Chapter Three
Trixie's eyes flung open, and a second later she was sitting up in bed, blinking at the sunlight that flooded her room. I can't believe I fell asleep, she thought. Oh Honey, where are you?
Quickly pulling on yesterday's jeans and a warm red sweater, she ran down the stairs to the kitchen. The breakfast dishes were still on the table, and a pitcher of orange juice was still out. Definitely a sign that this was not a typical morning at Crabapple Farm. Glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall, Trixie walked into the table as she realized that it was 9:30. "Gleeps!" she cried. "How could Moms let me sleep in so late?"
Mrs. Belden came in from the living room when she heard her daughter's voice. "I would have wakened you if there had been any news. Mart and Brian walked up to Manor House first thing this morning to talk to Miss Trask. We didn't want to tie up the Wheeler's phone line, in case-."
"In case the kidnapper calls, right, Moms?"
"Oh Trixie," Mrs. Belden said as she wrapped her arms around her, "I'm sure Honey is all right. If someone did take her for ransom, he'll keep her safe to make sure that he gets the money he wants."
"I hope you're right, Moms. I'll just die if anything happens to Honey." This was the first time Trixie had actually meant that particular expression.
The phone rang shrilly, causing both Beldens to jerk their heads up at the sound. Mrs. Belden answered with a fearful and hopeful "Hello?".
Trixie tried to make sense of the conversation, but her mother only said a few words while listening intently to the caller. As she hung up the receiver, Mrs. Belden turned slowly to face Trixie's anxious blue eyes.
"Mr. Wheeler just got a ransom call at his office in the city. The kidnapper wants two million dollars."
a cabin in the woods
Honey had stayed awake most of the night. When the sounds from the next room had died down, she had moved cautiously around the tiny bedroom, looking for a way to escape. The only window was actually four panes of glass, set around a thick wooden cross. Even if she could break the glass, she'd have to somehow break the wood, too. Well, I'll try the window if both kidnappers leave together. Then it won't matter how much noise I make. The top of the window was pulled down about 6 inches, letting in icy winter air, but it had been painted over so it wouldn't open further or close to keep out the cold.
As the night wore on, Honey felt more and more exhausted, and finally stretched out on the bed. She drifted off to sleep, but woke up after only 3 hours of sleep. The kidnappers were moving around again, talking in low voices and making breakfast from the sounds she could hear.
At 8 o'clock, the old man kidnapper came into the room. He was carrying a tray with eggs, hashbrowns, and orange juice on it. He silently set it on the night table, and Honey was about to say, "Thank you" when she thought, This is one time in my life I am NOT going to worry about manners!
This was the first time Honey had seen him in the daylight. It was very obvious that the grey hair and wrinkles were fake. He didn't walk like an old man at all, and up close, the putty and makeup on his face were noticeable. As he turned to leave the room, his eyes met Honey's for a brief moment. Again, she was struck with a nagging feeling that she knew him from somewhere. Try as she might, she couldn't put a name or face to the eyes.
The smell of the eggs and potatoes reminded Honey that she hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if the food was drugged, then decided that she didn't care if it was, she was eating it anyway. There was only a spoon to eat with, but Honey found that it was perfectly adequate if you were hungry enough.
At 9:15, the other kidnapper came in to take her tray. He was wearing an Elvis Presley Halloween mask. He took the tray into the other room, leaving the door open. Then both men came into the bedroom with her. Old Man said, "We're going to have you dial your daddy's office. Then, I'll talk to him, and you can talk to him to let him know that you're all right. Don't try anything funny, or you'll regret it."
Honey dialed her father's New York office, using his private number to bypass the secretary. As soon as she pushed the last button, Old Man snatched the cell phone away from her, and held the receiver to his ear.
"Mr. Wheeler, we've got your daughter. Listen closely. Do not contact the police. We want two million dollars in 20 dollar bills. We don't want consecutive serial numbers, and don't have the bills marked in any way. We'll call you tomorrow to tell you where to drop off the money."
Old Man listened as Mr. Wheeler pleaded to talk to his daughter.
"I'll let her say a few words, Mr. Millionaire. But don't try any funny stuff, or your daughter will regret it." He thrust the phone against Honey's ear. She could hear her father calling her name.
"Daddy, I'm okay. Please just do what they tell you. Tell Mother-."
Old Man took the phone away from her mouth, and said, "You have until tomorrow morning to get the money. But we won't be phoning your office this time. We could call on any one of the many phones that are on your estate. You guess which one." He clicked the phone off and handed it to his accomplice.
Elvis took the phone out of the room, but Old Man stayed a minute longer, looking at Honey thoughtfully. "You look like a smart girl. You won't try anything stupid, will you?"
Honey silently shook her head, thinking, You mean stupid, like reveal that I know your identity? I know who you are, buddy.
at the train station in New York
Jim felt like skipping as he made his way to Platform 7. He was done his exams, he was meeting his father to go home for Christmas, and he would be seeing his best girl that night. Life didn't get any better than this!
As Jim got closer to the platform, he could see his dad waving frantically at him. Mr. Wheeler had dark circles under his eyes, and his mouth drooped forlornly.
"Dad!" Jim called as he ran up on to the platform. "You look terrible! Is something wrong?"
"Jim, I have some bad news." Mr. Wheeler didn't quite know how to break the awful news to his son. "Your sister has- Honey's been..."
"Has something happened to Honey?" Jim demanded.
"Honey has been kidnapped," Mr. Wheeler finally blurted out.
"What?!" Jim's voice echoed through the station. "When? Where from?"
"Come on, Jim, I'll tell you all about it in the car. Tom's waiting outside for us. I thought it would be faster than taking the train."
Mr. Wheeler led a dazed Jim out of the station and across the street to the parking lot where Tom Delanoy was parked. Tom silently put Jim's bag in the trunk of the car, too worried to even say hello.
As the car slowly negotiated the congested New York streets, Mr. Wheeler turned to his son. "Honey was taken from near the mailbox last night around 6 o'clock."
"Last night!" Jim's face quickly turned as red as his hair. "She's been gone for 24 hours and this is the first I'm hearing of it?"
Mr. Wheeler tried to explain that everyone just wanted to let him finish his exams without any added stress.
"You were worried about my exams?" he exclaimed incredulously. "All of my professors would have let me make up the tests later, if they knew my sister was missing."
"At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. I had to be in the city today anyway to arrange for the ransom money."
"There's been a ransom demand? The kidnapper's contacted you?"
"He called this morning from an untraceable cell phone. He's going to call back tomorrow morning. I talked to Honey- she sounds like she's okay."
Jim sank back against the seat. His sister, held a prisoner, in danger for a whole day, and no one had bothered to tell him? "Do the Beldens know?" he asked his dad.
"They do. Mart and Trixie helped us when we first realized Honey was missing. Mart even has a description of the kidnapper's car."
"I can't believe Trixie didn't call me- or Brian, for that matter. My best friend and my girlfriend keeping this from me?"
"Don't blame them, Jim," Mr. Wheeler pleaded. "Trixie wanted to call you, but your mother and I forbid anyone from contacting you."
"I don't understand why this was kept from me. I should have been the first one to know. Don't you consider me part of the family?"
"Jim, I thought is was for the best. I-."
"I don't want to hear anymore," Jim interrupted. He turned his back on his father, and stared out the window. It was a long and silent drive to Manor House.
Trixie perched on the edge of a loveseat in the Manor House living room. Her ears were straining for the sound of a car coming up the driveway. Jim and Mr. Wheeler should be arriving in the next ten minutes. Dan sat beside her, his frame tense as he waited for something, anything to happen. Mart and Brian were at Crabapple Farm. Brian was entertaining Bobby, who hadn't been told the truth about Honey's disappearance. The Beldens didn't want to scare him, and he still wasn't any good at keeping seecruds. Mart was working with a police officer, looking through books of Chevys, trying to pick out the same make and model that he had seen the night Honey was kidnapped. Di had to stay home with the twins that night, but she was coming over first thing in the morning.
Trixie jumped up and ran to the living room window. "They're here," she said quietly. She saw the way Jim got stiffly out of the car, and knew that he was angry. Mr. Wheeler tried to put an arm around Jim's shoulder, but Jim brushed it off, and stalked off into the darkness.
Mr. Wheeler came into the foyer, his eyes and mouth expressing deep sadness. Trixie was already pulling on her coat and mittens, and as she stepped into her winter boots, she told him, "Let me talk to him, Mr. Wheeler. I know where he went."
Trixie ran down the dark but familiar trail to the clubhouse. Light was showing through the curtains at each window. Curtains that Honey made, Trixie thought with a pang. She pushed open the door, and her heart felt another pang. Jim was sitting at the table, holding one of Honey's ice skates. Tears glimmered in each eye and, as Trixie stood in the doorway, overflowed down his cheeks.
"Jim, we'll get her back," Trixie stated fiercely. She knelt beside Jim's chair, and put her hand on his shoulder. "I've solved every other mystery around here, and I'll solve this one too."
"Trixie, what if something happens to her?"
"Honey's too smart and too brave. When the kidnapper calls tomorrow, I know she'll try to give us a clue. The police have put taps on every phone around- the main line in Manor House, your dad's office line, Regan's phone, Tom and Celia's line, even Miss Trask's private line."
"I just can't understand why my parents kept this from me," Jim told her. "No test is more important than my sister."
"They know that, Jim," Trixie soothed. "I think they were hoping that somehow Honey would come home before they had to tell you. They're both so proud of you for doing so well in university; they didn't want to be the cause of any problems for you." Trixie added, "I know Honey would have wanted you to take those exams. She would feel guilty for being kidnapped and making you fall behind in your classes."
Jim smiled. "You know, she probably would."
And Jim, right now, you and your parents need to be strong for each other. Be mad at them later, after Honey is home, safe and sound. Until then, give them support, and let them support you."
"When did you get so smart, Sherlock?"
"Without you and Brian to tell us the right thing to do, I guess the rest of us have just been figuring it out for ourselves," Trixie teased.
Jim stood up, and held out his hand for his girlfriend. "Let's go up to the house. I think my mother could do with a hug."
Hand in hand, the two BWGs walked slowly through the falling snow to the brightly lit mansion.
That night was a long and restless time for many people. The Wheelers held each other, and slowly drifted off to sleep, filled with terrible anxiety about their only daughter. Jim prowled through the house, finally ending up in Honey's room. He sat on her bed, moved everything around on her dresser, and leafed through the schoolbooks on her desk. Di tossed and turned for many hours, only getting snatches of sleep between awful wakenings. Dan sat in a chair by the fireplace in Mr. Maypenny's cabin. He stared into the flames until the wee hours of the morning, finally falling into a fitful doze at 3. By 7, he was awake and restless, and decided to chop some wood to get rid of the tension in his body. The Beldens slept uneasily, except for Bobby. He slept as only small children can, even though he could feel the stress from his family. Both Brian and Trixie learned every crack and crevice in their bedroom ceilings. Mart had eaten very little supper, but didn't feel like getting up for a late night snack.
The call came at 7:35. Everyone in Manor House had been awake for over an hour. The kidnapper had chosen Regan's phone this time. As soon as the phone rang, Regan grabbed the walkie talkie from the end table, and barked into it, "Bill Regan, apartment phone." He set it down, and picked up the phone after the second ring. "Manor House, Regan speaking."
"Ah, the infamous Regan," the voice on the phone chortled. "I want Miss Trask to take the two million dollars and her cell phone in the Wheeler's car. She should start driving west on Glen Road. I will call the cell phone in 25 minutes. She should be at least 15 miles from Manor House. If I see anyone follow her, cop or otherwise, you won't find Honey alive."
"Let me talk to Honey," Regan demanded. "The Wheelers won't send the ransom if there isn't proof that she is alive and unhurt."
"Regan?" Honey's hesitant voice came over the line. "Regan, tell Dan that I miss him, okay? I'm all right, just tell Dan that-." The phone clicked off, and Regan stood stunned for a few moments.
Realizing that time was of the essence, he whirled quickly toward his apartment door. Just as he reached it, Mr. Wheeler and Spider burst into the apartment. He relayed the message, and Spider ran back to the main house to give Miss Trask the instructions.
Back at the police station, Sergeant Molinson made five copies of the phone call. The entire station had listened in to the conversation, but the call was too short to be traced, and they suspected the kidnapper was using a cell phone anyway.
About ten minutes after the ransom call, Mart and Trixie picked up Dan at Mr. Maypenny's. Trixie was sure that the kidnapper had been casing Manor House for awhile, and that they might find information on any newcomers if they questioned people in Sleepyside.
The three of them drove past the Lynch mansion, and Di was eager to join the group. Brian wanted to stay home in case there was any news. Once they got into town, Mart drove slowly through the streets of Sleepyside until they came to Hawthorne Street. Deciding to split up, Mart and Di stayed in the station wagon, cruising slowly through the rough part of town. They didn't know what they were looking for, but they hoped they'd know it when they found it.
Dan and Trixie strolled casually past the rundown buildings and shabby homes on Hawthorne Street. Trixie was dressed in old jeans and a plaid shirt of Mart's, and Dan was wearing his leather jacket and peaked cap. As they walked past a dingy cafe, they saw an old man get out of a black Chevy parked at the far end of a vacant lot. He went into the cafe, and sat down at the lunch counter.
Trixie whispered to Dan, "I'm going to check out that car. You keep an eye on the old man, and whistle if he gets up."
Dan nodded reluctantly, knowing that one of them had to be a lookout while the other looked for clues. He leaned against the building, glad that the vacant lot was not visible from the cafe's windows. He decided to keep an eye out for Mart, as well. Maybe he could tell them if the car was the same one he'd seen at the Wheeler's.
Trixie circled the car cautiously, making sure that no one was inside. There were no identifying stickers on the car, and nothing that looked out of place in the interior. Hearing a car stop in front of the cafe, she looked up, and saw Mart and Di talking to Dan. Then they came over to the Chevy, leaving Dan to continue as lookout.
"Mart," Trixie said in a low voice, "could this be the car you saw?"
Mart walked slowly around the car. He began to get excited as he visualized the vehicle he'd seen at the mailbox and compared it to this one. "It could, Trix. I mean, I'm not absolutely sure, but I definitely can't rule it out, either."
Di spoke up. "Mart, go call the police. Sergeant Molinson can put a tail on this car, and it may lead him to Honey."
Mart's eyes shone admiringly at the black-haired beauty. "Brilliant, Diana. I'll go to the phone booth on the corner. With luck, an unmarked police car will be able to get here before the driver is done at the diner.
Mart took off at a fast lope. Trixie circled the car yet again, wishing she could find something that would help the case. Di gave an experimental tug on the rear right-side door. "It's unlocked!" she exclaimed. "Let's look in the car, Trixie. Dan will let us know if the driver is coming."
Trixie hesitated for a millisecond, then replied, "Okay, Di. Let's look."
Di plunged into the backseat, looking under the wadded blankets in the corner. Trixie felt around in the front seats, and looked under the floor mats. Di bent her head so that she could see under the backseat. She noticed a gleam of gold under the dirty floor mat. Lifting the carpeted square, she realized the gleam was a gold earring. Picking it up, she was about to tell Trixie of her find when they heard a shrill Bob-bob White! Both girls straightened up at the sound, and quickly closed the car doors. Dan was beckoning frantically from the station wagon.
Trixie grabbed Di's hand and pulled her to their vehicle. Dan held the back door for them, and they piled into the backseat. Dan hastily got into the front passenger seat.
"The old man was paying his bill, so he's going to come out any moment. I think he just got some food to go," Dan explained.
Mart ran up and dropped into the driver's seat. "The unmarked car is on its way," he announced.
The old man came out of the cafe, and walked quickly to his car. All four BWGs stared at him intently as he got into the car. He revved the engine, and took off with tires squealing from the vacant lot.
"Follow him!" Di shouted.
"Don't worry, Di. The police will catch up to him soon. He might not even have anything to do with the kidnapping, anyway," Mart told her.
"But Mart-," Di pleaded.
"He looked sort of familiar," Trixie interrupted.. "As he walked away from the cafe, I could see his face, and I think I've seen it before. But he sure didn't move like an old man."
"Maybe he was disguised as an old man," Dan suggested. "If the kidnapper is someone Honey knows, he won't want her recognizing him."
"Mart, just follow him, please!" Di exclaimed.
"But if he's the kidnapper, who is with Honey?" Mart scoffed. "There are lots of black Chevys around, so maybe that's just an old man out for a bite to eat."
"He's the kidnapper!" Di yelled.
The other three Bob-Whites looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean, Di?" Trixie asked.
"I found this in his car." Di held out the horse's head earring. "I've been trying to tell you. This was on the floor of the backseat. It's Honey's earring. I'm sure of it."
Trixie took the earring from Di. "You're right, Di." She held the earring out for Dan and Mart to see. "Honey's initials are on the back." Dan inhaled sharply as he saw the tiny M.W. etched delicately in the gold.
"We've got to get this to the police," he said gravely. "And we can all give a description of the kidnapper."
To Be Continued