Standard Disclaimers Apply
Author's Note: These guys were just too good to be left as supporting "cast" only!
Oh, I'm sorry with all the liberties I took with Des Moines and Drake campus. Just overlook it ok? I was too lazy to check things out properly. :P
Mystery at Drake University
a Trixie Belden spin-off
by Claudia
Chapter One
Don't worry. Barbara, Bob and Ned are great; you'll love them! And Des Moines is a great place.
Trixie's words still echoed in her mind as she stood outside the train station unconsciously clutching her guitar case, looking around, and trying to absorb everything. It wasn't her first time in Des Moines but somehow this felt different. The previous times it hadn't felt so... permanent. She knew she would go back home, to her mountains, to her quiet life in the Ozarks. But now... Everything was going to be different.
For a split second, she considered going back into the station and purchasing a return ticket, but deep inside she knew she would never do it. She wanted this chance. She really wanted it and no one ever called Linnie Moore a coward.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the luggage cart away from the station's entrance and from all the people going in and out. As soon as she walked a few yards, she spotted the familiar grey Sedan belonging to Andrew Belden, a man she had learned to consider as family; more like an uncle than an employer.
Linnie couldn't help the wave of relief that flooded her heart when she saw him standing by the car, smiling and waving at her. She still wasn't used to big crowds. Being a small town girl, born and raised in the open spaces, big cities weren't very familiar to her. But she knew the big city was the only place with enough room to accommodate all of her dreams.
"Linnie! It's so nice to see you!" The older man walked up to the brown-haired girl and gave her a big hug. "So, how was your trip?"
"Hi, Mr Belden. It was long!" Linnie smiled and her brown eyes lit with warmth, as she picked up her bags from the cart and put them in the car trunk.
"I told you it would be! But your parents wouldn't even hear of me paying for the plane ticket," Andrew Belden said sighing as he got behind the wheel. "And didn't I tell you a thousand times before to call me Uncle Andrew?"
Linnie chuckled. "All right, Uncle Andrew! But it wasn't just my parents who wouldn't hear of it. I was the first to say no. You're doing enough for me as it is!"
Smiling tenderly at the young woman he had seen grow up, Andrew patted her hand and said, "Nothing I can do will ever be enough, Linnie. You and your parents are like family to me. You are just as dear to me as Trixie and the rest of the Sleepyside gang. And if I can help you accomplish your dreams, well then, there is nothing I won't do. Besides, what did I do? I just lent you some money to live on until you can find a job."
"And I will pay back every cent!" Linnie added, in a tone that left no space for an argument. "And you found me a place to stay, a place I could actually afford. You went through a lot of trouble for me."
Andrew started the car and shook his head. "Linnie, you've been working hard in my house back in the Ozarks ever since you were a child, just as hard as your mother and father. This was the least I could do. Besides, Barbara and the others were looking for a roommate, so this turned out to be perfect for everyone."
The mention of the people she would be living with made her shiver. She heard a lot about them but she had never met them. All she knew was that Barbara and Bob Hubbell were twins and that they had been Uncle Belden's neighbours for many years. They were one year older than she was, but they would all be freshmen at Drake University, since Linnie had managed to skip a grade in high school. Since travelling back and forth from Happy Valley everyday would be tiresome and expensive, they had decided to rent an apartment just outside campus, which they would share with Ned Schulz, who would be graduating from Drake that same year. That was about all she knew. But if Andrew Belden liked them and trusted them enough to have her sharing an apartment with them, that was enough for her. And Trixie seemed to like them a lot, too. She had been thrilled to hear about her coming to Drake University, and the letters she had received from Andrew Belden's niece, a very dear old friend, had been full of praise regarding the Hubbells and Ned.
Not that her parents had been thrilled to have her sharing an apartment with two strange boys. But Mr. Schulz and Mr. Hubbell had called her parents personally and reassured them about the boys' good conduct. She grinned as she remembered. Then another thought crept into her head. God, they must really think I'm a real hillbilly! Nowadays, a lot of girls have boys for roommates!
Uncle Andrew must have guessed what was going through her mind, because he reached out and squeezed her hand, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Linnie. They'll love you! I know Trixie and Barbara have talked and Trixie spoke very highly of you. And even if she hadn't, one look at that honest, beautiful face of yours and they'll all know what's in your heart."
Linnie blushed at the compliment but replied, "I don't know if that's much of an advantage, Uncle Andrew. Des Moines is nothing like the Ozarks. Sometimes I feel I'm too naive to adjust quickly to a big city. I don't think I'll fit in!"
"Oh, nonsense!" Andrew dismissed her words with a gesture. "You'll win them with your smile and your talent. Once they listen to your singing and playing, you'll have them eating right out of your hand."
She laughed. "Oh, yeah, right! Drake is tough competition, you know! It's got one of the best musical programs in the country and I will have to work hard if I want to prove myself worthy!"
"Well, you did win a scholarship, didn't you? And you are one of the youngest people ever to get it! I think they know what you're worth."
Linnie sank in the car seat and sighed. She really hoped everything would turn out all right.
When Andrew Belden stopped the car in front of large red brick building, Linnie's jaw dropped. Was this it? Was this beautiful turn of the century, four story building to be her home from now on? And how on Earth were they able to afford living in a place like this?
"It looks great, doesn't it?" Andrew grinned as he got out of the car.
Linnie followed him to the back of the car, where he was already taking out her luggage from the trunk. "Uncle Andrew, you're kidding, right? This can't be it... It looks too... grand!" Linnie looked again at the building, with its large white-framed windows and the polished oak and stained glass front door.
He chuckled. "Yeah, it does look expensive, doesn't it?" he said, as he picked up the largest bag and walked over to the stone steps leading to the building's door.
"Yes!" Linnie picked up the rest of her luggage and followed him, expecting an explanation.
Staring at her in amusement, Andrew let out a big laugh. "Don't you worry, Linnie. I didn't trick you when I told you how much the rent was nor am I paying for a part of your share."
"Then the guy who owns this place must be totally insane! He could make a fortune out of it!" For her total bewilderment, Andrew laughed yet again, as he pressed one of the buzzers in the second floor row.
"Yes, he probably is. Or he may have decided that rents were already too high in this town and he should give the students an opportunity of living in a nice place without having to worry about having money left to eat after paying the rent."
Then Lizzie understood. "You're the landlord, aren't you?" But she only got a mischievous smile for an answer as a female voice came through the intercom.
"Yes?"
"Barbara, honey, it's Andrew Belden."
"Hey, I'm glad you came," the girl said, sounding pleased. "Come on up! Or do you need a hand with the bags?"
"No, we've got it!"
The two of them entered the building and, once more, Linnie gazed in awe at the fine wood paneled walls and the polished wooden floor. To her right there was a door with a sign, that read "Laundry room" and to her left there was an arch leading into a large common room, furnished with comfortable sofas and chairs and a dining table. In front of them, was the staircase.
"Here is what the people around here call the common room, or study room," Andrew said, pointing at the room on her left. "I thought it would be nice for everyone to have a nice place to get to know their neighbors."
"But what's the story with this place, anyway?" Linnie asked as they started their way up on the staircase.
"Well, a few years back this building was practically and really run down. Every time I passed it by I thought it was a real shame. Then one day I heard of this program the city authorities and Drake University were developing, to recover old buildings and turn them into affordable places for young people to live. I gave them a call and they told me this place was on their list, only the owners weren't interested in investing in it. I then called the owners and they were willing to sell it amazingly cheap. So, I decided to have a go in Real Estate, bought it, and joined the program. There were tax benefits and subsidies from the Government to help with the recovery. I'm not that insane, you see!"
Linnie shook her head, in disbelief. "But why didn't you tell me the truth to start with?"
"Because I know just how stubborn and proud you are and you would think this was charity. It's not, believe me!"
By then they had reached the second floor and Linnie spotted the open door at the end of the corridor. As far as she could tell there were 4 apartments per floor, which, considering the size of the building, would make them comfortably spacious. The flutter in her stomach wouldn't let her notice every detail. She was very nervous about this and was dreading the moment they reached the apartment where she was supposed to be living for the next four years.
The moment finally came and Linnie found herself literally on the threshold of her new life. And despite her fear and nervousness she liked what she saw. The door opened directly into a large and comfortable room set up to be both the living room and dining room, with a small kitchen area off to the right, separated from the room by a breakfast island. Off to the left, Linnie noticed a corridor, which undoubtedly led to the bedrooms and bathroom. The walls were painted in a light, soft shade of yellow and the furnishings seemed to have been chosen more for utility and comfort purposes than for style. Still, the whole ensemble lent the room a nice, cozy feeling and Linnie felt deep inside she would like living there.
"Hi!" Linnie turned to see a brown-haired girl about her age rushing out one of the rooms. This must be Barbara, she thought.
"I was wondering where you were," Andrew Belden said, as he gave the girl a hearty hug.
"Oh, the boys are still moving in and I was just making sure their room is at least presentable," Barbara smiled and then turned her attention to Linnie. "You must be Linnie. I'm Barbara Hubbell. I'm very happy to have you here. It's hard for a girl to put up with two boys, all by herself."
Linnie returned the smile, immediately liking the simplicity and friendliness of the other girl's address.
"Hi, Barbara. I'm really glad to meet you too," she said as she shook Barbara's hand.
"Well, I guess you're in good hands now and so I can leave you two to get better acquainted," Andrew said, as he wrapped an arm around Linnie shoulders. "If you need anything just call me up, ok?" Linnie nodded, with half a smile. "But I'm sure this gang here will take very good care of you."
"Oh, we will, Uncle Andrew," Barbara replied, replacing Andrew Belden's arm with her own around the other girl's shoulders. "I'm sure Linnie will feel right at home in no time."
After saying their goodbyes to Andrew, Barbara decided to take Linnie for a tour of the apartment. There wasn't that much to see, but still Linnie was curious as to what the place where she would be spending the next four years of her life looked like.
"You know, we were pretty lucky to get this apartment," Barbara said. "Since Uncle Andrew started leasing apartments two years ago it's been full to capacity. However, this one vacated this year and the University gives priority to students on scholarships, so we got it, since both you and me and Ned have them."
"Ned is the one that plays basketball, right?"
"Yeah, he's the Bulldog's pride and joy! And I'm a Music major too, just like you."
"Yes, Uncle Andrew told me. And your brother, Bob, is majoring in Marketing, right?"
Barbara chuckled. "Bob is still a bit undecided. First, he wanted to be a musician, then he decided he would go into Agronomy, and now he finally went into Marketing. Oh well," she concluded, with a dismissive gesture, "I guess he's smart enough to do whatever he wants! He's the brain in the family! At least he thinks he is..."
Linnie grinned, as the girl's remark sounded very familiar. "I remember Trixie saying something about how close Mart and Bob were!"
This time, Barbara laughed out loud. "Oh, yeah! If you know Mart that well, you'll know what I'm talking about!"
"Well, I haven't seen him in a long while, but from what Trixie tells me in her letters he hasn't changed that much."
"I know what you mean. I haven't seen those guys in a long time... I really miss them!"
"Me too! The days they spent over at the Ozarks were some of the best in my life," Linnie's eyes glimmered, as she recalled. "You know, if it wasn't for Trixie and the others maybe my father wouldn't have returned home and got his memory back." As the words left her lips, Linnie blushed. It wasn't like her to share such intimate details of her life with someone who was little more than a complete stranger.
Barbara apparently noticed her discomfort and didn't press her to go on. She liked Linnie and something inside her told her they would soon be close friends. Instead, she showed her into the bedroom they would be sharing.
"And here, my friend, is the place where we'll be talking nonsense... and boys," Barbara giggled, "until dawn."
As Linnie entered the room, a smile spread over her lips and lit her pretty brown eyes. After a lifetime used to sleep and study in her tiny room, this was a welcome surprise. No matter how much she loved her cozy log cabin in the mountains in her dreams she had imagined one day she would have a colourful, spacious room, exactly like this. The fact that she would be sharing it with Barbara didn't really matter.
Twin white iron beds were set side by side, against the room's back wall. Linnie smiled as she noticed Barbara's bed was covered with a patchwork quilt, much like the one still in her bag. Maybe we're not that different after all, she thought, finding the idea quite comforting.
Barbara sat cross-legged on the bed, hugging a well-worn teddy bear. "I hope you don't mind I took this bed," she said, a little note of concern in her voice.
"No, of course not. I like sleeping by the window. I always did at home..."
"I really hope you won't miss home too much... I understand how hard it must be for you. I get to go home every weekend and I still miss it." Barbara came to sit by Linnie on her bed and held one of her hands in her own. " You can always spend weekends with us, if you don't want to be here all by yourself."
Linnie smiled, honestly moved by Barbara's words. "That's all right, Barbara. I might do that once in a while, and I might also go to Uncle Andrew's now and then, but I'll have to use the weekends to keep up with my schoolwork. You know I have to find a job to be able to provide for myself. I don't want to depend on Uncle Andrew or my parents."
Barbara nodded, already quite taken by the other girl. She seemed to be the kind of person Barbara admired: feisty, determined and honest. The "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" kind of person. No deceptions, no mask, no pretending. Just Linnie Moore.
"Well," Barbara said, trying to divert the conversation onto less serious subjects "I hope you like the decor." She pointed at the dresser and the vanity table. "The boys did a great job with those. Andrew Belden gave them to us, along with some other stuff and Bob and Ned restored them."
"They look great! And the wall closet is enormous!" Linnie said, as she opened it. Half of it was already occupied by Barbara's things.
The other girl laughed. "Yeah! I picked us this room just because of that! There's never too much closet space when girls are concerned."
Linnie blushed. "I don't have many clothes, really. In fact I'll have to buy some things."
"No worries!" Barbara said, matter-of-factly. "You can always borrow some of my things and I'll show you to some pretty nice stores... inexpensive ones, of course!" She winked. "I know them all!"
"That will be great, thanks."
"Anyway, I haven't hanged any pictures on the walls yet or anything, because you might bring some stuff with you and it will be fun to that together."
Linnie smiled. Barbara seemed to be just as nice as Trixie had described her and she already felt welcomed and almost at home.
"Why don't we leave the unpacking until later and I'll show you the rest of the apartment?"
"Ok," Linnie agreed as she followed her roommate on to the next stop.
"This is the bathroom," Barbara announced, opening the door at the end of the corridor. It wasn't big, but like everything else seemed well taken care off and tasteful. The tiles were plain white, with a single blue border at shoulder height. The room was also very clean and tidy.
"You guys must have gone through a lot of trouble with this before I came," Linnie said, in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come sooner! But I promise I cook for you for as long as you want!"
"Uncle Andrew Belden did tell us about that particular skill of yours," Barbara grinned. "And I'm sure the boys will be more than ready to take up on that offer, so you better not say that twice! I'm not the best of cooks and I'm lazy, so I guess they're tired of macaroni and cheese, which is what I do when it's my turn to cook."
"But I mean it. I owe it to you!"
"We'll see about that later. Now let's take a peak at the boys room. Let me just check to make sure it's presentable. I refuse to clean up their room! They're slobs!" Barbara giggled as she opened the door and peaked inside. "Ok, you can come in. No foul smells coming from under the beds."
Linnie went in and looked around. The room was similar to the one she would be sharing with Barbara, even if the closet was a wee bit smaller. But the decor was very masculine. There were posters of cars and rock bands hanging on the walls and over one of the beds was a large Bulldogs poster. That must be Ned's bed, she thought.
"Hey, look!" Barbara picked up a picture frame from the desk by the door. "I bet you know these guys."
Smiling, Linnie recognized all of the Bob-Whites, with Barbara and two other boys. The picture had been taken a few years back; probably around the time Linnie had last seen the Sleepysiders too.
"That was taken two summers ago, when we went to Sleepyside. That guy making faces behind Dan is my dear twin brother, Bob and the hunk standing next to Jim is Ned."
Linnie eyes gazed over the picture, each one of the faces bringing sweet memories to her, until she met Ned Schultz's brown eyes staring back at her. The sudden stirring in the pit of her stomach startled her. Bob Hubbel was certainly good looking, a lot like Brian Belden. But there was something different about Ned. His features were stronger and there was a determined look about him that made it difficult for her to take her eyes away from him. The feeling disturbed her profoundly. Linnie had always been a down-to-earth kind of girl, and had never let her be carried away by flights of fancy about boys. Or anything else, for that matter.
But this time she was sure her heart had skipped a beat. It's just a picture, girl. What's wrong with you? she thought, totally bewildered at her own reaction, as she set the frame back on the desk and prayed Barbara wouldn't notice her trembling hands.
But Barbara had already picked up another picture and was grimacing at it.
"God, I still don't know how this happened," she mumbled, as if she was just thinking out loud.
"Excuse me?"
Barbara looked up, seemingly startled and then smiled, when she realized she had voiced her thoughts.
"Oh, I was just wondering what Ned sees in her," Barbara showed the picture to Linnie. It was of a blonde, beautiful girl, with sapphire blue eyes and an altogether look of sensuality and confidence, standing in an ice ring clad in a sparkling ice skating outfit.
Being a fan of the sport, Linnie recognized her immediately. "That's Dot Murray, isn't she?"
Barbara grinned and nodded. "Yep. She a Drake student too and Ned's girlfriend."
"Oh," Linnie stared at the picture. She had admired Dot for years, following her picture perfect skating career on TV and magazines until a terrible fall during the National Championships about 4 years back had cut it short. And now her boyfriend was her roommate? This was just too weird!
"Well," she said, after a while. "I guess I can imagine what he sees in her. She's beautiful and she's into sports, too. She would have been National Champion, I'm sure!"
The other girl sighed. "Yes, I know. And I have to admit she is beautiful and she was an incredible skater. But with Dot it's really a case of not judging a book by its cover. I've known her since elementary school and she was always a spoiled little brat. And her sudden stardom didn't help."
"Maybe she just never learned to deal with success," Linnie offered.
Barbara chuckled a little bitterly. "Well, I don't know. And I hate to speak ill of her, being Ned's girlfriend and all, but I don't like her. I tried but I can't."
"Maybe she's changed. Or maybe she's just unable too show her true self to other people!"
Barbara made a face and set the picture back on the nightstand. "Linnie, if Dot Murray ever shows you her true self, just run for cover. That's a friendly advice. Or you might just ask Trixie what she thinks about Dot." There was a sly smile on Barbara's face as she left the room.
"That's that!" Linnie exclaimed, as she pushed the last of her now empty bags under the bed. She threw herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Everything was now unpacked and properly stored with Barbara's help. They had left the decoration of the room for later, since Barbara had to run some errands in town.
Too tired to go with her newfound friend, Linnie decided to take the time to get acquainted with her new home properly. But right now she was feeling too exhausted to get up. The long journey and the pressure of the last few days were making it felt in every muscle. And in the complete silence of the apartment Linnie felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
She had no idea of how long she had been sleeping or if she had ever fallen at sleep at all, but a strange noise made her eyes pop open. She had to shake her head and sit up to realize where she was, and recognized the noise of the front door opening.
Barbara must be back, she thought as she got up and straightened her somewhat crumpled clothes. As she opened the room door, she nearly bumped into a tall, dark haired young man, holding up his fist as if he was about to knock on the door.
It took her only a second to recognize him. Ned Schultz hadn't changed much in the couple of years that had passed since the picture had been taken.
"Hi," he said, looking a bit puzzled. "I thought Barb was in there."
"She went out," Linnie answered, cursing her everlasting tendency to blush. "Its only me here."
Ned's eyes widened, as he appeared to finally figure out who she was. "Oh, you must be Linnie, right? The girl from the mountains?" The young man said it with a smile, but the words struck at Linnie's pride.
"Yes, I'm Linnie Moore, from Missouri," she said as she coldly shook his hand.
He blushed, finally realizing how she had interpreted his words. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to... I didn't mean it like that. I'm Ned Schulz."
Linnie returned a faint smile, his thoughtless words still ringing in her hears. Somewhere inside her a voice was telling her to pay it no mind, that she was from the mountains and proud of it. But another voice, a little louder than the other one was telling her deepest fears had been true all along. She would be regarded as the hillbilly amongst them.
Ned felt the awkward silence that fell upon them had been his fault. It wasn't difficult to understand what was going through her head. But he had never been very good with words anyway, and he was afraid any kind of explanation would make matters even worse. Instead he chose to try to divert the subject. But somehow he couldn't find anything to say.
She lifted her eyes to meet his and he suddenly felt breathless. There was such depth and feeling in those golden brown eyes, as he had never seen before-certainly not in Dot's. The remembrance of his girlfriend woke him from his reveries and he realized he was still staring at Linnie.
"Something wrong?" She asked, folding her arms, in a challenging pose.
He tried not to smile. "No, no! I was thinking... I have this annoying way of always getting my foot in my mouth. Listen, why don't we just start over?"
Linnie sighed, and swallowed her hurt pride. Maybe he was being honest and didn't mean it like that. After all, she was pretty touchy. With a smile she shook the hand he was holding out to her, again. "Fine. Pleased to meet you."
"So, how do you like the place so far?" he asked, trying to ease things between them.
"Very much." Linnie followed him into the living room. "It's nice to know I'll be living with people that share both my interests and old friends."
He nodded. "Yeah, any friend of Trixie's and the others is a friend of mine." Ned threw himself on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. "You know, I had a crush on Trixie when we met. Of course, it lasted for about 5 minutes, until Jim started throwing murdering looks at me."
Linnie laughed. "Yes, I recall those looks. And I also remember the way he looked after he rescued her from drowning in a cave once. I hope they'll get together soon. Everyone knows they will sooner or later, except those two."
"What about you? How did your boyfriend take your moving here?" Ned tried to sound nonchalant, but his stomach ached strangely while he waited for her answer.
The girl looked at him, surprised. She wasn't much used to sharing her personal life with people, much less with some guy she hardly knew. But after a few moments she reckoned he was just trying to make small talk, so she decided to answer. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh," was all Ned could muster. Get a grip, man, he thought, What's it to you, anyway? You do HAVE a girlfriend remember?
"I'm sure that will change soon enough," he finally said, with a smile.
"I'm not here to find a boyfriend," Linnie declared, again folding her arms across her chest, in a gesture he was starting to recognize as a sign of displeasure. "I'm here to study. Hard."
"Ok, ok! Have it your way. But I can safely say that you'll have at least five or six guys drooling over you, before the end of the semester." What a stupid thing to say! Ned cursed himself for saying that. What was happening to him? Why had he suddenly turned into a babbling fool?
She sighed and walked over to the window, not really knowing if she should answer. She was not going to have this kind of conversation with him. What did it matter to him she had a boyfriend or not? She wasn't going to tell him she had never even been kissed, much less had a boyfriend. Not exactly for lack of opportunities, she sighed. She had her share of "suitors" in the last couple of years, but one does not earn a scholarship to one of the best musical college programs in the country, skip a year of high school, and become valedictorian of her graduating class by spending time dating and hanging around with boyfriends- especially when you had to work hard to help your parents and go to school miles away from home. But Ned wouldn't understand and she was not ready to tell him. He would feel sorry for her and Linnie hated it when people pitied her for her hard life. She was very proud of how her life had turned out. Besides, she still believed in true love, love that lasts for a lifetime, like her parents had. That's what she wanted for herself.
As it turned out, Linnie never even got the chance to answer him or comment on his statement. A sudden commotion in the hallway startled them both.
"What on Earth..." Ned started as he darted towards the door. Linnie followed him, curious to what was happening. As they reached the hallway, they almost bumped into Barbara and her brother, Bob, who were standing right outside the door.
"What's the matter?" Ned asked, trying to look past the small crowd that had gathered next door.
Bob shrugged. "Nothing much. Probably just a practical joke. Rachel, that girl that lives next door, just got some nasty mail."
"What do you mean, nasty mail?"
"Some menacing anonymous letter or something," Bob retorted.
Linnie's eyebrows shot up. "And you think that's nothing much? Shouldn't the police be informed?" she asked, trying to peek over Ned's shoulder.
Bob turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and smiled. "Hey, I'm sorry! We haven't even been properly introduced. I'm Bob Hubbell," he said, reaching out to shake her hand.
Linnie smiled back. "I'm Linnie. Pleased to meet you. But like I said, isn't this serious?"
Bob shrugged dismissively. "Nah, probably some frat prank, that's all."
"I hope you're right. This is kind of spooky."
Barbara looked at Linnie and nodded. "Yeah, from what I've heard spooky's the word. The letter was written in red ink. Rachel thought it was blood!"
"But what did it say?" Ned asked, leaning against the doorframe, furrowing his brow.
"You better ask your girlfriend," Bob answered. "She's coming over."
His sarcastic tone didn't escape Linnie. Apparently Dot wasn't much liked by either of the Hubbell twins. Standing on tiptoes, she looked over Bob's shoulder and caught a glimpse of the tall and slender girl walking towards them. Linnie had to admit she was picture perfect, with her long golden hair and sky blue eyes. But there was something amiss. Something Linnie couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Hi, guys! Have you heard? Isn't this awful?" she said, as she reached the group and automatically draped her arm around Ned's waist. Linnie noticed he shifted uncomfortably and hid a smile, when Dot glanced at him with a frown.
"Yeah, it's pretty nasty! But it's probably just some frat prank!" Bob gestured dismissively towards the apartment where a small crowd still gathered. "You know they're always coming up with new stuff."
Dot shook her head and her long hair glimmered under the hall lights, making Linnie suddenly very self conscious of her own short brown hair. "I'm not that sure, Bob. The letter was pretty menacing. It referred to some specific stuff Rachel is supposed to have done, like slighting people and making fun of them. It said that if she kept on doing it, she would pay dearly."
"Well, who ever did it knew Rachel all right!" was Barbara's snickering comment.
Dot's eyes darted hatred at the girl. "Rachel is my friend, don't you forget!"
"As if I could..." Barbara muttered as she rolled her eyes and entered the apartment.
Only then did Dot notice the presence of a stranger. Her demeanor quickly turned from angry and flustered to sweet as honey, when she saw Linnie standing behind Bob. "Well, hello there!" she said, with a smile. "You must be Lena!"
"That's Linnie. Linnie Moore," the girl corrected her, as she stared up at her piercing blue eyes. Dot was about a head taller, almost as tall as Ned himself, and that somehow made Linnie feel very uncomfortable.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Dot said, as she held out her hand. Linnie took it and shook it, noticing how soft her skin felt, compared to her own. "Well, I hope you enjoy it here. It must be quite a thrill after the mountains!"
Linnie was about to respond, when Ned surprised her by saying, "The Ozarks are not the end of the world, you know. You'd be surprised with how much nicer life can be over there." He stared into Linnie's eyes when he spoke, and the young woman had to look away, suddenly unable to sustain his gaze.
Dot's cheeks grew red and her eyes turned to ice while Bob smiled, apparently amused with Ned's response to his girlfriend's merciless comments. "I'm sure it is," Dot said, softly, while she perused Linnie's face. The girl felt run through by her gaze and quickly excused herself into the apartment once more. It didn't take long for Ned and Bob to enter themselves. But, by then, Linnie had hid in her room, pretending to still be unpacking.
"Quite a handful, isn't she?" Barbara said, as she entered the room.
Linnie glanced her way and smiled. She wished she knew herself why Dot had disturbed her that much, and wasn't about to disclose her feelings to Barbara.
"She must have qualities," she said, as she folded a sweatshirt.
"People have been looking but there's no record of any being found," Barbara threw herself on her bed and chuckled at her own joke.
Linnie couldn't help to giggle herself. "C'mon, Barbara. She can't be all that bad."
"Believe me, I've known her all my life. And there was a time I thought she would grow out of it. But, unfortunately, Dot still is the same spoiled, obnoxious, self centered, selfish, sly little brat she's always been."
Something in Barbara's voice made Linnie turn and stare at her for moment. "It may not be my place to ask, Barbara," she asked softly, "But has she ever done anything to hurt you? I mean, we've hardly known each other but you don't seem to be the kind of person to harbour such resentment without reason."
Barbara sighed and stared at the ceiling. "You're right, I'm not. Let's just say she has hurt someone I like very much. And that I can't forgive."
"Was it...Ned?" Somehow Linnie dreaded the response. Could it be that Barbara had some feelings towards the basketball player?
Barbara turned to Linnie with a knowing smile. There was a playful glint in her eyes when she answered. "Well, she has hurt him, but Ned can fend for himself. It was someone else. I'll tell you about it one of these days..." she then lowered her voice and gestured towards the door. "When the guys are out!"
Linnie smiled back and nodded, going back to unpacking.
"And in case you're wondering, Ned is just like another brother to me. I do not have a crush on him!" Barbara said, slowly. She amusedly noticed the way Linnie avoided her eyes and the way she blushed.
"I didn't mean other wise," she said meekly.
Barbara chuckled again and got up. "Come on, let's get dinner ready. I'm starving!"