rated * for adult references, expletives, and violence

 

The Secrets of the Stalking Witch

by Christine

 

Chapter One

“So, what exactly does the historical society want with Ten Acres?” Trixie asked Jim as they all sat around the clubhouse's large table.

“They approached me just this morning to ask me if I could consider selling the ruins. They weren’t after all ten acres, just the lot that the house sat on if I wasn’t willing to part with the rest of the acreage. They want to restore the mansion to its former glory apparently; it is one of the oldest houses in this county.”

“Have you spoken to Daddy about this?” Honey asked.

“Not yet, because he isn’t back from his trip yet,” Jim answered. “I know this is my decision now that I took official control of my own holdings since my birthday was last week, and everything and Uncle James will said I could control my own affairs at twenty-one, but I want advise that is the link to my own family history. I don’t have much to link me to anything around here, but that old house and I don’t know, I guess I sort of thought that I might want to restore it myself one day

"I know, I could sell the property, and keep enough land to build a brand new house on and everything, especially since we discovered that dad already bought up that log cabin kit that is sitting at the Lincoln homes company waiting on me to tell them where to place it and everything? I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, if the historical society is rebuilding it then they will likely make a museum out of it or something?” Trixie said. “That would mean that your precious family history would be preserved for everyone around to enjoy, and you wouldn’t have had to spend your entire inheritance on its rebuild.”

“Well, it didn’t burn completely to the ground a good portion of it is brick and it is very sound even to this day the worst burn out is in the front of the building.” Brian pointed out, “The old roof burnt off of it and that old roof needed completely stripped off there, and replaced anyway. Jim and I went up there to see the place after he finished talking to those guys and had a real look around. The windows on the second and third levels are all broken out and most of the third story is much damaged with char and now rot! But the second and first floors aren’t so bad that they couldn’t be restored.

“In there once you move out all of those boxes of old bottle caps and news papers and old rotting clothing and junk like that so you can actually see the wood working and the old hardwood floors, good lord they rival what is in Crabapple farm. What I want to propose to the Bob-Whites of glen, is a new project for us all to work on as a group, together in the interest of recycling and restoring that mansion for Jim, and for all that he has come to mean to us all over the past three years since we have met him. Trixie you were just complaining just the other day how no one ever wants to recycle properly now is our chance to make a video of our endeavors and sell it to Mr. Wheeler's Home shows on the satellite when we are finished.”

“Oh!” Trixie’s eyes lit up.

“Wait, this is a much bigger project then when we started restoring the old gatehouse for our clubhouse,” Honey said. “Remember how strapped for money that we were trying to earn all that money ourselves so we didn’t have to ask for anything out of our parents? A few hundred dollars in supplies is nothing like a few hundred thousand that it might likely end up being? We’ll need heavy moving equipment and stuff just to lift the new beams and roof trusses and stuff Can we handle all that?”

“True, but--" Diana interrupted. “Wait, Honey, just a minute.  Brian, I like your idea about making it a video for the home shows. Honey, how much does your father pay for an average episode?”

“Um, a lot.” Honey shrugged her shoulders.

“And this is a cool summer project! And when we are finished we could let the historical society use the home as a home for their tours and stuff but Jim could still own it.” Dan smiled. “I like carpentry work I took advanced building trades in high school. Hey, Tom is nearly out of college now he was studying to be an architect.”

“No kidding?” Trixie looked shocked.

“No I am not. He was trying to convince me to make that my major instead of law.” Dan grinned.

“Okay! Guys, we are assuming that Matthew would want to buy what we present.” Mart held up his hand for silence. “Whatever happened to be officially recognized by this club's president before taking the floor to speak?”

Trixie threw a pencil at her eleven-months older brother for that comment. “I don’t remember you asking to be allowed the floor either, doofus.”

“We don’t have to stand on rules at every meeting!” Jim smiled.

“Mr. Wheeler will so want to buy our video because I am a better film maker then that,” Trixie sneered at her brother.

“Yeah, right. Uncle Andrew didn’t know what he was doing when he handed her that video camera.”

“Oh, I would say that he did?” Jim winked at Trixie as he commented.

“Yeah, it is true our little sibling there is quite the photographer--she has even began to leave us wondering if she might just change her major from being a shamus to being a reporter instead?” Brian laughed.

“No more like an editor, she is good at it,” Honey giggled.

“Say enough with all this talk, can we go up there and have a look around the house?” Trixie asked.

On many occasions she had to physically restrain herself from crossing the do not cross yellow tape that surrounded the building for so many years. Condemned by the fire marshal until future inspections was on the front entryway door.  Mr. Wheeler had hired a crew to blanket the top of the buildings ruins with a huge rubber type tent style tarp that for the most part held out the rain and snow.  He knew that house wasn’t a complete and total loss and so far when the historical society had approached him about its sale, he refused to sell it, based on that is not mine, Jim might want to restore it himself one day, no wait until it is his officially before you approach him, as young kids they thought the house wasn’t worth anything at all but as an adult Matthew knew better.

“Yeah, sure, but it isn’t safe by any means, so you will have to pay attention to your surroundings and listen to me about where you step?”

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Trixie asked him “There are other people here too why was that directed at me?”

“Because you’re the clumsy one.” Mart laughed. “No one else is accident prone like you are. Why is it, you only seemed to get those nervous jitters, when in some certain person’s presence?” He asked.

“Shut up.” Trixie smacked her brother on his back for that remark.

“Stop it, Mart,” Brian said loudly, “You don’t want to make me start in on just how tongue tied you get in a certain females presence either do you? Listen to Mister 'oh I am going to hurl, she’s going to speak to me'!”

“Oh!” Trixie giggled loudly.

“Oh man, sometimes I thank God that I didn’t have brothers and sisters,” Jim whispered to the sky.

“Jim! I am your sister!” Honey gasped.

“You know what I mean.” Jim frowned over at the Beldens.

“Yeah, I do! Aren’t you glad that I don’t feel the urge to pick on you constantly?” Honey hugged her adopted brother as she looked up at him with a grin.

Trixie stopped feeling irritated at her brother’s rude comment that was spoken while Jim was commenting to turn her attention to both him and Honey. Her stomach churned with a feeling that she knew she didn’t like. What was Honey hanging on her brother’s arm like that for? It looked odd.

As the rest of the Bob-Whites headed for the old ruins, she didn’t walk as quickly. Did Jim not like her at all anymore? Was Mart’s  teasing her ruining her chances with Jim? Was Honey interested in her own adopted brother now? She didn’t like this new mystery.

“Hey Trixie, what is keeping you?” Jim turned around to look for her when they started up that rocky pathway that went upward steeply, where she once nearly had a very bad accident with a horse, the heavy rains had eroded this area a lot in the past year, and since they didn’t dare exercise the horses on that pathway anymore the path had grown over in wild wisteria and wild grape vines.

She looked up at him, and then back down at the road where she squinted to see that man that was standing by the mailbox for the old ruins, as he looked up at them her eyes locked with that old man. Some where in the darkest recesses of her memory, she remembered seeing that exact man before, it shocked her to see what she was seeing so she stopped in her tracks and shielded the sun from her eyes.

Jim stopped waiting to help her up that rocky point to walk back to where she was frozen he walked back to where she was standing.

“What are you staring at?” he asked.

“Oh man, who is that guy?” she gasped as that man that she was staring at climbed back on his white horse and quickly trotted off into the misty fog that was settling down in the hollow like it did often enough. He disappeared a second later.

“What?” Jim asked.

“I could have sworn!” Trixie turned her eyes to look up at him.

“Well he was at your mailbox down there.” She pointed at it. “I saw him check the mailbox for something?”

“What?” Jim frowned. “That box isn’t in use? Maybe it is just a new mail carrier that is running his route on the back of his horse with gasoline at two dollars a gallon and everything I would use a horse out here. After all with as much land as dad has bought up it is still pretty rural out here. And there is ways of staying off Glen road.”

“No, he looked like...”

“Like who?” Jim asked.

“Your uncle James,” she answered. “He looked straight at me I mean, we aren’t that far from the mailbox right now and he looked straight at me. I seen him thousands of times checking his mailbox when I was a kid. I know I was on the other side of the road, but, Jim, he still turned to look at me.”

“He is dead. I saw that guy. Trixie, he wasn’t a ghost or something?”

“I know!” She looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face. “Are you sure that you don’t have another uncle? Like maybe one that was away overseas for a long time or maybe in the military and just retired or--?

“I wish I knew, Trixie.” Jim answered. “Did that man actually look in the mailbox?”

“I am not sure. I just know that he was looking at its side.”

“Okay, the house can wait.  Let's go find out who the guy is.” Jim grabbed her hand and then said to the others, “We’re going to find that man on the horse, guys.”

“What man on a horse?” Honey shouted back.

“We will tell you when we get back.  It shouldn’t take but a minute.”

 

Chapter Two

He and Trixie both ran for a car and Jim quickly turned it around and headed for the driveway.

“Are you sure, he looked like Uncle James?”

“Yeah! He was distinctive, Jim. I know what your Uncle James looked like and he was a dead ringer.”

“Okay, maybe someone is trying to find him--like an old relative?”

Jim was getting his hopes up she could tell. Maybe that wasn’t a good idea.  What if it was just an old bum? Or maybe even worse-- maybe he was a gold digger back to lay claim on his inheritance?

“Jim, don’t get your hopes up. Remember Diana’s imposter uncle that turned out to just be a con man?”

“Yes, I remember that.” Jim looked out that window trying to catch another glimpse of that man. But after twenty minutes of searching every possible route they turned and drove back to Ten Acres using that old cracked concrete slab of a drive that was over grown with weeds in every crack.

“What was with the man on a horse search?” Mart asked.

“I could have sworn that man was Jim's Uncle James,” Trixie said.

“We buried him,” Honey gasped.

“I know that, but he could have had a brother, couldn’t he?”

“Dad said that he was sure that he didn’t,” Brian pointed out.

“Maybe it is because he never met him.  That doesn’t mean that it isn’t so,” Trixie argued. “You know, maybe it wasn’t a full blooded brother, maybe it was an illegitimate one or maybe a half brother or...”

“Okay, she has a good point,” Dan interrupted, “Was he really examining that mailbox? Maybe he was looking for someone?”

“I thought that, but he didn’t keep searching everyone else’s mail box,” Trixie pointed out. “That is why we went to look for him right away!”

“Well, we will deal with that later,” Honey said with a shiver. “It is going to rain soon and the hollow is filling up with that scary fog again too. I don’t want to be up here when it gets really dark. If the Headless Horseman finds his way out of the hollow one day, I don’t want to be outside when he does.”

“Oh!” Trixie giggled loudly. “Who started with the scary haunted house stories this time?”

“That would be Mart,” Diana laughed.

“It figures.” Jim rolled his eyes.

“Well, I want to go inside and look around.  Is it okay?” Trixie asked.

“Well, if we are going to officially rebuild this thing, then I’ll have to go get a permit to start renovations, but I don’t think anyone has the right to keep me out of my own property. I mean if I chose to tear it to the ground or set it back on fire and burn it out or whatever that would still be my choice.”

“You're right.” She smiled. “Do I have your permission to enter?”

Jim grinned from ear to ear. “Stay close and watch your step and let me check before you just burst through the place, promise me?”

“Whatever.” Trixie’s stomach churned. Was she still three years old or what? The last she looked, her birth certificate checked against the year in which they were living and a quick addition of years compiled on top of each other indicated that she had just turned nineteen years old. She didn’t get all that excited about this trip through this old run down mansion filled with so much trash that it was a miracle just how much was still salvageable. At first glance no one thought there would be anything worth saving, but now? Well, she still couldn’t see anything worth saving. But according to Dan, most of the furniture was hardwood and, although it was dirty and in need of refinishing, it was still very usable and he could show them how to restore that old furniture into valuable antiques.

That pile of newspapers that she's seen on fire was now a charred mess.  The once beautiful winding staircase that wound down so attractively into the entryway was still there but in major need of repairs as some of those boards were actually burnt through, including a large area of that banister that once looked so amazing in this house's glory days.

“Gee, there was where the fire started.” She pointed.

“Right up and into the roof.” Jim shook his head as he aimed the flashlight.

“I was talking to Tom about this salvage yard in Albany that has an endless supply of old salvaged supplies for old homes.  That means that the lumber and stuff wouldn’t have to be purchased brand new.

“I was thinking about speaking to the Lincoln log company about maybe returning my order that is on hold and getting the money back?”

“How much money would that be?” Brian wondered.

“I am not sure. I wasn’t even aware that Dad was planning to up grade our house to a brand new one,” Jim said. “Finding out that I have an inheritance from my father personally blew me away! That was just another thing that Jonesy was stealing from my mother. I know that he knew. He had to know; he was Dad’s accountant before he died.”

“Well, at least your dad’s lawyer finally found you through your own lawyer set up by your Uncle James.” Honey smiled.

Trixie stopped looking around at what seemed like a hopeless endeavor and walked back outside and just stood there by Jim’s car.

That empty sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach made tears seem to want to surface. Why am I here? Why do I keep putting myself through this? Oh, I haven’t eaten a thing in three days, and I am starving. She’s always such a skinny little thing. Man, she sure worked hard convincing her mom and dad to adopt him.  What were you thinking? They did adopt him, you don’t have a chance she is ten times prettier and I am so blah.  She groaned. Why do I have to be so short and stubby? My stupid hair is never right even with the curl relaxer on it.

Quickly, she wiped the tear that fell onto her cheek and turned away from the others as they all came thumping out of the entry of the house where Jim leaned a ladder up to the front door since the front porch had burnt nearly completely away.

“Hey, there you are.” Jim was the first one down that ladder. “Is something wrong?”

“No!”

“So, what do you think?” Jim asked. “Should I get that money back and forget the log cabin?”

“Well, I couldn’t make a decision like that for you! Maybe we should talk to my dad, he knows about real estate and things like that.”

“That is a good idea!” Jim smiled. “Look, don’t worry about that man on the horse I am sure it is harmless.”

“I know that!”

“What is wrong?” Jim stepped closer to her and looked down at her face as he tipped her chin upward to make that eye contact that she wasn’t giving him willingly.

“It’s nothing.”

“Well, it’s just about dinner time; let’s go get something to eat from Moms,” Mart said loudly.

“Yeah, Moms is making homemade pizza tonight, plus cinnamon rolls. She ended up in a baking mood. The entire house smelled like bread all day long. I’ll bet there will be plenty,” Brian invited the others.

“We will go see if there is, if not we will just run into town for food,” Honey told Jim personally.

“Okay! Get in. I’ll give everyone a ride over there,” he said cheerfully.

Trixie stood there watching as everyone piled into Jim’s car for that short distance to her parents' home.

“Come on, there is still room on my lap,” Dan offered.

“That won't do my claustrophobia any good. I’ll walk.”

“What wait?” Jim got out of the driver's seat. “There is room in the front--only Honey is up here.”

“No, I’ll walk.” She took off walking.

“What is wrong with her?” Honey asked.

“I don’t know--someone else drive over there.” Jim started walking behind Trixie. “Hey wait, what is the matter?”

“I forgot and left the computer on in the clubhouse,” she answered as she kept walking swiftly. “Go get your ride!”

“No, not until you tell me what is wrong.” Jim grabbed her arm.

“I don’t want to ride, what's wrong with that?” she asked loudly.

 “Well, it's dangerous walking that pathway. I only just did get the weed machine out to reopen it. There could be a snake out there like when my aunt was bitten.”

“Do I look like a three year old to you? I know the snake danger? There aren’t that many out right now, due to the fact that it isn’t warm enough yet.”

“It was pretty warm this afternoon, Trix.”

“I am not a baby, so stop treating me like one,” she shouted nearly to the top of her lungs.

Jim started to get angry but the expression of anger on Trixie’s face changed to that of shocked terror practically. She shrieked to the top of her lungs and turned and started running down that pathway as fast as she could.

“What?” Jim looked back in time to see the image of a man that seemed to fade from sight. “Oh no!” Jim shouted as he too took off running after Trixie. “Trixie!”

 

Chapter Three

“What are they doing over there, fighting?” Mart wondered.

“Well.” Honey got out of the car now stopped in front of Crabapple Farm to look up towards Ten Acres. “He was treating her like a child up there with all of those rules about entering that house. I can’t tell you how many old dilapidated houses that she and I have been through over the years and she taught me how to navigate the dangerous stuff.”

Suddenly, they heard Trixie’s scream and it made Honey scream, too.  She jumped.  Lightening chose that exact moment to strike across the night sky and thunder echoed only a second after Trixie’s scream.

“Oh man, did lightening strike one of them?” Brian gasped as he took off running for the old burnt out mansion as fast as he could.

“Trixie…!” Dan shouted. “Where are you?”

She was still running around that lake as fast as she could, tripping over an old water-logged stump and falling into the mud and landing hard.

“Oh Trixie!” Jim said. He saw her miss her stride when she tried to jump over that tree and fall down. He kept running to catch up to her.

“Ow,” she groaned.

“Oh man.” Jim kneeled down at her side. “Are you okay?”

“No! I don’t like lightening!” she cried.

“Oh, just calm down…” Jim lifted her up and sat her down on the stump. “Do you think you can move? Is everything working?”

“Yeah…! Oh!” She screamed when that lightening seemed to strike a tree right behind Jim and the huge oak tree dropped right into the water.

“Okay, that is too close for comfort.   Let's get out of here,” Jim said with a scared sound to his voice.

Trixie stood up and fell back down. “Oh!”

“Is it your ankle?” Jim bent down to feel her foot.

“Ow, don’t touch.”

“Okay fine.” Jim picked her back up. “Damn it, we can’t go back--that tree is huge.”

“Jim! Trixie!” Dan was shouting. “Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, meet us at the clubhouse; I have to carry her the long way around now,” Jim said loudly.

“Carry?”

“She fell, and twisted her ankle! It’s probably broken.”

“I am fine.” Trixie tried to wiggle out of his arms.

“Stay still, it could be broken,” he said firmly.

“No, it isn’t. I am fine,” she answered.

“Stop it before we both fall in the lake,” Jim ordered. “I have to maneuver these rocks, so cut it out.”

Thunder was sounding unbelievably close. Trixie finally stopped struggling to bury her face into his chest and then tears came.

Jim wasn’t so angry any more, he was more concerned for her welfare than anything. He neared the drive that wound up toward the clubhouse. Dan and Brian were there waiting with the car.

“Is she okay?” asked Brian.

“No, she might have broken her leg.” Jim sat her on the hood of his car.

“Okay, this storm is about to pour buckets in seconds--let’s get her to the clubhouse. Moms would freak out at all that mud going into our house like that.” Brian knew his mother enough to know that you didn’t ever track mud into her house.  She became irate over it every time.

“Just drive us up there.” Jim climbed onto the hood of the car too and Brian drove the car to the clubhouse.  He was pretty muddy himself.

“OW!” Trixie groaned as Brian started examining her foot.

“Damn! Mart, get me a pair of sharp scissors.”

“What, that is my shoe,” she gasped.

“That was your shoe,” Jim said soberly.

“Ow!” It hurt so badly she couldn’t help but cry.  Big tears splashed down her cheeks as she looked down at her foot and then back at her brother’s capable hands as he and Jim both carefully maneuvered her foot out of that shoe.

“Okay, she is going to need an X-ray,” Brian said.

“I am a filthy mess!” Trixie cried.

“Honey, take the car and drive back to the house and get her a change of clothing and a left shoe,” Jim ordered. “Borrow something of Brian’s so I can change too.”

“Okay!” She and Diana took off instantly just as the rain started outside pouring in a downpour that made it nearly impossible to even see the road.

“Oh, those pines are really swaying.” Honey got scared and backed back up to the manor instead of driving through the scary-looking pine trees down at the end of the road those things always scared her during storms.  She would just get Jim his own clothes and Trixie could wear something of hers.

“What did she go running like that for?” Diana wondered.

“Who knows?” Honey sighed

“Honey, is there something between you and Jim?” Diana asked point blank.

“What, of course not…” Honey gasped. “Why do you ask that?”

“Well, because I was kind of wondering. I mean I have two brothers and I would personally gag before I walked arm and arm with either of them.”

“Oh, that isn’t anything!” she gasped. “He had just commented about brothers and sisters and I reminded him that I was his sister. Diana, didn’t you hear that?”

“Not really! I wonder if Trixie heard that.”

“What?” Honey’s jaw dropped.

“Look, I know that you have the legal right to find happiness with any guy that you choose to like, but the bond of sisterhood does limit you to certain rules that apply here. And that means that you can’t go after my guy unless I give you official permission, like I did when Mart and I were officially finished, and you were more interested in him then you were Brian, and we both decided to trade because we each had more in common with the other one then we did with our first choices.  I can’t go after yours without your permission, get the picture?

"Now, our best friend might not admit it to us, but you and I both know that she is in love with your brother, and that isn’t a fleeting infatuation either, she won't be okay if you go there. I, for one, will never speak to you again as long as I live if you do that to her!”

“What is going on, ladies?” Matt Wheeler suddenly appeared right in front of the both of them. He just came out of his den to over hear Diana’s lecture on the rules of sisterhood.

“Dad, where have you been?” Honey gasped.

“I went to go get my father; he just finished with his safari in Africa.”

“Grandpa is home?” Honey gasped.

“Yeah!”

“Oh man, I haven’t seen him in five years," Honey explained to Diana. “He has been searching for lost cities and stuff like that Grandpa is an archaeologist and an anthropologist both. Did he find his lost city, Daddy?”

“I think he found a lost city anyway.  Whether it was "the" as in the big one, the ultimate one, I wouldn’t know.  You will have to ask him.  What were the two of you arguing about?”

“Oh, it’s just our girl’s code of best friendhood and not a big deal. I was just reminding her of her limits.” Diana smiled. “Come on, they need those clothes. Brian said her foot needed X-rayed. And she was bleeding pretty badly, so we shouldn’t take our time,” Diana warned.

“Whose foot needs to be X-rayed?”

“Trixie’s.  She fell down pretty badly outside and Jim thinks that it might be broken,” Honey said soberly as she grabbed a baggy blue sundress out of her closet and a pair of clean underpants, but she tossed her small bra back onto the drawer “Why bother, they would never fit in that,” she commented as she looked at Diana.

“In my yard…?” Matt looked shocked.

“Well, somewhere out there by the lake,” Honey sighed.

“Oh damn, I'd better go with you,” Matt groaned, instantly thinking about lawsuits and homeowners insurance claims.

 

“I am nowhere near your foot, Trixie,” Brian said, as he made eye contact with Jim.“Okay, I have a tourniquet on it, and it’s bandaged.”

“Ow!” Trixie was trembling badly as Jim stood back up to look at her. Shock was going to be a factor they needed to hurry.

“We went to the manor,” Honey said as she and her father entered the clubhouse just as the storm seemed to let up, I was scared to run to the farm past those trees. One blew over across the road too.” Honey said soberly.

“What happened?” Matthew asked.

“Hi Dad,” Jim answered, as he grabbed his own clothing and pulled off his muddy clothes and changed right in front of them. He and Brian had cut her muddy things off and covered her in a beach towel cleaning her off the best they could as they hurried he just tossed that dress over her head as he spoke.

“We were up by the old mansion just before the storm broke, and well I think that she saw something up there that scared her? I mean when I turned to see what she screamed over, I thought that I saw something forming in the fog myself.”

“Okay, we will discuss that later what happened where did you fall? Don’t cry Trixie, it's going to be okay,” Matt said nicely. He looked down at her foot. “Oh, brother, that is definitely broken.”

“Mart, did you go find Moms and Dad?” Brian asked loudly as Mart came thudding back up through those mud puddles.

“They are turning off the ovens.  Dad wants you to call.   Is it broken?”

Brian nodded yes.

Mart pushed redial on the cell phone.

“Just meet us at the hospital; we have to figure out how to get a car past that fallen tree out in the driveway,” Mart said into the phone.

“I’ll bring my car over,” Peter answered.

“Okay!” Mart answered

“Is she cleaned up now?” Jim called into the clubhouse.

“It is better,” Diana answered. “I think she is going into shock or something because she is really crying in there what is wrong with her? What did she see, Jim?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I thought I saw something disappearing into the fog but I can’t imagine what made her turn and run like that”

“What happened?” Peter came up to the front of the clubhouse to ask the guys.

“They are almost finished; they are cleaning her up she fell into the muddy side of the lake,” Matthew said.

“Is she okay?” Peter asked.

“No, it’s a compound fracture,” Jim answered.  “Her bone is through the skin.”

“Oh man!” Pete groaned.

“How is your health insurance?” Matt asked. “I mean, technically, it was on my property”

“No, it was on mine,” Jim argued. “I am insured, so I’ll file a claim.”

“That isn’t necessary, don’t raise your premiums.  My insurance is adequate,” Peter answered gruffly. “I don’t need handouts; I take care of my own. ” He opened the door and went into the main room.

“Are you okay?”

“Daddy!” Trixie cried.

“Oh man! Come on, they can clean the rest of you up there.” Peter picked her up and started to carry her personally.

“Guys, call your Uncle Andrew, her blood type is rare. And personally I don’t want her getting blood off the streets. Get him out here.’        

“What? Why can’t mom donate?” Brian asked.

“Just do what I said,” Peter said.

Jim tossed a blanket over her. “What is her type, sir?”

“B-negative, we have been through this at her birth, so I am positive.”

“Okay, that is my type too,” Jim followed quickly. “I could donate, I am safe.”

“Baby…!” Jim jumped into the other side of the back of Pete’s car.

“I am sorry; I didn’t mean to yell at you.” He crawled close and put his arm around her and held her tightly.

“Hurry…” Brian told his dad, as he hit the hood of his car to motion him on.  Trixie was in the car with a trash bag under her foot so it would spare the seat and leaning against Jim's lap.

“Oh, Trixie, what did you do?” Helen turned around to look at her foot.

“Oh, Moms, he is back!” she cried.

“What, who is back..?” Helen looked at Jim for answers.

“What, baby?” Jim asked.

“We shouldn’t have waited to clean her up,” Peter said loudly.

“Brian bandaged her leg to stop the bleeding,” Jim answered.

“I am aware of that.”

“She will be okay. I’ll donate since I have B-negative.  But why can’t you donate? Why call your brother?”

“I don’t have B-negative,” Peter said soberly.

“Helen, are you afraid to donate?”

“No, I don’t have that type either,” Helen answered.

“What? Isn’t that a genetic impossibility?”

“No!” Peter answered. “It is not! Don’t pull that medical school text book crap with me. My brother has B- negative blood.  It is in the family genetic pools--leave it at that.”

“But…!”

“I said leave it at that,” Peter said loudly. “I don’t want to know different, so don’t make it an issue.”

“Yes sir.” Jim didn’t argue more they were at the hospital and the attendants were there to help her out of the back of the car and put her onto a gurney and strap her in safely before moving her inside.

Helen was inside dealing with her medical history and insurance forms while they wheeled her into the emergency room.

“Oh!”

“We’re going to give you something for the pain, before we take you to X-ray.”

“She has lost a lot of blood, get a type and a cross match on her.” The nurse ordered her assistants. “Which doctor do you prefer--Doctor Langley or Doctor Richards? They are both orthopedic surgeons.”

“Not Langley,” Trixie groaned. “We are neighbors, and we don’t get along. Please, not Langley.”

“Okay, we will see if Richards will come in then.  Hopefully he is in town somewhere tonight.” The nurse sighed deeply.

“Okay, get her out of her clothing,” someone said loudly.

Jim just stood there watching.

“Thank goodness she is in a baggy dress. Can you lean up, sweetheart?”

“OW!” Trixie groaned as they leaned her up and slipped it back over her head.

“We will cover you!” The nurse indicated that she was ready to take off her bra as well.

“Is the pain going away a little?” Jim asked.

“Oh!” Trixie looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, I am going to bulldoze that brush out of there, so help me,” Jim said to Helen.

“Ow!” Trixie groaned a nurse was sticking her with another needle.

“Honey, just calm down.  Patient is in two-stage shock!” she called out loudly “Patient is lethargic, what’s her type? We're going to need blood, someone get on the typing!”

“I’ll go donate,” Jim said. “I am B-negative and so is she.”

“Damn, we never have that in stock, are you sure?”

“Yes!” Helen answered. “It is in her medical records. Call Doctor Ferris’s office to double check if you want, but I am sure. She was transfused seven hours after her birth.”

“Oh okay. Why? Blood typing incompatibility issues?”

“No, identical twins.  She was an identical twin. It was something about the blood siphoning into the placenta through the umbilical or whatever, I don’t remember the term now.”

“What? Trixie opened her eyes, “I was a twin? What happened to my sister?”

“I’ll explain later, sweetheart,” Peter promised.

“Oh!” Trixie burst into tears all over again.

“Okay, her pressure is dropping. We need a general anesthesia.” Doctor Langley showed up to check on her any way he was on call and this was an immediate emergency in the trauma center.

“Where is Doctor Richards?” Peter asked.

“He went to New York City with his wife to enjoy a Broadway show. We can ship her to Albany or White Plains if you want, but she needs emergency surgery because that arterial bleeder is not stopping. I can save your daughter or you can bury her.” Doctor Langley was young barely even out of medical school but he was an orthopedic surgeon and highly capable.

“No, do what you have to!” Peter answered.

“Okay, and when this is over maybe we can discuss cutting down some crabapple trees?”

“Oh, well I am sure, my lawyer will be happy to speak to you about that,” Peter answered.

“Oh come on, those darn things keep clogging my pool filters.”

“Only in the early spring and the extreme fall, the rest of the time, they are fine. Look, I’ll trim back the ones away from over hanging your fence, but that is my final offer.”

“That is better then nothing!” He smiled as he lifted his hand for a shake “I need that blood. Do we have it tested and matched yet?”

“It is on its way. We have two units AIDs and hepatitis free.”

“What, come on, not off the streets”? Peter groaned.

“It is mine and my dad's, we’re safe,” Jim said as he came back in with the nurse that was carrying the blood in.

“You better be because if you're not, and she catches something, I’ll sue,” Peter said firmly.

“Fair enough...” Jim answered.

“Baby…!”

“She is under general anesthesia now,” Doctor Langley said soberly. “We will get the rest of this while she sleeps.”

“Oh okay.” Jim leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I love you, baby,” he whispered in her ear even if she was out of it.

“Who was the medical student that prepped her to get her here?”

“That would be my self and Brian,” Jim answered.

“Oh well, you did a good job, thank God.  You didn’t just rush her to the car with out stopping to prep that. If you would have, she would be dead now.”

“We are aware.” Jim smiled.

“We will see you in a bit,” Doctor Langley said to her parents as they wheeled her past them.

“I could assist if you need help?” Jim offered.

“Sure that is fine, just in case something goes wrong, you can be my witness, I don’t exactly want to be sued.” He laughed hollowly.

“Oh okay.” Jin frowned.

“Follow me; the scrub room is this way.” The doctor smiled

“What were the two of you out there looking for tonight?” he asked Jim as they scrubbed their arms and hands with surgical soap.

“Oh, the man on the horse that was messing with my mailbox, we wanted to find out who he was.”

“I saw him.  He headed into the bridle pathway and into your father's game preserve.”

“Oh, do you know who he is?”

“No I never saw him before,” Doc Langley answered. “So, what are you doing up there at the old burnt out place?”

“We are preparing to restore it over the summer.”

“Oh good, I was wondering if you were going to just burn it the rest of the way, that thing is an eye sore like it is and it is a complete waste just leaving it to rot like that.”

“No, it is an historical site, from what I understand Daniel Boone once slept there and so did George Washington when it was brand new.”

“Oh wow, that is cool.”

“I guess that is just the half of it.  The house was built for my fifth great grandmother who was a princess the next in line to inherit her kingdom in France she was in exile here in the states during the revolution over there because she was to young to take up arms personally. I don’t know a whole lot about that story yet though, but I wish I did?”

“That is cool.” Doctor Langley finished scrubbing his arms and hands and was ready to head into the operating room. “Boy, this girl is a looker. I hope she didn’t have a large dinner. Mike, keep an eye on her,” he told the anesthesiologist.

“Are we ready?” the doctors asked the nurses as he walked in with his hands held up so he wouldn’t get germs on his hands. He turned and waited for the nurse to lift up his surgical mask and place sterilized gloves over his hands.

“Yes, let’s go!”

This surgery would be tedious as Jim soon discovered orthopedic work was very delicate when the surgeon’s scalpel sliced into her skin. Jim cringed hoping against hope that his best friend in the entire world was sleeping deeply enough not to feel it. The doctor wasn’t wrong. The hospital gown had been pulled off her when the nurses started cleaning her skin with the yellow iodine wash around the affected areas.  Jim looked closely over her very attractive  figure about thirty seconds before he regained focus and started helping assist with that delicate procedure.

“Well, she is pinned and closed, let’s just hope she doesn’t get infection.”

“I hope not,” Jim agreed.

Jim sat with her during recovery, watching the monitors personally while Doctor Langley went to tell her parents that she was out of surgery.

“Will she lose her foot?” Helen asked.

“Well, I hope not, that would make me look bad,” the young doctor said good-naturedly. “But, seriously, the risks of infections setting in is the biggest hazard right now. We can only hope that the tetanus shot and the antibiotics do their thing right now. She should have a full recovery with minor scarring."

“Okay! When can we see her?” Peter asked, as he looked back at that doctor with seriously concerned.

“Well, she probably won’t be awake until tomorrow sometimes but she will be out of recovery in about twenty minutes, I suggest that you all go home and get some rest so those boys of yours can be rested enough to go cut those trees back away from my fence sometime tomorrow.” He smiled.

“Okay, we will get the trees out of your way, after we get the trees out of Mr. Wheeler's way first,” Mart said soberly.

“Did you lose a tree in that storm?”

“Yeah, and, from what I saw as we drove past, so did you,” Matthew answered.

“Oh, no way. I haven’t been home yet.  Did it hit my house?”

“No, but your car is under it,” Matt answered.

“Oh, it was outside.” He tossed up his hands and gestured in frustration.

Doctor Langley had bought up Mr. Lytell’s old pasture and built a humungous log cabin on the side closest to the Beldens' property. Mr. Lytell decided that he was to old to ride horses after his old nag died a couple years before and without the horse he didn’t need the three acres of land that it once grazed in. Mr. Langley was his sister’s son, so when he wanted to buy some land reasonable he sold it to him with out even discussing it with his neighbors first.

 

Chapter 4

“Trixie, wake up we’re going to move you to your bed now,” a female’s voice said as she felt her body moving and it woke her up some.

“Oh what happened?” She groaned as her consciousness began to return enough to realize that she was in major pain.

“You fell down after jumping over an old tree that was to big to leap over.”

“Oh! I saw that stalker!” She moaned.

“Stalker, what stalker are you talking about dear?”

“I am talking about the one that won’t go away!” She passed back out.

“A stalker, someone is messing with Trixie?” One nurse said to the other, “That is unbelievable, who would want to hurt that girl?  She is an angel. She used to candy stripe here in the hospital when she was really young and there was no one sweeter then that girl. She volunteers her time now down at the community center in the athletics department now though.”

“What?” Helen asked, overhearing the nurse.

“She said she saw that stalker again, Helen,” the nurse answered.

“Oh man!” Helen groaned.

“What stalker?” Jim gasped. That was the first he had ever heard about a stalker.

“I’ll call Spider.”

“Who…?” Mart gasped.

“We haven’t figured out whom just yet,” Peter answered. “He messes around with her school work and emails her. And then sends threatening letters and generally scares the snot out of her all of the time. I have seen some of the emails. Andrew has even tried to run a trace on his computers id number to see where they are being placed. He uses the public libraries computer system.”

“Oh man,” Jim gasped. “Look, I saw something when I looked back. I am not sure what I saw. I thought it was a ghost at first. but no one messes with Trixie, no way. Guys, we are home for college for this summer, let's snuff this creep out and send him to jail.”

“Agreed,” Brian answered.

“Can we go in now?” Helen asked the nurse that was leaving the room.

“Yeah, but she is sleeping again.”

“That is okay.” Helen smiled.

Everyone stayed in there for a few minutes before turning to leave her to get some rest, Jim told Matthew that he would stay because he was worried about this stalker that Trixie had that had been bothering her.

“That is fine, but I need to speak to both you and Honey about something soon, so try to make it back home before I have to leave tonight.” Matthew Wheeler had news that he really wanted to share with Jim that would shed a whole new light on the people that he actually related to. It was exciting news and he wanted to tell Jim immediately, but it sounded better to do that at home in private.

“Okay!” Jim answered as he looked at his watch to see that it was nearly one o'clock in the morning.

Sitting next to that bed and listening to Trixie while she slept in that deep medicated sleep was where he was at now. Jim had personally seen to it that she was given a private room so she wouldn’t be disturbed by other people who sometimes could be very rude about certain things.

His heart would ache some every time she tried to move and groaned out in extreme pain, this was the first time, that her clumsiness had ever required a hospital stay. What did she see exactly that made her turn and run in a panic like that?

She was one of the bravest girls that he ever knew.  What did she see? Was he really guilty of making her feel like he was treating her like a baby?

Boy, he knew she seemed upset, it was why he kept asking her what was wrong.

Jim was officially worried now and completely alone with his thoughts and innermost feelings for that pretty little best friend of his that some how just suddenly began looking like a beautiful girl instead of an incurable tomboy like he used to think of her as. They had a competitive type friendship that usually consisted of striving to out do the other one silently enough as they lived and worked.

His and Trixie’s relationship had been that of friendship through out the entire time that he knew her and since he had chosen to join medical school to get his PhD along with Brian and had been unrolled in the accelerated plan to get through his college years as fast as he could. He hadn’t had the opportunity to take off and pursue an actual dating routine with her or anyone for that matter.

He wasn’t stupid by any means, he knew that Trixie had very deep feelings for him in particular and frankly, his feelings for her were rooted nearly as deep. I wonder what made her so upset?

 

Chapter Five

“Ow!” she started stirring. When she wanted to roll over to her other side and the pain went excruciating.

Jim was beginning to drift off, but her groan made him wake up and look up at her.

“No, don’t.” She thrashed some. “I don’t want to.”

He sat there a minute listening before he gently shook her awake.

“Baby, you’re having a nightmare, that is all--calm down.”

“No, don’t touch me.” Trixie startled awake to thrash.

“It is me, Trixie--Jim.  Come on, you're going to really hurt your leg.”

“Oh!” She burst into tears when she realized that Jim was there, not that evil presence from her dream.

“Come on!” Jim sat on the bed beside her and leaned over for a hug. “It is just a nightmare, it's okay.”

“Ow, oh, that was so stupid!” She groaned.

“Trixie, why did you run so panicked like that?” he asked.

“He was up there! I don’t know, maybe I am being haunted,” she cried.

“What?” Jim leaned up to look at her face to ask seriously.

“Oh, Jim, remember that time when Honey and I were helping during the episode with the whispering witch?”

“Oh yeah, I remember that was when you caught the antique thieves,” he answered.

“Well, I have seen the ghost of Sarah Sligo more then once and she is fighting off this ugly old guy that won’t leave her alone.”

“You mean in your dreams or...?”

“I mean, it’s driving me to really vivid and very scary nightmares, but I have seen that image of that man in more then one place. I mean out on the trails when I have been riding, but Honey never sees him. Then someone started messing with my emails and then sending me these crazy flowers and stuff with these really scary messages about figuring out who he is, and I’ll find my dream ghoul.”

“You saw that guy up by the old mansion?” Jim asked. “Is that why you took off running? Was it that old guy that looked just like my uncle? Maybe Uncle James is up there protecting his house?”

“No this guy wasn’t your Uncle James. He was an old miser and kept to himself all of the time and everything, but I remember when I was really little before your aunt died, he wasn’t mean then.  I used to go visit your aunt for cookies and milk when I was really little. Mother told me about how I would wander off and she would always find me up there visiting with Aunt Nell and Uncle James. I am still that little girl, Jim, and I don’t think he would ever want to be mean to me.”

“Okay, well, I was planning to take a semester break and stay home for a while.  College is burning me out. I made arrangements to intern right here in this very hospital for the interning experience that I know I have to go through before moving into my first year residency anyway.”

“You're that far already?” she gasped.

“I took the accelerated plan, but Brian didn’t. I am already through five years of med school. I am that far, yes.  But if I see another textbook, my brain will fry,” he said dramatically.

“Then it is time to stop with the study,” Doctor Langley interrupted as he walked into the room where the door was half opened. “Five years already, huh? I did the accelerated plan myself, I can relate.”

“You’re making rounds early?” Jim said. Langley had the chart in his hand already.

“Yeah, I am about to go off duty, my on call shift is finally over, thank god, I hate forty eight hour shifts. I am so ready to just go home and relax in my pool and not do anything for the whole entire day! But then that usually is never possible, I suppose I am guilty of being a workaholic”

“You were my doctor?” Trixie gasped in shock. “But I told them...”

“Not to call me, I know.” Dr. Langley smiled as he made solid eye contact with hers.   “We would have had to ship you to another hospital and you didn’t have that much time to work with, you were dying, love. I didn’t think that you would make another twenty minute ride to another hospital. I made a judgment call and hoped that you wouldn’t feel the need to hate me for trying to save your life.”

“Oh?” Trixie gasped.

“You were bleeding profusely,” Jim agreed. “I assisted with that surgery, he didn’t do anything wrong.  In fact, he is amazingly awesome to watch with all of that intricate tedious detail putting your artery back together and reattaching your tendons and everything.”

“So, did I over hear this correctly, you have some sort of stalker? What was that about a ghost of Sarah who?”

“Yeah, and, frankly, if you don’t mind the bluntness of my answer and all, you are a prime suspect for this stalker,” Trixie said.

“I am!” The doctor looked completely blown away shocked. He grabbed a chair and sat down on it. I want to hear this, why am I suspect?”

“It is because you wouldn’t leave my precious trees alone!” she pouted cutely.

“Your trees…?” He laughed loudly. “Have you ever seen the other side of my privacy fence? My pool is right out there.”

“Well, you could have put your pool on the other side of your house.”

“No, I couldn’t, the grade is wrong. Enough about the stupid apple trees, I would never stalk someone over stupid trees. My lawyer is dealing with that I am to busy to stalk someone over something that trivial, find another suspect.” He lifted up and pulled out his electronic appointment organizer.

“Look at this! This is my work schedule and my personal schedule as well. I can prove that I have lived that schedule to the very minute of every appointment on there except for the detailed office appointments which might vary with in five minutes or more of each other depending on how late the paper work makes me of course. See, there is leisure time.” He pushed the button so it would scroll down so she could see. “Lawyer time, hospital on call work, there is my visit with my uncle Sam, and there is work in the office, it is all mixed up in there I have no idea what your email address is, about the only time I even see you is when you are collecting that vicious dog of yours after he had busted his leash again and is standing me down of something. I can’t even rake your flower petals back to your own property line without that dog attacking me.”

“Reddy wouldn’t attack a flea,” Trixie argued. “He is a good dog, you’re just mean to him.

“Is this a sign of a good dog?” he asked Jim as he lifted his jacket that he had been carrying in his hands to show him the huge rip in its side.

“Reddy did that?” 

“Oh, he made contact with my arm this time.” Langley held out his arm to show where he had been bitten.

“Gleeps.” Trixie sat up and started to cry. “Please, don’t have him destroyed, he just knows that you don’t like me that is all. I’ll put him on an electronic collar, and you can have the remote so if he gets loose, you can stop him from attacking you.  Please, he doesn’t hurt anyone else!”

“Oh If I haven’t personally noticed all the work that you have put in trying to train him for your dog shows I? Okay, if you give me a remote I’ll reconsider.”

“Ow! Is this supposed to hurt this much?” She grimaced.

“Your medication feed is ready, don’t let it run out for to long, it isn’t as affective if you do.” The doctor reached over and pushed the button for the automatic dispenser. “But before you drift back off to sleep, I need to fill in the blanks with this chart here there are some questions that your mother just couldn’t possibly know about like the question here. Is there any possibility at all that you might be pregnant? We couldn’t ask that question last night because you were unconscious when we took you to x-ray, but we did take your mothers no answer at its face value, but we did cover you with a lead blanket so it shouldn’t be a problem, however there are certain types of medications that you shouldn’t take if you are and although that test is negative, it can not detect very early possibilities.”

“No I am not at risk!” She answered.

“Okay, when was your last Pap smear?”

“My what?” she asked.

“It’s a test that all females get normally once a year to check for a variety of things such as cervical cancers and ovarian cancers cysts and other abnormal activity that occurs occasionally in the female organ area,” Jim answered.

“Um, I have never had a test like that before.”

“So then you're most likely not on the pill?” The doctor asked.

“No. it isn’t necessary, I wasn’t planning to ever go there until I was at least in a very serious considering marriage, or maybe even on my wedding night if I could actually convince my guy. I know in this day and age that is unrealistic to convince any guy to wait that long...”

“Oh my goodness, she does exist.” Doctor Langley stood up and clapped his hands and personally bowed in front of her. “My hat is off to your convictions, way to go,  Miss Belden.”

“What?” Trixie gasped.

“Oh, there are guys out there that consider that their dream girl too,” Jim just laughed loudly. “I am guessing Doctor Langley is one of those guys.”

“Oh that just renews all hope.” The doctor smiled.

“Yeah, it does. I was beginning to think she didn’t exist either.” Jim laughed. “You’re not going to find all that many guys in the medical field that doesn’t wish girls like that were easy to find. But this one has been my best friend for nearly six years now, you can look elsewhere.”

“Oh he just staked a claim,” the doctor laughed.

“You mean, you weren’t going to go for it with Honey? She is holding out for safe and perfect herself?” Trixie asked.

“What? She is my sister?” Jim gasped in shock and his stomach churned.  What was she talking about now?”

“An adopted one, you aren't related by blood,” Trixie pointed out.

“Ew.  I couldn’t ever go there, yuck. Even if she weren't my sister, she's not my type.”

“Ahem," the doctor interrupted. “You really are old enough to be getting a complete physical anyway. I am going to have to insist that before you leave here, that you are checked out thoroughly. When was your last physical?”

“In the ninth grade,” she answered.

“That is too long,” Jim gasped. “Girls even at your age can develop breast cancers and stuff like that.”

“Okay, whatever,” she answered.

“I’ll gather the proper forms and find a nurse to over see and get to that when I get back here later on.”

“Oh, I’ll pay for your jacket,” Trixie said soberly.

“No, I was going to buy a new one anyway. I am sorry for being so hard to get along with.”

“Well, you’re related to Sam Lytell, I just considered the source,” Trixie said gruffly.

“Oh!” Langley laughed “Old Sam nearly married your very own grandmother Trixie, and from what he tells me, you are her splitting image right now as we speak. According to him, you remind him so much of her that it brings tears to his eyes nearly every time he sees you. He isn’t mean, he still deals with her love loss and having you asking him what is the matter even if you are concerned, makes him feel the need to brush you away!”

“When did you hear all of this?”

“The last time you left his store when I was there. I got worried about him I never seen him tear up before. I wanted to know what the matter was. He will stop loving her the day we put him in his grave.”

“Didn’t she die?” Jim asked.

“Well, Grandmother Alice went to Florida after she divorced my grandpa and he married another woman. I actually had two grandmothers; both my grandfather and my step-grandmother have died. But she doesn’t want to ever come back. I don’t look that much like her! And Grandmother Maria only lived in this town while she was really young. She married a West Point officer and moved with Grandpa Alex when he went into the Air force. He is a five star General now living and working in the waters just outside of Afghanistan on an Air force carrier. Um,  Grandmother still lives in California since Grandpa is officially in charge of an Air Force base out there. We don’t get to see our grandparents all that much. Some are dead, but the others are just gone.”

“Well, you look like your mother.   He was probably referring to her mom.” Jim smiled.

“Maybe, it’s been so long since we went out there that I have no clue,” Trixie answered.

“I owe you an apology for accusing you of picking on me, sir,” Trixie said soberly “And thanks for not demanding that my dog get destroyed”.

“My remote, I expect it right away.” He winked as he spoke. “And now that I am aware that you have someone stalking you, I’ll keep a watchful eye out on the neighborhood on your behalf.”

“Don’t you do that anyway I saw you with your telescope looking towards my house before?”

“Oh! I guess I am busted. Well, I was merely trying to be sure that dog was not running loose before I went outside of my fence to clear up some of that brush the blew down with the storm that time and what was you with your own binoculars anyway, they were aimed toward my own deck there now?”

“You’re busted too,” Jim laughed loudly.

“I had a suspect, darn it,” Trixie said.

“Well I was here at the hospital yesterday, the entire day long when you saw you’re so called ghost, how do you explain that one?” The doctor laughed.

“Oh my word!” Trixie gasped as he jotted something down on that chart and walked out of there laughing.

“It looks like another lost suspect.” Jim just grinned from ear to ear.

“Oh my word, he is incessant,” she gasped as she closed her eyes.

“Baby…!” Jim shook her arm, but the medication was making her groggy again.

Jim stopped and just leaned over and kissed her forehead and pulled back to smile. “You always were so perfect,” he whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry about that stalker; I am sure that was harmless.”

“What?” Trixie opened her eyes to look up at him.

“Your stalker, I am sure it was probably just a harmless game from a friend at school or something, who was hoping that you would solve his riddles, the guy probably thinks that it would interest the mystery hound if he gave her a little mystery as to who he is.”

“But he has told me that he would...” she paused. “...hurt me until I was dead. That is just sick.”

“He has?” Jim gasped in shock.

“Yes, in his notes that came with those gnarly-looking wildflowers.”

“Oh!” Jim’s expression changed from not worried too alarmed instantly.

“Jim, have you been my mysterious e-mailer?” she asked suddenly. “You have my email address.”

“Well, I never sent ugly wild flowers with death threats,” Jim gasped. “I don’t have a fancy hologram system making you feel haunted by dead witches either, and I would never stalk you!”

“But you did send the emails?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to be easily traced so I went to the campus library. I am sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What?” She started to cry.

“I am sorry, it just seemed like a good idea, and I thought that you would like a little mystery. I had no idea.”

“I still have a stalker,” she cried.

“Okay, well, not for long, you don’t,” Jim said firmly. “No one messes with you, not in my lifetime, no way. I just wish that you would have gotten into the car, maybe you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.’

“No thanks! I don’t do claustrophobic. I can’t stand confined spaces forget it that car doesn’t hold us all.”

“Confined spaces never bothered you before.”

“Well! You usually never let her crawl onto your lap before either.” She closed her eyes again and felt her body get limp.

“Oh!” Jim smiled his stomach churned with the realization that this anesthesia was making her say her real feelings a whole lot more then if she wouldn’t be sedated. Honey did jump over the seat and right on top of his side to let her get in the car. That was innocent; she was only making room for Trixie to get inside. Okay, she was upset enough to leave the house earlier then we were even finished. His mind was processing the day’s events as he sat there holding her hand.

She was forced to wake up an hour later so she could get a sponge bath and try to eat breakfast.

“How is she doing?” The nurse that came in asked Jim.

“She is sleeping peacefully right now.” Jim lifted his head off the pillow that he was leaning against to sit up and give that nurse his attention.

“Okay, Doctor Langley has us on alert just in case her stalker shows up; do you know the details about that, who is this stalker?”

“I am not sure, either.  It is why I didn’t leave last night, she isn’t strong enough to fight off anyone right now.”

“That is good. It’s been a long time, Jim, how are you?”

“Yeah, it has, so you’re a registered nurse now.  How is Stanley?”

“He joined the Navy and is stationed in the Gulf now. I hope he is still okay.”

Trixie woke up.

“Trixie, this is Wanda Smith. We were once next door neighbors when I still lived in Albany with my mom and dad.  Her brother and I were best friends.

“Hi!” Trixie smiled as this nurse pretty dark-haired young nurse took her blood pressure.

“Are you ready to get cleaned up?” She touched the dried mud in her hair as she asked.

“May I take a shower?”

“No, you’re not supposed to get out of bed yet. You’re still connected to the catheter.” The nurse emptied her catheter as she spoke.  “But we do have a portable hair shampooing basin that can help you clean your hair while you are there.”

“Oh yeah, I fell in the mud when I broke my ankle.”

“Why on earth would you try to jump over a huge tree?”

“I am a gymnast. I even competed in last year's Olympic tryouts.”

“Oh, did you make the cut?”

“No, but I do have a trainer now and that was really all I was hoping for then was just to be picked up by a good trainer. If my foot didn’t sink in the mud I would have made that jump.”

Trixie chose that training mostly because she had been challenged by Jim a year before when he was training for college football he said that a girl couldn’t handle that training it was to intense. She immediately sat out to prove to him that she could excel in some sport herself.

“That is too bad. Jim, why don’t you go take this opportunity to get some breakfast, we will be a few minutes anyway.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Jim smiled. “I can stay and help if you need any?”

“No go.” Trixie blushed.

“Okay, baby.” Jim laughed. “I’ll see you in a bit. Love you!” he added, distinctly flirtatious.

“Oh brother…!” Trixie groaned.

“Hey, he grew up cute,” Wanda laughed when Jim left.

“And he knows it,” Trixie answered. “You had a crush on him too, I suppose?”

“No, I was three years older and to me he was a baby.” She laughed. “I would go there now though.”

“So would half this town,” Trixie agreed. “He really grew into the hometown pretty boy lately with that Brad Pitt look that he has going on nowadays.”

“Hey, but he said he loved you?”

“And his adopted little sister and Diana. Yeah, he loves them all.”

“What do you make of that Bleached blond look with those red roots shining all over that spiked up do like that?” Wanda laughed.

“I am learning to live with it. I suppose, at least, it isn’t unbelievably long. I think it is kinda cute.” 

Trixie put her hair over the portable shampoo sink and waited as Wanda rinsed the dirt off it before she lathered it up with shampoo.

“His adopted sister…?”

“Trust me, it's gross.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “I have had my fill of it. I am moving on to someone obtainable at least six years worth of hoping and wishing and praying to god that my fairy godmother wasn’t dead out there and things were going to finally go my way. I am through with it all! Say, don’t nurse’s aides get the suds detail?”

“Normally they do, but they are on strike this week. We are all pulling double time to make up for their losses.”

“Okay! Man alive!” Trixie gasped. “I used to candy stripe here until I couldn’t get along with Miss Brag anymore, then I started volunteering all my free time down at the community center instead.”

“That job is a whole lot easier.”

“Yeah, there is something to be said about a decent work environment,” Wanda agreed. “So are you going to go into the medical field?”

“No! I am going to major in Law Enforcement. Dad is making me choose a major worth the money for college, so I have been studying for pre-law exams for six months.”

“Okay, that sounds hard. My fiancée is in law school, he struggles pretty badly every day, learning all of those terms and rules and stuff. There your hair is finally clean.”

“Thanks.” Trixie wrapped that towel around her hair as the nurse moved that sink.

“We are just in time, your doctor is here,” Wanda whispered.

“Hi, Doctor Ferris.” Trixie smiled as her family doctor stepped into the room. He was an older man that actually graduated high school the same year her grandfather Henry Belden did. His friendly smile looked happy to see that she was getting along just fine, as the best friend of Henry Belden he always took extra care to look out for his children and grandchildren.

“What on earth, did you do this time, young lady?” he asked with a huge grin as he put his hands on his hips and pretended to look stern.

“Where on earth were you last night? They let some quack touch me.” she whispered loudly as she giggled. Doctor Langley was walking in behind the other doctor.

“Quack, I’ll have you to know that my reputation precedes itself!”

Trixie just giggled. “You mean, only when your put those binoculars down and concentrate on something else, sure.”

“Oh, that. Well yeah.” Langley just laughed, taking her tease in stride.

“I had to buy a privacy wall and put up in front of my window, he was getting obscene.”  She grabbed the doctor's arm as she whispered loudly. Doc Ferris wouldn’t get bent out of shape and she knew it.

“What, I was not, I check over that way before I leave the privacy of my fenced in yard to clean up the part of my yard that isn’t fenced in because her dog bites. I am not looking in your window.”

“Yeah, and he is out there every time I practice on the trampoline too.” She giggled, “Look out, and he is drooling a river, when I am stuck with training exercises on the uneven bars. Reddy is never in the yard then he can’t handle my concentration on something else, you don’t have to look over there then.”

Doctor Ferris laughed as hard as he could that was funny.

“I would watch out there son. Peter is liable to kick your butt good if he ever caught you!” He could see flirting from a mile away. Doctor Langley was taking it in stride with a huge dimpled grin on his face.

“Okay?” Wanda giggled as she silently questioned what was up between doctor and patient at the moment.

“The truth is out now. The only reason he wants Aaddy to kill my pretty trees is so he can get a better view of my exercise area from the top of his deck.”

“Oh man! My sides hurt.” Langley stopped laughing to try to sober up.

Trixie just giggled. “He was supposed to show his true colors and prove once and for all that he really was my stalker!” she whispered loudly to Wanda.

“Jason, I am aghast.” Doctor Ferris pretended to look shocked.

“Yeah, well I’ll leave you to that test.” The doctor left the room laughing.

“Hey, don’t leave, I was just teasing I didn’t mean any of that you know that don’t you Doctor?” Trixie giggled. “I know he didn’t do anything bad. I was attempting humor, because you see, usually all we ever did was argue over his apparent mistreatment of my precious antique old crabapple trees in the orchid. Why, if he ever tasted just one sip of that crabapple cider that we make in the fall, he would know instantly just exactly why they are very worthy trees to keep around.”

“You are probably right, your momma’s crabapple cider is award winning in any contest that she enters it in, hands down and for what it is worth if you ever got a taste of that wine!” Doc Ferris whispered.   “You would never ever drink a drop of anything else, no matter what when it came to wine choices.”

“Which grandfather was it exactly that made his living off that farm selling his crabapple wines?”

“He was my third great-grandfather before the prohibitions that made alcohol illegal. He spent two years in jail for having an illegal still that he refused to destroy when the prohibition started. You see my grandfather before him and the one before that they all used that orchid for their money it is how they supported their families. Those trees survived. They aren’t just ornamental it is very much the history of our homestead. I don’t care how controversial that it might be, that was history, no matter how colorful, and it’s past.”

“Does your family still make this wine?”

“Well, we have the old recipes hidden for when it might be legal to once again operate freely like when this government falls and anarchy takes over when the next ice age blows across the northern continents, and screws each and every non-recycler that ever existed right off its high and mighty pedestal.”

“Oh wow, what a speech.” The doctor came back in the room to listen.

“She is feeling better now.” Doc Ferris laughed, “Girl, your environmentalist attitude is amazing.”

“Did you know that it was Trixie who personally rallied to reduce our dependence on nuclear power when they planned to place a nuclear power plant in the heart of Sleepyside. She took her school and every student willing to stand behind her and marched on Washington picketing and demanding to be heard.”

“No kidding?”

“No!” She shook her head “He isn’t kidding, I took my cause to the news and gave some speeches that gained the attention of the president himself when I told them all that I could prove to the entire country that wind generated power was the answer to our power shortage problems not nuclear fusion. The hydroelectric power plants were at least acceptable, and we the people were going to take back our planet and the power of today better look out because the future leaders of tomorrow would come after them when they leave us with a world that is unfixable for our day in the sun.”

“Awesome, I watched those speeches-- that was you?” Wanda gasped.

“Yeah, kick our vote to the curb! Not!” Trixie smiled. “I chained myself to those trees and watched those bulldozers coming right at me too. They absolutely was not pulling down the old courthouse, she is history, our history and she could be repaired, let the old fogies that don't like her move elsewhere don’t take down our history.”

“Cool.” Doctor Langley laughed. “Hold a second, I suppose I could live with a few flower petals in the spring and it isn’t all that hard to sweep up the falling crabapples off my deck.”

He grabbed his phone to call her father.

“Peter, you haven’t trimmed those trees back yet, have you?”

“We just got started out here, why?” Pete looked up at those ancient trees that he was trimming away from that deck while standing on it in Langley’s back yard.

“I changed my mind; let those branches hang over my deck, its okay.”

“But they are already out of there.”

“Oh man!” he gasped.

“What?” Trixie gasped. “They cut my babies!”

“Well when fruit trees are trimmed they only grow stronger, honey,” Doctor Ferris promised.

“Oh I am sorry! I convinced them to. Oh they just took the branches that overhang my deck area down.”

“Oh! I was prepared to die first,” she cried.

“Oh don’t be so dramatic.” Doctor Ferris gasped.

“I stopped them; they aren’t going to cut any more,” Langley said nicely.

“There really were some dead branches on my side that did need taking down; it wasn’t nearly as pretty from my side. Look.” He held out some pictures to show her.

“Oh well yeah, that needed pruned, but did you spray poison on those branches to make them die back or what?”

“I wasn’t aware of the personal history that is all, I am sorry I am a full-fledged member in passionate standing myself of the historical society.”

“May we get this exam that you have ordered here now?” Doc Ferris asked.

“Ow, but Cousin John just hear me out,” Trixie said spontaneously drawn out in a southern accent.

“Ow, but Trixie…?” John laughed. “I could let that unrelated quack there deal with it?”

“Never.” Trixie looked over at the young handsome doctor and blushed badly who ever heard of such a demand.

Finally, the doctor left without that test. Trixie wasn’t prepared to allow it, so it wasn’t worth the effort.

“Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Jim noticed the kitchen help leaving with the tray of food.

“How can I? The doctors are here the entire time and the help leaves with the tray before I even got a look under the lid.”

“Hey wait, she didn’t eat yet.” Jim rushed into the hallway to grab that tray.

“Oh!” The lady handed him the tray back.

“There you go.” He placed the tray on her table and rolled it under the bed

“Ugh, it tastes like rubber eggs and dry toast.”

“Well, here is a box of Cheerios, and a carton of milk.  Sound better?”

“Well, if my digestive fluids weren’t eating my stomach lining as we speak, I would pass, but four days with no food is probably pushing it.”

“Four days?” Jim blinked.

“I am dieting, of course,” she answered.

“No way, not a starvation diet,” Helen protested.

“Well, Moms, I don’t get the luxury of being skin on bones! I am cursed with the fat gene.”

“You’re not fat!” Jim gasped.

“Yeah right, like you would know what fat is?”

“What, I am nearly a doctor, hello, I know what fat is and you are not fat! You are full of well developed defined athletically toned muscle and I doubt that there is more then ten percent body fat any were on your entire body.”

“I have been torturing myself tying to!” She teared up.

“Trying to what?” Mrs. Wheeler sat down next to her

“Compete with size four tall. 'Oh Trixie, look, I have an entire closet filled with designer stuff that I simply can't stand. Get your weight down two more sizes and it’s all yours!" Try this one on! Oops, nope, your stomach hangs over! Hee, hee!'  Hello! I can buy my own clothing, who ever told her that I wanted her nasty old worn out stuff? If I wanted it I would have bought the same thing when it was in style in my own size, thank you!”

“Oh, Trixie.  She means well, sweetheart.”

Jim picked up her chart to look at her weight level now and shook his head. Then he went to the door and motioned for a nurse to come over.

“Find a dietitian with some ideal weight graphs and send her to this room please. Also this patient should be monitored for possible anorexia. I wrote that down on her charts already, with my recommendations, so please notify Doctor Langley about the early warning alerts. She hasn’t eaten a thing in four days.”

“Yes sir,” Wanda answered.

“I’ll speak to her about this,” Mrs. Wheeler said soberly, “You are eighteen now, I doubt that you are ever going to grow to be as tall as she is, and you shouldn’t let that bother you. Why, look at your mother, she is a beautiful woman. And no one ever thinks differently of her because of how she looks, who she is defines her as an individual, just the same as who I am defines me. Now, if I were to try to fit into something of your mother's, I would likely look like a tall thin tooth pick with my clothing hanging off me miserably.  Why do you think she can fill them out so beautifully when I can't?” Madeleine asked.

“It is because she is shorter and rounded in other ways where I am not!" she continued.  "Now I would never offer to give your mother something of mine to wear because it wouldn’t fit her either. No, she would most likely have to throw it all away. If Honey doesn’t want the things in her closet, then Honey can take them to the Goodwill store, or she can give them to Celia who is her size and build. I am quite sure,if Diana offers you something out of her closet, it doesn’t upset you at all, does it?”

“Her things, at least come a little closer to fitting as long as it isn’t something tailored. Moms, can I get a breast reduction?”

“No!” Jim gasped. “Don’t you dare”?

“Why not, training for the Olympics would be easier if I weren’t lugging around all of the unbalanced jiggle weight.”

“But I like those no! They are adorable just the way they are!” Jim gasped.

Mrs. Wheeler started to laugh. “Your mother and I are going shopping in town in a little while, is there anything that we can get you?”

“Um, something to read, and a couple protein shakes, Moms?”

“Okay! But try to eat your dinner, don’t just drink it down.”

“Yes, if they serve something better than rubber.”

“Hey,” Jim said, “I am going to go home and take a shower and bring back some real food myself. I’ll be back in a couple hours. Wanda is going to keep a close eye on you. Let the doctors do their jobs, it just might save your life one day, remember that. Love you, babe.” He leaned over and kissed her lips.

For the next three hours, dietitians and more doctors and nurses and even a psychiatrist came to visit.

 

Chapter Six

Jim went home to much to his surprise come face to face with the very man that Trixie claimed looked nearly exactly like his uncle James sitting in his father's den talking to both Matthew and Honey.

“Hi Jim, I want you to meet my father Linden Wheeler.”

“He is your father?” Jim sat down in a chair next to that old man. “Were you the man out on a horse last night messing with my mailbox?” Jim asked.

“I was on a horse and I was checking the mail box for its house address. “Boy, is it a small world.”

“What?” Jim asked.

“Your Uncle James was my brother.  Your father was my nephew as well. We lost touch a long time ago, as I lost touch with most of my family. I was always obsessed with my work. I don’t know, I just suppose that I figured that there would be plenty of time for visiting later? Don’t ever do that, kids. I can’t believe how many people died while I was gone?”

“We are really cousins, isn’t that awesome?” Honey asked.

“Wait, wait let me finish.  Mom and Dad divorced when we were only ten years old, mom went home to live with her parents and she took James. I was more adventurous and wanted to tag along with my dad who was an archaeologist to so he let me go. I don’t think that Dad was aware that Winthrop was even conceived at the time that would have been your grandfather who would have been my youngest brother. I wish Matthew would have written and told me about you sooner, and your family.

“So do I?” Jim answered. “Uncle James died before I really even got to meet him, my mother never brought me around to visit him after my dad died because he got angry at her for marrying my stepfather, he said, he wasn’t good enough for her, and I am sure he was right, but mother was stubborn and it angered her enough to keep me away from him for a good long time. Apparently, my lawyer told us that he and she fought over my custody for a couple years, but the courts wouldn’t let him have custody because my aunt died and he couldn’t raise me alone any better then she could. I think that was when he gave up and stopped worrying about even taking care of himself even!”

“Are you going to be in town for a while?”

“Yeah, I am going to work on campus while I work on getting my next grant for field work but for now, they are demanding that I teach for the next half of this ten year.”

“Oh, which college will you be working in?”

“It is Oxford University.” He smiled.

“That isn’t too far. I attend there. We are talking about the one right here in New York, right?” Jim grinned

“Of course, Honey, tells me that she is already enrolled there next semester.”

“Yeah what is this I hear about restoring the old Frayne Mansion?”

“Oh well, I don’t want to just sell it and have someone else renovating my family home?”

“Is this an endeavor that I might be able to assist in?”

“Um, yeah sure, say did you ever visit there as a kid?”

“Yeah, plenty of times, come on! This was my mother’s family.”

“Dad didn’t you know that your grandmothers maiden name was Frayne?”

“No I didn’t she died when I was so young and that is another story all together because the Fraynes changed their names, my mother was an eyewitness for the prosecution in a major murder case at the time, you see their last name was Crane, as in the famous headless horsemen story. So when I did my research I never found the name Frayne in my history.”

“So the name is Crane, and not Frayne?” Jim asked.

“Well it hasn’t been Crane for a century or so, that story became to famous in these parts and Icabod himself ordered his last name to be stricken from the pages of history, all the rest of the days of his life, he moved back to the city, and married someone more suitable to his refined culture after he did expose that masquerader for who he was. But before he did that he was just finished with the girl of the back woods. He simply didn’t care about her as deeply as her jealous boyfriend did, and he was ready to move on. There really wasn’t anything cowardly about it. When a man tells the other go back find your girl, because I am through here and walks away, it really doesn’t mean the other is a better or a bigger man. It just means that his girl in the city had become more appealing and indeed she had. He had received a letter from her begging him to come home the night before; she was ready to marry him!”

“Wow!” Honey smiled. “That is a better story then him becoming some victim of a monstrous ghost with no head. I had no idea that we related to the real guy?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t sell Halloween in these parts either. And the cowardly story is a source of embarrassment to any Crane. Ergo that is why we became Frayne’s! You really couldn’t live any where near Sleepy Hollow with that last name probably not even today?” Linden agreed.

“Trixie will be disappointed; she latched on to that mystery last night as to who you were. She had visions of all of us searching for this elusive spirit or something?” Jim smiled. “Speaking of Trixie I am supposed to go back up there after a shower and a change, hospital food sucks I am going to take a care package of real food.” He explained

“Would you like to go meet my girl?” Jim asked. “I am going to guess that when she joins college classes that she will most likely take a couple of your classes.”

“So you and dad were cousins?” Jim smiled at Matthew.

“Yeah, now the two of you remember no hanky panky ever, your cousins yourself!” Matt pointed at him and Honey.

“Oh that is funny.” Honey giggled. She let her secret disappointment slowly slide down her spine and disappear before anyone ever knew it existed with a painted on smile. After all that wasn’t going to matter, Mart Belden just announced that he had plans for something more serious with her that was cool enough news. She liked him to just as much. He wasn’t Jim but then what ever, he would do. That diamond was in the rough and with any luck she could chisel away the parts that she didn’t like enough to stand him.

“I’ll go with you to the hospital I need to bring cheering up gifts.”

“None of your two sizes to small, clothing for future incentive for her to loose weight I mean it.” Jim pointed.

“What?” Honey gasped.

“No, I am not kidding, she hasn’t eaten in four days that isn’t healthy and you know it.” Jim said firmly. “Offer your hand me downs to some one who needs them. She doesn’t, I’ll go buy her what ever she wants brand-new, she doesn’t need hand me downs. Don’t ever offer her more ever again.”

“Well, I was only trying to be nice.” Honey gasped.

“Nice would be doing her a favor by gaining about fifteen pounds and putting some actual meet on your bones. So she doesn’t feel like a giant pig.” Jim added.

“Fifteen pounds….?” Honey looked horrified.

“Well in your book which would be worse, her loosing fifteen pounds or you’re gaining fifteen pounds?” Matthew asked.

“My gaining one -ounce…” Honey gasped.

“Then you should be relating to her side of the fence then there girl.” Her grandfather said.

“Okay, it doesn’t feel good to be called to skinny,” Honey answered.

“It doesn’t feel any better to be called to fat either,” Jim pointed out. “I have news for you too. I like meat on my girl, I don’t exactly attract to the skinny little toothpick, for they just aren’t my type. I wouldn’t even care if she gained a hundred pounds and all her hair fell out I will still love her. There is no one on the face of this planet more perfect then she is, even with her detective mystery infatuation. Why that girl attracts so much to danger is beyond me?”

 

Chapter 7

As Doctor Langley made his rounds he couldn’t help but think of that neighbor of his that he feuded with over a few trees that bothered his privacy fence line. He had no idea that she had a stalker, that thought hit a little bit closer to home then he cared to think about, his X-wife was once his stalker in fact she nearly murdered him in his sleep. During the time she was spending her time in a mental hospital he got himself relocated to this sleepy little town and changed his last name in efforts to put that disaster behind him and make a new life. It was also why he used his binoculars to watch the road and the surrounding area, because he had been traumatized enough to still feel insecure about his personal safety. Her two year sentence was over and he knew she was out and free to stalk again if she could figure out where to start her search.

“Hello Miss Belden.”

”Didn’t you go off duty?” Trixie looked up at Doctor Langley as he came into her room later that afternoon for the morning, it’s getting late now. “I usually always check in on my patients in the afternoon personally. What is this about putting you on anorexic alert?” He sat down with her chart in his hand.

“Why haven’t you eaten in four days? Four days?” He looked back at that chart and back up at her in a gasp.

“I knew the guys were coming home for college break this week end. I didn’t feel like looking like a beached whale. My brothers always poke too much fun of me as it is. I was just hoping not to be the subject of their fat jokes those you’re a short fat pudgy little shrimp jokes are really grinding on my nerves!” She teared up as she spoke.

“Well have you visited with the dietitian? I trust that she explained the importance of a well balanced diet to maintain healthy bone growth and skin elasticity. And right now it is even more crucial for you to be eating a well-balanced meal very high in iron and riboflavin and calcium. You were given two units of blood and you are still pretty anemic. And when you work out as hard as I know you do, not eating is a very lethal mixture. It could even account for your misjudging the size of that tree that you tried to jump over. I am six foot four inches tall, and I walked over to the edge of the lake this morning to see that tree and girl, I couldn’t have jumped that no matter how much taller I am then you are and I did take six years worth of gymnastics myself in junior and high school. ”

He reached out and grabbed her hands to look at her nails. “Do you drink a lot of milk?”

“Um I take high protein shakes, she reached over and handed him one to look at that her mother had brought in for her to drink.”

“These are designed as an extra supplement for athletes in training for when you are burning off massive amounts of calories. But it isn’t designed to be your only food source. You see there are several things that this shake excludes like natural fiber carbohydrates grains, and cereals. Calcium, hum well I would recommend over dosing on the stuff. If your recommended daily allowances tell the average girl six cups of milk a day during pregnancy the same girl should be drinking every bit that much or more when training vigorously for more then an hour of a day.”

“Okay!” She rolled her eyes.

“Who is your trainer again? Is he certified by the Olympic board, or is he a new comer hoping to make a name for himself in his spare time while training you?”

“He is Henry Jackson, he would have had a gold medalist last year if.”

“If she wouldn’t have fallen, and broken her leg during competition, Linda Carson, I did some of her rehab work, was you aware that he freaked out over that so badly that she had to get a restraining order against him?”

“No!” Trixie gasped. 

“Well, stay aware, in your line of training, injuries is common. Oh and don’t fraternize with your coach unless you are planning to marry him and never ever look away, because talk about jealous? No just don’t go there period he beats his women when he is angry. Linda broke her arm the year before she broke her leg and well, she admitted that she didn’t do that while in training last year when she was dealing with trying to make him leave her alone I believe that she wasn’t lying Trixie, you need to be careful, promise me that you don’t go there, and there are even rumors that he might be gay or at least by sexual so if you don’t like to share with your brothers or your best friend, that redhead that seems to be so interested every time he is near you, then don’t go there, I am warning you. He had to spend a few weeks up in the Mental hospital dealing with psychic evaluations last year too.”

“Is Linda still being treated by you?”

“No, she moved off to the west coast to slip away from her coach. You said you had a stalker right, I would be looking at him?”

“Oh, injuries are common? Is that why you sort of hang around in your back yard when I am out there working out?”

“Any misstep at all, and you could be right were you are right now. I am no obsessed freak, but I did keep an ear out just incase you ever needed to yell for help. Actually, I like to swim and I love the outdoors. You are a pretty focal point, but I am still out there doing what ever I need to when I can. I like gardening, and that is usually after six at night because that is the only time I have free.”

“I went home to check on your babies as you call them.” He smiled as he spoke “and this is what they look like now!” He handed her a picture

“Oh hey that is pretty cool back there.” She looked at his pool and entertaining space.

“I don’t have to long to stay, but I figured that maybe it wouldn’t embarrass you too much too discretely get that test that we need to complete your files. Ethically, I won’t be able to release you to go home tomorrow if that test isn’t completed. I would have to make you fill out a bunch of paper work as to why you refuse treatment when it is recommended, and frankly if you did choose to sue me, because you refused treatment when it was recommended you would never win your case. So just in case you want to feed on my insurance company and make sure my rates shoot through the roof?”

“Oh!” Trixie giggled, “I don’t need your money,” She answered “unless you removed my left kidney while sewing my foot back on, I’ll be fine with it.”

“Okay.” He smiled. “Just checking?”

“Okay, just don’t run the entire hospital staff in here. And not in front of my family or friends either they don’t need to know exactly what is going on in here I’ll tell you no every time that is just gross.”

“Okay, promise not to call me a pervert or something and I won’t bother anyone else. I’ll do the test completely alone if you feel better?”

“Deal..!”

He flipped a switch on the head of the bed and pulled the privacy curtain back.

“Why is that light blinking?”

“It is nothing it is just a signal that doctor is with patient and don’t disturb. It is for when we need to clean lacerations, and the patient doesn’t feel like his family bursting in on them, the little light out there is flashing doctor in the room please wait. I basically demanded privacy. The door is locked to if you want to know about that?”

“Okay! That is better I mean of all the nerve? How many people were in this room the last time? I am not a porn star, it's not happening.”

“Fair enough, some patients feel the opposite and don’t want this done without witnesses.”

“Exhibitionists, I guess,” she answered.

The doctor just smiled, in his line of work he met all kinds, some of those girls could get pretty disgusting while getting tests like those, he preferred the shy type to the aggressive type by far himself. But she was a patient so he got the tests required by the well check points of the insurance companies and kept all of that as professional as possible.

“Oh okay.” Jim grinned as he looked down at that test that he was bringing out of the room. “She didn’t break your arm?”

“No!” the doctor smiled. “Just don’t bring it up she didn’t want the whole hospital involved with this one test. Discretion is very important now.”

“Say no more, it’s not our business.” Jim grinned

“Good, thanks I spilled some stuff and it’s really bugging me I need to go clean up!”

“Okay, see you later.” Jim smiled.

“Who was that he is cute?” Honey whispered.

“He is our neighbor Doctor Langley.”

“What, I thought he was some old guy?” Honey giggled.

“Hi Hey, I saw you out on the road looking at the Frayne mailbox. You are Uncle James! What the heck? Get over here! Are you a ghost?” She asked loudly.

Linden laughed as he held out his hand for her to actually touch him.

“Jeepers, they told us that you died, come here!” she wanted a hug instantly.

“Oh wow, this is an honor.” Linden leaned down and hugged her nicely.

“That is my grandpa Linden Wheeler,” Honey giggled loudly. “He was Uncle James’ twin brother. We just found out when he finally came out of Africa to serve the second half of his ten year in college class rooms.”

“Oh okay, you were twins, huh? That explains why Jim looks so much like Matt? Oh! Oh wait Jim does this mean you share your inheritance since that was a family home?”

“No, it was legally Uncle James’ there was nothing in the will about other siblings inheriting first, but if he needs anything at all I wouldn’t hesitate.” Jim promised.

“Thanks, son, but I don’t need anything; I have made plenty of money during my career. I have a savings that most men couldn’t even dream of seeing in their life time. Were going to rebuild that house! And you’re going to spend the rest of your life living there, and raising your kids and enjoying that place, and that is going to be my gift to you! So don’t you even think about donating it to the historical society and passing that out of our family history?”

“Oh wow!” Honey gasped. “We always just moved around where every Mommy and Dad want at Mom’s whim usually I never knew we had an ancestral home that is awesome. Trixie, I have an ancestral home too, isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah, it is!” Trixie smiled. “You do to have an ancestral home and we went to England to visit it, don’t give me that.”

“Oh on my moms side yes, but on daddy’s side. That house was supposed to have been built for a queen the one that didn’t go back to France to rule her kingdom for herself, she sent her cousin back to do it for her after her father died. Now that is awesome! Now that is an American tale!”

“Cool! All I knew was that I was Dutch.” Jim smiled.

“It is from your mother’s side. We had no idea what your dad’s side was.” Honey laughed.

“How are you feeling now?” Honey asked Trixie.

“They took my little automatic pain killer away and unhooked that catheter and that food smells too good to keep politely waiting for you to offer dude.” She told Jim who looked down at the plastic containers that he was holding in his hands.

“Its chicken noodle soup and a big piece of chocolate cake for dissert and oh that one has a vegetable medley in it.’ Honey smiled. “I knew Jim’s choices might not be yours. He likes a whole lot of high calorie”

“Oh, this looks great!” Trixie smiled. “I might not be able to eat all of this but you can share get on up here.”

“Did you know that we once had our on archeology dig right in our own backyard?”  Trixie asked, the professor. As she took a big noodle and spun it around on her fork so she could pick it up and place it in her mouth as she finished speaking.

“No kidding?”

“They were looking for buried treasure more then they were interested in the actual Indian burial ground though.”

“Oh, that is too bad. Where is this burial site? Maybe poking around out there would appeal to you guys?”

“Oh, sure, it would, but Trixie has to heal first, we don’t do anything with out including Trixie, she is family.” Honey explained.

“So did they tell you when you were getting out of here?” Honey asked.

“Maybe tomorrow it depends on my foot and how it looks, I guess.”

“Oh Mister Jackson called when I was at your house earlier today. He sounded pretty ticked off that you broke your foot. It ticked your dad off, he almost told him to forget it you wouldn’t be training with him ever again. But he said that he held his tongue because he knew how hard you have been training for that event.”

“Well there are other coaches maybe I would rather have another one.”

“What?”

“Oh, it’s just something Doctor Langley told me about my coach and his treatment of Linda Carson.  He told me to watch him because if he would suspect anyone of becoming a stalker it would be Henry Jackson.”

“No way…?” Jim gasped.

“I don’t know that whole story, but you bet I am going to look up Linda number and find out!”

“How often does he check on your progress?” Jim asked.

“Well, I have to go to the gym right after school for an hour every day and on the week ends I go train for four hours on both days.”

“So you’re seeing this guy a lot?” Jim asked.

“Yeah, but with six other girls, and three other guys there was nothing to indicate a problem but then? Well do you think that I resemble Linda?”

“I don’t remember what she looked like?” Jim frowned.

“Well, don’t jump the gun with that now.” Linden said soberly. “I would like to see some of those letters that you were getting and maybe we could determine if this is something to even worry about?”

“Uncle Linden, she mentioned something about the ghost of Sarah Sligo last night, who seemed to be tortured by some man, I want to know if this ties in, you see we have proven a ghost of Sarah Sligo sighting false one time?” Jim pointed out.

“Remember out at the Lisgard house?” Jim asked Honey.

“Oh do I ever, we were put through a haunted house scare of a life time and in the end, it was just that new owner stealing his own antiques to collect from the insurance money.”

“Good heavens,” Linden gasped. “Is that man still in jail?”

“I don’t know we never checked. He got ten years, though,” Honey answered.

“That means two years served, and then he is eligible for parole and usually that takes six months to a year to actually go through, provided that you were on your best behavior the whole time. I would say you could be out in three and a half to four years, and four, and half years the parole officers would probably stop paying that much attention to you?” Jim pointed out.

“We probably should be checking on that mans whereabouts.” Honey gasped.

“Have you been picked on too?” Linden asked.

“No!”

“Have you ever seen that ghost?”

“No, not ever.”

“Trixie, how real does it seem does it look like an electronic hologram?”

“I don’t know, I mean I am not one to believe in actual ghosts but what I saw seemed so real.”

 

Chapter 8

Their visit didn’t last too long before Honey politely excused herself and her grandfather, too, and they said they would come back later.

“What are you thinking, Grandpa?”

“I want get a look at those letters? Were there any weird symbols on them or any identifying marks?”

“I don’t know for sure?” Honey answered as they headed for the elevators.

“I sort of doubt she has anything to worry about anyway that girl always did know how to make a mountain out of a molehill. It is usually just for attention. I don’t think she feels as if she gets enough. Especially if it’s Jim’s attention I love her like a sister and everything but it gets pretty old, she makes this elaborate display all the time trying to pretend that she is this Miss Charity queen or something just to impress him. I have been wondering lately if she isn’t his gold digger, but no one seems to listen to me when I ask about what if?”

“Honey, did you have a thing for your adopted brother?” Her grandfather frowned some.

“I may have had a crush once.  I got over it,” Honey whispered. “I have to now, don’t I?"

 Her grandfather just hugged her compassionately. “I won't ever tell a soul that secret is safe with me child,” he promised.

“What is this about that blond-haired young man that came calling last night to visit with you?” He asked as he pulled her hair away from her face as he looked down at her with raised eyebrows.

“Oh that is Mart, he’s pretty cool I like him, really I do, but then he is nearly her twin look alike, something about that makes me shudder when he tries to kiss me I get this mental image of Trixie standing there.”

“Oh boy, maybe he should get a hair cut?” he laughed.

“Grow a beard, wear high heels?” She giggled.

“Oh, hi Mart….” The elevator doors opened and Mart and Brian stood in the hall waiting to go up on the next available elevator.

“Who needs to grow a beard and wear high heels?” Mart frowned.

“Sammy Tucker.” Honey grinned from ear to ear. He was the only short guy she could think of at the moment.

“Oh when did you see him?” Mart grinned as he hugged her nicely. Mart was Five foot Eleven inches tall next to Honey’s Five foot Nine inches tall, he was two inches taller then she was, but she just didn’t fit into his snuggling embrace like she would have liked, Like she did with Jim? Err. That would have to go but how, she liked tall guys?”

“No, she meant you, Mart,” Brian laughed as he teased his brother

“Grow a beard and hide those Trixie features, you're freaking her out, dude!”

“Brian.” Honey slugged her friend instantly on the chest for that remark

“Hey. I look like my Grandpa, I resent that.” Mart shoved his brother. “Besides, I had my features first, she can change.”

“Oh leave him alone he is just fine.” Honey hugged Mart and kissed his cheek as he pouted. “A cute little goatee would be cool?” She giggled.

“Oh the things I do in the interests of getting lucky?” Mart laughed loudly.

“Hey, that is my granddaughter there,” Mr. Wheeler said firmly. “What the heck, grow the darn thing.  She is nearly nineteen anyway.  Just put a ring on her finger and make an honest woman of her for Pete’s sake.”

“I am getting to that eventually,” Mart promised. “We were planning on the college career before we settle down that much though! I would marry her tomorrow if she wanted, but we might want to hold off on the baby idea a couple more years?” He cringed.

“I agree.” Honey just giggled. “But I’ll save the wedding for a little while longer if you don’t mind, dang.” She nudged him some. “I’ll never say yes with out proper proposals, plus daddy has to open that wallet for the big shindig or my entire family would disown me for blowing off the chance for reunions at my wedding what are you thinking?”

“Oh. I am glad I passed.” Brian laughed loudly. “Social functions? Yikes.”

“Ew, can we talk about that?” Mart cringed badly.

“I was going to insist they keep it friends and family only?” Honey promised.

“She wants a proper proposal first dude.” Brian wasn’t leaving this was funny he just had to watch.

“Oh yeah, I am getting to that.” Mart blushed badly as he pulled a ring box out of his pocket.

Her grandfather reached for his camera that he always carried in his pocket to click a picture of Honey’s expression as she realized that Mart was going to propose in the middle of a crowded hallway.

“With all my heart and everything I have, I’ll honor you for the rest of your life, if you will just do me the honor of marrying me?” He went to his knee as he held up the ring?

“Gleeps…?” Honey gasped a huge grin swept across her face. Her parents were just in time to see that look on her face as they both walked up carrying a large vase of roses along with Mart’s parents.

“Honestly, Mart, in a hospital?” his father gasped.

Honey let out a high- pitched squeal as he stood back up, she jumped into his arms for a hug.

“We’ll do the candle lit dinner in celebration; I have reservations at eight o'clock tonight at Shae Laurens? Um, maybe it is time for a hair cut?” He grabbed his curls that fell into his eyes back out of his face as he spoke.

“Tell Trixie that Mart will be in to see her later.” Honey grabbed his hand and tugged she wanted him to go with her.

“Did you get pictures?” Matt asked his father.

“I have a five minute moving picture on this baby!” He held up his camera with a proud grin.

“She looked happy?” Mrs. Wheeler said to Helen.

“I don’t know how good of an idea it is letting them do this at such a young age or not but if you trust that boy?” Linden asked Matthew.

“Oh, of course, we do.” Maddie hugged Helen as she spoke.

“Mart is a fine upstanding young man and he is compassionate and loving that boy plans to be a psychiatrist when he finishes college. With her anorexia problem she is going to need a stable man like him in her life I agree.” Matthew patted Brian on the shoulder some as he spoke. “How are you doing now, son?”

“Oh pretty good I am glad I am getting a college break this year though I couldn’t handle that accelerated plan that Jim put himself on!”

“Not many people can, I understand the professor recommended that he take this summer off and relax a little she was worried about him burning out?”

“Oh that is because he spends nearly every waking minute studying or in class. The only thing he allowed himself to indulge in was football and that was only because of his football scholarship. He has been fighting off pro ball scouts for about three months, they want him to sign with them, but he keeps telling them that his academic career is more important.”

They were riding in the elevator as Brian spoke those doors opened on various levels where people got on an off but finally they were on the floor that Trixie was staying on so they got off and headed past the nurses station and into her room where she was resting by herself.

“Say, wasn’t Jim up here?” Linden asked.

Trixie put the magazine she was looking at back on the sliding table and smiled.

“He went to find a restroom he should be back soon though. Oh my goodness, presents?” Trixie’s eyes lit up.

“I went shopping!” Madeleine said with a pretty smile.

Trixie often wondered if her many trips to those health spa retreats were actually for things like plastic surgery because that woman didn’t have any age lines anywhere, her nicely tanned complexion seemed flawless true to the hazel nature of her eyes, they seemed to be on the brighter of the blue side, she must have been in a good mood. She often wished that her eyes would change colors with her mood like Mrs. Wheeler's and Honey's often did.

“This is something for you to wear home.  It isn’t your precious blue jeans but I hope you will like it.”

“Oh, my goodness…?” Trixie grinned from ear to ear as Madeleine lifted a beautiful sundress out of that box that said Fifth Avenue Shays on its side.

“I saw that when Honey and I went shopping last week.  Oh, Mrs. Wheeler, that was much too much!”

“No, it wasn’t, I had a two for one card!”

“She found a sale, can you believe that?” Matthew laughed loudly.

“I have been teaching her how to find those sales now Mr. W.” Trixie giggled.

“See there, I was buying my dress anyway, this one was free, take it and enjoy.”

“Thank you!” Trixie hugged her sweetly.

“And new shoes since Jim cut off your old ones.” Matt held up his box that was brightly wrapped. “Only one of those will actually come in handy for a while though.” He winked at Jim as he slipped back into the room with a big grin.

“Hey, it’s Christmas in May.” She laughed.

“No, we just missed your birthday at the beginning of the month, sweetheart,” Madeleine answered.

“My doctor said I could go home sometimes this evening these presents will come in handy since that dress in the locker really does have to much dirt on it for comfort.” She pointed at the locker as she spoke.

“This evening he is sure?” Peter gasped.

“Well, I have to go to his office once a day for the next couple weeks to check on the infection and the wound care and stuff but other then that there is no other reason to stay in here, I am not sick or something.”

“Awesome.” Jim grinned from ear to ear.

“The guys were telling me about your ideas for a home show project?” Matthew said nicely.

“Yeah, do you hate it?”

“No, but since you’re the one that won’t be able to do a whole lot of hands on work, are you going to be the hostess?” Matt winked as he spoke.

“Uh, I am the editor, I don’t do cameras!” she said gruffly.

“Oh yes, you do.” Jim grinned. “If ever there were eye candy?” he nudged his father some.

“Oh, I see what you mean,” Matt agreed with that silent discussion he seemed to be having with his son.

“What are you talking about?” Trixie looked at Jim with a frown “What is eye candy?”

“Nothing, sweetheart….”

Peter thumped Jim on the top of the head. “That is about enough,” he warned.

“Yes sir.” Jim stifled the urge to laugh.

“I would like to see you give the hostess work a little bit of a chance, dear,” Madeleine said sweetly. “You have a wonderful speaking voice and a very charismatic nature.”

“But Honey would hate me, no thanks,” Trixie answered. “I could do it and it would be fun, too, I know, but I get the real feeling that she thinks I am hogging all her attention or something, I don’t want to do that. She hates directing and editing so I’ll stick with that.”

“Trixie!” Madeleine looked shocked. “You shouldn’t base what you want to do on what your friends like the least, why are you doing that?”

“I don’t know?” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “How else do you keep friends?”

Jim stifled the urge to tear up as he turned to look out the hospital rooms window down at the parking lot where Mart was kissing Honey in an embrace that was nearly too advanced for public display by the side of his car.

The urge to call and make him cool off was overwhelming but when her turned back to see his mother hugging Trixie, that phone call was forgotten.

“I am sure you are mistaken, you’re not loosing your best friend,” Madeleine promised.

“I don’t know, I mean Rita Malone at the bank, told me a couple days ago that she actually said to Diana when the left the bank a couple days before that. If I were just some gold digger out to snare a rich guy or something, with all my work at the community center when I should get a real job instead since I was just common working classed people.”

“What?” Peter nearly shouted. “Rita said what?”

“She wasn’t trying to be mean or something, she just wanted to warn me that my friends might be two faced.”

“Oh Rita would never lie about that!” Peter’s face went sour. “My daughter a gold digger ha, her trust fund far surpasses that tiny inheritance Jim got anyway, who is the one that should be worrying over gold diggers? Working class! That is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard! My daughter, won’t have to work, if she doesn’t want too, not ever?”

“Oops.” Helen took off after her very angry husband.

“What?” Trixie gasped.

“Pete the Sneak,” Matthew said simply. “I thought so.”

“So did I!” Madeleine laughed.

“I have a trust fund?” Trixie looked over at her brother Brian who had just been quietly watching the commotion in open- mouthed shock.

“Great-Grandfather’s name is Pete. The last time I went to Stony Ridge to that nursing home that dad said he was in for a visit someone told another person that the man I was talking too was Peter Pingerton and he owned half the town and that Ski Resort that kept the town alive too! Maybe we do have trust funds?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Um, I got my scholarship from the Stony Ridge Eagles society?” Brian frowned in confusion.

“Pete Pingerton?” Matt’s eyes got round as saucers as he pulled out his wallet and looked at a credit card style insurance form. Stony Ridge Presidential Cross and Shield, he held out that card for Brian to look at. “That is the president of the entire company’s signature.”

“Oh my gosh! I got a birthday card from him just two weeks ago,” Trixie gasped. “Oh, that is distinctive.” She handed him his medical insurance card back.

“I'd better go stop dad from blowing up on someone.” Brian took off quickly.

“Yeah, we better,” Matthew agreed. “I’ll have a talk with that girl.”

“No, don’t that isn’t going to help.” Trixie teared up.

“Oh, yes, it will,” Matt promised.

“What does that mean anyway?” Jim asked Trixie. “I thought all your grandparents were dead?”

“No, Great-Grandpa is ninety eight years old and living in a great big mansion of an old folks, home when mom and dad go out for their country drives they always go up to Stony Ridge to check on him. I haven’t gone with them in a long time though. Great-Grandpa yelled at me the last time I was there, so I stay away.”

“What did you do?” Mrs. Wheeler asked.

“I told him that when I grow up I want to be a detective. He said over his dead body. He wasn’t going to allow me to grow up just like Uncle Andrew.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I found out about two weeks later that Uncle Andrew is a CIA agent but, shush, don’t repeat that. He also owns the Pingerton Detective gency that has been in existence for more then one hundred and twenty years,” she whispered.

“Oh!” Madeleine smiled.

“Hello!” The nurse came in with a big grin. “Guess what? Your doctor signed your release forms about five minutes ago. He would have come in to visit but your angry father leaving here interrupted him.”

“Huh?” Trixie gasped.

“Oh, it’s not a big deal; they are just talking in the hallway. He is getting over the rude remark someone made about your being a gold digger. Honestly you live in the richest neighborhoods on this entire county. I wish I could live out on Glen Road?”

“Most people do wish that.” Madeleine smiled.

“I would rather live in a cardboard box then be a gold digger,” Trixie said as she pulled that curtain around her bed so she could get dressed.

“Let’s step into the hallway and give her some privacy,” Madeleine said as she shooed her son and father-in-law outside into the hallway to wait for her to finish dressing.

“Honestly, I am going to have to speak to that girl to see if any of that rumor is the truth?” Madeleine said quietly.

“Hi!” Doctor Langley approached the room with a smile “Is she dressing?”

“Yeah, she got the news of her release,” Jim answered.

“I still have to do the patient check before the actual release,” he explained to them nicely.

“Understandable!” Jim agreed as he watched that doctor knock on the door and opened it slipping into the room with a loud hello

“I can’t let you leave tonight after all,” he said with a huge grin.

“What, no way…?” Trixie was heard in answer.

“Ha!” The doctor just laughed. “I couldn’t resist! You can go right after you get your crutches in the physical therapy department, they will have the last say in the matter though, if aren’t strong enough to maneuver the crutches you will be wheeled right back up here.” He helped her zip the back of that dress up as he spoke. “That is a beautiful dress, is it new?” he noticed that expensive Fifth Avenue title on that box on the bed as he spoke.

“Yes!” She stood up and balanced her weight on one foot as she spoke.

“Your room looks like a florist shop.”

“I have friends all over this town,” she explained.

“The community center, Mrs. Elliot’s Florists shop! Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and family! The Westchester Historical Society and Hanson’s Lumber Yard.  The Bob-Whites?” He frowned some.

“My personal club of choice, it was a homemade project.” She smiled.

“The club that owns the community center out at the old high school right? That is supposed to be some secret order who are they?”

“Now son, it wouldn’t be a secret order if they told now would it?” she asked with a big dimpled grin.

“I'd better run through this medical release paperwork before I get myself into trouble.” The doctor stopped making small talk to look at his paperwork. Those sparks were definitely flying. I wonder what she has actually seen while searching for that stalker. Ran through his mind as he tried to find his place on that note pad I usually work out in my weight room completely naked so I don’t sweat on my clothes? It is eye level with that attic room up there above her bedroom if a person looked down they could see right in?

“Doc?” Trixie noticed that dazed unfocused look on his face as Jim slipped back into the room to see if she was finished yet.

“I was just going through her post op orders,” the doctor said to Jim.

“Okay, I heard that sudden change of mind out there that was funny dude.” Jim laughed.

“Well, she certainly teased me to death.” The doc laughed, “Honestly, girl, I was just dubbed this hospitals peeking Tom in the washroom. Why are you watching me in the first place?”

“Oh, I had a suspect and a stalker.” She smiled “No hard feelings I hope?”

“No, that’s fine. I would rather get along with my neighbors then have enemies living next door.”

“Me too.” Jim shook his hand. “Trixie usually isn’t that ornery though normally she doesn’t pick on a body so badly though I don’t know what’s up with that one?” He frowned as he made eye contact with her.

“Well, hopefully we can call the feud over?” he asked Trixie point blank.

“Yeah, sure!” She held out her hand for a shake.

The nurse arrived with a cart for her things and a wheelchair.

“Ready?” Jim asked as he got on one side and the doctor on the other.

“Yeah, let’s blow this Band-Aid station,” she answered.

 

Chapter Nine

It wouldn’t be until the next day that Honey Wheeler came over to Trixie’s house to officially apologize for not being very nice lately.

“I don’t want to lose my best friend,” she said tearfully. “I am sorry that I haven’t been much of a friend lately. Dad wants you to narrate our shows this time because it would be easier if you did that than if I or Diana did--because you won’t be able to set up equipment or actually work on the project due to your foot, and I agree.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I think that the show is much better off if we take turns like we started out doing in the first place. I am sorry for calling you a gold digger too. I know you weren’t. I am just guilty of being too jealous, I guess.”

“You are jealous of what?” Trixie teared up. “You are the one that has everything. I am only guilty of hoping for a little bit of something that you and Diana might throw back for me.”

“What?” Honey looked blown away. “Oh, Trixie, if you want to do something get in there and push us out of the way.  Come on, we always thought that you didn’t want to do any of it that is why you grabbed the camera instead.”

“Hi guys.” Jim slipped into her bedroom as they talked.  Mart followed.

“I am still trying to apologize,” Honey said through tears.

“I know.  Look, it is okay-- this can all be a thing of the past right now. Did you ask her if she would help you plan your wedding yet?” Jim asked nicely.

“I was getting to that,” Honey answered.

“You aren’t serious, are you planning it already? What about college?”

“Mom and Dad said we could if we wanted to right away but I have to promise to complete college and so does he.” Honey smiled.

“Oh.” Trixie stood up with the aid of her crutches as she leaned over and gave Honey a big hug.

“So, will you help me plan? I am figuring it is going to take at least six to nine months to plan this thing. Knowing how big of a society thing it will likely be, that estimate of time will likely double before it is over too,” Honey added with a big smile.

“Oh, of course, I’ll help,” Trixie promised.

“Oh good….” Honey hugged her again. “I wasn’t sure if you would even want to be my friend after how despicable I have been to you lately.”

“Hey, if I consent to be your sister-in-law without arguments, then you have to consent to not picking on me anyway, so I am reasonably sure this won't repeat itself. Right? Don’t worry about it, I don’t want to lose my best friend either.”

“Oh!” Honey just giggled as she looked nervously back at Mart.

“Before we start planning this wedding, we have a stalker to catch, don’t we?” Mart asked.

“Oh, you are right,” Honey said with a nervous grin.

“Mart, you got your hair cut?” Trixie gasped.

“It was long overdue.” Mart rubbed his cropped off hair with a smile. “Honey doesn’t want me to continue to let it grow out because it was looking too much like you.” He laughed.

“I warned you about that a month ago,” Trixie giggled.

“Oh, I suppose having an almost twin is a big drag, but I love you, sis.” Mart hugged her in a brotherly type squeeze sideways as he grinned.

Jim hurried forward to help her sit back down on the bed and rest her leg comfortably.

“I spoke a little bit more to Doc Langley about your coach and how much he might know about that subject,” Jim said as he sat next to her on the edge of the bed.

“I called Linda,” Mart interrupted. “Linda said that she didn’t think her actual stalker was Henry himself.  They just couldn’t get along after he asked her to have an abortion once he discovered they were having a baby. It is against her religion.   She couldn’t live with something like that.

“Not just for the Olympic gold medal-- she said she was guilty of not caring enough about that gold medal to give it everything she had. However, the man she thinks was stalking her was another one of the gymnasts, but she just couldn’t prove it enough to demand arrests.  She said that if you were promising to be the best of that team to keep an eye out on Francine Jeremy--she will kill you with kindness and pretend to be your best friend in order to find out a deep dark secret or an issue that she can blackmail you with, and she will ruin every chance you have at that gold medal.  If she can’t find a dark secret or that issue to blackmail you with, Linda  is sure she would pick out something else to accomplish her goals.”

“Good grief!” Trixie gasped. “I have no blackmail ammunition to hand someone. I don’t have deep dark secrets either.”

“I agree you are the town’s resident goody two shoes.” Jim winked at her as he spoke.

“The only problem is with stalkers you can’t have them arrested unless they are caught actually doing something illegal to you.” Honey sat next to her as she spoke. “I was talking to Grandpa on that subject last night.  He said that all we can do is keep on our toes and watch our backs until she or he decides to make another move.  If we are lucky we can catch he or she doing something bad enough to call the district attorney. He recommended that we post no trespassing private property signs all over the Ten Acres property, so if that stalker returns there to pretend they are a witch or something, then we can get them on no trespassing charges. At least then we could get a restraining order or something.

“Oh we can’t get them on more, could we?”

“Not unless they do more. People actually can terrorize someone half to death sometimes without even getting in trouble at all.  It isn’t fair if you ask me,” Mart said soberly.

“I wanted to ask you about the witch that you saw that had some man chasing her relentlessly?” Honey asked.

“Oh, you have been with me before when I saw that,” Trixie said to her.

“I know, but I didn’t see it and you were always to spooked to stay in the trails to go back and investigate closer to see if we could see tracks or not. I assumed you were probably making that up because normally nothing ever spooks you.”

“I have had a few nightmares of that man chasing that witch. I don’t know if I am seeing reality or a really bad nightmare wide awake lately. No one understands or cares.” She teared up.

“I am sorry, I do understand, and I do care.” Honey put her hand on hers as she spoke.

“I would probably be having nightmares, too, if I had all that stalking evidence thrust at me like you have lately,” Jim said. “I tell you what we will do, since you are officially out of the race for the Olympic gold until you heal, let's just relax and watch a little bit to see if the stalking issues die down? If Linda is right and it is one of those guys from the team maybe they will get bored with it and start leaving you alone. If not, then we will be quietly ready for this person because all of us Bob-Whites are going to have your back no matter what. We aren’t going to leave you alone long enough for anyone to terrorize you anymore.”

“Okay!” Trixie’s eyes lit up, now that she had her friends back everything seemed much brighter.

Honey and Mart headed out of the room when Helen called them to come help her in with the groceries.                                       

 

Chapter Ten

Jim hesitated a moment before following them to ask if she was okay.

“Yes, thanks.” She nodded.

“I’ll be back in ten.” Jim grabbed a quick kiss goodbye and headed for the door.

Trixie leaned back against her pillows to smile. Jim’s "I love you" felt so comforting that all she could do was grin nearly from ear to ear.

She knew deep within that she would never love another as deeply as she did James Frayne Wheeler. It felt good to know that her best friend Honey had her eyes set firmly on her brother. Mart's proposal came at just the right moment in time. Maybe Honey would feel more secure in the knowledge that Mart Belden really did love her. She always did act like she thought she never was in his league.

She told Trixie before that Mart was far too good-looking to ever settle for her, and she feared that he might be a playboy. Even though Trixie laughed and assured her that Mart often felt the same thing about her. Somehow Trixie didn’t think Honey ever truly believed her when she told her that. Hopefully she wouldn’t continue to stay so insecure in her relationship.

Trixie knew how she felt she was still pretty insecure with her own relationship, those feelings of inadequacies bothered her, too.  Maybe those inadequate feelings bothered every living soul on the planet at this stage of life. Trixie was inclined to believe that they probably did.

“Hi.” Jim interrupted her daydreaming thoughts as he came back in the room carrying a bottle of cold soda and a chocolate cupcake.

“Oh, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” Jim laughed. “I brought you the drink you asked for and a sweet for my sweet?” He winked.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Trixie smiled as she took his kiss hello.

“I spoke to the recycling team’s supervisor that Matt hired for the project on the phone just now

“We have a recycling team?”

“Yes, I hired several men from the community center to come and help with recycling.  You see, I want to recycle just as much of the old house as humanly possible. That part of the job is scheduled to start tomorrow.  According to Tom the best way to restore the old house is to dismantle it and start from scratch.”

“Oh, I want to help,” she groaned.

“I know you do and you will be a big help, but just not with the hands on stuff in the beginning. I will give you some assignments that I think you still can handle. Stuff that will help bring in sponsors looking for advertisement endorsements and that sort of thing.  Can you call some potential donators?”

“Oh, so I get the salesmen side of this project?”

“You are best at that.” Jim smiled.

“I can handle the phone, sure,” she giggled.

 

Chapter 11

A month would pass with no more stalking incidents. Trixie was beginning to believe the theory that it might have been someone from her gymnastics team because since she broke her ankle everything seemed to fade away.  There were no more cruel letters and even her nightmares had begun to fade. The dismantling of the old mansion was complete and the first show in the series for this project was being aired on television.

The Bob-Whites were sitting back and watching that show happily as they ate their pizza in the clubhouse. The harmonious camaraderie of the club of close friends was back to normal.

Diana was teasing Mart about a funny scene in the show that wasn't deleted in which he fell into a puddle of mud. She hadn’t been there that day to see it happen because she had a doctor appointment. They convinced the producers that a little humor would liven up the show so they left it in there.

 

Across town an angry young person sat in front of the television consumed with jealous anger. Why should she get all the good breaks? Why must she excel in everything she ever does I hate her. I am going to stop her if it is the last thing I ever do. How did she get a job hosting a show like that? How come little miss rich thing gets to be the president of the Bob-Whites?

I want to be the president of the Bob-Whites. This person sat on the floor and kicked the floor with heels and fists until the pain was bad enough to stop.  The stalker looked up at the evil witch's costume still hanging on the back of the closet door.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and an older man stepped into the room.

“Will you stop making so much noise? I have to get some sleep some time. I have to go to work at eleven. What is your problem? Why don’t you go get a job and stop lazing around all the time? You’re a bum, a filthy bum sponging off of me your whole life.  Get up, and clean this pig pen.”

That old man wouldn’t stop yelling.  For the next hour he angrily complained until it was time for him to leave for work.

Finally, he left and the young one that was subjected to his anger got up and found a bottle of aspirin and quickly swallowed four of those pills.  “Momma, why did you have to die?”

It didn’t take long before that long black robe was over those shoulders and that pointed black hat tucked under one arm.  The other hand held another nasty letter written to the most popular girl in school.

 

Dan Mangan jumped up from his place in the security guard's booth up at the Ten Acres property where they had round the clock security going that linked up to both the Manor House property as well as Ten Acres.  An active alert beeped on the control center's panel.

It was the camera aimed at Crabapple Farm and Dan clearly saw the figure of the one dressed in a long black robe with a big pointed hat.

He jumped up from his place and quickly called for back up on his radio communicator from the other guards. Several men took off running toward the house.

Brian and Mart heard Dan’s alert and rushed through Crabapple Farm to the front door. Soon the chase was on. The person in black was running hard in an attempt to get away.

With little effort on the guards, part, the witch was cornered and then surrounded by Bob-Whites with nowhere to turn.

“We caught you dead to rights on our security cameras,” Dan told the person who was in full green painted disguise.

“I wasn’t doing anything but leaving a letter.”

“You left another hate note?” Trixie limped up to the group of guys waiting for the police to get there to arrest the intruder.

“Who are you? And why do you hate me?”

“You think you're so special, Trixie Belden.” It was a girl’s voice. “You have everything, spoiled little rich girl!”

“I am not rich--I have busted my rump getting anything at all in my life. I am far from rich.”

Del Molinson arrived, pulled off the stalker's face mask and gasped in shock at who it was.

“Amy?” Dan was stunned.

“You liked her better then me!” Amy shouted.

“Trixie is my best friend,” Dan gasped.

“See, you like her more.  He’s in love with her! I hate that. Tell me you don’t love her and you love me, tell her!” she shouted.

“Oh good grief….” Dan answered with a toss of his hands. “I guess I have no girlfriend again.  We are over,” he told her loudly. “I am a Bob-White-- no one messes with the clan absolutely no matter what.  Get her out of here.”

“Well, you could have nominated me into the club,” she told Dan loudly. “You have too many secrets.”

“You are very sick,” Jim told her sadly.

 

“I am sorry, Dan,” Trixie said to him personally the next morning.

“I am glad I found this out now rather then later.  I was about to ask if I could nominate her into the club at our next official meeting but now I’ll look elsewhere.  She has a screw loose.”

“Well, we will match you with a better girl,” Diana promised as she hugged Dan quickly.

“No, I will hold off those thoughts for a good long while now.” Dan shook his head.  He wanted no part of that.

“I am glad this stalking mystery is over,” Trixie said with a sigh. “Will we be able to press enough charges to be safe now?”

“Well, the good news is you have your restraining order. Her father refused to put up bail, he said she is a mental case. If you ask me, he’s the mental case, but in any event she is going to a mental hospital for evaluation.  The judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation so they will know when it is safe to release her,” Trixie’s father said.

“I would like to go over there and see if I can do something to make her see that I am not some cruel-hearted person,” Trixie said soberly.

“Wait.  We will see if talking to her would help once her evaluations are over.  Right now, she could be very dangerous,” Jim said.

“Or she could be someone in need of a friend that cares enough to help her through a rough patch in her life,” Honey said compassionately.

“I agree with them,” said Di,  “We will know if she is not worth helping after we speak to her. I want to see if there might have been something we could have done to have shown her that we aren’t snobs or something. I hate thinking someone thought that of us or of Trixie-- she is the sweetest person I ever met.”

“Honestly, you girls kill me,” Dan laughed suddenly. “I would give anything to find a girl as compassionate as those three are. Would you listen to that?”

“Oh, Danny, she’s out there,” Jim laughed.

“I think I am going to call Hallie and tell her to visit right about now,” Peter Belden said with a big grin.

“Hallie…?” Dan’s eyes lit up. “Now, Amy would have an actual point if she accused me of being in love with someone else and she pointed her finger at Hallie. When I told her I had another girl before, I never meant for her to think it was Trixie in the first place.”

“You cad!” Trixie giggled loudly. “Give me that phone, I am calling Hallie. She needs to hear about this little admission right here.”

“Don’t you dare?” Dan started wrestling her for the phone. Trixie just giggled loudly as she wouldn’t let him have it.

“Aw, Helen, life is back to normal,” Peter sighed as he watched the kids teasing Dan playfully. 

“I know what you mean, dear.” Helen took his hug and smiled. “I wish I was still that young.  They make me feel old sometimes.”

The End

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