Darkness From the Past

by Kay Lynn

 

Chapter 1

"I'm glad we chose to ride this morning instead of later this afternoon, because it's already getting hot," said Trixie, as she used the sleeve of her thin yellow blouse to wipe sweat off her brow.

"It is going to get a lot hotter this afternoon," said Honey, while looking toward the sky as she stopped Lady on the trail beside Trixie who was riding Susie.

Jim Frayne had gone ahead of them on Jupiter. The three were going to have a picnic at ten acres.

"Maybe you can stay over this afternoon for a swim," Honey suggested.

"Moms has probably got a thousand chores for me to do this afternoon. I have to help can tomatoes and who knows what else."

Honey just looked at Trixie smiling. Trixie always made her mother out to be a slave driver, but Honey knew the truth.

They trotted the horses into the clearing where the remains of the crumbling old mansion that had almost burned completely to the ground stood. The reason they had chosen to come here to the site of Jim's uncles old house, was because Jim wanted to search what was left for any memorabilia of his family. He had thought maybe some photos might have fallen under the floor or something and survived or even some old dishes, he remembered certain things from when he would visit there as a child. The short time that summer he stayed in the mansion, he had been too busy hiding from Jonesy to think of looking for memorabilia, the only thing he and the girls had really looked for that summer was money.

When the two girls arrived, Jim had already gone into the old burned out shell that was left standing. His Father planned very soon to have what was left of the old mansion knocked down and the land cleared and this was what prompted Jim to want to search what was left.

"You girls be careful," he warned as Trixie climbed the rickety old burned porch. "Most of this floor is unsafe and it's about eight foot off the ground."

"I think I'll leave the exploring up to the two of you," Honey said, as she quickly backed away from the porch thinking of the spiders that might be around this place.

"I know there is probably nothing worth salvaging," Jim told Trixie as she carefully made her way across the rickety floor.

"Well, you never know," she said. "I've heard of a family that was able to salvage all their family photo albums because the albums were in a drawer and the drawer fell over during a house fire and somehow didn't completely burn. Some of them had a little fire damage and some had a little water damage, but for the most part they were fine.

"That's what I hope," Jim replied thoughtfully as he looked around at the piles of burned debris. "I wish I could have gotten my mother's pictures and other things that were in our home when I was growing up. I remember I had a cheap little plastic cup that I always drank out of at home, when I was a kid, it was brown and shaped like a cowboy boot. Jonesy could've at least have let me have that."

"There's that old desk I looked through that summer when I found you," Trixie said pointing toward it. It's burned on the outside, but maybe it will have something in it besides the bottle caps we found last summer. We really didn't bother searching underneath the bottle caps."

Carefully, they opened the drawer of the extremely charred desk and searched through the drawers going through the bottle caps. After a short while, Jim got disgusted and moved to something else, But Trixie, who refused to give up, scooped up bottle caps and kept throwing them out until she came to the bottom of the drawer, while Jim pulled up a rotten crumbly board from one of the floors with a crowbar so he could quickly do a search of the floor under the house.

"Jim, I found something!" Trixie exclaimed excitedly. "It's an old metal box!" And it sounds as if it has papers of some kind in it," she said as she shook it up and down.

"Wow Trixie!" He said. "I really didn't expect to find anything worth having in this old place. Maybe it's old love letters from Uncle James to Aunt Nell or something. That would be worth keeping. Let's put the box to the side and explore some more," he suggested. "We'll pry the box open after lunch."

Trixie, who was curious by nature, would've liked to open the box right then and there, but out of respect for Jim, she quietly put the box to the side. Under some old fallen boards, Trixie and Jim also found an old wedding photo of his aunt and uncle. It wasn't too badly scarred up. It was in what was once a beautiful antique silver frame. After a morning, of pulling up boards and going through piles of rotten lumber, Jim announced that he was ready to call it a day as far as the house was concerned.

"Gee Jim," Trixie said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I wish we could've found more."

"That's okay Trixie," he said, looking down at the picture he had in his hand. "I accepted the fact that when I ran away from Jonesy, that I may never get any of my family's belongings. He even kept things that belonged to my father's family."

"I think that really stinks," Trixie said, thinking of all the antiques at Crabapple Farm. "I just couldn't imagine if someone like that had my family's belongings."

Trixie carried the metal box and Jim the picture. Honey was sitting under a huge tree reading a book as Trixie and Jim climbed down off the porch of the old house.

 

Chapter 2

"Did you find anything?" She asked excitedly, looking up from her book. "Only this old wedding picture of my aunt and uncle," Jim replied, holding up the picture for Honey to see. "And Trixie found a metal box. It may have some pictures or something in it."

After Trixie and Jim laid down the picture and box beside Honey, they went over to the old fashioned hand-held pump and washed the soot, dirt and cobwebs off themselves as best they could. It had grown quite warm and the icy cold water felt wonderful.

After finishing, they walked over and sat on the blue plaid blanket and prepared to eat the wonderful lunch Honey's cook had prepared for them of fried chicken, potato salad, rolls, and brownies. She had also packed a huge thermos of cold fruit punch to drink. Trixie didn't realize how hungry and thirsty she had grown and she quickly dug into the food before she remembered they had the box. While chewing on a brownie, she started to bring up the subject of the box, but she remembered it was Jim's and he may want to open it while he was alone. She kept staring at it and Jim finally noticed the expression on her face and he smiled. "Your curiosity is getting the best of you isn't it Trixie?" He noted, looking fondly at her.

"What?" She asked innocently, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"Come on Trixie, I know you can't wait to open that box."

Trixie looked down at the ground embarrassed that he knew. "I'm sorry Jim," she said. "I'm just curious. But, I know you probably want to open it when you're alone."

"Not necessarily," he said, putting an arm around her. "There's no one I'd rather open the box with other than my favorite girl and my favorite sister."

"Your only sister, Jim Frayne," Honey informed him, playfully punching him on the arm that wasn't around Trixie.

"Well, you two clean up all the picnic leftovers and I'll see if I can pry this box open," he told them, picking up the pry bar. The girls finished picking up the leftovers and garbage, and he still didn't have the box open. "I can't get this thing open," he told them, as he wiped sweat off his brow with his arm. "I wonder if maybe there's a key inside the old house," he said, as he looked toward the remains of the old mansion.

"Wait!" Honey said. "I have a hairpin, I might be able to pick the lock." She quickly took out a hair pin that she used to hold her long hair back on one side. "If this was a newer box, I probably couldn't, but old locks are pretty easy to pick and this one is probably really old."

After several unsuccessful tries she finally was successful and the box popped open. "Oh Jim, look," she said. "There was a picture right on top. It was of a pretty blonde woman, a tall red-headed man that looked like an older version of Jim and a baby.

"That's my parents and me," Jim said, trying not to get emotional. "At least now, I have a picture of them. Wow," he said. There were several pictures on the top. Some baby pictures of Jim and some when he was a toddler and a few of his grade school pictures.

"Jim, I bet this is like a treasure chest for you," Trixie said as they looked through the pictures.

Speechless, he nodded his agreement. After looking through the stack of photos, they came to some papers, mostly some old bills. Then, down at the bottom of the box, was a stack of old letters.

"Oh" Said Trixie, holding up an envelope. "Jim, this is from your mother to your aunt and Uncle."

"Let me see that," he said, taking the letter from her. "Trixie and Honey you can go ahead and read the others."

"Are you sure you want us to?" Trixie asked.

"If I didn't want you too, I'd tell you. Why don't you read this first one to us aloud?" He suggested handing Trixie the letter back.

"Sure!" She said, flattered that he was going to let her read the letter. Trixie quickly pulled the letter out of the envelope.

Dear Uncle James,

I wish we could've stayed longer Sunday while we were at your home. But, I realized Jonesy was in one of his dark moods as soon as he came back from his walk and I didn't want to subject you to that. I am writing this letter in secret, because I feel as if my life and my precious son's life would be in danger if he (Jonesy) knew what I know and I want you to hide this letter in a safe place as soon as you get it. I have spoken to you about all this before, but I want it in written form, so that maybe one day this letter might be found and there might be justice done. I was able to talk briefly to you on our last visit, but as you know, he came back from his walk and I couldn't finish what I had to say. But as I said then, please promise me that you will start the proceedings to get guardianship of Jim. I know I may die soon and I don't want him left to the mercy of this monster that I am married to or his brother. As I told you on our last visit, I believe that either Jonesy or his brother is trying to kill me. Jonesy's brother Earl works for a chemical company and Jonesy has told me that he can mix up a concoction that would slowly poison somebody, but would mimic the symptoms of any number of other deadly diseases and viruses and wouldn't show up in the bloodstream. I wish I had never married him (Jonesy) but when Winn died, I had such a hard time financially and all he left me was that twenty-five thousand dollar life insurance policy and I felt that I had to put that up for Jim's education. I wish now that I had taken you up on the offer to come and live with you and Aunt Nell, but I was too proud and I didn't want to uproot Jim from the only home he's ever known. Jonesy offered me security and I made the mistake of taking it.

You're the only person that knows which bank that money is stashed in. I put your name on the account, so you can withdraw it when you take Jim. Jonesy pretends to love me, but as you know, he is so possessive of me and also he wants even the small amount of money I have stashed. I know, even though the two try to hide it from me, that he and my precious Jim hate each other. There are two things Jonesy is obsessed over. He is obsessed over me, he doesn't want me to love anyone but him and he believes he should get rid of anyone that I love other than him and he's obsessed over any amount of money. He even wants that small amount of twenty-five thousand that he knows I have stashed for Jim. Please hide the bank book carefully until you can cash it in.

As I told you Sunday, he (Jonesy) has often stated that he would see me dead rather than have me leave him or see me with anybody else. He also knows my son stands to inherit everything you have when you and Aunt Nell are gone. It terrifies me that he is aware of this. Please be careful and as we discussed, I want you to have custody of Jim. I'm getting sicker every day and I know I probably want live to see this year end. Please go to a lawyer and make the necessary arrangements and when you take over guardianship of my son, take him out of the country to live. I don't feel that any of you are safe or will be safe as long as Jonesy knows where you are. Jonesy and his brother are dangerous. I feel that they had something to do with my sister Betje and her husband's death, in Holland, Earl had gone somewhere on an airplane the week they died, they were getting ready to move back to be near me and Jonesy was adamantly opposed to that. That is why I insisted that Juliana not be given to me. If not for him, I would've taken her and raised her as my own. But, thank God, my precious niece wasn't in the car with her parents, I know Jonesy would've preferred it that way because he knows how much I love her. At least, I have something left of my dear sister, her daughter Juliana. I'm glad she's safe now, I didn't even let Jonesy know she wasn't killed in the crash and I will not try to contact her, because of him. I also believe that Jonesy had something to do with Winn's death. As you know, I was working as a secretary for him, (Jonesy) for many years even before I met Winn and Jonesy was obsessed with me. I didn't realize it at the time, I thought it was just an attraction, but since I've been sick, I realize that Winn's symptoms when he became sick exactly mimicked the ones I have now and the doctor's have given me all kinds of tests, but cannot find anything wrong, just as they did Winn. I also realize that it would be better if some younger members of the family took Jim, such as my brother Carl, but Carl and his wife have their hands full with their three little girls and also living in Connecticut would cause them to be too close to Jonesy. If not for that, I wouldn't ask you and Aunt Nell to make this kind of sacrifice. I believe Jonesy may try to kill Jim after I'm gone, simply because I love him, especially, if he doesn't think he'll get Jim's trust fund that you set up for him. Or, he will keep him around and try to make a slave out of him, until he gets his hands on your money, then he will probably kill him. The money just makes him more likely to do something. That's why I urge you to please get guardianship of my son and get out of the country as soon as possible.

I hope you and Aunt Nell are okay. Please be careful and start making arrangements to leave and make arrangements for permanent guardianship of my son and your namesake Jim as we discussed Sunday. I'm am proud that he is named after you. You and Aunt Nell have been just like blood relatives to me and I love you as if you were.

I have to go and mail this letter now, while I have the strength and while Jonesy is out. Otherwise, I know it would never reach you. I believe your life and Aunt Nell's lives are in danger and please take no unnecessary chances and don't take what I'm saying lightly. Get custody of Jim and leave Sleepyside for good. If I die before this reaches you, please tell Jim every day how much I loved him.

with all my love

Katje Frayne (I will always consider Frayne my last name)

 

The three were silent as Trixie finished reading the letter. "Oh my gosh," said Trixie, totally dumbfounded. "I'm so sorry, Jim."

Jim just stared off into space, Trixie wondered if he were in some sort of shock. Honey had nothing to say, she just put her hand on Jim's shoulder as she watched him concernedly.

"Jim, are you alright?" Trixie finally asked.

"Yeah Trixie, I'm okay. I finished grieving over my parents a long time ago. I'm just trying to digest this new information. Jonesy murdered my family. I never suspected, I mean, I thought in spite of all his faults that he really loved my mother and I didn't even know he knew my mother before Dad died."

"He's a very sick man," Honey said, tears in her eyes.

"I'm okay," Jim reassured her. He knew Honey was very worried about him. "So don't you two go agonizing over me and worrying over me. I have just got to have some time to think and to figure out what I'm going to do about this."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do about it Jim?" Trixie asked.

"I don't know yet, Trixie. But, I know I want justice."

Trixie had a million questions she wanted to ask him. For instance: Did he remember Jonesy's brother Earl? and What were the symptoms his parents had that finally resulted in their deaths?, but she knew that she couldn't do that right now.

"Trixie," he said, standing to his feet. "I want you to take this box and all of it's contents and keep it for me, except for the pictures that is." He withdrew the pictures as he handed the box to Trixie. "And," he said smiling. "You two are more than welcome to read the other letters in the box. I'd like to hear your input. I would say, it looks like we have another case for the Belden-Wheeler detective agency, but I feel that it would be too dangerous for the two of you. Heck, I know I'm rambling on right now and even sounding callous, but man, I'm in shock. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I need some time alone." He gathered up the picture of his aunt and Uncle and other pictures, walked over to Jupiter and climbed on and trotted off leaving Honey and Trixie standing there watching.

"I wish I knew what to do for Jim. If I'd have known the contents of that letter--" said Trixie.

"I know the feeling," said Honey. "I feel so helpless. I mean, to find out after all these years that your parents were murdered..." Troubled, the girls climbed on the horses and quietly headed back to Manor House.

"I have to go home and help Moms," Trixie told Honey, after finishing at the stable. "I don't know how I'm going to concentrate on canning tomatoes, what with worrying about Jim and this new mystery that has been thrown into my lap."

"After this kind of news, I really don't want to be alone this afternoon," Honey said, as the two girls left the stables. "If it's okay and Ms. Trask doesn't mind, I'd like to come over and help you and your mom can tomatoes. After what we've just read, that seems so normal and I need normalcy right now. I just wish Jim would come back from riding so that we would know he's all right."

"Oh Honey, I'd like nothing better than for you to come over. Of course I don't mind."

 

Chapter 3

"Moms, I'm home," Trixie said, banging the screen door as she and Honey walked in. She realized what Honey meant when she said something about normalcy. It was truly comforting to go home to the Farm, with it's fragrant kitchen and its cleanliness, and seeing her Mom, especially after the letter that she had read earlier. It was like a dark pall had been cast all around her, but it lifted when she walked through the door of Crabapple Farm. Moms came into the living room, wiping her hands on a pretty flowered apron.

"Hi, Mrs. Belden," said Honey. "I'm here to help can tomatoes."

"Well, hello, Honey," Mrs. Belden said. "It's always nice to have you, whether you help with the chores or not, but your help is very appreciated. Goodness Trixie, you look like you have been dipped in ashes, you're so dirty, you even have soot in your hair. Please go take a bath!"

"I am Moms. We were exploring the old remains of Ten Acres, Jim wanted to see if he could find some kind of memorabilia before Mr. Wheeler has the property cleared."

"Well, did you find anything?" She asked doubtfully. "Well, we actually did find some pictures of Jim when he was little and one old wedding photo of Mr. and Mrs. Frayne."

"Well, that's great," said Mrs. Belden. "Now, go upstairs and take a shower and change before we start the canning process."

Trixie quickly bathed and changed into a clean pair of light blue shorts and a white tank top. She pulled her wet hair back into a pony tail, all of this absentmindedly, since all she could think about was Jim and the contents of the letter.

"You boys can go ahead and take your swim now and you have the rest of the day free of chores," Moms told Brian and Mart as Trixie entered the kitchen. They expected Trixie to protest by saying "That's not fair." Or something like that, but Trixie never said a word. Her mind was on other things as she gathered the canning supplies together. "What's eating her?" Honey heard Brian ask as he and Mart headed upstairs to change to swim trunks. She didn't hear Mart's reply.

Trixie and Honey were both very quiet as they and Mrs. Belden worked on canning tomatoes and making catsup. Even to the point that Mrs. Belden noticed. "What's wrong with you girls?" She asked, looking at their faces concernedly. "Normally, no one can get a word in, you are so busy discussing first one thing after another."

"We're just thinking," said Trixie as she sealed a jar of tomatoes, while staring off into space. That's exactly what she was doing. She didn't know where to let her mind go first. She would think about Jim and wonder if he was okay. Then, she would think about Jonesy and the letter and wonder if this case was too old to be solved. They were almost finished canning when the phone rang in the kitchen and almost startled Trixie to the point that she nearly fell off the stool. "I'll get it,"  she told Moms.

"Trixie?" Said the voice on the other line.

"Jim,"  she replied, feeling relieved. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," he told her. "But, listen. I'm going away for a few days, I need some time to think."

"Where are you going?" She asked concernedly.

"I'm going to New York. Dad and Mother are staying at the apartment there, but they are both busy during the day, so I can be alone then. Also, I feel the need to be close to them right now. I can't even explain why. Tom is driving me into the city this evening. Dad will know what to do about this situation, because frankly, I haven't a clue. That is, if I decide to tell him. And, I haven't decided yet. I don't know what I'm going to do. There is so much to deal with. I might have an uncle and cousins out there for one thing, but I can't be excited about that, because of the other things I just found out. I just need some time to think."

"I understand Jim," Trixie replied, her voice quavering, because she was close to tears.

"Could I talk to Honey, please?" He asked.

"Sure," she said handing Honey the phone. "It's Jim." As soon as Trixie said that, she ran up the stairs to her room. She needed Jim to need her, but this time, he didn't. That's one reason she was crying. The other reason was for a petite blonde woman and a tall handsome red haired man who deserved so much more, but died in the prime of their life at the hands of a psycho. Tonight, Honey was spending the night and the two of them were going to read the other letters in the box. Perhaps these would shed some light on a mystery. "It is a mystery in a sense," Trixie acknowledged to herself. "But, I wish it didn't involve Jim."

 

Chapter 4

"Trixie, are you okay?" Honey asked from the doorway to her room.

"Yeah," Trixie said, sitting up and wiping off her red-rimmed eyes. "I just wish Jim didn't need to leave and I guess, I just wish he needed me."

"Oh Trixie, he does need you," Honey said as she rushed forward and sat on the bed beside Trixie. "I can understand why he wants to be near Moms and Daddy, I mean, to find out that kind of news after all these years..."

"I know Honey, I can understand too. I just wish things were different. And, normally, I love a mystery. But, with this one, I'm torn. I want to solve it. But, I think of Jim and the fact that we're talking about his parents, and it makes me unsure if I really want to."

"I know," said Honey. "I believe later on tonight when we read those letters though, we're going to understand a lot more. And, even though hearing whatever news we find out is going to be hard, I think Jim needs to know."

"If Moms doesn't mind Honey, why don't we go swimming, I feel like the cold water might clear my head." Moms was okay with them going to the lake, so the two girls headed for the lake.

They quickly changed clothes, since they kept their bathing suits down at the boathouse and dove in. Trixie and Honey had hoped that Brian and Mart would be down here, but they had evidently got out. Trixie aggressively jumped off the ramp and swam and swam, when she climbed out of the lake a while later, she felt energized by the swim, even though it was warm outside. "I'm starving," she told Honey. "It's been a long time since lunch. It's hard to believe that all in one days time, we explored what was left of the mansion, discovered this new information about Jim's family, canned tomatoes, Jim left town. I mean, it's been somewhat of a stressful day. I can't wait till dinner time, I wonder what we're having."

"I don't know, but I know whatever it is, it'll be delicious. Your mother's cooking always is."

Dinner preparations had already been started when the girls let themselves in the back door. "What's for dinner Moms?" Trixie asked as she and Honey entered the kitchen. "Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh corn on the cob, which the boys got from the garden this morning, fresh sliced tomatoes, green beans, also out of the garden and for desert, I made this chocolate desert, one I've never made before."

"I can't wait, I'm so hungry. I'll set the table."

"That's fine, Honey would you mind going upstairs and making sure Bobby has washed his hands and face and is ready for dinner. He doesn't protest as much if you get him to do those things," Moms said, as she lifted the lid off the green beans to stir them.

"Sure, Mrs. Belden, I'd love to," Honey replied as she headed up the stairs.

Dad came in the door as soon as Trixie had the table set and shortly after Brian and Mart came in. Honey politely made conversation all during dinner, but Trixie was very quiet, which caused her to get suspicious looks from the other members of her family.

After she and Honey finished with dishes, they ran upstairs to examine the contents of the box.

 

Chapter 5

It hadn't taken Jim long to get to the city and right now, he was planning on having dinner out with his parents. His mother had offered to cook for him and his father had jokingly reminded her that she couldn't boil water without burning it. Both of his adopted parents had noticed an intensity about Jim this afternoon when he had arrived and they knew something was wrong.

"I have a better idea, Matt," suggested Madeleine, looking at Jim, who she knew really didn't feel up to going out. "Why don't we order in?"

"Sure," said Matt as he picked up the phone. "What'll it be, pizza or Chinese take out?"

"Anything's okay with me, Dad," said Jim. "Let's order pizza, Matthew" Madeleine suggested as she sat down on the couch beside Jim.

After the pizza had been delivered and everyone had a slice, Matt sat down in the chair across from Jim. "Now, son," he said, with a look of concern in his eyes. "You want to tell us what's wrong?"

"Well, Dad" He said looking from one of his adopted parents to the other. "I have been debating with myself all evening. A part of me wants to forget about what I discovered this morning and another part just can't."

"Tell me about it," Matt said.

Jim then told his parents about the morning of exploring the mansion and about the letter he and the girls had read.

Matt looked grim and Madeleine had tears in her eyes as she put her arms around Jim and hugged him. The three sat quietly for a few moments. "I don't know what to do," Jim said. "I'm afraid if I pursue this, it may be like living through the deaths of my parents all over again. And I don't want to grieve anymore. Do you think maybe I should just forget about it?"

The three sat quietly for a moment before Madeleine spoke up. "Well, I for one think you should just destroy that letter and not open this situation up," she said, looking intently at Jim. "Why bring up something that's so painful and probably cannot be proven after all this time?"

"I disagree," said Matt Wheeler, an angry look on his face.

"I know you do, Matthew, and I can tell by the gleam in your eye that you aren't going to let go of this even if Jim wants you to," Madeleine replied, looking reproachfully at her husband.

"Well," said Matthew. "When I think that anyone would kill Winn Frayne, it makes me want to kill them. He was one of the nicest people I've ever met and one of my best friends in college. I know we lost touch over the years, but.....And, I have to live every day knowing what Jonesy put Jim through when Jim was forced to live with him.....But Jim, you're right. I don't want you to have to live through your parent's deaths all over again. I want you to let me handle the situation alone."

"How are you going to do that?" Jim asked.

"Well, I have a private detective friend who can find out anything for me. I'm going to give him a call in the morning and we'll see if he thinks there's a chance to put Earl and Jonesy away for good. But, in the meantime, I hope you know how much we care about you."

Madeleine nodded her agreement.

"I know," Jim replied. "I have felt very loved and wanted the whole time I've been with you and Mom."

"That's because you are loved and wanted. I never thought I could love any child as much as Honey, but I love you just as much. You are the son I always wanted," Madeleine told Jim.

"I feel the same way," Matt told him.

"Dad?" Jim asked.

"Yes, son?"

"Do you also think you could find out what may have happened to my Uncle Carl and his family?"

"Certainly," said Matt Wheeler. "But, I feel a little concerned. Connecticut is not that far away and he's never tried to contact you that we know of. And, it puzzles me that you have no memory of him. I guess what I'm saying is he may have some reason for never getting in touch with you."

"I know Dad," Jim replied, stretching wearily. "But, I have to try."

 

Chapter 6

Trixie and Honey were in Trixie's room preparing to go through the box. "You know," said Trixie, "this might be more comfortable at the kitchen table, that way, we can have cookies and milk while we search through this."

"I agree," Honey said. "But, what if Brian and Mart or your parents question us about what this is? I don't feel comfortable telling anyone anything, until Jim gives us permission too."

"Moms, Dad and Bobby are watching TV and Brian and Mart have gone over to visit Dan. So, I think we can be relatively undisturbed."

The two girls took the box and all of its contents downstairs and sat it on the kitchen table as Trixie poured two large glasses of milk. Honey took the oatmeal cookies out of the crock and placed them on a tray in the middle of the table and also gave herself and Trixie a napkin. 

"Let's get started," said Trixie.

The girls eagerly took the bottom contents of the box out as they began to pore over it's contents.

"Look at this, Trixie," Honey said, her eyes wide. There was an old, yellowed faded page cut out of a newspaper that talked about Jim's mother's death. "She died from mysterious causes and this article states that her husband died two years before with the same symptoms. Whatever this disease or virus is, it doesn't seem to be contagious." Honey read as she and Trixie looked at each other. "Just like Jim's mom said in the letter, this could cause symptoms that medical tests couldn't detect."

They continued to read the article and in it, the doctor spoke of the symptoms of a person growing thinner and thinner and becoming more and more malnourished and demented until finally their internal organs completely shut down. Whatever this mysterious illness is, it does not respond to antibiotics or normal standards of treatment. Katje and Winn Frayne are the only known diagnosed cases.

"Oh my gosh!" Trixie said. "Do you know who else had these same symptoms?"

"Who?" Honey asked looking at Trixie curiously. "Jim's great-uncle, old Mr. Frayne."

"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Honey exclaimed. "Everyone thought he was just old and senile, but maybe Jonesy had something to do with his death too!"

After thinking about that a moment, they looked through some more of the box contents. They found an old transcript written by a caseworker from family services of New York. The case worker recommended that Young James Winthrop Frayne III stay in the custody of his stepfather, because the stepfather had loved and cared for the young man since for a long time and because the elderly Mr. Frayne and his wife both seemed slightly demented and senile.

"Jonesy must have really put on an act for her," Honey said disgustedly. "Imagine leaving Jim with him, knowing how mean he was to Jim."

"I know," Trixie said sadly.

After closer examination, they found a diary that evidently had belonged to Jim's mother. "As curious as I am," Trixie said, holding up the small diary, "I don't feel like we should open it until Jim gives us permission."

"I agree," said Honey.

 

Chapter 7

The next day as Matt Wheeler left the apartment to see his detective friend, Jim insisted on going with him. The detective was located in a bad neighborhood in an old gray building with a set of iron steps up the side. After climbing the steps and stepping in an old metal door, Matt introduced Jim to the slightly older, pudgy man who sat behind an old gray metal desk. He had a young lady working in the adjoining office and her office looked even shabbier. Jim calmly told him the story of the letter he had found. The detective, whom his father introduced as Norm Harrell, listened intently.

"Well, I know you'd like to prove they murdered your parents and maybe have them prosecuted, and it's possible, because the statute of limitations on murder doesn't run out. On the other hand," Harrell said, leaning back in his chair and making the springs squeak, "we will have to have more than that letter to prove it. But, let's start at the bottom first. Let me find out if this Jonesy is out of prison and what may have happened to his brother Earl."

The detective then picked up the phone and dialed the prison upstate that Jim remembered Jonesy was in after his attempts on Juliana's life. After a brief conversation with a prison guard who was a friend of the detective's, he hung up the phone and said, "Jonesy got out on parole about two months ago. Now son, when you were growing up, do you recall ever seeing his brother Earl?"

"Vaguely," said Jim, a faraway look in his eyes. "I remember when he came over to the house, Mom always sent me to our neighbors house next door. For some reason, she never wanted me around him."

"I guess his name would've been Earl Jones?"

"Yeah, I would think so," said Jim.

"Let me run a check on him also and see what all I can find out. I'll get back with you tomorrow on all this. Also, I'll see if I can find your Uncle Carl and maybe you and he could meet"

"I'd like that," Jim replied smiling as he and Matt stood and shook hands with the detective.

 

The next afternoon, after Jim and his parents returned from a late lunch the phone in the apartment was ringing. Matt quickly unlocked the door and raced across the entrance room to answer it. It was his detective friend from yesterday. Madeleine and Jim stood listening as Matt talked to him.

When he hung up, he looked at Jim and said, "Your Uncle Carl is flying in from Connecticut. You're going to get to meet him!"

"Wow!" said Jim, hugging first his mother then Matt. "You don't know what this means to me. I thought the only blood relative I had in all the world was Juliana and now I find out I have an uncle and three cousins. I wonder if he's bringing them with him?"

"I don't know, son," Matthew said.  "All I know is that they're on the way."

Jim's Uncle Carl didn't resemble his mother at all. He was very tall, with dark hair, but Jim thought he saw a resemblance around the eyes. "How do you do," the man said nervously, shaking hands with Jim.

Jim felt disappointed to note that the man seemed like he really didn't want to be there and he kept looking nervously around him.

"Uh, it seems like Carl has some information for us," the detective said.

"First of all, Jim, I'd like to apologize for taking the cowards way out," Carl said, looking nervously at Jim. "I came tonight because I felt like I owed you an explanation for a lot of things, but after this meeting, unless Jones and his brother are locked away for good, you will never see me again. But, I felt like I owed you an explanation for why I never tried to find you or contact you and that's why I'm here."

"My two sisters Betje and Katje and I were young when your grandparents died leaving us all alone. We had trouble finding work and a way to support ourselves. Finally, I met Jones and he put me to work for his trucking company. I made better money than I had made anywhere else I had worked, but it still wasn't enough to support the three of us. Betje found a job working as a waitress and that brought in a little money, plus the owner would let her bring home some food, like an occasional loaf of bread, a few eggs, things like that, but the money she made was very meager. Jones needed a secretary and I told him about your mother. She was only eighteen at the time and had no work experience, but she picked up on the job quickly. The three of us, were able to support ourselves. Jones at the time was in his thirties, but he fancied himself in love with your mother. She wasn't even remotely interested in him and she was way too young for him. She wouldn't even date him. He would come to our little two room apartment and he and Betje didn't get along at all. Betje was very outspoken and she would tell him he was too old for Katje. I agreed, but I never said so, because I wanted to keep my job. Well, Betje met a man visiting from Holland at the restaurant where she worked and she married and moved away to Holland. Little Juliana was born ten months later."

"After Betje left, your mother would sometimes consider dating Jones just for security, but she would write to Betje about it and Betje would talk her out of it. Jones hated our sister Betje, he knew she was what stood in the way of him and Katje, or at least he thought she was. Anyway, Betje and her husband were about to move back to the states and Katje was ecstatic. Jonesy knew he'd never have a chance with her if Betje came home. Jones brother Earl took an airplane trip to while he was gone, Betje and her husband's car run off in a canal and they were killed. The law didn't believe it was an accident, at the time, because the car was tampered with but, they had no suspects and no motives. But, Betje had confided in me, before she moved to Holland that she believed Jonesy was dangerous and she believed her life might be in danger if she stayed. We believed she was safe in Holland. We never told your mother we believed he was dangerous though. Your mother had met your father and was about to get married, so she considered taking our niece Juliana. I persuaded your mother not to take Juliana, because I knew this could place her life in danger, even though I wasn't a hundred percent sure that Jones had her killed. I never told Katje I suspected Jonesy, but I did convince her that Juliana would be better off raised elsewhere. Katje was heartbroken, to lose her sister and then to not be able to raise her niece."

"Anyway," he said, leaning back with a long weary sigh. "I finally found another job, Katje left working for Jones and Winn and Katje married and had you. Katje and I remained very close and we both moved on. I found a job in Connecticut and your mother went to work in a little clothing factory. Several years later, Jones showed up in her life again. He began to come visit Katje and Winn. Katje didn't really want him around, and even though I never told her, I suspected that he and Earl had something to do with Betje and her husbands death, but I couldn't prove it and I was by now afraid of him and I was afraid for her. I tried to talk to Winn, but he insisted on being hospitable to him though, he felt sorry for him, said he seemed lonely. Winn was a really compassionate guy."

"It was shortly after that that Winn started becoming ill. I never had the money to come visit, but your mother would write me letters and call me. She said he wouldn't eat right, he lost weight, he started acting crazy. The doctors ran all kinds of tests and could find nothing wrong. I didn't suspect Jones of trying to kill Winn, but I knew he was so obsessed with Katje and I urged her to get herself and Winn away from him. She didn't like Jones, but she refused to believe he was dangerous. After Winn died, Jonesy began to really pressure Katje to marry him. She was so worried about money and everything else. I made a special trip to visit her and begged her not to marry him and he overheard me. He later caught me alone and told me that he would allow no one, not even a child to come between he and Katje. I knew he meant that as a threat and became more convinced than ever that he was dangerous. When I left to drive back to Connecticut, someone had tampered with the brakes on my car and I had a wreck. I felt lucky to have come out alive."

"After she had been married to him awhile, Katje began to see he was dangerous and she had begun to be sick too, just like Winn. by this time I had gotten married and had one daughter. I begged your mother to come live with us, but she said he'd just come and find her and that might put our lives in danger.  I then moved to another town in Connecticut and she told me after that not to try to contact her anymore, because she didn't want Jones to know where I was and she told me she was going to get your great Uncle and Aunt to take guardianship of you to get you away from Jones. That was the last time I talked to her. She died a few months later."

"Jim, until those two men, Jones and his brother are behind bars or dead, this is the last time I'll ever see you. Please don't try to contact me and my family until that is resolved one way or another. I believe if Jones knew where I lived right now, he would show up and try to murder me and my family, simply because I opposed him years ago when I didn't want your mother to marry him, that's how obsessed he is."

Jim listened to all this quietly and thoughtfully. "I'm sorry Uncle Carl. I wish things didn't have to be that way," he said sadly. "But, I understand. I know first hand what kind of treachery Jonesy is capable of."

 

Chapter 8

"That was Dad on the phone, Trixie," Honey said as she looked at Trixie seriously, not sure how to break the news to her. She and Trixie were over at the Manor House getting Honey some clothes, because Honey was going to stay with Trixie for a few days. "Jim has gone to Holland for awhile."

"What?" Trixie said, sitting down really hard on the bed. "Why?"

"Well, all Daddy would say is that Jim has met his Uncle Carl, he learned even more information and it was very hard on him and he needed to get away for awhile. He's gone to see Juliana and Hans."

"How long will he be gone?" Trixie asked mournfully.

"Indefinitely," she replied. "Daddy's detective is seeing if there's enough information to get a murder charge on Jonesy and his brother and seeing what all he can find out and for Jim's safety, Daddy felt like he should leave and also, Jim wanted to go."

"Well" said Trixie stoically. "I'm going to miss him. But this frees me to see if I can prove that Jones and his brother murdered Jim's parents. I believe that once that is taken care of, Jim will be back."

"Uh, Trix," Honey said, as Trixie helped fold Honey's clothes into her suitcase. "Daddy said for us not to become involved."

"Well, our parents have told us that before,"Trixie said smiling.

"Oh no," Honey said resignedly as they left the room.

Trixie had made up her mind that she was going to be strong in Jim's absence and she was still going to live life and be happy. She loved him and all of this hurt. First of all that he didn't seem to need her right now and second, he didn't even bother to say goodbye. But, she was just going to try to solve this mystery and have some summer fun. She decided to begin that night. "Honey. Let's go into Sleepyside and see a movie," she suggested. "We haven't done that in awhile."

"You're right," Honey replied thoughtfully. "We haven't been at all this summer. Why don't we see if Diana would like to go? Make it a girls night out."

"That would be fun. How are we going to get there?"

It was decided that Mart would drop them off and later on, he and Brian would meet them at Wimpy's for a late meal. Mrs. Belden was delighted with the idea, because that meant she didn't have to cook. She had Mr. Belden bring take out home for the two of them and Bobby.

There weren't many people at the theatre that night as Diana, Trixie and Honey purchased popcorn and drinks and found their seats. In fact, there was only a couple of other people in the auditorium. The three girls laughed and talked but they quieted down when the movie began. Trixie felt, rather than heard someone sit down in the seat right behind the girls. Diana casually turned around to glimpse who it was. "Don't look now, but there's a major babe right behind you. He's probably old enough to be our father, but he still looks good."

"Oh you" Honey said to her. Of course, the girls didn't turn around, but the guy became more and more annoying. He would laugh really loud, even when the movie wasn't funny. He kept kicking the back of Trixie's seat.

"Let's move" Trixie whispered to the others.

The three girls got up and moved to another seat, but he got out of his seat and followed them.  "The movie is almost over and we pretty well know what's going to happen, so let's get out of here," Honey suggested to the others. They gathered up their belongings and left.

"Are we walking to Wimpy's?" Diana asked.

"How else did you think we would go?" Honey said smiling.

"Well, that creepy guy was in the theatre and I guess I feel a little funny about it."

"Oh, we'll be fine," Trixie said as they headed across the street. "That guy was just really trying to annoy us for some reason. Maybe that's the way he thinks you're supposed to meet girls."

Some of the street was dark that the girls had to go to to get to Wimpy's. And it was on one of these dark and deserted stretches that a big black sedan pulled up to the three girls. "Pardon me," said the man as he put down his window. "But would you three young ladies like a ride? It might not be totally safe out here at night all alone."

The girls turned to see the man from the theatre.

He was deceptively handsome, Trixie noticed. He was a big guy and even with his immaculate clothes, he looked muscular. When he smiled, he had a charming allure about him and Trixie imagined many women had fallen for this man in his life.

"No, thank you," Trixie said coldly but politely.

"Oh come on now,"  he said, "Just let me get you to your destination."

"We said no thanks," said Honey in that icy voice that Trixie had only heard her use a couple of other times. Diana just looked straight ahead and kept walking.

"Well, since you're too stupid to just willingly accept a ride, I guess I'll just have to force the issue," he said, as he put the car in park and jumped out catching Trixie and Honey both by surprise when he grabbed them by their arms.

"Help!" Honey yelled.

"Run Diana!" Trixie yelled.

"Oh no, you don't!" said the man. "I have a gun."

Diana had started to run but when he said that she turned around. "All three of you are coming with me like the nice little girls that you are," he told them, reaching into his pocket.

Just then, to Trixie's relief, Spider Webster's patrol car came around the corner. The man quickly jumped in his car and left.

"Don't say anything to Spider about what just happened," Trixie warned.

"Why?" asked Diana incredulously.

"Because he will feel that he has to tell Moms and she will never let us leave the house at night again," Trixie told them.

The girls hurried to Wimpy's to meet the boys.  They told Brian, Mart, and Dan about the strange man.  They, of course, were furious. After eating, the group loaded up in the Bob-White wagon and rode around trying to see if they could spot the black sedan, but they never did. The incident was forgotten until quite some time later.

To Be Continued

TBH Main