rated *

By Claudia

The scissors slowly cut through the newspaper, its blades concentrating on a single picture on the centre of the page. In the picture there was a blonde haired young woman and a red haired young man, both in their early twenties, with their arms around a skinny teenage girl. The title above read NYC Murdered Heir Avenged; One More Victory for our Local PI. But the blades weren’t interested in the story. The picture was all that mattered… One more picture.

The man holding the scissors finally let out his breath as if he had been afraid of somehow ruining the clipping he now held gently in his hand. Methodically, as if he had done this time and time again, he glued it into a big photo album, almost full with other newspaper clippings. And they all had something in common: the blonde young woman, from a budding teenager till adulthood.

As soon as the picture was in its rightful place, his emotions seemed to finally explode. His strong hands crumpled the newspaper and threw it across the room. As it hit the wall, it unfolded and the title became visible: The Sleepyside Sun.

"Jim, slow down!" Trixie giggled as her boyfriend practically dragged her towards the clubhouse. "I imagine whatever you want to show me requires I’m in one piece."

He stopped to give her a bear hug. "Well, I don’t know about that… But I need you in one piece!" He leaned to kiss her soundly. As she pulled away, laughing, their eyes met. Those blue eyes still took all of his breath away. Finally having the courage to tell Trixie about his feelings had been one of the smartest things he had ever done. Though he had almost let too much time go by.

Jim and Trixie had known each other for nearly ten years now, since she had found him asleep in the rundown manor that had once belonged to his family. The first words they had ever exchanged had involved shooting and death threats. But after Jim’s adoption by the Wheelers, their relationship had evolved to a very special friendship that had lasted 9 years… until they had both admitted their feelings for each other. The last year had been perfect bliss for the two of them. Making plans, seeing the foundations for Jim’s school for orphans grow to a two story high building … days had flown by in total happiness.

Things were changing rapidly for the BWG’s, the club they had founded as children, of which Trixie’s brothers, Brian, Mart and Bobby were also a part, as well as Jim’s adoptive sister, Honey, Di Lynch, Dan Mangan and Annie Dugan, the newest and youngest member. The time for Brian and Honey’s wedding was coming fast. In fact, it was just five weeks away. Mart and Di were making plans for their own wedding, as well as Trixie and Jim. But despite the natural flow of life, the bonds between all of them remained as strong as when they were teenagers.

Wrapping his arm around Trixie’s shoulders, Jim slowed down his pace and slowly walked her to the clubhouse. She nestled her head against his shoulder as she revelled in the feeling of his warm body next to hers. Trixie had never even come close to imagining how happy she would feel with him. Sometimes she had wondered about how their tempestuous tempers would work together, their mouths both working faster than their brains. Since her adolescence, Trixie had been known for getting into trouble, which had led Jim into long rambles about her safety. No matter where she was she always seemed to run into some mystery, which had led her into dreaming of becoming a private investigator when she grew up. And she had been afraid she would have to choose between that and Jim.

But after her would-be-partner Honey had given up on the idea of opening the agency with her to chase her own dreams, Trixie had begun to weigh the true value of her dreams. And somehow, the agency had come short when compared to family and friends. And besides, Trixie had realised that it was the thrill of the unexpected, the working without rules, the teamwork with all of her friends that she really enjoyed. Not the real and daily work of a PI. And at the same time it became clear Jim was too selfless to make her chose and would rather walk away and keep on loving her from afar. In the process of re-evaluating her priorities and looking back on her life, Trixie was horrified with how many times something could have gone wrong, both with her or one of her loved ones. The thought had been too horrible to endure and she had finally understood why Jim scolded at her so. She had been reckless many times… and he had been in love the whole time.

After the recent invitation to work in the Sleepyside High School as a counsellor, Trixie had discovered a new mission in life. Trixie had come to the conclusion that helping the children, especially those with real problems (and not even the small haven that Sleepyside still was escaped the troubles and problems of modern life) was as rewarding as arresting thieves. She would be doing the same thing in Jim’s school, when it opened.

By then they had arrived at the small clubhouse, which had been nothing more than a gatehouse in ruins at the entrance of the Wheelers' estate before the BWG’s had rebuilt it with their own hands.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his green eyes shining like emeralds.

"I’m always ready for the unexpected." Trixie winked her eye at him as she walked by him into the clubhouse. Then she stopped, her mouth hanging open. "Jim!" she exclaimed.

On the top of the table was a model of the blue mansion, the house where Trixie had first found him and that had been utterly destroyed by a fire. It was just as Trixie remembered, or rather, as it had been many years before, when Jim’s aunt and uncle had been happily living there. The porch, the beautiful white windows, the columns and railings… it was all there.

"Do you like it?" he asked, leaning against her back and surrounding her waist with his arms.

"It’s beautiful. But… I don’t get it…"

"Would you like to live there?" Jim asked in her ear.

She turned in his arms and grinned.

"I’d love to. But don’t you think we’d be having a space problem?"

He laughed and tugged one of her sandy curls.

"I mean the real thing…"

Trixie looked puzzled. Then it hit her. "You were planning on rebuilding it the whole time?"

He shook his head. "Not really. Well, it's always been a dream of mine, but you know how much the school meant and how badly I wanted it built. And I always thought there wouldn’t be enough money to make it all happen. But it so happens that the stocks and bonds your dad advised my dad to invest part of the money in paid off… really paid off." His eyes shone. "And there is the interest of ten years… To make a long story short, with all that and the government funds, support and other donations my mum managed to get I probably won’t have to touch those first 500 thousand dollars. And since my parents decided they would be giving us a money present for our marriage I guess it’s enough. To build the house, I mean."

"Do you really have that much money?" Trixie’s eyes were wide in amazement. Money had never meant that much to her, and she still found it hard to believe the down-to-earth, simple and humble young man that happened to be her boyfriend was filthy rich.

"Well, I won’t have that much after it’s all done… And it will probably take years to furnish the whole house… But we won’t need much else, will we?" His smile lighted his whole face. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight.

‘All I need is you…’ she whispered.

"Do you mean to tell us that all children born into destitute families will become delinquents?"

Dan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. "No, I do not." He had to take a deep breath to calm himself down and not choke her to death. "What I meant was that children who don’t have opportunities as they grow up to see other worlds outside their own may, I repeat, may tend to never try to leave them."

"So, being poor automatically leads to crime?" The dark haired girl was mad.

"Miss Darnell, will you please stop twisting everything I say… You do agree that crime is a bigger possibility in some sectors of our society?"

"I do, of course."

He stared at the young woman seated in the first row of the auditorium. She’d agreed with him but her eyes were still defiant.

"That’s a start… and those sectors are those that are more economically challenged, if we are going to be politically correct. Do you agree?"

She only nodded.

"So, what I mean is that if you don’t show those people there’s a chance of a better life, they’ll never strive for it. And if someone has been living in a crime prone environment, they are more likely to get into it than other people who haven’t been exposed to it. I’m talking about statistics here, Miss Darnell. The concept of probabilities is familiar to you, I suppose?"

"We can’t reduce children to statistics, Mr. Mangan." Her tone was a bit softer now.

He took a deep sigh.

"No, we cannot. But neither can we deny their value. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Have a nice day." Dan turned to his desk, rubbing his eyes. It’s over, he thought.

"Mr. Mangan?"

The voice startled him. As he turned around, he thought about running. But some masochistic part of him wanted to hear what Joeanne Darnell had to say.

"Miss Darnell, is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, approaching her with his arms folded across his chest.

She took a step back, so she could look him in the eyes without stretching her neck. He was quite taller. Still, her posture was defiant.

"Actually, I came here to apologise," the young woman said. "I had no right to come down so hard on you. It’s just that the subject upsets me a whole lot."

Dan was surprised. She had seemed too proud to apologize.

"Yes, I understand. But it does mean a lot to me too."

She lowered her eyes for a moment and then looked back up at him.

"Well, anyway, I just wanted to apologize. We are bound to meet again in the course of our professions and there shouldn’t be grudges…"

He gave her a sarcastic grin.

"Oh, of course. You might have to work with me since I’m with the District Attorney’s office. God forbid I might disagree with you!"

Joeanne’s eyes flashed in anger.

"That’s not what I meant!"

"Oh, really?"

The budding disagreement was cut short by Prof. Franklin’s entrance.

"Well, I’m glad I found the two of you," he said, pretending not to feel the tense atmosphere. "Why don’t we just go out to eat?"

Oh, I’d rather slash my wrists! Dan thought. "Why not?" he answered.

Joeanne stared at him with a frown, as if she had read his mind.

"I…I’m not sure I should, Professor."

"Don’t be silly, Joeanne. I’m sure we’ll have a nice time," the older man offered her his arm. "Come, Joeanne. I won’t take no for an answer."

Sighing, she gave in, but avoided Dan’s eyes. She knew he was trying hard not to be rude to Professor Franklin, who was merrily chatting away as he walked out of the room. Dan followed them at a short distance, trying to control his temper before he actually joined them.

The Pasta Caffé was a nice, medium-sized Italian restaurant near campus, a favourite amongst the university population. The food was good, the atmosphere nice and cozy with its dim lights and colourful décor. But somehow, Dan was finding it hard to enjoy his dinner. There was something large stuck in his throat. And the strange thing was that it was actually seated across the table from him.

Joeanne wasn't comfortable either but she was trying hard to talk politely to Professor Franklin. She wasn’t sure but it seemed he was amusing himself with the situation.

"And how is your family, Joeanne?" he asked.

"They’re fine, Professor," the girl answered, slowly. "But you know what it’s like in a small town…"

He nodded.

"Yes, it isn’t easy. But still, I don’t think moving away would be a solution."

The implications of the conversation pricked up Dan’s interest and he took a glance at Joeanne. There was sadness in her eyes.

"Maybe you’re right. And my father would never do that. I think he is tired of running away. But anyway, I don’t think I have had a chance to thank you properly, Professor. If it wasn’t for your help in finding that place...," she shook her head and her black hair hid her face for a moment. Then she seemed to remember there was someone else there and held her head up high once more and looked straight into Dan’s eyes. Maybe it was the wine, or the atmosphere, but he couldn’t help thinking she was actually pretty. It’s a shame she is so obnoxious…He tried to dismiss the strange feeling but it was very hard. He just hoped Professor Franklin didn’t speak to him, because for the moment he was quite speechless.

"There’s nothing you need thank me for. You were the one who made it all happen." He patted her hand reassuringly. "It’s going to be fine, you’ll see."

"Yes, I hope so," Joeanne answered without looking away from Dan, who had gone back to eating, actually blushing under her scrutiny. "But I think your friend is feeling a bit neglected, Professor. Maybe we should stop talking about me."

Franklin smiled. "Well, actually, I think you two might have more in common than you think."

Dan looked up, startled. What was Franklin up to now?

"What do you mean, Professor?"

"Well, you both come from Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson." Professor Franklin seemed to be very pleased with himself.

With eyes wide open, Dan gazed at Joeanne. She didn't seem surprised. I knew that name was familiar!, he thought, trying to remember where else he’d heard it spoken.

There was a sarcastic grin on her face. "My family owns a small farm near Glen Road. Actually, it’s quite close to the Lynch’s estate."

Then it hit him. He had seen her name on Brian and Honey’s wedding list. If she was a guest, they must know her well. Suddenly, an image from years back came to his mind. Jim, Trixie and Honey talking to a dark haired girl, while waiting for the School Bus, outside Sleepyside High. He remembered asking Mart who she was. "You’re the girl Honey and Trixie helped while trying to find Jim, aren’t you?" Dan asked, dumbstruck.

They finished their meals in silence, avoiding each other's eyes. Joeanne seemed ready to jump from her seat and run, while Dan’s mind was occupied with How to kill a Professor 101. They left the restaurant about 15 minutes after Franklin’s departure, but it seemed like an eternity.

"I’m taking a cab home," Dan said as they stood outside the restaurant, in one of the most awkward moments of their young lives. "Can I drop you off somewhere?"

She shook her head and gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, but my car is just a few blocks away. I’m driving back to Sleepyside tonight."

"Oh…" Dan stared at his feet, not sure if he should say what was on his mind. But he went ahead with it. "Then I’ll walk you."

To his surprise, she didn’t object and they slowly walked towards campus. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying to figure out why the slender, pretty young woman seemed to think the whole world was against her.

"So, you knew who I was all along?" Dan asked as they went on. Still stealing sideway glances at her, he saw her smile.

"Pretty much…Your name was familiar and it took me only a few minutes to recognize you. You were a few years ahead of me in school, so I didn’t think you would ever remember me."

"Just a few minutes? Wow! Longer than it took you to contradict me!" He knew he was being mean, but he couldn't resist the teasing.

She frowned and was going to answer, but he stopped her with a gesture. "Hey, I’m kidding," he said. "You’re entitled to your opinion and, really, our disagreement was merely about semantics. If we talk it through we might even agree on a few topics." Lord, did I really say that?, he thought as the words left his lips. Well, it was hard to admit, but it was true.

"Maybe," she said, with an honest smile lighting her soft features. "And I guess I did come down hard on you… But like I said, some topics strike too close to home. That was why Professor Franklin asked me to be at the conferences.’

"I don’t want to intrude, but can I help? I realize that there is some kind of problem but…"

Joeanne didn’t let him go on and turned suddenly cold again.

"No, Mr. Mangan. There’s nothing you can do. It’s my problem, nobody else’s. Thank you for the company."

Before he could say anything, she crossed the street to a dark blue pick-up, got in and drove away.

"Bobby, wait up!"

The blond fifteen year old stopped and turned around. His face lit with a smile when he saw the brown haired girl running towards him.

"Annie! Where have you been?" he asked.

She sighed. "You won’t believe me if I tell you!"

He put an arm around her shoulders and winked at her, blue eyes shining.

"Hey, you know you can tell me anything!"

"We were getting a lecture from the principal. You’ll end up hearing it too. It seems there are drugs going around."

Bobby smile vanished and he stopped in the middle of the corridor, oblivious to the other students bumping into him.

"Drugs? Here, in Sleepyside High? I mean, there were cases before… but it must have been one or two in about ten years!"

"Yeah…guess this is not paradise, after all!" A little bit of Annie’s old sarcasm still came afloat every time something reminded her of her old life as a runaway child, back in New York. She had been in Sleepyside for about 9 months, after being adopted by a wealthy New York family. The Parkers had taken her in after she had helped Trixie catch the man who had murdered their son and who threatened her also. At age fourteen, Annie had seen the very worst of the world. But she had also discovered some of the best, when Bobby had befriended her and after being given her own BWG jacket. "They caught some kids using crack. I mean, seriously using it. And it seems that’s not all they found. There were needles in the bathroom and the kids who were caught said they bought it here, but won’t say who sold it."

"God!" Bobby ran his long fingers through his hair. ‘Now I know what they mean when they say we always believe it won’t happen to you. It’s hard to believe people I see every day are into that.’

"You’ve been living a sheltered life for too long…" Annie grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "You’re too easily surprised."

*****

Trixie was having a hard time believing her ears herself. But it was real.

"Have you any idea when this all started?" she asked the plump woman seated in front of her.

Mary Richardson, principal of Sleepyside High School for five years shook her head.

"We’re not sure. Three, four months… maybe a little more. Of course these kinds of problems have occurred before. Drugs are a daily problem all over the world. But we never had any reason to believe there was buying and selling within the school premises. And those children had no reason to lie… I mean, saying they bought it here only makes it worse for them. They know they will be pressured to say who sold it to them."

Trixie shivered as she remembered the teenager's faces as they were confronted with their actions. Kids she had known for a long time, some of which had been in Bobby’s class. She even remembered seeing the mothers of two of them at the Gardening Club meetings, having tea with her own mother. It was simply too unbelievable. And suddenly she feared for Bobby and Annie and Di’s brothers and sisters.

"We'll be needing your help, Trixie. Those kids need assistance…I don’t know how far gone into it they are, but maybe some of them just need a scare. We only caught five, but we are suspicious of some others."

"Of course, Mrs. Richardson. I’ll do my best. Have you notified the police?"

"Yes, we have. Capt. Molinson is on the case. They are all minors so they were released under parental care. But the school has a responsibility. I’ll send them over to you," the older woman said as she left the office.

Trixie sank into her chair and closed her eyes, letting out a big sigh. If those kids weren’t scared by Molinson, how on earth am I supposed to do it? Boy, this was going to be a long day!

Dan laughed at the thought.

"I can just imagine. Brian and Honey must be going nuts too, hum?"

"Wrong, my friend. I don’t think they even notice it. They’re in seventh heaven. Honey is either busy with her designing classes or with furniture shopping. And Brian is either at the hospital or in their new house…He says he’s fixing up a few things, but I guess he’s just hiding. Just don’t tell him I said so." Jim winked at his friend.

"And Mart?"

"Oh, he keeps pretty busy these days, with his classes or with Di," Jim grinned. "Of course, last weekend we all helped around the house, moving stuff over…"

"Oh, let me guess! He was lying on the front lawn, ordering people around!"

"You betcha he was… until Bobby decided it was time to water the lawn and turned on the sprinklers. He got up pretty fast!"

Dan was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. He wiped them off with the back of his hand and said, "Hey, that reminds me. I met an old friend of yours last week. Joeanne Darnell."

Jim smiled. "Really? I haven’t seen her in months. She’s great, isn’t she?"

Dan gazed at his friend, wondering what to say. "Well, if you say so. You know her better than I do!"

It was Jim’s turn to frown. "It seems something went wrong. You didn’t like her? And, by the way, where did you meet her? I thought she was working at the Social Services Office in White Plains."

His friend nodded, as the waiter laid their plates in front of them. "She is. But she attended the conferences at NYU, the ones I told you about. It seems she was also Professor Franklin’s student and he invited her."

"And…?"

"And she was a pain in the butt!" Dan let out, running his fingers through his hair. "She’s aggravating, infuriating, that miss know-it-all! I tell you, I nearly lost it and choked her to death!" Dan stopped as he noticed his friend's efforts not to burst out laughing. "Guess you’ve seen that side of her too, hum?"

"Oh, yeah! You can bet on that," Jim answered, clearing his throat to compose himself.

"Of course, I had no idea who she was…the name was familiar but I never gave it much thought."

"And she recognized you from day one?"

"Pretty much. Her words, not mine! She told me that over dinner..."

Jim’s eyes widened in amazement. "Over dinner? You hated her and took her out to dinner?"

Dan rushed through an explanation. "No! I mean, I had dinner with her, but not like on a date or anything…Professor Franklin knew we didn’t get along and decided to pull a fast one on us. He made us go out to dinner with him, said we were both from Sleepyside and left! We had just started to eat, so we had to stay there."

"Ooohh! I think I like Professor Franklin! Man, I would have paid to watch the scene! Was the restaurant still standing when you guys left?"

Dan grinned and nodded. "Actually, we managed to be civil to each other. I even walked her to her car and when I was beginning to think she wasn’t that bad, she turned Miss Ice Cold on me again."

"Must have been something you said." Jim was really having fun, knowing the two of them so well.

To his surprise, there was a serious tone to Dan’s answer.

"Yeah… guess she just hates when people meddle in her affairs. I made a mistake. She and Professor Franklin were talking about something that had happened… something to do with her family. And when I asked if I could help out somehow, she closed up on me again."

Jim lowered his green eyes to his plate and breathed in deeply. He knew very well what Dan was talking about, but wasn’t sure if he should tell him why Joeanne was so secretive. Then, letting out his breath, he decided it was better if Dan knew. It wasn’t a secret anyway.

"You know all about it, don’t you?" Dan asked as Jim looked back up at him.

"Yeah…me and most of Sleepyside. It was quite a scandal, but I better start at the beginning. Well, you know Joeanne’s childhood wasn’t easy. And neither were her teenage years. After we met, the Darnells decided to stay with the Smiths. Remember me mentioning them?" Dan nodded and Jim went on. "They stayed there for about two years. But then Mrs. Darnell got real sick and passed away. She always had poor health. Mr. Darnell completely broke down after his wife died. After that, it was just too hard for him to remain there. So, the Darnells came back to Sleepyside, as soon as they managed to get some money to recover his property. Mr Lynch lent him some of the money, I think. He wanted to give it to him, but Mr. Darnell was just too proud to let him help beyond a certain point. I know Mr. Lynch later on offered to help Joeanne with the college tuition too, but Joeanne didn’t take it. I don’t blame Mr. Darnell, but I’m sorry for all Joeanne had to go through."

"I wouldn’t have accepted it either," Dan said, folding his arms across his chest. He wanted to hear this through.

"Neither would I. But, anyway, Mr. Lynch then offered her a job at his New York office, which she took, and with the scholarship she managed to get, she made it through college with flying colours. The thing is, Joeanne’s problem was that she never thought of herself. She was too much like her father and she believed it was her place to take care of her family. Not that she had a choice, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, Mrs. Darnell’s death was pretty hard on Joeanne’s dad. Somehow he let it all fall on Joeanne’s shoulders. She kind of took her mother’s place as far as her brothers and sister were concerned. You remember Joeanne had two younger brothers and a sister. The boys must be twelve and thirteen right now and the girl is seventeen."

"But what else went wrong? C'mon, man, you’re killing me!"

"Something did go very wrong… with her sister, Sally. A couple of years ago, it seems she started to go around with the wrong kind of crowd. I mean, really wrong. She dropped out of high school and Joeanne had to pick her up from the police station a couple of times."

"Wow, that have must been hell!" Dan was just beginning to understand Joeanne’s behaviour.

His friend nodded. "But that’s not all. To make a long story short, they discovered she was into drugs. Really into drugs." Jim’s eyes turned darker. "Mr. Darnell got so mad, he wouldn’t talk to her. She is in detox right now, but I don’t think he ever went to see her. So, you can guess on whose back it all landed."

"Joeanne’s…" Dan was feeling really bad right now. Now he understood some of the things she had said in their fights. "Man… I could never imagine it."

"And she never faltered. She arranged it all, took care of everyone, managed to finish her course, start working… I just don’t know where she stored all of her pain and suffering." Jim shook his head. "I just wish I could have helped her more. But when we found out it was too late. She would never talk about it or come to us for help. I had no idea of what was going on! The only reason we discovered it before the rest of the town was because Joeanne went to Mr. Lynch in despair. She didn’t know where to go. They didn’t have the money to pay for Sally's treatment. So she went to him for a loan. Mr Lynch wanted to give her the money, but she signed an IOU, nevertheless. Of course he tore it the moment she left, but…"

‘She’ll still give him back the money.’

"She’ll try, anyway. But you know Mr. Lynch…" Jim smiled. "He’ll probably just open a savings fund for the boys or something."

Dan had to smile too, though he really didn’t feel like it. "I’m just glad she has friends," he said.

"Yeah… but like someone else I know, she just doesn’t open up that much.’ Jim’s eyes gazed at his friend. "Come on, tell me. Did you hate her all that much or was it only hurt pride?"

He didn’t know what to say. His ego had been under severe stress, but still… "I don’t know," he said, sincerely. "I mean, we managed to talk without biting each other’s head off for a few minutes and she managed to be, well, agreeable. But I really don’t know her that well..."

With a wicked grin, his red haired friend nodded towards the door. "Well, you can start to develop your acquaintance right now."

He turned around to see Joeanne walk through the door. To his surprise she looked prettier than he remembered. About a head shorter than himself, but shapely and proportionate, Joeanne Darnell wasn’t the kind of girl that turned heads on the street, but one who certainly deserved a second look. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, large and almond shaped, deepened even further by long lashes and her lips were rosy and full. Her soft features gave her a mistakenly fragile look…as Dan had already discovered. She dressed simply but tastefully. Right now, dressed in beige pants and white shirt with a chocolate brown sweater hanging on her shoulders, her hair pulled up as always, with a few carelessly loose strands framing her pretty face, she looked very attractive indeed.

All this ran through Dan’s mind in the few seconds it took her to spot them. She hesitated when her eyes landed on Dan, but Jim’s wide smile and signal to walk over made up her mind. Jim got up to greet her and hug her.

"Hey, Jo… It’s great to see you!"

Lord, let him not say ‘We were just talking about you’! Dan silently pleaded. But one look at Jim and he knew his friend wouldn’t do that to him. Thank God Mart wasn’t here!

"I believe you and Dan have met before," Jim said, pretending to be careless about it.

‘Hi, Mr… Dan," she said, as they shook hands. Dan smiled, noticing how she finally had gotten on a first name basis.

"Joeanne, how have you been?"

She smiled back at him and took the chair Jim pulled out for her.

"I’m fine. But…I don’t want to intrude," she said, hesitating before sitting down.

"Nonsense! What secrets could they keep from us?" Trixie showed up behind her and passed an arm around the young woman’s shoulders.

"When you’re around, none!" Jim’s handsome face lit with a smile and he rose to greet his fiancée with a big kiss.

Dan’s eyes suddenly met Joeanne’s, and she gave him an embarrassed smile. Apparently she didn’t feel very comfortable around such demonstrations.

As the four of them settled down to eat, Trixie let out a big sigh. "You guys won’t believe the day I had! I thought I was going crazy!"

"That makes you think about the poor counsellors we tormented during our schooldays, hum?" Dan teased.

The blonde girl mocked a punch to his arm. "Now, this is serious," she said, with a stern expression on her girlish features. "There were never serious drug problems in our days there. And today I had to talk to some kids caught using…" Trixie suddenly remembered Joeanne was there and looked at her, not knowing if apologies were in order.

Joeanne had grown pale but smiled, and said, "Go on, this interests me. I mean, I do work mostly with children."

Trixie smiled thankfully at her. Her mouth still ran a lot faster than her brain, most of the time.

"Well, five kids were caught using crack. And someone had found needles in the bathroom some time ago. Captain Molinson and Principal Richardson had a long talk with them and one them was so scared he let out that they had gotten the drugs in school. But nothing on earth would make him say who sold it. I gave it a shot too, but he wouldn't open his mouth," she sighed, and caressed Jim’s freckled hand.

"Why not? Everybody feels at home at Crabapple Farm!" Dan exclaimed. "Besides, they would be in good company and not getting in trouble somewhere…" He broke off his sentence as he saw the sudden burst of anger in Joeanne’s eyes.

"My brothers know perfectly well how to choose their companions. We don’t need to be told who they should be with or not! And they don’t get in trouble!" Her voice was controlled, but everyone could see she was downright mad.

"That’s not what I meant, Joeanne! You’re not going to start all this again, are you?" He was about to loose his temper too. Jim and Trixie were too amazed to say anything.

"Oh, I’m not starting anything. As a matter of fact, I’m ending it right now." Joeanne got up and grabbed her purse. Dropping some money on the table, she turned to Trixie and Jim and said, "I’m sorry, but it’s better if we meet some other time."

"A word of advice, Ms. Darnell. You have to stop taking everything as a personal offence, if you want to be any good at what you do," Dan remarked, ironically.

Joeanne didn’t even answer him. She just threw him a killer look and walked away.

Trixie shook her head at him. "Way to go, Romeo!" she muttered as she ran after Joeanne.

"Hey, what did I do?" Dan was seriously confused.

Jim sighed. "Hey man, take it easy! She is pretty touchy about those topics."

"You know I didn’t mean any harm…Ok, maybe those were the wrong words, but…God, she just snaps at each and every word I say!"

"Yeah, I understand. Well, I guess you guys have to start afresh. She’s real sweet, you know?"

Dan’s gaze was a good enough answer.

"Jo!" Trixie called out as she tried to catch up with her friend.

The young woman stopped and turned around, sighing.

"Trixie, look, I’m sorry. I know I overreacted, but I just go crazy when…" She moaned and hid her face in her hands.

Trixie patted her arm, reassuringly.

"It’s ok. But Dan meant well…I’m not even sure he knows anything about your sister."

JoeAnnne nodded. "He does, Trixie. And that’s ok…everyone else knows, anyway! I get plenty of There goes the junkie’s sister! It’s just that when he mentioned my brothers I just got so scared…"

"I understand. I’m feeling pretty scared myself. But I wish you and Dan would stop arguing and get to know each other.’ Trixie suddenly had an idea. ‘Hey, why don’t you and the kids come by on Saturday night. We’re having a little get together at Crabapple Farm."

"Oh, I don’t know…"

"Jo, it’s your call. But we’d love to have you there." Trixie smiled as she squeezed Joeanne’s hand. "All of us."

Joeanne returned her smile. "I’ll think about it."

After they left Wimpy’s, Jim offered Dan a ride back to the apartment he had rented after graduating from college and getting the job in the DA’s Office. After Mr. Maypenny’s passing, two years before, Dan had shared his uncle’s apartment over the Wheeler’s garage whenever he was in town but then he had realised he needed his own space. Even if it meant commuting in and out of town nearly everyday.

As they were getting in Jim’s Jeep, Dan’s cell phone rang.

He didn’t say much, but his face turned quite pale as he listened to whatever the person on the other side was saying.

"Is there something wrong?" Trixie asked, turning around on the front seat to look at her friend.

Dan glanced at Jim and hesitated. Should he say it? But he knew he couldn’t keep it from them. "Well", he started, "I just got some news. I was on the look out for this and now…"

"Dan, spill it. What’s going on?’" Trixie was getting really worried.

"It’s about Jonesy. He finished his sentence about a week ago."

Jim’s knuckles turned white, grasping the wheel.

"You mean he’s out?" he asked, through gritted teeth.

"They had to let him out, honey," Trixie said, softly, though her heart was pumping in her chest. "He served his time. Maybe he changed."

Jim glanced at her in disbelief. "He won’t ever change."

"Anyway, I just thought you might like to be informed on this…just in case…" Dan didn’t finish his sentence. Through the rear view mirror, he met Jim’s eyes and realised his friend knew what he was going to say. But Trixie was the one who voiced it.

"You think he might try… to get even?"

"Trix, we were the responsible for him being locked away for ten years. I don’t think he spent his time there waiting to thank us!" Dan knew he was being blunt but he was actually very upset. Trixie and Jim were the most likely victims of the man’s vengeful mind.

Jonesy had married Jim’s mother when Jim was ten. After Katje Frayne’s death he had made the boy’s life absolutely miserable. Jim had been tied down, locked up, beaten up and nearly murdered but had finally managed to escape his claws when the Wheelers adopted him. Sometime after that he had resurfaced to try and kidnap Jim’s only living relative, Juliana Maasden. But Trixie had gotten in his way and he had been arrested.

Trixie shivered at the thought of meeting the man again. No matter how much time went by, she would never forget the terror of being face to face with him. Or the pain in Jim’s eyes when he remembered those days.

"We’re not children anymore. He won’t face adults the same way he did with children," she said, trying to be strong. But Dan’s answer made her tremble.

"That’s precisely what I’m afraid of," he said.

Joeanne dropped her purse on the couch and kicked off her shoes. She slowly walked to the window and gazed outside to the quiet street below. The view was so different from the one she had seen out of her window most of her life. The trees on the sidewalk were the only greenery around. The park was just around the corner but she couldn’t see it from there.

Getting used to living in an apartment hadn’t been as hard as getting used to being away from her family. But she had realised she couldn’t do it anymore. Not only for her sake, but also for the sake of her brothers. Her constant fights with their father, ever since Sally had started getting into trouble, had been too hard on the children. Joe Darnell simply would not accept that his younger daughter had serious problems and had written her off and even tried to forbid Joeanne to help her. So, after graduating from college, and despite keeping a close eye on her brothers, she had gotten her own apartment. She loved her father dearly but distance was the best solution for their disagreements.

Loosening the pin that held her hair up, she walked back to the couch and sat down. Closing her eyes, she remembered Dan’s face as she had walked in the diner. From his whole attitude she had gotten the feeling he already knew all about her story. Not that it mattered. He was probably the only one in town who hadn’t heard about it.

Sighing, she wondered how Sally was doing. The treatment centre where she had been staying for the past year was about an hour drive away. Professor Franklin had helped in getting Sally in there. She had been there just last weekend and though the girl was now more docile and conscious, she was starting to let old grudges flow. More than once, in the heat of the moment, Sally had accused Joeanne of being too hard an example to follow, their father’s favourite, little Miss Perfect. It hurt Joeanne deeply, but she had to maintain her composure and go on as if nothing had been said. But Sally’s frequent silences hurt more than any of her words.

Meeting her old friends again felt good. Trixie and Jim had always been wonderful to her, though she had kept them at bay many times. Pride was a hard thing to swallow and Joeanne had plenty of it. Knowing how much they had helped her and how much of her family's toil and trouble they had witnessed made her feel both grateful and ashamed.

A part of her wished she had asked them for help! At least it would have felt good to have someone to turn too. But taking care of her family didn’t leave her with much time for friends or even dates. Loneliness had been her closest friend since her mother’s death.

And her father had simply learned to rely on her too much. In a deep, secluded part of her heart she wished he had been a little bit stronger. Just enough to give her a little more freedom.

Dan’s face kept springing back to her mind, in the midst of her thoughts. His last remark had disturbed her. Stop taking it personally, if you want to be any good at what you do. He was right. She had to admit it. But somehow she had never let her feelings interfere with her job. Or had she? Maybe that’s why it was so hard to let go of every case. Maybe that’s why she wouldn’t give up until she had done all she could do. Maybe that’s why she felt so frustrated when there was nothing more she could do.

With a groan, she got up and headed for the shower. She just didn’t want to think about it… him… anymore.

Early morning classes were the hardest for Annie to endure. Hours seemed to fly by when she was reading or studying, and she always ended up getting to bed really late. All through the previous summer, the BWGs had tutored her so she could catch up with what she had missed after being away from school for two years. Nevertheless, the test the school had put her through still left her two grades behind Bobby. And, since she was only a year younger than he was, this made her feel quite frustrated. So, she was trying hard to catch up on the lost time.

Yawning, she walked over to her locker. Bobby caught her halfway.

"Hey, did you lose the bus again?" he asked, merrily.

"Yeah… Forgot to wake up. Mr. P…Dad gave me a ride on his way to town."

Bobby smiled as she corrected herself. "It’s still pretty hard to call them Mum and Dad, hum?"

She nodded. The Parkers had formally adopted her a few months back, but it was still difficult for her to adjust to having a family again. "They are really nice to me, but sometimes I think they only adopted me to replace Jason."

He touched her cheek with his hand, tenderly. "Don’t be silly. That feeling will pass, in time."

"I hope so, Bobby. I really do," she said as she opened her locker.

Then, suddenly, she felt someone grab her by the arm and spin her around. Her books fell to the ground with a thump. Still dazed, she found herself face to face with Maddie Kendall, a tall blonde girl, one of the most popular girls in school. And one that seemed to hate Annie from day one.

"Hey! What do you think you’re doing?" Annie pushed her away as Bobby stood between the two, keeping them apart.

"I should be asking you that!" the girl said, arms folded across her chest. "We never had drug dealing here until YOU came along." A smug smile showed on her lips as a small crowd gathered around them.

Annie looked around and narrowed her eyes. Bobby knew very well what such look meant. Her days of having to fend for herself were not so far gone and her survival instinct still resurfaced easily.

"Maddie, what are you trying to say?" the blue eyed Belden boy asked, trying to be calm.

Maddie’s voice became softer and she pushed her hair away from her face as she answered him. "Well, Bobby, who else could be bringing in drugs but her? I mean, she is a delinquent."

"I’ll show you the delinquent!" Annie exclaimed as she plunged towards a terrified Maddie. Despite her smallish stature, Annie was strong. Bobby dealt with Annie when she was angry in the past, so he knew Maddie wouldn’t stand a chance. Part of him wanted Annie to teach her a lesson, but he also knew she would get in trouble. Taking a deep breath, Bobby pulled Annie off Maddie and away out to the courtyard.

"Are you crazy? What were you going to do? Beat her up?" he scowled as he managed to make her sit down in a stone bench.

"Oh no, the thought never crossed my mind!" Annie said, sarcastically.

"Just ignore her!" Bobby crouched in front of her and held her hands in his own.

"Right… Like it’s easy to ignore someone who is accusing you of dealing drugs!"

"Hey, I know! But she’s insane. No one will mind her," Bobby winked at her. "Maybe she was doing it just to get my attention. She has been all over me, giving me hints about the spring dance."

"Oh, really?" Annie lowered her eyes. "You better be careful. She’s poisonous, that one!"

Bobby was confused. Annie thought he would be taking Maddie to the dance?

"Annie…" he sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "I’m not taking her. I already told her that I wasn’t going to the dance."

"Oh…" Annie actually sounded even more disappointed now. So, he was right. His heart beat like a drum in his chest, but he knew he would never find the nerve again. So, taking a deep breath, he let it out.

"But I could change my mind… If a certain someone would go with me."

She looked up at him, widening her brown eyes. "Who?"

He smiled, sweetly. "You."

Her jaw dropped, and she was speechless. "You want me to go with you to the dance?" Annie asked, trying to regain her composure. "Or are you just teasing me?"

"I would never do that! I really want you to be my date. I never really liked that dance stuff, but I think we would have fun. And I would be very proud to be the one to take you out on your first date…Even if it is just a school dance." Bobby blushed as he said the words. It hadn’t been easy, but the expression of bewilderment in Annie’s face was priceless.

"Well, it would be fun to see Maddie’s face…" Annie was finding it hard to meet his eyes. Bobby was asking her out? Well, he was a friend but still… "OK, I’ll go with you," she finally said.

His face lit with a smile. "Great!" Then he took a look at his watch. "Gleeps, I’m late! See you later!" he waved as he ran back to the school building.

The girl just sat there for a few more moments, trying to decide which of the latest events was more important. Somehow, Maddie’s accusations didn’t mean as much when compared to Bobby’s invitation. She couldn’t stop a smile from lighting her face. Annie Dugan, out on a date. With Bobby Belden, considered one of the best looking boys in Sleepyside High! Not that she found him attractive or anything. But…

A tap on her shoulder woke her from her reveries. She jumped, half expecting to see Maddie back. But it was Trixie standing behind her with a smile.

"Aren’t you late for class, Miss Dugan?" she asked, mocking a frown.

"Yes, I guess I am. Good morning, Trixie."

"C’mon on, I’ll walk with you. What class are you supposed to be having?"

"Biology," Annie answered, with a disgusted face.

"Don’t like it, hum?"

"I would like it, really, if it wasn’t for Miss Martin. She seems… weird!"

Trixie glanced at the girl. "What do you mean, weird?"

"I don’t know, Trix. I don’t feel comfortable around her, that’s all…"

"But I thought she was generally liked by the students." Trixie pictured the mentioned teacher in her mind, trying to figure out what was so weird about her. Miss Martin was in her early thirties and usually considered to be a classy, educated, elegant woman.

"Maybe it’s just me, but I feel strange around her. And she doesn’t seem to like me either," Annie shook her head. "Can’t explain it, really…" the girl stopped as she saw Principal Richardson and Captain Molinson walking towards Trixie and herself.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Richardson," said Trixie. "You wanted to see me? Hello, Captain."

"Good morning, Trixie. No, actually we wanted to a have a talk with Annie," the principal said, staring sternly at the girl. Annie seemed to be frightened half to death, as if she knew what was coming.

"What did I do?" she asked, with a trembling voice.

"Nothing as far as we know, missy." Captain Molinson approached her. "But there have been some accusations…"

Trixie was getting impatient. "Captain, come on. Annie is a BWG! She would never do anything against the law!"

The policeman stared at Trixie and his smile was ironical. "Oh, I can recall more than a few times you and your friends didn’t play by the book either." Trixie blushed. "But the accusations that were made about Annie are a lot more serious than your small peccadilloes."

"Annie, we’re going to have to search through your locker," Mrs. Richardson said. "I’m sure we won’t find anything in it, but still… This is a serious situation. We must check every possible clue."

"You mean…this is about the drugs?" Annie’s brown eyes were like a scared small animal’s.

"I’m afraid so. Shall we, then?"

Trembling, Annie walked over to her locker. Trixie watched as Molinson searched through the girl’s things, feeling furious. How dared they suspect Annie? She was a friend of hers! Molinson should know better!

The small plastic bag was nicely tucked in amidst Annie’s things, in the back of the locker. And its contents were unmistakable.

"WHAT?!" Bobby stood staring at his sister, not really believing what he was hearing. "They found what in Annie’s locker?"

"Stop yelling!" Trixie admonished. The hallway was beginning to fill up again and it was too soon for everyone to know about Annie. "It’s bad enough to have Annie in this situation. We don’t need people looking sideways at her."

"Oh, you can bet they will. They already do because of her past!" Bobby ran his fingers through his blond hair, in a gesture that reminded Trixie of Brian when he was concerned about something.

"We got to play it cool, Bobby. No one needs to know, unless…" Trixie bit her lip. She couldn’t believe the thought had even come to her mind.

Her brother stared at her. "Unless they prove that stuff really belongs to her," he completed his sister’s sentence and his eyes fell to the ground. After a few seconds of silence, his blue, big eyes met hers, so like his own and asked, in a trembling voice that betrayed his mixed emotions, "Do you think there’s a chance of Annie really…?"

He never had the time to finish. Trixie’s pale face told him something had gone terribly wrong. Bobby turned and saw Annie standing right behind him, accompanied by Molinson. From the hurt look in her eyes and the tears falling down her face, he knew she had heard his last question. "Annie, I…" his voice trailed off, as she turned her back on him and walked down the hallway.

Molinson scratched his head. "Guess you’re in trouble, kid."

Bobby lowered his eyes and didn’t answer.

"And is she in trouble, Captain?" Trixie asked.

"Well, it was an anonymous tip and we haven’t found her prints on the bag. Or anyone else’s for that matter! Which is strange, I must agree. But still, though circumstantial, it is evidence!" The police officer shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, we thought it best to keep Miss Dugan away from school for a few days, until we get the blood tests results. She has agreed to be tested and I’m taking her to the lab right away."

"Are you going to press charges?"

"Not until we have more than this. I know how to do my job, Miss Belden."

Trixie recognised the tone as the same the Captain used many years before, when she got in the way of his investigations and couldn’t help smiling. "I know, sir. I know." Somehow, knowing he was personally taking care of the event made her feel more reassured.

Dan rode Odin slowly down Glen Road, back to the Manor House stables. The sun was beginning to set, but there was still enough light to enjoy the end of the day. The first days of April were warm and sunny, but he knew nature well enough to know the prophetic showers would come anyway. He kicked the grey stallion's flanks lightly, encouraging him to speed up a little. His uncle, Bill Reagan, the Wheelers' groom, hated when the horses were brought in after dark. Dan smiled as he remembered the way his uncle had made him take Odin for a ride. He always managed to have his way, somehow.

Odin had just passed the private road that led to the Lynch's estate, and Dan could already see the Parker's house, just around the bend. The large colonial style building had belonged to a family who had lived in Sleepyside for generations, but who had had financial difficulties. The estate had been practically abandoned until the Parkers had bought it.

Dan wondered how Annie was doing. He liked the kid. There was so much of him in her it was scary. He remembered well when sarcasm and irony were his own weapons against a world he knew nothing about, in his early days in Sleepyside. Somehow, facing all those people had been scarier that the toughest hoods in NY.

He decided to stop by the Parker's and see if Annie wanted a ride to the clubhouse. Mart had called him earlier to tell him of the emergency meeting and, though he had no idea what could be so urgent, he had a gut feeling it was serious.

But as he directed Odin to the Parker's driveway, a car suddenly appeared right in front of him, out of nowhere. Startled, Odin bucked and Dan had to struggle not to be thrown off. He held on to the reins so hard that the leather burned his hand as the scared horse stood on his rear legs.

"Easy, boy. Calm down," he kept saying, fearing the animal would end up falling. Odin was still a very young horse, easily scared. After some terrifying seconds, the stallion seemed to calm down. Only then did Dan notice the car had stopped and the driver was staring at them through the window, wide eyed. Oh, no! It can't be! Dan thought. But it was.

Joeanne Darnell opened the pickup door slowly, making sure she wouldn't scare the restless again. "I'm so sorry!" she said, in a barely audible voice. "I really didn't see you!"

"Maybe you should pay more attention!" Dan grunted as he dismounted. His stomach was still very much in his throat. Being trampled under Odin's hooves wasn't the best way to die, that much he knew.

"Are you ok?" Joeanne asked, concerned. "Is he ok? Oh, God! Why didn't I pay attention?"

Her tone made him look back at her. The girl was really pale, and Dan realised she was just as scared as he was. He took a deep breath and said, "He'll be fine. Don't worry. But be careful whenever you drive by this area. Horses and cars don't really mix!"

She gave him a nervous smile and brushed a black strand of hair behind her ear.

"But what are you doing here anyway? Well, it's not my business, but I didn't know you knew the Parkers."

"Well, I didn't know you knew them either." Dan frowned at her answer, but then he saw the smile lightening her features and realised she was joking. She went on, "They adopted a girl last summer, Annie Dugan. Well, her case was assigned to me and..."

Dan interrupted her. "Annie's case? But I thought the adoption process was concluded."

"It is," Joeanne stated. "But there's reason to believe the girl may have got in some trouble, and the Services decided to keep an eye on her."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Dan was beginning to worry. Somehow, he had a feeling this had something to do with the BWG's emergency meeting.

"You know I can't tell you that, Dan. But if you're friends with Annie, you'll find out soon enough." Joeanne took a deep breath and reached out her hand. "I apologise once more, Dan."

He took her hand and shook it. "Don't worry, we're fine."

Joeanne took a few steps towards her car and then hesitated. After a few seconds, she turned again and said, "Just tell Annie I'm a friend, ok? I don't think she likes me all that much."

Dan grinned and the words escaped his lips before he could think about theconsequences. "Well, sometimes you do have that effect on people." The full meaning of his sentence hit them both at the same time. Dan wanted the ground to open under his feet and swallow him, as he saw her eyes turn to stone all over again. She turned her back on him and walked back to her car. She was out of his sight before he could say a word.

Hell! He silently cursed himself. Why can't I keep my foot out of my mouth?

"I simply don’t believe Annie has anything to do with this!" Di exclaimed, her beautiful violet eyes welling up with tears.

"None of us does." Mart said, putting his arm around his girlfriend." And right now, I really think she needs to know that."

"She would, if only she was here," Jim remarked as he glanced around the meeting table at the clubhouse.

"I called her, my dear co-president." Trixie pinched Jim on the arm, playfully. "But Mrs. Parker told me she couldn't come to the phone and took the message."

As Trixie spoke, Dan entered the clubhouse. "Sorry for being late, but my uncle is a slave driver."

"We're still waiting for Annie too, Dan. She hasn't arrived yet," Brian said.

"You mean she isn't here?" Dan looked worried. "I was by her place about half an hour ago and Mrs. Parker said she had just left. We both though she was coming here. And, yeah, if you're wondering, Mrs. Parker told me about what happened."

At this, Bobby looked up from the table. He seemed frightened. "Do you guys think she might run away again?"

Seven pairs of eyes exchanged glances and then stared back at the teenager.

Bobby’s eyes widened with what seemed to be fear. "Oh, hell! I got to find her before she does something crazy!" Saying this, he got up and shot out the door, knocking over his chair in the process.

"Bobby!" Trixie motioned to follow him, but Brian’s hand on her arm firmly pulled her back down.

"Easy, sis. Let him go. If anyone can find her, it’s him."

Trixie sighed. There was nothing she hated more than feeling powerless.

"Well, anyway, and no matter how much we are worrying about Annie, there’s something else I need to tell you…" Jim hesitated as his friends stared back at him. "A friend of Dan’s informed him that Jonesy got out of jail last week."

"Oh, Lord!" Honey grew pale. The man was still a part of her darkest nightmares. "I had actually forgotten he would get out one day."

"I didn’t…" Mart got up and restlessly paced around the room. "I kept counting the days, but this marriage thing made me overlook it. Rats!"

"Guys, calm down." Brian made his soothing voice heard. "There’s no need to overreact. We all fear the man, but there’s a chance he’s even more afraid of us. We got him as kids. Now we’re grown up, so there’s a whole lot more we can do."

"I don’t think his mind works like that, Brian," Jim said. ‘I agree there's no reason to panic, but I think we should be on the look out."

"Do you know where he is now?" Di asked, looking from Jim to Dan and back again, her violet eyes wide open.

Dan shook his head. "I’m trying to find out. But I called Molinson and warned him about this." Then he tried to lighten the mood and joked: "The man would have to be the invisible man to get in Sleepyside without being seen."

Honey and Di seemed a little more relieved but the others saw the dark shadow in Jim and Dan’s eyes.

******

Think, Belden, think! Where can she be? Bobby pedalled fast down Glen Road. He had just been to the Parker's estate. Annie wasn’t back yet, but at least she hadn’t taken anything but her bike with her. Mrs. Parker had told him that even the medallion that had belonged to her mother was still in its place, in her room. That was good news, because he knew Annie would leave anything behind, but that. So, where was she?

The trees were a mere blur as his legs made the bicycle almost fly down Glen Road. And his mind raced just as fast, thinking how he could possibly apologise. How could he even have doubted? It would serve him right if she never forgave him. His heart ached at the mere thought. He had been so happy that morning when she had accepted his invitation to the dance. For weeks he had been trying to gather courage to ask her. And now he had totally blown it.

As he reached Manor House, a thought crept into his mind. He had checked the stables, the boathouse, even Ten Acres. But there was one place he hadn’t checked. Bobby smiled and shook his head in disbelief. Well, it made sense. She probably thought it would never cross his mind she would go there, just because everyone knew it made him mad.

There it was, under some bushes. Annie’s red bike. Bobby took a deep breath and looked up at the tree house, almost hidden in the midst of the thick branches. Slowly and silently he climbed the steps nailed to the trunk, remembering a night, months before, when his heart had beaten just as hard.

Everything was silent, so he carefully lifted the trapdoor. The sun was setting, but there was still light enough to see Annie lying down near the wall. Her heavy breathing told him she was fast asleep.

Bobby crouched beside her and gazed at her for a few moments. How could anyone believe that such a pretty girl could ever do something that wrong? Well, there had been a shadow of a doubt in his heart, even for just a split second. He would never forgive himself for that. Slowly, he brushed back a lock of hair from her face, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Her nose was reddish and so were her eyelids. She must have cried herself to sleep, he thought, heartbroken.

"Annie," he called, softly. "Wake up, Annie."

Annie’s eyes fluttered and opened. She sat up, startled, when she saw Bobby.

"Hey, relax. It’s just me!" he said, smiling, as he reached out to brush her hair away from her face.

She pulled back and sat with her back against the tree-house wall, her arms circling her knees and the small movement felt like a kick to Bobby’s stomach. Still, he knelt beside her. "Everyone’s worried about you. The Bobwhites had an emergency meeting and you didn’t show, so I thought you might have run off again!"

"Why should I go to the meeting? To listen to your reasons for kicking me out?" Annie’s voice was hard and cold. "To hear you say I’m not good enough to hang with you?"

Bobby turned white. "Do you really think we’re that mean?"

Annie bit her lip and tears started flowing down her face again. Bobby’s heart melted and he tried to bring her back into his arms, but she pushed him away.

"Do you think it's easy? To have people speaking behind your back? To know they keep making up stories about you? And then to have your friends doubt you?" Annie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"But we don't..." Bobby started, but she interrupted him.

"The Social Services have been to my place. The woman said that if they prove I really did it I'll have to go to a Reformatory... and there's a chance they'll stop the adoption process."

Bobby turned white. "I had no idea... But I know it will all turn out fine," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "And your parents will stand by you."

Annie shook her head. "I don't know if they'll want to be my parents now..." The girl's voice trailed off again as the tears choked her. Bobby took a deep breath and crossed the space between them with one long stride. Pulling her forcefully over to him, he said, "I will always be here for you. I won't let anyone hurt you!"

"You were the one who hurt me the most!" she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Shh…I know I had no right to even think about it, but I was confused…" he whispered as he cradled her in his arms. "I know that’s no excuse… But all I can say is I’m sorry."

Annie pulled back from his arms and stared him right in the eyes. "Who could have done this to me?" she asked.

The boy wiped her cheeks with his hand and shook his head. "I don’t know. But I guess someone thought you were the perfect victim for a set-up."

"That includes just about everyone…"

A smile shone on Bobby’s lips. He winked at her and said: "No, not everyone. Just someone who doesn’t know what the Bobwhites are capable of. Annie, you are one of us. We are standing by you."

She looked up at him, not knowing if she should believe his words.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked, fearfully.

"Do you still want me to be your date at the dance?" the girl retorted.

"Of course! I told you I wouldn’t go with anyone else."

"Then don’t ever, ever even think I would do something like that!" She shook a finger menacingly in his face.

He chuckled, relieved, and, grabbing her hand, he pulled her back into his embrace. "Don’t worry, I won’t! Though making up is really nice!"

His words made her automatically pull away and get up. "Don’t go getting any ideas, Belden. It’s better if…"

The sound of someone calling out their names interrupted them. Looking down, through the small window, Annie saw Bill Regan, the Wheelers groom and a great friend of the BWGs.

"Will you kids come down?" the red headed man asked, with his hands on his hips. "Half the town is out looking for you!"

Annie and Bobby climbed down.

"How did you find us? I thought no one else would think of this place!" Bobby said as he reached the ground and faced Regan.

He folded his arms across his chest and smiled sardonically.

"Yeah… You keep forgetting I get a great view of the woods from my room. I saw you riding that bike like crazy into the woods and then Miss Trask told me Annie was missing."

"Are you guys coming or what?" Annie was getting impatient as she pulled her bike from underneath the bushes.

As they walked up the trail after her, Reagan said, "Don’t worry. I won’t tell about your little make-out spot!"

Bobby’s blue eyes widened in amazement and his jaw dropped.

"We weren’t…I wasn’t…We didn’t…"

The older man laughed, and the boy realised he was only teasing him. A few moments later, Bobby’s embarrassment vanished and his eyes glowed. Actually, it wasn’t such a bad idea after all!

The faces around the table were all stern and grave. One more student had been caught with drugs. Heading the usual Friday's teacher's meeting, Principal Richardson’s looked nothing like the playful woman Trixie had come to admire. Even her dark, chocolate coloured skin had lost some its glow.

In fact, there was only one person attending the meeting that didn’t seem affected by the whole ordeal. Trixie admired, with some envy, the ever golden, always impeccable hair, the classy make-up and the elegant two-p—p-piece suit of Janet Martin, a Biology teacher that had moved to Sleepyside that same year.

Conscious of their difference in appearance, Trixie couldn’t help hiding her hands under the table, when noticing the state her nails were in after a week of nervousness and distress.

"Well, I do believe there is no reason for over reacting," Janet said, her voice low and perfectly calm. She brushed back a long strand of golden hair. "We are not the first school in the world to face this problem. We merely have to deal with it as a normal occurrence."

"Miss Martin, I hate to disagree, but this is anything but normal," the older man at the end of the table retorted. James Wilson had been Trixie’s English teacher in her last two years at Sleepyside High and had been teaching there for the past thirty years. The school was like home to him, so he was taking the case quite personally. "If we regard this as normal, then we will be saying it’s ok. And it is anything but that!"

"Mr. Wilson, I do respect your… experience," Trixie noticed the small pause and the ironic tone of Janet Martin’s voice and shivered. "But Sleepyside is entering the modern age. Bad as it is, this is a sign of the changing times. I do not mean to take this lightly. All I’m saying is that we have to deal with it without panic. Believe me, it won’t be the last time it will happen."

"It will, if I have anything to say about it." Principal Richardson made her voice heard at last. Till then she had remained silent, watching carefully and listening. "Sleepyside may be… entering the modern age if you’d like, Janet…but I’ll do my best not to face this as normality."

Trixie smiled, inwardly. Janet Martin was nice enough, but she was getting on her nerves with that I-was-a-teacher-in-New-York attitude.

"I’m with you. I think we have to make the kids understand how serious this really is," Mart said, with the most serious face Trixie had ever seen him make.

"Well, of course I must comply with your decisions," Janet said, with the smug smile still on her lips.

Boy, now I know why Annie doesn’t like her, Trixie thought.

"So," the blonde woman went on, leaning towards the table. "If that's the case, you must be considering quite extreme measures regarding Annie Dugan."

Mart and Trixie exchanged glances. They weren't aware the other teachers had been filled in on the case. If that was so, then chances were the whole school knew about it.

Mary Richardson frowned, as if she hadn't been aware the news had spread. "Well," she said slowly. "If Miss Martin has heard of this, I take it you all know it too." The guilty faces around the table told her she was right. Sighing, she went on. "I've been in teaching for far too long to be surprised. Since you already know, I ask you not to make this more serious than it really is."

"Oh, please!" Janet Martin let out an ironic laugh. "Now that you have a possible culprit, you make nothing of it! This is nonsense!"

"Annie is innocent!" Trixie spoke out, without thinking. She felt Mart kicking her under the table but she decided she couldn't be silent anymore. "I know how serious a matter this is and that what was found in her locker is incriminating, but please, don't condemn her before we straighten this out. I know her and I vouch for her innocence."

"And how can you be so sure, Miss Belden?" Janet asked, staring at her right in the eyes. "As far as I know your acquaintance hasn't been life long. And even if it had, no one can be completely sure of anyone. A word of advice: don't go standing up for just anyone. It could backfire."

Before Trixie could answer, Principal Richardson said, "Your concern about your friend, Trixie, is commendable but you should try to be impartial." Trixie couldn't help blushing and Mart's I-told-you-so look made her feel even worse.

Mary Richarson went on. "But we won't crucify the child without being absolute sure. And even if we are able to prove her guilt, we won't stop at that. If a child is involved in this sordid affair, he or she would be no more than a pawn. There has to be someone else behind it."

"Do you believe we're dealing with a... gang?" one of the older teachers asked, pronouncing the word as if it was swearing.

"I can't answer that. I'm not sure, but it is a possibility." Mary Richardson leaned back on her chair, noticeably tired.

"Well, our little Annie does wear that strange red jacket..." Janet started.

Trixie jumped in her seat but Mart was faster in answering. "That strange red jacket, as you put it, is as familiar to the Sleepyside authorities as to this school. It means she is part of the BWGs, the Bobwhites of the Glen, which is a club and not a gang."

"We've been an active part of the community, doing voluntary and benefit work, not just here in town, but in many other places." Trixie added. She knew where this was headed. It wasn't the first time someone had accused the BWGs of being a gang.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry if it sounded as if I was implying anything... but that's just not a usual thing, is it? And it can easily be confused with other things. But if the authorities and the school know you all so well, it's all right." Janet's eyes had a strange glow to them as she added, "At least I hope it is."

*****

"Oh, I could just kill her!" Trixie exclaimed as Mart drove them back to Crabapple Farm. "How dare she? She was trying to say we could have something to do with it!"

"Easy, sis," Mart smiled. "She gets on my nerves too, but she did come from a violent city. People who live in places like that tend to face this occurrences a little more lightly than we do. And she doesn't know anything about us."

"Yeah, but still... Janet sounded too... I don't know... trigger happy, if you know what I mean."

"Uh-oh! Yeah, I know what you mean! I know that mystery-itis look too well!" Mart frowned. "Just hold your horses! There's nothing mysterious about Janet."

"I didn't say there was... Oh!" Trixie moaned and folded her arms. "I'm frustrated! I want to help Annie, and I just don't know how to! After all, I do have a responsibility to the school... But I can't help wanting to help Annie. She is my friend."

"She's a friend to all of us, Trix. And we will do our best to help her. But don't just go rushing to conclusions."

"I won't. I haven't done that in a while, you know?" Trixie playfully pinched her brother.

"Thanks to our beloved co-president, I dare say." Mart's smile gave way to a more serious expression. "Things have been so hectic lately I haven't even had the time to check on my baby sister's heart. How are things?" The way Trixie's face lit up was enough of an answer and Mart smiled again. "That good, hum?"

"Just perfect, Mart," she answered. "Jim's planning to rebuild the mansion, you know? I guess with all this happening at the same time he didn't even have time to tell you all about it."

"That's great, Trix. And Moms will love it. She was afraid you guys would move into town."

"She should have known better. I would never be away from my woods."

Mart reached out and squeezed her hand. "Are you sorry, Trixie? For giving up on...?"

She interrupted him, blue eyes shining. "I gave up nothing, Mart. I made a choice and that was to follow my heart. Nothing changed, except the fact that now I know my life is just starting. And I don't think I left anything back. The agency... Well, maybe one day. But it's not that important anyway. I love what I'm doing and, as you can see, mysteries are still attracted to me."

"I'm happy for you, honey. I really am. For the both of you... and for me, too. Sleepyside wouldn't be the same without you."

Trixie stretched to kiss him on the cheek. Mart could be a pest sometimes, but he was also one of the best brothers in the whole world.

I won't think about it. Annie threw her hair back, brushing the thoughts away and went back to writing her diary. There were other things on her mind, happier things, and Jason had taught her long ago to hold on to the nice things, no matter how small. Being asked to the dance was a very nice thing. And being asked by Bobby Belden was even nicer. The thought brought a blush to her cheeks and a smile to her lips.

"Am I interrupting?"

Annie jumped at the sound of the voice coming from behind her. She turned around and smiled as she saw Dan coming up to her. "'Course not! I was just... oh, daydreaming I guess!" As she spoke, Dan noticed she hid a book behind her.

Breathing in the scent of the pine trees, Dan sat beside her on the sandy margin of the Wheeler's lake. "Keeping a diary, are you?" he asked, smiling as she blushed.

"Yeah," Annie admitted, "Mrs.... Mum gave it to me at Christmas. She said it was nice to remember things as the years went by."

"I guess it is." Annie's hesitation in calling Mrs. Parker ‘Mum’ didn't escape him. "So, how is it like to live with the Parkers. Do you like it?"

The girl smiled. "Yes, I do. They're really nice to me, but it's still strange... calling them mum and dad, I mean. I was talking to Bobby about it just the other day. They are very... careful, when it comes to me. They want to know what I think about every topic. Dad talks to me a lot. I guess they are trying to raise me without making the mistakes they did when raising Jason."

"That's only natural, don't you think? I mean, you do need time to adjust to each other. I've been there, so I know what I'm talking about."

She nodded. "I know. But I'm really afraid of letting them down... and all of you. I'm innocent, you know?"

Annie's eyes told Dan she needed reassurance. So he got closer to her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "We know. We wouldn't have made a BWG out of you if we weren't sure of what's in your heart."

"Bobby suspected me," she whispered.

"No, he didn't. Not with his heart. But he was confused and when we are confused we say silly stuff we really don't mean. And we hurt other people. Has it never happened to you?"

She kept silent for a few moments, gazing at the lake in front of them, and then said, "It has. But it hurt anyway."

"He apologised, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did. He's even going to take me to the dance at school," she blushed again.

Dan's face lit with a smile. "Oh, but that's an event! So you see, not everything is bad."

"I didn't say that. But I was getting enough aggravation from some idiots at school who hate me for my past... Then all this lands on my back... And now the social services are worried about... my situation," she spoke the last words with some spite.

Well, here we go, Dan thought. "Yeah, I heard someone had gone to your house."

"Miss Darnell, that's her name. She was pretty nice, but she also said they could reconsider the whole adoption process if..."

Dan interrupted her. "No one is reconsidering anything, Annie. The social services are there to look after your best interest. I know it sounds like a lot of crap, but it's true. I happen to know Miss Darnell, and I think she would do everything in her power to help you out."

There was hope in Annie's wide brown eyes as she stared at him. "Really?"

"Really. She asked me to tell you she was your friend." He reached out to brush her hair back from her face. "And I am too. So, if you need to talk, just come to us before running away. Promise?"

Dimples appeared in her cheeks as she smiled. "I promise. Thanks, Dan." In a rare demonstration of affection, Annie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He hugged her back, touched by the girl's gesture. Then he said, "Why don't we go on over to the clubhouse? I bet the rest of the gang will be over there."

"Let's go then." Annie got up, a new light shining in her eyes. Dan got up too and they strode down the path, towards the clubhouse.

 

 

5.30 PM
BWGs club house, Wheeler Estate

"The thing is we've been running around in a panic. And we all know that will get us nowhere. What we need is a plan," Brian said, his voice calm and soothing as always. He had a way of settling down arguments with a mere word. Especially when it came to eight stressed out BWGs.

The clubhouse was suddenly silenced, a, a,nd eight pairs of eager eyes landed on the tall, dark-h--haired young doctor. Brian blushed. "Hey, I said we needed a plan. I never said I had one."

"And that comes from the genius amongst us. We're doomed!" Mart sank back on his chair and groaned in despair.

"Martin Belden, are you admitting your brother is actually smarter than you?" Di teased, batting her eyelashes.

"Sweetheart, I'll admit to murder if you give me that look one more time!" Mart bowed before his girlfriend and kissed her hand.

"What we need is bait." Annie said, shyly. "Someone to bring the dealer out in the open."

Jim frowned and rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "You might have something there, Annie. But who?"

"Me! They already suspect me anyway and it won't hurt my reputation. And since I can go back to school on Monday, it will be perfect." Annie offered.

"No way, kid. You might not care about your reputation, but you have to care about the adoption process. You have to be clean on this." Dan's tone left no place for an argument, and Annie took the reproach silently.

"Dan's right. Besides being too dangerous, the person who tried to frame you is probably the one responsible for this whole mess, so he or she will never be fooled." Trixie shook her sandy curls decisively. "We'll have to think of something else..."
Bobby's voice interrupted her. "We all know Annie's idea is perfect. And since she is necessarily excluded, the only other reasonable option is me."

"In your dreams, Bobby!" Trixie exclaimed. "It's way too dangerous! Didn't you hear me saying so just now?"

"Yeah, like you've always listened to people warning you about danger. Want me to refresh your mind?" Bobby asked, sarcastically. Trixie blushed and Jim tried to hide a smile.

"You're aware you've created a monster, aren't you?" Mart whispered in his sister's ear. Her only answer was a kick to his chin that made him groan.

There was silence for a while. Trixie could almost hear her brain working out a solution. Hesitation as to what was best was evident on every face. Dan was the first to speak out. "Guys, I agree it's risky but we must do something." He got up and walked around the table to where Bobby was sitting. Laying a hand on the blond boy's shoulder he said: "Bobby is smart enough to know what he's getting into, and he will bail out the moment he gets a clue." His statement was more of a threat than a warning. "Won't you, Bobster?"

"Well, I hate to say this, but I have to agree with Dan and Bobby." Jim reached out to touch his fiancée's cheek. "We'll be on the lookout, honey. Don't worry. And Bobby knows how to defend himself."

"Still, not many people would do that for a friend."

He smiled. "Well, we do. That's a BWG thing. We like to stand up for the ones we love."

"I'm not talking about the BWGs. I'm talking about you."

Bobby reached out and squeezed her hand. "Well, I had ulterior motives. I wanted to prove to you I know you had nothing to do with his."

She swallowed hard and struggled not to let her eyes fill with tears. "You're my best friend, Bobby. Do you know that?"

The boy's jaw dropped. No, he didn't know that. "Even better than Jason?" he asked, in a husky voice.

"Jason is gone." Annie looked back up at him. "He was very special to me. He taught me a lot, he saved my life... but we had no choice than to hold on to each other to survive. But you... you turned your life upside down to help me. You brought me into your house, when most people would brush me away and call me a bum. And now you're putting yourself in danger for me. That means a whole lot."

Bobby was speechless. After a few seconds he followed the others down the path, his hand still holding Annie's. It took him about five minutes to process all she had said. Finally, he brought himself to say: "You're my best friend too, Annie. My very best friend."

Saturday, 9.30 AM
Crabapple Farm

Please, please, let there not be any April shower's today! Trixie silently pleaded as she got ready to leap out of bed. As she opened the curtains she smiled. Saturday morning was as sunny and clear as a spring day could be. A perfect day for a party, she thought as she headed for the shower.

It was strange, but the get-togethers at Crabapple Farm still felt as exciting as years before, when she would wait for a freckle-faced, green-eyed teenage boy to come into the kitchen, feeling her heart about to burst out of her chest. And it wasn't merely about Jim. Every moment spent with her friends was priceless and unforgettable. Even more so now, when the natural course of life had made those moments scarcer.

There was no real reason for a celebration. Actually, there were enough things going on to warrant not celebrating at all. But they also needed some time off. Time to relax and have fun. And what better place to do so than the cosy, simple kitchen that was Mrs. Belden's kingdom? Today they might even take it outside. It was warm enough, a, ,nd the elastic walls of the Belden's house were beginning to stretch to its limits. After all, there were all of the nine BWGs, Mr. and Mrs. Belden, the two pairs of Lynches twins and Joeanne Darnell and her two brothers, if they chose to come.

Of course Reagan and Miss Trask had been invited too, but probably their chores at Manor house would keep them from staying long. Gleeps! That's a heck of a lot of people, Trixie thought, rushing out of the shower. She didn't know how her mother could do it and bring everything to perfection. I'm sure I'd be a nervous wreck by the time the guests came. But still they’re not really guests at all, are they? She smiled inwardly. They’re family.

As she came downstairs, she noticed Brian and Mart were already setting up the tables in the yard and that her mother was bustling away in the kitchen. The smell of apple pie was already on the air.

"'Morning, Moms," Trixie said as she kissed her mother's cheek. "Was I the only one who slept in late?"

"Guess so, sweetie. Your father and Bobby went to town to get a few things that we needed and on the way back they'll stop at Mr. Lytell's to bring the rest of the groceries. But don't worry, there's still a lot for you to do around here." Helen Belden smiled and winked at her only daughter.

Trixie smiled too and felt like the luckiest person in the world.

*****

He watched as the car parked in front of the white farm house. He watched as the two men got out and started to carry paper bags into the house. He knew them. He remembered them well. The brat is all grown up now, he thought. I wonder where SHE is? Patience was never his virtue, but he didn't have to wait long anyway. He would recognise those blonde curls any day. He was close enough to even see the freckles on her nose. My, my! Haven't you grown pretty? Oh, wouldn't I like to mark that face! That way you would always remember me!

He saw the young woman's smile disappear as she looked around, as if she had somehow heard his thoughts. Stepping further behind the bushes, he held his breath, half-expecting to be discovered. But she seemed to dismiss the feeling and went back to helping her father and brother unload the van.

Dan was fidgety. Jim and Mart were talking right beside him, but he hardly knew what they were going on about. Man, what's wrong with me? he kept thinking. He really didn't know why he was so nervous. Or did he? The dark haired young man shook his head and tried to dismiss his thoughts. As hard as it was to admit, he couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not Joeanne would come. And, of course, he would never ask it out loud. He couldn't deal with both Jim and Mart's teasing! After all he was just curious. Then why the heck did his heart skip a beat every time he heard a car passing on Glen Road?

"Man, Glen Road's busy today!" He exclaimed, not noticing he was speaking out loud until he saw Jim and Mart staring at him, frowning. "What?" he asked, as he kicked some pebbles with the tip of his shoe, keeping his eyes down. Then he cursed himself. He did that since his childhood, whenever he was embarrassed. And Mart was sure not to miss it. The grin on his friend's face told him he was right.

"James, my friend, I do believe we are witnessing a singular moment. Our dear old friend, a soon-to-be remarkable lawyer, is endeavouring to keep something from us. I wonder what it could be?" Mart sardonically said, as he put an arm around Dan's shoulder.

Jim chuckled. "Leave him be. You know he never felt comfortable around a lot of people. That's probably just it!"

"Yeah!" Mart winked at him. "Dan's always been known for stage fright. Come on, spill it. You're not fooling me."

"You're crazy, Belden. I'm just worried about this Annie business," Dan said, trying to divert the subject.

Mart frowned. He liked to horse around, but he also knew when enough was enough. And since he knew something was going on with Dan, he picked up on his hint. "I know what you mean. I'm worried too. And now with Bobby wanting to go 'undercover'..."

"He was infected with the Shamus virus long ago! We should have seen it coming." Jim smiled tenderly as he looked over to where Trixie was standing, talking to Di and Honey.

"I always thought he would grow out of it. Heck, I used to think Trix would too." Mart shrugged his shoulders. "But at least he told us about what he intended to do. That's not so bad when we think about Trixie's M.O."

"Hey, she did learn her lesson. She knows better now." Jim said.

"Oh boy! Smoke does get in your eye, doesn't it?" Mart retorted, as Dan burst out laughing.

Distracted with his friends, Dan was startled by a familiar voice coming from behind him. And though familiar, it was a voice he didn't exactly associate with Crabapple Farm, so he spun around, hardly believing she was really there.

"Hello," Joeanne said, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

"Joeanne, hi. You actually came... I never really believed you would," Dan uttered, running his fingers through his hair. He had been wondering, but now he was half-speechless. Instantly, he saw his words would be misinterpreted. Her black eyes grew cold.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you," he heard her mutter as she passed by him to greet Mart and Jim.

"Don’t mind her. Our sister is really touchy, sometimes." Only then did Dan notice the two boys standing at a distance. "Nice to meet you. My name's Dave and this is my brother, Kenny," the eldest boy said, as he walked up to him and reached out his hand.

Dan took it with a smile. "Hi, I’m Dan." He noticed the boys looked a lot like their sister, deep dark eyes shining in sun-tanned faces. The younger boy's hair, though, was lighter. Dan wondered if he looked like their mother, since he had been told Joeanne was a living copy of Joe Darnell. "Well, welcome to Crabapple Farm." Dan didn’t have time to say anything else, since in a few seconds the boys and Joeanne had been surrounded by the whole Belden family and some of the BWGs, all wanting to welcome them.

Bobby soon took over Kenny and Dave and led them into the orchard, where they joined the Lynch twins, both sets of them, and Annie. And Joeanne was promptly taken away by Mrs. Belden, who dreaded the thought of anyone feeling like a stranger in her house. Dan watched the two women walk towards the house, the older woman slipping an arm around the younger one, tenderly. She had done that for him once too.

Though his feelings towards Helen Belden were warm enough, his thoughts didn’t dwell on her for long. As he watched Joeanne walk away he noticed how pretty she looked, with her raven black air loose on her shoulders and the flowery dress she was wearing. She looked so young!

"That, my friend, is probably the hardest piece of wood you’ve ever had to chop!" Mart said, tapping his shoulder.

Dan jumped at the sound of his friend’s voice. "What?" Then the words sank in. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, I haven’t seen that look on your face ever since... Hey, ever since the first time you saw Hallie. And even then you weren’t this jumpy!"

Dan couldn’t help to blush. "What look?" he asked, trying to sound carefree.

"The look you have glued to your now extremely-red face. The one that’s been there since you saw Joeanne Darnell. And since Trixie mentioned you guys had met in New York and hadn’t really got along, I can put two and two together and guess this is a kind of love/hate relationship. Of course the hate part is all from her side..." Mart burst out laughing at his own joke. "I’m sorry, man. I’m not trying to make fun or anything..." At this point tears were about to stream down Mart’s face.

"They should have you committed, you know?" Dan mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah." Mart wiped his eyes with his hand and tried to compose himself. Trying to make a straight face, he said: "Hey but seriously, what’s up? Are you interested?"

"In what?"

"Don’t play dumb with me." Mart was serious now. "I’d be glad to see you taking an interest in someone else. That business with Hallie..."

Dan interrupted him. "That business with Hallie is over and done with. Come on, Mart. We’ve talked about this before. It didn’t work. It was over before it started and it was all for the best, because we spared ourselves the heartache. She told me what she wanted from life and I wanted different things, so..."

"So she walked away with you as her friend and you stayed with a broken heart. That somehow strikes me as a bad deal."

He sighed. "Mart, I couldn’t force your cousin to love me. It was an illusion. Even if she hadn’t gone abroad to study it wouldn’t have worked. We were too different. I needed some peace and quiet in my life and she wanted adventure every single day and to see as much as she could of the world. I was hurt, o, f course, but I got over it. She’s a dear friend now."

It was Mart’s turn to sigh. Somehow he still believed Hallie had been very unfair to Dan, leading him into thinking she loved him and then going off to Europe. "Ok, then. No more Hallie. What about Joeanne? I don’t really know her that well, but she seems nice enough... Not to you though."

"There’s no ‘about Joeanne’, Mart. Stop that. She is just... well, not a friend yet, since we got off to a bad start." Dan smiled. "But I hope I’ll grow on her."

Mart half closed his eyes. Then he nodded. "Ok, if that’s the way you want it, so be it. Let’s just drop the subject and get back to hamburger grilling. I’m starting to hear stomachs growling."

Dan chuckled. "Yeah, yours!"

*****

Bobby finally found Annie sitting under an apple tree in the orchard. She had her arms around her bent knees and was looking quite pale. He knew something was up, b,ut had no idea what it could be. They had been having a lot of fun that afternoon and this sudden gloominess was a mystery.

The boy walked over, with a frown, and sat on the grass right in front of his friend. "What’s going on?" he simply asked.

She looked up at him and hesitated. But finally, with a sigh, she said, "That woman that just arrived, Miss Darnell… Is she a friend of yours?"

"Oh, I haven’t seen her in a long time. Trixie and Honey met her while they were trying to find Jim… You know, I told you about it, remember? The girl that run away from her family because her father had taken Mr Lynch’s trailor…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "I just couldn’t imagine she was Miss Darnell…"

"But what’s the matter? Why are you so upset?"

"She’s the social assistant who’s taking care of my… case." Annie almost spat the word. "It’s not very nice to see her here."

"Oh…" Bobby didn’t know what to say. "I’m sure no one even thought of it. I don’t think Trixie even knew."

"I know that, Bobby. I’m not even thinking that. But I don’t quite know how to act…"

"Well, maybe it’s a good chance to show her all the friends you’ve made and how much they care about you. To show her that you’re fitting in. Isn’t that one of the things they worry about?"

Annie’s grim face lightened up. "I never thought about it that way, but maybe you’re right. Maybe I shouldn’t be hiding, hum?"

Bobby laughed as he got up and reached out his hand to help her up. "Yeah, maybe you shouldn’t… C’mon, let’s go. You can try and win her brothers’ hearts. Maybe they’ll put in a good word for you."

Annie smiled and took his hand. "Yeah, I might give it a try."

As they walked back to the Belden’s backyard, Bobby slowed his pace and his handsome features took on a more serious look.

"What now?" Annie asked as she stopped and looked back at him.

"Annie… About Joeanne’s brothers and winning their hearts…"

"Yeah?"

"Just… don’t try very hard, ok?" Bobby blushed as he stared at the ground.

Annie gulped and blushed herself. There was not much she could say but, "Yeah, don’t worry."

*****

Trixie was rejoicing. All of her family and dearest friends were together again, there in the dearest of all places, Crabapple Farm. She felt like dancing around the enormous table but she refrained herself and was content to just let her eyes travel around it. Her eyes eventually fell on Dan Mangan. He seemed absent minded, completely oblivious to the noise and movement going on around him. Trixie followed his eyes and a smile of sudden enlightenment spread on her lips. Another table had to be set up in the yard, since the group of the old days had grown considerably and Bobby, Annie and the twins had been assigned to it, as well as Terry, Larry, Mandy and Maggie Lynch. At that moment, Joeanne and Diana were standing close to them and it was on the pair Dan’s eyes were set. And since Trixie knew better than to think Dan might have any kind of interest in Diana besides friendship, she instantly felt she was trespassing on some kind of secret. But her heart warmed at the thought of Dan finally finding someone special. Just like Mart, she still held a little grudge on Hallie for walking away on him.

"Honey, you’re staring." Jim’s voice in her ear made her jump.

"Oh!" She blushed. "But I’m not the only one, Jimmy. Have you seen the way Dan’s staring at Joeanne?"

"Yes, I have, baby." Jim planted a kiss on her cheek. "But don’t you go getting any ideas… Let things take their due course. If he plans to make a move, he’ll do it when he thinks it’s time."

There was some wickedness in Trixie’s smile as she said, "Let’s just hope it doesn’t take him eight years to do it."

Some time before Jim might have been hurt by being teased for taking such a long time to declare his feelings to Trixie. But the past year Trixie had managed to change a few things about him and his touchiness was one of them. As she had learned to be more cautious, he had learned to laugh a bit more at himself. So he smiled and his green eyes sparkled, in a way that nearly took her breath away. "Oh, I don’t think it will. He’s not half as patient as I am," he said, squeezing her hand under the table.

*****

Later that night, as the group joined up in the Belden’s kitchen to eat an enormous dinner of left-overs, Joeanne took a deep breath and decided it was time to settle things with Annie. The girl had tried to be courteous, but she had also tried to avoid her as best as she could. And Joeanne couldn’t let this spoil the wonderful time she was having. For a few hours she had nearly forgotten that her life was far from being like that of her friends and that soon she was getting back to her monotonous, lonely daily routine. So she owed it to them. Slowly, she walked towards Annie who was standing by the window, a frown shadowing her pretty, young face.

"Hi, Annie," she greeted, with a smile. "Is everything ok?"

For a split second, Joeanne feared Annie would answer in the sardonic tone she used herself so many times. But the girl seemed to think twice and merely nodded.

"Annie," Joeanne took a sit on the windowsill. "I’ve been meaning to talk to you ever since I got here. I never meant to spoil your fun by coming. Truth is, when Trixie invited me over I really didn’t know who you were. And when I found out, well… It sort of slipped my mind."

"That’s ok. It just felt a little…"

"Awkward?" Joeanne completed with a smile. "Yes, I know. I feel the same way. But I guess we’ll just have to get over it and forget about it. Just for the night. Tomorrow you can go on hating my guts again."

Annie’s eyes widened and she rushed to explain, "Oh no, Miss Darnell. I don’t hate you. Actually, I think you’re kind of nice. It’s just that…Well, I’m pretty scared about all of this."

The young woman reached out to touch the girl’s cheek. "I know. But I’m one of the good guys, ok? Just remember that and that I’ll do my best to make everything all right for you. Now, just stop thinking about it and go and have fun."

Annie’s face lit up with a smile and she walked away, leaving Joeanne alone with one chilling thought: I just hope my best will be enough.

*****

If only I could figure out what’s wrong with me, Dan thought. Why can’t I just stop staring at her? It shouldn’t be so hard. After all, one does get tired of being abused and Joeanne hadn’t said one nice word to him the whole evening. In fact, she hadn’t even spoken to him since their meeting at the orchard. But that was precisely what was bothering him, to such an extent he had to come out of the house for some air. He could hear the voices and the laughter coming from the living room and from somewhere in the orchard he could also hear the kids. But he needed some time alone, away from the noisy bunch, to think it all through,

Sitting on the porch railing, with his back against the wall, amidst the shadows, Dan was pretty much invisible to anyone who didn’t look directly at him, since the lamp over the door wasn’t enough to light the whole porch. Because of that, Joeanne never saw him as she stepped outside and sat on the porch steps.

Dan unconsciously backed into the shadows a little further and caught his breath as she slowly walked to the porch steps and sat down, her chin resting on her hand. There was a pensive, somewhat weary look on her face. He heard her sigh and thought it best to reveal his presence. He really didn’t want her to accuse him of spying on her.

"Hi." There wasn’t much more he could say.

She started at the sound of his voice. "Dan…I didn’t know you were there," she said as he came away from the shadowy corner.

"Don’t worry…I guess I’ll be going in." Dan motioned towards the door, but she stopped him by reaching up for his hand. He stopped and looked down, surprised.

"No…Please stay." Joeanne looked embarrassed. "I… I meant to talk to you, anyway."

Dan’s heart jumped in his chest. "Oh, you did? What about?" Oh, Hell, could you get any lamer than this? he thought, mentally slapping himself.

"Would you please sit down? My neck is cramping up from looking up at you…" She smiled, a bit uncomfortably.

"Oh, yeah… Sorry." Dan hoped the lack of lighting would be enough to hide his blushed cheeks and sat down on the step, beside her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Joeanne took a deep breath and looked into the night. "I wanted to apologize…" she said, slowly.

Strangely, her words seemed to beckon a heavy silence, as if the whole world held its breath. Dan stopped listening to any noises coming from the inside and the kid’s voices had faded away in the distance. All but the crickets were silent.

"Apologize?" He repeated, thinking he probably sounded like a parrot.

"I haven’t been exactly nice to you tonight…Or any time before this, for that matter."

Dan shook his head. "Seems to me it takes two to tango… I’ve played my part in that too. So, there really isn’t anything to apologize for."

Joeanne smiled, sadly. "That’s very nice of you, but I’ve been told all my life how aggravating I can be. So, I guess there must be some truth in that…I do speak without thinking, most of the time."

It seemed to Dan that this was a chance to change things with Joeanne. Why he would want that he still didn’t know, but he was pretty sure he wanted it. "Well, here’s a thought… Why don’t we just get this whose-fault-was-it discussion behind us and start afresh?" He said as he held out his hand. "Hi, I’m Dan Mangan."

Her smile widened, a, nd he was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat at the sight. She grabbed his hand and shook it. "Joeanne Darnell. Pleased to meet you."

Dan held on to her hand for a few moments more before she drew it back, saying, "You are aware that we’ll probably keep on fighting off and on, aren’t you?"

He grinned. "Yeah… I’m pretty sure of that, but I’ll guess we’ll work around it somehow."

"I hope so…" She sighed and her eyes were drawn back to the moonlit orchard. "I hope my brothers won’t get into trouble. They don’t know the woods around here."

"They’ll be fine. Bobby and Annie know this place like the back of their hands. And the twins do too." Dan took a sidelong glance at her. "They seem to be nice kids. You did a good job with them."

"They’re wonderful." There was a noticeable note of pride in her voice.

"It must have been hard for you…I mean, having to be a second mother to them."

She lowered her eyes for a moment, a,nd he hoped he hadn’t screwed up things. But she sighed and answered, "Wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. But they’ve always been quiet, sweet children. I guess witnessing Mother’s illness made them like that."

Dan was about to ask about her sister, but decided it was best to keep quiet. But Joeanne seemed to sense his hesitation and said, "Go on, it’s logical to ask about my sister right now."

He chuckled. "Boy, you’re good. I was going to ask about her, b, but I guess it’s hard for you to talk about it."

She nodded. "It is. But that’s life, I guess. Can’t run from it."

Dan wondered if there really wasn’t a part of life Joeanne was running from but didn’t comment.

"I don’t mind talking about Sally before she… well, you know. She was a bit spoiled, but she was a sweet kid. Daddy’s girl."

"From what I’ve heard I thought you were your father’s favourite."

There was another sad smile on Joeanne’s face when she answered. "I guess people would think that, but no. I was too like my Dad to be his favourite. I was never a tender child, you know, the kind that is always giving away hugs and kisses. I was always tom-boyish and that kind of thing embarrassed me. And Sally was a little doll, loving bows and ribbons. A lot like Mum, so I guess that’s why my father loved her so."

"But Trixie always talked about the way your father admired you and looked up to you."

Dan’s heart skipped a beat as she looked directly into his eyes.

"When you’re a little girl you want your parents to love you for who you are. Not to be looked up to by them. I know Dad loves me. But mostly he admires me, because I’m so much stronger than he ever was. Sometimes I feel like he fears me because I grew up to be what he really wanted to be. And that’s pretty scary when you’re growing up."

 

Boy, this is getting a bit too intimate, Dan thought, Tomorrow she’ll hate me for having told me all this. But he wanted her to confide in him. "I’m sorry to say this, but maybe you do scare people away," he said slowly.

"I know. I always did… I don’t know how to get close to people or how to let them get close to me."

"Maybe you’re just scared yourself…" Dan reached out and softly caressed her cheek. Maybe it was going a bit too far but he couldn’t resist the impulse. Joeanne shivered and looked away.

"Anyway," she said as if she wanted to shake the intimate moments away, "I have to take care of my brothers, and there’s my job. And Sally. She’s doing much better now, physically. She’s stronger."

"But in her head…?"

Joeanne shrugged her shoulders. "She won’t talk about it. Sally’s still very angry. At what, I don’t know. Mostly, it seems to be at me…But anyway, you are too new a friend to be bothered with all of this."

"I happen to know you don’t bother your old friends either."

Joeanne stared at him and he stared back at her. "Isn’t that right?" He asked, unable to keep a note of tenderness away from his voice.

"No, I don’t. But still, that is my problem." The girl’s defensive posture had returned but he wouldn’t be troubled by it now.

"Joeanne, I’m not trying to pry. But I would like to know you better. And if the problems come with the territory, well, so be it…Besides, maybe it would be easier for you to talk to someone who is not so…well, intimate." Instinctively, Dan reached for her hand and held it in his as he spoke. He only realized what he had done when he saw her shudder and draw back her hand. He gazed at her, b, ut didn’t say a word.

"The thing is, Dan, I don’t really have any intimate friends, so that theory really doesn’t apply." Joeanne sighed, sounding tired. "But you already know all there is to know about it, so…" She shrugged her shoulders. "Well," she said as she got up "I better find out where my brothers are. We should be going. I’m going to see Sally tomorrow, so I still have to get some paperwork done tonight."

"Is your father going with you?" Dan asked, impulsively.

Joeanne seemed to consider whether or not to answer, but ended up replying, "No. My father has cut off Sally entirely."

"So you go there all by yourself, every time?"

She nodded. "She’s my sister and I can’t leave her alone."

"Yes, I know… But…" Dan took a deep breath, wondering if this wasn’t the most idiotic idea he had ever had. "Still, it doesn’t seem fair… I could go with you, if you’d like." He offered, half expecting her to just turn around and leave.

But she didn’t. Instead, she stared at him as if his words were still sinking in.

"Why?" she simply asked. "It’s not the most agreeable place in the world."

"I know…I’m not a stranger to those places… But I’m determined to be your friend." Dan gulped. "And I don’t think you should be going alone…It’s got to be a big strain on you."

"By now I’ve gotten used to it. After some time you start building up defences and some things just stop bothering you." Joeanne looked weary as she spoke. "But you can come if you want. Besides…" She took a deep breath. "Chances are the gang that’s dealing drugs in Sleepyside High is related to the one Sally hanged around with. Sleepyside’s a small town. It can’t be just another case." There was a sardonic flash in her eyes as she stared back at Dan. "You thought about it too, didn’t you? That’s why you offered to go with me, isn’t it?"

Dan almost kicked himself for NOT having thought about it. It hadn’t even crossed his mind. But he also knew Joeanne would find that thought more reassuring than that Dan actually had some other interests regarding her. So he decided it was best to find a compromise. "It did cross my mind, and I admit I would like to talk to your sister, but that’s not the reason why I offered to go with you. All that I said was true."

"That’s ok, Dan. I don’t really mind. I’ll pick you up at your place, is that ok? About 2 PM?" She tried to sound careless about it, but there was a light tremor in her voice.

"Why don’t you make that noon and we’ll have lunch on the way over?" Dan knew he was stretching a bit too far, but there was nothing to lose.

She gazed at him, with a frown and a pensive, suspicious look in her eyes. It wasn’t easy for her to deal with this kind of situation. Finally, she agreed. "Ok, noon then." Then she climbed down the remaining steps. "I better find my brothers now."

"Joeanne!"

She turned around to face him again.

"You never asked me for my address. You know where I live?" Dan asked, his arms folded across his chest.

A smile lighted her pretty face and even in the dark, he could see her eyes shining. "You’d be surprised with how much I already know," she said, as she disappeared into the dark.

The silhouettes of the growing buildings stood before them, under the moonlight. To Bobby, though, there was another silhouette in the distance, but this one was like a ghost, a mere memory. He remembered the Frayne mansion all too well. He had cried himself to sleep the night it had burned down. And though he had been almost just a baby then, he remembered well the horror of the incinerated ruins. But soon another house, just like the first one, would be built on the site and turn all of his memories of it into happy ones.

The young bunch had climbed up the hill where the Frayne mansion had once stood and where Jim was already building his school for orphans. It was a beautiful spot, with all the stars hanging in the sky like little party lanterns, and the lights of Sleepyside shining in the distance. Bobby wished he was there alone with Annie, but instead the two sets of Lynch twins and the Darnell boys were with them.

They sat on the moist grass, just outside the line of trees that encircled the clearing. Bobby felt Annie shiver next to him.

"Are you ok?" He whispered. The others were deep in conversation, so they never noticed Annie’s distraction.

The girl’s eyes surveyed the spot, and Bobby noticed how she tried to peer into the dark. "I don’t know…" she said, slowly. "It feels strange…I really can’t explain. As if there’s someone else here…"

"Yeah, that’s all we need. As if the place wasn’t crowded enough." Bobby mumbled.

Annie gazed at him and blushed at the comment. Bobby blushed too as he realized the full extent of what he had said.

Suddenly, Terry Lynch got up. He was a year younger than Bobby, just as Larry, his twin brother, but he was almost as tall. The boy took a few steps away from the group and then turned to them again. "What’s that?" he asked, as he pointed at some spot near the construction site.

Bobby joined him, forcing his eyes to adjust to the dark and stared to the spot Terry was motioning to. There was a flickering light just outside the school building. A light that seemed to be travelling from side to side. Bobby couldn’t figure out why, but there was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. This reminded him of something that had happened a long time before. But what?

"Bobby, that’s a cigarette." Annie said as she walked up to him.

Bobby startled at the sound of her voice. "A cigarette? But who…" As a chill ran down his spine, Bobby remembered. His voice was hoarse as he turned to Terry and said, "Go down to the Farm and tell Jim to come up here. Tell him to bring one of my brothers or Dan, but don’t let the girls hear." Terry must have understood something very serious was going on because he simply nodded his agreement and ran downhill.

"What’s going on?" Annie asked as she held on to her friend’s arm.

"I hope this is not what I’m thinking…" Bobby whispered, hardly listening to her.

"Bobby…" the girl was getting scared. She had never seen the boy so pale before. "Do… Do you think we should get up there?"

Bobby turned to her suddenly, as if he hadn’t even noticed her presence before. "No!" he said, abruptly. "That’s the last thing we should do… At least not until we have some kind of backup. And you… I think you should take the others back to the farm."
"I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the heck is going on!" Annie’s famous temper was about to explode.

Bobby took a deep breath, as he looked around, nervously. "Jim’s stepfather… Remember I told you he was out of jail? Well, it could be him."

"And you don’t think we can handle him?" Annie was feeling the adrenaline rush into her veins, but the mood soon died out after she looked deep into Bobby’s eyes. He was scared. Really scared. The boy held her by the arms and dragged her closer to the other kids that were finally realizing something was up.

"Please, Annie, take them down to the Farm. Please, I’m asking you." There was something in Bobby’s voice that told the girl this was no time for an argument about women’s rights. So she sighed and joined the others. A few moments later they had disappeared into the woods.

Knowing it probably was one of the craziest things he had ever done, and that he was going against his own better judgement, the boy walked slowly towards the building. Jim was taking his time, and he had to make sure his heart was telling him the right thing. After all, it could be a bum or even one of the construction worker coming back to collect something he had left behind. While his mind worked at full speed trying to find other explanations, his heart kept saying the same thing: Jonesy’s in there!

But he didn’t stop. Carefully, he approached the window and knelt on the dusty ground. Definitely there was someone inside, smoking. But it was to dark to really see who the person might be. It was a man, that he was sure of. What he was doing inside he couldn’t tell, but he was definitely up to something.

When Bobby was about to get up and leave, wondering what was keeping Jim and the others, the man suddenly turned to the window through which Bobby was peeking as if he had noticed something. The boy froze, expecting the stranger to see him. But apparently the man dismissed the feeling and walked towards the door. And as he did so a cloud that had been covering most of the moonlight flew away and the moon lit the entrance of the building. There was just enough light for Bobby to see his heart had been telling him the truth all along. He would recognize that face anywhere, despite the years that had gone by, and the fact that he had only seen the man recently through newspaper clippings. But he was sure. And he was also sure there was only one thing to do: get the hell out of there. Fast!

The boy rushed to his feet, ignoring his aching knees and ran back into the woods, hoping the man wouldn’t see him. He had just crossed the first line of trees when he bumped into someone, his heart nearly stopping in the process.

"Bobby, easy, what’s going on?" Jim said, as he grabbed the boy’s arm to steady him.

Bobby was finding it hard to catch his breath. "Jim… You…scared me…In the school… Jonesy…"

Jim’s face turned suddenly pale, his freckles visible even by moonlight. "What?"

Brian appeared from behind his friend. "You’re trying to say Jonesy is up at the school?"

Bobby only nodded, his breath still ragged. Brian’s face was pale too, but he still seemed more collected than his friend. Jim seemed to be frozen in place.

"We should go up there," Brian said, slowly. His eyes were fixed on Jim, waiting for a reaction. The young man’s voice as he answered made his blood freeze.

"Yes… We should." Jim was pale as paper, his red hair standing out in the moonlight as a beacon. But Brian knew him well enough to realize the strange calmness in his voice was a sign of deep distress. Jim hated to show fear or sadness, so he hid it behind the same calm and hardened expression he was now showing.

"I’m coming too." Bobby said, running his fingers nervously through his blond curls.

"The only place you’re going is home. We snuck out of the house, but I noticed Trixie was watching us. So you better make up something to keep her away."

"Keep me away from what?" Trixie came out of the shadows, followed closely by Mart.

"Oh, for Pete’s sake! I should have known better…" Brian mumbled.

"Jim?" Trixie whispered softly, seeing the strange look on his face. "What’s wrong?"

As no answer came, even when she held his hand, she turned to her older brother. "Bri?"

"Jonesy’s up in the school. Bobby saw him."

Bobby nodded when his sister gave him an inquisitive look. Mart took a deep breath and his eyes locked with Trixie’s. They didn’t have to say a word to know what the other was thinking.

Then Jim started to move away from the cover of the woods, his even step taking him towards the construction site. The others, caught off guard, couldn’t do anything but follow him, exchanging glances in silence.

To Jim, the few yards that separated him from the building seemed endless. His feet were as heavy as lead, and his heart was pumping like mad. But finally he got there. Carefully, silently, he peered through the same window where Bobby had been a short while before. But there was no one inside. At least, no one he could see.

"There’s no one here…" he said, the strain in his voice still audible to all.

"But I saw him!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Take it easy, kid." Mart intervened. "We better check inside, anyway. Maybe we’ll find something…A clue or…" He interrupted himself. He was thinking like Trixie, now! Looking back, he saw his sister grinning at him, despite the pressure of the moment.

Again silent, the group moved towards the door. Before they entered, Trixie reached out for Jim’s hand and held it firmly in her own. He stared at her, his eyes greener than ever, and for a moment Trixie saw the same expression that he had in his eyes nearly ten years before: Fear, pain… and hate.

The ground floor of the building was empty and the first floor still had no walls, so there was no place for anyone to hide. But it didn’t take long for Trixie to find footprints on the dusty wooden floor and cigarette butts scattered all over the place.

"It seems that…" Mart gulped and decided against speaking the name. "That the person was here for quite some time."

Jim shook his head. "No…He smoked compulsively. Most times he wouldn’t even finish the cigarette before lighting another one. Specially when he was nervous or mad…" The red haired young man crouched and picked up one of the butts. As he had said it was only half smoked. "Same brand…" he whispered.

"Jim…" Bobby’s voice trembled as he called out for his friend. Jim rushed to where the boy was standing. Mart pointed his flashlight at the wall and the words freshly painted on it became visible to all: I’m back. J.

*****

"Jim…" Trixie walked slowly to her boyfriend. He was sitting on the porch railing, his eyes staring deep into the dark. Inside the house at Crabbaple Farm, everyone was helping with the cleaning up. But, of course, Trixie, Mart, Brian, Bobby and Jim’s minds weren’t really into it. Finally, Jim had given up pretending and had walked outside, with the excuse of taking out the trash. But he was taking a long time, so Trixie went out to look for him. She found him there on the porch.

Sitting beside him, Trixie held on to his hand and waited. She knew better than forcing him to speak.

After a few moments, he sighed and put an arm around her shoulders. She snuggled against him, closing her eyes. The feeling of his touch still thrilled her through and through.

"I’m scared," he said.

She looked up at him, into those beautiful green eyes. "I know. I am too."

"I hated the way it made me feel, Trix." Jim pulled her even closer to him, closing his arms around her. "When Bobby said he had seen him…I knew in my heart I would be able to kill him with my bare hands if he touched any of you. I never felt so much rage and so much fear at the same time…And I hated it!"

"Oh, honey." Trixie held on to him, wanting to erase those feelings from his heart, but feeling them herself.

"He’s out there, he’s on the loose…And he wants revenge. He made it clear." Jim’s voice sounded almost desperate.

Trixie reached out to hold his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. "We’re on guard now, Jim. He won’t dare try to hurt anyone."

"I think he will…I mean, I hope he won’t. But we’ve seen what he’s capable of." Jim jumped off the railing and paced throughout the yard. Then he turned to Trixie, his fists clenched. "But that’s not what worrying me right now. Trix, I want to get even too! I want him to suffer for all he has put me through…And Julianna. And all of us! And I don’t like the way it feels. It’s as if…I’m just as bad as he is!"

Trixie’s heart seemed to miss a beat and she jumped off the railing, rushing to him. She held his hands close to her heart, her eyes searching desperately for his. "Baby, no! Jimmy, you’ll never be like him! You’re the best person in the world…You’re just scared and confused. I know I am! He will suffer…If he does anything we’ll put him behind bars again! Everything will turn out fine. He won’t do anything. He’s just a coward!"

Jim’s eyes brimmed with tears and he pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes as he felt the softness of her hair. "I love you so much, Trix. I’m just afraid I won’t be as strong, as perfect as you’d like me to be."

She held on to him, her arms encircling his waist and her cheek pressed against his heart. "I don’t think I’d love you if you were perfect. I know you couldn’t love me if you were, faulty as I am…" Then she looked up at him, tears already running down her face. "I never expected you to be more than human."

Jim felt a chill down his spine as he saw the look in her eyes. He couldn’t say a word. So he just bent down and kissed her. Passionately.

*****

What a beautiful scene! he thought. Hiding in the bushes he heard the whole conversation, his blood boiling. So, I’m a coward, hum? We shall see about that.

If Jim and Trixie could have seen the grin on Jonesy’s face, they wouldn’t have slept without nightmares that night.

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