Trixie Get Your Gun

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Trixie lay sprawled on the stage. She dimly heard footsteps hurrying away and then the door to the prop room opened, but by the time she raised her head, the door had shut and there was nothing to see but the dim stage.

"They're getting away," she realized. She thought to quickly pull herself to her feet, but her head hurt and she was groggy. Sitting up turned out to be more challenging than usual.

Trixie was just righting herself, cautiously feeling for a bump on her head when the theater entrance opened and she heard Nancy and Honey calling.

"Hey, Trix, you in here? Let's go!" Nancy called.

"Tom just drove up," Honey chimed in.

"I'm here," in spite of her efforts, Trixie's voice sounded shaky.

"Trixie? Are you okay?" Honey's voice tremored with concern.

"I've been hit," Trixie said, her voice growing stronger.

"Hit?!" Nancy dumped her books and keys on a back seat and hurried toward the stage.

"I'll get Tom," Honey called and headed back outside.

Trixie reached over to one of the rostra and used it to brace herself and pull up to a standing position. Nancy mounted the stage, peering at Trixie through the dim light. She reached Trixie and put her hand on Trixie's arm.

"What happened?"

"I'd come on stage to look for something. Someone was waiting here, I guess. I heard something, but I couldn't see anything. Then someone bonked me on the head and ran out through the prop door," Trixie pointed.

Honey and Tom came hurrying through the theater and up onto stage.

"Someone's attacked Trixie! I'm going to go see if they're still around," Nancy said.

"Let me come with you," Tom cried, doubling his speed to catch up with Nancy. She quickly flipped on a few stage lights before she and Tom entered the prop room.

Honey stayed with Trixie. "What on earth happened?!" she asked.

"I don't know!" Trixie managed a weak smile and repeated what she'd told Nancy.

Nancy and Tom returned then. "No one in the hall or walking in the parking lot that I recognized," Nancy declared.

"There are quite a few cars in the parking lot for the basketball game and a few driving away, but no way to tell who it was or if one might be someone who was fleeing the scene," Tom added.

He held out a cup of water to Trixie while Nancy quickly fetched her stage manager's kit and got two Tylenol for her. Tom put an arm around Trixie's shoulders and looked at her face closely. "Did you lose consciousness?" he asked.

Trixie shook her head. "No, just stunned."

"Any wooziness? Disorientation?" he pressed. He looked reassured when Trixie shook her head.

"Did you get a look at all? See anything?" Honey asked.

"Not a bit," Trixie said regretfully. "It was dark when I came in and then, after whoever it was hit me on the head, I was too stunned to look."

Given the dramatic turn of events, Trixie felt that she had to be candid with Nancy. Quickly she related how the missing primer book had surfaced, but with a cryptic, possibly threatening message for Di. Since the missing mirror hadn't surfaced, Trixie explained, she wanted to take the opportunity when the theater was empty to see if it had been stashed somewhere or possibly hidden in the dressing rooms.

"I did see Alison going downstairs before rehearsal and I found the magic marker downstairs that could have been used to write the message. But, of course, I can't make a direct connection. But I just felt that we've got to do something to help Di and the production," Trixie ended her recitation.

Tom Delanoy wagged a finger at her. "Getting bonked on the head won't help," he said. "Let's see this message."

Tom and Honey supported Trixie on either side as she walked down the stairs from the stage to the audience seats. "I'm okay now, really," she protested, but they insisted on escorting her. Nancy retrieved Trixie's books and Trixie showed them the primer book and its unsettling message: 'Beware, There's Still Another Sure Shot…Backstage.' Tom whistled sharply.

"This is ugly," he declared. "And, it's nothing to mess around with. You have to turn this in."

Nancy agreed. "I'm going to put this in Mrs. Catania's office with a note so she'll see it first thing in the morning," she said. "And, Trixie, you'll have to tell Mrs. Catania and Vice-Principal Reed what happened - the first thing tomorrow morning. Oh, murgatroyde!" Nancy sank into a seat in the aisle across from Trixie. "This is just what we need. More trouble!"

Trixie grimaced, agreeing with Nancy on all counts.

In case someone was still lurking, Tom didn't want any of the girls staying alone so he accompanied Nancy while she left the primer book and note in Mrs. Catania's office. Then the four went out to the Wheeler's limo where Trixie and Honey waited while he walked Nancy to her car. Once they were sure Nancy's car had started and she was driving off, Tom headed the limo out toward Glen Road.

"Well, Miss Belden, I see you've found yourself another crook," he said.

"The crook found her," Honey said.

Trixie nodded. "I think someone may have been waiting. While we were downstairs in the dressing rooms, I thought I heard footsteps above. I can't be sure, but if I did, then that person may have been surprised and hidden when we came upstairs. Then when I came back, well, I don't know, maybe they thought I'd turn on a light and find them. Which I would have."

"Why do you think they were waiting?" Honey asked. "Do you think they were waiting on purpose to attack us?" she shivered.

"I doubt that. I think we surprised them. I think it was someone who waited until they thought everyone was gone in order to do some more vandalism. We surprised them when we came up from downstairs and then I really surprised them when I came back after my books."

"That's a lot of 'I thinks' and supposes, but one thing's for sure: you're dealing with an angry person, Trixie," Tom said. "You'd better turn this over to the school authorities and leave it there."

Trixie didn't say anything. She would certainly turn over the evidence she had, but she wasn't about to just sit and wait to see if someone else did something.

Honey was looking at her sympathetically. "You can't help Di if you're out of commission too," she said gently.

Trixie nodded reluctantly. "I know. I'll be careful," she said.

Thankfully, the other Beldens were all occupied when Trixie got home - Moms giving Bobby a bath, her Dad going over the family bills and budget, her brothers studying. Trixie grabbed a leftover chicken leg and an apple from the fridge for a cold supper and scampered up to her room to avoid awkward questions. Tomorrow was another early morning, however. Moms had a Garden Club meeting and Trixie was to do a few make-ahead cooking chores for the family dinner. With a groan, Trixie set her alarm and rolled into bed, not even looking at her schoolbooks.

When the morning did come Trixie found she was no worse for the wear. Whatever bump she'd sustained had receded and she felt fine, if a bit sleep deprived. "I just wish I could have seen something," she thought as she dressed and headed downstairs.

Not until Trixie was slicing celery did she realize that it was Valentine's Day. "With all the excitement, I didn't think to get anybody anything," she thought in disappointment. "Even Jim," Trixie frowned as she continued cleaning and slicing.

"Is something wrong, sweetie? You look concerned," her mother said, scrambling eggs with a whisk.

Trixie did her best to perk up. "No, Moms. I've just got a lot to keep up with what with school and the musical and chores."

"You take on too much. You're so generous," Mrs. Belden said. "Just scrape and slice a few carrots and then sit down and have a real breakfast." The scrambled eggs she poured into the hot skillet made an inviting sizzle.

There weren't that many problems that couldn't be eased by a good breakfast and her Moms concern, Trixie decided. She dug into her eggs with gusto. There was nothing she could do now about Valentine's Day and she'd just have to take the mystery one step at a time, she told herself.

Reinvigorated, Trixie went with her brothers to the bus stop. Honey was there alone, mentioning that Jim had taken the early bus to school, in order to attend a Math Club meeting. On the ride to school, Trixie told her brothers about her efforts to investigate and the pummeling she'd taken.

"I gather you haven't shared this escapade with our parents," Mart said dryly.

"I don't want to worry them and it's not like I am ever going to be backstage alone again," Trixie said.

"Attacking you in the dark and hitting you on the head!" Brian exclaimed. "Who is this nut case?"

"I still don't know and that's the worst part of it," Trixie said ruefully. She went on and shared everything she'd learned with the boys and Honey. She included what she'd learned about Alison's doctor's appointment and her other suspicions about Alison's involvement in the missing props and the mysterious message left for Di in the primer reading book.

"What do you know about Alison?" Brian asked Honey.

Honey had looked increasingly troubled during the conversation. "I don't know her very well. I've talked with her a few times. Jim's in a couple of classes with her and thinks she's a nice girl, but someone who, well, someone who's anxious or confused or somehow has got something on her mind. She just seems so sweet! I don't see how she could be mixed up in something like this."

Brian nodded his head sympathetically. "I can understand that, but there is the matter of the nonexistent doctor's appointment and the fact that she was apparently seen entering the prop room that morning Di's costumes were destroyed," he said quietly.

Honey reluctantly nodded her head, looking more miserable by the minute.

"You need some proof that can't be squirmed out of or explained away," Brian told Trixie.

"Tell me something I don't know," Trixie thought, but merely nodded.

The Bob-Whites rode quietly the rest of the trip and went their separate ways for classes. Trixie hurried to Mrs. Catania's office before Home Room to tell the Drama Coach about what she knew about the attack on her the night before. She decided she also should go ahead and tell Mrs. Catania that she'd confirmed with Dr. Ferris' office that he'd not been in the office the previous Monday, so that Alison could not have had a doctor's appointment that day, as she'd said.

Mrs. Catania looked very disgruntled. "This is no good, no good at all," she shook her head. "You're pointing your finger in a very unexpected direction," she looked at Trixie accusingly.

"Mrs. Catania, I'm just telling you what I've seen and found out!" Trixie protested.

Mrs. Catania shrugged in acquiescence and nodded. "It's just not a good situation, any way you look at it." She punched her fist into a pile of papers on her desk. "And it's jeopardizing our production!"

"Someone should at least question Alison and Mrs. Travers," Trixie said.

Mrs. Catania agreed and said she would speak to Mr. Reed immediately. "I was going to talk to him today anyway because of what Mr. Barlow told you yesterday. Now I'll make sure he knows right away how serious this has gotten. Go on to your classes now, Trixie. I imagine Mr. Reed will want to speak to you as soon as possible, but he'll contact you."

Trixie went to her classes, wondering when the next blow would fall. She didn't have long to wait: in second period she received a note requesting that she come immediately to see the vice-principal. Trixie was excused from Algebra and went to Mr. Reed's office.

Mr. Reed greeted Trixie with a quick nod and motioned her to a chair sitting across from his desk. "Now, then, Trixie, let's hear about last night," he began.

Trixie told Mr. Reed everything. He listened without comment and his eyes were inscrutable behind the tortoise shell-rimmed glasses as Trixie talked. She found herself stumbling under his unblinking gaze, suddenly aware of every gap in evidence, every assumption and intuitive leap she'd made. She plowed doggedly through her explanation, fingering a paper tissue as she talked. "So, tha-that's what I know," she finished.

"I see." There was a pause. Mr. Reed tapped his index finger against his mouth and sat quietly in thought. "Why did you go back into the theater?"

"Like I said, I wanted to see whether I could find the missing mirror or some other sign that might, you know, show who has been behind this."

"Why couldn't you look for the mirror during rehearsal?"

"Well, I did. Everyone did."

"It just seems strange that you would want to go back into that theater by yourself. And, I hate to say it, but I have to be concerned because that's a clear opportunity for you to do some mischief."

Trixie's mouth dropped open. "Mischief! I'm the one who got hit!"

"We only have your word for it that you were hit."

Dumbfounded, Trixie protested. "I'm not lying! Nancy, Honey, they can tell you, I was sprawled on the floor."

"Did you go to the Emergency Room last night?"

"Well no, I - "

"Have you been to the school nurse today?"

"Well, no sir, I just had a little headache last night, but Nancy gave me some Tylenol and that helped and now I'm fine today. I didn't want to worry anyone."

"Hmmm…" Mr. Reed tapped his fingers on his desk. "Now this book, this primer reading book with the message…um, "Beware, there's a, uh…shooter -"

"'Another sure shot backstage,'" Trixie corrected.

"Uh-huh. I believe Mrs. Catania told me that you are in charge of props?"

"Some of them, yes. I noticed that the book had disappeared at the same time I saw the mirror was missing."

"Who had more access to them than you did?"

"I don't know if anyone had more, but plenty of people had some access. Look, Mr. Reed, I didn't take that book or put a message in it. Diana Lynch is my friend, one of my best friends! I'm trying to help her. And there's been trouble going on long before I joined the crew."

Mr. Reed nodded. "I know about the costumes and I've been making inquiries. The troublemakers who did the vandalism to the costumes know we're onto them," he paused and then got up from his desk, put his hands in his pockets and paced slowly back and forth behind his desk. "You were in the newspapers last summer, I believe."

"We-ell, yes," Trixie said, wondering what newspaper stories had to do with this situation.

Mr. Reed stopped pacing and looked at her appraisingly. "Something about jewel thieves and finding a jewel someplace on the Wheeler property?"

"Yes, sir. A diamond. It was in the gatehouse."

"Cops and robbers! Must have been pretty exciting for a young girl to get all that attention."

"I - I don't know."

"If you solved another mystery, maybe you would get some more attention, hmm…?"

Trixie didn't like the way this was going. "I don't know what you're implying sir. I'm not after attention, I'm here to help Di."

"And, if one set of troublemakers has already been dealt with, well, scare up a little more trouble and you can solve a mystery, save the show, and be a hero."

"Are you accusing me?!" Trixie could hardly believe her ears. "I've had nothing to do with any of this trouble. And, for your information, neither did Del or Tony or Jeff. You've been barking up the wrong tree!" Trixie caught herself and bit her lip. She looked down at her lap and saw that her tissue was in shreds.

"Is that so?" Mr. Reed asked dryly. "Trixie, you've always been a good student, all the Belden children are. You come from a good family. I don't like to think of you in connection with something like this. But we really have no evidence to speak of and I have to consider all possibilities and angles. You are making accusations - wild accusations, I may say, against a student who's never given anyone any trouble and a dedicated parent who has given a lot to the show."

Trixie choked back her exasperation. "Are you at least questioning Mr. Barlow about what he saw? And looking into Alison's doctor's appointment?"

Mr. Reed adjusted his glasses and looked down at Trixie as if from a great height. "Mrs. Catania told me about your, oh, findings. I will speak with Mr. Barlow today and I will continue to look into everything connected with the events backstage. I do believe I can do the job," he looked at her pointedly. "Now, Trixie, you can go back to class. I'm sure you understand that under the present circumstances it's important not to spread any innuendo or gossip. And, no more sneaking backstage unaccompanied! That's going to be the rule for all students from now on. The prop room and the theater will be strictly locked except for rehearsal time and no one, no one, will have access. Is that understood?"

Dumbly, Trixie nodded.

"All right, that will be all," Mr. Reed held the door open for her to leave.

"Yes, sir," Trixie got the words out and stumbled back to Algebra.

She spent the rest of the class in a daze. Third period, she joined Honey and Di for Study Hall at their usual table in the library.

"What happened?" Honey asked when she had a chance.

"Mr. Reed has a suspect," Trixie said slowly, still feeling shell-shocked.

"Who?"

"Me!"

Chapter 12: Cupid's Kiss

"You?! A suspect?!" Honey and Di chorused.

"That's crazy!" Honey continued.

Trixie threw up her hands. "I can't believe it myself." Because the Lynch chauffeur had driven Di into school that day, she still didn't know about the attack on Trixie the previous night. Quickly Trixie brought her up to date and then recounted her conversation with Mr. Reed and his insinuations.

"Oh, Trixie that's just ridiculous," Honey said hotly. "How dare he think you would do something like this?"

Di was just as angry. And also angry with herself. "I'm so sorry I've gotten you mixed up with this."

"Oh, don't blame yourself," Trixie waved her hand dismissively. "You didn't get me into this. I got my own self into it. And, I still can't prove who did it."

"You're come closer than anyone else has," Di said. "But, what are we going to do? We can't let you take the blame."

"We've got to have an emergency meeting of the Bob-Whites at lunch," Honey said. "Surely we can think of something to do."

When lunchtime came Trixie found that for perhaps the first time in her life, she wasn't hungry. School cafeteria food looked particularly unappetizing. "I feel like I'm already wearing a ball and chain," she joked morosely.

Di and Honey, however, reminded her that she faced a long rehearsal after school, so Trixie settled on some vegetable soup. When the girls joined the boys, they found Brian and Mart filling Jim in on the attack on Trixie.

"I knew you'd find trouble, Calamity Trix," Jim shook his head, smiling. Then he looked closely at Trixie as she sat down across from him. "But, really, are you okay?"

"Sure, just a little bump, it's nothing. But, we need to have a meeting," she said hastily. "Things are even worse than I thought." Quickly she told the boys about her conversation with Mr. Reed.

Mart whistled. "Of all the lame brain conclusions, that is the lamest!" he declared.

"Easy there, little brother, that's our vice-principal," Brian said. "Trixie, how exactly does Mr. Reed think this all happened?"

"Apparently his theory is that Tony and Jeff, possibly with Del's help did the initial troublemaking, and he - Mr. Reed, I mean - put a stop to that, but now maybe yours truly has taken over the vandalism, so I can get credit for solving a mystery."

Brian's caution evaporated and he looked as disgusted as Mart. "I can't believe Mr. Reed would accuse you of this or would think that getting attention would be a motive for you to make this kind of trouble."

"Of course Trixie didn't do it," Jim said quietly. "But I don't think Alison did either." He looked at Trixie defiantly. "You don't know her. I do. She's not the kind of person to do this sort of mischief. She's scared."

"Of course she's scared -- that her sabotage of Di will be found out," Trixie countered.

"You don't know that," Jim said.

"She has a motive. She had the opportunity. She was seen going into the prop room! She lied about her doctor's appointment!" Trixie said. "Why doesn't that add up?"

"The motive," Jim replied emphatically. "Alison is not the kind of girl to make this kind of trouble so she could get a part. I know that. I want to hear Alison's side."

"I want to hear Alison's side, too!" Trixie exclaimed. "But I can't even get anyone to ask her a few questions!"

"You've been set on Alison from the beginning. I don't think you've been objective," Jim said. "What about Del's friends? Everyone seems to think they are the kinds of people to do damage."

"They don't have nearly the motive that Alison does," Trixie argued. "And, I didn't see them sneaking downstairs to the dressing rooms and then later have props go missing. And I don't know that they lied about a doctor's appointment."

"You don't have to call her a liar," Jim said stubbornly. "That kind of talk does a lot of damage to people's reputations."

Trixie put her spoon down with a clatter and sat back in her chair. "There was no doctor's appointment," she said flatly.

The table was silent as green and blue eyes glared at each other. Honey had been watching the escalating argument between Jim and Trixie with growing concern. "It's just so difficult to see Alison doing something like this," she began hesitantly.

"Well, it's difficult to see Del helping someone do this," Trixie retorted. "But somebody has been doing some pretty malicious stuff to Di. And, it's somebody we know."

"Well, we don't have to jump to conclusions about who that somebody is," Jim said.

"What about the conclusions Mr. Reed is jumping to?" Mart asked incredulously. "Those are some whoppers!" Despite Trixie and Mart's near incessant teasing and bickering, they were always loyal to each other in a pinch.

Di spoke up. "I don't know what's going on, I honestly don't. I don't like to suspect Alison or Del. I just really appreciate the support Trixie and Honey have given me. Please, there's enough accusing going on without us accusing each other."

Brian nodded. "Di's right. Let's all take a deep breath. We're supposed to be here to support each other. And our goal here is to help Di, remember? We have to see that through. Jim, Trixie may be a bit headlong but she isn't trying to hurt anyone, I'm sure of that. Now more than ever, we have to pull together and get to the bottom of this. There's two things at stake: one, we can't let Trixie be accused unjustly and two, we can't leave Di unprotected. Let's think about some practical next steps we can take."

For a long moment the Bob-Whites stared uncomfortably at each other. No one knew what to do.

Honey spoke up first. "Since I work with Mrs. Travers I'll see if I can find a time soon when I can maybe get her talking about Alison and the doctor's appointment or - or at least something about Alison so we have a better understanding of her."

Trixie took the olive branch Honey had offered. "I've been getting to know Del. At first I don't think he trusted me, but I think he does now. I can talk to him more and maybe learn more about what was going on with Tony and Greg. See if there have been some connections I've overlooked."

Staring at the table and slightly hunched over, Jim nodded. "I'll see if I can find out more from Alison," he said.

"Should someone approach our esteemed vice-principal?" Mart asked. "Explain to him that Trixie, while certifiably crazy, is not responsible for this particular piece of craziness?"

"It sounds to me like Mr. Reed was just firing a warning shot across the bow," Brian said. "I don't think we should make more of it than it is. Unless he makes some specific accusations, let's leave well enough alone for now. If we can expose the real culprit, that clears everyone."

Trixie nodded.

"Well, if Trixie is investigating the Del angle and Honey and Jim are taking care of the Alison and Mrs. Travers angle, what will the rest of us do?" Mart asked. "I mean, Di's got her hands full starring in the show," Mart bowed slightly in Diana's direction and she smiled wryly. "But what about me and thee, elder brother?"

"Me and thee can see who else Alison knows and might have confided in, who else Del, Tony and Greg know, pick up a little extra information," Brian began.

"There was a basketball game last night," Honey said slowly. "Maybe someone was in the hall at some point and saw something near the theater, or saw something in the parking lot. Why don't you question some of the people who went to the game?"

"That's a good point," Trixie said. "If Tony or Greg were at the basketball game or were seen wandering around that might mean opportunities for them."

"Okay, then," Brian said. "Mart and I will see what else is out there."

The class bell rang then and the Bob-Whites, somewhat dispirited, headed off to their afternoon classes. The dissension in the group had sobered and dismayed them. Trixie walked through her afternoon schedule with a heavy heart. Jim's disapproval stung and she knew Honey, the most loyal of friends, was torn between her loyalty to Trixie and to Jim.

"Oh, how did this get to be such a mess and why am I always in the middle of it?" Trixie asked herself. "Mart was right when he said I'd get in over my head."

When Trixie and Honey showed up for rehearsal the impact of the previous night was immediately apparent. The prop room door was locked, as were the external theater entrances. The cast and crew milled around in the hall until Mrs. Catania, accompanied by Mr. Reed, opened the doors. Along with two security guards Mr. Reed patrolled the back stage during the entire rehearsal, to the bewilderment of most of the cast and crew. No one but Nancy and Del had been told about the attack on Trixie or the menacing note in the primer reading book.

"It's just extra security," Nancy and Mrs. Catania said to anyone who asked. "Let's just get on with our rehearsal."

Much as she wanted to question Del and keep an eye on Alison, Trixie found that there were even fewer opportunities for detective work at this rehearsal than at others. Mrs. Catania was very anxious to take everyone's mind off the extra security and keep them focused on the musical, so she kept things moving at a fast clip.

The rehearsal began with the first meeting of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. Frank sang a song to Annie describing the kind of woman he would like to marry:

"The girl that I marry will have to be
as soft and as pink as a nursery.
The girl I call my own
Will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne."

From the stage right wings Trixie watched Alison on the opposite side of the stage. She was watching the scene intently. She wore a pink ruffled blouse. Dark blonde tendrils framed her face. "Exactly the kind of girl the song is about," Trixie thought. "Is she as sweet as everyone seems to think?"

After Frank left, Annie sang of her despair at being the kind of girl Frank - or any man -- would want. Trixie marveled at Di's perseverance and pluck. Despite the upheaval surrounding the musical, her delivery was upbeat, maximizing the song's comic lines:

"I'm quick on the trigger
with targets not much bigger
than a pinpoint of number one.
But my score with a feller
Is lower than a cellar
Oh, you can't get a man with a gun!"

Trixie winced at the words. It was all hitting a little too close to home. She shook her head and looked down at her script to review the cues for the next change of scene. When she looked up, she saw Mrs. Travers and Mr. Reed standing upstage right, conferring quietly. After a minute, Mr. Reed put his hands in his pockets and strolled around backstage. From a distance it seemed to Trixie that Mrs. Travers' looked directly at her with a glare. Then she turned back to the student she was fitting.

Trixie looked down. All of the cards were on the table now. Everyone, practically, knew what she thought, she had only indirect proof, and powerful people were skeptical of her case. In a way it was more frightening than being alone in a darkened theater.

"I don't know how I'll get this unraveled," Trixie thought, so she concentrated on her immediate tasks. "But if they are really trying to get Di to quit, they'll have to try something else - and soon. Maybe the next time they'll tip their hand."

When rehearsal came to an end, Nancy reminded everyone of the Valentine's party at the Travers' and quickly organized ride-sharing among cast and crew. Di, Trixie, and Honey rode in the Lynch limo. Trixie was planning to stay the night with Di and ride in with her to the Saturday "dry tech" rehearsal.

Alison and Mrs. Travers lived in a modest apartment, not far from Sleepyside High. Mrs. Travers met the girls at the door and greeted them in her typically over the top manner. But Trixie saw that beneath the cordiality, her eyes were snapping and she seemed to look at Trixie with particular wariness. She pointed the way to her bedroom and told the girls to leave their coats there. Trixie, Honey and Di piled their coats alongside others on the bed and then quickly checked their hair in the dresser mirror. As they were leaving the bedroom, Del came in, a big grin on his face. Trixie let Honey and Di go on and stopped to talk with him.

"You're feeling good!" she said.

"That's because I've got the sun in the morning and the noon at night!" Del proclaimed jazzily, thrusting his arms and legs out as if he was in a chorus line. "I talked with Mr. Reed this afternoon. Right after rehearsal last night I gave one of the other students a ride home and stayed overnight. He can vouch for me. I wasn't the one in the theater last night. I'm in the clear!" he took off his woolen scarf with a flourish and tucked it into the arm of his coat and laid it on the bed.

"That's terrific!" Trixie said.

"Yes, I - oh man, Trixie, I'm sorry. I was so excited for myself I forgot that you were the one who got hurt. Are you okay?" Del put his hand on Trixie's arm.

"My head's fine," Trixie said. "Well, at least my physical one is. Don't worry Del, I'm really glad for you."

More crewmembers came in to leave their coats. "I guess I shouldn't talk about it now. Mr. Reed asked me to be discreet ," Del said, lowering his voice. "I'll tell you more later."

Trixie and Del made their way back into the crowded living room, chatting easily about rehearsal. Trixie looked around casually when a red head caught her attention. Jim Frayne was walking across the room carrying two cups of punch. He hesitated when he saw Trixie.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out.

Jim smiled slightly and shrugged, as if embarrassed. "Alison asked me," he said. "She asked a few of us from Home Room."

"Oh! Well…that's nice," Trixie paused awkwardly.

"Yes," Jim tried a smile again, but it wouldn't stay put. He looked as if he wanted to say something but had left the thought somewhere and couldn't recall where. Trixie couldn't think of anything to say either.

They were standing there uncomfortably when a familiar, unctuous voice oozed up behind them. "Why, Jim, dear, I see you've helped yourself to some of my famous Cupid's Kiss punch," it was Mrs. Travers. She was carrying a platter of plastic glasses filled with a pink punch and she planted herself between Trixie and Jim. "This punch has secret ingredients, sort of my own Love Potion #9," she giggled hysterically. "I don't know if I should trust you with my daughter."

Jim maintained a polite mask while his eyes darted around wildly, looking for an escape. "Uh, I guess I should take Alison over her glass," he said, gesturing to where Alison was talking with another student.

"Oh, if you insist," Mrs. Travers said teasingly. "Here Trixie, help yourself to a glass of punch," Mrs. Travers held the platter toward Trixie.

Trixie watched Jim as he crossed the room and then turned to get a glass of punch. She saw that Mrs. Travers had followed her gaze and was now regarding Trixie with a look of peculiar satisfaction. Trixie avoided her eyes and concentrated on the punch. It was an overly sweet strawberry, not to her liking.

"It's very tasty," she lied politely and saw to her relief that Honey was walking over to join them.

Mrs. Travers continued to eye Trixie knowingly. "Don't they make a pretty pair?" she gestured toward Alison and Jim standing among a group of students, talking and laughing.

Trixie meant to say, "I guess," but all that came out was a mangled mumble.

Honey smiled pleasantly and said, "Hmmm…" possibly in agreement, possibly not.

"I'm just so excited about this show," Mrs. Travers continued. "Everyone is working so hard. I know my Alison knows the part of Annie Oakley backwards and forwards."

"So does Di," Trixie said pointedly.

"Well, I know Diana…tries…but, honestly," Mrs. Travers lowered her voice conspiratorially. "She does get her mords wixed, doesn't she?" Mrs. Travers emphasized the phrase, "mords wixed" to show that she was doing it on purpose and elbowed Trixie's ribs, laughing uproariously at her own joke.

Trixie recovered her balance while Honey stared unhappily into her punch.

"But I'll tell you what's so exciting," Mrs. Travers went on, seemingly oblivious to Honey and Trixie's discomfort. "There are Broadway scouts coming to this performance."

"Really?" Trixie looked up. "I haven't heard that."

"You bet your life. I just think it's destiny that Ali and I moved here when we did. Mrs. Catania has some big shot friends in New York and some of them are going to be here for some of the performances. Just think! Somebody could get discovered right here in li'l ol' Sleepyside," Mrs. Travers arched her eyebrows so high they disappeared into her bangs and she sallied off to offer punch to the other students.

"Tell me that's not a real, live motive for wanting someone other than Di to play Annie Oakley," Trixie muttered after Mrs. Travers left.

"It is," Honey confirmed. "I hate to say it, but it is."

"And tell me also that that woman is not a walking cause of justifiable homicide."

"Huh?" Honey was confused.

"'Don't Jim and my Ali make a pair?'" Trixie mimicked Mrs. Travers.

Honey snorted then. "Why, Trixie Belden, you're jealous!"

Trixie sputtered in exasperation, managing to spray her white blouse with pink punch. "Oh, no!" she wailed.

Honey was laughing so hard she had to put down her own drink. She found some napkins on the counter and handed them to Trixie. Di joined them then, looking at them curiously.

"Trixie's got a little competition," Honey said by way of explanation, inclining her head in the direction of Jim and Alison.

"Not for long," Di said emphatically.

"What do you mean?" Trixie asked.

Di shrugged. "Jim likes you." she said flatly.

Trixie ducked her head and smiled.

Honey nodded. "I think Jim wants to be a friend to Alison. He really does think she's in need of help," she said, but she continued to regard Trixie with amusement.

To change the subject, Trixie told the girls she'd learned something interesting from Del. They moved off to a corner then. Keeping her voice low, Trixie told Honey and Di that Del had been cleared.

"I'm really glad to hear that," Honey said with relief. "I never have suspected him and I'm glad he's off the list."

"You never suspect anyone," Trixie said with a smile and a gentle nudge at Honey, glad to have a chance to tease her back a little. "Some detective!"

Honey laughed. "I know. Sometimes I don't know if I have the heart - or the nerves - for detecting. I didn't come up with anything new this afternoon," she said, explaining that she'd not had the opportunity to question Mrs. Travers any more. "We spent the entire afternoon doing one fitting after another. Plus, it's almost getting to be too hot to handle. Mrs. Travers is on edge with Mr. Reed and those security guards around all the time."

"If only they'd ask some questions," Trixie said. "Of the right people."

The girls parted then and circulated among the other students. Trixie found, to her dismay, that circulating required some careful choreography on her part. Her gaze turned more often than she liked to where Jim was standing and she was dismayed to realize that she didn't feel right approaching him. She was also aware that Mrs. Travers' eagle eye was on her nearly constantly. Trixie was relieved when Di came over saying she wanted to make sure that she was rested for Saturday's long tech rehearsal. The girls said their good-byes early.

Back in the luxury of Di's royal blue and gold-decorated bedroom, Trixie and Di got ready for bed and talked over the production.

"So, it looks like Alison and Mrs. Travers are behind this," Di said. "It's strange but I am actually more relaxed knowing that I wasn't imagining things," she pulled back the monogrammed covers of her twin bed and climbed in.

"What do you think about Alison and Mrs. Travers?" Trixie asked. "Jim practically takes my head off for even suggesting Alison."

"It's been awkward between Alison and I, there's no doubt about that," Di said. "But I agree with Jim at least this much: I think Mrs. Travers cares a lot more about Alison having the lead than Alison does."

"It's incredible to me that Mr. Reed has such a blind spot," Trixie said.

Di yawned. "It's just a feeling, but I think things will come to a head in the next few days," she reached over and turned off the bedside light. "Even though it's not over, I'm not very worried. I feel I can carry on and do my part whatever comes."

"Now if I can just do mine," Trixie thought before she fell asleep.

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