The Secret of the Stone Wall

Part V

Ben stopped pacing back and forth as Trixie entered the Rose garden, the tulips around their feet still damp with the morning dew.

They eyed each other warily, neither one knowing where to begin.

"So.…" Trixie began.

"Guess you didn’t think you would see me out here this morning," Ben interrupted.

"Actually, I had my doubts. It seems you have been more anxious than usual to get rid of me."

Ben sighed and sat down on an ornate wooden swing under a trellis. "I’m sorry." Noticing she was still frowning at him, he motioned for her to sit next to him. "Really. Let’s put all this kid stuff behind us, can’t we?"

Trixie looked carefully into his hazel eyes, but Ben really seemed sincere. Wearily she sat down next to him and suppressed a yawn, which he immediately echoed.

"So, Ben, are you getting any sleep or are you just up all night in the labyrinth playing ghost?" she said, a bit grumpily.

"What? I think you have the wrong idea."

"Care to give me another one?"

He sighed and leaned back, causing the bench to rock gently. "Ok, I kind of wanted to figure this all out myself, but I’m getting the feeling I’m in over my head."

He gave her a disapproving look. "I guess I didn’t want any help from my cousin’s crazy tomboy detective friend.

Trixie stood up, indignant. "For your information, Honey is every bit a detective that I am. And, no, you aren’t going to get any help from us if you keep talking to me that way."

She started to walk away, but he grabbed her hand. "Wait, wait. I’m sorry." He pulled her back down beside him. "I’m really tired, you know?"

Trixie let out an exasperated breath. "Then would you just tell me what’s going on? I don’t want to be chasing my best friend’s crazy cousin all over the labyrinth anymore."

Ben gave a tight smile. "Alright, I deserved that." He took a deep breath, and started his story.

"Two weeks ago, I was having a burger down at Jay’s- -that’s the local diner. I have my books all over the booth, because it’s finals, and my grades aren’t exactly up there with Honey’s brother, if you know what I mean."

Unconsciously, Trixie nodded. Her grades weren’t quite outstanding, either.

I should be at home studying like Mart and Dan.,she thought guiltily.

"Anyway, so there I am, buried under this mound of books, when the waitress comes over, and manages to spill the water on my calculus workbook." He chuckled softly. "I was about to blow my stack, and looked over at the clumsy girl who just made a difficult week even worse, when I was hit with these big gray eyes, see, and she was saying how sorry she was, and how it was her first day…."

Trixie looked over at him incredulously. She couldn’t imagine Ben not blowing up with rage at the girl. Silently she waited for him to continue.

"She wouldn’t give me any information about herself, so I happened to eat after school there for a week. Mrs. Philips worries I don’t like the cook’s food."

He glances sideways at Trixie. "Which I don’t. He’s nowhere near the cook they have at Manor House. But living here isn’t so bad, I really like Miss Emmeline, and Mrs. P isn’t too bad, even though she tries to be my governess."

Trixie smiled at the silly face he made.

"So far very interesting, but how does that explain the weird things in the maze?" she asked.

"I’m getting to it. I plan to be an architect, and although I’ve got plenty to study here, and I was curious as to the structure down at the Brownestone estate. So, one evening, I decided to go through the maze and check out the properties."

He turned to face Trixie. "I’m coming out of the far end down there, and there she was, still in her white uniform, poking around one of the statues."

He reddened. "I had this dumb hope that she was looking for me, so I yelled out to her. She took off down the trail to the estate, and I followed her. She went into the old groundskeeper’s hut, and yelled at me to get off the property or she’d call the police. It took me a while to convince her I was only a neighbor."

He leaned back and rubbed his forehead. "It seems like weeks ago, now. We finally got to talking. Her name is Jean Dugan, and she is Charlotte Browne’s great-granddaughter."

Trixie sat up excitedly. "That would explain the resemblance!" she frowned. "I thought that the Brownes were all dead."

"Apparently, their son, Jean’s grandfather, survived. A friend took him in and raised him. He went to sea, and eventually married. His wife didn’t live long, but they did have a daughter, who was Jean’s mother." He rubbed his eyes and shook his head hopelessly. "I’m fuzzy on the whole history. Anyway, when her grandfather died, he willed her a locket with her great- grandparent’s pictures in it, and some old, old letters. Through the letters she found out about the Brownestone property."

Ben sat up straight and looked Trixie in the eye. "Jean is a really great girl. Her father is an invalid and her mother works full time as a nurse. She thought that maybe if she followed this crazy idea of a large property in Connecticut, she might make a better life for them, you know? So she came here and got a job, and started checking out the estate."

"Didn’t her parents object?"

"She just turned eighteen, so they really can’t say too much. She just told them not to worry, and she would keep in touch and let them know what she found out."

Trixie chewed her lip. "So she found a will or something?"

Ben sighed. "Now we are getting to the strange part. She has some clues from the old letters, but they are really falling apart. I volunteered my services in finding the evidence needed to establish proof of her claim." He shook his head. "She doesn’t think I can help her. I think she kind of looks down on me because my family’s rich." He stared out at the maze, almost talking to himself.

"I thought if I could help her find proof that the estate should be hers, she would have a little respect for me."

Trixie stared at him, unbelieving. Ben was really smitten with this mysterious girl.

Noticing her scrutiny, he mentally shook himself and cleared his throat. "Anyway," he continued, "we checked the town registrar for wills and legal stuff, and we have been following the clues the letter gave us. Then some strange stuff started happening."

"Like what?"

"Jean’s been staying at the local Y in town. Several times she’s noticed that the grounds had been trespassed on, and the hut broken into. Then, the delays of searches downtown. Then these notes." He frowned. "You found one last night. Needless to say, they’ve gotten her pretty unnerved. Then last night, at work, someone made a crank call to her, gasping in a horrible voice and telling her to leave the property." He cast a worried glance at Trixie. "I am getting pretty unnerved myself. And we haven’t even come close to finding out anything."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him about the headless figure that she had seen last night. Ben seemed to be telling the truth, but she didn’t quite trust him yet.

"And the estate soon will be up for sale if you don’t," was all she said.

Ben leaned back and exhaled slowly. "Right. So you see why I’ve been spending all my spare time in the labyrinth?"

"I’m beginning to." Trixie glanced down at his watch. "Yikes! We’d better be getting in to breakfast. I’d like to see those letters to know what you are looking for, too."

Ben stood and looked around carefully. "I’ll hand them over to you after breakfast," he said in a low voice. "One of them is already missing, and I think the walls do have ears around here."

Trixie stood and surveyed the surrounding area. Everything was calm and still, a sharp contrast to the night before.

Deep in thought, she followed Honey’s cousin back into the huge house.

*     *     *

Trixie hurriedly tucked her shirt into her dungarees, fidgeting nervously while she waited for Honey to join her in their room.

She decided to look again at the letter Ben had given her after breakfast.

"This is the one that says the most about finding the papers Jean needs," he had whispered, "but it is in horrible shape. See what you and Honey can make of it. I’m going to pick Jean up now and drive her to Fairfield, to check out the county offices and see if they won’t give her any more cooperation."

Trixie sighed with impatience as she waited for her best friend.

Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Moore and a few others were going to do some shopping, and Honey was working on not having to go along. Honey’s father and Jim were going with a few other men to visit a horse farm nearby. Trixie really hated to turn down the offer to go along, especially after the disappointed look on Jim’s face.

"Business is business," she tried to console herself, but the twinge of guilt she felt didn’t quite go away.

Tossing her curls, she sat down on her bed and unfolded the yellowing letter.

"Whew! That was close!" Honey flew into the room and slammed the door behind her.

Trixie looked up at her. "You don’t have to go?"

Honey sprawled across her bed in complete relief. "No, thanks to Miss Trask, who is taking my place, along with Mrs. Philips. We will be free to explore the gardens all morning."

"Super! Let’s get going!"

"Can I change first?" said Honey with a smile at her impulsive friend. "I also want to know what’s going on! I wake up and find you missing, leaving me with only these, shall we call them notes?" she waved a slim hand at Trixie’s notebook. "Then, I see you out in the rose garden with Ben, which by the way has opened up a real crock of fish for you." Honey shook a finger at Trixie.

Trixie started giggling. "Don’t you mean a kettle?"

Honey stopped concentrating on her shirt buttons. "No, it’s ‘kettle of worms’, isn’t it?"

Trixie laughed harder. "No, it’s ‘can of worms" and ‘kettle of fish’ and ‘crock of hooey’."

Honey started giggling at her mistake. "Well, I know it’s ‘the pot calling the kettle black’, and that’s what you are doing, Trixie Belden, laughing at me."

Honey pretended to pout, which made the short blonde laugh harder.

"Well, they are all good containers for mixing metaphors in, and I’m just happy it’s not me for once garbling my phrases. So what’s got me in a pot of hot water?" she asked when the giggling subsided.

Honey sighed. "Mrs. Scott saw you and Ben out in the garden and made a comment to the room on how romantic the scene looked."

Trixie sat up. "Oh, no!"

"Oh, yes." Honey nodded. "Jim was sitting right next to me, and although he would never say anything, I could tell he was kind of upset."

Trixie shook her head slowly. "Jim is too sensible to think anything silly like that." She tried to ignore the telltale blush creeping into her cheeks. "And besides, he’s too worried about us getting lost in the maze, remember? Honestly, I don’t know who is worse, him or Brian."

She rearranged the pillows on the bed, not quite looking Honey in the eye. "Sometimes I wonder if I’m just another little sister to him," she mumbled.

Honey opened her mouth to speak as Trixie jumped up from the bed. "And anyway, this train of thought isn’t getting us into that maze or solving this mystery!" she waved her arm at the window.

Honey closed her mouth and stared thoughtfully at her friend. "Ok, you’re right, tell me about these notes you made last night. I was with you until ‘ saw headless man walking down path’. Did you really see John Browne’s ghost?" Honey moved closer to the edge of the bed, her hazel eyes wide with disbelief.

Trixie sat down across from her. "Yes and no. After talking with Ben this morning, I believe I saw someone pretending to be John Browne’s ghost." And she told Honey about her conversation earlier that morning.

"So the girl you saw is a great granddaughter of Charlotte Browne! Then the whole estate should be hers!"

"But she needs proof. And this letter supposedly had the clues to that proof."

Both girls bent eagerly over the shredded paper. "There is barely enough here to read. Let’s take it over to the desk."

Trixie spread out the paper on the flat surface. "The top and bottom are definitely missing, and some good pieces of the sides, too." she said, frowning.

"The middle is pretty clear, though. …John is still in a rage after all this time…" Honey read. "..nding…looks like ‘sending’… sending out spies to find…" she shook her head, honey blonde hair falling gently around her shoulders.

"Look here, Honey- " sending your grandmother’s locket… John cannot drive us away….will kept safe.." She straightened up and chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Ben mentioned a locket this morning."

"Oh!" Honey exclaimed! "…family papers and treasures safe in the stone wall…winged guar….I guess that’s guardian."

"Winged guardian in a stone wall?" The girls looked at each other, each feeling the excitement of a new mystery.

"I think we should start searching the Browne side of the maze…." Trixie started.

"For a secret compartment in one of the walls!" Honey finished.

They quickly gathered their things.

"Wait- we should make a quick sketch of the maze as a map!" said Trixie, scrambling for a pencil.

"No need, I made one this morning. And I think, from what I can see, the Browne half is a mirror of this side, so we can guess how the paths go." Honey waved a folded piece of paper and put it in her pocket.

"Honey Wheeler!" Trixie beamed. "You are definitely the brains of this outfit!"

"You could still climb a tree if we get lost, you know."

Trixie rubbed her hip. "No thanks, I’m still smarting from yesterday. You know what?" she asked, snapping her fingers. "We should ask Ben about that locket."

Honey nodded. "You think there might be some directions inside?" Trixie shrugged. "Well, it happened before, you know." She said self-consciously.

Honey smiled. "Did you bring that particular souvenir of the mystery of the emeralds with you?"

"No, it’s locked away at home." Trixie grew quiet.

Honey folded the old letter up and put it in one of the desk drawers. "Hmm. I think there is another mystery to solve here," she said casually, walking towards the door.

Trixie frowned. "Like what?"

Honey slowly turned to face her "Like why someone who is brave enough to chase criminals all around the country is too scared to figure out her feelings concerning my brother," she said matter-of-factly, and exited the room.

Trixie stood still, blue eyes very wide, for a minute. Then, shaking her sandy blonde curls, she quickly followed her friend out to the garden.

 

Part VI

"So we’re safe assuming that whoever is trying to scare this Jean girl is interested in the Browne property." Honey was looking at the map as they strode down one of the narrower paths.

Trixie nodded. "Mmm-hmm. And I have the feeling that it must be one of the men I overheard talking at the theatre. Or someone familiar with the two houses."

"You don’t think any of the household staff could be responsible, do you? Mrs. Philips hired almost everyone years and years ago."

"What about the gardening staff? Some of the men must be young for all the heavy work that they do. And they certainly would know the property very well." They came to a brick wall that was dense with honeysuckle.

"Well, here we are at the dividing line. Are you sure this is the pathway the headless man was on?"

Trixie gave a faint smile. "Pretty sure. It’s not a sight one forgets easily."

The sound of voices off to their right pulled the girls away from the fork in the path.

Retracing their steps slightly, they peered around a dense but well trimmed hedge to see one of the young gardeners transplanting seedlings into groups of urns that surrounded a small open area.

In the middle of the clearing, several stone benches were set up around a small marble checkers table. The early morning sun cast golden beams into the area, making it a pleasant and cheery scene.

Two boys about twelve were perched on one of the benches, watching the gardener.

"So what you’re saying, then, Max, is that your gang was trespassing on the Browne property last night," he said, watering the young transplants with an old aluminum watering can.

"Jeepers, Shaun, that’s a harsh way of putting it! Us Heaters weren’t trespassing, we were investigating!"

Trixie looked at Honey, finding her own amusement echoed in her hazel eyes. Stifling laughter, they continued to listen to the boy’s explanation.

"Investigating." Shaun bent over the next urn.

"Of course we were investigating! That’s what future G-men do, right, Sid?"

The other boy nodded vigorously. "Right. When Curtis Jackson told us about the time that him and some of the other guys from the Pony League camped out in the maze on a dare...."

Shaun stood and shook his head. "Everyone knows the story. They saw the headless ghost of John Browne. You don’t believe that nonsense, do you?"

Sid and Max looked at each other and gulped. "Well, that’s why we stopped by… we kinda saw it, too."

"What?"

"We were down by the old spring house and heard some noises in the maze. We all went in a little bit to look, and then Lenny yelled, and we saw it coming right at us." Sid’s voice was shaking a little.

"No head, just like Curtis said." Max hung his head shamefacedly. "We all kinda took off then, and ran back to the clubhouse."

He and Sid looked really downcast. "I guess real G-men wouldn’t turn chicken and run," he finished.

Shaun tried to hide his smile. "Probably not, but they don’t usually investigate ghosts, and they certainly don’t investigate other people’s property without permission. I am glad to hear that you didn’t totally lie to Mom about where you stayed last night, Max."

Max shuffled his feet. "I didn’t lie," he mumbled. "We did sleep at the clubhouse, like I said. Anyway, we were kinda hoping you would sorta go check it out."

Shaun shook his head and gathered his equipment. "Out of the question. One thing that Mr. Philips is real strict about is that we not go on the Browne Estate. Not one step over the property line." He nodded emphatically. "And I am not going to jeopardize a good job like this to go ghost chasing. Probably just a deer or a barn owl you kids saw anyway. Now, do you want to earn some money for your club’s treasury or not? We have a lot of weeding to do in the garden." He strode off towards the estate, the boys following along, still trying to convince them of what they saw.

Trixie turned to Honey and sighed. "Poor boys! I know what they saw."

Honey giggled. "Well, we aren’t G-men, but shall we investigate anyway?"

Nodding, Trixie turned back down the trail. "The headless man came down this way," she said as they returned to the brick wall.

"Well, which way do you think he went?" Honey looked left and right. The path off to the right was thick for a distance, then seemed to open out to a sunny area. The path on the left started under a rotting black walnut tree, and seemed to descend slightly into a dark and dense thicket.

"Let me guess," the taller girl said, "we go left." Sighing, she followed Trixie down the narrow, overgrown trail, starting slightly at a rustling noise ahead of them. "What was that?"

Trixie chuckled. " A vicious rabbit. See his menacing fluffy tail?" she pointed at a small cottontail hopping madly away from them.

They continued down through the dense underbrush in silence.

"Ah-ha- see that Honey?" Trixie pointed to some broken bits of twigs hanging above them.

Honey smiled. "Jim hasn’t drilled us in tracking for nothing, I guess." Reaching up, she grabbed a piece of black cloth. The girls traveled down the path at a faster pace, until they came upon a wide-open area near an old iron fence. Blinking in the sudden sunlight, they surveyed the area.

Several stone outbuildings marked the kitchen area of the estate. Off to the right, they could see the grand stone terrace leading up to the house.

Trixie eyed the scene critically. "This isn’t what I expected at all," she said. "I thought the layout of the house and gardens would be like the Greystone Estate."

"Me, too. " Honey looked at the old house, long abandoned. "It’s much creepier than I thought it would be." She shivered. "It reminds me of the old mansion before it burnt down.

Both girls were silent for a minute. "Perhaps we should go back," Honey whispered.

Trixie startled her by laughing out loud. "Well, the old mansion was creepy, but we found Jim inside, didn’t we?"

Honey couldn’t help but smile. "That’s right. I can hardly remember what our lives were like before I met you and Jim. But you’ve got to admit that place was pretty spooky. Especially when that horrible stepfather of Jim’s showed up."

Trixie started picking her way through the overgrown shrubbery. "Jonesy was awful. But he’s sitting behind bars right now."

"I know, I was just thinking that whoever is pretending to be the ghost of John Browne might be just as awful, maybe even dangerous."

Trixie shook her head. "I don’t think so, Honey. All he’s done so far is leave little notes around, and accidentally frighten a bunch of boys. I don’t think anyone’s been threatened. I would like to talk to this Jean, though. Maybe she can tell us more."

Honey nodded, as they followed a faint path towards the front of the property.

The front of the mansion was still impressive, despite the wear of the years. A great stone staircase wound down from the massive doorway.

Honey stopped still and pointed. "Trixie! Look at that!"

Trixie was already hurrying over to the staircase. At the foot were two fat columns, one supporting a regal lion, and the other a fierce eagle.

Breathlessly, both girls looked up at the noble bird.

"This has got to be the winged guardian!" Trixie started slowly circling the base of the stone column.

"But how are we going to find the papers?" Honey stared at the eyes of the stone eagle, completely mystified.

Trixie chewed her lip and started tapping and feeling each stone and crevice. "There would be some sort of device or latch, or something to move or open…." Her voice dwindled as they concentrated on the pillar.

After a while, they sat down on the steps, exhausted.

Trixie pushed her curls off her hot forehead in exasperation. "I don’t understand it Honey. What are we missing?"

Honey pulled her straight blonde hair off her neck and sighed. "I don’t know, Trix. Maybe we need to examine the letter more carefully."

Trixie stood up. "I think you may be right."

They walked silently through the tall grass for a while, until the large mansion was behind them, and a small cottage loomed before them, with the dirt path leading up to it.

The grounds around the small hut seemed to be in less disrepair and the building itself seemed to be in good shape. The two girls circled the building carefully, noticing signs of other visitors recently.

Trixie tried the front door, only to find it locked tight.

"Well, at least we know where the Smythes lived," said Honey, preparing to leave.

Trixie frowned. Something was nagging at the back of her head, but she couldn’t draw it out. Walking around the side of the house, she jumped up and pushed against the high window. To her delight, it swung inward.

"Honey, give me a boost!"

Honey looked around carefully. "I don’t know, Trixie, that seems like breaking and entering."

"Not technically, since we are trying to help the rightful owner, and I’m sure that when we get to meet her, she will understand."

Honey giggled nervously and cupped her hands for Trixie to stand on. "Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be a lawyer, Trixie? You could find a loophole in a haystack."

Trixie grinned at her. "Do you think I could go to law school with my grades?" she said as she crawled in the open window.

"Trixie? Are you ok in there?" Honey jumped up and down, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend.

"Honey? Over here!"

Honey ran around to the front of the house, cautiously walking through the now open front door.

Trixie was wandering towards the kitchen area of the small place. Honey glanced around at the stone walls and dusty shelves and furniture. "Trixie?"

"Hmmm?"

"It looks like someone’s been searching around in here." She pointed out the disturbed areas of dust, and some items strewn about. Honey looked around for any kind of papers resembling a will. Carefully she looked over an old oak desk, finding nothing but notations on gardening.

Trixie was busy tapping the walls, making her way around the rooms, moving items out of her way.

"What are you doing?"

Trixie glanced briefly at her friend. "The letter mentioned a family hiding place. If this is the Smythe property, there has to be some sort of safe, or secret nook."

Honey frowned. "I don’t know, Trixie, I think we are grasping a little here.…"

Trixie grimaced as she tried to move a heavy bookcase. "I know, I know. Don’t think I can’t imagine what the boys would say if they were here. But this makes more sense to have something hidden in their house than on the Browne estate. Give me a hand with this, will you?"

Together they moved the shelves over a few feet.

Honey wiped the dust off her hands gingerly and shook her head. "It’s not that I don’t believe in you, Trixie, but.…"

"I found it!" Trixie yelled.

"What?" Her hazel eyes wide, Honey rushed over to her side.

With a slow creaking sound, Trixie undid a hidden latch under one of the stones jutting out from the wall. Unbelievably, a two- foot by four feet area of wall swung open.

Speechless, the girls stared at the black space in front of them, a narrow set of stairs leading down into a small area.

"Trixie Belden!" Honey exclaimed when she found her breath. "I can’t believe you just waltzed right in here and found a secret door! If the boys were here they would just have to acknowledge your detective skill."

Trixie giggled. "It’s more like my dumb luck." Grinning, she stepped toward the opening in the wall.

Honey grabbed Trixie’s arm as she moved forward. "You aren’t.…"

"Did you bring your flashlight?"

The slim girl shook her head no.

"Then only to the bottom of the stairs." And before her friend could protest any further, she carefully eased her way down the stone steps.

Honey could see her the blonde curls moving around, then disappear. "Trixie! Are you alright?"

"Yes! I just slipped and fell, it’s damp and muddy in here." Trixie’s head popped out of the hole, followed by the rest of her.

Honey looked at her friend, spattered with white spots and streaks, but blue eyes glowing and face flushed with excitement.

"It’s not just a cubbyhole." Trixie announced breathlessly. "I’m pretty certain it’s some sort of tunnel. We should run back to the estate and get our flashlights!"

Honey looked at her watch, and shook her head ruefully. "No chance. We have just enough time to get back and shower and get ready for the dance tonight. And we’d better hurry if we want to talk to Ben and still have time to eat."

Trixie shut the secret door and tried not to show too much disappointment. "You’re right. But I can’t wait to see where this leads."

Honey led the way out of the cottage and shut the door behind them. "I know, Trix. I’m just as curious as you are. But it may only be some sort of root cellar or something like that."

Trixie’s face fell. She hadn’t thought of that.

"And anyway, I would feel better if Jim or Ben were with us, wouldn’t you?"

"Not if it turns out to be just a root cellar. But I have a feeling that it’s something important."

"Speaking of," Honey said as they consulted the map and re-entered the maze, "shouldn’t there have been some sort of ‘winged guardian’ by that entrance?"

"You’re right." Trixie frowned. "Perhaps there is another hiding place somewhere else in the gardens. Ben should be able to tell us of any other winged statues or symbols, since he seems to know the maze so well."

Honey nodded. "Very clever. And I guess he would have been looking for the same thing this last week."

"Right. Would you stop looking over your shoulder? It’s making me nervous."

Honey shivered. "I can’t help it. I keep thinking that someone or something is watching us."

"Ugh. You positively give me the creeps sometimes, Honey Wheeler. Come on, we have to meet Ben by the statue of Athena. I need some more answers." Consulting the map again, the girls continued on the twisting trail, into the center of the labyrinth.

*     *     *

Ben was pacing back and forth next to the lovely statue on a vine covered pedestal, stopping when he heard the rustling sounds on the lower right path, then breathing a sigh of relief when Honey’s face appeared around the corner of the overgrown hedge.

"Hey, cousin," he called to her,"I was afraid I missed you." He stopped short at the sight of Trixie emerging from the path.

"What happened to you?" Raising his eyebrows, he turned to Honey. "Can’t you keep her from reverting to a goon-like state at least once a day?"

Trixie scowled at him and was about to reply, but Honey interrupted. "We had an interesting time this morning. What did you find out? And when do we get to meet Jean?" She led Trixie over to a nearby bench and looked inquisitively at Ben.

He threw his hands in the air. "That the local paperwork was purposely jammed up, but they can’t locate the person or reason why. It comes down to this: if Jean can prove herself as heir to the estate, then everything will be turned over to her. If not, next month the land goes to the auction block, and that there have been quite a few inquiries." He slumped down onto the bench. "We’ve searched all over the place, under every statue with birds or even pertaining to birds." He pointed to the statue of Athena, the goddess of Wisdom. "We even checked here, since she was supposed to have a pet owl."

Honey smiled at him. "That was pretty clever of you, Ben." She looked around at the trees. "Maybe there’s some sort of birdhouse or nest…. I wish the rest of that letter hadn’t fallen apart."

Trixie had been absentmindedly picking bits of dried mud off her sleeve. "So where is this Jean at?" she said abruptly.

"I dropped her off at the Y. She has to work tonight." Ben turned to Honey. "I offered the hospitality of the Greystone, but she is pretty stubborn about accepting any favors."

Honey nodded sympathetically.

Trixie slowly rose from the bench and started slowly circling the statue. "Does she know we are trying to help?"

"I did tell her about you two this morning, although she found your adventures hard to believe at first, two high school girls tracking down thieves and finding treasure."

Knowing Trixie hated any criticism of their investigating, Honey smiled and said lightly, "I know. If I weren’t along for most of it, I wouldn’t believe it. Some of the things we’ve done I still can’t believe, like finding stolen diamonds, stolen trailers, secret passages..."

Ben shook a finger at her. "Exactly. It’s impossible to believe in something like that."

Trixie came over and stood in front of him. "Like the idea of family papers hidden in a stone wall?" she asked.

Ben flushed.

"Would you believe that Trixie just found a hidden opening in one of the walls of the Smythe cottage?" Honey diffused another confrontation, and proceeded to tell him about their morning as the three of them started back to the house.

Ben shook his head in wonder as they exited the maze. "I take it all back."

Trixie had been deep in thought as they walked. "Ben, didn’t the letter say something about a locket?" she now asked.

"Yeah, but the locket just has some old pictures in it. As a matter of fact, I have it right now because Jean was worried about it being stolen." He stopped to face Trixie on the way to the kitchen entrance. "Actually, you have it right now. It’s in the pocket of my sweater."

Trixie slapped her head. "I forgot to bring it. Shall I run up and go get it?"

Ben shook his head as he held the door for them. "You can give it to me later tonight at the club. Right now I just want to grab some sandwiches and lock myself as far away as possible from a household full of girls getting ready for a dance."

Mr. Scott and Honey’s father who were sitting at the small kitchen table, overheard his comment and roared with laughter.

"Amen to that!" Mr. Scott raised a glass of iced tea in salute.

"Daddy, I can’t believe you’re sneaking another piece of pie," Honey scolded her father.

Matthew Wheeler simply grinned like a little boy and shrugged. "Lemon sponge."

Trixie giggled at the sight of two of the wealthiest men on the east coast sneaking an afternoon snack in the pantry.

"Aren’t you two hungry?" Ben stuck his head out of the refrigerator, and things were quiet for a while as they concentrated on their chicken salad sandwiches.

True to his word, Ben disappeared immediately after lunch. Honey pulled Trixie aside on their way up to their room. "Why didn’t you tell Ben about the headless man wandering around the maze?" she asked.

Trixie shrugged uncomfortably.

Honey looked sharply at her best friend. "You don’t suspect Ben of being the ghost, do you?"

"Well, sort of... he is tall like the ghost was, and it is Ben we are dealing with, you know."

Honey looked grim. "Aren’t you forgetting about Jean?"

"How can I forget her if I’ve never met her? For all I know the person I saw in the maze is just some local girl." At Honey’s exasperated look she held up her hands. "Alright, alright. I know I’m too suspicious of everyone."

"You were right about Ben acting differently lately, Trixie." Honey had a faint smile on her face. "Falling in love has been good for him."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Unless he’s making up the whole story," she said.

Honey shook her head. "Well, I believe him. I know Ben has been a real handful of trouble in the past, but I’m still willing to trust him."

Trixie looked at her determined face.

"Alright, Honey," she said slowly, "you were right about Ben before. And he’s your relative, so you should know."

Seeing Honey’s obvious relief and happiness at her words, Trixie smiled. "And anyway, how can I speak with my strange relatives. Mart, for one, is crazy enough for seven families."

Honey burst into giggles. "Poor Mart, not here to defend himself," she said.

"Good," came the reply. "He would just confuse us with his long speeches and inferior bits of wisdom."

Looking down the hall, she changed the subject. "Do we have a minute to look around that room with the pictures quickly?"

Honey nodded. "What are you thinking?" she asked as they ambled down the hall.

"Well, remember how Miss Emmeline said that they used to hide from Charlotte’s brother?"

"Do you think they used that opening in the hut?"

Trixie shook her head. "I don’t know. But there might be a clue in a picture. I’m hoping we can talk to Miss Emmeline again about it. She might remember where it is."

Honey frowned. "Don’t get your hopes up too high. Her memories can be quite fuzzy at times. Remember how she kept calling Mr. Philips "Petruchio" after the play last night?"

Trixie paused with her hand on the doorknob. "There’s no Petruchio in ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’," she said as they walked into the room.

Jim looked up from the book he was reading on the large sofa. "Petruchio? He’s from ‘The Taming of the Shrew."

Honey smiled at her brother. "Really? I don’t remember that play very well."

He grinned back at her. "It happens to be the spring play that the drama club just performed at the university. Petruchio is the lucky character who tamed the shrew, also known as Katherine." He shot a glance at Trixie. "Who looked much like Trixie looks now. Did Mr. Philips install a hot mud bath in the Japanese garden?"

Trixie tossed her head and went over to look at the pictures hanging in the corner. After a minute, she walked back over to the sofa. "If thousands of Japanese businessmen pay good yen to sit in a warm puddle of mud then why not?"

Honey giggled. "Don’t forget that lots of European women put mud packs on their faces for beauty. Mother likes to try all the new beauty products, but I don’t think she will go that far."

"Your mother doesn’t have to do anything to be beautiful, Honey. I need my mud." Trixie crossed her eyes at Honey, making her laugh harder.

"Of course, Miss Belden. Shall we proceed with step two of your regimen?"

Trixie started out the door. "Certainly, Miss Wheeler. After you." They waved to Jim as they went upstairs.

Jim smiled at them, his green eyes studying their faces as they exited the room. Sighing, he laid back down on the couch, trying to concentrate on his book and failing miserably.

 

Part VII

Trixie sat on the edge of her bed, absentmindedly drying her curls. The hot shower had been a welcome distraction, but now her mind was turning round and round with the events of the past two days and all the unanswered questions that she had.

Honey emerged from the bathroom brushing her hair just as there was a knock on the door.

"I brought your dress up, Honey." Miss Trask came into the room with a beautiful pale yellow gown. "And an invitation, if you girls aren’t too tired from exploring this morning." Her blue eyes twinkled at them.

"An invitation for what?" asked Trixie.

"Heather would like to know if you two would be interested in joining her and the Spencer twins in the upstairs parlor to prepare for the dance."

Honey smiled at her. "That sounds like fun. Do you want to go, Trixie?"

Trixie nodded. "If we won’t be in Heather’s way."

Actually, she thought, the last thing I want to do right now is get into a dress. I know that tunnel leads somewhere… Shaking herself, Trixie forced all thoughts of finding a flashlight and going back to the cottage out of her head.

Miss Trask headed back out of the room. "Good, I will tell them to expect you." Nodding to the girls, she closed the door.

Honey smiled over at Trixie as they gathered their things to take along. "It won’t be that bad, Trix."

"I’m not sure what to expect. Is there some sort of ceremony?"

Honey laughed softly. "No, it’s just like a regular dance. It’s just a little dressier with a lot more relatives watching. Ready?"

Flinging a dress over her shoulder and tucking a bag under her arm, Trixie tightened the sash of her robe, and saluted sharply. "Aye, aye, Cap'n Wheeler. Off to battle!"

They were still giggling as they entered the large parlor area, receiving a warm welcome from Heather and the twins.

"Dora said she had some business to attend to," apologized Heather. "Come in and get comfortable."

For the next half hour the girls chatted and set their hair. Trixie was glad to hear Honey involved in the conversation, although most of the talking was done by the bubbly twins. After a brief argument between the two girls about sharing a mirror, they got out their dresses for the evening ahead. Trixie’s worries which had begun when she saw Honey’s long dress were confirmed. Her dress was a simple afternoon dress and looked extremely out of place next to the fancy gowns of Honey’s cousins.

Just like me, she thought grimly. As she stood holding the hanger, Honey, already in her gown, came over to her.

"Wow, Honey, you look absolutely gorgeous," Trixie said, and she meant it. Honey’s hair was straight and shining, and the pale yellow dress made her look sweeter than usual.

Honey smiled her thanks, then noticed the dress Trixie was holding.

"Is that what you’re wearing?" she asked, a slightly concerned note in her voice.

Trixie sighed. "I’m afraid so. I spilled something on the skirt of the one I wore to the theatre, and you saw what happened to my good party dress." Both girls grimaced at the thought of the dusty and torn dress, still crumpled on the floor of their room.

Honey started to undo her dress. "I really don’t want to wear this fancy thing. I can change into something simpler and then we will match…."

"Honey, don’t you dare." Swallowing hard, Trixie took the dress off the hangar. "I look like a goon no matter what I wear. So you see, it doesn’t make any difference…."

"I couldn’t help but over hear," Heather interrupted them. "I wouldn’t call you a goon, Trixie."

"Not at all," Honey agreed loyally. "Why, when you do dress up, you rival Di in looks."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Only if Di has a bag over her head."

Heather was walking around her and looking at her carefully. "I haven’t met your friend Diana, but I think we could make quite a swan out of you, Trixie. I have a really nice dress from the spring recital that would be perfect on you…"

Trixie eyed them warily. "I don’t know.…"

"Please?" Heather pleaded. "I never, ever get to hand my clothes down." And she gestured to her younger cousins, all which were at least 2 inches taller than the eighteen-year- old.

Trixie relaxed into a wry grin. "That I can understand. Are you sure it won’t be any trouble?"

Heather smiled. "Actually, I think it will be quite fun. Come on down to my room." She winked at Honey and linked arms with Trixie, who gave a dubious backwards glance at her best friend as they walked out the door.

Honey was straightening the parlor with Miss Trask and Mrs. Philips when they returned.

"Wow!" exclaimed Dee Dee, and Paige immediately echoed.

"Why, Trixie, you look lovely!" Miss Trask exclaimed her approval.

Trixie blushed under the praise. "It’s Heather’s fault," she mumbled softly.

Heather laughed and began fussing with her own gown. "Yes, my lovely creation. Perhaps I should go into costuming instead of acting," she joked.

"I can’t imagine you strictly behind the scenes when an audience is in the theatre," said Miss Philips gently. "You look lovely, my dear. All of you do. Shall we proceed downstairs? The photographer is waiting for you."

Heather took one last look in the mirror, and one last twirl around the room, her delicate white dress billowing about, emphasizing her excitement. Honey beamed at her pretty cousin. "I’m so glad you are really enjoying your weekend, Heather," she said softly. "You look perfectly beautiful."

Heather clasped her taller cousin’s hands. "I hope to see you dancing tonight, Honey, and not just standing against the wall." She gave another wave to them as the group went downstairs, leaving Trixie and Honey alone in the room.

Trixie stood in front of the large mirror, eyes wide with disbelief. Her blonde curls had been tamed into soft ringlets, and Heather’s dress was a beautiful pale blue that complemented the tan shoulders rising from the strapless gown. A touch of mascara and lipstick gave her face a softer and more feminine expression, even if a few freckles were still visible on her nose.

Honey stood beside her and. for a moment. neither girl moved. "I feel as if we are looking into the future," Trixie finally murmured. "Are we real?"

Honey nodded slightly. "I know what you mean. It’s kind of scary…"

Trixie started to take a deep breath, then stopped.

"What’s wrong, Trixie?"

Trixie grimaced. "Heather may be the same height as me, but, well, I am really afraid I am going to tear some seams in this bodice."

Honey burst out laughing at her friend’s predicament. "Beauty is pain, I hear."

"If that’s the case, I’ll take chocolate," Trixie misquoted. Giggling, they left the parlor and went downstairs.

 *     *     * 

The knot that started in Trixie’s stomach on the ride over grew bigger as they reached the expansive country club. She and Honey rode with Honey’s parents in Mr. Wheeler’s luxurious sedan and now were following them through the grand entrance hall.

"I hope you two will have a wonderful evening. You both look so lovely," Mrs.Wheeler was telling them. Trixie stared up at the magnificent chandelier in the main ballroom, awestruck at the opulent surroundings. She had been in the Sleepyside country club many times, but compared to this…

Mr. Wheeler had been looking around the room. "I know the boys came over in Ben’s coupe earlier. Probably staking out the buffet table."

He patted his daughter on the shoulder. "We may be here late, but if you kids get tired early, have Jim take you home in the sedan."

"Matthew, isn’t that the O’Coneghys? We haven’t seen them in ages." Honey’s parents drifted into the crowd milling about the lobby area.

Trixie and Honey peeked into the large room where couples were moving gracefully across the floor. Well, most of them. Trixie noticed Paige Spencer was fighting her partner for the lead.

"Good evening, ladies." Bill Spencer appeared before them, looking incredibly suave in his formal jacket and black tie. He bowed to Honey. "May I?" Honey shyly gave a curtsey and allowed him to lead her onto the floor, seemingly hypnotized.

Trixie shook her head and smiled to herself. "Tall, dark and handsome. Well, he still wouldn’t have a chance if Brian were here."

Wandering aimlessly, she looked around the room at the many young people enjoying the evening. Heather was dancing with a tall lad in a cadet school uniform; both were laughing over a shared joke.

Along the wall she walked down, a tall blonde dressed in pale pink was surrounded by several young men competing for her attention. Trixie stopped a moment, a tiny bit jealous of how comfortable the girl seemed in the situation.

Suddenly shy, Trixie walked along the far wall where several doors opened onto a tile-covered balcony, on which some couples were enjoying the evening air. Lost in thought, she nearly ran into several young men discussing baseball over by the punchbowls.

"I’m sorry, I-I wasn’t watching where I was going," she said to the dark-haired boy as she bumped his arm.

"No trouble at all." He turned and smiled at her, then resumed his conversation.

"Trixie?"

She turned to see Ben Riker standing next to Jim near the wall.

Both boys were staring curiously at her, putting down their cups of punch as she drew nearer. Both looked very handsome, she noted.

Jim put a hand to his forehead. "Wow," he managed to say. "You look really…different."

Trixie felt her cheeks flush. "Yes, I suppose I do look different without my usual mud and grime."

"I didn’t mean…."

"You look really, really nice," interrupted Ben. "Would you like to dance?" He held out his hand, and before she knew it, Trixie had followed him out onto the floor. Ben was a smooth dancer, and before long, they fell into a comfortable rhythm.

"You do look very nice," he said again.

She looked up at him. "Thank you. You look nice yourself." She glanced into his hazel eyes, a soft brown sprinkled with green. I guess he is kind of handsome.

"Did you bring the locket?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I have it in my purse."

"Do me a favor and just hang on to it for a while. I plan to leave a little early tonight and do some looking around. Jean said she would meet me around eleven o’clock. We don’t have much time left," he said tersely.

Trixie sighed. "I suppose you two will investigate the secret opening in the hut."

Ben gave a little shrug. "Exploring that can wait until morning. The extra light sure would be great, and it would help if you and Honey showed us where to look."

Trixie relaxed; she would be there when they investigated the tunnel. Thinking about it made her glow with excitement and she beamed a happy smile up at him.

Amused at her enthusiasm, he smiled back down at her. "You really are a shamus, aren’t you?" He shook his head in wonder. "I don’t think I’ve ever met another girl like you, Trixie."

She looked up to see his eyes twinkling merrily. She chuckled softly. "I know that’s not quite a compliment, Ben Riker. I’m sure you will get to dance with some normal girls before you leave."

"Which will probably be pretty soon. I wanted to talk to Jean about getting her a lawyer in case we can’t find anything." He looked around the room. "I wish she could have come tonight."

"Ben?"

"Hmm?"

Trixie blushed slightly. "I know that you and I don’t always agree.…"

"We certainly don’t see eye to eye," he joked. "More like eye to tie." He grinned, looking down at her.

"Very funny. What I mean is, well, what makes you so sure you like this girl?"

Now it was Ben’s turn to blush. "I really couldn’t tell you. I guess I just know it, somehow." He shook his head. "It sounds ridiculous, I know, I mean I’ve only actually known her a few weeks." He shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

They were quiet until the end of the dance.

"By the way, I think you should give Frayne another chance, even if he did put his foot in his mouth." Ben grinned at her as he led her off the floor.

Trixie blushed slightly. "He had a point, I guess. I usually look like a real goon, remember?"

Ben turned to her with a wicked grin. "I guess you are just hiding it on the inside tonight, then."

They rejoined the group as the band struck up another number. "Honey, do you still remember this dance that your old gorilla governess taught you?" he said, spotting Honey standing nearby. Grabbing her arm, he whirled her out onto the floor as the next dance started with a catchy little beat.

Trixie found herself on the arm of the boy she had bumped into. Several dances later, she wandered out onto the balcony to catch her breath and cool off in the evening breeze.

Leaning on the polished railing , she closed her eyes and enjoyed the soft wind caressing her face, the fragrant spring air reviving her spirits.

Sighing happily, she turned to see Jim staring at her from across the walkway. Slowly she drifted over to him, noticing his strange expression. "Trixie, I--"

She waved her hands to stop him. "It’s alright. I understand."

They stood looking at each other for a moment, when the band resumed playing and couples headed out onto the floor. Suddenly, more than anything, Trixie simply wanted to join them. "I don’t suppose you would like to dance, would you?" she blurted.

Jim said nothing, but he held her hand firmly as they walked into the main room. As they began to dance, she looked up into his eyes and felt a small flutter in the pit of her stomach. The opulent surroundings and formal atmosphere had subdued her natural bounce, and now she almost felt a little shy as they slowly moved across the floor.

Strange, she thought, I have felt so comfortable with Jim since the day we met but now... Trixie loved to dance, and at the school hops she was usually on the floor practicing all the latest steps. But for a slow dance, she always enjoyed dancing with Jim. The way he rested his hand lightly on her waist, and the easy rhythm they had together, always seemed so very natural.

Right now she found herself noticing how gently his strong hands held her, the small wave he always had in his hair, his smooth, determined jawline and the solemn intensity in his deep green eyes that were staring back into hers. Not a word passed between them, even after they had rejoined the group.

The tall cadet that Trixie had seen dancing with Heather was bowing in front of her, and before they were completely on the floor she noticed that Jim was leading Heather into the crowd of dancers. Trixie was ill matched with the military youth, and after stumbling once, asked to please be excused from the dance. Exiting the ballroom, she first sought out the ladies lounge, only to be overwhelmed by the group of young girls chattering away while they reapplied their lipstick and smoothed their hair.

Trixie wandered over to a near-empty hallway and sat down on a maroon and gold velvet lounge, heaving a great sigh. Fiddling with her compact, she absently re-applied her lipstick, trying to sort out her confused feelings that had begun when she first saw her reflection earlier that evening.

The soft swish of her gown alerted Trixie to Heather’s approach. Gracefully, Honey’s beautiful cousin sat down next to her, pale blue eyes twinkling.

Trixie slowly replaced her compact and smiled at her. She had decided that she liked Honey’s cousin a lot now that she’d gotten to know her better. Heather Moore was a lot like Honey, being a sweet as she was pretty, but much more outgoing.

"You seem to be having a wonderful evening," she remarked.

Heather took out her compact and fanned her face with it. "I am. And boy I am glad I took Dora’s advice and wore my more sensible pumps. My feet will still be sore tomorrow, anyway. I have no idea how Cinderella danced all night in glass slippers. I just can’t imagine."

Trixie giggled at that theory.

"And speaking of Cinderella, you’ve been quite popular this evening."

"I give all credit to my fairy godmother," Trixie teased back.

Heather gave her an appraising look. "Do you know what I do to practice for my career as an actress?" she said confidentially.

"What?"

"Well, this might sound silly, but I’ve trained myself to observe people. Not just what they are doing or wearing, but all the little signs that betray what they are thinking, and little habits they do subconsciously."

Trixie nodded. "That’s not silly at all. I do something like that to improve my observation skills as a detective," she answered.

Heather smiled. "Then you understand what I’m talking about. Well, I must say I have been observing some unusual things this evening."

Trixie leaned forward with interest.

"I noticed my usually sedate cousin has really grown out of her shell socially and seems to generally be having a good time."

Trixie smiled. "I’m glad Honey is enjoying the party. I think she was a little afraid she might not."

Heather returned her smile. "I also noticed that her usually proper and composed brother is not quite himself this evening, either."

"I don’t understand."

"Jim is a really great guy. I always enjoy talking with him when the Wheelers visit. But right now when I danced with him, he couldn’t put two sentences together and actually stepped on my toes."

"Ah, so this is where you wandered off to!" A blonde young man with a droll expression headed towards the bench. Trixie immediately recognized him as the actor who played the part of Puck the previous evening.

Heather giggled. "Hiding from you and your fairy potions, sweet imp." She turned to Trixie.

"Trixie Belden, meet Marc Peterson."

Trixie shook hands with the exuberant young man. "I really enjoyed your performance yesterday."

He bowed, and twinkled his eyes at Heather. "Thank you. I do believe this lovely maid promised me a dance."

Heather rose with a smile. "We’ll put a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes, eh, Marc?" she quoted.

Laughing, they headed back to the main room.

Alone again, Trixie rummaged in her purse to distract her thoughts from their former course. She pulled out one of Honey’s barrettes that she had found, but it only reminded her of what her friend had said earlier that morning.

"Honey’s right," she murmured quietly to herself. "I am a big chicken." Her hands found the locket that had been in Ben’s sweater. Finding the catch, she opened it to see a picture of Charlotte Browne on one side and a strong looking man which had to be Daniel on the other. Trixie closed the locket and turned it round and round in her hands, absently tracing the patterns on the outside with her fingernail. Suddenly she stopped, and held the case up to eye level for a closer look. Frowning, she opened the locket again. That’s funny. She thought. It can’t be.

Curious, she turned the open locket over, then back. Laying it down on the bench next to her, she pressed down on Charlotte’s face, giving a small gasp when it sprang open, revealing a back compartment. Nestled inside was a small piece of paper.

Hands shaking with excitement, Trixie unfolded the delicate sheet, now completely oblivious to the dance going on around her. On the note was a simple verse:

Straight as cupid’s arrow doth fly
Loves sweet secret nearby

Hidden 'neath wings so cold,
Blessed by immortals old

A dozen stray
A fortnight away

Trixie could barely contain her excitement. It had to be the directions to the hiding place.

Quickly, she took pen and paper out of her pocketbook and copied down the cryptic verse.

Then, refolding the paper and putting the locket back together, she stood up in search of Honey.

Carefully weaving her way through the crowd, she found Ben saying his goodnights to Dora, Jim, the Spencer twins and Mrs. Scott.

"Hello, Mrs. Scott. Has anyone seen Honey?"

Paige threw a pinkie at a corner of the dance floor. "She’s out dancing with Bill again."

Ben started to edge towards the door.

Trixie sighed. He should know what she’d found, although she would have rather told Honey first. "Are you going to go without giving me one more dance, Ben?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, but crooked an elbow invitingly, and said, "Of course not. Shall we?"

As they started the slow dance, she told him of her discovery.

"What? Show me this note." He abruptly led her off the floor, and she directed him back to the quiet corner.

"You see, if you press right here…" the locket sprang open and she handed him the paper.

"Unbelievable. But what does it mean?"

Trixie shrugged. "I don’t know yet. I want to show it to Honey. I wrote down the words." She showed him the copy, and handed him the locket. "I kind of figured that Jean might want to see it," she said as they stood up.

Ben suddenly grasped her hands in his. "Thanks. Honey was right, you really are a wonderful person."

Trixie stood openmouthed as he turned and started to walk away. He stopped a after a few steps and looked back at her. "For a goon, that is," he said, grinning impishly.

She smiled as he walked away. "I guess you’re not that bad yourself, Ben," she said under her breath as he left. Rejoining the party, she wandered off in search of Honey.

 

Part VIII

Trixie spent the ride back to the manor in silence. Honey and Bill Spencer made small talk with a few awkward pauses in-between. Jim said nothing as he drove the sedan, eyes fixed ahead on the road. Trixie looked miserably out the backseat window, remembering the conversation that she and Honey had overheard.

She had finally gotten an opportunity to talk to Honey alone.

"Trixie!" Honey had exclaimed when they found a bench surrounded by huge tropical potted plants, sufficiently hiding the girls from sight. "I heard the most mysterious conversation."

"Honey! I found the most amazing thing," Trixie erupted at the same time.

Both girls looked at each other, wide-eyed with excitement, and started laughing.

"You go first, Honey."

"Okay, I was standing near the balcony, trying to get some fresh air without catching a chill, when I noticed Mr. Scott and some men talking. I wasn’t really paying attention, of course, but then one of them mentioned the Brownestone Estate."

Trixie nodded, blue eyes wide. "Go on, Honey."

"Well, I missed a lot of what was said, but it seems that one of the gentlemen is a broker for a large firm, and mentioned that he had just gotten assurance of the sale of the property to him. They didn’t mention the seller’s name, only that it seemed to be a sure bet. They kind of broke up the conversation after that, and Mr. Scott walked past, looking very upset."

Trixie chewed her lip in thought. "This isn’t good."

Honey nodded in agreement. "I know. Trix, you’re getting lipstick on your teeth."

"Oops!" She fished out her compact, handing the lyric she had copied from the locket to her.

Honey read the verse carefully and looked quizzically at her friend. "I never knew you to write any poetry before, Trix…but…"

Trixie snapped her compact shut and gave her a withering look. "I’m not writing love poems, silly." And she explained her find in the locket to Honey.

Honey re-read the paper again and her eyes widened. "I wonder if this could be some sort of clue to where the will is."

"I’m willing to bet on it. All we have to do is figure out what it means."

As both girls poured over the note, they heard voices on the other side of the small divider.

"Well that is interesting, Pauline. Where is this girl’s family from did you say?"

"Sleepyside. Her father is a banker, and Madeline says the family has been rooted there forever. Very good roots."

Trixie recognized Mrs. Scott’s high voice.

"Yes," another woman chimed in. "I’ve heard of the Beldens. Not very wealthy though. This would be a good thing for them."

Trixie, face flaming, looked over at Honey, who sat with one hand covering her mouth. They couldn’t move off the bench without being seen.

"Of course it would," the first woman was saying. "Young Riker certainly stands to inherit quite a bit when he turns twenty five, so I hear. Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely," Mrs. Scott said. "You should have seen them dancing this evening."

"I certainly did," said the third woman. "They were practically glowing. Oh, look, isn’t that John Wells? We must go say hello."

The women stood to go.

"All I know is that they have been spending an awful lot of time walking the gardens together. Did you see the young man Madeline’s daughter was dancing with? I hear he is the son of the head of the largest shipping company here in the East.. why, if I were her, I would…"

The rest of the conversation faded as the women walked out of hearing.

Honey was on the verge of tears, and Trixie sat very still, trying to control her emotions.

"Trixie!" Honey nudged her from her thoughts. "We’re here."

Trixie started, then stepped slowly out the door that Bill Spencer held open for her.

"Thank you," she murmured. The night air cleared her head, and she took a deep breath, stretching her arms, stopping quickly when she heard a slight pop from one of her side seams.

Hurriedly she threw the matching wrap around her shoulders, failing to keep it from sliding off her left shoulder, then her right, then her left again as she quickly grabbed her purse as it was falling.

Honey and Bill were far ahead, but Jim turned had turned around when he heard her struggle.

"Hey, let me help you, Trix." He carefully positioned the wrap over each shoulder.

She smiled up at him gratefully. "Thanks, Jim," she said, her wide blue eyes locking with his.

Much to her surprise, he turned abruptly and started walking.

"I guess you’re pretty tired after all that dancing," he said.

"Yes, a little." She stole a quick look at him. Is he blushing?

Honey met them inside the door. "I don’t know about you, Trixie, but I’m ready to go change."

Trixie nodded as Jim bid them both a good night and walked out towards the terrace.

Honey looked at Trixie, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Should I ask why my brother’s face is as red as his hair?"

Trixie shook her head slowly. "I don’t seem to have any answers to anything right now, Honey," she said wearily. "Let’s go change."

Trixie was sliding into her loafers when Honey emerged from the bathroom. "You aren’t thinking of going into the maze now, are you?"

"Not with my sense of direction. Actually, if you don’t mind, I did want to walk around the garden for a bit." She pointed at the clock. "It’s only eleven -thirty and I don’t turn into a pumpkin until midnight."

"Fine with me." Honey looked carefully at her. "Are sure you’re alright?"

Trixie sighed and wrapped her navy cardigan around her shoulders. "I have a few mysteries to run through my mind."

Honey nodded. "I want to talk to Miss Trask before she goes to sleep about some things. How about we meet back here at twelve, if you aren’t vegetable matter before then."

Trixie smiled. "I’m vegetable matter right now. But you’ve got a deal," she said as they quietly exited the room.

*      *      *

Trixie wove her way around the perennial gardens; a bed of delicate lily of the valleys reflected the full moonlight at her feet. Slowly the tension of the evening ebbed its way out of her, allowing her thoughts to flow.

Resting her arms on a low wall, she stared over at the Japanese garden, white pebbles aglow, cherry blossoms waving slightly in the night breeze. Staring harder, she noticed a figure standing on the arcing bridge, throwing pebbles into the stream. She couldn’t see his face, but she could spot that red head a mile away.

Sighing, she looked over at the entrance to the maze, then back at Jim. "I don’t know which mystery is the toughest to solve," she said softly.

Taking a deep breath, she moved forward towards the garden. "Well, what kind of detective would I be, running away from a mystery?"

Just as she passed the entrance to the labyrinth, trying to steady her nerves, she saw the mysterious girl, standing just inside the row of boxwood.

Both girls started slightly, but Trixie regained her composure quickly. "Are you Jean?" she asked.

Hesitantly, the girl shook Trixie’s hand.

"Yes, my name is Jean Dugan….are you one of the girls Ben was talking about?"

She was a tall, thin girl, taller than Honey. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into the same ponytail, and she had big, gray expressive eyes.

Trixie nodded. "Yes, I’m Trixie Belden. Honey Wheeler and I have been trying to solve your case. Did Ben tell you about the locket?"

Jean wrung her hands worriedly. "He didn’t…H-he’s missing!"

 

The Secret of the Stone Wall

Part IX

Trixie followed Jean down the neatly trimmed path to a small cul-de-sac. A topiary giraffe loomed over an ornate bench surrounded by planters filled with fragrant hyacinths. The tall girl waved a slim hand at the scene. "I was here a bit early, and waited for nearly twenty minutes."

She sat down on the bench and sighed. "I guess I began to rely too much on him," she half-said to herself.

Trixie sat down on the other end of the bench, studying the mysterious girl. Close up, Trixie had to admit that Jean was very pretty, but her gray eyes had circles under them and, as she moved her hands restlessly, Trixie could see that the girl was no stranger to hard work. And despite her sprite-like features, her expression was one of solemnity and worry.

Turning to Trixie, she continued her thoughts. "I know there was that dance at your country club this evening. I guess he didn’t want to end his evening short…"

Trixie frowned. "No, Ben left early to meet you. And it’s not my country club-- I’m just a guest of the Wheelers. I’m actually getting out of a weekend of chores around the house," she said with wry grin, and told the other girl a little bit about Crabapple Farm. Jean said nothing, but Trixie could see her relax a bit as she nodded at Trixie with a pleasant expression. "Has Ben ever been late before?" she asked.

Jean shook her head. "Never."

Trixie chewed her lip in thought. "I’m pretty sure he was coming straight here. I know he was looking forward to seeing you.."

Jean blushed and looked down at her hands. "Ben has been so nice," she said in a small voice. "I left my home to go chasing this silly dream, and when I saw that the estate was real, I actually thought that my dream might come true, that I could bring my family here, and my mother wouldn’t have to work so hard, and dad could be out in the fresh air. I didn’t want Ben’s help at first, but he has been so sweet, not like all the other rich people I’ve met, ones who have all the money they could ever need and still threaten to throw you out if the rent is two days late." Her lips twisted bitterly as she spoke, but her eyes were soft with tears. "I was ready to give up hope trying to figure those letters out, but Ben has been so encouraging. And then the creepy notes and threats started coming." She shivered. "What if something happened to Ben? Oh, this is all my fault." And she covered her face with her hands and started sobbing."

Trixie patted her on the shoulder and tried to soothe her. Now would be a good time for Honey’s tact, she sighed.

A thought occurred to her. "Maybe Ben went ahead to check out the secret door," she said, and told Jean of all of their discoveries. "And," she finished, "Ben has your locket. Perhaps he’s trying to figure out the clues at this moment."

All of the sudden they heard footsteps on one of the side trails. "Maybe that’s him now!" Jean exclaimed, leaping up from the bench to peer around the corner of the brick wall.

Or Jim trying to keep me out of trouble, thought Trixie as she slowly followed. Just as she stepped over to where Jean was standing, the taller girl quickly withdrew her head, one hand clasped over her mouth, gray eyes wide with fright. Trixie stuck her head out just in time to glimpse the retreating figure striding forcefully down the path, once again gasping at the sight of the man without a head, hurrying along the path, his feet casting white reflections in the moonlight as he walked.

Fighting the impulse to chase after the ghost, she turned to reassure her new friend who was trembling with fright next to her.

"It- it-it’s the ghost, l-l looking for me," Jean wailed.

"No," replied Trixie angrily, "it’s just a rat trying to cheat you out of your rightful property." When Jean had calmed down, she continued. "Can you meet me and Honey here tomorrow morning around nine?" she asked.

Jean nodded slowly.

"Good. And don’t worry. We are going to find those papers before that ghost does."

Jean smiled at her then, and murmured her thanks. "I think I believe you," she said shyly.

Trixie watched her go, then wound her way back out of the garden in time to see Jim leave the Japanese garden and return to the house.

She paused by the weeping cherry for a moment, watching him. I guess that mystery will have to wait, she thought, then shook herself for feeling a small twinge of relief. Making her way back across the perennial garden, she crossed the lawn and headed towards the back entrance to the house. Ducking behind one of the tool sheds near the kitchen garden, she heard the low rumble of male voices.

"…suspect that something underhanded is going on down on that side of the property." Trixie recognized Mr. Scott’s voice as she came closer.

"Every rotten real estate agent in the East has been snooping around. You wouldn’t believe how many I’ve chased out. If Wilhelm would have told me where he put that darned will, things would have been settled long ago." Mr. Philips’s deep baritone sounded angry.

"I know, my friend, I know. You don’t suppose young Riker would be interested in doing anything?"

Trixie stood as still as possible, hidden in the shadow of the building. She could smell the tobacco of Mr. Scott’s pipe as he lit it.

"It may be a possibility." Mr. Philip sighed. "Although from what I hear, Ben seems more interested in Honey’s little blonde friend."

Mr. Scott chuckled. "Don’t you believe all the romances my wife thinks she sees. Nice girl, Matthew speaks highly of her. She seems to be enjoying exploring the gardens. You should have seen her walking into the house earlier this morning, covered in this white mud."

"White mud? Not on this property."

Mr. Scott chuckled again. "I gathered from both the young ladies state of disarray, they had been over on the other side of the maze."

"I hope not, some spots over on the Browne side are a little too wild for young ladies. I can’t tell you how much it pains me to see it that way. But I can assure you that there’s no white mud or clay to be found on that property, either."

"Really?"

"I’ve been in the habit of checking the grounds over there, you know. Very puzzling."

The men started to walk off. "You never know what kids are going to get into," said Mr. Scott. "Looking like grubby little devils in the morning, and angels in the evening. I do believe the party was quite a success…"

Trixie exhaled softly as the sound of the conversation faded. Quietly she climbed the stairs and hurried down the hall to her room.

*      *      *

Honey looked up from the papers she had spread out all over the bed as Trixie entered the room. "You’re ten minutes late, Cinderella," she teased. "Turn in the keys to your pumpkin."

Trixie tossed her sweater over the end of her bed and flopped down next to her. "You’re not kidding. For a while tonight, I did feel like Cinderella," she admitted. "The talk with Miss Trask must have gone well."

Honey nodded. "After hearing all that awful, awful gossip tonight, I told her how I felt about having a party, and she agrees with me. We are going to talk to Mother and Dad about it soon. And she hopes you aren’t upset as well."

Trixie sighed. "I don’t care for all that nonsense, but I’ve got some bigger worries right now." She related the meeting in the garden and the overheard conversation to Honey.

"Poor Jean. We’ve just got to help her. Where do you think Ben is?"

Trixie shook her head. "That’s what puzzles me. He told me that he was going to wait until tomorrow morning to explore the opening in the cottage."

Honey frowned. "Ben really isn’t the exploring type. I’ve been looking at all the notes we have so far, and we seem to be missing the ‘Winged Guardian’. I don’t think it means the stone swans, because they are too close to the house, and they are on the Grey property, anyway."

Trixie furrowed her brow in thought. "Winged Guardian," she muttered. Shrugging, she stood up as Honey gathered the papers and put them back on the desk. "I don’t know, Honey. My mind is one big jumble."

Honey smiled at her friend. "You do look tired, Trixie. You were up late last night, too."

Recalling the previous night’s adventures, Trixie looked at the clock and yawned. Sleepily, she changed into her nightgown and grinned at Honey. "I’m going to enjoy going back to my normal routine just to catch up on my sleep from this vacation."

She climbed into the soft bed as Honey laughed.

"I’m glad you talked with Miss Trask."

Honey nodded. "She also told me not to be worried about talking to Mother when I’m upset. I guess I’m just afraid of disappointing her."

Trixie propped herself up on one elbow. "No mother in her right mind would be disappointed in you, Honey Wheeler."

Honey said nothing for a moment, but her hazel eyes glowed warmly as she turned off the small lamp by their beds. "Thanks. Goodnight, Trixie."

"’Night, Honey." And Trixie rolled over to ponder the strange events in the maze, her thoughts eventually drifting off to the sight of a young man standing on a bridge, restlessly throwing pebbles into a gently flowing stream.

*      *      *

Jean jumped up nervously as Honey and Trixie joined her in the garden the next morning. Shy at first meeting the millionaire’s daughter, Honey’s sweet disposition soon won her over, and she sat back down with them on the ornate bench.

"Did you talk to Ben?" she asked as they joined her.

Trixie and Honey looked at each other with surprise.

"Why, no," Honey answered. "Ben wasn’t at breakfast this morning." Seeing Jean’s worried face, she hastily added, "But not everyone was at the table this morning. Dinner is really the only formal meal everyone attends at the manor. Perhaps he wasn’t awake yet."

Trixie frowned. She had knocked on his door to return his sweater while Honey was in the shower, and received no answer. Trying to ignore the sense of unease she felt in the back of her head, she smiled at the girls. "Well, Ben or no Ben, I’m ready to take a look at that passage. Shall we?"

Quietly, the three girls wound their way down the dew-covered paths towards the Smythe cottage. On the way, they learned more about Jean and her family, and how much she wanted to get her sickly father away from the small city they lived in.

"I know he would be much better off here in the country," she said.

Honey nodded sympathetically. "I used to be rather ill and fragile when we moved to Sleepyside. Getting away from the city and being around Trixie and her brothers did a lot to improve my heath."

Jean glanced over at Honey’s tan face and brightened a bit. "Do you know what I’d like to do if this land is truly mine?" she said shyly.

They had reached the exit from the labyrinth and stood staring at the large manor.

"I would like to turn this into a peaceful place where people can come and quietly recover from their illnesses, fix the gardens, and people can relax and draw and paint on the lawns. I had a job with a bed and breakfast back home to earn extra money and I really liked that type of work." She shook her head. "I guess that sounds silly."

"It sounds wonderful!" exclaimed Honey.

Trixie nodded in agreement. "And I’ll bet Miss Emmeline would really like living next to a place like that."

Honey’s eyes grew big. "Why, I know she would. We just have to find those papers!"

Jean’s face glowed with excitement and spoke animatedly of her plans as they grew closer to the cottage. Trixie watched their new friend, noticing how lovely she was, full of life and ideas, and the nagging worry of Ben’s absence resurfaced in the back of her head.

Trixie’s worries grew as they stood staring at the front of the cottage. Someone had placed a huge padlock on the front door. "I don’t understand," said Jean nervously, showing them an old fashioned key she wore on a chain. "This key was in the box with the letters and the locket. I’ve been wearing it since then. Who else could have done this?"

"Perhaps the headless ghost?" offered Honey.

Trixie pushed her curls from her forehead. "Ghosts don’t need padlocks, Honey. Let’s check the windows."

A thorough survey of the small building showed that all the windows were locked and the back door was barred shut from the inside. With a boost from Honey and Jean, Trixie had peered in through one of the old glass windows, jumping back down with a puzzled frown.

"Nothing looks different or out of order since yesterday," she reported.

Frustrated, she kicked at a clump of earth on the sidewalk.

"Mr. Philips probably put the lock there if he was worried about trespassers," said Honey.

Trixie nodded absently, still turning the dirt around under her foot. It was white. She looked around the grounds. The rest of the earth around was a normal brown color. She frowned again.

Honey was rifling through the knapsack they had brought for her notebook. "I think we need to look through the gardens for the wings that your letters talk about," she said. "I was thinking, and look, here in the verse that Trixie found in the locket, wings are mentioned again."

Jean sighed. "Ben and I have checked every bird or bird reference we could find at least twice."

Honey’s hazel eyes sparkled. "I know. But last night, when I was watching Trixie dance with my brother, I couldn’t help thinking about a certain mythical winged figure."

Trixie’s head had snapped up at the mention of her name, and she stared at Honey for a moment until she realized what she meant.

"Follow me," she said, blushing furiously.

The girls wound their way back through the maze until they were standing in a patch of grass that worked it’s way through the cobblestones, staring up at the statue of Cupid.

"Brilliant, Honey. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier," Trixie praised her friend, who simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because you spend a lot of time crowding this," Honey pointed a finger at the little god of love, "out of your thoughts."

Trixie sighed. "Not now, Honey."

"Oh," said Jean in a small voice. "This is so confusing. This is where that awful voice said to meet him."

Trixie spun to face her. "What? Who are you supposed to meet? Why didn’t you tell us?"

Jean gave a small sigh. "This morning I got the most awful call. The landlady asked if I was okay when I hung up, I guess I looked scared. But you would have been, too."

Honey led her over to the small stone bench. "Was someone threatening you?" she tried to soothe the upset girl.

"He had this deep voice, and said it would be in my best interest to meet him by the cupid statue at one o’clock today, and if I showed up, no one would get hurt."

"That’s horrible! Did you call the police?"

Jean twisted her fingers together. "I can’t. They might arrest me, since I am really just trespassing without proof that the property is mine. Then they would just send me home." She looked at her watch. "I have go do some errands for my landlady before then, to keep my room and board."

They looked over at Trixie, who had been examining every inch of the wall under the statue. Sadly she shook her head at them. "I can’t seem to find anything. Jean, I really don’t think you should meet this man alone."

Jean stood up, shaky but determined. "I have to meet him. I was hoping we would find out something this morning, but good luck doesn’t seem to follow me around." She started to leave. "Thanks for your help anyway."

Trixie caught her eye. "We will be here at one with you." Jean nodded, and quickly exited the clearing.

Honey looked hopelessly at Trixie. "We seem to be running out of time," she said.

They walked through the maze towards the house in silence, stopping as the voices of a group of people drifted over to them.

"Oh, woe, I hear the twins. I really don’t want to hear about every young man at the dance last night, Honey." Trixie looked around, and spotted a crawlspace under a thick hedge, and dragged her friend into the brush.

"Trixie Belden, you are the most amazing…"

"Shh- here they come." Trixie put a finger to her lips as both girls lay on their stomachs, hidden from sight.

Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Scott were leading the group towards the house, listening to the accounts of the evening from the bubbling twins, followed by Jim and Bill, who were walking with Heather and Dora. Honey watched impatiently as the parade of feet walked past her face, then crawled out of the brush.

Picking bits of twig from her hair, she glared at Trixie as her friend slowly followed.

"I suppose that was your idea of revenge for the Cupid comment. Can you kindly point the way back into the house? We barely have enough time to change for lunch."

Trixie, deep in thought about what she had just seen, suddenly turned to her best friend, eyes blazing.

"Honey! That’s it!"

Honey gave her a bewildered look as Trixie grabbed her arm and hurried her down the path. "What is?"

"I know who the headless ghost is and I’m pretty sure I know where those papers are. We have to work quickly after lunch, though. Come on!"

Both girls hurriedly negotiated the maze, Honey quickening her steps as Trixie divulged her thoughts.

The Secret of the Stone Wall

Part X

Trixie tried to keep her attention focused on her lunch, and her feet still under the table. She sensed that Honey, sitting next to her, was having an equally difficult time controlling her emotions.

It was bad enough having to wait through lunch to put their plan into action, but actually sitting at the same table as the person who was trying to intimidate Jean out of her rightful property was almost unbearable.

She gave a brief glance across the table at Jim, and she could see his green eyes studying her, trying to read her thoughts.

She took a gulp of water guiltily, suddenly wishing they had told him about what had been going on. Jim usually lectured her and Honey about being careful a lot, yet he was always right alongside them when it counted.

She toyed with the remaining food on her plate, looking up as Mrs. Philips spoke.

"Have you girls seen Ben at all? It’s not like him to miss lunch."

Honey looked upset as she shook her head no.

"Um, no, we haven’t seen him at all today," managed Trixie, flustered.

"Perhaps he is having lunch in town, dear," said Mr. Philips.

"I’m sure he will turn up before dinner," added Dora. "Might we be excused?"

"Well, I guess you are right, and I’m worrying for nothing. You may all go, everyone looks as if they are very busy today." Mrs. Philips smiled at the group.

Trixie hurried out into the garden after a hasty word with Honey, who was rushing off to complete her end of the plan. Worriedly, she readjusted her heavy knapsack to her other shoulder, turning into the maze entrance by the Japanese garden.

She heard heavy footsteps catching up with her and walked faster.

"Trixie – slow down! I need to talk to you!"

She turned her head to acknowledge him, but did not slow her pace.

"I can’t slow down right now, Jim," she said and turned down one of the narrow pathways.

He caught up to her and walked alongside.

"So that’s how it is? No time to stop and chat with old friends?" he said lightly.

Trixie turned down the last path and came to a stop right by one of the openings to the clearing where Cupid perched on the end of a wall. Cautiously, she peeked around the corner, then walked over to the statue when found no one else there.

She glanced quickly at Jim. He was trying to be nonchalant, but she could see he was troubled about something.

She sighed, and looked up at the statue. "I wish I did have time, Jim, I really do, but it’s really important I find someone right now."

Jim exhaled slowly. "It’s Ben Riker, isn’t it?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Look, Trixie, I know I put my foot in my mouth last night, but--"

Trixie wasn’t listening. She was following the invisible trajectory of the small arrow that Cupid had on string, ready to fire. It ended in what seemed to be another overgrown hedge. Moving closer, she realized that it was an archway, choked with vines.

"That must be it!" she interrupted. Grabbing his arm, she led him in that direction. Carefully, they squeezed past the vines into a very weedy cul-de-sac.

Overgrown hedges were on both sides, but directly in front was a mossy stone wall.

"You’re meeting Ben here?"

Trixie was looking over at the wall. "I really hope so."

Jim grabbed Trixie’s arm and gently turned her to face him. "What’s going on? Are you in trouble? Are you and Ben like…well..."

Trixie finally looked up at him, her eyes widening as a sudden thought occurred to her.

Why, he’s jealous! The realization stunned her for a moment.

As Jim started to ask another series of questions, she gently covered his mouth with her fingers.

"I’m sorry Honey and I didn’t tell you anything earlier, I really am, and there’s no time now. Just trust me, please?" she said softly, and walked over to the wall, still looking at him.

He stared at her for a full second.

"Alright, Trixie."

He joined her over by the wall as she pointed to a small stone figurine perched on the middle of it.

"Look!" she whispered excitedly. "Doves! Birds! They have wings!"

Jim looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind, but said nothing and watched curiously as she ran her hands down the wall, prying her fingers under the rocks.

He bit back the urge to ask another question, when she turned to him, blue eyes sparkling with triumph.

"I’ve found it! Help me get this door open!"

Jim blinked as the rocks seemed to swing away from the stone wall.

"I can’t believe it! Trixie, what…?"

Trixie shone her flashlight into the opening, finding the steps leading down to a dark passage.

Something stirred inside.

"Ben?" she called.

A groan answered her, as the lanky form of Ben Riker, covered with a whitish, muddy substance came into view, blinking in the sunlight.

Hurriedly, Trixie and Jim extracted him from the wall, and watched him carefully as he caught his breath and stretched out on the grass, trying to warm himself in the sun.

Trixie pulled a small thermos of water from her backpack and offered a cup to him. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Thanks," he managed to say and drank thirstily. "My back is killing me from not being able to stand upright and I’ve got quite a headache. Other than that, I’m just ripping mad."

Jim pulled a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and was cleaning an ugly gash on Ben’s forehead with some of the water from the thermos. "I wish Doc Belden was here," he said worriedly. "Who cracked you on the skull, Ben?"

Jim’s question went unanswered as they heard someone walking into the small clearing outside of the cul-de-sac and saw someone standing by the statue on the wall.

Ben struggled to sit up. "Jean!" he whispered.

Heavy footsteps interrupted Jim’s next question.

They could see Jean turn, frightened of the tall figure that burst into the clearing.

"Let’s make this short and sweet," the man snarled. "You sign this paper giving up your rights to this property and go on home."

Jean was clearly unnerved, but stood her ground, pale and shaking. "What about the caretaker’s will? There is one, and I am a descendant of the Smythe family as well as the Brownes."

"I seem to have found something like that. The last will and testament of Wilhelm Smythe, soon to be a charred memory."

He pulled a white envelope out of his pocket and dangled it in front of Jean, pulling it away as she reached for it. "No, I don’t think so. Not unless you want to see your tall blonde friend again."

Trixie’s jaw clenched, and she started to leap into the clearing, but a form had already rushed past her, landing on the dark figure with a yell.

Jean gasped as the two men scuffled, the dark figure landing a few punches, but then falling back, unconscious as Ben gave him an uppercut that knocked the other man off his feet.

Trixie and Jim ran into the clearing as Ben sat down heavily and leaned against the wall.

"Ben!" Jean ran over to him. "I was so worried! Are you alright?" she exclaimed, kneeling next to him and grasping his hand.

He winced as she grabbed his fingers, but managed a lopsided grin at her.

"Couldn’t be better," he lied.

Trixie leaned over and picked up the white envelope from the ground next to the inert form. "I hope you are enjoying the hunt right now," she said under her breath.

William Spencer had no reply.

Quietly, she walked over to where Ben and Jean were catching Jim up on the events of the last couple of days.

Ben pulled the locket out of his jacket. "Luckily, Bill didn’t check my pockets after he walloped me down at the cottage last night. Just as I managed to find the secret entrance, I heard a noise behind me. Then I saw stars." He shifted uncomfortably. "Then, when I woke up, I found myself in the dark tunnel with no way out."

"Then you were trapped in there all night?" asked Jim.

"How horrible!" said Jean.

Jim nodded. "I would have never suspected Bill Spencer of doing anything like that- Hey!"

They looked over to see the young man running off down the path. Jim started to get up to follow, but Trixie laid a hand on his arm.

"He’s getting away!"

"He will find some trouble waiting for him when he gets back to the manor," Trixie reassured him.

All eyes turned to her. "You knew he was the person threatening Jean?" asked Ben.

"How did you know where to find Ben?" said Jean.

"And how do they know to stop William at the house?" demanded Jim.

Trixie grinned and held out her hands. "Ok, ok, one at a time! I was really confused about the whole thing until this morning, when I saw that clump of mud outside of the cottage. Remember when we saw the headless man last night, Jean?"

Jean shivered. "How could I forget?"

"Well, I remember noticing how his feet seemed to shine in the moonlight. Then I heard Mr. Philips saying about there not being any sort of white mud on the property, even though I fell in some yesterday in the tunnel entrance, and look at Ben- he’s covered in it now."

Jim frowned. "So the only place anyone could have gotten that mud on their shoes was in the tunnel. And the last person in the tunnel must have been responsible for the locked cottage."

Trixie nodded. "This morning, I happened to notice William’s shoes, the bottoms were caked with dried up white mud."

"Speaking of Spencer, what’s keeping him from getting away at this moment?" asked Ben, shifting his cold compress from his forehead to his chin.

Jim gave Trixie an admiring glance. "I believe the other half of the Belden-Wheeler detective agency is probably taking care of that problem."

Trixie smiled and nodded.

Jean looked up from fussing over a cut on Ben’s hand. "But how did you figure out where to find Ben?"

"That clue came from the locket."

She took the necklace from Jean and showed them the secret compartment and the note.

"Straight as cupid’s arrow doth fly
Loves sweet secret nearby

Hidden neath wings so cold,
Blessed by immortals old

A dozen stray
A fortnight away"

Jean read the verse aloud, puzzled.

"Honey was right about the winged guardian being Cupid. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the arrow was pointing to the entrance, not marking it."

"But what about the last part? That makes no sense at all," interjected Ben.

Trixie removed the flashlight from her pack. "I have a theory about that. Anyone care to explore the tunnel?"

Jean hung back, and Ben shook his head. "I’ve had enough of that place," he called as Trixie went down the narrow stairs, followed by Jim.

"I guess you’re stuck with me, then, Trix," he said as he ducked his head in the low opening.

Impulsively she grabbed his hand as he reached the foot of the stone stairs.

"Stuck with you? I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be with right now. Honestly, Jim," she continued, "I’m really sorry we left you out of this mystery. Can you forgive me?"

She couldn’t see his face clearly, but he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Only if you promise never to leave me out again," he said softly.

"It’s a deal," she answered, shining her light over the stones in the wall. Near the ceiling, she stopped at the image of a dove carved into a large rock. "That must be the marker," she whispered.

"The will is hidden there?"

"No, that’s the starting part. The last two verses puzzled me until I realized they were directions. A dozen stray…" she started counting stones down the wall, putting her finger on the twelfth one.

" A fortnight away," Jim thought out loud. "A fortnight. That’s two weeks--fourteen days!"

Trixie grinned at him. "Well, there aren’t enough stones on the left, so let’s go right." Counting over, she handed the light to him as they reached the fourteenth one. "Cross your fingers," her voice an excited whisper.

Jim whistled softly as she found the latch and pulled an old metal box from the nook in the wall.

They exited the passage under the wall and stood in the cul-de-sac, eyes adjusting to the sunlight. Voices drifted over to them from the clearing and they pushed aside the vines to find Mr. Philips and Mr.Wheeler talking with Jean.

Honey was kneeling next to Ben, helping Mr. Scott bandage his head wound. But the biggest surprise was to see Heather standing next to Miss Emmeline, who sat in an old fashioned wheelchair.

"Oh, there they are. Now then, my dear," she directed at Trixie, noticing her looking at the chair, "You didn’t expect a lady of my age to walk down here as fast as these young men, did you?"

Trixie smiled and walked over to Jean.

"Did you catch William Spencer?" asked Jim.

Mr. Wheeler nodded. "He’s in good hands now. I must admit, we all were pretty shocked when Honey told us her story. Then when we saw the state that the Spencer boy was in, we thought we might be needed down here."

Honey walked over to Trixie. "Looks like your plan worked Trixie."

Trixie smiled happily at her. "You’re the one that was right about the statue, Honey. And I believe this is yours." She handed the old box to Jean. Everyone lapsed into silence as Jean sat down on the nearby bench and turned it over. "It’s locked." Her wide gray eyes looked up at the group.

Trixie’s face fell.

Honey leaned over and examined the lock. "What about your key? This lock looks similar to the one at the cottage."

Everyone held his or her breath as the key turned in the lock with a resonating click. Jean gasped as she held up a photograph of two young ladies sitting on a stone bench, one of them a perfect double for the girl.

Miss Emmeline came over to sit next to her. "Yes, that was your great grandmother, sitting with me on this very bench, just as we are now. Tears shone in the old lady’s eyes, and she smiled gently at Jean. "Never did I imagine I would see her again in this lifetime."

There were a few other old photographs, and several legal papers to look over. Mr. Scott had been reading the will of Wilhelm Smythe, while Mr.Wheeler, Ben, Jim and Jean were perusing the contents of the box.

Miss Emmeline and the rest of the girls walked over to the old tunnel in the meantime.

"Poor Ben, locked in there all night long," sympathized Honey.

Heather was shining her flashlight around the entrance. "Ick. You say this goes all the way to the caretaker’s cottage?"

Trixie nodded. "It’s actually not that long, if you go in a straight line. It goes only so far back in the wall, then slopes down into a lower tunnel." She pushed her curls off her forehead. "I’ll bet that William found the will hidden right inside the entrance on the other side."

Miss Emmeline looked at the entrance soberly. "Mr. Smythe was a clever man. He had all sorts of little gadgets and inventions like this secret door all over his property. Charlotte and I would travel through the tunnel, and Mrs. Smythe would always have strawberry tarts or shortbread waiting in the kitchen." She smiled at the memory. "Then, when the Brownes died, and John had his dreadful tantrums…" she shook her head sadly. "Well. Do let’s shut the door girls, and see if the men have sorted out the papers yet."

They rejoined the others as Honey’s father was comparing the Smythe will with a yellowed paper. "It seems your claim to the Browne estate is genuine, Jean. But Mr. Smythe has bequeathed his property and monetary worth to Mr. Philips, which would now be considered the cottage and it’s bit of property, in light of the old Browne family papers resurfacing.

Mr. Philips stepped forward. "Well, I knew Wilhelm Smythe rather well. He taught me all I know about my job. And I know that had he known he had a living relative, he would have wanted them to have the property."

Jean shook her head. "No, I can’t take that away from you, sir. I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted that either." She sighed. "Besides, I don’t know how my family will be able to take care of this large estate."

"Oh, but there has to be a way!" cried Trixie. Impulsively, she told the group of Jean’s plans for the manor, her words tumbling over each other as she saw the approving smiles on the adult’s faces.

Mr. Philips stepped forward. "It seems to me that the fair resolution would be for Mrs. Philips and I to keep the property while retaining my current job," he gave a wink to Miss Emmeline, "and for the monetary inheritance go to Miss Dugan here."

Mr. Scott stepped forward. "And I must say, that her plans for this estate sounds like a venture worth investing in, eh, Matthew? But that’s a discussion for another time. Right now we should all get back to the house."

Miss Emmeline settled back into her chair. "Yes, you will be so kind as to accept out hospitality at the house until your property is suitable for living, won’t you dear? And I’m sure you will want to call your parents. I’m looking forward to meeting my new neighbors."

Jean’s eyes filled with happy tears. Clutching the old box to her, she turned to Ben. "You are all too kind. How can I ever repay you?"

"You can let me take you out to dinner." He answered, hazel eyes sparkling at her, as he took the heavy metal box out of her hands and tucked it under his arm.

Heather linked arms with her new neighbor. "Have you considered having dinner theater in your inn?" she asked.

"No plays about headless ghosts and hidden passages," Ben admonished his cousin with a grin.

A light burned in Trixie’s brain. "Wait a minute!"

Everyone turned as she stood by the statue, deep in thought.

"If William Spencer was the headless ghost all this time, what about the ghost the village kids saw a while ago?" she looked at the group, puzzled, until she noticed Mr. Scott, who was trading sheepish glances with the groundskeeper.

"Perhaps someone simply decided to frighten some trespassers one night for fun?" she ventured.

Matthew Wheeler threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Wait till the fellows at the lodge hear this one," he said to his old friend.

Ben eyed Mr. Philips. "Never thought you had it in you, sir," he grinned, remembering the manylectures given to him from the groundskeeper over some of his own pranks.

"Humph. Well--" was the gruff reply. "Let’s get you back to the house, young man. Wait till Mrs. Philips sees that head of yours." Pushing Miss Emmeline, he led the happy group back towards the Greystone estate.

Honey fell in step with Trixie, both girls giggling at the older men. "It seems like many old and new mysteries were cleared up this afternoon, Trix," she said softly.

Trixie nodded, glancing at Jim out of the corner of her eye. The tall redhead was watching Ben hovering near Jean and following along with a thoughtful look on his face.

"I certainly hope so, Honey," she answered as they walked back the twisting path.

Later that afternoon Trixie and Honey stood next to Jim as he loaded their suitcases into the trunk of his car. "I can’t believe you two managed to find a mystery out in that labyrinth after all."

"I’m just glad nobody got horribly lost in there, just maybe off the path a little," Honey said with a knowing look at her brother, who was content to bury his head in the trunk, under the guise of adjusting the luggage.

"But I did get lost, Honey. And when Moms sees my dress, I’m going to wish I would have stayed that way," Trixie fretted.

Honey laughed and hugged her friend. "Not when she sees that lovely blue one that Heather gave you."

"That’s the worst part. When she sees that dress, Moms is sure to find some occasion for me to wear it."

Honey laughed and hugged her again. "It’s not that bad, Trixie. I’ll see you two back in Sleepyside!" she called as she joined her parents and Miss Trask in the sedan.

Trixie waved to her as Jim shut the trunk and smiled at her as she got into the front seat. "So, are you ready to head back home now that you have all the mysteries you found here wrapped up?"

Trixie looked down at her hands. Not all the mysteries she had discovered were solved, and would probably take longer that a weekend to figure out. If ever.

"It was a very interesting weekend," she said out loud.

"And as far as you wearing that blue dress again, I wouldn’t mind that at all. I owe you a proper compliment," Jim said as he got behind the wheel.

Trixie reddened and waved her hand at him. "I will happily trade that for some gear shifting lessons, thank you."

Jim laughed and turned to face her. "I don’t think I’ve ever met another girl like you, Trixie."

She smiled at him, wondering what he would say if he knew that was a familiar statement.

He started the car. "On to the Case of the Gear Shifting Mechanics," he chuckled.

"I promised to include you in my next mystery, didn’t I?" she said lightly, settling back happily in her seat as they started down the steep driveway.

The End

Trixie Belden Fan Fiction