Chapter 13: A Little Voice
Melinda Murphy cut to the chase. And Trixie and Honey didn't interrupt.
"My husband, Mac, was arrested last December for robbing Tyler's Toys Attic down on First and Main. He was a taxi cab driver and had been shuttling people to and from the local tavern, which is on the opposite end of town.
The weather was terrible that night—snow, wind, and brutally cold. And business was slower than usual. So Mac decided to call it an evening at around eight pm. But as he turned off his light to head for home, he was flagged down by a man inquiring what the fare would be to the toy store.
When my husband told him, the man said the fee was too steep, and he didn't have enough money.
He gave Mac a sob story about having a sick little girl at home, whose only wish for Christmas was a special baby doll. But the dolls were sold out everywhere the man had been. But then he heard that Tyler's Toys had one left. So he thought he'd try there, but he only had enough money for the doll, and it was too far to walk in a blizzard.
Being a father of a young child himself, Mac took pity on him. So he shut down the cab's meter and told the man to get in.
At the toy store, the man ran inside while my husband kept the motor running. The fellow came back a few minutes later with a box containing the large baby doll. Mac then ran him home.
Thinking he was done for the night, my husband was on his way back to Mikey and I when he noticed the box with the doll was still in the back seat. Believing the man had accidentally left it, he turned around and took it back to Hawthorn Street. Only when he went up to the man's door, the gentleman who answered said no one fitting the man's description lived there.
Not knowing what else to do, Mac brought the box home and told me the story. The following morning, he planned to take the doll back to the toy store, hoping they'd be able to contact the man. He would have done so immediately, but the shop closed at nine, and it was too late.
Shortly after that, the police arrived, advising us that the toy store had been robbed. An eyewitness had spotted the taxi. The officers confiscated the doll, and Mac was taken downtown for questioning. He was arrested later that night.
At the time, we didn't have money for a good lawyer, so the court appointed one and rushed the case to trial due to the upcoming holiday. And I guess you know the outcome. The jury found him guilty. But I know my Mac. He didn't do it.
Mrs. Murphy paused for a moment then attempted to explain. "You see," she said. "When Mac was no older than Mikey, he and his older brother were playing with their father's gun. They didn't think it was loaded, but it was, and it went off. My husband's brother was killed. To this day, Mac blames himself for his brother's death. And he's never touched a gun since."
Trixie had been listening very carefully, while Honey had been taking notes. The girls each knew what the other was thinking. Melinda Murphy had a very sound reason for believing her husband was innocent.
"Thank you for sharing your story," Honey said with compassion. "I know it's been terribly difficult for you, Mrs. Murphy. Your husband sounds like a good man."
The courageous woman gave her a warm smile and said, "Thank you for listening. I must admit it's done me good to talk about it. I feel lighter, somehow," she added wistfully.
Trixie didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell Mikey's Mom that she and Honey would find a way to get Mr. Murphy out of prison. But Trixie knew that would require a miracle. And besides, Melinda Murphy knew that too. All she and Honey could do was to give it their all.
So Trixie focused on gaining more information. She still needed to confirm what had been taken in the robbery. It was an essential piece of the puzzle.
"Mrs. Murphy," she said. "Besides the baby doll, what else was your husband accused of stealing?"
Melinda Murphy didn't hesitate to answer. "Around two thousand dollars in cash," she said. "The clerk claims Mac first had her empty the cash register. Then, at gunpoint, he led her to the backroom, where she was forced to empty the safe. Other than that, the only other thing taken was the Tinkling Tina doll."
Honey's eyebrows rose under her bangs, and she recorded the information in her memo book.
"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Mrs. Murphy added. "I wish the detectives who worked my husband's case had been as intent and professional as you girls are. Your parents must be very proud of you," she added.
From the doorway, Mrs. Belden said, "Indeed we are. Very proud of them."
Trixie hadn't known that Moms had been standing there listening, but her mother didn't seem upset. Quite the contrary, she appeared pleased that the girls were attempting to help the Murphys.
"Mikey, your mother's here," Mrs. Belden called down the hallway. "Are you about ready to go?"
Instead of answering, the little boy burst into the room and threw his arms around his mother's neck.
"Did you have fun today?" she asked him.
"Boy did I!" Mikey exclaimed. "I went sledding, and wrote a letter to Santa, and tomorrow I get to go see him, and learn to ride a horse, and…"
His mother grinned and cut him off. She knew her son would be talking all night. "You can tell me about it on the way home," she told him. "Mrs. Belden, girls, thank you again. This has been the nicest day my son and I have had in a very long time."
Mrs. Belden took her friend's hand and squeezed it. "There will be plenty more to come," she promised her.
The following morning, Trixie sought out Jim at the stables. She and Honey were now positive that pursuing the Murphy case was the right thing to do. And this meant Trixie had a promise to keep. Jim needed to be kept in the loop.
Finding him saddling Susie, Trixie couldn't help but beam. She could have just as easily done it herself. But Jim was always doing little things to make her life easier. He was the most thoughtful boy she'd ever met. And Trixie had no doubt that Jim would be there if she and Honey needed his help with the investigation.
"'Morning, Sunshine," he said, leading Susie over to where his admirer was waiting. "Where's my work crew? I thought you were bringing the little guys with you?" Jim had volunteered to watch Bobby and Mikey while the girls exercised the horses.
"Honey's introducing Mikey to Regan, she explained. "They'll be here soon. But we need to talk. And I thought it'd be best if the boys weren't around."
"Sounds serious?" Jim replied. "What's up?"
And so it was that Trixie told Jim about the girl's discussion with Mrs. Murphy.
"Gosh," he admitted, as she finished. "If that'd happened to me, I probably wouldn't own a gun either."
"I know," Trixie replied. "Honey and I don't understand how the jury could have found Mr. Murphy guilty?"
As Susie nuzzled the girl's arm, hoping her favorite person had brought her a treat, Trixie added, "We plan to ask Spider about it at Crimper's, today."
Trixie rubbed the white diamond on the hungry mare's nose and then hugged her around her neck. The Wheeler's might have purchased Susie for Miss Trask, but the spirited horse's heart belonged to Trixie. And Trixie's belonged to Susie.
"Just stay away from Hawthorn Street," Jim warned his friend, concerned for her safety. "You know first-hand how dangerous it can be, Trix. I still can't shake your last narrow escape. "
"I haven't forgotten," Trixie admitted. "But If I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have gotten the evidence I needed to expose Di's phony uncle, Jim."
Jim ran a freckled hand through his red hair. "Trixie," he replied, "The risk isn't worth the cost. Not in my book. You can talk to Spider all you want but stay away from that part of town. It's no place for young girls."
As Trixie climbed into Susie's saddle, Jim helped her adjust the stirrups. "Honey and I have already agreed we'd steer clear," she said. "So you don't need to worry."
"But I do worry," Jim told her. "Constantly."
After a quiet moment, he decided to change the subject. "So beyond talking to Spider, what else is on the agenda today?" he asked. "Sorry I can't give you a lift downtown, but the parts Regan and I had been waiting on for Dad's 'surprise' finally came in yesterday. We need to make some good progress on it today."
"That's OK," Trixie replied, as Jim led Strawberry out of her stall for Honey. "Tom said he doesn't mind. Brian's tied up today too. He and Mart want to work on the Jalopy while everyone's out."
"Are your mother and Aunt going to Crimper's with you?" Jim asked.
"No, they've got their own shopping trip planned, thank goodness. The only other person going with us is Dan," Trixie replied. He volunteered to take Bobby and Mikey to see Santa while Honey and I talk to Spider and pick up the supplies for our little 'surprise'."
Trixie paused and looked down the stable hall toward the partition. You aren't letting the boys "holp" you with your surprise, are you?"
"Oh no," Jim chuckled. "Do you really think I'd trust your little brother to keep a secret? He might be better at it than you, but…"
The teasing young man jumped back as Trixie gave Susie permission to trample him. She was kidding, of course. And the two teens were chuckling over it when Honey and the first-graders came their way.
"Do I really get to ride one of those?" Mikey was asking Miss Honey as he stared at the horses in awe.
"Only if you and Bobby do a real good job of sweeping out the stables for Mr. Jim," Honey replied, giving her brother a wink. "If you do, then Mr. Regan and I will give you a riding lesson this afternoon after we go see Santa. Is that a deal?"
"Oh yes, Miss Honey!" the excited boy said. "I'll do a real good job!"
Jim ruffled Mikey on top of his head. "There's a quarter in it for you and Bobby if you do," he told him. "Only you have to promise to save it. I expect you to use the money you earn this week to buy a Christmas present for your mother."
"Mr. Brian told me and Bob that too," Mikey replied. "Only he just gave us a dime when we worked on the Jalopy."
"That's 'cause it wasn't hard," Bobby explained. "This is gonna be harder. You get paid more money when things is harder."
Mikey walked carefully over to Susie, almost afraid to get too close, and tugged on Trixie's pant leg. "How come you didn't pay us for helping dry the dishes yesterday, Trixie?" he asked. "That was harder than helping Mr. Brian."
As Susie let out a snort, Mikey ran back and grabbed Honey's hand.
Suppressing a laugh, Trixie explained, "There are two types of work, Mikey. One kind you do for free. You do it to be nice. Or to show appreciation for something nice someone did for you. This is true 'helping'. Since Moms made us a yummy lunch yesterday, you and Bobby did the nice thing and helped me dry the dishes for her. So you didn't get paid. But the other type of work is called a job or a chore. These are things that you are paid to do. They aren't always fun, but you still have to do them. But both kinds of work are important parts of being a 'Bob-White Helper'. You see, sometimes we have to take on jobs to earn money to be able to do nice things for people."
Jim was impressed with Trixie's explanation, even if Mikey seemed confused by it. "It'll get easier once you get used to 'helping'," he told the little boy. "In the meantime, we'll let you know which ones are jobs. OK?"
As Mikey nodded, Bobby said, "Jobs also means we got a boss. Mart told me so. He says we gotta mind Jim 'cause he's the big kahuna with the moola."
Mikey howled like a chimp and then started bobbing up and down, chanting, "Kahuna with the moola! Kahuna with the moola!"
To which this buddy echoed while dancing, ""Kahuna with the moola! Kahuna with the moola!"
Moaning and rubbing his temple, Jim decided he'd have to thank Mart for waxing things so poetically. "That's enough, fellas," their overseer said, trying to sound firm. "If you scare the horses, this Kahuna says there won't be any moola, understand? It's time to get to work and let the ladies take their ride."
Handing each boy a broom, Jim sent Trixie and Honey on their way.
The girls were hardly out of the stable yard, before Trixie decided she was glad she'd worn two pairs of socks under her boots. The morning was extremely frigid and still. The temperature had dropped into the single digits overnight, and even at this hour, heavy frost glazed the preserve in a filigree of ice crystals. The sun, only beginning to peek over the tree line, would be melting it soon. But for now, the world seemed fragile. As if just by touching it, it would shatter into a million pieces.
And Trixie's inner world was beginning to reflect the outer one.
Typically, she found an early outing relaxing. But today's ride was making the troubled girl anxious again. She had too much time to reflect on her worries. And it didn't help that bridle path she and Honey were following connected to trail to Mr. Maypenny's cabin.
She wanted so badly to tell her friend about the mishap under the mistletoe. But too many people already knew, Trixie thought sadly.
As she urged Susie forward, a little voice told Trixie she was blowing things out of proportion. Dan hadn't kissed her. And she hadn't been hinting she wanted him to. They'd both been pushed into the predicament by pair of meddling mischief-makers. Besides, it was a silly custom, and the situation could have happened to anyone.
But that same little voice also warned her that Jim wouldn't be happy if he found out about the incident. And Trixie had to wonder what impact that might have on the Bob-Whites. She didn't want to upset the apple cart just before the holiday -especially since the teens were babysitting Mikey, and the Belden's would be attending the Wheeler's Christmas Day Ball.
The muddled young lady felt like pulling her hair out. "Oh Susie," she moaned, "How do I get myself into these things?"
Susie raised her head and let out a whinny. "You didn't do a thing wrong, so why are you worrying?" she seemed to say.
Trixie stroked her beloved horse's neck and moaned miserably, "I know Susie, I know."
And so Trixie tried to focus on the Murphy case. And when that didn't work, she went back to wondering who her Secret Santa might be. But in the end, her thoughts always strayed back to that fateful day at Mr. Maypenny's.
As the path widened, Honey came alongside her friend, giggling. "What were the two talking about back there?" she asked. "It sounded like you and Susie were having a pretty intense conversation?"
Trixie sighed and gave up the ghost. "We were discussing Aunt Alicia," she replied. "You're lucky you missed last Sunday's adventure. You're not going to believe this, Honey…"
From that point on, Trixie rattled on about how her aunt had once engaged to Mr. Lytell. How Aunt Alicia had practically thrown herself at Mr. Maypenny. And then the way Mr. Maypenny had fallen under the wicked witch's spell. Slowly building up to the climatic ending of her tale.
"And so, I ran out the door," she finished. "Now I'm wondering if I should tell Jim before someone else lets the cat out of the bag. If Regan's right, I may have already used up all of my nine lives."
Honey, who was already in hysterics, clamped her hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Trixie," she apologized. "I know it's awful. I do. But it's all too funny, really. And I don't think it's necessary you tell Jim. If he finds out, I'll help you explain. That's not to say he won't be angry at Dan. But my brother's got no reason to be upset with you. He needs to realize Dan won't be the last young man who's going to think about kissing you under the mistletoe. What matters most is where your heart lies."
Trixie looked at her friend with surprise. She hadn't expected Honey to find her tale so amusing. Or that her friend would have given her the advice she had.
Finding some sense of relief in it, Trixie hushed the nagging voice in her head and spurred Susie home.