"Blackmailed?" Trixie snorted. "No way. You and Brian are just about the last people on Earth anyone could blackmail."
"I don't know what else to call it," Jim replied, "when someone sends a letter to your address threatening harm unless you pay them money."
"But a blackmailer has to know something about you, something they can hold over your head, or the threat is no good," Trixie argued.
"Or they have a good enough lie to cause a lot of trouble, even if their story isn't true," Jim said grimly.
"Jim, just what did this letter say?" Trixie asked, her blue eyes full of concern.
Jim hesitated for just a moment. "It said that unless my dad paid them $50,000 they would tell Hudson College that Brian and I cheated on our final project. Hudson College has a no-tolerance policy for cheating. Brian wouldn't get into the pre-med program, I'd lose my scholarship, and we might even have our acceptance into the college revoked."
Trixie gasped. "That can't happen. You two have been dreaming Hudson all year. You even already have the apartment in Albany together." Trixie's tense shoulders relaxed a little. "But of course it won't happen, because that's not true. You would never cheat and neither would Brian."
"Of course not," Jim said, buoyed by Trixie's confidence in him, "but the blackmailer said they have proof."
"How can they have proof of something that didn't happen?" Trixie demanded.
Jim shook his head. "I don't know, but I think we have to take it seriously. This blackmailer, whoever it is, could mess everything up for us even if there's nothing to it. Ms. Trask said the threats were getting more serious with each letter."
"Wait, today wasn't the first time you received a letter?"
Jim shook his head. "No. You know we get all kinds of wacky mail here – people asking for donations, thinly-veiled scams, even weird fan letters sometimes. Most of the time we just throw them out. But Ms. Trask noticed some similarities between this one and two other ones we got during the past month. That's why she decided to show today's letter to me."
"What similarities?" Trixie asked eagerly.
"Well, they were all postmarked from Sleepyside, so it's someone local. That's kind of unusual all by itself since most of our odd mail comes from out of the area."
"That makes sense – Sleepyside isn't all that big, and we probably already know most of the unusual characters around here."
"I sure thought so," Jim grimaced, "but I guess we've missed one. Ms. Trask also said that all the letters were typed, so there won't be any clues from the handwriting. But the main thing that was the same about all of them was that they were all about me and my scholarship to Hudson College."
"You have been in the news an awful lot lately," Trixie pointed out. "Since only five incoming students each year are named Hudson Scholars it's a big deal. Anyone could have heard about it from the paper or just gossip around town. They even made that special announcement at graduation about it."
"Maybe," Jim admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck. Trixie recognized it as a sign of worry.
"His muscles always tense up when he's stressed," Trixie thought. She then realized she was thinking about Jim's muscles when she should be thinking about how to help him and blushed deeply.
Fortunately, Jim didn't notice. "You know, Trixie, being named a Hudson Scholar is something I've wanted for a long time. I've really worked for it. I know that, thanks to the Wheelers, I don't need the money. It's just that – "Jim hesitated again.
Trixie gently laid a hand on his arm. "I think I understand, Jim. The first day we met, you told me that you had won a scholarship to college."
Jim nodded gratefully. "I was named a Hudson Scholar Semi-Finalist right at the end of my sophomore year, just before I ran away. Being a Semi-Finalist guaranteed me admission to Hudson College and a small scholarship. It was a dream come true for me. That's why it hurt so much," Jim said, his face darkening, "that Jonesy didn't even believe I had won it. That he said he wouldn't let me go – that it wouldn't do me any good." He balled his hands up in frustration. There was an angry tightness in his chest that made it hard to get the words out.
Trixie squeezed his arm sympathetically and waited patiently until he was ready to continue.
"Trixie, I knew then that I would have to work as hard as possible to become a Hudson Scholar, and win a full ride," Jim finally said. "Jonesy wasn't going to give me a dime. It was my only goal."
"So even now," Trixie said gently, "when money is no longer an issue, and when any college in the country would be thrilled to have you…"
"Being a Hudson Scholar is just important to me," Jim finished, crossing his arms roughly. As he spoke, he realized the iron band of worry in his chest had finally begun to ease. He looked down at Trixie gratefully, and she met his gaze.
"I understand," she said softly.
"I knew you would," Jim replied. He found he couldn't look away from her face.
Slowly, Jim uncrossed his arms. He took a careful step toward Trixie.
Trixie held her breath as Jim reached up and gently tugged a lock of her hair, never breaking eye contact with her. Trixie was wondering what would happen next when, suddenly, he grinned.
"I guess instead of trying to talk you out of finding a mystery I've found one for you this time," he said ruefully.
"I'll do anything I can to solve it," Trixie said earnestly. "I won't let anyone hurt you or Brian."
"That's one thing I love about you," Jim replied, smiling. "That fierce little protective side you have. I sure am glad I'm on the right side of it."
Without warning, he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Trixie."
Trixie kept her head down and swallowed hard. It had only been a quick peck but she felt like his lips had scorched her. It was several seconds before she could speak.
"We should go find Brian," she said, her voice a little unsteady. "He needs to know about this."
"I agree," Jim said quickly. He realized belatedly that it might start tongues wagging if he and Trixie were to emerge from the library together with flushed faces. "Um…why don't you go look for him and Honey? I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."
"Okay," Trixie agreed. "It must be almost time for me to meet Honey upstairs anyway. We're going to change before the bonfire."
"Maybe the bonfire can be an emergency Bob-Whites meeting," Jim suggested.
"We definitely have a lot to talk about," Trixie said, nodding. She headed for the French doors, then glanced back at the tall, redheaded boy.
"Well…see you in a little while," Trixie said.
Jim smiled. "See you."
Trixie shut the door behind her and then leaned against it for a moment, letting out a deep breath. This graduation party was turning out to be way more exciting than she had expected.