Chapter Six

Wednesday, 3 AM
Crabapple Farm

Trixie woke up for the umpteenth time that night. Something was bothering her, but she just couldn't figure out what it was. This time, she had had the strangest dream. Something about eating strawberries in the clubhouse.

I guess I just ate too much strawberry cheesecake! All that sugar must be getting to me, she thought as she got up to warm up some milk. But the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach didn't leave her as she climbed down the stairs. She hadn't felt in a while. It usually came to her before a breakthrough on a case. But what could it be?

The blonde young woman warmed up the milk and then leant against the kitchen's doorframe, staring into the night. In the moonlight, she could see the silhouette of the kitchen coop and the quiet orchard beyond it. Taking a deep breath, Trixie recalled the events of the day. She had begun feeling strange when she bumped into that man, outside the police station.

As she remembered the event, she felt goose bumps all over. His eyes… She couldn't forget those tiny eyes. Weasel eyes. The moment the words formed in her mind, her eyes fell on the strawberry print dishcloth hanging over the sink. Her heart almost stopped and she dropped the glass, the sound of shattering glass filling the silent kitchen. Looking down at the glistening pieces of glass at her feet, Trixie finally remembered. The diamond hidden in the strawberry shaped needle pillow, the man that looked like a weasel, his menacing eyes staring at her. So many years before and again today… Only hours before.

Trixie leant against the wall, trembling. How could this be? Were all of her nightmares coming back to haunt her? Taking deep, slow breaths, Trixie tried to slow down the rhythm of her pounding heart. And she wondered if she could be imagining things. But no. That little voice inside told her she was right.

After cleaning up the mess she'd made, Trixie climbed the stairs and headed for Mart's room, her legs still trembling. She knocked on the door but there was no answer. Leaning against the door, she could hear Mart's low snoring.

I have to talk to someone or I'll go mad, she thought. Carefully, she opened the door and let herself in. Mart was fast asleep and didn't wake up when she sat by his side on the bed. She had to call him and give him a nudge or two, before he opened his eyes, still half asleep.

"What…?" He asked, drowsily. "Trix? What time is it?"

"It's still dawn. I'm sorry, but I needed to talk to you!" She whispered.

"And can't this wait till morning?" Mart motioned to turn to his other side and go back to sleep.

"No!" Trixie grabbed his arm and forced him to turn back to her. "Mart, I remembered! I know who that man is!"

He groaned. "Why can't I have a normal sister? One that would let me sleep and not wake me with her wild fantasies about some guy!"

"Mart, I'm serious! That guy is Dick!"

"For Pete's sake, Trixie! Why do you have to call the guy names?"

Trixie was about to lose her patience and had to count to ten not to yell at him. "Stop it, Mart! His name is Dick! Remember? Dick?"

"Dick who?" Suddenly, the word seemed to click in his mind and he quickly sat up. "Oh, hell, no way! You mean Dick, diamond-stealing-Wheeler-chauffer-weasel-eyes Dick?"

"Yes! You do have a brain after all!" Trixie sighed. "Dick the Dip is back in town too!"

"Are they holding a crook convention in town?" Mart asked with a frown.

"I don't know. This all can be just a cruel coincidence but it sure is strange. And the strangest thing is that Janet Martin was talking to him!"

"Trix, are you sure that was him? It was dark and…"

She didn't even let him finish. "Yes, Mart, I am sure!"

"But still, he may have been rehabilitated."

"Yeah, right, and he's also the Easter Bunny's best friend! Do you actually believe that?"

Mart shook his head and sighed. "We better call Captain Molinson and let him know. And we have to call for an emergency meeting of the BWG's."

She agreed. "I'll do it first thing in the morning. I better try to get some sleep. I need all my senses functioning."

"Trix," Mart called as she was about to leave his room. "Do you think Dick's return is in any way connected to Jonesy's?"

She shrugged. "You know I don't believe in coincidences, but this time it frightens me to think it may be so. I just hope this is just some bad planet alignment!"

"What were you saying about the Easter Bunny a while ago, Trix?" Mart ran his fingers through his hair, his brow furrowed.

"I said I hoped, I didn't say I believed it." Trix closed the door behind her and walked slowly towards her room. The puzzle was slowly taking shape and she really didn't like the looks of it.

6 PM
Bob-White Clubhouse

Trixie's news about Dick fell like a bomb. There was complete silence in the clubhouse as the BWG's digested the words. Only Dan, Di and Annie seemed a little puzzled.

"Guys, I remember you mentioning that name, but I can't quite place it." Dan said, hoping for enlightenment.

Mart seemed to be the only one still able to speak, no doubt because this wasn't new to him or merely because he never ran out of words. "The diamond case, remember? The guy posed as a chauffer for the Wheelers because he watched as Honey and Trixie found the diamond in the clubhouse, where he'd lost it…"

Dan interrupted him with a gesture. "After a fight with his partner. I remember now."

"Are you sure about that, Trix? I mean, it's been a long time." Honey was hoping this was just a big mistake.

"I wish I wasn't sure, but I will never forget those eyes. And if you'd seen the way he looked at me in town…" Trixie shook her head and her curls bounced. "That man hated me! It was Dick, all right!"

"Lord, Trixie!" Brian exclaimed. "They had to be thinking of you when they said 'In for a penny, in for a pound'!"

"I didn't exactly call them back here! Or do you think I want to hold the Trixie Belden's Enemies Ten Year Reunion?" Trixie couldn't help the bitterness in her voice.

"That would be an explanation." Mart couldn't resist making a joke, not even when the subject was so serious. "Soon, we'll be seeing Pierre Lontard walking around. Or the fake Uncle Monty!"

Di shivered by his side. "Don't even say that, Mart. I get chills all over!"

"I was only trying to lighten things up, guys!" The young blond man's smile disappeared as he glanced at the pale faces around him.

"There's not much lightening up to do, Mart." Jim's freckles were very much visible as he spoke, despite the almost permanent tan he had from so much time outside. "I just wish we could put all these pieces together."

Honey took a deep breath and tried to collect herself enough to bring her practical side afloat. "So, let's see what we have. We know Dick is back in town, as well as Jonesy, but we don't know if they have anything to do with each other; Trixie and Mart saw Janet Martin talking to Dick outside the school, but we don't know if he was merely asking her for directions." Honey stopped and added, "I don't think it was the case, but still there's a chance this was just a coincidence."

Brian smiled at his wife to be and caressed her hand. "Go on, sweetheart. We really need someone who can still think straight right now."

She smiled at the encouragement and went on. "Then we have the drug dealing case at school and the fact that someone is trying to frame Annie. The question is, is there a connection between all these factors?"

"I have one more for you." Bobby said, a little shyly. "I wasn't even going to mention this, because I wasn't sure if it meant something or not, but now I think it does. Ms. Martin came to me yesterday, saying she was worried I wasn't experiencing enough of the world and that it was ok to be different from my brothers and sister. She said I could come to her if I ever needed anything."

"Janet? She said that? Whatever for?" Trixie folded her arms across her chest. "This is getting weirder by the minute!"

"She overheard me and Annie talking about…" Bobby blushed and cast a sideways glance at the girl sitting beside him. "About me joining those guys."

"She should be advising you to stay away from them, not the opposite." Brian frowned.

"Well, I don't really like her all that much, and she did say some pretty nasty things about the BWGs, but still it's hard for me to believe she might have something to do with drug dealing," Mart stated, as he got up and paced the room, his nervousness finally showing.

"Right now, there's no other explanation." Trixie got up herself and walked towards her younger brother. "Maybe you should talk to her and see if you can get something more… tangible!"

"I'm not sure what tangible is, but I guess I know what you mean." Bobby grinned.

"Guys, I think I might have something for you too." Dan spoke for the first time since his question about Dick. This idea had been brewing in his mind and he had to let them know. "I went to see Sally Darnell on Sunday. Joeanne and I thought she might know something that could help us out."

"So, that's where you were all day. With Joeanne!" Mart's smirk didn't leave any doubts as to what he was thinking.

Dan pretended not to notice and went on. "She mentioned a man, the guy that apparently was in charge of the dealing around Sleepyside. Sally says he was known as Dick. She doesn't remember his last name, but still… It's too much of a coincidence."

"Oh, Lord! That means he has been right under our noses for over two years and we didn't know it!" Trixie moaned.

"Yes, but the question is: Why did he decide to show himself right now?" Dan asked.

And once more the clubhouse was silenced.

A/N: I bet none of you saw that did you? Haha well only a few several more chapters left, so review and I'll update. Fair trade? I think so. Well thanks to all my reviewers.

Love always,

Claudia