I’m sorry that this took so long! I got busy with the end of our season at the museum and starting my off-season job. Thanks Anna and Aurie!

Standard disclaimers apply...don’t sue poor old me!

CHAPTER 14

PICTURE THIS

Trixie remembered that the lights were automatic and jumped up to trip the sensor. She went over to the gate to see if she could see anyone going by, but the tunnel allowed for only a narrow view of the outside world.

"Tunnel vision," Trixie sighed.

Later, security found her in that same position: arms through the bars, moaning something about the tunnel vision that comes from wearing sunbonnets and single-minded detective work.

She walked back to the house by way of the curving gravel road and was hot and tired when she arrived. The picnic was ready and waiting.

"Trixie, where have you been?" a concerned Honey asked.

"I’m calling a meeting after we eat. I’ll explain then." She went inside to wash for supper.

* * * * *

"The kidnapper must be someone who works at the museum, with keys to the Earth Lodge." Trixie had called a meeting of the Bobwhites plus Ned, and was just finishing her story.

"That’s quite a leap, Trix, even for you," said Brian. "Even if it is true, how could we prove it?"

"Had you been cognizant of the hour, sister dear, and perceived that everything is impermeable after 5 o’clock," Mart said, pointing at his watch, "you wouldn’t have been accidentally incaged."

"Mart! I’m telling you, this was no accident. The inner gate was left open. If it had been locked, I would have been near enough to the outer gate to see who was locking it. As it was, I had gone deep inside."

"Someone probably left it unlocked on accident," Brian said. "What did the person who let you out think?"

She reluctantly said, "He thought maybe someone from the Education Department accidentally left it open after a class." Trixie felt no one would be on her side after admitting this. She gave Dan a look that said, "I told you so."

"I think Trixie might be right," he said. "The kidnappers were talking in the Railroadtown restroom—that makes sense if they work here. They know she overheard. They probably know who she is and that she is snooping around. Maybe this was the kidnappers way of saying, ‘I know who you are, don’t mess with me.’"

"I can’t believe that someone in Railroadtown is a kidnapper," Ned said, pushing his fingers through his thick curls. "Everyone here is like a family."

"Did you tell anyone about Trixie and Honey being detectives?" asked Dan.

"Yes. My aunt and uncle…Kay and Judi…my—some of the kids around. I guess a lot of people know," Ned answered.

"That’s okay, Ned," said Honey. "I imagine Dani knows, by the way we questioned her. Leslie from the library figured us out, too."

"As you’ve said, Ned, it’s a small town," Trixie said. "We’ll probably read about it in the paper." She smiled at him, smiling for the first time that evening.

"Do you think the motive for the kidnapping is that the marshal discovered something going on here, with one or more of his co-workers, and not anything to do with his bank robbery article?" Jim asked.

Trixie realized that Jim didn’t go along with her brothers in discouraging her about the mystery. He’s trying so hard. She looked at him gratefully and said, "That’s right. We shouldn’t totally disregard the bank robbery though, just in case."

"Should we decide how to proceed from here?" Mart half-asked, half-suggested.

Honey said, "We could go back to the Earth Lodge to see if he dropped anything or left some sort of clue." She paused. "Anything we find may have been left by a visitor, though."

"It’s getting dark now, we’d be out there searching with flashlights," said Brian. "We’ll be back tomorrow. You can snoop around all you like in the light of day, but I don’t want you to go alone."

"Of course she won’t be alone," said Trixie. "I’ll be with her. I’m sure the kidnapper won’t try anything during business hours when there are visitors crawling all over the place. Besides, you guys really need to stay in town and help get stuff ready for the parade. Dani had this huge list of things to do, and she needs our help. Honey and I will look around. I’ll see if I can find out who all was working Monday when Gene disappeared, and then we will report back to you at lunch. Is that okay with everyone?" she asked, looking at Brian. He must feel terribly responsible for all of us, being the oldest. Trixie resolved to show her brother that he could trust her.

He sighed and glanced around. "All right, but be careful," Brian said, his gaze resting in Honey.

She gave him a warm smile. "We will."

The meeting was adjourned and the Bobwhites thanked the Beyes politely before piling into the station wagon.

Back at the campsite, Trixie approached Jim, offering to finish their conversation from the night before. He agreed, and they walked a short distance off. They were separated from the camp by a row of trees, so if they spoke low, no one could hear them, but they could hear laughter and the music from someone’s radio. It must have been some Music Flashback program, because it went from a Styx song into that Player song, "Baby Come Back."

"You were worried about Ned?" Jim asked. His face was full of shadow, but Trixie could hear puzzlement in his voice.

"No," she said.

"Last night, before you ran off. You said you couldn’t talk because you were worried about Ned."

"Oh, well, haven’t you noticed he’s been moping around?"

"No, I’ve had something else on my mind."

"You’ve really been thinking this over, haven’t you? I’ve been avoiding thinking about it myself. I don’t like being confused."

"And I don’t like you feeling confused."

"So we’re going to get this all out, and sorted out, once and for all."

"That’s right, Trix," he said, finding her hands in the dark.

"I did a lot of thinking while I was locked in the Earth Lodge. I had a talk with Dan right before, too. He helped me get some perspective. I know what I want out of life. There are some things I have wanted for a long time. I’m afraid…I’m just afraid that you won’t be happy in my picture of the future." Trixie was relieved it was dark in the trees and let silent tears roll down her cheeks.

She comes down yellow mountain on a dark flat land she rides
On a pony she named Wildfire

Jim let go of her, and before she could take a step backwards, his large hands were cupping her wet cheeks. He wiped her tears with his thumbs.

With a whirlwind by her side
On a cold Nebraska night

"This song always makes me bawl," she said.

Oh they say she died one winter
When there came a chilling frost

"It always makes me think of you," said Jim.

And the pony she named Wildfire
Busted down his stall

"Honey’s a better horsewoman than I am."

In a blizzard he was lost
She ran calling "Wildfire," she ran calling "Wildfire"
She ran calling "Wildfire"

"Yes, but I see you with Susie. I’ve overheard you talking to Jupiter. You are passionate about horses."

By the dark of the moon I planted
But there came an early snow

Jim continued, "And it’s something impulsive, something I can picture you doing, running off into a blizzard after a horse…and freezing to death."

There’s been a hoot owl howling outside my window now
For six nights in a row

"Oh, right, Jim! You would find Wildfire and me before my lips even turned blue!" Trixie was puzzled as a stricken Jim quickly dropped his hands and turned away.

She’s coming for me I know
And on Wildfire we’re both gonna go
We’ll be riding Wildfire
We’ll be riding Wildfire
We’ll be riding Wildfire

Jim folded his arms across his broad chest. "You mentioned your picture of the future," he said. "I guess I really have two pictures. One is like from some fantasyland where everything is sunshine and roses. We have a cozy house and yard full of kids. Some are orphans, like I was; some have beautiful blonde curls. We are just happy and content to sit on the porch swing and watch them. You don’t have any urges to chase after a mystery. I don’t have to go chase after you."

"I wouldn’t mind having that someday…on the weekends—I have to be honest with you!"

"I know, Trixie, and that’s where reality, and the second picture, come in. It’s years from now, and your detective agency has been going strong for a long time. You are famous, because you are too stubborn to have ever given up. You are so famous that your poor husband gets referred to as ‘Mr. Trixie Belden.’ He has long past gotten used to it. It doesn’t matter to him because you remember his name, and tell him every night, ‘I love you James Winthrop Frayne the Second.’ And half the time you look at him, it’s like he just made the sun come out. The other half the time, it’s as if you were saying, ‘Come on, Jim, make the sun come out!’ and he smiles, and the sun comes out. But I guess that isn’t reality, either. I can’t live my life to make you happy anymore than you can for me!"

Jim could hear Trixie crying, but he turned and walked away.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author’s Notes: Just in case someone doesn’t understand the sunbonnet reference, I just wanted to say that I get teased all the time about being able to see where I am going with my bonnet on. It really limits your view.