So, I'm on the twentieth chapter now! I hope I am doing good with the suspense and all that, please let me know:) And thank you all for y'alls encouraging reviews, they are real motivaters!

I hope y'all enjoy the rest as much as I've enjoyed writing this!

Joe looked into Mandie's eyes for a moment longer, then stood up and walked back over to the bed. Mandie watched him walk
away and then went back to thinking about the clues and the mysteries surrounding them.
Suddenly Celia, followed by Johnathan, busted into the room. Mandie's blonde head shot up and she smiled, "Hi Celia, Johnathan!"
Celia sighed with relief and quickly sped across the room and stood beside Mandie's chair.
"Mandie! I... I had no idea where you were. I didn't know you and Joe came in his room. I started to become frantic. Oh...
Phewph," Celia exclaimed, then she bent down and whispered in Mandie's ear, "If I had known y'all were planning on coming
in here I wouldn't have left. I would have came with you." Celia looked into Mandie's eyes and gave her a meaning look.
Mandie leaned up and whispered back, "Celia, it's just Joe. He's trustworthy, is he not?"
Celia frowned, "Yes, it's just not proper."
"I wasn't thinking right. I'm sorry, Celia," Mandie whispered in reply.
Celia smiled, "There's nothing to be sorry about. I'll just have to follow you around everywhere you go to keep you in toe!"
Mandie laughed and wrapped her arm around Celia's waist.
"What are you two whispering about," Johnathan teased.
"Nothing," Mandie shot back, laughing.
Johnathan raised his eye brows playfuly and walked over to sit on the bed next to Joe.
Suddenly Mandie felt really embarrased. She had forgotten proper etiquette. 'Oh dear,' Mandie said to herself.
"So," Celia exclaimed, "did y'all find the next clue?"
"No," Mandie sighed.
"There's nowhere else to look in here," Joe added.
Celia frowned, "Are y'all sure y'all looked everywhere?"
"I'm positive," Mandie stated.
"Joe?" Celia asked, turning to look at him, "What about you?"
"I haven't looked in my bag," He joked. Johnathan slapped him on the back and smirked.
Celia rolled her eyes, "For real, Joe. Is there anywhere else?"
"I guess I can look in it," He stood up and walked over to where his bag sat and began to open it.
Johnathan busted out laughing and Mandie and Celia grinned softly.
"What are we going to do with you boys?" Celia asked, looking up at the ceiling and shaking her head.
"Nothing. We're too irresistable," Johnathan said, waggling his eye brows.
"Are you, Joe?" Celia teased, still looking at Johnathan. But Joe didn't reply. Celia frowned and turned in Joe's direction.
"Well, are you, Joe?" She asked again. Joe still didn't acknowlegde Celia. Celia stood up and said, "Joe, if this is some
kind of joke it isn't funny." Joe still didn't even move his head. He just sat there, looking in his bag.
Mandie began to get concerned, "Joe? Are you alright?" Mandie laid her hand on the side of the chair and pushed herself up.
She leaned on her crutch and walked over to where Joe was sitting. She laid her hand on his shoulder and said, "Joe? What's
wrong? Why aren't you answering?" Mandie leaned over his shoulder and looked at Joe's bag. Joe was holding something in his
hand, it was something white. The harder Mandie looked the more it began to take form. It was an envelope.
Mandie's eyes widened, "Joe? What did you find? What is that?" Mandie urged. Joe slowly turned around and their eyes locked.
"It's... it's the next clue," He whispered. Mandie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
"It was in my bag," Joe said. He stood up and handed Mandie the envelope.
Mandie took it and said, "Guys, something strange is going on. First, I get this letter in the mail with a clue. Second, we
tried to figure out who the man was that delivered it and how he got it, and in the process I was kidnapped and barely escaped
with my life because that man and his friends want the clues. Third, all the clues we've found so far lead us to a place thats
special to me or my family. Fourth, Jason Bond could be in on this, on the wrong side. And fifth, now the writer of the
clues knows who is staying with us at this specific time and just so happened to be in Joe's traveling bag," Mandie took in
a deep breath, blew it out, and continued, "I don't understand any of this. Why do those men want the clues? Why am I being
sent on this wild goose chase trying to find clue after clue with no hope of ever figuring this out? Is someone really sending us on
a deceptive hunt?" Suddenly, a bright thought struck Mandie, "What if all the clues we've been following are right, but the man
with the scar found the next one before us and made up some fake clues to lead us away from what we are supposed to find,
while he and his men are following the real clues?" Mandie looked eagerly at her friends.
"I... I don't know," Joe stuttered.
"Maybe we should just continue following these clues until we reach the end. Maybe we'll find some answers then," Celia said.
"Well open the envelope, Mandie," Johnathan urged.
Mandie sighed and slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the paper.
It read:

Clue Ten:

Rushing rushing.
Singing singing.
Beating beating.
Slam slam.
Your scared.
You don't know how.
Keep on keep on.
Don't stop.
Fight.
What am I?
Where am I?
Where are you?

P.S.
This is the last clue, Your almost there.

Mandie scrunched her eyes up. 'What in the world?' Mandie said to herself.
"That can't be one of those men. There's no way they could come up with things like this," Celia remarked.
"Any ideas, Mandie?" Johnathan asked, looking at the paper in Mandie's hand.
"No... for once I... I don't. I don't have anything," Mandie said as she looked at the clue harder.
Celia laid her hand on Mandie's arm, "You'll figure it out. You always have," she encouraged.
Mandie smiled slightly and shook her head. 'I don't know. I don't,' she said to herself. 'I don't.'
Joe wrapped his arm around Mandie's shoulders and whispered in her ear, "I believe in you."
Mandie looked at him and tears gathered in her eyes. Joe looked confusedly at her and then reached out and wiped her swiftly
falling tears away with the back of his hand.
Celia looked at Johnathan and pressed her lips together.
Johnathan crossed his hands behind his back and swayed back and forth nervously.
Mandie sniffed and slipped the paper and envelope in her apron pocket. Joe took Mandie's cold hand and squeezed it.
Celia laid her hand on Mandie's shoulder and said, "Maybe we should go downstairs now."
Mandie nodded and the four of them walked out of the room. They made their way down the stairs and into the parlor.
In the parlor sat Mandie's mother and Uncle John.
"Hello dear, where have y'all been?" Mandie's mother asked, addressing Mandie.
Mandie sat down on a nearby settee and replied, "Upstairs, Mother." Johnathan and Joe stood behind the settee and Celia sat
next to Mandie.
"Oh, well it's almost time for dinner now," Mandie's mother remarked, smiling sweetly.
Mandie nodded her head and tried to smile normally.
"I have to go upstairs for a moment, I'll be right back," Mandie's uncle John suddenly said, rising and making his way to
the stairs.
"Alright, John," Mandie's mother said. "Joe, would you mind telling Liza she needs to feed Carl and Carol? She's upstairs."
"Of course, Mrs. Shaw," Joe replied, standing up and going up the stairs.
Mandie watched his retreating form and sighed.
Suddenly Uncle John came back down the stairs and sat back down next to Mandie's mother.
Joe came down a few moments later and looked at Mandie's uncle in a strange way. He went back to his place behind the settee.
Mandie looked behind herself at Joe and her eyebrows twisted up in a confused look. Joe whispered, "I'll tell you all later."
Mandie looked at him for a moment longer and then turned back around and placed her hands under her chin.
'What's going on?' Mandie asked herself, tilting her head to the side and scrunching up her big blue eyes.
Out of the blue Mandie's mother stood up and said, "I'll go see what's keeping dinner." Uncle John followed her out
of the room.
Mandie waited a few moments longer before turning around and asking Joe, "What was that all about?"
"I was headed down the hall when I saw Mr. Shaw leaving my room with a weird look on his face. He headed back down the stairs
and didn't even see me," Joe replied, leaning against the settee.
"He was in your room?" Celia asked.
Joe nodded his head.
"Why would he be in your room?" Johnathan asked.
"I don't know," Joe sighed, shaking his head confusedly.
"This is getting even more suspicious," Mandie said, pursing her lips. "I have to figure this out!"

Any guesses on where the next clue might be? Am I doing good with the suspense and mystery? I hope so:) Tell me in y'alls reviews!