The Book of Be'al
by Bernadette
Chapter One
Tuesday-Day After ChristmasIt was late in the afternoon and the air was crisp and cold. Snow lay deep over the landscape. Tansy stood in the woods watching the Bob-Whites and Sirene. They were ice-skating, keeping to the edge of the lake, because they weren’t too sure how solid the ice was in the middle of the lake. Tansy smiled as she watched Sirene fall. This was about the fifth time that Sirene had fallen, but Tansy had to admire her spirit. Tansy watched as Dan, laughing, helped her up. In the past six weeks, since finding out Jim was her cousin, she had seen a lot of them. She had watched Mart and Diana get closer, Jim and Trixie still test the waters, and Sirene and Dan still play games.
Brian was the one she was worried about. Tansy thought of Honey as family now, and she was concerned about Honey’s willingness to wait for Brian. Tansy wasn’t sure it was safe for Honey to be the focus of Brian’s attention. She sensed darkness about Brian. At first he scared her, but after spending a little time with him, she realized that he was a very controlled person. But she was still worried. He was the first person she had met that she could not read, even when touching him.
"Why don’t you join them?" a voice said behind her.
Tansy smiled. "I was waiting for you."
Regan grinned. "You were so sure that I would find you?"
"You always find me. Besides, when was the last time you ice-skated?"
"Well, it has been awhile," Regan admitted.
Tansy turned to look at him and noticed that he had a pair of skates hanging over his shoulders. She raised one eyebrow with a nod towards the skates.
"Okay, I’ll admit that I saw you and decided to join you," Regan said, grinning.
Tansy smiled gently at him. She took his hand and they walked toward the frozen lake. She couldn’t understand why Regan was hesitating to move their relationship forward. Tansy knew that he enjoyed her company, and they were very attracted to each other. But Regan had kept things platonic.
Regan smiled down at Tansy. He had really enjoyed Christmas dinner. Tansy was really a very good cook. He had felt comfortable being around her and her aunt. Dan and Mr. Maypenny had joined them, and everyone had had a great time. Regan was being very careful to keep a physical distance from Tansy. He wasn’t sure what type of relationship he wanted with her. But whichever direction they went, he wanted to know that she was mature enough to handle it.
"Hey, look who decided to honor us with their presence," Mart said as he noticed Tansy and Regan on the edge of the lake.
"Oh, great! More people who can laugh at the southern girl trying to ice skate!" moaned Sirene as she fell down once more.
"You’re thinking too much about it," Dan said as he once again helped her up.
"No one is laughing at you," Diana commented. "I think you’re doing fine."
Tansy and Regan put on their skates and joined the group out on the lake.
"Jim, did you hear from the detective yet?" Tansy asked as she and Regan came upon Jim and Trixie. Honey and Brian were in front of them.
"He has found a trail, but he’s not saying anything until he’s positive that his information is good. This might take some time before we find out anything," Jim answered. "I’ll let you know as soon as we know anything."
"I know you will. I can’t help asking," Tansy said. "So, do you have any plans for your winter vacation?"
"We were hoping to get some time to go skiing," Jim answered.
"That sounds like fun," Tansy said, and than whispered, "It would be fun to watch Sirene on skis."
"I heard that," Sirene said, coming up from behind Tansy and Regan with Dan next to her.
"Well, not that we’re laughing, but you do make some pretty weird faces when you fall," Trixie said, smiling.
"I believe the proper word would be comedic," pronounced Mart.
"Just like you looked when she dropped kicked you in the snow last week," Brian said dryly.
Mart blushed, remembering how he had been teasing Sirene about walking in snow when she had turned around with no warning and dropped kicked him. He hadn’t been hurt, but embarrassed, when he had landed in the snow
"I think my brother has learned that it’s best to keep your defenses up if you’re going to tease someone who knows karate," Trixie remarked.
"I take it that your karate lessons haven’t advanced to the point of teaching you how to avoid such maneuvers?" Regan asked, chuckling.
"Please, don’t mention karate!" Honey moaned. "Diana dumped me so many times, I think I’m going to be permanently bruised."
To everyone’s amazement, Diana had taken to karate like a fish to water. Every one of the Bob-Whites was doing very well, but Diana seemed to have a natural talent for perfecting the movements and timing needed in each kata.
Diana was proud of the fact that she found one thing that she could do a little better than the others.
"Oh, Regan, I forgot to tell you, but Dad is having some company in a few days. He wants to show them Nightrider. I was suppose to tell you yesterday, but I forgot," Honey told Regan.
"That’s all right. I’ll arrange for some track time in White Plains. Jim did an amazing job with Nightrider last weekend. Even though Jim is heavier then most jockeys, Nightrider’s time was fantastic," Regan said.
"Out of curiosity, who are you going to get as a jockey?" Sirene asked.
"Nightrider is coming along, but he’s a long way from that. But once he’s ready, I’m hoping to get Bat Graceson. I think he could do well with Nightrider," Regan said.
"So, Honey, who’s coming to stay with you?" Trixie ask.
"His name is Silvenus Marcellus. He’ll be coming with his brother and nephews," Honey answered.
"He’s a business associate of Dad’s," Jim added. "For some reason, he wants to meet all of us."
"All of who?" Tansy asked.
"The Bob-Whites and Sirene. Dad didn’t say why," Jim answered.
"How old are his nephews?" Diana asked. Mart scowled at her. He wasn’t too pleased that she showed interest in strange males.
"I don’t know. I got the impression that they might be a little older than us," Honey answered.
"So when are they supposed to arrive?" Regan asked.
"Let’s see… Dad told me yesterday. So I think they’re due to arrive here on Thursday. Dad’s supposed to be back by then," Honey said. "He didn’t say how long they were staying."
"I wonder why he wants to meet us?" Trixie asked.
"Trixie Belden, I’ve seen that look in your eyes before. This is not, and I repeat, not a mystery," Jim said, trying to be stern, but he had a twinkle in his eyes.
"Pooh, who said anything about a mystery?" Trixie retorted. "I was just curious."
"Well, it seems every time you’re curious, we end up in hot water," Brian added.
"Oh, for Pete’s sake! Don’t you ever get tired of saying the same old thing?" Diana exclaimed. "I, for one, am tired of hearing it."
Tansy and Sirene had been looking at the Bob-Whites, then glanced at each other, then looked toward Regan. Regan was just standing there, looking amused.
"I think we missed something," Tansy said. "You would think that they find mysteries under every bush, the way they talk."
"We probably did. That happens a lot when you’re around them. I swear they speak in code," Sirene said. "Obviously, Regan hasn’t told you about some of their shenanigans."
"Shenanigans, indeed! They were irrefutable resolutions of unfathomable conundrums!" Mart declared.
"What did he say?" Tansy asked, puzzled.
"He said that they were real mysteries that needed to be solved," Diana answered.
"Oh, well, why didn’t he say that in the first place?" Tansy scowled.
Regan sighed. "You get used to it after a while."
Tansy shook her head; she was glad that she didn’t have to be around all of these people all the time. They confused her. She tripped over a twig and fell into Brian, who had been skating in front of her. Brian felt someone fall against him and expertly turned and caught her. He looked down into the green eyes of Tansy. Tansy moved closer to him. She felt comforting warmth spread through her. She was surprised.
"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" Regan asked, his green eyes narrowing as he noticed that Tansy didn’t seem to mind being in Brian Belden’s arms.
"She may have turned her ankle. We better get her off that foot and take a look at it, " Brian suggested.
Tansy moved away from Brian, very confused on the feelings that were racing through her. She had never picked up anything from Brian before, although she admitted to herself that she had only touched him a few times in the past. She began wondered if she misread the darkness she had sensed in him.
"No, I’m fine," Tansy assured them. "Please don’t fuss. Thank you, Brian, for catching me. You saved me from a nasty fall."
"You’re welcome," Brian said.
"Well, I wish I had a gentleman catching me before I fall. Instead I get stuck with a cad that just laughs at me," Sirene said, pouting.
"Well, Babe, if you wanted my hand to hang on to, all you had to do was ask," Dan grinned at her. "You were the one being stubborn and wanted to try by yourself."
"Oh, just give me that hand and be quiet," snapped Sirene. Dan, still grinning, held out his hand and Sirene took it. She found it a lot easier to keep her balance with him holding her hand.
Regan took Tansy’s hand and continued skating around the lake.
"What’s got you upset?" Tansy asked.
"Who says I’m upset?" Regan countered.
Tansy looked up at him with her green eyes clear and waiting for an answer.
Regan sighed. It was difficult dating someone who was an empath. He had two choices: he could remain silent, knowing that she would respect it, or he could try to explain it, but he couldn’t deny it.
"I didn’t like seeing you in Brian’s arms. I know it was an accident, but instead of pulling away quickly, you seemed to melt into him," Regan admitted.
"Yeah, I did, didn’t I? I don’t understand it myself. But I was receiving such warmth from him; it was like I wanted to just crawl into it. It wasn’t sexual; it was comforting, almost healing. I was surprised. I didn’t expect that," Tansy explained.
"Well, do me a favor and try not to do that again," Regan said. Tansy just squeezed his hand in reply and smiled at him.
The Bob-Whites and Sirene headed towards the boathouse, where they took off their skates. They waved good-bye to Tansy and Regan who were still skating. They went past the Manor House and entered Crabapple Farm.
"Sirene, how did it go?" Helen asked as they all trooped in taking off coats, gloves, scarves and snow boots.
"I think I’m going to be permanently bruised, Mrs. Belden," groaned Sirene. "I don’t think ice-skating is going to be one of my favorite activities."
"Just give it a little time; you’ll pick it up," Helen said, smiling at the young woman. Helen didn’t know Sirene that well. Sirene had only been at Crabapple Farm a few times.
"She did pretty well for her first time," Dan said.
"I’ll need help in about a half-hour. Bobby should be back from the Lynches by then. So everyone is free until then," Helen told them.
They all agreed to meet back into the kitchen then. The Bob-Whites and Sirene headed upstairs, the boys went into Brian and Mart’s room, the girls into Trixie’s.
After getting comfortable, with Trixie and Honey sitting on her bed, Diana sitting in a chair and Sirene in the window seat, Trixie opened the discussion.
"Okay, I’ve been casually asking Moms about Brian. I found out that he didn’t go to a day care, nor did he ever have a babysitter. Moms couldn’t remember anyone outside of our family taking care of Brian. There was the time that Jim’s great uncle and aunt helped Moms with Brian and Mart when they had the measles, but that was it."
"Was there ever a time he didn’t want to go to school or church?" Sirene asked.
Trixie shook her head. "I did think to ask that, and Moms said that Brian has always loved school and liked going to Sunday School."
"How did you explain why you were so interested?" Diana asked.
Trixie grinned. "I told her that I thought it was neat that Jim was able to find out all sort of things about his ancestors through the diaries. So I wanted to write down information about our family. I explained that I wanted to start with Brian first because he was the oldest."
"So, what are you going to tell her when she asks how the project going?" Sirene asked.
"No problem. I did start writing the stuff down. After I started investigating, I realized that there were a lot of things I didn’t know. Well, maybe I did, but it didn’t mean anything at that time, or it was something that I had forgotten."
"That’s a good idea! Maybe I’ll do something like that. It will be interesting to see how different my parents remember something than what I remembered," Diana said.
Sirene shook her head at Diana. "You’re lucky we all understood that, because I’m not sure anyone else would. Anyway, back to Brian. Yesterday, I looked in some boxes that belonged to my dad. In them, I found notes on the tests that were done on me at the Think Tank. I warned you all that I might have been reading Brian’s aura wrong. Well, it seems that strong psychics also have a black ring around them. So, they determined that since I’ve seen black rings around abused people and strong psychics, that the ring is a shield of some sort. It would have been nice if someone would have told me this. Now that I have this information, I would say that Brian has some psychic ability."
"I admit that I like that explanation a lot better! But wouldn’t he know if he was psychic?" Trixie asked.
"And what do you mean by a strong psychic?" Honey asked.
"I’ll answer Trixie’s question first. According to the report I was reading last night, he may not be aware of it. There are people the Think Tank calls latent psychics. These are people who have the ability, but for some reason don’t tap into it until something brings it out. It could be a head trauma or some other trauma that opens a door in their minds and lets it out. They could go all through their lives and never realize that they have the ability. A strong psychic is someone who has a developed ability. You need to understand there is a difference between E.S.P. and a psychic. A lot of people have E.S.P. It’s a lower or weak form of paranormal ability. It usually means that someone has the ability to sense things that others don’t. They usually refer it to as a gut feeling or instinct, where strong psychics are defined. Like I commune with spirits and see auras. Tansy is a touch empath. My cousin has precognitive abilities."
"I’ve read about people who have come out of comas claiming to have paranormal abilities, even though they didn’t have it before the coma," Honey said. "Sometimes it would go away after awhile."
"That’s right. They don’t know why that happens. The problem, as I have said before, is that there aren’t enough real psychics out there for scientists to be able to get a real good grasp on how it works. The second problem is that there is very few serious scientific studies being done on the subject," Sirene commented.
"So, if you could see your aura, it would also have a black ring around it, right?" Diana asked.
"I would have to assume so. Too bad I can’t see my own aura. I would have connected the dots about the black ring a lot sooner," Sirene said. "I’m sorry if I got you all upset. But I have to admit, I’d rather tell you all something bad and be wrong than not tell you and be right."
"I hate to say this, Sirene, but you really goofed this time. I mean, if you saw rings around all the psychics at the Think Tank, I would think that you would associate psychic powers with it. So why did you think it meant abuse?"
"First of all, I was only eight years old when I first met these psychics. I happen to know that a few of them were abused, which is probably where I got that stuck in my head. As I got older and the more people I came into contact with, the easier it was to see that abused people had a black ring. You have to understand that after I get used to someone I don’t really pay much attention to their auras. To be honest, I couldn’t tell you the color of the auras of the psychics that I met.
"Did anybody think to ask Tansy if she was picking up anything on Brian?" Trixie asked.
The other girls admitted that they didn’t think of that, so it was decided that Honey would approach Tansy about the subject and see what Honey could come up with.
"So how do you tell if the ring means abuse or psychic abilities?" Honey asked.
"I was thinking about that last night. I honestly think the only way is to observe the person. That’s why I was confused about Brian. He didn’t display any of the other symptoms of abuse. Look at Dan and Jim. Both keep emotional distance as well as physical distance from outsiders. They’re friendly enough, but have you noticed that they always step back after shaking someone’s hand that they just met? They’re very cautious about allowing new people to get close to them. They don’t talk about their past much. I think both Jim and Dan would be much more open if they hadn’t been abused. Brian, on the other hand, is friendly and doesn’t have a problem with people getting physically close to him. He is more serious than most, and he does keep his emotions close to himself, but I’ve always sensed that is just part of his basic personality," Sirene explained.
"So, what happens if a person is psychic and been abused?" Honey asked.
"You’re thinking about Jim, aren’t you?" Sirene asked. "I really don’t know. Jim has always been a problem for me. I told you that I see things in his aura that I’ve never seen before. I do think he’s psychic, and I’m only guessing his ability would be dealing with animals, because he does have an unusual affinity with them."
"Darn, that means since you don’t see any rings around us, that we’re not psychics!" Diana said disappointed.
Sirene smiled. "Maybe not strong psychics, but I think all of you have extra sensory perception. Honey and Trixie have a feeling for when something is out of sync. Diana and Honey both seem to know when people are feeling down or bad, and, more importantly know what to do to make them feel better."
"Well, I guess we never looked at it that way," Trixie said.
"Everyone is special, but sometimes it takes time to find out what makes them special," Sirene said.
"Well, it doesn’t take a psychic to figure out that the guys are going to be mad at us if we don’t get downstairs and help out. I think we’ve used up our half-hour your mom gave us," Diana said, getting up.
The girls rushed down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. They were happy to notice that they had beaten the guys down.
Helen looked up when the girls came in. She put them to work setting the table and making the salad. They were having homemade beef stew, fresh baked bread with a salad and chocolate cake for dessert. The guys arrived downstairs after everything was ready. Bobby and Mr. Belden came in at the same time. The girls decided that since the guys didn’t help set up, then they could clean up. After the meal was done and the dinner dishes cleaned up, everyone met in the living room to play a game of Outburst.
Soon, it was time for everyone to go home. Brian and Trixie walked Honey and Jim outside. Jim leaned over and gave Trixie a short, but sweet, kiss good night. Brian put his arm around Honey’s shoulders and gave her a small squeeze, even though he wanted to kiss her. But he had kissed her too often the past week. He admitted to himself that he had used all the excuses, mistletoes, thank you kisses for her Christmas present to him, that were possible to use. But it was time to stop bending the rules, time to stay within the terms that he had dictated himself.
Mart walked Diana home. They walked hand in hand, silently, just enjoying each other’s company. Mart brushed Diana’s lips with a sweet kiss. After watching her walk into her house, he turned away, walking back home, dreaming of a day, in the far future, when they wouldn’t have to say good-bye.
Dan walked Sirene home, both tense now that they were alone. He looked down at her, wondering what she was thinking about. They had been very cautious with each other after the Homecoming dance.
Sirene looked up at him. "What do you want from me?"
"Trust would be a good start," Dan answered.
"I trust you," Sirene said.
"Maybe on some levels, but not where it’s important."
Sirene sighed. "You’re asking the impossible. Dan, you’re not like the rest of the Bob-Whites. You know that people will hurt you if you don’t keep the upper hand. Isn’t that why you want control of this relationship?"
"Yes, I have been around. I know all about being used and hurt, but I also know who I am. I’m not people, I’m Dan, and that’s the problem between us. You can’t see me, who I really am, because you hide behind what has happened in the past and put me in the same category. I don’t want control of this relationship. I want both of us to be equals in it, but you won’t trust me with your feelings. I won’t let you treat me like everyone else. If we’re going to go further, then I have to know that you’re not playing, but are serious about this relationship."
Sirene looked at him in confusion. "Dan, are you telling me that you want more than sex from me?"
Dan took her arm, stopping them. He turned her to face him. He could see her face in the moonlight, could see her confusion. He put his hands gently around her face and looked deeply into those fascinating eyes of hers.
"Yes, a lot more, because both of us deserves more. You and I know that, even though we’re only fifteen, our experience has made us much older than that. We’ve already have done our fair share of experimenting. We need a stable but real relationship. Yes, I’m attracted to you, but not just physically. I love your wit and your pragmatic way of looking at things. I have to admit I even admire your mean streak. You and I could be so much more if you would only trust me, really trust me."
Sirene was listening to him, really hearing him this time. She wasn’t sure if she could do as he wanted, but she did want to try.
Dan leaned over and gently brushed her lips, then moved to her eyes and forehead. He moved his hands down and brought her close to him, resting his chin on her head. She quietly stood in his arms, feeling his warmth and strength, and felt safe. After a while, she pulled away from him. They both turned and started walking toward her home, this time holding hands.
Sirene turned to Dan as he escorted her to her door. "I think I understand what you’re telling me. I want to have the type of relationship you’re talking about. But, I’m not sure how to do it. I don’t know much about trust, real friendship and love."
Dan smiled down at her. "First of all, no more games. Be honest with me. I can’t promise never to hurt you, but I can promise that I’ll never purposely hurt you. I’ll always respect you and am willing to take each step with you as long as you don’t try to dictate to me. Together, we can both learn."
Sirene smiled at him. "I would like that."
Dan leaned down and kissed her again, this time with a bit more passion. She returned his kiss, marveling that it was so different than any other kiss she had ever experienced. They broke away. Dan quietly said goodnight and walked away.
Sirene went into the house, feeling like she was on the brink of a very new and special discovery.
Chapter Two
Next DayHoney joined Tansy at the corral gates. They watched Jim and Regan work with Nightrider and Jupiter. It was early morning, cold and crisp, but had stopped snowing sometime during the night.
"Nightrider is looking good," Honey said. "Jupiter is back to his old self. Your suggestion that he might have been upset with all the attention that Nightrider was getting seemed to have been right."
"I’m glad. He’s a wonderful horse. All of your horses are great, but I have to admit that Jupiter and Nightrider have a special place in my heart," Tansy said.
Honey smiled. "Everyone has their favorites. I’ve noticed that you and Sirene seemed to be getting along a lot better."
"Yes, she’s all right once she lets down some of her defenses. Of course, I can understand why she has those defenses, being psychic. It must have been hard on her as a little girl," Tansy said.
"Yes, Sirene has faced some difficulties, but she seems happy now. She’s much more open about being psychic, at least, to us she is. That’s probably because we’re interested in what she sees. It is fascinating, although it can be a bit worrisome too."
"Oh, why is that? I thought she talked to spirits."
"Oh, yes, she does that, but she also has the ability to see auras. She’s been telling us what the colors of our auras are and what they mean. But she also admitted that what she’s telling us is just from her own observation and what she had learned when she was tested. So she’s not always right in her interpretation about what she sees."
Tansy stood still for a moment, watching Regan.
"I feel that there’s something bothering you. Do you want to tell me about it?" Tansy asked Honey softly.
Honey explained to Tansy about what Sirene had said about Brian and the dark ring around him.
"I’ve been hesitant to bring it up, but Trixie suggested that we ask you if you’ve picked anything up. Sirene is now pretty sure that Brian wasn’t abused, but Trixie and I would like to be sure. So, I’m asking, have you picked up anything from Brian that would indicate that he might have been abused?" Honey asked nervously.
Tansy smiled at Honey. "I don’t think you have to worry about Brian in that respect. My aunt and I volunteer at the shelter for abused mothers and children. They all have a certain feeling about them; I noticed it in Jim, but not in Brian. I admit that I was worried about Brian, because I sensed a darkness in him and I could never read him."
"But you’re not worried now?"
"No, I’m not. You mentioned that Sirene said that the black ring could also mean psychic powers. I believe she’s right. When I fell against Brian yesterday, I felt such a warm, comforting heat. It was like the feeling you get when it’s cold outside and you’re all cuddled up in a comforter or snuggled up in a blanket by a fire. It was the first time I picked up anything from Brian. I thought about it last night. I think it was his concern and his caring for me. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but that’s the best I can come up with."
Honey thought about it for a few moments. "In a way, that would explain a lot of things about Brian. Let’s say he has the ability to project emotions to the point of wrapping it around someone else. I would expect that if he didn’t have a barrier, then it would very hard for him to function in every day life, plus it probably would be draining on him. So nature provides him with this barrier. You were able to pick it up, because you’re extra sensitive. But what the rest of us see is a young, serious man who ms to have a natural ability to make other people feel better even when they’re hurt or sick. That would also explain why he’s not as open emotionally as the rest of his family."
"Just think, if he knew how to control and strengthen this power, what he would be capable of! Since I felt a warm comforting feeling when he was concerned, can you imagine what he could do to someone he hated and wanted to hurt? He could make someone feel like they were on fire!" Tansy said, shuddering.
"Well, I can’t see Brian hurting anyone on purpose. And I don’t think we have to worry about Brian working on developing this power. He doesn’t believe in psychics, so even if we told him what we thought, he wouldn’t believe it."
"Honey, do you know how deep his emotions go? One of the things I worry about is that he’s going to fall in love with you. I mean really and deeply in love. Brian and Jim are the type of guys who are only going to love once. But the difference is that if Jim lost Trixie, he would be angry and hurt for a while, but eventually, he would recover. He probably wouldn’t get married, but he would see other women, and he would be involved emotionally with your family, especially your kids. But if Brian lost the woman he gave his heart to, he would never recover. If the woman left him, he would be angry enough to kill her. I don’t know if he would or not, but the potential is there. I do know that no matter how he lost her, he would totally close himself off emotionally. I just want you to be sure that Brian is who you want before you ever tell him that you love him. Brian’s not the type to give his heart totally to someone unless he knows they want it. But realize that, with Brian, you’re talking forever."
Honey smiled. "I think I’m the same way. I don’t want to tell any guy that I love them unless I’m sure that it’s forever. That’s what I want. I want someone who’s going to love me totally and put me first. That may sound selfish, but I know enough about myself to know that I would be willing to do that for him. I’m not in a hurry to fall in love or get in a serious relationship. Brian said that I felt right to him. Well, that’s how I feel. It just feels right whenever we’re together."
"Well, that’s a relief. I’m glad you both are moving slowly," Tansy said, smiling.
Honey laughed. "Don’t worry. A snail moves faster than my relationship with Brian will. But that suits me fine. So, speaking of relationships, how is yours going with Regan?"
"A snail’s pace," Tansy answered, laughing. Just then, Jim and Regan rode up to the girls. They dismounted and walked the horses out of the corral with the girls following them into the stables. After helping Regan with the horses, Tansy said good-bye to everyone and went home.
"So, where are you hurrying off to?" Jim asked Honey as she rushed out of the stables. He had to lengthen his stride to keep up with her."I have to talk to Trixie about something, so I’m going up to my room and call her. Why? What are you up to?"
"Brian’s coming over, and we’re going to go get on the computer and see what those old medical books might be worth. The guy that Dad sent out to look over the books didn’t know about those. He was able to give us a pretty good idea on the rest of the books, but medical books weren’t his specialty. So I told Dad to let Brian and me do some research before getting anyone else out here."
Just then, they heard a Bob-White whistle. They turned around and saw Brian and Trixie coming up the hill towards the Manor House.
"What are you doing here? I thought you had Bobby-watch this morning," Jim asked Trixie as she approached him.
"Mart took Bobby with him over to the Lynches. It seems Mart and Bobby spend most of their time over there these days. Brian helped me with the house chores, and here we are," Trixie answered with a smile.
"Well, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s go up to my room," Honey said, taking Trixie’s arm and pulling her onto the porch of the Manor House.
"Hold on a minute there, Miss Wheeler. At least give me a moment to say a proper hello," Jim said, laughing as he grabbed Trixie’s other arm.
"Hey, watch it, you two. I’m not a yo-yo," Trixie said, giggling.
"All right. Give my brother a quick kiss, then lets go to my room. I have to talk to you," Honey said impatiently.
"I wonder what’s so important?" Brian questioned "You’re usually the most patient of all of us."
"Girl talk, but important girl talk," Honey stated.
Jim had moved up to the porch with the girls by this time, so Trixie leaned up, gave him a brief kiss on the lips, and she and Honey hurried into the Manor House.
"So, what do you think those two are brewing now?" Brian asked as he followed the girls in and watched them run up the stairs.
"I don’t know, but I’m sure if it’s a mystery, we’ll be involved soon enough," Jim answered, leading Brian into the library.
Upstairs in Honey’s bedroom, Trixie said, "Okay, what’s so important that you practically pulled my arm out to get me up here?"
"I talked to Tansy today about Brian," Honey announced.
"What did she say? Has she picked up anything strange about Brian?" Trixie asked excitedly.
Honey repeated everything that Tansy had told her. Trixie sighed with relief when she heard that Tansy didn’t believe that Brian had been abused, but believed that he was psychic instead.
"What a waste!" Trixie declared. "You know that my brother will never admit to being psychic, so he definitely won’t develop his talent."
"I think he and Jim are what Sirene calls latent psychics. It would take a real trauma for them to bring forth their gifts. Since I don’t want anything to happen to them or us, I’m willing to let things be. I think that knowing this about both of them makes it easier to understand why they act the way they do sometimes."
"True. I also noticed something else. Sirene mentioned that Dan had a black ring once, but when we were talking to her yesterday, she didn’t mention that Dan might be psychic or anything about him being abused."
"Mmm… that’s right, now that I think about it. I’m sure Dan had it rough, but I never got the impression that he was beaten like Jim was. When you think about it, we really don’t know much about Dan’s past."
Trixie thought for a few minutes. "I think he’s trying to protect us. But I’m not really too worried about him, because I think he’s talked to Mart and maybe Jim about some of it. I was surprised when he said that he was seeing a counselor about his past."
"Well, like I just said, we really don’t know much about him. I didn’t even realize that he was on probation, but I guess if I had thought about it, I would have realized that’s why he couldn’t go with us on the out of state trips for a while," Honey added.
"Well, he can go with us now, and he’s doing great. That’s what really counts," Trixie declared.
Just then, they heard a knock at the door. Jim opened it before Honey could say "come in".
"Tansy just called Regan. It looks like her place was broken into. Brian and I are heading over there with Regan. I thought I’d see if you wanted to come," Jim explained quickly.
Both girls jumped off the bed and followed Jim downstairs. Regan was just pulling the station wagon around. Jim, Trixie and Honey jumped into the backseat. Brian was in the front.
"Did she call the police?" Trixie asked.
Regan nodded his head. "Yeah, she called them right before she called me. I don’t know anything more. I just told her that I was coming. She was very upset."
Everyone was very tense as they drove to the old house on the bluffs. When they arrived, they noticed that the police had not arrived yet. They all jumped out of the station wagon and hurried up to the front porch where Tansy was sitting on the steps.
Tansy looked up at Regan, hesitated for a moment, then rushed into his arms.
Regan hugged her close, whispering, "It’s all right. I’m here now."
Tansy’s trembling slowly subsided. "Thank you for coming. I’ve been so scared. I can’t find Aunt Roiya."
"Okay, just try to calm down and start at the beginning," Regan said soothingly. Just then, they saw the police car coming up the road.
"I think she should wait until the police get here," Brian suggested. "She can use the extra minutes to calm down."
So they all waited for the police car to pull up the driveway. The Bob-Whites were relieved when they saw Spider Webster coming towards them.
Spider smiled at them. "So, Trixie and Honey, have you picked up any clues yet?"
Trixie and Honey both smiled back at their favorite police officer.
"Not yet. We just got here ourselves," Trixie answered.
"Well, as soon as the call came in and Lieutenant Molinson knew it was in your neck of the woods, he sent me out. I believe he’s exact words were "I bet that Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler will be there, and will somehow be involved, and I really don’t feel like dealing with them today," Spider told them, grinning.
"Well, Tansy is our cousin, so where else would we be?" Honey said sweetly.
"Okay, why doesn’t someone tell me what’s going on?" Spider asked.
Tansy moved out of Regan’s arms, but stayed very close to his side.
"I’m Tansy Gifford. I live here. I was out this morning. When I came back, I found the front door wide open and the house a wreck. I called the police, then called Regan. I can’t find my aunt. I looked for her and called out her name, but there isn’t any sign of her," Tansy explained.
"So, you’re the only one that’s been in the house? Did you touch anything or move anything while you were looking for your aunt?" Spider asked.
"I don’t think so. I used the phone to call everyone, and, of course, open the doors to the rooms looking for my aunt, but that’s all," Tansy answered.
"Is there anyone else who lives in the house?" Spider asked.
"No, just my aunt and I," Tansy answered.
‘Have you had any guests over in the last few days?"
"Well, yes, we had Regan, Dan and Mr. Maypenny over on Christmas day for dinner. But those are the only other people that have been in the house in the last ten years."
"Okay, then, everyone just stand back and let me do my job. It’ll take some time, so just try to be patient."
They watched as Spider entered the house. After a while he came back out and went to his car. Sleepyside was a small police force, so each officer had to do their own evidence gathering, including fingerprints. Spider took out his kit from the trunk of the car and went back to the house.
"I just can’t imagine why anyone would break into my house," Tansy said, confused. "We don’t have anything of value. I know that some of the locals think we’re witches, and they sometimes throw things at the house, but nothing like this has ever happened before."
"Well, until your aunt comes home or is found, you’re not staying here," Regan declared. "I’ve seen the locks on your doors and windows. They’re so old, anyone can break in. If you had a dog, especially like Sirene’s, then it would be a different story."
"I agree with Regan. You can come up and stay at the Manor House," Jim said.
"Oh, yes, you must. Mother and Dad would be horrified if we left you here. Plus all of us would be so worried if you stayed here by yourself," Honey added. "Of course, we’ll stay and help you clean up once the police say we can. Then you can pack a suitcase and come with us."
"Thank you. I have to admit that I don’t want to stay here by myself, especially after this. I just wish I knew what happened to Aunt Roiya. Her car’s here, so she couldn’t have gone to town," Tansy said, worried.
"Could she be walking in the woods?" Brian asked.
"I don’t believe so. She doesn’t like the woods. If she goes walking, it’s usually on the bluffs, but if she was there, you could see her from the side of the house. She was born with a spinal defect, so sometimes her legs will give out with no warning. So, she usually doesn’t go too far from the house. That’s one of the reasons she doesn’t drive too much," Tansy explained.
"There isn’t an operation she can have to repair it?" Brian asked.
"Not that I know of. She probably wouldn’t have it even if there were such a thing. She’s dealt with it all her life, and she’s learned how to handle it. As far as I know, it hasn’t stopped her from doing anything she really wanted to do," Tansy said.
"I’ll have to do some research. I have to admit that I’ve not read a lot about the spinal cord," Brian said.
"Excuse me, brother dear, but you are only seventeen. No one expects you to know everything about the medical field. That’s why you have to go to college, remember?" Trixie teased him.
"If that’s so, sister dear, why does everyone always look to me for answers any time a medical subject comes up?" Brian retorted.
"That’s easy, because most of the time you know the answer," Honey said, smiling at him in admiration.
Brian smiled back at her. "It’s nice to be appreciated."
"Oh, look, it looks like Spider is pulling off fingerprints from the front door. Surely, the person who broke in isn’t dumb enough to leave fingerprints?" Trixie wondered.
They all watched Spider as he worked. Sometime later, he came up to them.
"I got several fingerprints. I’ll need everyone that was in the house in the last few days to come down and get fingerprinted so we can rule out the ones that belong there. I’ve done everything I can do at this time. I’ll need you to contact me if anything else strange happens," Spider told Tansy.
"What about my aunt?" Tansy asked.
"I didn’t see signs of a struggle. My guess is that your aunt wasn’t home when they broke in. Does your aunt keep the front door locked when she’s home?" Spider asked.
"No, she only locks it when she leaves the house," Tansy answered.
"Mmm… the lock on the front door was busted. Since there is no sign that your aunt was home when this happened, there isn’t anything I can do about her. If she’s still missing in forty-eight hours, then you can come in and fill in a missing person’s report. I know that’s not very comforting, but that’s all I can do at this time," Spider said.
"But what if she came upon them as they were leaving?" Trixie asked. "There wouldn’t be any signs of struggle in the house, if that had happened."
Spider looked at her. "Okay, that’s a good point. Where has everyone stepped since arriving?"
"We came from the driveway to where we are now. We haven’t moved from this area," Trixie answered.
Spider nodded. "Okay, I’ll tell you what, why don’t you and Honey come with me? I’ll explain what to look for, and we’ll walk around the perimeter to look for any signs of a struggle. The rest of you can go into the house now and see if anything was taken."
He had been observing them in the last few years and knew that he could depend on them to follow his instructions.
Trixie and Honey jumped at the chance to do some investigating. They walked with Spider, listening very carefully to what he was telling them. They started on the front right side of the house and walked around. They saw nothing unusual, until they came up to the left front of the house, in the flower garden, by the porch, Trixie saw something shiny. She bent closer and saw that it was a key.
"Spider, I think I found something!" she cried.
Spider came over to her. "Well, so you did. Honey, open my case and hand me a small plastic bag."
Spider, wearing gloves, very carefully picked up the corner of the key tag. It looked like a door key. Honey brought over the bag for Spider and watched as he very carefully put the key in the bag, promptly sealed it and then labeled it.
Tansy came out with Regan following her. "As far as I can tell, nothing was taken. We really don’t have all that much that is valuable to begin with."
Spider nodded to show that he heard her. He then showed her the key. It was very shiny, so it had not been outside that long. "Do you recognize this key?"
Tansy shook her head. "No, it doesn’t belong to us. All of our keys are copper. We don’t have any silver keys."
"Then it looks like sharp-eye Belden here found a clue. I’ll keep in touch with you. If you find anything not belonging to you or your aunt while cleaning up, please try to pick it up with rubber gloves or a piece of cloth. Also try to pick it up in the corner and place it in a plastic bag if possible, then call me or bring it in to the police station," Spider said.
Regan told Spider that Tansy would not be staying at the house until her aunt showed up. She would be at the Manor House. Regan assured Spider that he would make sure that they followed his instructions should anything be found. Regan would also make sure that Dan, Tansy and he would get down to the police station to be fingerprinted and would see if he could talk Mr. Maypenny into coming down.
After saying good-bye to everyone, Spider drove away and Regan, Tansy, Trixie and Honey walked into the house. Trixie and Honey gasped as they saw the mess. Every book in the living room was thrown off the bookcases, and there were a lot of books.
"This is the worst room. In the study, it’s just the desk that was torn apart. For whatever reason, they didn’t go upstairs. As you can see, Jim and Brian have already set the furniture right. It was all overturned," Tansy said.
"I don’t think there was any damage done," Jim said. "It won’t take us long to put the books back and straighten out the study."
"You’re right. It looks worse than it actually is. Don’t worry about putting the books in any sort of order. Regan and I will handle the study, if all of you can do this room," Tansy said, still shaken up by what had happened.
"Of course we will. You go take care of the study, then go pack, while we take care of this," Honey said reassuringly.
Tansy and Regan left, and the rest of the group started cleaning up.
"You know, it’s interesting that they only looked through the books. They didn’t look through the china cabinets or nor did they grab the crystals that are in the corner cabinet," Trixie said while she worked.
"That is odd," Honey said. She stopped and walked over to look at the crystal figures.
"I know Tansy said that they didn’t have anything worth stealing, but this collection alone is worth a lot of money," Honey added.
"I wonder where her aunt is. Did anyone look for a note?" Trixie asked.
"I would assume that was the first thing Tansy did. But we can look around and see if we find anything," Jim said.
With the four of them working together, it didn’t take long to put the room back in order. Honey went into the study where Regan and Tansy had just finished up. She asked Tansy if she had looked for a note from her aunt.
Tansy admitted that she had looked, but she had been so upset that she might have missed it. Honey went back to the others with permission from Tansy to search the house for a note. Tansy and Regan went upstairs. They were going to search up there for a note and pack some clothes for Tansy.
The rest of the group looked everywhere they could think of, but could find nothing. After a short while, Tansy and Regan came downstairs, Regan carrying a suitcase.
"Nothing. Unfortunately, my aunt has so many clothes, I can’t tell if anything is missing. There might be a suitcase missing, but I’m not sure. Aunt Roiya had a suitcase lost at the airport about six months ago, but I don’t know if it was ever found and returned," Tansy said.
"Well, we’ll leave her a note, so if she comes back to the house, she’ll know where you are. Meanwhile, I’ll go into town and get a new front lock to your front door. Tom and I can fix the door and install the new lock," Regan said.
"I don’t know what I would have done without all of you. I can’t thank you enough for coming to help and giving me a place to stay," Tansy said with tears of appreciation in her eyes.
"Hey, none of that. That’s what’s family and friends are for," Jim said.
Jim and Brian locked up the house the best they could and joined everyone else in the station wagon. When they got back to the Manor House, Trixie and Honey helped Tansy get settled into one of the guest rooms, while Jim and Brian explained to Miss Trask and Mrs. Wheeler what had happened. Regan got a hold of Dan, and Mr. Maypenny, and explained the situation. They both agreed to go with Regan and Tansy into town. The plan was that, after they all got fingerprinted, they would go to the hardware store, get what they needed and would go back to Tansy’s house and repair the door and lock. Mr. Maypenny had told Regan not to bother Tom; he could make the necessary repairs.
Honey suggested that they call an emergency meeting. Everyone could come to the Manor House and have lunch. Brian called home and got permission for the Beldens to have lunch there. They called Diana and Mart, asking them to come over. After some discussion, it was decided to call Sirene up also. Soon, all of the Bob-Whites, except for Dan, were in the library of the Manor House. Jim had started a fire, since the day was cold, and he thought that a fire would be comforting. Honey made sure that a plate of sandwiches and some drinks would be served.
"Hey, where’s Dan?" Sirene asked as she came into the library.
"Join us and we’ll tell you everything that’s happened," Trixie said. Sirene took a sandwich and sat on the floor by the couch, in front of the fire.
Trixie explained about Tansy’s house being broken into and why Dan, Regan, Tansy and Mr. Maypenny had to go down to the police station.
"I can’t understand why Dan had to go. They should have been able to bring his fingerprints up. He does have a record after all," Sirene said.
"I think his records are sealed. I’m pretty sure that it was part of the deal he made with the D.A. If he testified against some of the other gang members, did his probation time and community service, then they would seal his records. That means that his fingerprints won’t be in the system," Mart told them.
"Oh, I didn’t realize that. I’m glad he was brave and smart enough to testify against them. It would have been stupid to ruin his future for them. But he’ll have to watch his back, because gangs don’t forget those who betray them," Sirene said quietly.
"I have a feeling Dan knew what he was doing. So, back to this problem, any ideas on where we go from here?" Jim asked.
"As much as I hate to say this, I’m not sure we can do anything but keep our eyes open. Even if we had the key, it wouldn’t help. I think it was a hotel key, but the tag only had a room number on it, so that would only help us if we know which hotel it belonged to. Sleepyside may be small, but we do have several motels and hotels around the area," Trixie said.
"I think it’s so neat that Sergeant Webster allowed you two to help," Sirene said with admiration.
Trixie and Honey both flushed.
"He probably figured we would just go around him and do it, so it probably was easier just to include us," Trixie admitted.
"Well, I still think it’s great. After all, you found the clue, not him," Sirene said.
"Not that we can do much with it. It just seemed odd that the only things disturbed were the books and the study desk. I think they were looking for something specific. Something that could be hidden in a book or desk," Trixie said, thinking out loud.
"Don’t forget the books themselves. There are some books that are extremely valuable," Mart pointed out.
"That’s true. I was surprised how much some of those books in the cellar are worth," Jim added.
"So, it may have been an extremely valuable book. But surely Tansy would know if there was a valuable book lying around?" Diana asked.
"I’m not sure about that. She told us that they didn’t have anything of value, but I saw a collection of crystal figures that are worth a fortune. She may not realize the value of the book," Honey said thoughtfully.
"Of course, all of this is assuming that someone is after a book. They could have been looking for a letter or some type of financial record," Brian said.
"Brian is right. Someone might have been crazy enough to think they have witches’ spells written down somewhere. Tansy did say that some of the people in town thought of them as witches," Trixie said.
"I think we need to keep our eyes open. If they were brave enough to search the house during the day, and they didn’t find what they were looking for, then they’ll be back, this time looking for Tansy," Jim said.
After a little more discussion, they realized that there wasn’t much that they could do at this time. Honey was going to talk to Tansy again and ask if she could think of any books that might be valuable, or if she knew of any rumors about her and her aunt having written spells.
The meeting broke up with Sirene thanking them for including her. After she left, Diana asked everyone else to stay for a moment.
I think we should ask Sirene to be a Bob-White. I know that she’s different than us in a lot of ways, but I think she also contributes a lot, and deep down, she has the same beliefs as we do," Diana stated firmly.
"I agree with Diana. We spend more time with her than the rest of you, and she’s really a true friend," Mart added very sincerely.
"We might as well. We always include her anyway," Brian said.
"Okay, let’s vote. We already know Dan will agree, so everyone who wants Sirene to join the Bob-Whites raise your hand," Trixie said.
Everyone but Jim raised their hands.
"What’s the problem, Jim?" Trixie asked him directly.
"I just want to clear something up before I vote. If I vote her in, that does not mean that I believe in all of that psychic stuff. I realize that I haven’t found a reason why she seems to know something that she shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean that some dead person told her either. So I’ll vote yes as long as it’s understood that I like her as a person, but I don’t believe she’s a psychic."
"Jeepers, is that all? Believe me, everyone is well aware about your and Brian’s point of view on psychics, even Sirene. No one expects you to change your mind just because she becomes a Bob-White. The fact that you’re willing to accept that she thinks she’s psychic is enough," Trixie assured him.
They voted once more, and this time everyone’s hands were raised. They decided that they would have her induction on New Year’s Eve. Since Honey had just made Dan another jacket, because he had grown out of his, they would give Sirene Dan’s old jacket until Honey could make her another one. Diana assured them that Sirene would be more than pleased to join the Bob-Whites, so they could just surprise her on New Year’s Eve.
Honey reminded everyone that they were to be at dinner the next night to meet Mr. Wheeler’s guest. They all went their separate ways, each thinking about that morning events and wondering why Mr. Wheeler’s guest wanted to meet them.
To Be Continued