*All ages

Okay, for all of you masochists who wanted to read this, here it is. J Seriously, thank you all for being so encouraging about posting this; it makes me feel good to know you guys are interested. Also, a special thanks to Lori J (Lorelei) who was sweet enough to offer to type this for me. Even though that didn’t work out, I was very touched by the offer. All I ask is that everyone PLEASE remember I was a very young, very impressionable child when I wrote this – it truly is pretty bad. The editor in me is SCREAMING to edit it, but I left it as is (misspellings, glaring grammar and punctuation mistakes and all!) – it’s a much funnier read that way (pay particular attention to the spelling of Kerry’s mother’s name throughout). There were a bunch of illustrations, maps, and diagrams that I didn’t include. I have made a lot of editorial comments throughout (they will be in square brackets) – some to clarify, some to explain a diagram I can’t show, and some comments I just couldn’t resist adding, hopefully the comments don’t "intrude" too much. The most depressing thing about this endeavor is that 98 written pages became only 25 typed pages. And oh yes, the leniency of the parents is very disturbing, to say the least. I set the story six miles west of Mackinaw City, MI in Cecil Bay (right on Lake Michigan), because that’s where my parents’ cottage is. Well, without further ado, I give you…

The Disappearing Guest

Inside cover description:

You’ll surely like Kerry Lovedy’s first real mystery, it makes exciting reading and suspense!

Her thoughts were interrupted with Kerry’s voice saying, "Lori, are you with us!"

"Yes." She said in a soft voice, "I’m sorry."

"It’s O.K." Pat said in a soothing voice.

"I’m going to your ranch to meet Andy. Do you have a name for your ranch?" Pat asked.

"Huh?" Lori asked in a confused tone.

"What he means is our farm is called Woodland Farm. Is your place called such-n-such ranch. Like maybe Cully Ranch or Ranch-on-the-Straits." [You know, because all of the properties in Trixie world had names! J]

"Oh. I like The Mackinaw Ranch," Lori said enthusiasticly.

"I sort of like it to," Pat said thoughtfully.

"Me to." Kerry said.

"O.K. Let’s got to my house!" Lori cried.

"You mean ‘The Mackinaw Ranch,’ don’t you?" Kerry asked.

"Yep!" Lori giggled.

At Lori’s house they met Andy. Andy didn’t look a thing like Pat. [Why would anyone expect him to?] Pat had blonde hair and blue eyes. Andy had black hair and hazel eyes. [What a combination!]

"Mom! Com’ere and meet Kerry and Pat Lovedy! We all, well almost all of us, name our ranch ‘The Mackinaw Ranch!’ Do you like it?"

"Yeah! That’s neato sis!" Andy said enthusiasticly.

"That’s cute hon." Their mother said with a giggle.

"Kerry and Pat live in a cute little farmhouse they named Woodland Farm. It’s almost hidden by trees!" Lori exclaimed.

"It earned it’s name alright!" Andy exclaimed.

"Yes, it sure did." Kerry said thoughtfully.

"Let’s swim!" Pat broke the silence.

"Yeah! Let’s!" Andy agreed.

"C’mon Lori, I’ll show you the best stop, if you care to wait." Kerry said solemnly.

"Sure." Lori said gratefully.

"O.K. c’mon. See you later boys." Kerry said.

"Let’s go with them Pat." Andy said.

"O.K." Pat said.

They had to walk through weeds in order to get there.

"Hey! These are mashed down! Have any of you been through here?"

"No, I haven’t," Lori said honestly.

"Pat?" Kerry asked.

"Not me." Pat said.

"What about you Andy?" Lori asked.

"No." He said truthfully.

"Maybe it was Jim, no it couldn’t have been. He’s not here." Kerry was speaking more to herself then to them.

"Who’s Jim?" Andy said wide-eyed.

"A boy who lives next to us. He’s 14." Kerry answered.

"Oh. He’s older than us." Andy said discouraged.

"You thought maybe he was our age, right?" Pat asked sort of discouraged himself.

"Yeah." He said in a low voice.

"C’mon you two, you were the ones who were so anxious to go swimming." Lori said in an anxious voice.

 

Chapter Two: Who is she?

"Probably a fisherman."

"Yeah, that’s what it is, a fisherman. Good thinking Pat." Kerry said gratefully.

The finally got to the beach when Lori noticed footprints.

"Hey! Kerry com’ere. Footprints. Barefoot. Would a fisherman go barefoot?"

"No Lori, he wouldn’t," Kerry said in a confused tone, "Look! Their about as big as ours."

Just then the boys came running out of the water. Pat had something in his hand.

"Look what we found!" Andy cried excitedly. "Show ‘em Pat."

"A girls beachtowel!" Kerry exclaimed.

"It’s just been dumped too." Andy said smartly.

"We found a footprint." Lori said.

Kerry led the way to the footprint.

"It looks like a girls if you observe Kerry’s and mine and yours." Lori said.

"It does!" Pat and Andy exclaimed in the same tone and same time after observing a couple of minutes. Then giggled.

"You two have a lot in common," Lori said then giggled. Kerry giggled too.

Pat and Andy ran out in the lake and dove in the water soon they too started laughing with the girls.

Suddenly Kerry stopped. Lori followed. Andy and Pat swam to shore very quietly. They suspected something when they saw Kerry straining to hear something.

"Something’s russeling in the bushes." Kerry explained quietly still straining.

"I hear it to." Lori said absentminded.

"I see someone moving around in there!" Pat shouted. Everyone stared at except Kerry. She was too busy chasing the person in the bushes.

Everyone waited quietly. Finally after what seemed like hours Kerry came back with a girl about 15 years of age with dark brown hair and a few curls in the front.

"Her name is unknown," Kerry explained. Everyone stared at her except unknown who stared at them. "She lost her memory."

"I’ll help find it," Andy said and laughed at his own joke.

Everybody stared at him in shocked disbelief. Especially Lori and the girl.

Andy blushed, he managed to get out "Just a joke" then dove into the water.

Kerry finally broke the silence. "We gota give you a name. We can’t keep calling you ‘Unknown.’"

"I know," the girl said with her head low "I’ve always liked Jackie" she raised her head. [Obviously her amnesia is only partial if she knows she always liked that name!]

"Then Jackie it is!" Lori said loudly.

"Let’s go swimming!" Pat said.

"O.K.! But I don’t have a towel."

"That’s O.K., yours isn’t dry yet you can use mine." Lori said.

"How did you know?"

"We found it in the water." Lori explained.

"Oh" Jackie said nodding slightly. "I see" her voice indicated she did. [Okay, I read a book when I was a kid that had this exact same line in it, but with better punctuation, so I know I am shamelessly plagiarizing it. If memory serves it was the book Oh Heavenly Dog which was made into a movie with Chevy Chase and Benji.]

They all dove in at the same time. They met Andy. He just ignored them, went to shore, dried himself, and started down the beach, into the weeds. They watched him til he was out of sight.

"Does he always do that Lori?" Kerry asked.

"No, I don’t know what’s gotten in to him." Lori replied staring that way.

"I’ll see what I can do." Pat offered.

"That would be nice I’ll go to, I feel I’m responsible." Jackie offered.

"Your not responsible." Lori said.

"Lori took the words right out of my mouth." Kerry said with a smile.

"I’ll go anyways."

"’K c’mon" Pat said motioning.

After they left Kerry said to Lori, "I’ve got to find out who she is."

"Me to."

"Let’s race Lori!"

"O.K. to the shore."

"1…2…3…go!"

Back at the shore they dried thierselfs off.

"Good race."

"Yeah, cause you won."

"Kerry," Lori said seriously, "Better luck next time!"

"O.K. Thanks!" Kerry exclaimed.

"Someones coming"

"Just Pat, Andy, and Jackie" Kerry said.

But it wasn’t.

"What are you kids doing here?" A man said in a gruff voice.

Kerry and Lori couldn’t speak but Kerry finally spoke. "We were swimming. We didn’t know it was your property."

"Well it is so get off!"

When they got to Lori’s house they found that everyone was at Kerry’s. At Kerry’s house Kerry opened a letter addressed to her.

"This is weird," Kerry said after 5 minutes. She passed around the table.

Kerry’s mother who was working at the stove asked her to read it.

"There is nothing to read Mrs. L." Andy said.

"Then let me see it."

It read:

[Here I have several symbols stenciled. I remember that my mom had just bought me a book of small stencils and I apparently wanted to impress my "audience" with me new stencil set! The symbols are the US and the US flag, an up arrow and a hand pointing up, and a moon and a star. At the bottom of the note it reads "Clue: Two to a set. L.O."]

"I wonder what it means." Kerry said staring at the paper.

"I wonder what every thing means!" Lori said sarcasticly.

 

Chapter Three: A Scream in the Night

"Tell us what you girls are up to." Pat requested.

"Yeah." Andy agreed.

They told the story. [I’m guessing the story is about the man who chased them out of their favorite swimming spot, but who knows what was going on through my ten year old mind!]

"Hmmm," Pat said. "I wonder, have any leads detective Andrew."

The girls exchanged quick glances. Kerry spoke up. "What do you mean by ‘Detective’?"

The boys didn’t seem to hear her. But Lori spoke up.

"I do, time for Andy and I to get home."

"We’re eating and spending the night."

"Wow! We are?"

"Yep." Andy said.

"Now I’m glad I have bunks!" Kerry said. [I had a bunk bed in my room at the cottage but no one ever spent the night!] "Let’s arrange it. Pat and Andy in Pat’s bunks. We’ll have to figure out my room, since there’s 3 girls."

"We can get the cot out." Mrs. Lovedy said. "But right now help me get the food on the table."

"Sure!" They all chorused.

When they sat at the table they said a prayer and started to eat.

"This is the most delectable casserole I’ve ever tasted!" Jackie exclaimed. [Well, as far as she can remember anyway! J ]

"I agree Mrs. Lovedy!" Lori said.

"Ditto!"

"Thank you!" Mrs. Lovedy said. "Kerry and Pat love it to!"

"We can start a fan club – The MLFL," Kerry said. "Mrs. Lovedy’s Food Lovers!"

Everybody giggled.

"That was an excellent dinner, Mrs. Lovedy."

"Thank you, Jackie."

"Mom, I got special delivery."

"That’s what it was before, Kerry." Their mother said frowning.

KJL-

Meet me at 10:00 in the garden, you’ll get some more clues. Come alone or else.

L.O.

"Another L.O. note, Mom."

"Let me see it," Mrs. Lovedy said.

Mrs. Lovedy broke the silence a couple minutes later with, "Oh no."

"Can I go Mom huh, can I?" Kerry said in an anxious voice.

"I don’t know dear it’s 6:00 right now. You know I can’t see the garden from the house," she said slowly, "I guess if you promise to come back before 10:30."

"O.K." Kerry promised.

[Is Kerry’s mom nuts or what?!? And why has she just accepted Jackie’s presence. Shouldn’t she call the police and ask about missing teenagers? Sheesh.]

Soon 9:55 came, Kerry started for the garden. 10:00 came, 10:15, 10:25. Kerry finally came home after what seemed like hours.

"Who was he?"

"What did he look like?"

"Was he short, tall?"

Kerry raised her hand for silence. [Don’t Mr. Belden and Jim do that a lot?]

"Lori go ahead."

"Who was he?"

"I couldn’t tell, he had a rubber mask that covers your whole head. Andy."

"What did he look like?"

"Sort of plump. The mask could bearly fit his head. Pat."

"Was he tall?"

"No, he was short. Jackie?"

"What clues did you get?"

"He knows the an who owns the property where we swim, and his name is Perry L., and we better not trespass again. That’s it."

"What kind of voice did he have?" Her mother asked.

"High pitched." Was the reply.

"Kerry," her mother said, "I think this is enough excitement for a 13 year old girl. No more dangeress things."

"Her mother walked out of the room to make a fire and roast popcorn.

"What time will we go to bed, Kerry?" Jackie asked quietly, head low.

"About 11, 11:30," Kerry said as peppy as she could, she knew that Jackie was sad and lonely.

"Let’s join the boys and Mrs. L," said Lori peppy, taking a hint from Kerry.

"I don’t see what’s so big about the clues you got from him Kerry."

"I don’t think there’s anything that we need either."

"Go figure out what you girls are going to about sleeping while I roast popcorn."

"Sure Mom." When they got into Kerry’s room everybody sighed and complimented it. To one side of the room was a huge walk-in closet, there was one window, table with chairs in the corner, shelfs with games right by the bunks, and to the center facing the window was a desk: [here there is a diagram of the room].

"The cot can go here," said Kerry and she pointed to a place next to the bunks.

"Yes," said Lori and Jackie.

When the girls got back to the family room the boys were munching happily on popcorn.

"Come have some," Pat invited. The girls could do nothing but accept.

"Boy," said Lori, "is this good."

"What kind is it," Jackie chimed in, Kerry could see she was relaxing.

"Orville Redenbocker," said Pat.

"Gourmet popping corn" added Kerry in a joking tone. Everyone laughed. [Why? There is absolutely nothing funny about that!!!!]

Soon it was 11:30 everyone went to sleep everyone except Kerry and Jackie they just couldn’t sleep. Soon Kerry drifted off at 12:30, all of a sudden she jolted up, she looked at her clock it was 1:00. [I certainly had something against punctuation in that paragraph, didn’t I?]

She looked at the cot. Jackie was gone! She looked toward the window, Jackie was there breathing heavily. Kerry breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then in ran Mrs. Lovedy and the boys asking franticly "What happened?" and "Are you all right?"

Evalyne Lovedy looked at Kerry and the empty cot, "Where’s Jackie?"

Kerry pointed toward the window. Jackie was still standing there sobbing. Kerry felt sorry for her.

Just then Lori woke up. [Heavy sleeper!] Kerry told her what happened. Jackie just stood there face turned toward the lawn. She finally turned around to face them. She told her story.

"After Kerry finally went to bed I stayed awake. I just layed there. I looked at the window, I saw a figure in the shadows . I looked at the clock it was 12:43. About 15 minutes later I looked at the window, there was the face, it had a lot of wrinkles and fangs, I screamed and it went away. But it was laughing as – as if warning revenge!"

Kerry, Lori, and Jackie felt the same way together – frightened and worried. At 2:00 after everyone had finished their hot chocolate everyone settled down and fell asleep including Jackie.

 

Chapter Four: Jackie?

Everyone slept until 9:30 except Mrs. Lovedy, she woke up at 7:30. They ate in silence. All of them enjoyed the bacon and eggs and fresh squeezed orange juice but no one knew what to say.

Mrs. Lovedy spoke up, "Why so quiet." Several eyes looked up glanced at Mrs. Lovedy, but all was still silent.

After breakfast Kerry, Lori, and Jackie went for a walk on the beach. Although they talked a lot no one mentioned last night’s scare. On the way back they noticed something going on at the mansion, they went to investigate. A girl about 14 years old was watching (with a dog all nestled in her hands!) moving vans unloading an assortment of fancy furniture, it must of been expensive. Kerry, Lori, and Jackie went up to the girl to introduce themselves.

"Excuse me," Kerry said, "I’m Kerry Lovedy and I live in that farmhouse at the bottom of the hill. This is Lori Cully, she lives at the ranch, you can see it through the trees in the winter. And last but not least Jackie."

"My name is Deanna Cunnings. How come you told your full name and where you live but when you introduced Jackie you just said ‘Jackie’?"

"She lost her memory," Lori said simply.

"Oh"

"Hey, wow horses!" Kerry exclaimed.

"Yep, 6 of them. That one right there is Honey." A little Shetland pony [which I never had heard of until I read Castaway Children] got out of the horse trailer, it was pure honey color.

"That one’s Rusty." It was a rust color colt.

"That one getting off is Blackberry," she pointed to a pure black mare getting out of the trailer.

"This one’s my favorite, her name is Sugar." A sugar-white gelding stepped out of the horse trailer.

"This one is Sparky." Sparky was a brown horse with red spots. Kerry adopted it as ‘her’ horse. Kerry especially liked him because he was a gelding.

"This is Sugar’s mate Spice." A slender spice color palamino stepped out of the trailer.

"Take your pick, your each going to ‘adopt’ one to ride."

"I want Sparky," Kerry spoke up.

"I’m going to have Honey," Lori added shyly.

"I think I like Spice" Jackie said enthusiasticly.

"O.K. let’s ride, by the sound of things Kerry and Jackie have ridden but I don’t think Lori has, am I right"

"How did you know?" They asked in one voice.

"By the way Lori spoke, you two seemed sure of yourself, Lori didn’t."

They were all secured on their horses and Lori knew how to ride thanks to the Cunning’s groom, Karoly.

They enjoyed their ride and went to Kerry’s house after Blackberry was attached to Kerry’s mount and Rusty was attached to Deanna’s mount.

"Hey horses" was their reaction when they got there, Pat knew how because he and Kerry once owned a horse and Andy went horseback riding with Boy Scouts.

"I get Rusty," Pat spoke up.

"That leaves me with Blackberry," Andy said. He mounted the medium size mare, the stirrups were to long.

"I’ll have to adjust them." Deanna said. As she adjusted the straps on the stirrups she forgot to unattach Blackberry from Sparky and Kerry let the reins slacken. All of a sudden a gunshot sounded. The horses got excited but were controllable except for Kerry’s horse, her reins were slack and she fell off.

"Kerry!" Jackie screamed.

"Deanna!" Lori yelled.

Sparky took off and Blackberry was forced to go with him, Deanna was still hanging on to the stirrups.

"Let go Deanna!" Screamed Andy.

At that she let go. [She needed an 8 year old to tell her that?] The horses were slowing and finally they stopped.

"Kerry is still unconscious!" Pat said tearfully.

"Don’t worry about me." Cried Deanna, "All I have is some scratches and bruises."

Pat and Andy with the help of Lori carried Kerry. Jackie got Deanna and helped her in. Mrs. Lovedy ran out hearing the commottion. When she saw Deanna and Kerry she gasped immediately she put them in Kerry’s room on the beds. Deanna was fixed up meanwhile Kerry awoke.

"Huh – where – oh I remember now!"

"Shh, shh, Honey," Mrs. Lovedy lightly, "Get your rest."

Soon they all left to let Kerry and Deanna rest.

"Deanna?"

"You’d better save your breath."

"I’m sorry."

"It’s not your fault."

Just then Pat walked in. "Mom sent hot chocolate and soup" Pat said "Here’s your Deanna, yours is comin’ Kerry."

Just then Andy walked in with a tray for Kerry.

"Thank you Andy."

"Thank you Pat."

"Your welcome" They said together.

"Here’s a letter Kerry," Lori said as she came in with Jackie who had obviously been crying.

Kerry read the note it said "GOTCHA Hee Hee L.O." She gasped.

"What is it Kerry" is what she heard all around the room but she payed no attention, she all of a sudden felt dizzy, then a flash of colors, then black and 2:00 flashed for about 10 seconds. When she woke up she looked at the clock 3:00. "When did I black out?"

"2:00," her mother answered.

"I feel fine, let me up."

"Well,"

"Please Mom, let her get up," Pat pleaded.

"O.K.," she paused, "If she promises to be very careful."

"Sure," Kerry said good naturedly.

"No!" cried Jackie, "Don’t!" And with that she ran from the room. Pat started to follow but Kerry caught his arm and shook her head "no." Downstairs a door shut.

"C’mon I know a route shorter than the one Jackie took,c’mon. Deanna?" [Is she psychic? Without watching Jackie run through the house, how does she know what route she took to get to the door? Here I have a diagram of the house, both levels, and drawn in two different colors are the routes through the house that Jackie and Kerry each took.]

"No."

"Boys your not going," said Mrs. Lovedy.

"O.K." they said grimly.

Kerry and Lori were all ready speeding up the path where Jackie went after 15 minutes of walking Lori was about to quit.

"Let’s walk a little farther," Kerry urged.

They walked on the narrow path in the woods. A twig snapped, they froze, it snapped again. Lori stifled a scream and fainted.

"Jackie?" Kerry called. "Jackie!"

Just then a man stepped out from behind a pine tree with Jackie. "Run – get away from –" at that he clamped his hand over her mouth. She tried to resist.

Kerry whispered, "Get the boys," fearsly to Lori who was awake by now.

In 10 minutes Lori was back, but Kerry was gone!

 

Chapter Five: A Party

"Oh," Lori groaned.

"Let’s go farther," Pat said.

"O.K." Lori replied.

They walked farther and came to a cottage. They looked inside – to find Jackie bound and gaged to a chair with rope and Kerry chained to a chair.

"Oh my!" Lori exclaimed quietly.

"He’s got a gun," whispered Jim. [Jim? When did he enter the scene? Didn’t Kerry say he was gone?]

"Poor Kerry," Pat said.

"Poor Jackie" Andy said.

"Shhh" Jim and Lori whispered to the boys.

"What are you going to do to us," gulped Kerry.

"I don’t know, but if you were smart like Lori, you would have ran away!" he growled.

"And leave Jackie, not on your life."

"Silence!" he shouted, "I’ll be back," and he left.

[Here we have a lovely 10 year old’s pencil drawing of a cabin in the woods with 4 people near it.]

The boys and Lori snuck in. Lori did Jackie with the help of Andy. [Uhhh…I think I meant to say that she UNdid Jackie’s ropes. What a mental image the way it’s written though!] Jim and Pat had a hard time getting Kerry lose. When they got away from the cabin Kerry found her breath. "Hi Jim! I take it you didn’t meet Jackie this is Jim Feniel. Jim this is Jackie."

"Hi" Jim said.

"Hi" Jackie added silently.

"Jackie I have a map of our neighborhood, maybe you’d like to see it and you can also see where Jim lives."

"Sure" Jackie agreed.

At home Kerry showed Jackie the map which looked like this:

[Okay, we have a lovely map drawn by a 10 year old Dana. Basically it shows 5 lakefront properties all next to each other, all with their own little beaches. From left to right, which would be from west to east, it goes Lori’s ranch, property with just forest and weeds (I guess that is Perry’s property where they went swimming), the mansion where Deanna moved in complete with stables and a heated indoor pool (my dream as a kid), the Lovedy farm, and then Jim’s property – Feniel Acre. All of these properties are on Point Dr. Running behind Point Dr., but parallel, is Wilderness Park Road, with woods separating the two roads. In these woods are a cabin and a stable. My parents’ cottage is on Point Dr. and Wilderness Park Road runs behind it, so if anyone has a detailed map of Northern Michigan, you can actually look at all of this. Or, go to mapquest.com, type in the address 3900 Pointe Dr, Carp Lake, MI if you want to see the area.]

"Interesting," everyone said as Kerry folded the, faded map, up. [I have been missing commas left and right and now suddenly I just stick 2 in the middle of a sentence for no reason!]

"I’m glad you like it" she said, "I drew it."

"Really," Jackie said, "It’s very pretty."

"Thanks." Kerry said blushing. [She’s obviously inherited Trixie’s blushing syndrome.]

"Dinner came a voice from the stairs.

"O.K." yelled Jim as Kerry put the map in the closet.

"Betcha I can beat ya!" shouted Kerry as she ran down the stairs.

"Hey" yelled Pat and Andy.

When they were seated around the table Mrs. Lovedy said "I thought the roof was caving in you made so much noise."

"Sorry" Kerry said.

"Wow! Fried chicken, egg rolls, watermelon salad, kiwi fruit, and french fries. Wow!" said Pat. [Egg rolls and kiwi fruit? I must have been going through some weird phase when I decided to serve egg rolls with fried chicken and kiwi fruit!]

"Yeah," said Deanna.

After dinner Jackie went strait to bed the rest of them went into the family room after Lori, Deanna, Jim and Andy had permission to spend the night. [Hotel Lovedy? Don’t these kids have homes? LOL]

"Why are you smiling, mother?" Kerry asked impatiently.

"I’m going to have a surprise party for Jackie, want to help me?"

"Sure," they chorused.

"Good, girls your food, boys, decoration, I’m in charge of invitations."

"O.K. – Hey it’s only 9:00!" Kerry exclaimed.

"How about popcorn, Mrs. L?" Jim teased.

"Sure."

"I’ll make it," Dee piped up, "If I may," she added.

"Sure, go ahead," Pat said.

"Lori and me will help you," Kerry said getting up.

The girls talked and laughed as they made popcorn. After they ate the popcorn they went to bed.

"Hmm, Jackie must have gone to the guest room." Mused Kerry after she found nobody was in her bedroom, "I’ll look in and check on her."

"O.K." mumbled Lori sleepily already in bed, like Deanna.

"Jackie’s alright" Kerry reported in a couple of minutes. She dressed quietly and went to the bathroom [something Trixie and her friends never did in 39 books!] and got into bed thinking about the things that had happened to her in the past few days. She looked at the clock it was 10:30. Then she slept. In her dream someone was screaming.

All of a sudden she woke up someone was screaming. She jumped on her top bunk and landed on her feet but now they hurt. She ran to where Jackie was sleeping.

She flew open the door, flicked on the light and there was Jackie hysterical.

"Th-th-the f-face, the face" was all Jackie could say and would say.

Kerry said "The face appeared at the window didn’t it?"

Jackie nodded tearfully.

Poor Jackie, thought Kerry then said goodnight to Jackie, her friends, and family, and left. In her bedroom she got her clothes on, and Lori walked in and reading Kerry’s mind got her clothes on and they both reached for a flashlight, slipped out the side door closest to Jackie’s room, without being noticed. They searched the ground for footprints, only to find none.

That morning they woke up and Kerry’s dad was home. Mr. William Lovedy was a well none docter [but more likely a well known doctor] and had been out of town for the past week at a convention.

"Hi daddy!" Kerry said as she hugged her dad.

"Dad!" Shouted Pat as he ran down the stairs. After necessery introductions were made they all settled down to breakfast.

"Mmmm, you sure make delicious pancakes, sausage, homemade juice and homemade whipped butter." Deanna said as she bit into a pancake and sausage (she had already tasted the orange juice). [That little explanation just cracks me up! And Mrs. Lovedy sure can rival Mrs. Belden for handiness around a farm – homemade whipped butter!]

"Let’s go to my house," begged Deanna, after they were done with breakfast.

"Can I mom?" Kerry pleaded.

"Of course, but be back in an hour and a half, that will be at 10:45."

"Thanks."

They kissed their parents good-bye.

At Deanna’s they met "Blackie." Deanna’s toy poodle. Blackie was very playful and smart. It could play dead; roll over, dance and a lot of other things. Kerry, Lori, and Jackie enjoyed the "show." Kerry went to the window in Deanna’s bedroom. "What a picturesque view," sighed Kerry.

"Isn’t it lovely," Deanna said dreamily. Jackie and Lori came over to the window which faced the lake. [Illustration of the sun rising over the lake, why it would just be rising when it’s at least 9:30 am, I have no idea.]

"Ohh." Jackie and Lori said in awe. Jackie looked at the clock.

"Oh," she said "Jim offered to go to a ovie with me, I accepted. I better go!"

"O.K." Kerry said.

"Have a good time," Lori added.

"Bye!" Deanna called.

"Deanna do you have pencil and paper."

"Yep, Kerry." Deanna replied. "Here."

"O.K., how about hamburgers, we have mustard and ketchup, relish, paper plates, cups and forks, hot dogs, Faygo Rootbeer and Faygo Frosh," Kerry jotted down all of them. "Cake and ice cream." She finished. [I think Faygo might be a regional brand of "pop" as we Michiganders call it. It might even be out of business, I’m not sure. Those were my two favorite drinks at the time. Frosh was sort of a lemon-lime soda but not like 7-Up or Sprite, if memory serves it was actually yellow. Maybe it was more like Mt. Dew – my memory is hazy but if any readers out there can enlighten me, I would appreciate it! And doesn’t Kerry remind you of Honey in Mysterious Visitor chewing her pencil and writing down the list of food for Di’s Halloween party?]

"O.K." Lori said. "Let’s go shopping."

"I know where we can get all of them within a half a mile."

"Where?" Deanna and Lori breathed.

"At the campstore just down the road." [There is a real campstore down the road from my parents’ cottage that I used to bicycle up to to get ice cream and strawberry pop and the Sunday paper and stuff like bread and eggs when my mom ran out. I always based Mr. Lytell’s store on my beloved little camp store in my imagination.]

"Let’s go," Lori said.

"Pronto." Deanna added.

"Charge!" Kerry said almost shouting.

After they got back from the store they unloaded the grocerys and started to help the boys put up the decorations.

"I’ll get out the record player." Kerry shouted and ran to get it. The telephone rang just then and Kerry got it before it stopped ringing the first time.

"Hello, Kerry Lovedy speaking."

"Hi, Kerry, this is Joe."

"Oh, hi Joe" she said cheerfully to the tall handsome Joe Saunders who was almost like Jim but Jim had wavy red hair and green eyes and Joe had thick wavy dark hair with blue eyes. [Joe Saunders was my major crush from grades 3-6. He was pretty much EVERY girl’s crush. To this day I can still remember his beautiful baby blue eyes!]

"I wondered if your going to be free next Saturday."

"Saturday that’s in three days right?"

"Right."

"Yeah, I’m free."

"Good, would you like to go to a fasion show with me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Good, I entered you in it."

"What!?" Kerry yelled.

"Your going to model a dress I’m designing."

"Your designing a dress at 15 years of age? Are you kidding?"

"Nope."

"O.K. when’s the fitting?"

"Tommorrow at 10 a.m."

"O.K."

"Bye."

"Bye."

[Please do not ask me where I got the cheesy idea of Kerry being in a fashion show in a dress some 15 year old boy designed and made. I still can’t believe it myself!]

"What was that?" Her mother asked.

So she told her.

"Wow!" Deanna said.

"That’s a big job" Pat added.

"I know." Kerry sighed.

"The guest should be arriving in an hour." Mrs. L. said.

"2:00 already," Kerry said as she glanced at the clock. "I’d better get the record player" she said as she dashed off.

"We’ll need maynaise," Mrs. Lovedy was saying as Kerry came back.

"I also brought some records" she said, "I’ve got ‘I love rock-n-roll,’ ‘Ebony and Ivory,’ ‘Crimson and Clover,’ and ‘867-5309-Jenny.’" She finished.

"That crazy rock-n-roll" Kerry’s mother sighed.

"Jim and Jackie really like each other." Pat said. [Methinks the squaw goes for nonsequiters, no?]

"Yeah." Andy agreed.

"I’ll get the maynaise" Lori volunteered.

"I’ll go to." Deanna said.

"Come on" Lori called.

"Get on your party clothes." Kerry’s mother called to Kerry and Pat as she disappeared in the kitchen.

Minutes later Kerry appeared in light purple dress slacks and a light purple blouse. Lori appeared in pale blue knickers and a powder blue blouse. [Remember the knickers craze in the early eighties? I just described my favorite two outfits at that age except I happened to be going through this horrible phase where I would only own purple clothes, so my knickers were purple, not blue!J ]

"Deanna’s still getting her party stuff on." Lori explained.

Andy then came through the door with dark blue pants and a light blue dress suit and dark blue tie. [Yuk!] Pat ran down the stairs and flaunted his black pants, white shirt, and grey tie. In 15 minutes when everything was just right Deanna came in with a jar of maynaise and was wearing a plain but unusual party dress. [There is an illustration of the 3 girls here. There is nothing unusual about the dress except I decided to color it yellow with two orange stripes around the hem and orange pockets. I also drew her holding the jar of "maynaise."]

"Here’s your maynaise Mrs. L." Deanna said breathlessly. She had obviously been running.

"Why, thank you, Deanna," Kerry’s mother said surprised. She wondered why. [She wondered why what?]

All of a sudden the doorbell chimed three times, the very familiar [Here I have drawn a musical scale with three notes. I had just started taking flute lessons and obviously wanted to impress the reader with my sophisticated knowledge of music. The notes are a quarter note of G, a quarter note of F, and a half note of C.] calmed Kerry quite a bit. Pat hurried to answer the door. In a couple of minutes later a girl of about 12 walked in.

"Hi Carol!" [If you’ve ever read the Penny Parrish stories by Janet Lambert, you know that Penny’s best friend is Carol. I loved those books as a child and so Carol found her way into my story too!]

"Hi, Kerry!"

Kerry introduced a tall, slender looking girl as Carol Dominia.

"I like your hair," Lori said. [This girl is really hung up on other people’s hair!]

"Thanks," Carol said. Carol’s hair was beautiful, it was titian blonde [Well, if Nancy Drew doesn’t make an appearance, too!] and in a low page boy style.

"I hear the door," said Kerry as she jumped up to answer it. She walked in with 7 other boys and girls. After introductions were made Lori said she heared a car. Kerry looked out and sure enough there was their burgundy Oldsmobile. [Yep, you guessed it, that’s what my parents drove when I was that age!] "Hide!" she hissed.

They heared car doors slam and footsteps as the trio came closer.

"Surprise! Surprise!" shouted the guests, as Jackie, Jim and Bill Lovedy. [Yes my friends, that’s where I simply ended the sentence.]

"Who arranged this?" Jackie demanded good naturedly.

The group shrugged but there was a twinkle in everybody’s eye. [For the next scene, you are going to see that I have an aversion to pluralizing guest on most occasions.] The guest talked and laughed, after Jackie was introduced, until 4:00 when they had a three layer lemon cake with lemon frosting that said in green letters SURPRISE JACKIE it had 15 pink candles bordering the outside. It had pink flowers all around it, even on the sides, with green leaves. Jackie and the guests gasped, and said "Who made it?"

Kerry smiled proudly, "I did." She admitted.

Everyone said it was pretty.

"Thanks," Kerry said shyly.

Everybody enjoyed the cake. After the cake and fudge marble ice cream they danced unaware in the dusk outside a man lurked, that’s when Kerry lost track of Jackie.

She was having such a good time dancing with Joe and the other guests were having such a good time when the curtain wafted open nobody saw a man standing there laughing evily to himself.

 

Chapter Six: She’s Gone!

After an hour of dancing the guest stopped dancing and played a card game called murder at midnight [Hmmm…maybe Kerry got the idea because she was at Di’s Halloween party?] but Jackie was gone, after one game Kerry excused herself and went everywhere on the downstairs, and on the upstairs. Kerry snuck outside from the stairs that went outside, and found Jackie’s high heeled prints, and a man’s waffle stompers.

Hmmm, Kerry mused, why would someone wear waffle stompers in the middle of August? [Answer: Because the author read Mystery at Mead’s Mountain and Trixie tracked down the culprit due to the pattern on his waffle stompers.]

Back at the party Carol had just won a pocket book, a boy named Chuck Waginslin had won just before and got a free pass for O’Brien’s miniature golf. Kerry knew Lori had won a free pass for The House of Flavors Ice Cream Parlor before that. They switched to a different version of Murder at Midnight. Joe, Jim and a girl named Holly Innes, [As a Girl Scout I camped at Camp Holly and Camp Innesfree] and a girl named Jessica Ferese won T-shirts with designs from the Shirt Shack. Susan Newman and Freddy Ritzerend, won a bag of salt water taffy from Marshall’s fine fudge. They then played a game called Murder [Grizzly kids!] and George Kosher, Kerry, Pat, and Andy won indian belts from The Leather Co. [All previously mentioned businesses were real Mackinaw businesses circa 1981, only two remain today. L ] Mrs. Lovedy was puzzled because she had one gift left over – a pocket book. The guest then left one by one, thanking the Lovedy’s. When the last guest left Kerry burst out "She’s gone!"

"What? Who’s gone?" Jim said.

So Kerry told her story.

"Oh my, oh my."

"Here Evaline, you’ve had a big day get some rest." Mr. Lovedy [Who went to med school and earned his M.D. but apparently has some aversion to being called "Dr."] said to Mrs. Lovedy as he steered her to the stairs.

Kerry went to bed at 8:30 and Deanna and Lori and Andy left at 7:45, 15 minutes after the party ended. Jim stayed until 8:00 to calm Kerry’s nerves.

[Okay, couple of things. 1) In August in Mackinaw it is not dusk until 9 pm, yet dusk hit hours ago. 2) What gives with Kerry’s wildly varying bed time? And 3) Hello!! Jackie is missing, with signs of foul play, and NOBODY, not even the PARENTS, call the cops? And I thought Trixie had a real aversion to the police!]

 

Chapter Seven: The [Cheesy] Fashion Show

[Possibly the worst single chapter I have ever written in my life.]

Kerry woke at 8:00, wrote a note to her mom explaining where she was going to be, ate a quick breakfast of peanut butter toast and a glass of milk and a half of glass of orange juice and got dressed in sports shorts and a top and then brushed her teeth and hair and washed her face and in 25 minutes was heading to Joe’s on a bike.

"Why, hi Kerry!" Joe said as he opened the door, "You’re up with the sun!"

"So are you," teased Kerry.

"Come in, the plans are in the family room."

"Thanks."

"Here are the plans, today I’ll be measuring you then. I cut out the material, I picked it out, it’s pale yellow silk."

"Silk," Kerry gasped.

"Yep," Joe replied, "the best."

"Wow" Kerry said.

"Here is the design," he said as he took out a piece of paper and unrolled it, here’s what it revealed:

[Another lovely picture of a dress. It has lace spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline with lace at the neckline and hem. There is a really tacky pale blue belt with a heart belt buckle.]

"It’s beautiful," Kerry breathed, "but I can’t model it."

"Why not?"

"I’m too young." [????]

"No your not!"

"But my hair." Kerry protested.

"You have a powder blue headband don’t you."

"Yes."

"Then wear your hair long, with that in it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, let’s measure you."

After Kerry was measured she went home to discover everyone eating waffles.

"Hi Kerry," Pat said.

"Kerry, you’ve been gone an hour."

"I know dad," Kerry said carelessly as she slid into her seat and took two waffles.

"Lori called." Here mother said just as carelessly.

"What? Lori?"

"Yes"

Kerry jumped up and called Lori.

"Hello, Cully resident."

"Hello, Mr. Cully, is Lori home this is Kerry Lovedy."

"Yes, just a moment please."

"Hello"

"Hi, Lori, did you call me earlier"

"Yes, A-A-Andy’s miss-missing!" Lori said as she broke into a sob.

"O.K., I’ll be right over, bye."

Click

Click

"Bye! I’ll be back!" Kerry called as she ran out the door. [More musical notes here. A quarter note F and a quarter note E.] sounded the bell as Kerry rung it.

"Hello"

"Hi, Lori"

"Come in"

"Have you been outside?" Kerry asked as they were seated in the Cully Living Room.

"No, no one has"

"Good, let’s look for footprints." It had rained last night so the footprints would be fresh. The only footprints were Andy’s.

"Let’s search the house" Kerry said excitedly.

Upstairs in Andy’s room they found a note. "I’m forced to leave and runaway. Good bye, Andy. Attic."

"Hmmm, why does it say ‘Attic’?"

"I don’t know" Lori said slowly.

"Let’s look in the Attic."

"O.K." Kerry agreed.

While Lori went to get a flashlight, Kerry looked around Lori’s bedroom.

Gee, she thought, It’s as nice as Andy’s. [And yes, here we have the obligatory diagram of Lori’s bedroom. I think I fancied myself as quite the architect when I was younger.]

"Got one" Lori called from the door.

"’K." Kerry said absentmindedly, "Your room is pretty."

"Thanks" Lori said as she blushed.

"Let’s go"

In the attic Lori found another note: "HLMI EENIN PEAD EPEV BEKD APPNY stable woods"

"I know that code!"

"What is it?"

"It’s called fencepost." [My parents had just bought me a book on codes.]

"Decode it, please."

"O.K."

Minutes later Lori said, "Help me I’ve been kidnapped, Andy" Lori said.

Kerry and Lori gasped together.

"Where is a stable besides Deanna’s"

"Let’s search the woods Kerry," Lori begged.

"O.K." Kerry agreed.

Kerry and Lori went to Deanna’s to borrow Sparky and Honey, Deanna offered to go with them. They packed a picnic lunch and Kerry went to call her parents.

"I can go as long as I want as long as I’m back before ten, unless we get Jim to stay overnight" Kerry reported. [Kidnappers on the loose, two missing kids, they still haven’t called the cops, and now it’s perfectly fine if their kids wander the woods overnight. Okay. Sure.]

"Let’s" Deanna and Lori chorused. After they got Jim Kerry let him ride on Sparky with her, they went to Deanna’s to get Rusty for Jim. They then packed a dinner and Deanna got the food basket and her sleeping bag. Kerry got a backpack filled with cooking utensils and her sleeping bag. Lori had her sleeping bag secured on her mount. Jim had a backpack filled with wood in case they couldn’t find any and 2 pup tents and his sleeping bag. After everything was secured on the horses and they were sure everything was packed they started off. After 2 hours of searching Jim declared that it was 12:30. He got out a backpack and pulled out a blanket, and put it down on the ground while the girls got out the sandwhiches. Jim and the girls were so hungary they ate 2 sandwhiches. Deanna then pulled out 1 cantoulope and they each had ¼ of it.

They then moved on, only to find nothing, although they searched and searched but they still didn’t find anything at 6:00 Jim built a fire and made a grill he learned in Boy Scouts. Kerry brought out 2 medium sized pots, and made a tasty stew. [I wonder if she got the recipe from Mr. Maypenny.] Deanna cooked smokettes on a stove Kerry learned how to make in Girl Scouts. They then ate every smokette and every drop of stew. They then ate more cantoulope and went to bed in the pup tents. Kerry and Jim in one [whoo hoo] and Deanna and Lori in another. Kerry and Jim woke up early and made fire. Kerry got out 2 grapefruits and 4 spoons and 1 knife and 4 paper plates, she prepared the grapefruit as Jim rolled up the sleeping bags and packed them and folded up the pup tent. Deanna and Lori came out and ate as Jim got their stuff ready finnally Jim ate. They searched silently until 11:30 and then went home for lunch. Kerry told her family what had happened and what they did and found.

"A real mystery. A real mystery for Karen." Her dad said slowly. Everyone looked at him he almost never called Kerry, Karen.

The phone rang. Kerry jumped to get it. It was Joe saying the dress was ready.

"Be right there." Kerry said. "Mom, dress is ready I’ll be right back." In 10 minutes she was back with a dress. She put it on to show her parents and Pat.

"Ooh that’s pretty," Pat said.

"Oooo."

"A pretty dress for a pretty girl," her father said with a smile.

"I’m glad you like it," Kerry said blushing.

"It is very beautiful, indeed" her mother said starry eyed.

"I better take it off"

Today’s boring Kerry thought as she looked out the window only to see sheets of rain. The schedule tommorrow is 2:00 and 5:00 and Sunday’s is 3:00 and 5:00 and Monday at 7:00, busy schedule. [She is thinking about the fashion show schedule, but I couldn’t figure that out until I read further on.]

She took a nap from 2:00 to 6:30, ate dinner, watched T.V. and went to bed at 9:00. [I think I got bored with writing about her doing things and this was an easy way to kill 7 hours!]

BBBBBBBDDDDDD! Blared her alarm clock at 7:30. She turned it off. Went into the bathroom and washed off the Noxema last night she had used as a moisturizer to soften her skin. She washed her face with Noxema then with Phisoderm. She then brushed her teeth for 5 minutes and then rinsed them 3 minutes and then used a waterpik 10 minutes and finally gargled with mouthwash. She went downstairs and had 2 scrambled eggs, a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice and 2 pieces of toast. Went back upstairs brushed her teeth and rinsed them and then took a shower and washed her hair got out put shorts and a top on dryed her hair and then brushed it ‘til it gleamed. She then went for a walk on the beach. At 12:00 she came in ate lunch, brushed her teeth flossed, and used the waterpik, and gargled with mouth wash washed her face with special facial soap, [I guarantee I was thinking of Neutrogena] then washed her feet got on her dress and sandals and brushed her hair put the head band on and got in the care where the others already were. The others were Deanna, Lori, Jim, and the Lovedy’s. [That has to be the most boring and least grammatical paragraph I have ever written in my life! Kerry may just turn out to be one of those obsessive-compulsive people who need to cleanse themselves all the time.]

At the showroom in the bank Kerry took her place behind stage. At 2:15 she was introduced as "’Miss Karen Lovedy’ – is modeling a pale yellow Chinasilk evening evening gown designed by young Joseph Saunders."

Kerry walked on perfect pivoted slowly so the audience could see the sides and back, and then walk off the stage on three small steps which swayed dangeriously as she stepped on them but she kept her posture beautifullly. Kerry did the same thing each time but Sunday at 3:00 the steps "capsized" and she flew off and landed in the mayor’s arms!

"I-I’m sor-sorry, v-very sorry s-sir." Kerry stuttered.

"Don’t be, Karen," he said putting her down, "the steps were bound to fall sometime" He smiled, Kerry smiled back. "The carpenter built faulty steps," he continued, "You kept your posture beautifully though, I must admit." [Yeah, sweet talk her so she doesn’t sue you for knowingly using faulty steps, Mayor!J]

"Thank you" she said as she took her seat behind the judges panel. [Here we have a diagram of the stage, curtains, steps, judge’s panel and where the designers, models, and audience sit.]

Kerry went home and made a milk shake for her friends. [I am just speechless at that smooth transition.]

She awoke with a start the next morning and went swimming and then went home to get into riding clothes and eat breakfast. Andy was still missing and the girls were going to search more for him and Jackie. Pat would tag along.

"Kerry, you don’t seem to be home anymore."

"I know," Kerry sighed, "but with my best friend’s brother and my other best friend missing and L.O. and Perry and that other guy, I’m hot on a mystery, I hope" she sighed. After a hearty breakfast of 3 eggs, 5 pieces of bacon, 1 glass of milk and orange juice (not mixed!) Kerry left with Pat.

Deanna leading on Sugar next with Pat on Rusty, next was Kerry on Sparky and Lori on Honey brought up the rear. At 5:00 they returned and went home. Kerry ate and went upstairs. After taking a shower and washing her hair and other daily needs she donned her dress and left. Every model went through their routine except Kerry and another girl named Katherine (but the models called her Katie) Bayliss who was 17. [My cousin, Katie Bayliss, was born right around this time.] At the end the judges voted, with the mayor included, and finally the mayor stood up, "As you know there are 16 girls and we can only pick a 1^st place and 2^nd places.

"The judges and I have decided 1 second place is Paula Kalger." Paula Kalger [besides being my bestfriend in the second grade] was blond and had two short braids and was very pretty Kerry thought "who modeled a knee-high dress part Swedish, part Polish designed by Dottie North." [Dottie? Who let Dottie out of Iowa?] They received each six roses and Paula received a tiny crown. Everyone clapped.

"The next second place is Heidi Kalger, Paula’s twin, modeling a light pink evening dress designed by Dollie North, Dottie’s twin." Everyone laughed and applauded. Each received six roses and Heidi got a small crown.

"This year we have a tie for 1^st, Katherine Bayliss modeling an original thirty’s dress designed by Linny Kovna." [Linny Moore must have married and gotten a degree in fashion design from the School of the Ozarks.] Katherine came in gracefully. With her shoulder length brown hair and peaches and cream complection Kerry thought of Rajah’s daughter and imagined Katie as her. [Huh?]

Kerry’s mind was far away and she didn’t see Katie receive her roses or crown or anything, she didn’t even remember the fashion show until the mayor’s voice said "Karen Lovedy modeling a yellow Chinasilk evening gown by Joe Saunders." Kerry received her crown and roses and Joe got a baseball cap.

[Cheesy pencil drawing of the four winners standing on a two tiered stage holding roses and wearing crowns.]

At home Kerry had Lori, and Deanna and the Saunder’s family over to celebrate. Kerry whipped up apples-n-cinnamin and blueberry muffins. Pat made 5 blueberry milkshakes and 5 grape milkshakes. [Is it just me or do these people have some bizarre eating habits?]

"Who wants grape?" Pat yelled, "Raise your hand."

Jeannie, Joe, Mr. Saunders, Mr. and Mrs. Lovedy raised their arms. Lori, Deanna, Kerry, Mrs. Saunders, and Pat reached for their blueberry shakes. At 12:30 Mr. Saunders said they must go.

"Dad, let’s drive Deanna and Lori home."

"Sure."

At 1:30 when Pat and Kerry were situated in bed Kerry thought of the mystery she ‘thought’ she had. L.O., Perry, and the other man. The man in the woods wasn’t Perry and he wasn’t L.O.!

The Music Station WJML!!! [Real radio station in Northern Michigan.]

"Morning already" Kerry growned.

 

Chapter Eight: Kidnapped!

"Wake up sleepyheadd it’s 7:02"

"Pat," Kerry groaned, "Puh-leeeze don’t tease me!"

"Kee-r-r-y-y-y!" Came a voice from the stairs.

"Comin’!"

Kerry got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. After a breakfast of cereal and juice she went to meet Deanna and Lori and they combed the woods once more – with no luck. At noon they ate at Deanna’s and Deanna’s parents said they were going to town, Lori, Kerry and Deanna excepted the invitation to go, Kerry and Lori went home to change clothes. When Kerry hurried to the car, 15 minutes later, she saw Deanna wearing a pale blue sun dress and Lori waring a pink sun dress she felt relieved because her mother made her ware her flowered sun dress. She hopped into the cadillac with her change purse, she actually felt prettier than when she was in the fashion show.

The 6 mile drive to town was very scenic and the girls enjoyed it. [The road follows the Lake Michigan shoreline for some spectacular views.] In town the girls went window shopping and Mr. and Mrs. Cunning went grocery shopping, while Deanna and Kerry were enjoying the work of a glass blower in one of the stores, Lori stifled a scream and clutched Kerry’s arm. Deanna spun around and gasped standing 5 feet ahead of them was L.O., Perry and the other man!

"That Andy’s a pain" Mr. X was saying.

"Hey, Parky, don’t complain, you let that Kerry, and Jackie, get away, don’t do that again! Jackie gets away and remembers her real name and everything and bam! The slammer!" L.O. said – not calmly Kerry thought.

"Your not the head guy, I am, and you thought you shot her, so you sent her a note thinking she couldn’t do anything about it, but no! And she’s loose, the little snoop!"

The girls had already gone a block, following L.O. and they couldn’t hear anymore so they countinued shopping.

"Let’s go in here," Kerry said pointing to the 5 and 10, "Pat wants some more caps for his gun."

After the caps were purchased they hurried to the IGA where the Cunnings were shopping. Lori was maddest of all after hearing the crooks, after all they insulted her best friend and her brother! [Yeah, I’d be mad too if they were insulting, but the fact that they have both kidnapped and tried to kill someone, well, that’s okay.] The girls decided to tell, Pat and Jim, and mayby Kerry’s parents. At home Kerry gave Pat his caps. They then got dressed into jeans and t-shirts and met Jim, Lori, and Deanna at the stables. Lori told her story to Pat and Jim.

"Whew, that’s neat!" Jim said.

"Now we’re positive it’s L.O. and Perry and Parky" Pat said excitedly. [Parky? How did he come up with that name?]

After everyone mounted, it was decided, Jim would go to the left, Lori and Kerry straight into the woods and Pat and Deanna to the right.

"And remember, if your in trouble use a bob-white signal, it goes like this: bob-bob white." Jim whistled so loud that it piersed Kerry’s ears. [Try as hard as I might, I just can’t remember where I got the idea for them to use a bob white call as a signal!J]

"It’s loud enough," Lori commented.

"Has to be," Pat said with much enthusiasm, "If you want people to hear your signal."

By that time all the horses were pawing and prancing so they started off. Soon Kerry broke into a run, she saw the cabin. She stopped, looked into the cabin. Everything looked like it had when she left. As Lori got there, she broke into a run. A half a mile later they came to more woods – and a stable. [Which really shouldn’t be a surprise since Kerry DID have the cabin and the stable on the map she drew. Why they didn’t go there when they spent the night in the woods, I will never know.]

Bob-bob white.

"Hey, that’s too loud for a real Bob-white."

"No it isn’t L.O.!" shouted Perry, "Now hurry up, we gotta get this load ready for the Baron!"

At that minute 3 horses galloped up and made the loudest noise possible, Kerry thought.

"Now, Perry don’t say that’s a Bob-white." Parky shouted. The next thing Kerry knew she was bound and gagged, sitting next to Lori and Jackie in the back of a delivery truck.

Poor Pat and Andy, Kerry thought, only 8 years old Lori and me were in school when they were born. She then layed down and fell asleep, the rest followed her example, except Jim. [What? Would Trixie fall asleep at a time like this? What person could fall asleep at a time like this?] He got up very slowly and looked out the window. They turned left on Wilderness Park Road then drove a couple of miles and came to Point Drive and he looked at his house, which he could barely see, longingly. [This is confusing if you don’t know the area. They didn’t actually turn down Point Drive, just ran along parallel to it. You can barely see the houses through the trees between the two roads.] They then turned right on Cecil Bay Road.

Well at least I know we’re not going to town.

After about 5 miles the crooks turned right on Gill Road.

We’re going to Bliss, thought Jim gleefully, his aunt lived there. If only he goes towards the hills. At the next road he turned left. Darn, he didn’t go straight or night to Bliss, he’s going to Pleasantview Road. Only this isn’t a pleasant view.

He than drove 4 miles more and parked. Jim layed down and pretended he was asleep.

"Hey, kids, wake up – fast!" Parky growled.

10 minutes later when they could talk but not walk Lori and Andy were ushered into a pick-up with Parky, Kerry and Pat with L.O. in another pick-up and Deanna, Jackie and Jim were in Perry’s pick-up. They than split up and 30 minutes later they met again, in the hills in Bliss.

"O.K., Hey Baron!" L.O. shouted. "Baron!"

"What?" a weak voice said from behind a hill.

"We got some, uhh, extra kids we have to babysit."

"Yeah, 5 extra" Parky added smugly.

"O.K., Good. But someone please, HELP!"

"The three crooks rushed over the hill and all three asked in unison "What happened?"

"I was going up the hill as fast as I could, and I tripped halfway down on a grapevine and I flew the rest of the way down."

When they got back to the trucks Kerry surveyed the new man, Baron. Baron was tall and skinny, about 25 years of age and with pitch black hair. L.O. was about 40 and kind of chubby and kind of short, he had blonde-white hair, the blondest hair Kerry had ever seen. Now Parky was very short and very fat and about 35 and had a squeeky high voice.

The person I met at the garden, hey, I know Kerry thought excitedly, Baron gives the orders, L.O. writes the notes, Perry visits and kidnapps and Parky – dead end, I guess Parky just helps.

Parky was about 32 and was short and chubby and had a low voice and was mean!

"These extra 5 were snooping," Parky sneered.

"Well we can get rid of them easy enough" Baron chuckled evily. They all started laughing evily.

"Aaaah, you got Miss Snoop."

"You can’t call Kerry that!" Lori said loyally.

"I’ll call her anything I please," Baron shouted angrily, "That’s Lori, isn’t it."

"Yeah that troublesome Andy’s sister!" L.O. spoke up.

"Being mouthy and smarting off must run in the family!" Perry put in.

"Stop it! Let’s get the show on the road! Stop standig around! Plan E!"

"If they tie us up, pull in your wrists and stick your hands, like this." Kerry demonstrated while she whispered. The crooks indeed did tie them up gag them and blindfold them. The shoved them in Perry’s truck bed and started the engine and pushed it down the hill. By that time the kids had the ropes off their hands and were working on their feet after about 1 minute everyone had their gags off and their feet undone and their blindfolds off everyone stood up and jumped out – except Deanna.

"No!" she cried when everyone else jumped out, she saw Pat had hurt his arm and decided not to jump.

Kerry screamed "Deanna! Jump!" But she didn’t, and at the bottom the truck rolled twice and she fell out. Andy and Jackie went to get help and Kerry and Lori ran to help Deanna, Pat had to nurse his arm. [Oh where is Brian when you need him!]

Kerry and Lori carried Deanna up to where Pat was, 20 minutes later Deanna regained consiousness and Andy and Jackie arrived with the police and an ambulance. The paramedics came to a conclusion 5 minutes later about Pat’s arm – it was broken. The paramedics started on Deanna. It took 10 minutes for them decide she had brain damage.

"Just slight amnesia," one paramedic said. "She’ll recover in about a week or so."

While the paramedics were checking Pat and Deanna, Kerry, Lori, Jackie, Jim, and Andy gave a description of the men and the truck. One of the policeman phoned in the report and 45 minutes later the thiefs were caught. Everyone went to the police station.

At the station Jackie suddenly said," 571-3618!"

Everyone looked at her, she continued, in a trance, "My name is Elizabeth Thempar, I live at 5082 Cecil Bay Road, my phone number is 571-3618, I am 16 years old and-" she slumped. [My beloved rabbit’s name was Thumper, which is how I came up with Thempar.]

"Jackie!" Everybody in the room chorused, except Deanna, even the crooks! The police ran over to her and helped her up. Kerry got her some water the policemen put some smelling salt to her nostrils.

 

Chapter Nine: The Grand Finale

"Thank you," Jackie said gratefully. She looked straight at the crooks and pointed. "You," she said. "You stole from my house and found out I knew. The you tried to run me over with a car and I went to the hospital and I was released a week later – with no one to stay with," she started sobbing hysterically. Kerry and Lori rushed over to comfort her.

"It’s all right – Elizabeth, it’s all right." Kerry said putting her arm around Jackie’s shoulder. Kerry all of a sudden jumped up and asked to borrow the phone she dialed 571-3618.

"Hello. Mrs. Thempar, this is Kerry Lovedy a friend of Elizabeth’s."

A gasp came from the other end of the line. "You – you found Beth."

"Yes."

"Thank goodness, she’s been missing over three weeks."

"We’ve had her about 1½ weeks." [No, you had her 2 nights and then lost her! And this is a missing local girl – even if they didn’t go to the police, don’t they watch the news? This story would have been all over!]

"We’ve been so worried, you won’t believe how worried we’ve been."

"Just come to the Bliss Police Station and Beth will be here and can tell you the story."

"O.K. Bye and thanks."

"Bye"

10 minutes later Mrs. Thempar came rushing in the door.

"Oh Beth, my Beth," she ran towards Beth. "Bethy, tell me what happened. Are you all right? Where’d you get that pretty dress? But isn’t it kind of ragged? And those sandal’s. Where’d you get those? What happened? Who are those men? Did they hurt you? Your sure you’re not hurt? Why didn’t you call us before? Why did uhh-uhh-what’s her name – Kathy-?"

"Kerry," Kerry said.

"Kerry call and not you?" Mrs. Thempar ended, breathlessly.

"Mrs. Thempar, she’s tired, and she needs rest." One of the paramedics said.

"Oh, O.K.," Mrs. Thempar said dejected and disappointed, "OK," she repeated.

Everyone went home and Mrs. Cunnings was relieved to see Deanna. Kerry decided to take a nap. She went to sleep thinking about the one question that was unanswered. Why was Jackie released from the hospital with no garden? She had a strange dream with Parky, Baron and Jackie in the hospital. Jackie was laying in bed with an ace bandage around her arm. Parky and Baron were talking to a doctor, after that the doctor went to get Jackie, at that moment a lady she had never seen before rushed up and hugged Jackie, as Jackie walked into the office.

"Lidia, she’s back – my niece and Mr. Jeff Baron’s daughter." Parky said.

"Yep, she’s back." Lidia "Baron" said happily.

All of a sudden Kerry woke up and yelled, "I know the answer to the question."

"Whaaat?!" Pat sat looking up from his puzzle book, "You broke my train of thought! I need concentration you know, now, SHUT UP!!!"

"Pat," his father said sternly.

"Dad!" Kerry yelled joyously. "What are you doing here?"

"I set Pat’s arm, you didn’t notice his arm was set, did you?"

"No."

"I’m going to go to school in this cast, I need to wear this 6 weeks."

"That’s right, school starts in two weeks! It’s August 18^th. Joe’s birthday was 5 days ago."

"Yeah and school starts September 1^st."

"Before, labor day?" their father questioned. [We had always returned to school after Labor Day, but that year they changed the school calendar and we started back to school before Labor Day.]

"Yep," Kerry and Pat chorused. Kerry crossed her fingers and wished. She had this belief that if you said the same thing at the same time as someone else you’d cross your fingers and wish before you said anything else.

"Aaaahhh!" Thud.

Everyone looked in the kitchen – they heard a scream, a thud and a clatter of dishes.

"Mom!" Kerry yelled.

"Evalyn!" Mr. Lovedy gasped. Pat just looked around, stunned. Mr. Lovedy checked for broken bones.

"Pat get my bag! Kerry call an ambulance!"

"What’s the number?" [She’s kidding right?]

"GA-911."

"’K"

"Hello, I’d like an ambulance at 5223 Pointe Drive…Cecil Bay…6 miles outside Mackinaw. Go to the end, the very end, of Main Street and make a left go all the way to the end and turn right, you will be at the bottom of a hill, then go all the way to the lake and make a left on Wilderness Park Road. Keep going until you get to Cecil Bay Road, to the left, and then look to the right, there’s a gravel road, that’s it, Point Drive…Um, hum..G’bye." [Now everyone has directions to my parents’ cottage – very BAD directions, but directions none the less!]

"Here’s your bag, dad."

"Thanks. Kerry? How ‘bout a glass of water?"

"No thanks." The three Lovedy’s chuckled. "Here." Kerry handed the glass of water to her father. He put the water on her eyes opened her mouth and poured it in. [What kind of a doctor pours water down an unconscious woman’s throat? And why are half the people in this story unconscious at one point or another?] He then lifted her head and layed it back down. He took the smelling salts to her nose.

"I think she’s got whiplash."

"What’s that?" Pat asked.

"Whiplash? A twisted neck." Mr. Lovedy replied.

Ding, Dong – Dingggg!

"I’ll get it!" Kerry raced to the door.

"Hi! Kerry." Lori said.

"Hi Lori, Deanna."

"Hi!"

Kerry looked out the door. "The ambulance is here, Dad!"

"O.K."

Deanna gasped. "A-a-ambulance?"

"Yeah, mom fell putting dishes away and twisted her neck." Kerry answered calmly.

"Yeah! And you should see all of the broken china!" Pat, who had just joined them, exclaimed.

"What? How can you guys be so calm, and Pat how can you talk about broken dishes when it could be your mom’s neck?! I’d die if it were my mom." Deanna said, shocked.

"Yes." Lori agreed.

"Are you forgetting that the ambulance is here, that makes me calmer, and my dad is a great doctor." [Not to mention she just heard the doorbell chime, that seemed to calm her earlier.]

By that time Mr. Lovedy was assisting the paramedics put Mrs. Lovedy on a stretcher. Kerry got a broom and the girls cleaned up the kitchen, which had pieces of glass and china laying all over.

"At least my favorite glass isn’t broken," Kerry said as she held up a glass with a picture of a rose and a butterfly. [Some of this stuff is pretty surreal – her mom is going to the hospital and she’s worried about a glass?]

"Pretty," Deanna sighed.

Lori agreed immediately.

"Kerry, girls! Come here!" Mr. Lovedy yelled. "Come in the ambulance!"

"Have you been waiting for us?" Kerry asked as she got in the back of the ambulance.

"No we’ve been talking about your mother." Mr. Lovedy replied.

"O.K." Kerry said as she helped Deanna in.

As they went to the hospital Kerry explained about her dream.

"What about the note you got?" Loris asked, "With the flag and america, the arrow up and the finger pointing yp, and the moon and the star."

"Ohhwa!" Kerry said, mad at herself. "I forgot about that."

"America, up, moon," Deanna mused.

"America up to the moon!" Kerry yelled gleefully.

"Blow America up to the moon!" Lori said, "What about the bottum, ‘Two to a set’?"

"Well, the U.S. flag and America were ‘two to a set’ same with up, and the moon with the star, maybe there was two bombs?"

"Probably," Lori said.

[I am literally CRINGING at this point.]

 

Chapter Ten: A Celebration

By that time they were at the hospital. It turned out Mrs. Lovedy did have whiplash. After Mr. Lovedy helped set Kerry’s mom’s neck, Mr. Lovedy helped Mrs. Lovedy in their car, which Mr. Lovedy drove to the hospital instead of going in the ambulance. At home Kerry called Beth and told her the news about the dream. She then called Sgt. Hakerd and told him the news about Beth. She then proceeded to tell him about the bombs.

"Yes, they deal in bombs, they confessed they were going to blow up America and Beth new so they kidnapped her and let her go after they gave her a good case of amnesia."

"Yes."

"Good work Kerry!"

"Thanks," Kerry said blushing.

"Bye"

"Bye"

She went to help her mother. For the next three days she waited on her mother, who was easy to please.

Ringgg!

"I got it!" Kerry yelled, she grabbed the phone, "Hello!" she said breathlessly.

"Hey, you sound out of breath."

"Who’s speaking, please?" Kerry said, confused.

"Don’t you know?" the boy said on the other line.

"No!"

"Oh brother!"

"Look, kid, this isn’t a very funny joke!" she slammed down the reciever.

"Who was that, hon?"

"I don’t know, some joker." Kerry replied, unconcerned in the least.

"Oh," her mother said simply. Kerry was glad she didn’t persue, her mother simply started working on her sewing again.

Ringggg!

"Hello," Kerry said.

"Hi!"

"Look, don’t keep bugging me because I can turn on my tracer and trace your call, and I can make it tough for you!"

"Oh, O.K. I’ll tell you my name if, you go for a date with me."

"What’s your name!!!" Kerry shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Kerry!" her mother said astonished.

"What’s going on?!" her dad yelled from the bottum of the stairs.

"Kerry, you broke my concentration!" Pat yelled.

"Kerry, I-I-It’s Joe!" Joe said, almost scared.

"Oh, sorry Joe!" Kerry apoligized.

"It’s O.K. So how ‘bout it?"

"About what?"

"The date how about tommorrow, 2:00 movie?"

"What’s playing?"

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial."

"Sure."

The next day Kerry got dressed in her flowered sundress. Joe picked her up and they saw E.T.

Joe and Kerry went home then. Kerry walked in the door,

"SURPRISE!!!!!"

"Wow!"

"Because you solved your first mystery well." Her mom said, Pat and her dad agreed.

"Thank you Kerry you helped me a lot." Beth said and hugged Kerry, Kerry blushed.

Lori saw Kerry was embaressed and said "Let’s PARTY!" She put on ‘Nobody,’ ‘Heartlight,’ ‘Gloria,’ and ‘Mickey’ on the stereo for starters.

They’re right, Kerry thought, it was a good mystery.

She went and joined the party.

[The note that ends the story is: Started June 3, 1981 Finished Dec 31, 1982 3 minutes to 1983 1 year ½. I can remember desperately wanting to finish it before midnight and writing my little hand off all day long. I scrimped at the end to get done by midnight.]

And now, for your reading pleasure, here is the rest of the planned "Kerry Lovedy Library"

1. The Disappearing Guest
2. The Secret of the Diamonds [Sounds kind of like a Meg Mystery to me!]
3. The Hidden Gold
4. The Mystery in Kentucky [Probably inspired by Meg’s Mystery in Williamsburg, which I never read BTW]
5. The Mysterious Lady
6. The Mystery of Cantimon Place
7. The Hidden Mansion [Not to be confused with the Secret of the Mansion]
8. The Mystery on French Lake [A really cool inland lake about 5 miles from the cottage]
9. The Ghostly Man [Who maybe had a ghostly galleon?]
10. The Mystery of the Silk Gown [Because, let’s face it, velvet had already been done!]

So there it is – my glaring display of unoriginality as a child. I hope you all weren’t too bored and at least got a few laughs out of it!

Trixie Belden Homepage