting Miss Phoebe Western with the intent to kill. We know there is more to the relationship than what you tell us, and if you keep this crap up, I am going to charge you with obstructing a police investigation. Do you understand me?” Dan finished quietly.

The guard seemed shocked at the dark-haired man’s outburst.

“Ummm, yes.”

“Right, now why don’t you tell us about your relationship with Miss Western?”

“Okay. Yes, I do know Phoebe, better than I wish to. My wife left me for her.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Dan suggested.

The guard nodded. Over the next hour the security guard filed Dan and Trixie in on his relationship with Phoebe Western, finishing with his wife leaving him the previous year for the dancer, but she was now considering trying to sort out the marriage. It was plain to Trixie and Dan that the man in front of them had been extremely hurt by the split.

“How does Steve Acheron fit into the equation?” Trixie asked

“He’s Phoebe’s cousin. He used to hang around all the time. I kept throwing him out, just to annoy Phoebe. Petty, I know. Anyway he must have gotten the message, he stopped hanging around after a while.”

“Did you ever threaten Phoebe or your ex-wife?”

“Never. More to the point it was the other way around. Phoebe warned me to stay away from Dannii otherwise I would pay.”

There was a knock at the interview room door. After conferring briefly with the officer at the door Trixie came back to the desk.

“I’m sorry, Mr Michaels, we have to stop the interview. Detective Mangan and I have been called into an urgent meeting. Can you please come back in tomorrow and continue the interview then?” Trixie asked.

“Of course.”

Trixie showed him out of the room.

“What meeting?” asked Dan.

“None at all, but we’ve been called to Manhattan. There’s been a shooting.”

“So?”

“The victim was Dannii Michaels.”

 

Chapter 13

“What the? Trixie, why didn’t you say something to Joe Michaels?” Dan asked in an irate tone.

“I’m not sure of his official status with his wife, besides, she is okay, though still in emergency.”

“What happened to the police officers that were meant to be guarding her?”

“I don’t know, but we are going to find out,” Trixie said grimly

 

When they arrived at the apartment where Phoebe Western and Dannii Michaels lived a couple of hours later, they could hear someone sobbing.

“What the hell is going on here?” Dan demanded

“She locked herself in the bathroom and won’t come out,” a young officer told Dan

“Who?”

“The other woman, her girlfriend,” he explained

“Trixie,” Dan said tersely

“On it, Dan,” Trixie replied, brushing past him and the other officer.

Dan heard her talking quietly to the girl inside, and after a few moments, she came out with her arm around Phoebe Western’s shoulder.

“It was Joe Michaels,” she declared as they went past Dan.

“I think we had better wait until we get down to the station before we get into that.” Dan told her. Then he turned to the police officer. “Get someone to replace you as soon as possible, and get back down to the station. I have a few questions for you. We will take Miss Western with us.” He turned abruptly and followed his wife and Phoebe Western to the elevator.

 

Thirty minutes later, Trixie, Dan, Phoebe Western, and the Captain of the precinct were sitting in an interview room.

“Okay, Miss Western. You stated to me and my partner that it was Joe Michaels that did it. What we would like to know is what did he do, and why do you say it was Joe Michaels,” Dan started, without any preliminaries.

“Joe rang at about 11am and said that he was coming up to get Dannii. I told him no, he couldn’t, but he turned nasty, and said that if Dannii wasn’t ready when he got there, that we would pay. I told Dannii, and she said that she didn’t want to see him.”

“Are you sure it was certainly Mr Michaels?” Trixie asked

“Yes.”

“Do you know where he was ringing from?”

“No.”

“Okay, what happened when he arrived?”

“We weren’t there. We had decided to go out. He saw us out on the street, and he just pulled out his gun, and, and--” she broke off shakily. “He just shot at Dannii.”

“Okay, Miss Western, we need to go and see Mrs Michaels, can we get someone to accompany you back to your apartment? Or you are quite welcome to stay here.,” Dan told her after a moment of silence.

“I would like to go and see Dannii,” he told Dan

“It would be better that you go to your apartment or stay here until we have had a chance to talk to her. We want to hear what happened straight from her mouth, not that we believe that you would taint what she thinks happened. Routine, you understand,” Dan replied.

“Okay,” Phoebe Western replied, there wasn’t much she could argue about. A younger police officer escorted her out of the room.

“Well, either it was a Joe Michaels lookalike, or she is one extremely good actor,” Dan commented sourly.

The Captain looked surprised at Dan’s comment.

“We were interviewing Joe Michaels at the time she claims that he called her. So at this stage he has a pretty water tight alibi, wouldn’t you say?” Dan said by way of explanation.

“Pretty watertight, unless he has found someone that looks like him to do it.”

“Yes, but he would have to have the same voice,” Captain Reynolds told him

“It wouldn’t matter if it was slightly different or different, if she became hysterical, it could have been Trixie here, and she wouldn’t have noticed,” Dan retorted. “Where’s that young constable that was meant to be guarding the two of them?”

“I’ll go and find out,” Captain Reynolds replied.  He stood and left the room.

“Well?” Dan asked Trixie, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know. There is something not quite right there,” Trixie replied. After we speak to the young constable, we need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I have a feeling.”

“Would you feel better if we went now?” Dan asked her. He was used to her hunches by now, and had learnt not to ignore them.

“Yep.”

Gathering their stuff up quickly they headed for the door, meeting Captain Reynolds on the way.

“Something urgent has come up at the hospital,” Dan explained as they went past.

 

 

Chapter 14

“Hi, Mrs Michaels. I’m Detective Belden and this is my partner Detective Mangan. We’re here to find out what happened to you.”

Trixie and Dan were in the emergency room where Dannii Michaels had been taken after being shot at.

“Um, aren’t you the detectives working on Phoebe’s case?”

“Yes, but this comes under investigation. How are you feeling?”

“Okay. I think they are going to discharge me later on this afternoon. It only grazed my shoulder. I’m just waiting on the doctor to come and have a closer look. I think they said I might need some stitches and antibiotics to ward off any infection,” Dannii Michaels told them.

Trixie nodded

“Are you up to answer some questions for us?” Dan asked.

Dannii nodded.

“Are you aware that your ex husband rang your apartment this morning and spoke to Miss Western?”

“Yes. He went into a rage, like he normally does.”

“Did you speak to him at all?”

“No. Phoebe told me that he wanted to see me, and he threatened her when she said we were going out.”

“How long have you been with Miss Western?” Trixie asked suddenly

“About eight months.”

“Have you contemplated getting back with your husband?”

“That rat. No way. Never again.”

“Okay. Tell us what happened this morning when you went out.”

“Not much to tell really. Joe was there and he shot me,” she replied matter of factly.

“That’s it?” Dan asked.

“Pretty much.”

“Thank you, Mrs Michaels,” Trixie said, concluding the interview.

Dan and Trixie headed out.

“What do you think?” Trixie asked Dan.

“She’s hiding something. Let’s get a motel room, and go over what we have so far. Might be an idea to ring the boss.” Trixie nodded.

“And food. I’m starving. It has been a long day.”

 

Two hours later, Trixie and Dan sat opposite each other in their motel room having a phone conference with John Teal.

“So you think both women are hiding something?” John asked.

“Well, it’s a bit hard to tell. I definitely think that Dannii Michaels knows more than she let on, and as for Phoebe Western, she’s a pretty good actress.”

“Hmm. What did the policeman assigned to protecting them say?” John Teal’s voice asked over the loudspeaker

“Basically he just confirmed what the two women told us. I get the feeling that some people were meant to see what they did,” Dan replied. “That didn’t come out right, I know,” he apologised.

Trixie just smiled at him

“What Dan is saying is that the shooting was staged, but it went wrong somewhere along the line,” Trixie translated

“So what do we have?” John asked them

“So far, two lovers have been shot, and they both say that it is the same man who did the second shooting, except he was with us being interviewed about the first shooting when….” his voice trailed off and he looked at Trixie. “You don’t think?”

“She couldn’t….Oh my, she did.”

“What the--?”

“Sorry, boss, we have to go. If we don’t move now, someone will be dead by the morning.”

 

 Chapter 15

It was silent as Trixie and Dan pressed the button to call for the elevator. Once the doors had shut, they quietly pulled their guns out of their holsters and loaded them. The doors slid open at the penthouse apartments. As they approached the apartment where Phoebe Western and Dannii Michaels lived, they could hear the sounds of an argument in process. Trixie was just about to knock, when they heard a scream.

“It was you all the time, wasn’t it? Please don’t shoot me.”

“Stand back,” Dan commanded, and kicked open the door.

“Drop it. Dannii, it’s over,” Trixie told Dannii Michaels, training her gun on the older woman.

Dannii dropped the gun in surprise.

Dan quickly checked that the other rooms were clear, before approaching Dannii Michaels, and slipping the handcuffs around her wrists, all the while reading her rights to her. Once she was handcuffed, Trixie put her gun away, and pulled out her mobile and rang Captain Reynolds, then she sat down on the couch and comforted Phoebe Western.

 

“So why did Dannii try to kill me?” Phoebe Western asked Trixie the next day.

 Trixie was tired and so was Dan. They had spent the night interviewing Dannii Michaels and Peter Simons about the attempted murder of Phoebe Western. At first she had tried to convince them that it had been a jealousy thing, that Phoebe Western had been attracted to her ex-husband. After Trixie pointed out the inconsistencies with that story, she had concocted another wild fantasy. After being pulled up again, on the inconsistencies, she had finally admitted to the whole plot. Peter Simons, however, was more than willing to implicate his lover and laid the blame at her feet.

“For your insurance policy,” Trixie told Phoebe. “Was she the one who convinced you to get a life insurance policy?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not the first time she has done it. She did try with her husband, Joe, but he refused point blank to take out an insurance policy. There are a few other people that have come forward since the story broke in the papers this morning that have had dealings with Dannii Michaels.”

“How does Joe fit into this? I gather he was set up too.”

“Yes. Dannii also had another lover, a male lover. Peter Simons. He despised Joe Michaels and you. He was the one that came up with the plan to try and implicate him in a plot to murder you.”

“Peter hated me more than I thought he did. I honestly thought I could still trust him after everything we went through. Boy, am I a bad judge of character. Joe was the only one I probably could have trusted out of the three, and yet we took an instant dislike to each other.”

“Phoebe, you couldn’t have seen this coming. Dannii Michaels and Peter Simons are professional con artists. As I said just before, you are not the only one that has been affected by these people. They are actually wanted in several different states for questioning in relation to fraud. It is not your fault,” Dan told her.

“Maybe,” she replied

“It may help to see a counsellor about this. A lot of people who are burned by people like this have problems coping with things like guilt. I would highly recommend that you see a counsellor,” Trixie told her.

“Do you have the number of one around here? I am quitting ballet. I’ve been offered a job at the White Plains Theatre as a stage manager. I am going to take it. At least I will be close to Steve here.” She looked up at Dan and Trixie. “I know you have very little time for my cousin, and I understand that, especially after what he did to you. I know he has his problems, and I have mine. But we do love each other, and considering our families don’t even talk to us, well, all we have is each other.”

She rose from her seat. “Thank you for everything. I think I will go now. I need to be alone to work through everything that has happened.”

Phoebe Western left their office.

“Sex, lies, money and deception,” Dan said shaking his head sadly. Trixie nodded her head in agreement with her husband’s statement.

“Well, once we have done all this paperwork, I think we might call it a day and go to see Brian and Honey. I feel so guilty I haven’t had time to speak to her since she told us that she was pregnant. She probably thinks I am avoiding her.” On cue, Trixie’s mobile phone began to ring. Trixie looked at the number and laughed, “Honey’s ears must have been burning.” She pressed the talk button. “Were your ears burning Mrs Belden?” Trixie asked.

Honey burst out laughing. “Yes, what were you talking about me for?”

“I was just saying I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you since you told everyone that you were pregnant. How’s everything going?”

“Oh, Trixie, fantastic. We’re not having a baby, though!”
“What?  I, I, thought…”

“Trixie, we’re not having a baby, we are having two babies. I’m pregnant with twins,” Honey cried happily.

“Twins, wow. That’s unreal. Are you and Brian going to be home tonight?”

“Yes, why?”

“Well, I thought we might drop over and catch up, since we haven’t seen you for a while. I just have to finish up all the paperwork from this case though. Then you can tell me all about being pregnant with twins.” After a few more minutes talking, Trixie hung up from her friend.

“Twins, hey?” Dan commented, “Boy are they going to have their hands full.”

“Oh Dan, you don’t suppose…” she broke off, misty-eyed.

Dan looked up at Trixie from his desk for a moment, then stood and came over to give Trixie a hug.

“That these are the babies that we lost?” he finished, quietly. T

rixie nodded.

“Who knows, but we do have another mystery,” he told her, trying to cheer her up.

Trixie stepped back from him.

“What mystery would that be?” she asked him in a confused tone.

“What the sex of Brian and Honey’s babies are going to be.”

Trixie burst out laughing.

“The answer to that, my husband, will be solved in about seven months, whether we investigate it or not.”

The End

I was trying to get my head around the fact that I had a miscarriage when I wrote Trixie’s miscarriage, so I am sorry if it is a bit sentimental. It’s a lot to take in and isn’t as easy as just getting on with life afterwards. I hadn’t actually put Trixie in telling her mother until Lourese asked if she did. I didn’t get much sleep after that, because there was a bit of a story that had to be told .Thankyou Lourese. Then I started to think about the  age gap between Trixie and Bobby and that it quite possibly be explained by a couple of miscarriages, and  could also explain  why Bobby was so spoiled.

 

As normal, the characters of Trixie, Dan and the rest of the Bobwhites and associated characters are the property of Random House and I thank them for lending them to me yet again. I am not making any money from the publication of this story. Bummer. J Hope you enjoy reading this.

 

Once again I have to thank my good friend Trace for her input to get this right.

Clara’s Story is a real ballet based on The Nutcraker Suite. It was choreographed by Graeme Murphy of the Sydney Ballet Company. I love this version, and it suited what I wanted to do with the story also.

Also many thanks to Random House for lending me the characters of Trixie, Dan, Honey, Brian, Mart etc.

I hope you enjoy reading this. Laura J

TBH Main