The Mystery Before Christmas
by Michelle
Chapter One
15 year old Trixie Belden walked rapidly through the halls of Sleepyside Junior-Senior High. She was late for Algebra- again. Mrs. Walker had kept her after class to discuss her History project- for the 3rd day in a row. Trixie was having trouble convincing her teacher that she could write a good paper on an unsolved mystery- the case of Jack the Ripper. This morning, Mrs. Walker had finally relented and agreed to the topic- as long as the details weren't too gruesome.
As Trixie slipped into Mr. Wood's classroom, she smiled apologetically at the teacher, and quickly gave her the note she'd insisted Mrs. Walker give her. She definitely did not want detention two days before Christmas break. Dropping into her seat, she smiled at her friend and fellow BWG, Diana Lynch. Di smiled back, but turned her attention back to the teacher. Neither Trixie nor Di could afford to not pay attention in Algebra.
Mr. Wood assigned 20 problems to be handed in the next day, and the students began working busily. Trixie did the first 3 problems quickly, but the fourth one had her stumped. She carefully read the question again, and realized her mistake. Miss Trask's tutoring was really making a difference in Trix's schoolwork.
The bell rang, startling most of the students. Di gathered her books and waited for Trixie at the door. They joined the lines of students in the hallway, and slowly made their way to the cafeteria, grabbing their lunch bags from their lockers on the way. By the time they got to their regular table, Dan, Mart, and Honey were already there.
The five of them made up the Sleepyside chapter of the Bob-Whites of the Glen. Di, Honey, and Trixie were sophomores, Mart was a junior, and Dan was a senior. The other two BWGs, Brian and Jim, were both in their freshman year at Columbia University in New York City. Brian was in the premed program, and Jim was working towards a Bachelor of Arts.
"Only one and a half days before Christmas vacation," Trixie announced gleefully. "Saturday morning, I'm sleeping in 'til at least noon."
"Not if our mater and pater have anything to say about it," Mart retorted.
"Did Brian decide to wait until tomorrow night to come home?" Dan interjected. Mart and Trixie's good-natured arguing could take up a whole lunch hour if someone didn't step in.
"No, he's going to catch the bus tonight. He said he can't wait even one extra minute to come home," Trixie replied. Brian's last exam was that morning, but Jim didn't finish until tomorrow afternoon. Neither of them had been home since they left for university in September. Even though New York City was not far from Sleepyside, they had been studying like mad to get top grades, even over Thanksgiving break.
"Jim and Daddy are coming back from the city tomorrow night on the 6 o'clock train," Honey explained. "Mother didn't want Jim to have to come home alone."
Mr. Wood came into the cafeteria, then settled into a chair by the door. He was on lunch room duty that week. He was a new teacher to Sleepyside, but not new to teaching. He'd moved from New York City after his wife died, but he'd taught in the Big Apple for 20 years.
The lunch hour passed in the blink of an eye as they discussed plans for sledding, ice skating, and Christmas parties. They tried to trick each other into revealing whose name each of them had picked for Secret Santa. Mrs. Belden had been with them when they drew names, checking to make sure that Jim and Brian hadn't picked their own names. Then she had phoned them so they could start planning what to buy as Secret Santas.
"Don't look now, but Mr. Wood is staring at Honey again," Dan warned. Each of the Bob-Whites had noticed that Mr. Wood watched Honey an awful lot. He rarely spoke to her, and only occasionally called on her in class. But outside of the classroom, he had his eyes on her a little too much.
"He always looks a little sad when he watches me," Honey commented. "Maybe I remind him of his wife."
"I think it's creepy!" Trixie declared. "There's something mysterious about how often he's watching you."
Mart opened his mouth to scoff at Trixie's "something mysterious", but closed it abruptly. He too thought that something wasn't quite right. He decided not to say anything, because he didn't want to alarm Honey, but he was going to keep his eye on Mr. Wood.
Meanwhile, in New York City...
Brian had finished his final exam at noon. He was packing his suitcase when his roommate, Chris Hoffman, came in with a large pizza.
"Hey, Bri!" Chris exclaimed. "I was hoping you hadn't left yet. I got us a large pie to chow down on."
"Thanks, Chris," Brian replied. Chris was the only one who called him Bri, no matter how many times he tried to indicate how annoying he found it.
"So, you're going back home on the 3 o'clock train, right?" Chris asked. "Or are you waiting to go home with Jim?"
"I'm catching the 6 o'clock train today. I'm meeting one of my professor's this afternoon."
"Cool, cool," Chris commented. "I'm so psyched for this ski trip. Too bad you couldn't come. We would have had a blast."
"Maybe another time," Brian smiled. He was glad Chris was going on a fun trip with his hometown buddies, but nothing could have tempted Brian to stay away from Crabapple Farm at Christmas this year.
"Well, I gotta jet," Chris said. "The train leaves at 2, and I've gotta pick up some buddies on the way to the station."
"Merry Christmas, Chris," Brian replied. "Have a safe trip."
"You too, buddy! See you next year!"
Chris grabbed his duffel bag, and waved goodbye as he left the dorm room.
Brian finished his slice of pizza as he packed the rest of the stuff he would need over Christmas. There were still 3 slices left in the box, so on his way to meet his professor, he stopped by Jim's room. He and Jim were in the same dorm, but Jim was on the second floor, and Brian was on the third. Knocking lightly, he stuck his head into the room. Jim was at his desk, with books and papers spread out in front of him.
"Brian, hi. How did your last test go?"
"Pretty good. I think I did well in all my classes." Brian held out the pizza box to Jim. "Here, Chris bought a pizza, but we didn't finish it. I thought it might come in handy while you're studying."
"You thought right! Thanks, Brian. I completely forgot to stop for lunch."
"Well, I've got to meet Professor Emmett to talk about next term's project. I'll see you tomorrow night, okay? I think Trixie wants to have a meeting at the clubhouse."
"Yeah, she mentioned that on the phone yesterday," Jim agreed. "I don't think she's gotten involved in a mystery, though. At least not yet."
The two friends gave each other manly hugs, and Jim settled back to studying, and Brian hurried to his professor's office.
Back in Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson...
The next time the Sleepyside Bob-Whites were all together was on the school bus on the way home. Dan had to hurry to Mr. Maypenny's to chop enough wood to last for a couple of days. Di's mother had a dental appointment at 4 o'clock, so Di had to watch her twin brothers and sisters. Mart was starving, so his plan was to get home and have a snack. That left Trixie and Honey to go the stable and exercise the horses. Well, they could exercise two horses, anyway.
As Trixie and Honey burst into the stable, chattering and laughing, Regan came out of the tack room.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Some horses are actually going to get exercised today. What's the special occasion?"
Both girls tried to look shamefaced as they hung their heads. But Trixie ruined the effect when she pleaded, "Oh Regan, don't be mad at us. We've been so busy planning for Christmas." The impish glint in her eye gave away her true feelings. Fortunately, Regan wasn't really mad. Mart and Dan had taken Starlight and Strawberry out yesterday, and Regan himself had ridden Jupiter that morning.
Trixie quickly saddled Susie while Honey got Lady ready to ride. They decided to ride down the Wheeler's driveway, and then along Glen Road until they reached one of their favourite trails into the game preserve. As they passed the Wheeler's mailbox, Honey exclaimed, "I forgot to bring in the mail again!"
"We were so intent on getting to the stable that we walked by the mailbox without even seeing it," Trixie consoled her.
"Remind me to get the mail when we're done grooming the horses. Maybe then Miss Trask won't have to send me out in the dark."
As the girls rode briskly along Glen Road, Trixie felt a peculiar sensation on the back of her neck. She surreptitiously glanced to the left and right, but didn't see anything unusual. So, she pretended to be adjusting something on the saddle, and looked behind them. Still nothing. But the odd feeling didn't go away. She was sure that eyes were watching them from somewhere close by. And not just any eyes- eyes with evil intent.
She nudged Susie as close to Lady as she could get, then leaned towards Honey and whispered, "I feel like someone's watching us. Do you see anything weird?"
"I feel it too," Honey admitted. "Maybe Mr. Lytell is in the woods, and he's watching us."
"Maybe," Trixie said reluctantly. "But I don't want to stay out on the road anymore. Let's take this trail into the preserve. If we still feel it, we can ride to Mr. Maypenny's. Both he and Dan should be there."
Honey led the way into the preserve, following one of the well-marked trails. Once they were safely into the woods, with trees surrounding them, both girls felt better. The creeping sensation was gone from Trixie's neck, and she no longer felt eyes on them.
"Weird," she told Honey.
"Let's ride for home now," Honey suggested. "I don't feel like being out in the woods anymore."
Once they were back at the stables, grooming the horses, Honey began to feel foolish. Trixie, however, knew someone had been watching them, and told Regan about it.
"It could have been a tramp camped near the road, or maybe it was a deer that was watching you. I'm sure you weren't in any danger," Regan assured them.
"Maybe it was an animal," Trixie conceded. But in her heart of hearts, she didn't believe it.
*****
Mart grabbed the gaily wrapped package from his bed, and ran down the stairs into the kitchen. "I have to run over to the Wheeler's, Moms!" he called. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Keeping an eye out for Trixie in case she was on her way home, Mart trotted quickly to the Wheeler's mailbox. Sliding the present inside, he turned to race back home when he noticed a beat-up old Chevy parked on Glen Road. He walked up to the car, but there was no one inside. He couldn't see anyone on foot anywhere on the road, either.
Oh well, he thought to himself. Anyone can see the lights of Manor House up on the hill. A motorist in trouble wouldn't have far to go to get to a telephone.
By the time he got home, the car had vanished from his mind. Instead, he was breathing deeply, trying to determine exactly what Moms was serving for supper. Trixie came through the back door less than 5 minutes later. She hadn't forgotten the eyes in the woods, but she didn't want to give Mart any ammunition against her, so she didn't mention it.
*****
Honey was upstairs, brushing her hair before dinner, when she realized that she hadn't picked up the mail yet. She felt her stomach sink as she glanced out her bedroom window and saw how dark it had become. She went downstairs, and dressed in her winter clothes as fast as she could.
She was out of breath from running when she reached the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Reaching inside, she pulled out a handful of letters and one parcel. She smiled to herself when she read the tag on the package- To Honey Love Secret Santa. As she tucked the letters under her arm, a car started practically beside her. The noise was so loud and so close that she jumped, startled.
Turning toward the road, she saw a dark car shape with dim white headlights. A man slowly got out of the driver's seat, and started toward her. As he crossed in front of the car, the headlights revealed grey hair and a stooped figure.
"Miss," he called in a quavering voice, "could you help me? I've lost my way."
"Of course," Honey answered warmly. "Where are you trying to go?"
"I'm trying to get to New York City. I have a map in the backseat. Can you show me where I am on it, and then show me the way to the City?"
The old man walked past Honey and opened the back door on the passenger side. The car's interior lights came on, illuminating bunched up blankets on the far side of the car, and a map spread open on the seat. As the man bent over the map, he turned his head toward Honey, and beckoned her closer.
His eyes, Honey thought as she stepped closer and bent over the map . They look familiar, like I've seen-
Suddenly, the man put his hand on her back, and pushed her into the car. She fell forward, dropping the letters and parcel, but her legs were still outside of the car. She could feel his hands grab her legs and attempt to push them in the car too. Kicking violently, Honey felt her foot connect with the man. He let go of her legs, and she was scooting backwards when two arms came out of the pile of blankets and grabbed her wrists. She was pulled into the car, and the man behind her shoved her legs in. He slammed the door shut and ran around to the driver's side. The man under the blankets threw them over Honey's head, and jumped into the front passenger seat.
Honey struggled out from under the blankets and started fumbling for the door handles. As the interior car lights went out, she realized that the back doors had no handles on the inside. Shocked and scared, Honey pushed herself into a sitting position. The car was driving away from the Wheelers' less than a minute from when the old man had asked her for help.
Honey was kidnapped.