rated *

Part II

Trixie felt her senses returning to normal. She opened her eyes and looked around her. She was in what looked like a basement.

She sat up and shook her head to clear her thinking.

She stood up unsteadily, clasping the end of the bed she had been lying on as she did.
The room was not overly large and was lit by one small light above her head. She felt more secure on her feet so she walked slowly around the room. There was only two doors in the room and no windows. One door was up some steps and she realised that it must lead to the rooms above. The second led to a small bathroom, which she thankfully used, though she shuddered at the filth in there. She washed her hands and her face, removing the last traces of the drug that had been in her system.

She then went back into the main room.

On the table was a jug of water and a glass. Beside them was a note.

Miss Belden,

I hope that you rested well.

Do not worry about the water, it is not poisoned.

I have need of you alive.

Be patient. All will be revealed in due time.

Mr Jones.

Trixie drank the water thirstily and then sat down on the bed. She angrily brushed the stray tears that fell unbidden from her eyes.

She sighed. "Oh, Jim, where are you? I need you."

*     *    *

Jim looked at everyone in the room. "We need Bob-Whites now, especially Dan."

"Jim what is going on?" Moms asked almost hysterically.

"Jonesy’s back," was all he could get out.

"He has Trixie?" Honey asked him and he nodded.

Bobby looked at the faces around him. "Then we had better get everyone here and figure out how to get my sister back."

Cell phones appeared from everywhere as the call was sent out to get all the Bob-Whites back together.

Half an hour later Jim looked around the group that sat in the Beldens' living room. His parents were there.

"All he told me was all in good time," Jim sighed. "And knowing Jonesy he will pick the moment he is good and ready to tell me more."

"Can’t we do anything?" Mart asked, pacing around the room.

"She never told us where she was going," Peter Belden added.

Jim thought for a moment. "If Trix didn’t tell you where she was going, then she must have known it would be somewhere we would be concerned about."

Honey jumped up. "Hawthorn Street," she almost yelled.

*      *     *

Trixie stood up the minute she heard a key in a lock. She was surprised to see Anna walk down the steps with a tray in her hand. She watched as she placed the tray on the table and then began to walk away.

"Wait," Trixie pleaded. "Please tell me what is going on."

Anna turned and sighed. "I am sorry that you are here and it has nothing to do with me."

"Then why?"

"He has my mother somewhere and, if I don’t do what he tells me, he will kill her."

"If you let me go, I will get my friends here to help find her. I am a policewoman."

"I know." Anna again sighed. "But it will do you no good. He has three other men upstairs watching my every move. If I even try to let you go, he will kill my mother and both of us as well. He is evil."

"Who is he?"

"You don’t know?"

Trixie shook her head.

"He is..." Anna began but was interrupted.

"Your worst nightmare, Miss Nosy."

Trixie stared at the man she hated the most in life. "Jonesy," she almost snarled. "If you have touched Jim--"

He laughed and she shuddered. "Not yet, my dear, but I know that he will come when I call him."

"You will never get away with this."

He again laughed. "I already have. But don’t worry. You will see your precious man before tonight is over. And I will get from him what is mine."

"You won’t get his money."

"Money." He almost spat at her. "I don’t want his money. What I want from him is much much more personal."

"What?"

"Believe me you will find out tonight. Now eat your lunch. You will need your strength later."

He nodded towards Anna. "You upstairs. My men and I are hungry."

He walked up the steps and disappeared.

Anna grasped her hand. "Please believe me, the food is quite safe. I cooked it. Please eat. Don’t make him more angry than he already is."

"Anna!" A voice screamed from above.

"Coming," she called.

And with another pleading look she hurried upstairs.

Trixie listened as the door was again locked with a sinking heart. She looked down at the food and her stomach turned. But knowing what Anna said sat down and forced as much of the food down as she could. She knew it was going to be a very long day.

*      *     *

Dan hurried in and Jim instantly stood up.

"Well?" he asked.

"Apparently, Jonesy escaped from prison seven months ago, but no one thought it important to let us know."

"Great," Jim sighed. "Is there anything else to tell us?"

"There is a missing persons report about a Martha Johnson that was filed by her daughter two weeks ago. We found the mother bound and gagged in her basement, but her daughter is missing. By the description of the man who attacked her, it has to be Jonesy."

"So Jonesy has her daughter and mine as well," Peter Belden sighed.

"So what do we do now?" Moms asked.

"We have plain clothes police on Hawthorn Street, but everyone on that street is usually closed mouthed so we are not having much luck."

Just then Dan's phone rang. "Mangan here." He listened for a moment. "Where?" He listened again. "I will let them know."

Dan looked up at everyone. "They found Trixie's car abandoned just outside of town. The forensics are there now and they will let us know when they find anything."

When the Beldens phone rang a moment later, Jim hurried over and picked it up.   "Jim Frayne here."

"Hello, my, boy long time no see."

"What do you want, Jonesy?" he snarled into the phone.

"You know what I want, Jim boy, so don’t act the innocent with me."

"I will do anything, and you know that, to get Trixie back unharmed."

"I do know that. I will call you later with instructions. So keep this line clear. I am looking forward to seeing you in the flesh again, James Frayne."

Jim put the phone down and turned to the others.

"So, it is money he wants?" Brian asked.

Jim shook his head. "He wants me."

"Why?"

Matthew Wheeler walked over to his son and put his hand on his shoulders. "I think that it is time that you told your friends everything, son."

"Dad, I can’t."

Peter Belden touched Jim on his other shoulder. "If it will help get Trixie back then you need to tell us."

"I've kept it a secret all these years. I have only told two people."

"Does Trixie know?"

Jim shook his head. "I wanted to tell her, but I didn't know how."

"Jim you must tell us," Moms insisted. 

He nodded and took a deep breath. "My mother found out just before she died that Jonesy had been in prison before he met my mother."

"What for?" Peter Belden insisted.

"He was charged and convicted of being a pedophile."

A huge gasp ran around the room.

 To Be Continued

TBH Main