N2L: Sabotage at the School ch. 3

Chapter Three

“How’s the boy?” Trixie asked. Brian nodded.

“He’ll be all right. Much longer and he would have had a bad case of hypothermia.”

Trixie shook her head. “I feel so bad. I convinced him to go there with me.”

“I think you did him a favor, Trix. He seemed to realize that he’s not useless, or unwanted. He saw how quickly everyone reacted and worked together to save him,” Brian smiled at his kid sister, who smiled back.

But in the back of her head, her mind wondered back to the sawed ice. What if someone had been out there alone?

***

Trixie crossed Wesley off the suspect list. She had had trouble picturing him anyway. She was more inclined to think it was an adult with a real grudge. Keith Miller was looking like a prime suspect. She had glanced through his file. Typical thug. Unknown father, older sister, crack whore mother. She made a note to call Dan that evening, and see if he could find anything on the kid.

She looked back to her scribbled notes. Justin Barrett. Jim was a big fan. But she also knew some of the cleverest masterminds played the adoring role. Which could also take it back to Danny Marsh. And Trixie really didn’t want to think of any of those kids being a suspect.

Speaking of a Danny, her friend Dan Mangan would arrive in a couple days. Another member of the old BWGs. The nephew of Regan, the Wheeler’s stableman, he had been troubled youth as well. Joining up with the BWGs turned him around and he had decided to be a cop. Three years ago he had made inspector. Living in NYC, close to Honey and Trixie, made them a close threesome who often got together for dinner or movies.

Dan had shown up on their doorstep one night, three sheets to the wind. His partner had been shot and killed, right next to him, taking what Dan felt sure was a bullet for him. Honey had been visiting her parents but Trixie calmed him. In his stupor he had confessed his feelings for her, how he had never acted on them because of Jim, and Jim was a fool. He had kissed Trixie but she gently pushed him away. It was too much like kissing a brother, unlike the stolen kiss years and years ago, when Trixie had foolishly kissed Dan to make Jim jealous. The kiss had set her on fire, as well as Jim’s temper and Jim had almost decked Dan, until Trixie convinced him she had kissed Dan, not the other way around. Jim had finally shown his real feelings for her and after that, Dan knew he never had a chance. Dan had passed out shortly after that. In the morning he was gone, and for a few weeks didn’t come around much. Neither ever mentioned it again. Eventually he returned to himself and their friendship was back on track.

Dan had gotten them called in on a few cases that had them puzzled. Both girls were favorites with the local precinct and had turned down a number of date requests. And accepted a few that never went anywhere.

Trixie knew Dan would help her. Tall, broad shouldered, dark haired and dark eyed, Dan had always been handsome, and Trixie suspected her cousin Hallie had had a crush on him when they were younger. Dan was so private about his personal life; she never had the heart to ask about Hallie. But she was sure that a couple of the clandestine meetings in the clubhouse and old abandoned schoolhouse had been them!

And she wanted this case solved before the families arrived.

She looked forward to Dan’s arrival; he always kept a level head, like Jim. Any thoughts of Jim she forced out of her head. He was too distracting.

A knock on her door distracted her. It was Honey.

“What cooks?” she asked.

Trixie shook her head.

“I really don’t think any of these boys are the culprit. And especially not Wesley.”

“Agreed,” Honey stood next to her friend, studying the charts. “The problem is, now they’re turning deadly.”

“I know. Which means any of us could be next. I think it best we have Jim institute the buddy system. No one goes anywhere alone. At all.”

“Jim will agree if he gets to be your buddy,” Honey teased.

Trixie snorted.

“Got my Buddy right there under my pillow,” she answered.

Honey didn’t need to look to know Trixie was referring to ‘Buddy’, her faithful 9mm Beretta. Honey had one that matched it in her suitcase, but she was less prone to carrying it than Trixie. Trixie often took the most grueling of the cases, especially the last year. Honey often worked the logical side of a case, making the connections to the culprit.

“I really don’t want any of those boys wandering around alone,” Trixie murmured.

“Why don’t you go take a walk, let me puzzle over this part,” Honey suggested.

Trixie nodded.

“Good idea. I’ll find a snack too. And remind me to call Dan.”

On her way down the hall she wondered if Mart would be in his room. She did want to talk to him. Approaching, she realized the door was slightly open and she could hear angry voices.

“Di, we’ve talked about this! Right now is not a good time to start a family! Jim needs-“

“Jim needs, Jim needs,” Di mocked him. “It’s always about Jim! You promised me a family Mart, years ago! I’ll be too old soon. I’m tired of this school, and this place. Trixie and Honey are lucky, they get to live in the city and see things! I’m tired of the trees and the isolation! I never get to go see my friends because there’s always stuff to do! I didn’t know it would be like this Mart or I-” she stopped.

“Wouldn’t have married me?” Mart finished.

Trixie felt tears prick her eyes. Di had a point. Mart’s loyalty to Jim was going to cost him the family he had always wanted. Mart loved children.

Trixie backed away from the door. One more reason to solve this mystery. Not only did the school’s future rest on her, but so did Mart’s marriage.

Deciding to swing by Wesley’s room, she found him in bed, under heavy covers and writing in a notebook.

“Knock knock,” she poked her head in. “can I come in?”

“Sure,” he looked up, surprised.

“How do you feel?”

“All right. My legs feel kinda weird but Doc B says they’ll be ok in a day or so.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Trixie sank into the chair next to his bed. “I’ve fallen into ice water like that before, it’s not fun and damn cold.”

Wesley nodded. There was an uncomfortable, awkward silence and Trixie rose.

“Well, I just wanted to check in on you. Holler if you need anything.”

He nodded and called her name as she reached the door.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

She grinned at him and went on her way.

Brian was located in the kitchen, humming as he sliced an apple.

“So that saying about apples keeping doctors away isn’t true?” she true.

He looked up at her and smiled.

“Nah.”

Trixie hopped up on the expansive counter to watch him.

“I’m worried, Bri,” she said softly.

“You and me both,” he sighed.

“This isn’t a paycheck,” she murmured, “a job I’m hired for. This is Jim’s dream, yours and Marts. You’ve all put so much into this.”

“Mart’s put too much,” Brian said softly.

Trixie nodded. Brian knew there was a problem with Di.

“What-“

Diana came in then, eyes puffy, looking surprised.

“Oh, hello you two,” she said calmly.

Trixie grinned sheepishly.

“I know I shouldn’t be up on the counter but-“

“No, it’s ok,” she said vaguely.

The siblings exchanged a glance.

“Why don’t I start dinner, Di,” Brian offered. “I’ll head up the dinner crew.”

“Yeah, we haven’t had any girl time. Come on,” Trixie hopped off the counter and linked her arm through her friends, they way they used to, and practically dragged her out of the kitchen.

“I know I’m Mart’s sister,” she started, “but we’ve been friends since we were kids. You haven’t called me in a long time, Di, what cooks?”

They had reached a quiet spot in the library and Diana burst into tears. Trixie let her friend cry, one arm around her thin shoulders. Di’s pretty violet eyes were red when she finally stopped, the shiny blue-black hair Trixie had always envied in a neat ponytail.

“Mart and I always wanted kids. We’re both from big families, you know,” she started as Trixie nodded, “He keeps telling me, maybe next year. Trixie, I’m going to get too old soon. I want children. Three or four of my own. Mine and Mart’s. He keeps putting this school before our marriage and me. Everything is about Jim. Oh I know you still love him and he loves you, but Trix, Mart sometimes acts like . . .I know he loves Jim as another brother but I’m his wife dammit!”

Di burst into tears again and Trixie thought hard.

“Want me to talk to Mart?”

“No,” her friend sniffled. “He doesn’t want any of you to know what’s going on. Jim has too much to deal with and you’re here to help him.”

“Di, you’ve been one of my best friends since we were thirteen and we’ve known each other practically our whole lives. Besides, I know how stupid my dear almost twin can be,” she smiled.

Di smiled through a hiccupped tear.

“Trix, I don’t want to lose him, but I just feel that we split a long time ago. I thought about going off my birth control but then I knew he’d just be furious. I don’t want a child from a lie. Besides, he hardly ever touches me anymore,” she wiped her eyes. Trixie hugged her friend.

“I’ll make Mart see what’s going on. Somehow,” she vowed.

***

But Mart’s marital problems got pushed to the back of her mind that evening when Danny Marsh burst into the game room to announce his room had been trashed. Trixie and Honey searched for any clues from the culprit, but there were none. Danny’s fingerprints were the only ones found, though several surfaces looked as if they had been wiped. Books were tossed around, the bed torn apart, everything thrown onto the floor. The window was open a crack, and Trixie went outside to investigate footprints but they had been brushed away.

Honey and Trixie holed up in Trixie’s room to confer.

“Several students have reported stolen items from their rooms,” Honey mused, “but this is the first full ransacking.”

“It doesn’t add up,” Trixie ran her hand through her blonde curls. “The culprit went to great pains to wipe out fingerprints and brush away his footsteps.”

“Maybe they have a unique shoeprint,” Honey thought out loud.

Trixie frowned.

“I don’t know. Danny said nothing was taken; the room was just trashed. What was the point?”

“Trix,” Honey said slowly, “What’s the best way to take the heat off yourself?”

“Attack yourself,” Trixie said grimly.

Honey nodded.

“What if Danny set it up just to make him seem like a victim, and not the real threat?”

Trixie nodded. “I think you’re right old buddy. Even if Danny isn’t the real the one behind all this other stuff, he easily could have set that mess up. But why?”

***

“So Danny, you just came into your roman found it trashed?” Trixie asked.

Danny Marsh nodded, his dark eyes worried. Trixie had convinced him to sit but he shifted nervously in his chair repeatedly.

“Was the door open at all, any sign of something remiss?”

“Nothing,” he answered.

“Well, the door didn’t have any signs of tampering, which means whoever did it had a key, or did you leave it unlocked?”

“No, er, it was locked.”

“And you’re absolutely sure nothing was taken?” Trixie pressed.

“Not that I’ve found,” he laughed nervously.

“The snow looks like it was brushed over, so if there were footprints, they’re gone.”

“If?” Danny asked, looking a bit pale. Honey made note that he had started sweating just a bit.

“Danny, we have a very odd situation,” Trixie crossed her arms over her chest and her china blue eyes stared at him.

“Such as?” he ran his hand over his closely cropped hair.

“You’re room was trashed, but nothing is missing. The door was locked, but not tampered with. The snow had been brushed over, but there’s nothing to indicate that anyone was there in the first place. Now you’re sweating in three key spots and shaking like a boy on his first date. So why don’t you tell us what happened?” she demanded.

Danny buried his face in his hands. When he looked up his, his dark eyes were sad.

“I was afraid you were suspecting me, so I thought if I staged a little something, then that would take the spotlight off of me. I’m so ashamed,” he looked genuinely remorseful and Trixie nodded.

“We’ll make sure word of this doesn’t get out,” she said quietly, “but if you ever pull something like this again, I’ll personally see to it that you spend some time in jail for falsifying a crime scene. Am I clear?”

He nodded.

***

“Wasting our time with that crap,” Trixie muttered. She sat on her bed, in her pjs, scribbling away on her notepad.

Three days until Dan arrived, five until the families. Keeping Danny on her suspect list was a good idea, she thought.

“Burning the midnight oil?” Mart poked his head in.

She smiled at him.

“Always. Come in. Sit.”

Mart did so, bringing with him two steaming cups of hot chocolate. “Any new leads?”

“No. And a pathetically weak list of suspects.”

Mart looked over the evidence and nodded.

“About what I came up with, minus a couple people,” he sat on the bed.

She studied him frankly.

“What cooks with Di?” she asked softly.

His face flushed red.

“You’re here one day and-“

“I overheard you two by accident,” she interrupted. “But it didn’t sound like a minor argument.”

“It’s not,” he admitted. “She’s been after me for two years now to start a family.”

“What’s the problem?” she asked. “Mart, you love kids.”

“I know and I want my own, just not…yet.”

“Not yet? Mart, she’s thirty-two, she only has a few years left to safely have a child. Family is important to her.”

“Me too!”

“Is your brotherhood with Jim more important than your wife?” Trixie asked.

Mart stared into his cup.

“We’ve put so much into this school. Having a baby will remove Di from its operations and me a lot of the time. I can’t do that to Jim. I made a promise to him, yeas ago, before Di and I got married, that I would do whatever I could to help.”

“And you promised Di a family, didn’t you?” Trixie asked.

Mart nodded.

“We didn’t know things would be so difficult,” he sighed. “The first few years were the easiest, it’s just been the last few that have gotten bad. With these accidents . . . “

“Mart, Jim may very well have to close the school if the investors pull out. Now of course his dad won’t but it’s too expensive for one man to finance, regardless of how loaded the Wheelers are.”

Mart nodded. “I know. And I’m doing everything I can to make sure that he doesn’t have to.”

“So am I. But you need to pay attention to your wife. Mart, Di is about to her breaking limit. Please, please don’t push her to it.”

“You think she’ll leave me?” he asked quietly.

Trixie bit her lip.

“It wouldn’t surprise me Mart.”

Mart sighed, and when he looked up at his Trixie his blue eyes were watery.

“I love her Trix. We haven’t-we haven’t been to intimate for a while. She’s so baby centric and I’m just not sure-and I wouldn’t put it past her to go off her birth control.”

“Di wouldn’t do something so underhanded, Mart.”

Mart sighed. “I don’t know any more.”

“Mart, you need to figure something out quickly. If you need help for the baby, we can arrange that.”

“We don’t have the money,” he interrupted.

Trixie frowned.

“Of course you do. Jim pays you well, I’m sure. And even if not, I’ve got plenty of-“

“Jim really isn’t paying us,” Mart blurted out.

Trixie just stared at him.

“What?”

“Our last couple paychecks came off of his personal account, not the schools. Of course Brian and I noticed and we ordered him not to pay us from personal accounts and that we could hang in until the school is stable again. We don’t have any outstanding major debts, other than college, and Jim took care of those years ago, as a thank you for helping with the school. He’s been using his own money to pay the others.”

Trixie sank back against her pillow. Jim had been the most resolute about every Bob White using only earned money for the clubhouse repairs and whatnot when they were younger. In fact, his and Brian’s honor had made her sick more than once. If Jim was tapping personal funds for payroll, then things were very, very bad.

“It’s like trying to fix a big hole in a sinking ship but forgetting about little cracks,” she murmured. Mart nodded.

“Trix, even if the school shut down-“

“It won’t,” she murmured. “I’ll save it Mart. Somehow, somehow I will save it.”

***

The next day passed uneventfully as the girls talked to more students. Trixie put a call into Dan, and he was checking on one Keith Miller.

No leads. No suspects. Everyone had something good to say about the school, except the two Jim had singled out as sometimes troublemakers. And even they grudgingly admitted that Jim, or “Old Frayne” as they called him, was okay.

Trixie stood at her window, watching the snow come down lightly.

“Anyone home?” Jim was in the doorway.

She turned.

“Of course.”

Jim came in and stood awkwardly for a minute before Trixie motioned him to sit on the bed.

“Few more questions,” she said, picking up her notebook.

“Shoot.”

“How solid is the school financially?” she asked.

Jim blinked in surprise and swallowed.

“It’s ok.”

“Are you sure?” she stared him down and finally he broke eye contact.

“No. It’s not solid. If I lose a single investor, we’ll collapse. The land and buildings are paid for, but I’m paying the teachers and bills from my own money,” he admitted.

Trixie sat next to him on the bed.

“Is there anyone you’ve borrowed money from that would have a lot to gain if the school went under?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“No. Dad would be livid if he found out if I tried to borrow money instead of going to him for any sort of help.”

Trixie set her notebook aside and reached for his hand. Jim reveled in the still familiar touch of the soft hand.

“Jim, there is a way out. I’ll find it. I’m overlooking something,” she said.

He looked at her.

“And if there isn’t?”

“Don’t think like that,” she said sharply. “Use that redhead determination of yours.”

Jim smiled at her and their eyes met. Without thinking he leaned in for a kiss and she didn’t bolt as their lips touched. Reaching for her, he wasn’t surprised when she stood up abruptly.

“I’m really tired, Jim, I should get some sleep.”

“Of course,” he murmured, leaving quickly. Outside he leaned against the door, one hand touching it. Part of him yearned to barge back in, declare his love and ask her to marry him. The other part knew better, and retreated to his rooms.

By the time he had been old enough to tap his inheritance, it had grown into almost three million dollars, under his adopted father’s care. It had been enough to buy this land and build, and start the school. The investors poured in, as did the students. The first time the student numbers dropped, he didn’t think much of it. But then it continued, to where he now only had fifteen students instead of the once thirty or more. All were troubled teens, and he wanted younger students, that could be helped before they hit the already rough enough teen years.

But it hadn’t really scared him until the money started to dwindle in relation to the student. And then the ‘accidents’. Someone was out to get him. The accident with Wesley made that very, very real. It could have just as easily been Trixie that went into that water.

Changing into his nightclothes, Jim crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Trixie didn’t go to sleep. Instead she continued to stare out the window for a long time.

***

Trixie stared at her list.

Rotten meat delivery

Poisoned vegetables

Missing items from students’ rooms

Falling rock on mountainside of forest

Trail markers switched around, students lost in forest

Hole in fence, wild animal

Tossing her notepad on her bed, Trixie closed her eyes. Go back to the beginning, she thought. When in doubt, go back to the beginning, she thought. Back to the beginning . . .

Still laughing, Trixie let Jim pull her outside on the terrace. The guests had wandered home, leaving only girls and their boyfriends.

Grinning, she wrapped her arms around Jim’s neck, kissing him soundly. Tightly he wrapped his arms around her, they stood kissing for several moments.

“Sit down,” he murmured, finally pulling away.

Trixie’s heart began to race. Here it was. After eight years, he was finally going to propose. He sat opposite her on the patio chairs, holding her hand in his.

Jim’s green eyes stared at Trixie, taking her in. Her pale blue chiffon sundress complemented her lightly tanned skin, and her curly hair had grown long enough to pull into soft waves around her face. The once sandy color had mellowed into a lovely gold, and her eyes sparkled at him as they had so many times over the years.

“Trix, there’s something I’ve wanted to say, to tell you for a couple days,” he started. Trixie inhaled sharply. “You know I owe my very life to you, shhh, just listen. You saved me that day, all those years ago. I’ve watched you grow up, and been jealous every time you looked at Dan, when you faked that crush on Ben, every time you looked at another guy I got jealous.” Trixie couldn’t help but laugh. “But you’ve done more for me than you ever know, including making sure I could open my school.”

Trixie felt a shiver of fear down her spine. This wasn’t sounding like a marriage proposal.

“You know Brian and I have been looking for the right place to open the school. Oh I know you keep saying to use Manor House and Ten Acres, but I want something bigger, more wilderness.” Trixie was frowning now. “I wanted you to be the first to know, we found the land. It’s perfect, has a big lake, tons of wood,” his face flushed with happiness and Trixie felt her heart spiraling. “The thing is, Trix, it’s in Vermont.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “Vermont?” she whispered. Jim nodded.

“I know it’s aways away, Trix, but the land couldn’t be more perfect.”

“Jim-our office opens on Monday,” she whispered, her eyes stinging as her chest began to constrict.

“I know. Brian and I are leaving Sunday to get things started. I know it’s a shock Trix, but, you understand, don’t you?” he asked. Trixie stood up, walking to the waist high wall, where she leaned against it, struggling to inhale. “Trixie?”

“I thought you brought out here to ask me to marry you,” she answered. Jim pressed his lips together, and stood behind her. His strong hands touched her arms and she whirled on him, furious. “Jim-I was certain-you’ve been all mysterious and asking Honey about my ring size-“

“Trix,” he covered her mouth, “listen to me. I do want to marry you. Once I get the school-“

She tore away. “Jim, if you’re in Vermont and I’m in New York, how do you expect to pull that off?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

Trixie shook her head.

“No. It can’t work unless one of us gives up our dream. And we promised each other years ago that we would never do that, that we would make sure we all followed our dreams,” her eyes glittered with tears.

“Trixie,” he murmured, pulling her close as the tears fell. “I want you more than just about anything else.”

“The school comes first,” she whispered, pulling away. “We both knew this would happen someday.”

“I looked all over New York for suitable land,” his tone was apologetic.

She shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Trix, I wanted to ask you to marry me tonight, but I can’t do that without asking you to give up your dream, and I absolutely won’t do that.”

“And I won’t ask you,” she whispered, “which puts us at an impasse.”

Trixie walked to the glass door and looked back at him. “Good luck, Jim.”

“Trixie,” He stepped forward and she waited. “I love you.”

“You should go home,” was her reply as she slipped inside. Thankfully no one was in the living room and she sought refuge in her room, where she fell on her bed and sobbed as if she would never be able to stop.

Honey poked her head out of the kitchen as Jim came in pale. “Did you do it? What’d she say?”

Dazed, Jim just looked at his adopted sister, then Brian, her boyfriend and his best friend.

“Did she say yes? When’s the wedding?” Honey persisted.

Brian turned as pale as Jim as Jim sunk into a chair.

“Brian, you didn’t tell Honey?”

“I thought you did!”

“Tell me what?” Honey turned and looked at her friends, and it became evident that everyone except Dan knew what was going on. He looked as puzzled as her.

“You didn’t ask her to marry you,” Dan said.

Jim shook his head as Honey’s mouth dropped open.

“I told her about the land, that we found in Vermont.”

“Vermont?” Honey gasped. Brian reached to steady her. “But Jim-all that about her ring size and favorite jewels-color-“

“I did get her a ring for graduation,” he said softly. “But not an engagement ring.”

Honey sagged against Brian’s solid frame. “Oh no.”

“I didn’t get a chance to give it to her. She told me to leave.”

“Where is she?” Dan asked.

Jim shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“Did you have the sense to tell her you love her?”

“Yes. It didn’t do any good.”

Honey shook her head. “You all better go. I’ll take care of her.”

Jim handed her a small package as he left, still dazed but he heard Dan quite clearly say “Jim Frayne, you’re as big a fool as there ever was.”

Jim snapped awake. Rubbing his eyes he thought about that night. Honey had told him later Trixie didn’t come out of her room all weekend, but Monday morning was at work as they opened the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency. Di and Mart were engaged that weekend, to be married at the end of summer and then would come join Jim and Brian. Jim didn’t know what had transpired between Honey and Brian, there was never a formal engagement announced, and now, not for the first time, he regretted dragging his friends into this.

Too many broken hearts, Mart’s marriage in trouble, and Trixie, his beautiful, spunky, irrepressible Trixie, right across the hall and so very, very untouchable.

Author’s Notes
- Again, bowing to Dana for edits and suggestions on improvements!
- word count, 4,668

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