Chapter 11
7.30pm. Thursday, October 28th
Crabapple FarmMiss Trask’s voice was puzzled as she replied, "Why, no, Trixie. When did she leave your house?"
Trixie stifled a cry of fear. She had returned twenty minutes ago. There was no way Honey could have taken so long to walk back to the Manor House. Trixie felt her world begin to spin around her--she was vaguely aware that Miss Trask was still on the other end of the line, questioning her, yet she was unable to form any words. Images of Honey in the kidnapper's hands danced in her mind – presenting possibilities that were at best still too horrible to imagine.
Half an hour earlier….
Honey hugged Trixie and hurried up the path to catch up with Adrianna. As she walked she tried to sort through the tumultuous emotions that were rushing through her.
What have we gotten ourselves into? These men are dangerous; they’ve already made one attempt on Trixie’s life! Surely we should tell Sergeant Molinson, this is way out of our league now. But what of Trixie, what if she still doesn’t agree? Should we wait?
Honey sighed with frustration. Looking up, she saw Adrianna waiting for her at the junction that led to Manor House and the town respectively. Seeing Adrianna, she quickened her pace, a smile plastered on her face.
"Hi! Sorry you had to wait. I just needed to check something with Trix."
Adrianna smiled warmly. "That’s alright. I had better go though; my mom will be waiting for me. Keep me updated of what you guys will do next. Good luck!"
Thus said, Adrianna set off on the road to the town centre. Honey stood for a while at the junction, lost in thought. A gust of wind swept past her. She shivered, noticing for the first time how cold she felt. She reached out to pull her jacket closer around her and stopped short with surprise. Her jacket!
Honey smacked her head lightly. She must have left her jacket at the Beldens' by accident. Making a quick decision, she turned back and headed off to Crabapple Farm at a quick trot.
Rounding the bend, Honey stopped short in horror. Not 500 meters away from her, a man stood with one hand clamped tightly on Trixie’s mouth. His other arm was wrapped tightly around her waist. Although his head was turned away from her, Honey had a sinking feeling that the man was one of the kidnappers.
Moving by sheer instinct alone, Honey hid behind a clump of bushes as she watched the scene unfold. Her heart was thumping so loudly that she wondered that the kidnapper had not heard her. Her fists were clenched tightly as she reined in the urge to run out and help Trixie.
Think Honey, think! You can’t afford to make any stupid mistakes by running out now – he could be armed for all you know! Plus, any sudden movement on your part could put Trixie in further danger.
Time seemed to stand still. Watching the scene before her, Honey was overwhelmed by the helplessness she felt, along with a growing sense of anger at the kidnapper for putting her loved ones in danger.
It seemed as though hours had passed by before the kidnapper suddenly released Trixie. Honey gave a shaky sigh of relief as Trixie sped off back home. Turning her attention to the kidnapper she eyed him intently, hoping that he would turn around and face her. The kidnapper however moved silently off the road into the forest.
Honey paused for a split second, torn between worry for Trixie and her growing desire to find out who the kidnapper was and where he was headed. Her indecision did not last long however. Rising from her hiding place she quickly moved into the forest, trailing the unknown man. Her jaw was set and her eyes were flashing with an unusual burst of anger. The hunter would now become the object of the hunt.
End of Chapter Eleven written by Cheryl.
Note: I’m so excited to be able to be a part of this project! I’m sorry it’s rather short – I’ve been tied up at school this whole week. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter – I had lots of fun writing Honey’s change of role towards the end. Good luck to the next writer
Chapter 12
Honey had just reached the edge of the forest when she was grabbed and a hand was clamped over her mouth.
Oh no! How could I be so stupid? What was I thinking running after these men?
"How could you be so stupid to run after those men?" whispered a familiar voice.
Honey sighed and turned around as Dan let her go. The men were by this time out of sight.
"What are you doing out here, Dan?"
"I think the question is what are you doing out here?"
Honey hurriedly told Dan what she had just seen. "We just have to follow those men and find out where they are going before we lose them."
"We’re not following anyone. Jim and Brian would kill me if I let you follow those men and you ended up getting hurt. The only place you are going is home."
"You never told me what you were doing out in the woods," said Honey.
"I was out checking the feeding stations Mr. Maypenny has set up and I noticed a car parked on your father’s property but nobody was around. I decided to look into the car to see if there was any identification as to who the car belonged to. It was locked up and I couldn’t get in, so I decided to walk around and see if I could find anyone. I had just gotten to the edge of the woods when I saw two men come running towards the woods. I decided to hide and follow them until I saw you running after them. They certainly didn’t look like the types you should get mixed up with."
"I know, I know. I guess some of Trixie has rubbed off on me. Running after those men is just what Trixie would have done."
"Well, why don’t I walk you home so I can make sure you’re safe."
As Dan and Honey walked toward the Manor House, Honey updated Dan on the latest information regarding the men in the picture. When they reached the Manor House, Miss Trask and Regan were waiting for her and she could tell by their expressions that they were worried.
"Where have you been?"questioned Miss Trask. "Trixie called to talk to you and since I thought you were at Trixie’s house, naturally I became worried. Regan was just getting ready to go out and look for you."
"Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Trask," Honey said while giving Dan a pleading look to go along with her story. "Dan was out taking a walk and I ran into him. We talked for a few minutes and then he decided to walk me home."
"Well, I’m just glad you’re safe. You better call Trixie. She sounded worried when I said you weren’t here."
"Dan, why don’t you stay for a snack while I call Trixie," Honey said as she headed for the phone.
"OK. I want to make sure she’s all right anyway."
"Honey, is that you?" Trixie shouted into the phone after picking it up on the first ring.
"Yeah, its me. I forgot my jacket and when I came back to get it I saw what happened to you. I decided to follow the men but Dan saw me and stopped me. Are you OK?"
"I’ll be fine," Trixie said,"but are you crazy? Those men are dangerous."
"Look who’s talking. Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing."
"OK, you got me there. I’m glad Dan stopped you anyway. Just what was Dan doing out there anyway?" Trixie asked.
Honey relayed Dan’s story to Trixie.
"Mart heard me crying when I ran in to the house and I told him what happened. The strangest thing happened. Mart noticed something shiny around my mouth where the kidnapper grabbed me. I don’t know what it was, but I’m very suspicious. I wiped my face carefully with a towel to get it off. Maybe we can have the shiny stuff tested to see what it is. The only problem with that is that it means we have to let Molinson in on what has been going on. Mart thinks I should talk to him but that’s the last thing I want to do."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m beat. Let’s talk about it tomorrow on the way to school and we can decide then whether to talk to Molinson or not. I’ll get Dan’s opinion before he goes home tonight. I’m glad you’re OK."
"Same to you. See you tomorrow."
After Honey hung up she told Dan about the shiny stuff on Trixie’s face.
"That’s strange," said Dan. "While you were talking to Trixie I noticed there was something shiny on my hands."
End of Chapter Twelve written by Emily.
Chapter 13
7:45 p.m., Thursday, October 28th
Manor House"That’s strange," said Dan. "While you were talking to Trixie I noticed there was something shiny on my hands."
"What?" Honey grabbed his hands and examined them. Sure enough, there was a light dusting of a metallic substance on the bottom of his hands.
"It’s some kind of powder."
"Come here." Honey led him down the hall and into the kitchen. Once inside, she began to rifle through the drawers and cabinets.
"What are you doing?"
"I’m looking for a plastic bag. We need to get a sample of the stuff on your hands, so we can show it to Sergeant Molinson. Trixie is saving the towel she used to wipe it off her face. This way, the police can test both samples." Honey opened the pantry cupboard. "Here they are!"
"You don’t spend much time in this part of the house, do you?" Dan teased.
Honey grinned. "The cook would have my head on a platter if I dared to step foot into his kitchen. He’s almost as bad as Regan is about the horses."
"I didn’t think anyone else could be as bad as Uncle Bill."
"Neither did I." Both of them laughed.
Honey swiped one of the clear plastic baggies from the carton, and held it underneath his hands as he brushed the powdery substance into the bag. While he washed his hands, Honey asked him if he thought they should report the men they saw in the woods to the police. She left out the part about Trixie knowing the kidnappers identity.
"Of course you should tell the police!" Dan shook the excess water from his hands and tore off a piece of paper towel to dry them. "If someone is threatening to hurt Trixie, why would you even question going to them?"
"I know we should, but can you blame Trixie for not wanting to? They told her not to tell anyone that she knew who kidnapped her, or they would kill her! I don’t –"
"Whoa, wait a minute," Dan demanded, "Trixie knows who her kidnappers are? When did she find out? When did they threaten to kill her?" His eyes narrowed as he studied her. "What is going on?"
Honey winced as she realized that she had blown Trixie’s secret. Too late now, she thought, Better tell him everything.
She filled Dan in on Laundering Larry, Stubby Simmons, and their money-laundering scheme that was busted. She also told him that they were the ones who orchestrated Trixie’s kidnapping yesterday.
"That’s it," Dan said, "We’re not waiting until tomorrow afternoon. I’m going to pick you girls up tomorrow morning and we’ll stop by the police station before school starts. I know she would rather keep this mystery to herself, but she’s in serious danger right now. Molinson has to be told."
Honey nodded her agreement. "I’ll go call Trixie."
7:20 a.m., Friday, October 28th
Sleepyside Police StationTrixie, Honey and Dan sat on the bench outside of Sergeant Molinson’s office. A paper sack sat by Trixie’s feet. Inside were the plastic baggie and the towel containing the shiny powder.
The door to Sergeant Molinson’s office opened and Officer Malone walked out. He stopped in front of the teenagers. "The Sergeant’s ready to talk to you now."
"Thanks," said Dan, then stood up and turned to the others. "You coming?"
"No."
"Trixie…"
"I’m joking." She said, then thought a moment. "Maybe."
Dan grinned and stepped aside, allowing her to go first. Trixie shot him a withering glance, then walked into the office, straight into the piercing gaze of Sergeant Molinson.
Yippee. Here we go again.
"Well, well, Miss Belden. It’s been far too long since we last saw you around here. What kept you away?"
Maybe I could make a run for it. She peeked at the door. Nope, Dan’s standing guard. I’d never get by him. Better just get this over with.
Trixie dropped the paper sack on Sergeant Molinson’s desk.
"What is this?"
Trixie proceeded to tell the Sergeant about the kidnapping attempt, the subsequent attack by Stubby Simmons and the threat he made to her, and the powder that had rubbed off on her skin when Simmons grabbed her. Honey and Dan then told the Sergeant what they had seen that night.
"I’ll get this to the lab right away. We should have the results back this afternoon." He turned to Trixie. "We’ll have an officer patrol the area around your house every hour. Should anything else happen, I want you to contact me right away. Do not go after these men on your own, understand?"
11:30 a.m., Friday, October 29th
Sleepyside Junior-Senior High SchoolThe door to the girl’s locker room swung open and a throng of sweaty girls in gym outfits piled into the locker room. Trixie and Honey straggled in behind the mass, and trudged to their lockers.
"How’s your head feeling, Trixie? Any bumps or bruises?"
"I’m fine. Please stop asking me that."
"I can’t believe you didn’t see Carol pass the basketball. You know, that was a pretty good move, though I usually don’t recommend trying to block a pass with your head. You must have been a thousand miles away not to see that ball coming straight at you."
Trixie gently rubbed the spot where the ball and her head had made contact. "No, just a couple of miles away in a certain police station, waiting to find out the results of some lab tests."
Honey smiled, and opened her locker. "Well, obviously the basketball didn’t do too much harm to your brain. Now, if you had started discussing your views on the return of bellbottom pants, then I would be worried."
Trixie collapsed on the wooden bench by her locker, untied her tennis shoes and threw them on the floor. "I can’t do it, Honey. I can’t wait any longer! What do you say we charm Dan into taking us back to the station after school?"
"You’re willing to face the Sergeant twice in one day?"
Trixie grinned. "Won’t he be thrilled to see me again!"
3:45 p.m., Friday, October 29th
Sleepyside Police StationTrixie and Honey stood at the foot of the front steps leading to the police station entrance. Dan had agreed to pick them up after grabbing a book from the Sleepyside Library, which would give them about 15 minutes to convince the Sergeant to tell them the lab results. The girls walked up the steps and into the station. Sergeant Molinson’s office was visible from the lobby. It was empty.
"Oh great," Trixie muttered. "We come all this way and he’s not even here. Figures."
Honey giggled. "Trixie, you really do jump to conclusions sometimes. Maybe he’s just in a different part of the station. Let’s go ask."
Before they could do just that, they heard a voice call out, "Miss Belden!"
They turned to see the Sergeant striding towards them. "Good. I was hoping you’d stop by. Why don’t we go to my office and talk."
He wants to see me?
Trixie was stunned. She glanced at Honey, who looked just as surprised. Nervously they followed the Sergeant into his office.
"Please, sit down." He motioned them to the two chairs in front of his desk. He picked up a file from his desk and opened it. "I received the report from the lab an hour ago."
Trixie couldn’t contain her raging curiosity. "Sir, can you tell us what the results are?"
"That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I felt that since you were exposed to the substance, you had a right to know."
That sounds bad. That sounds very bad.
Trixie tried not to panic. Surely it couldn’t be that serious? After all, he’d had the report for an hour. Wouldn’t he have called her right away if it were important? A quick look at Honey confirmed that she was experiencing the same inner turmoil.
"Turns out it was aluminum powder. It’s an odorless powder silvery in appearance." He gave her a reassuring look. "You shouldn’t experience any problems. There are no studies indicating that short-term exposure produces any harmful effects. Only long-term exposure is shown to have adverse health effects. High concentrations of the powder have been known to cause temporary, but mild, irritation and coughing. However, the amount that was recovered from you and Dan Mangan was quite small, so you needn’t worry."
Trixie’s mind nearly exploded with all the questions bombarding her. "What is aluminum powder used for? And will this information help catch my kidnappers?"
She noticed a slight, almost imperceptible, change in his demeanor. He seemed to stiffen, then turned his attention from the girls, to the report.
"The use of aluminum powder is quite widespread. Paint, printing ink, automobiles, electronics, and batteries all contain it. A lot of other things do, as well."
Trixie watched the Sergeant closely as he spoke. She could swear he wasn’t telling her everything. Something just doesn’t feel right. I think he’s hiding something.
Sergeant Molinson closed the file, then stood up and walked to the door. "If your parents have any questions, have them call me. I understand this could be very worrying for them. Thank you for stopping by."
He hastily ushered them out of his office so that they didn’t have a chance to question him further.
4:20 p.m., Friday, October 29th
Manor HouseOn their way back home, Trixie and Honey told Dan what Sergeant Molinson told them. He was relieved to hear that there would be no harmful side effects from the aluminum powder and that there would an increased police presence in the neighborhood. When they reached Manor House, he dropped off both girls and returned the station wagon to the clubhouse before walking home.
The girls ran into Miss Trask as soon as they entered the mansion. After spending a few minutes reassuring her that Trixie had recovered from her frightening experience, they went to Honey’s bedroom.
Trixie sat cross-legged on the office chair by the computer desk, while Honey flopped down on her bed. "I’m so glad that this stuff isn’t dangerous, Trix. I mean, think about it! What if that had been more toxic? Who knows what could have happened to you and Dan?" She shuddered.
"He didn’t say it wasn’t dangerous, Honey. As a matter of fact, he didn’t say much about it at all." Trixie chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "Did you notice how he acted when I asked him what it was used for? He just brushed off my question with some vague answer, then kicked us out of his office!"
"It wasn’t that vague. Besides, just how dangerous can this stuff really be? I mean, we drink pop out of aluminum cans and use foil made out of aluminum."
Trixie shrugged.
"Why do you think he’s hiding something?" Honey asked.
"I‘m not sure, but I do intend to find out more about this stuff. What do you say we do a little surfing?"
Honey grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the computer desk. Trixie turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up, then double-clicked on the Internet icon. A window popped up, asking for the username and password. Trixie already knew Honey’s username, so she typed it in. "What’s your password?"
Honey lunged for the keyboard. "I’ll type it in."
"Just tell me and I’ll do it."
"Let me do it!" Honey demanded.
Trixie’s curiosity got the best of her when saw Honey’s face was flushed bright red. She snatched the keyboard and held it away from her. "Oh no, you don’t. I want to know why you’re too embarrassed to tell me your password!"
"Give me that!"
They struggled for a moment until Honey finally gave up and yelled, "BRIAN!"
Surprised, Trixie dropped the keyboard and turned around, expecting to see her brother standing in the doorway of the room, but no one was there. She turned back to Honey with a puzzled look on her face, only to find the golden-haired girl twice as red as before.
Then it hit her.
"That’s your password?" A gurgle of laughter escaped from Trixie and she clapped her hand over her mouth in a desperate attempt to keep from giggling. Unable to control herself, she erupted into gales of laughter so hard that she nearly fell off the chair.
Honey reached for the keyboard, typed in the password and hit the connect button, then waited impatiently for Trixie to stop laughing.
One hour later…
Trixie and Honey were still in front of the computer, but neither girl was laughing any more.
Honey leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh. "Well, Molinson was right about what aluminum powder is used for. He just neglected to mention a few of the more serious uses."
Trixie snorted. "You can say that again."
"Look, maybe we’re being paranoid. We have no proof that this is what they’re planning." Honey pointed to the screen. "Sergeant Molinson said that this is also used in paint. Maybe that’s how Stubby Simmons got it on his hands."
"Yeah, Honey, that’s it! Maybe the big plans old Larry mentioned for the Festival tomorrow include a float celebrating his stay in jail. You know, I bet Stubby has been so busy painting the float that he plum forgot to wash his hands before attacking me and threatening my life!"
"Excuse me! I’m just trying to be a little rational here and not jump to conclusions."
"I’m sorry. It’s just…" Trixie bit her lip to keep the tears that were forming in her eyes from falling. "I’m scared Honey. Really scared. We don’t know what Larry and Stubby are planning. What if they’re targeting the people who helped put them in jail? My father works for the bank that exposed their money laundering ring."
Honey gasped. "Oh my God, Trixie. I’m so sorry! I didn’t even think of that!" She wrapped her arms around her best friend and held her.
Wiping a stray tear from her cheek, Trixie smiled wanly. "Well, this isn’t getting us anywhere."
"We are going to figure this out, and stop those creeps before they hurt anyone else, I promise you that," Honey said, her voice hard and determined. No way was she going to let anyone harm Trixie or her father.
Both girls looked again at the computer monitor. On the screen was a web page containing information about various substances used for bombs and explosives. Aluminum powder was high on the list.
End of Chapter Thirteen written by Jewels.
Author’s Note: The mystery of the shiny stuff has been solved! I can hardly wait to see where the next writer goes from here. I tried my best to make sure that the information regarding the aluminum powder was factual, but I am most definitely not a scientist, so please forgive any mistakes. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Good luck to the next writer! I hope you have as much fun as I did!
Chapter 14
5 p.m. Friday, October 29th
Sleepyside Police StationSergeant Molinson half-heartedly straightened the files and papers on his desk. He should be on his way home to Sportscenter, a beer and his cat. Instead, he was still sitting at his desk contemplating his latest doings with the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency.
First, Trixie had brought in that box of worthless coins she had found sitting on the bench. Then she’d been kidnapped and the other Bob-Whites had been bound and gagged in their clubhouse. After those events, Molinson had been expecting more adventures, going on past experience with Trixie and her friends. However, he had not expected the later information that Trixie had brought him.
The silvery residue Mart had found on her face after the latest threat on her life had brought her once again to the station. He had to give her credit; for once, she was working with the police, not trying to do everything on her own.
Molinson hoped that after the explanation he had given her on the uses aluminum powder that afternoon she would let the whole thing drop. He had purposely left out a few of the uses of the powder, so that she wouldn’t jump to too many conclusions. Knowing her and Honey, that was probably a wasted effort. The minute they had gotten home they had probably logged on to the Internet to do their own research. By now, they probably already knew that aluminum powder was a main component in explosives and bombs.
If Trixie had not been able to identify the men that were involved in her latest case, Molinson wouldn’t have been quite so worried. In fact, he’d be at home in his recliner with the remote and a beer, relaxing before the big Harvest Festival. But the identity of those men added to the other clues, had him still at the station trying to put pieces together.
"Laundering" Larry Jones and Stubby Simmons had vowed revenge on the town of Sleepyside when their money laundering organization and drug trafficking had been uncovered. They both had received long sentences for their crimes.
Earlier that morning, after Trixie, Honey and Dan had brought in the picture of the two men; Molinson had placed a call to the maximum security facility where the two men had been held. He discovered that the two men had been prematurely released on parole two weeks earlier. The officials at the prison were furious with the mistake. It appeared that someone from the outside had hacked into the prison’s computer system and changed their records.
Those facts were enough to concern the sergeant. Add to that Stubby Simmons unusual "hobby" of explosives and the aluminum powder being found in places where he had recently been and Molinson was beginning to wish that he were on vacation.
And tomorrow was the First-Annual Harvest Festival, complete with carnival, midway and parade. Most of the population of Sleepyside would be lining Main Street at 1 p.m. tomorrow to watch the floats and bands march by. It could prove to be a perfect opportunity to carry out a plan for revenge.
6 p.m. Friday, October 29th
Manor House"Trix, I don’t know exactly what this could mean, but I don’t think that it can be good." Honey’s forehead was wrinkled in concern as she stared at the computer screen.
"What is it Honey?" Trixie looked up from the print-outs that she had been reading about aluminum powder and it’s many uses. "You know, I can’t believe that this stuff is available for anyone to read that has Internet access. This is a recipe for a perfect bomb. No wonder Scully and Mulder have so many crazies to deal with."
"Don’t worry about Scully and Mulder and their problems now, we have enough of our own. Read this…"
‘This’ was a newspaper article from the New York Times about the money laundering scandal a few years back. Trixie’s father was quoted in the report, but that wasn't what Honey had highlighted. It was a single sentence near the end that had caught her attention.
"Stubby Simmons is a Vietnam veteran where he served in the explosives unit of the U.S. Army."
When Trixie had finished reading that sentence, Honey highlighted another section that was a quote from the two men, "We will have our revenge on the community that trapped us and ruined us. You will get yours, Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson!"
Evening of Friday, October 29th
Undisclosed Location
Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson"Here’s a map of the parade route. See where all the red flags are? Those are the locations where our little ‘packages’ will be placed with such great care." Stubby Simmons rubbed his hands together with evil glee as a wicked grin broke across his face.
Two of the three men sitting with him at the rickety table stared at him blankly. This didn’t sound like the plan that they had been told about. "Excuse me, Mr. Stubby, sir, packages? I thought we were going to put bombs at a lot of places in the town."
Before Stubby could respond, the third man growled, "That’s exactly what we are doing, idiots! ‘Packages’ is a euphemism for the bombs!" "Laundering" Larry Jones’ shock of iron gray hair made him look much older than his actual age as he pounded on the table to get the attention of the three men.
He stabbed a finger at the marked places on the map spread out on the table. "Sleepyside First National Bank, Town Hall, Police Station, carnival, the parade judges’ stand. That about covers all of the areas that will receive ‘packages.’" Larry leaned back in his chair. Finally, revenge on the town that had brought his world down around his ears. Oh, it would be sweet. If only he didn’t have that nagging worry in the back of his mind about that pint-size blond gumshoe. Had Stubby’s attack the night before been enough to frighten her off the case? How much would she figure out? Maybe not a whole lot…but then she was Pete Belden’s kid and he was a smart man. He had played a mighty role in the closure of the laundering organization. Stubby had a plan that could take care of that…
Stubby picked up a red marker and gently placed it on a location on the outside of the Sleepyside city limits. "And our last recipient of a special ‘package’, Crabapple Farm."
End of Chapter Fourteen written by bethlorr.
Chapter 15
8:30 p.m. Friday night
Manor HouseTrixie closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Only a week ago she had been looking forward to the Harvest Festival with great anticipation. After all, the BWGs would be all together for a day packed with activities, topped off with a night of dancing under the stars. She’d never had a bad time at a dance, especially when Jim happened to be there. But now, she had to admit, now she was looking forward to the festival with something more akin to dread than excitement.
"Brian said he and Jim would be late getting in tonight, Honey. My brain is so scrambled right now I honestly can’t think what we should do. I think I’m going to go home and crash. Call me when you wake up tomorrow—I’ll be up early."
Honey nodded at her friend, and Trixie could see that Honey was just as worried as she was. She started to walk out of Honey’s bedroom, then turned on her heel and came back in. "Let’s call Sgt. Molinson and leave him a voice mail. He’ll think we’re nuts, but otherwise I may go nuts," Trixie said with a sigh.
Honey punched in the number to Sgt. Molinson’s direct line and handed the phone to Trixie.
Trixie arched her eyebrows when Molinson answered the phone. "I, er, uh, good evening Sgt. Molinson. It’s Trixie Belden. I didn’t expect you to still be in the office, sir."
Honey watched as Trixie blushed and nodded her head. "We, that is, Honey Wheeler and I, don’t want to bother you, but we’re awfully afraid that that Jones and Simmons guys are working on a bomb of some sorts to disrupt the festival tomorrow, and well, with everyone planning to be downtown for the parade, well, I just can’t forget the Memorial Day explosion and fire a couple of years ago...Um, yes, sir, we looked uses for aluminum powder up on the Internet...Yes, I see... Well that sounds great...Yes. And, um, thanks for not being mad at me for calling...Yes. Good night to you, too."
Trixie handed the phone back to Honey and let out a loud breath. "Well. That’s a relief. He wasn’t mad at all. Well, he did make a couple of sarcastic comments but he actually complimented us on realizing that tomorrow would be a likely day for these goons to plot their revenge. He said he’s in late because he just arranged to borrow the White Plains police force’s K-9 unit. I guess their dogs are trained to sniff for bombs and he’ll have them check the midway and parade route throughout the day tomorrow. A special tactical unit from White Plains will be in town all day as well. Jeepers, Honey, I may sleep well after all!"
"Mmmm, now I’ll be free to have sweet dreams instead of nightmares," Honey agreed.
"I don’t suppose those sweet dreams will include a certain dark-haired brother of mine, by any chance?" Trixie teased.
Honey tossed her pillow at Trixie, who caught it easily and threw it back. With a cheerful wave she once again turned to leave Honey’s room.
Saturday dawned crisp and clear, a perfect fall day. The leaves on the trees were brilliant with golden and red hues and the clear skies held promise of a real harvest moon for the dance that night, and maybe, just maybe, there’ll be dancing after all, Trixie thought with anticipation as she showered and dressed.
She went downstairs where she found Brian and Mart sharing the morning paper over bowls of cereal.
"Brian! I never even heard you come in last night. You must be exhausted!" she exclaimed.
Brian chuckled. "Actually we got away earlier than expected. Jim and I were hoping to get the crew together for a late night Wimpy’s run when we got in, but apparently the Sleepyside contingent of BWGs doesn’t stay up as late as it used to. You were snoring when I looked in your room at 9:30!"
"I guess I thought I needed my beauty rest," Trixie said ruefully. "But I wish you’d waken me. We didn’t expect you ’til midnight."
Since they were the only three in the kitchen for the moment, Trixie lowered her voice and filled her brothers in on the latest developments.
Mart whistled softly. "That K-9 unit is just the thing. Smart of Molinson to arrange for it."
"And smart of you and Honey, Trix, to figure out that today is likely their target day. We’ll have to tell all the BWGs to keep their eyes open today for anything unusual," Brian noted.
Trixie nodded. "I was going to call Honey and Di and ask them to bring their cell phones with them today. I’m still pretty worried, but really, I think we’re all going to have a great day."
Mrs. Belden walked in to the kitchen just in time to hear Trixie’s last remark. "I do think it’s going to be fun," she agreed cheerily. "Your father and I are getting ready to take Bobby and Reddy down for this morning’s Children and Pet Parade. Larry and Terry are riding their Shetland ponies in the parade and Bobby can’t wait to meet up with them. You kids have fun today. I’m sure we’ll run into you on the midway, or see you at the main parade this afternoon," she said, with a wave.
Mart laughed as he watched Bobby and his father trying to load an ever-frisky Reddy into Peter Belden’s car. "I hope Mr. Lynch has better luck loading the ponies into their trailer than Dad’s having getting Reddy into our car." He turned away from the window. "We’ll need two cars today, since Adrianna is joining us. Moms and Dad said I could have the minivan, so if you want I’ll pick up Di and Dan and meet the rest of you downtown."
"Sounds great. I just talked to Honey and she and Jim are going to pick up Adrianna and then circle back for us. They wanted to pick her up before barricades went up for the parades," Trixie said.
After Mart left on his errand, Trixie and Brian finished cleaning the kitchen. Trixie was surprised to hear the doorbell ring. "Wow, Jim and Honey made it here even faster than I expected. Let’s go, Brian."
Trixie grabbed her jacket and walked outside, almost tripping over a brown wrapped package just outside the door. "Why look," she exclaimed. "It’s a package from Barbara Hubbell. I’ve been expecting a letter from her. What in the world could she have sent?" She picked up the package, noticing as she stood up that a delivery man was just climbing back his truck. Jim pulled into the Belden drive just then, momentarily blocking the truck’s exit. Jim quickly reversed to allow the other vehicle room to back out of the long drive.
Trixie carried the package with her and climbed into the back seat with Honey and Adrianna.
After chatting with her friends for a few minutes, Trixie showed Honey the package. "I can’t wait any longer, I have to see what Barbara sent. Maybe it’s a video of her and Bob’s talent show performance, though the box seems too big for that."
She started to rip the tape off the package. Suddenly she looked at her hands and tried to speak.
"What did you say, Trixie? Are you all right?" Adrianna asked. "You’re white as a sheet."
Trixie tried to speak again and found this time that she could get out more than a croak. "Pull over, Jim. Please. Right now."
Her tone left no room for discussion. Jim obediently pulled over to the side of the road. "Are you sick?" he asked, in a concerned voice.
"Just stupid," she answered grimly. "Brian, please get out and open my door very slowly, and then step away from the car."
Brian jumped out of the front seat and opened her door. She slid out of the seat slowly and smoothly walked straight into the woods that abutted the road. She walked several yards—though she would later tell Honey it felt like a mile--carefully set the package down, and then turned and ran as fast as she could back to the car.
"I’ve never heard of Airex Delivery, have you? Follow that truck," she said tersely.
Jim had no doubts now as to what was going on, and he took off after the delivery truck, still visible in the distance.
"They must have pulled Barbara’s letter out of our mailbox yesterday. I just happened to notice that the name of her street on the return address was misspelled, and then I realized I had aluminum powder on my hands," Trixie mused, as she stared at her hands, covered in the silver powder. "They tried to kill me, or all of us Beldens," she said slowly. "Now we know they’ll stop at nothing."
End of Chapter Fifteen written by Sasha.