This is a sequel to The Stranger. If you haven't read Mystery on the Mississippi, you probably won't understand the dreams. I hope I don't bore anyone, but I like the Bob-Whites to be living life and having fun along with the underlying danger that's going on.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys Realities and Dreams.
Realities and Dreams
by Kay Lynn
Chapter 1
What a beautiful day, Trixie thought as she got off the school bus and headed toward Crabapple Farm. It was the kind of weather, that was crisp and cool, but not freezing. She knew it would grow colder later in the evening. If I had to choose, I don't know which time of year I'd say Crabapple Farm was the most beautiful. She stopped and stared at the old gleaming white Farmhouse. It looks like a Currier and Ives painting. Today, the place had the colors of autumn. The trees sported leaves in colors of russet, gold, yellow, burgundy and brown. In Moms' flowerbeds, bachelor buttons and chrysanthemums and other fall flowers grew in abundance, in yellows, oranges and browns, orange-yellow and scarlet. I have so many memories here, she thought.
In another couple of months, Trixie thought, the place would look like a Christmas card, with crystal clear icicles dripping from the trees and snow blanketing the yard and the afternoon sun would reflect off the snow in shades of light blue. Then, comes springtime.
The landscape would be alight in beautiful pastels. Mom's flower gardens would be abloom with pinks, blues, pale yellows, apricot colors and lavenders. There'd be daffodils, daisies, posies, marigolds, violets, buttercups and an assorted array of all different kinds of flowers, some wild, and some planted. The crabapple trees would bloom with pink blossoms and the dogwoods with white. The grass on the lawn would turn to emerald green. And, if that weren't enough, summer would come. The grass would grow a darker green, the trees would be full of green leaves and Mom's gardens would once again flourish with flowers in reds, deep golds, bright yellows, purples, hot pink, along with every shade of blue.
I couldn't bear ever having to give up the Farm, Trixie thought sadly as she remembered her conversation with the two FBI agents a few weeks ago about her family and herself maybe having to go into the witness protection plan. "I refuse to think about that right now though." She said to herself. "I'm going to enjoy life to its fullest and just hope and pray they catch Pierre Lontard."
She continued up the walk, her thoughts turning to happier things, like the month of October. October was one of her favorite times of year. It was full of activities for her and her friends. She and Honey were discussing it this morning on the school bus, how they would need to diet a few days this month to make up for all that was going on and all the opportunities to have delicious food. First of all, there was homecoming, which was next week with all kinds of activities. Then, there was Brian's birthday, afterward, the fall carnival that the school put on every year to raise money for the sports department then Halloween.
"Hi, Moms," Trixie yelled as she stopped by the hall closet to hang up her black sweater. The house smelled wonderfully of beef stew simmering slowly on the stove and homemade buttery rolls baking in the oven.
"Hi Trixie, we're in here."
Not that she had to tell me, Trixie thought smiling. Moms was always in the kitchen.
"Hey, Trixie," Bobby said, his mouth full of homemade walnut brownie.
"Hey sweetie," Trixie said, stopping to plant a kiss on his forehead. She then helped herself to a freshly baked brownie and a glass of milk out of the fridge.
"How was your day Trixie?" Moms asked, as she stirred the beef stew.
"It was okay, for school I guess."
Moms smiled at that comment.
Trixie quickly ate her brownie and rushed upstairs to change clothes as the phone rang. She changed into a pair of her faded Levi's, a long sleeve white turtleneck and her old tennis shoes.
After hurriedly finishing her chores, she ran back into the kitchen. "Moms, who was on the phone awhile ago and can I go to Honey's house? We want to go horseback riding this afternoon."
"I don't know who was on the phone, because they hung up as soon as I answered and yes, you can go for a little while, but be back in time to help set the table and prepare for dinner." Trixie threw on her red knitted sweater and raced out the door before Moms could suggest she take Bobby with her.
Chapter 2
Trixie raced up the hill to Manor house where she met Jim outside of the stables and they shared a quick kiss. "Where are you heading in such a hurry?" he asked, laughing.
"Oh, I've got a plan for the Bob-Whites to raise money for the women's shelter and I wanted to run it by Honey before telling everyone else."
"You won't even tell me?" he said, pretending to look hurt.
"Maybe later," she said laughing. "Unless you're going riding with us."
"I can't, I've got a ton of homework to do." Trixie felt a little guilty as he said that, because she also had homework to do.
Trixie and Honey saddled up Lady and Susie and took off into the game preserve. "So, what is this big plan of yours?" Honey asked as they rode along.
"I wanted to raise money for the battered women's shelter here in Sleepyside. We haven't had a fund raiser in so long."
"Okay, but what do you have in mind?"
"Well, I thought we could have a fall carnival maybe at Crabapple Farm or at your house, we could have chili, and we could have booths, maybe yard sale items."
"I don't know, Trixie," Honey said thoughtfully. "October is such a busy month. And the school has their fall carnival, which is a lot like what you just described and your mother's planning the Halloween Party at Crabapple Farm and she wants all the Bob-Whites to help. I mean, it's a wonderful idea and all, but I think we should wait till springtime to do something like that."
Trixie thought for a minute and then said, "I guess you're right. I just wish we could do something now, though."
"Well, you have a full plate right now," said Honey.
"You're right about that," Trixie said, thinking about the homework waiting at home. The conversation then turned to the upcoming Homecoming game and dance.
"Listen," said Honey, "Diana and I were talking in study hall today and we thought the three of us could bike into Sleepyside Saturday and pick out something to wear to the dance."
"Oh, I have this pair of khaki colored dress pants that I bought the first of the school year, that I haven't worn yet, and I was just going to wear those with this cream-colored shirt and this dark brown velvet vest," Trixie said.
"No Trixie!" Honey told her. "Girls are allowed to wear a nice pantsuit, but I'm not sure khaki pants would work. We're going to go to Crimper's and pick out dresses. It'll be fun."
There was a time when Trixie would never have agreed to something like this, but she found that she liked to dress up more even though she liked her dresses to be kind of simple, nothing fancy. They stopped to allow the horses to rest before trotting them back to the stables.
"I also want us to go and have our hair done for the dance," Honey said, wondering if Trixie would agree to that.
To her surprise, Trixie said, "Sure."
They continued talking and making plans when they heard a twig snap in the bushes, like someone had stepped on it. Since it had grown somewhat dark by this time, Trixie felt a bit apprehensive. "Honey, what was that?" Trixie asked carefully.
"I don't know, but I think it's time to get back."
Trixie couldn't get over the feeling that someone was watching them. "Let's go!" They took off cantering until they arrived in sight of the stables. Both girls felt that they had been paranoid and silly as soon as they were closer to home and they began to slow down.
"I know that was probably nothing," Trixie said.
"You're right," Honey told her as they slowly approached the stables. "But, you know we have to be careful. I think soon, we should tell the boys about Pierre Lontard and the FBI agents and what they told us."
"I don't want them to know!" Trixie said. "I don't want them to have to deal with it. I'm usually never afraid, except when something happens like a strange noise like we just heard, I always feel safe at home and at your house, and when we're with the guys and at school. I really don't believe Pierre Lontard is around these parts. And, I'm very careful these days. I feel like the boys would become really worried and the concern would interfere with their plans for college and not to mention they'd drive us crazy."
"I know," said Honey sadly. "But, Trixie, the FBI guys aren't here anymore. If they were still around, I'd feel a whole lot safer."
"But," said Trixie thoughtfully. "They aren't here, because they feel that I'm relatively safe as long as I'm careful." The FBI men had pulled out of Sleepyside a few weeks ago. They told Trixie that they felt Pierre Lontard didn't have any ties to organized crime and they also felt that he wasn't even in the country. Even so, they admonished her to be careful and informed her that they planned to keep the tap on her phone a little longer.
Chapter 3
It was pitch dark by the time Trixie and Honey finished grooming the horses and putting up the saddles in the meticulous order that Regan demanded. Trixie wished Jim would come out to walk her home, but he was nowhere to be seen. He must be still studying, she thought.
"Trixie, I can ask Tom to take you home," Honey suggested, as they walked out of the stables together.
"Nonsense," Trixie told her. "I'm not afraid to walk the trail between my house and yours. I'll see you tomorrow."
Trixie quickly raced toward the trail that led down the hill toward home. She looked back, once, but Honey had already gone inside. She forced herself to slow down and walk, but she imagined shadows of a stranger everywhere she looked. About half way down the trail, a string hanging off her red knitted sweater got tangled around a bush and she could see a hooded figure, dressed in black slowly walking toward her. "Help!" she yelled panicking. She just knew it was Pierre Lontard or someone from the mob. She frantically tried to untangle herself, but to no avail. Her heart beat wildly as she struggled to get free.
"Only you, Beatrix, could land yourself in such a perilous predicament," said the hooded person.
"Mart," she gasped, too relieved to be irritated. He was wearing his black-hooded jacket and in the dark he looked sinister and scary.
"Moms told me to go to Manor House and tell you to come home for dinner, but I guess I need to inform her that you're all tied up at the moment." He turned away, pretending he was going to leave her like that, trying hard not to laugh.
"Please untie me!" she said exasperatedly, but secretly glad for this normalcy. At first, he ignored her and kept on walking. "Mart!" She said frantically.
"Okay, okay, just hold your proverbial horses," he finally said, turning around. After untying her, they walked down the trail toward home.
The kitchen felt warm, safe and cozy when Trixie and Mart came in the back door. Since Trixie was reasonably sure her family was in for the night, she made sure no one was watching and quickly locked the back door. Something she rarely ever had done. She raced upstairs to compose herself before dinner. She knew she must have a look of fear and apprehension in her eyes after what just happened and she didn't want any of her family to pick up on it. Ever since the mention of Pierre Lontard a few weeks ago, she had been having nightmares and feeling somewhat paranoid.
Dinner at the Belden home each evening was a happy affair. Tonight they had a delicious meal of beef stew chock full of potatoes, beef, onions and carrots. They had field peas, delicately seasoned, canned from last summer's garden and homemade rolls. Talk centered on homecoming and other events that were coming up.
"Moms, is there anyway I could borrow some money this Saturday?" Trixie asked her mother, the events of earlier in the evening pushed aside.
"What for?" her mother asked curiously, while her brothers and her Father looked at her seriously.
"Um, Diana, Honey and I are biking into town Saturday to buy new dresses to wear to the homecoming dance."
"Why, I think we could swing that," her mother said, smiling.
Mart got that look on his face ready to tease, but one look from his father squelched it. After more talk of upcoming events and a quick dessert of Mrs. Belden's pumpkin bread, which she traditionally made this time of year, Trixie quickly stood to clear off the table. Her parents and Bobby retired to the living room and Brian headed up stairs to study. To her surprise, Mart grabbed a dishtowel to dry dishes.
"So, what's going on with you and Honey?" he asked, so curious he forgot to use big words.
"What do you mean?" she said, perfecting an innocent look but not quite able to look him in the eyes.
"Well, I was coming back from raking leaves for Mrs. Vanderpoel's earlier this evening and I saw you two racing the horses like you were running from a fire and you sounded really panicked just now out on the trail when your sweater got hung up."
"Oh, it was just the dark. You know it gets dark a lot earlier this time of year."
"Something's up Trixie, I can feel it. And, while we're conversing, our elder sibling has nominated me to have a brotherly chat."
"What about?" Trixie asked, hoping he had gotten off the other subject. She continued to wash the plates as he dried and she noticed that he looked uncomfortable with what he was about to say.
"Your relationship with Jim. Brian and I can't help but notice that you two are rather serious." He told her, not able to meet her gaze, "Trixie, it's like this. You know how Moms and Dad feel about you being in a relationship so young. But, I believe that there's a chance that they would be understanding if you told them the truth."
"They would make me stop seeing him," she told Mart, almost starting to cry.
"Trixie, they're going to find out eventually and they're going to be a whole lot madder knowing you lied to them. Not to mention, Brian and the other Bob-Whites, including Jim, will be upset with me, because they will know that we knew about this and kept it from them. And, Trixie, you know how Jim is. He is only going to sneak around like this for so long and then he'll break up with you. Because if there is one thing Jim Frayne is not, it's a sneak. He's too honorable for that. At this point, you have nothing to lose. In time, he'll break up because he can't stand deceiving Moms and Dad, or they'll find out and forbid you to see him. You need to talk to them Trixie." He gave her a brotherly pat on the shoulder before heading up the stairs.
What has my life become? she thought as she hung the dishrag on the rack. I have to watch over my shoulder and hope that a crazed killer doesn't come after me. I have too much homework, which I have to do to earn credits to get into college. I'm in love, and afraid my parents will find out and forbid me to see him because of their outdated ideas. She admitted to herself that Mart was right though. She headed upstairs to her room and pulled out her Math, science and English books to try to get her homework done before it was really late. She knew that she was going to tell Moms and Dad about her and Jim, regardless of the consequences. Simply because their sneaking around added to the stress she was under. At least that would be one load off her shoulders.
Chapter 4
The next day at school, Trixie told Jim about her talk with Mart the night before and what she had decided to do. "Not without me, you're not," he told her. "I'm going to take responsibility for seeing you and we have been sneaking around against their wishes. And, Trixie whatever the consequences are, I love you. I'll wait for you as long as I have to."
"And Jim, I'll wait for you. I know we're too young to be serious, but I don't think there will ever be anyone else for me."
They held hands going into school, both knowing that her parents could very well put a stop to everything.
Trixie rushed home from school and helped her mother with the house and dinner and for once got her homework taken care of early. Jim was coming over and they were going to break the news to her parents about them seeing each other. She knew she was taking a chance, because Moms and Dad could decide not only to not allow her and Jim to see each other they also could decide to not allow her to continue being a Bob-White, because the club put her and Jim alone together a lot. But, she was determined to do what she had to do. After dinner, Mart cleaned the kitchen for her as she waited on the front porch for Jim.
She finally saw him coming up the walk. The two walked into the living room together and Trixie knew that neither of them had ever been this nervous before.
"Mr. and Mrs. Belden, Trixie and I have something to discuss with you," Jim said, sitting on the edge of the chair. Trixie looked at her mother and knew by the look in her Moms eyes that she already had an inkling what this was about. "I'm kind of ashamed to admit this to you, sir." Jim looked at her father. "Because I've always thought of you as a second father. And you, Mrs. Belden, as another mom, but I've been seeing Trixie secretly since last summer. And I want you to know, sir, that whatever you decide to do about this, I mean, I'll respect your decision, but we would like to start dating and I assure you that I have nothing but the most honorable intentions toward her." He finished nervously.
Mr. Belden put down his newspaper and looked seriously at both Jim and Trixie for a long while. Not knowing how he was going to react was nerve-wracking.
Finally, he spoke. "You know, Trixie's mother and I both had hoped Trixie would wait a long time before getting into a serious relationship, but we both recognize that times are different now than what they were when we were growing up. And, Jim Frayne, I have nothing but the deepest admiration and respect for you, you are a fine young man. You have chosen not only to take on my headstrong, impetuous daughter for a girlfriend, but both of my sons as close friends. I wish Trixie would wait. If this were anyone besides you, the answer would be no and Trixie would be sent to a convent. But, since it's you," he smiled as he said this, "Her mother and I are going to allow the two of you to date. Actually, we had already discussed this, we knew something was going on with her."
Trixie's mother smiled and Trixie had never loved her parents more than she did right then. Trixie felt so relieved, at least that was one load off her shoulders. Now, if the FBI would only notify her that Pierre Lontard had been captured. After thanking her parents and Trixie hugging both, she and Jim walked out on the porch together. They made some plans, Jim kissed her goodbye, and Trixie watched him as he walked toward the trail to Manor House.
Trixie dreamily walked back inside the house. Mart was standing in the living room and they gave each other a high five. "See, I told you Moms and Dad would understand," he told her.
Trixie's parents had gone upstairs to bathe and put Bobby to bed and Brian had already retired for the evening.
All of a sudden, Trixie felt like celebrating. "I think I'll have a piece of the chocolate meringue pie Moms made for desert tonight. Care to join me?" she asked Mart.
"You'd better control the urge to dine in the latter part of evening, or you're midsection will become voluminous," he told her.
"Oh, go away," she said as she lightly shoved him, annoyed that he had lapsed back into his overblown vocabulary.
Trixie went to the kitchen and cut herself a big wedge of chocolate pie. She got out a drinking glass and poured a glass of milk. She had just taken a bite of her pie, when the phone rang. Oh, I bet that's Honey, she probably wants to know every detail of tonight. I can't wait to tell her! Trixie thought, glad to have someone to share this experience with. She jumped up to answer the phone in the kitchen. "Hello" Trixie said without waiting for a reply. "Honey, I can't wait to tell you what Dad said, it was just great." She was waiting for Honey to say something.
"Hello, Trixie," said a voice from the past, with a slight French accent.
Oh my gosh! Trixie thought. Pierre Lontard!
"It's nice that your parents are going to allow you to date young Jim Frayne, you need to be free to enjoy what little time you have left to live." Then, he started laughing. An evil, sinister laugh.
"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Oh, only your life and maybe the lives of your family and friends," he replied matter-of-factly. Before she could respond, he hung up the phone.
Frantically, Trixie made sure the back door was locked. She went upstairs to her room, took her shower and went to bed, but she couldn't sleep. She kept imagining that she heard someone breaking in the house. Another time, she thought she heard someone outside the window, but it was just a tree, scraping the windowpane. "How could he have heard the conversation between myself, Jim and my parents a short while ago?" She kept asking herself.
Before now, she could chalk things up to her own wild imagination. Like the noise on the trail the other night. But, this brought the reality of what was happening to light. Maybe the FBI still have our phone lines tapped and they will be able to trace him. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was 3:00 a.m. With the reassuring thought of the FBI, she finally rolled over and went into a fretful sleep.
Chapter 5
Trixie was in the abandoned shack on the Mississippi. She and Honey were bound hands and feet. Their mouths were gagged, and were swollen from both the gags and from going without water. And worse of all, were the rats. And even worse than that, they were waiting to die. They saw the door to the shack open as Pierre Lontard and the Aguleras came to take them to their death."
"Trixie!" Her mother called, from downstairs.
Trixie sat up, her heart pounding as she looked around her and realized that she was at home, not in that abandoned shack. Her head ached from lack of sleep and her mind felt numb as she remembered the phone call from last night and in the dream, she felt the same terrible fright that she had felt in that abandoned shack that summer on the Mississippi, with the rats.
"Trixie?" Her mother asked, as she came up the stairs and into her room.
"Uh, yeah, Moms," she said trying to compose herself.
"Oh sweetie, you look terrible, are you feeling okay?" Moms asked as she touched Trixie's forehead to see if she had a fever.
"Yeah," Trixie replied, rubbing her eyes. "I just didn't sleep well last night."
"Well, I just came up to let you know that Honey called and she and Diana are biking over here soon for the shopping trip."
Trixie had forgotten her plans with Diana and Honey, with that little phone call last night, all the normal things of life had just slipped her mind.
"Thanks, Moms," Trixie said, pushing the covers off. "I think I'll take a quick shower."
"Okay," Moms said, "Hurry up so you'll have time for breakfast before you leave."
Trixie took a quick shower, hoping she could forget the phone call from last night and that horrible dream. She ran downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed one of Mom's huge homemade biscuits, split it open and buttered it, then put a small slice of Canadian bacon and a piece of cheese and a fried egg on it. She poured a glass of milk and headed to the dining room.
"Good morning, Trixie," Honey said. She was seated at the dining table with Diana. "We're a little early, because we couldn't resist one of your moms delicious breakfasts."
"Yeah" Said Diana, taking a bite of her biscuit. "Your Mom makes the best biscuits I've ever tasted."
"Good morning guys," Trixie said sleepily. "Moms, where's Mart, Brian and Bobby?" She knew this was her father's Saturday to work at the bank.
"They've gone to help Mr. Lytell with some repairs around his place."
"Oh yeah," said Honey. "Jim's over there, too."
Trixie was very quiet all through the delicious breakfast, which didn't go unnoticed by Diana and Honey.
Finally, the girls headed to Sleepyside on their bikes. After last night, Trixie had to fight the urge to ask Moms to drive them. She knew if she did, she'd have to explain that she was absolutely terrified. But somehow, on the sunshiny autumn day, what happened the night before didn't seem as real or as scary. Trixie felt her tension ease, and her headache go away as she enjoyed coasting down the hill on her bike.
The girls went to Crimper's store and into the dressing room. The dance was semi-casual, so it didn't require them to dress in a long gown or a formal. They just needed a nice dress. Trixie quickly found the one she wanted. It was a black velvet jumper, which was short, straight and buttoned up the front. It had a white-satin, high-necked blouse to go underneath it. She looked at herself in the mirror. Black wasn't usually a color that she wore, but she didn't want to wear blue all the time.
"Oh," said Diana. "Trixie, that looks great on you. Very simple, but elegant. It'll look great for upcoming holiday parties too."
"Oh, and you know what else?" Honey asked. "You can wear black pantyhose and I have some sterling silver jewelry you can borrow. To me, black and silver go great together."
Trixie liked the way she looked, as she turned around and looked in the mirror. And, with the sale price on this dress, she would be able to afford a pair of black flat shoes.
"Okay, since Trixie's chosen hers, it’s my turn," said Honey, grabbing her choices. "You two have to sit here on the bench while I try on some dresses and you tell me which looks the best."
After trying on several, Honey settled for a straight blue midi-length skirt, with a fancy belt and a white button up shirt."
"Oh, now it's my turn," Diana said, as she took her choices into the dressing room. She chose a black straight short skirt, and a lilac-colored rib knit shirt, with a matching scarf.
"Well, that was quick," said Diana and all three girls laughed. "Now, it's time for lunch."
"Are we going to Wimpy's?" Trixie asked.
"I don't really want to, unless you two do," Diana said. "I mean, we always go there. Since it's just us girls, I'd like to go somewhere a little fancier."
"What about the tea room right here at Crimper's?" Honey asked.
They all agreed that would be a great choice and they went upstairs to the dainty little shop.
After a delicious meal of the tearoom's assortment of dainty finger sandwiches and salads, the three girls were stuffed. "It's a good thing that we road the bikes," Trixie said. "We can exercise that delicious lunch off."
The girls exited Crimper's as Diana suggested, "Oh, let's go over to that new shoe store, the one that's beside Wimpy's." They agreed to leave the bikes and walk over. Trixie noticed the homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, between Wimpy's and the shoe store. All three girls reached into their purses to see if they had some spare change.
"I guess we'll have to give him some money when we come out," Trixie said looking through her purse. "I don't have anything smaller than a twenty."
"Me neither," Honey said.
"I don't have any cash on me," Diana informed them. "I used Dad's credit card for everything today."
"We'll give him some money when we come out," Trixie said and Honey agreed.
They filed into the shoe store. As the clerk was walking toward them, Diana said, "Did you hear that?"
"What?" Trixie and Honey asked curiously.
"What that homeless guy said that was standing outside."
"No, I never heard him say anything," Trixie stated as Honey nodded in agreement.
"It sounded like he said, 'You're going to know what it feels like to lose'. I wonder what that means?" Diana said looking puzzled.
Trixie and Honey stared at each other, a look of apprehension in their eyes.
Chapter 6
Later in the afternoon, their bikes laden with purchases, the girls headed home. Diana went to her house first.
"All right, Trixie Belden, you're going to tell me what's wrong," Honey said, after Diana had turned toward her home. "When we get to my house, let's go up to my room and talk."
Trixie was exhausted and she didn't argue with her as they went up the driveway, parked their bikes, went in the front door and headed up the stairs to Honey's room.
Trixie told Honey about the phone call last night, the disturbing dream and how she felt like she was coming unglued. "Oh my gosh, Trixie," said Honey, wondering how to comfort her friend.
"Honey," Trixie said seriously, staring into Honey's hazel eyes. "Do you ever think of that summer, the time we went to Missouri and all that, what could've happened to us?"
"Not any more, Trixie," she replied thoughtfully. "I did when we first came back from that vacation. For about six months, I would dream that I was in that shack, I would remember the rats, and how even they weren't as scary as waiting for Pierre Lontard to come back. Sometimes, I would dream of that scary house, the one where we pulled into the drive that day to wait out that terrible rainstorm. I dream that I'm heading for the front door, and something scary is waiting on the other side." She finished, shivering, "I don't dream about it anymore. For awhile, I had to sleep in Ms. Trask's room some nights and one night, I slept in the other twin bed in Jim's room, because I'd awaken so afraid."
"Jeez, Honey, I'm sorry. It's really all my fault. I dragged you into that situation."
"Oh Trixie, don't even say that. Regardless of that, I wouldn't want to go back to the time when I didn't know you. And the good thing about those horrible experiences is, I appreciate life so much more."
"Honey, I'm starting to wonder, if maybe I should go to Moms and Dad and tell them everything. I know they might decide to sell Crabapple Farm and we would leave and none of us would ever be the same. And I might never see you and Jim again. And next to dying, selling our home and leaving and losing you guys is the worse thing that could ever happen to me."
"I know, but Trixie it's not going to come to that. I just feel it in my bones. So far, all Pierre Lombard has done is make a phone call. The FBI is so comfortable with the fact that you're not in any real danger; they packed up and left. Really, all that has happened is one phone call."
"What about what Diana heard the homeless guy say today? I mean, we didn't get a look at his face, could that have been Pierre?"
"Trixie, you know he may have been mentally ill. That probably had nothing to do with Pierre Lontard. I personally think if he were going to do something, he already would've."
"Maybe you're right," Trixie replied, thoughtfully.
"Trixie, I really don't think we have nothing to worry about. But, I really do think we have to tell the guys and Diana. Simply because, they're going to figure it out sooner or later not knowing may put them in danger."
"I'll consider it Honey, but I want to wait until after the homecoming dance."
Chapter 7
"Hurry up, Trixie, the station wagon's here!" Mart yelled, referring to the Bob-White station wagon, which Jim had driven over to take them to school.
Trixie quickly rushed down the stairs, her book bag in her hand and ran out the door. Today was Monday, the beginning of Homecoming week, which would begin with a pep rally this afternoon. Trixie was glad of that, not because of her chance to show her school spirit, but because of the opportunity to miss math, English and social studies (her afternoon classes). All the Bob-Whites were decked out in their school colors, which were yellow and black. Trixie wore a pair of black jeans and a plain yellow T-shirt with her black fleece jacket; Honey wore a black skirt, with a thin ruffle around the bottom and a yellow turtleneck; and Diana wore black leather jeans and vest, with a pale yellow shirt.
"Wow, you girls look great," Dan said admiringly when they were all in the car.
"Hey now, don't you be admiring our womenfolk," Mart said jokingly.
"Now, you hush, Mart," Diana said. "I kind of like being admired."
All of them laughed.
"Since school's getting out early on account of the pep rally, why don't we skip the lunchroom and have a later lunch at Wimpy's?" Brian suggested.
"Count me in," said Mart.
Everyone else agreed.
Trixie thought the afternoon would never get there, she went to study hall during lunch and got her homework over with. She was very proud of herself, with all the stress she'd been under, she still had kept her homework done and turned in. Afterward, she went to meet Jim, so they could walk out to the football field for the pep rally. As they got to the bleachers, the event was more crowded than she thought it would be.
"Up here!" Honey yelled and waved from the very top, where the other Bob-Whites were sitting. "We saved you a seat.
Trixie started walking up the bleachers with Jim right behind her. About half way up, one of Jim's friends called him and he crossed the crowded bleachers to speak to them, as Trixie continued up to where the others were. She was concentrating on getting to the top of the bleachers and wasn't paying attention to those around her. Suddenly, someone jumped in front of her shoved her backwards. Waving her arms to keep from falling, she quickly began to lose her balance. She knew that falling backward down a set of concrete steps could injure her badly. She teetered precariously on the steep step as she tried to regain her footing.
Nick Roberts saw what was happening and quickly jumped up and caught her.
"Who shoved me?" Trixie asked him her voice trembling.
"I don't know Trixie, it happened so fast. This guy with a dark jacket and hood came and sat down here and as soon as you got even with his seat, he jumped up, shoved you and took off that way." He pointed to the end of the bleachers. All of a sudden, Brian and Honey were by her side.
"We saw what happened. Trixie, are you alright? " Honey asked concerned, because she knew what Trixie was thinking, that this had something to do with Pierre Lontard. But, once again, it was one of those things where it could've been him or pure coincidence.
Jim finally joined them and he was furious when he found out. "I wish I could get my hands on whoever pushed her."
"You're not the only one," Mart said.
"Guys, we all feel that way, but, fortunately, Trixie's okay. Let's enjoy the pep rally," Brian stated, after he had made sure Trixie was all right.
When the pep rally was over, Trixie said, "I don't really feel like going to Wimpy's, I'd rather just go home." She just felt like being in the safety and security of Crabapple Farm.
"I'll tell you what," Brian suggested. "Why don't we all go home and we'll barbecue some of Moms hamburgers on the grill?"
"Great idea," said Mart.
"Oh, there's nothing like Mrs. Belden's hamburgers," Dan said. "I can't wait."
"Me neither," said Diana.
Chapter 8
Trixie felt very comfortable when they got home. She was over her near accident by that time. After a delicious late lunch of burgers, with all the trimmings (lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and condiments) along with potato chips, barbecue bake beans and Moms chocolate cake, everything felt normal again. After eating and telling Jim and the others goodbye, Trixie went upstairs to take a quick shower, change into her old jeans and prepare to help Moms with her chores.
It was then that the phone rang.
"Hello," Trixie said.
"Did you have a nice time this afternoon? I heard you nearly took a little spill," he said.
Trixie shuddered. Once again, it was Pierre Lontard. "Why don't you leave me alone?" she said to him.
"You didn't leave me alone when you wouldn't give me my briefcase that summer. You caused me and my friends to be arrested, you made me have to jump off the boat and swim that night to keep from being caught. No, you will pay for what you've done. You just don't know how or when, but rest assured, it will happen." Trixie heard the phone click as he hung up.
She hung up, shivering all over. She quickly ran to her room and shut the door, so her family wouldn't see her in the state she was in. She later came back downstairs and after an uneventful evening, she excused herself from her family and went up to bed.
Trixie climbed out of the motel bed. It was the early morning hours and she couldn't sleep. She decided to take a swim. She went out to the swimming pool. She saw someone climb out of the pool at the other end and leave. She dove into the pool. All of a sudden she felt something pulling her down like a suction. She held her breath as long as she could. She felt as if she were drowning. She looked up and she could see Pierre Lontard's smiling face looking down into the swirling water. She tried to scream for help, but no words would come.
Trixie awakened, totally terrified. This particular dream was about when she nearly drowned in the swimming pool that morning. It was awhile before she could go back to sleep.
The remainder of the week passed and was uneventful. Trixie actually began to relax and enjoy herself. Tuesday at school was "fifties day" with a "sock hop" dance at the end of the day and a Fonz contest. The boys looked neat in their black leather jackets and rolled up jeans and Dan won the contest. The winner received fifty dollars and free entrance for he and his date to the homecoming dance Friday night. Mrs. Belden and Mrs. Wheeler had found skirts that had belonged to their mothers or aunts and Trixie wore a plaid wraparound skirt, Diana wore a pink poodle skirt, and Honey a light blue poodle skirt. They completed the look with plain white button-up shirts, bobby socks and saddle oxfords. Each girl wore her hair in a ponytail. There was a picture taking booth with a pink Cadillac in the background and the BWGs all had their picture taken together. They danced to music by Elvis, the Drifters, Buddy Holly and a whole host of others. An old fashioned soda fountain was set up in the cafeteria and they had treats like chocolate sodas and banana splits.
Wednesday night there was a bonfire at school and all the Bob-Whites went. They would be playing the Croton Red Devils and they burned a paper mache red devil and of course there were refreshments to raise money. Afterwards, the Bob-Whites went to Wimpy's. They didn't stay late because they had to be home early since it was a school night, but they had a lot of fun.
Chapter 9
Before she knew it, Friday night had arrived. The night when the girls were going to the homecoming dance. Trixie had looked forward to it all week and she had not heard anything or experienced anything scary from Pierre Lontard.
"Honey, I don't know if I'm going to tell the guys or not." She told Honey, at the lockers at school that day. "Nothing's happened since the day of the pep rally, so maybe he's been caught."
"I think you'll probably be notified when he is caught." Honey told her. "I still think we should tell them."
The girls were allowed to leave early since they had hair appointments that afternoon and Tom would be picking them up when they were finished.
"We skipped lunch and I'm famished," Diana said.
"I know," said Honey, "but we'd better save some room, because the guys plan to wine and dine us tonight."
The beautician put a straightening formula on Trixie's hair and she wore it straight down her back which totally changed her appearance. She couldn't believe how she looked. Honey had her naturally straight hair curled and Diana wore hers up. They left the beautician and called Tom. Before long, he showed up and deposited them at Crabapple Farm. Brian and Mart were getting ready at the Manor House. The girls had agreed to get ready there. After yelling hello to Moms and Bobby, they hurried up stairs. Diana was going to do Trixie's makeup. She used an expensive kind and it covered Trixie's fading freckles and made her skin look like porcelain.
When it was almost time for the guys to arrive, the girls came down the stairs. "Well, don't you look nice," Mr. Belden told them, looking up from his paper.
"Would you girls like some dinner?" Mrs. Belden said. "We're having homemade chicken pot pie."
"Oh, Mrs. Belden don't tempt us like that," Honey said. "I know how delicious your chicken pot pie is. But, we're saving room for wherever the guys are taking us."
The guys finally arrived and escorted the girls out to the station wagon.
"Where are we having dinner?" Honey asked Brian.
"That's a surprise," he said, smiling.
The guys finally drove up to Glen Road Inn, which was considered one of the fanciest places in Sleepyside. The waiter escorted them to a table in their own private room.
"Wow!" said Diana. "This is so neat."
"I thought you would like it my sweet," Mart replied, pulling out her chair for her. The table was covered in a white linen cloth, with matching napkins and a bouquet of pastel flowers in a cut crystal vase adorned the center of the table. They all agreed to order the lasagna dinner, which the chef said was the special tonight. It came with a tossed salad, homemade buttery rolls in a basket and a slice of Italian Cream cake for desert.
"Oh, this is simply divine." Mart said, tasting the lasagna.
"It really is," Honey said. "You guys done a great job of picking out a nice place tonight for dinner."
"We hoped you'd like it," Brian told her, while buttering his roll.
"How's this for a first date?" Jim whispered to Trixie.
"Oh Jim, this is lovely," she told him. They made small talk for awhile and then it was time to go to the game.
They found a place lower on the bleachers this time, because the girls didn't really want to climb in dresses. They watched them crown homecoming king and queen and discussed whom they each had voted on. Then the game began.
"We need to come to football games more often," Honey suggested. "This is fun."
"We really should," Trixie agreed.
At halftime, Trixie stood and said. "I'm going to the restroom to freshen up anyone care to join me?" She looked expectantly at Honey and Diana.
"I wanted to stay and hear the band," Honey replied.
"Me too," said Diana. "I'm going to wait until later."
"How about if we guys go get all of us some hot chocolate," Brian said, also standing.
"Oh, that would be great," Trixie said. "It is cold tonight. I'll be back in a minute," she told Jim as he kissed her and headed for the concession stand with Brian and Mart. Trixie walked behind the bleachers and headed for the restrooms. She had forgotten how far behind the bleachers the restrooms were and the fact that they were kind of in a darkened area. Oh well, it's halftime, there's bound to be other people around, I shouldn't be all by myself.
She greeted some of the girls she knew when she went inside one of the stalls of the large restroom. The girls quickly finished freshening up their makeup and Trixie heard the door slam as they left the building. She came out of the stall and checked her hair and makeup in the mirror. She hadn't paid attention to the fact that she was totally alone until the door slowly swung open. She looked toward the door, but she didn't see anyone.
"Hello, Trixie," said the accented voice.
"Oh my gosh!" she said, quickly running to the other door at the end of the long building. She never did actually see him, only heard his voice, but she knew he must have been running around to the other side to catch her as she came out. She locked the door quickly and was about to race to the other door to lock it when she heard a group of girls coming. She was so scared; a glance in the mirror showed her face to be pale white. She waited and left with the girls, walking with them back to where the others were.
She was shivering and it wasn't because of the cold. At least the guys were busy concentrating on the game and she could rest in the shelter of Jim's arm and drink her hot chocolate and not have to explain anything. When something like this happened, the only place where she felt safe was home. But, she knew if she insisted on going home, she would have to explain herself and she would ruin things for the others. She resolved to stick it out. But, she couldn't resist the urge to turn around every few seconds and look toward the dark area where the building that housed the restrooms was.
To Be Continued