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The Mystery at Part
Two Author’s
notes: The
Bob-Whites have traveled to Davis, West Virginia to stay at Blackwater Falls
State Park and Resort. While on the Wheelers’ private jet, the boys decided
to have a “no deodorant pact” to show the girls how manly they are.
After eating
dinner at the local Pizza Hut, the Bob-Whites piled into the large van to go
to the lodge at Miss Trask had
stopped at an intersection, waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear, when a
loud giggle suddenly erupted from Trixie. “I didn’t know your dad owned a
sporting goods store, Honey!” she exclaimed, pointing to a large, brown
building across the street to the left. “Oh, that’s so
cool!” Honey squealed as she wiggled around in her seat beside Brian and
looked at the building. “Can we stop, Miss Trask? I’d like to take our
picture in front of the sign to show Daddy.” “That would be
fine, dear,” Miss Trask agreed with a smile. “We’re in no hurry.” Once traffic had cleared, she turned
left, drove a few yards, and then pulled into the parking lot of the sporting
goods store. As the group
exited the van, they stopped to admire a large statue of the Indian Princess,
Minnehaha. The girls whispered back and forth as they discussed the statue’s
interesting measurements. “Whoo-hoo,” Dan whistled appreciatively. “Baby’s got
back.” The girls erupted
in a fit of giggles as they simultaneously whacked Dan with their purses. “What?” he asked
sheepishly. “Like you didn’t notice! I heard you whispering about it, behind
her back.” “It’s not polite
to gawk, Daniel,” Honey chided tartly. “You’ll offend the Indian Princess and
her father will scalp you.” “Hey, Minnie’s got a large backside,” Dan commented
matter-of-factly. “Is that my fault?” “Her butt is
rather… large,” Jim commented, a
stifled smile making the corners of his mouth twitch. “That’s the understatement of the
year,” Mart said with a snort. “It sure wouldn’t be too hard to hit that target with a slingshot.” Di laughed as she
punched Mart’s arm. “You’re awful. I’m sure she didn’t really look like
that.” “So why’d they
make her rear end so big?” Brian questioned, an
impish twinkle in his dark eyes. “To entertain
dirty-minded boys like you,” Trixie answered with a saucy grin. “Now, come
on. I want to get to the hotel sometime tonight.” Miss Trask took
the group’s picture outside of Wheelers. After scolding them several times
about bunny ears, nose picking, and protruding tongues, she finally captured
a shot she deemed suitable. “Do you mind if we
go inside for a moment, Miss Trask?” Jim inquired, eyeing the store’s large
fishing supply section through the window of the building. “I’d like to see
what kind of lures they have.” Miss Trask looked at
her watch. “It’s five-thirty now, children. I’m going to go to the
convenience store next door. If we meet back here at six, will that give you
enough time, Jim?” “Sure,” he
answered. “We’ll be by the van in half an hour.” The Bob-Whites
entered the large sporting goods store and perused the fishing, hunting, and
camping supplies for sale. Jim and Brian explored the fishing section, while
Mart and Dan looked through the camping merchandise. The girls wandered
around aimlessly, not having much of an interest in anything the store
offered. “Psst!” Di beckoned the other two girls over to her. She
giggled as she held up a bottle. “If the boys’ body odor gets too bad, we can
hold them down and put this on them.” Trixie laughed as
she picked up the bottle in question and read its title out loud. “ ‘Deer scent.’ What’s that?” “It must be some
kind of perfume you use in the woods,” Honey commented with a shrug. “Too bad
this company doesn’t make a spray deodorant that we could squirt on the
guys.” “Well, deer
perfume would have to smell better
than BO,” Di chuckled. Trixie began
gathering an armful of the small bottles. “Then we’d better stock up,” she
declared as seriously as possible. A kindly-looking
older gentleman approached the three girls. “Need help findin’
something, ladies?” “We were… uhhh… just thinking about purchasing some of your deer
perfume,” Di informed him, her violet eyes twinkling in mirth. “Is that so?” the
salesman replied, adjusting his bifocals farther up on his nose. “Well, that there
is the best deer scent you can get.” “Do you have a
sample bottle we can try?” Honey questioned politely. “Like a tester they
have in department stores?” The old man
scratched his chin thoughtfully, attempting to stifle a chuckle. “Well, I
don’t recall anyone ever askin’ if they could sniff
it before. After all, it is made
out of gen-you-ine deer urine.” “D-d-deer urine?”
Trixie stammered, her cheeks beet red. Her blush
soon faded and her face turned ashen, as she quickly discarded the bottles
she was holding into a nearby bin. “ICK!” Di
exclaimed, her pretty face scrunched up in horror.
“What do people do with deer pee?” The salesman’s
white whiskers twitched as a hint of a smile parted the corners of his mouth.
“Well, miss, the hunters slather it on themselves so that the deer can’t
smell ‘em.” “Slather it?”
Trixie repeated. “You know,” the
man explained, “rub it on their bodies.” “They rub the deer
pee… on their bodies… on purpose?”
Honey asked weakly, turning a bit green around the gills. “Well, yes, miss.”
The kindly gentleman was visibly struggling to not bust out laughing. “That
way the hunters can go out in the woods without lettin’
the deer know they’re there.” “How?” Trixie
questioned, not sure she really wanted to know, but her curiosity getting the
better of her. “The scent makes the hunters smell like bucks,” he told
them patiently. “That smell attracts the does. The does follow the scent, and
it makes ‘em easier to shoot.” Di wrinkled her
nose. “Why do the girl deer like the boy deer’s… uhhh…
scent?” “
‘Cause that’s how the bucks mark their territory,” the salesman
answered with an amused smile. “The does think they’re on the trail of a
boyfriend.” “I’m glad our
‘bucks’ don’t do that,” Honey whispered to the other girls. “No, they just
refuse to wear deodorant,” Trixie said with a giggle. “I’m not sure
which one is worse,” Di tittered, covering her mouth with her hand. “So, I guess you
ladies won’t be purchasin’ any deer scent today?” the
man inquired, a twinkle in his gentle gray eyes. “Ummm… no thank you, sir,” Honey replied politely. “We
kind of thought… well, we were under the impression that… I mean, we weren’t
aware that…” “We didn’t know it
was deer pee,” Trixie interrupted with a sheepish grin. “We thought it was
some kind of woodsy perfume.” “Well, that’s an
honest mistake, my dear,” the gentleman said graciously, trying to leave the
remainder of the girls’ dignity in tact. “If you don’t need anything else,
I’ll go see if those boys have found what they were lookin’
for.” “We’ll be fine,
sir,” Di told him sweetly. “Thank you for your help.” “Yeah, thanks!”
Trixie blurted out as he was walking away. As soon as he was out of earshot,
the girls doubled over as giggles incapacitated them. Just then, Mart
rounded the corner and stared at them, his hands on his hips as he shook his
head at them disparagingly. “What are
you crazy squaws up to?” “Nothing,” Di
replied, innocently batting her dark eyelashes at him. “Uh huh,” he muttered,
unconvinced. “So, almost-twin,
will you need any deer scent during our vacation?” Trixie asked,
a wicked gleam in her china blue eyes. Mart snorted in
exasperation. “What do I want with buck pee?” “So you know what it is?” Honey questioned, her hazel eyes wide with wonder. “Sure,” answered
Mart with a shrug. “You’d have to be a total nitwit not to know what deer
scent is. Why? Did you daffy girls think it was perfume or something?” Trixie scowled at
her slightly older brother, thankful that she hadn’t admitted that she and
her friends didn’t know what it was
until a few minutes ago. “Of course not,” she hissed with a
defiant toss of her curls. “Do you think we’re stupid?” Mart grinned
impishly at his sister. “You--- yes. Honey and Di--- well, the jury’s still
out on that one.” Honey stuck her
tongue out at him. “Don’t you have someplace else to be, Mr. Belden?” “As a matter of
fact, I do,” he told them with a smirk. “I’ll see you squaws later. Don’t
knock over any of the displays.” Trixie grabbed the
collar of Mart’s orange polo shirt and halted his progress. “And where do you
think you’re going?” Mart slapped her
hand away and carefully straightened his collar. “Not that it’s any of your
business, but I’m going to the visitors’ center, which is on the other side
of the convenience store. I want to pick up a couple of new travel guides,
since somebody ripped mine.” “Hey, pick me up
some too, won’t you, Mart?” Trixie asked. Mart snickered and
shook his head in total disbelief. “I don’t think so. If anything, you should be picking me up some brochures, since you ripped
my old ones.” “Mart!” Trixie
whined. “Please?” “Sorry, squaw.” He
crossed his arms in finality. “If you want some travel guides, get them
yourself.” “Fine, I will,” Trixie
said with an indignant sniff. She looked at Honey and Di. “I’ll meet you in
the parking lot at She silently
followed Mart out the door of Wheelers Sporting Goods and walked down the
sidewalk to the visitors’ center. As they approached the entrance, a man
wearing a red and black plaid shirt held the door open for them. Trixie smiled in
thanks, as Mart politely said, “Thank you.” The two teenagers walked straight
over to the brochures that were on display in a large, wooden rack hanging on
the wall. Mart quickly selected the ones he had had before, as well as
several new ones. “It’s almost “I’ll see you
there,” Trixie called, as her brother trotted out the door. Trixie plucked up several travel guides from
the rack. “Let’s see, I’ll get one for “And I’d better get this trail guide
for As she turned to leave, the man who
had held open the door earlier pecked her on the shoulder. “Pardon me, miss,” he said with a
friendly smile, “but was that your brother that just left?” “Unfortunately,” Trixie answered with
a laugh. “Since he looks so much like me, I’m forced to claim him.” The man chuckled. “I thought you two
looked alike.” “Yeah, some people even mistake us
for twins,” Trixie said. “That really bugs him.” She turned to leave, but
before she could walk away, the man spoke again. “Miss, by any chance would you mind
sharing your brother’s hiking guide?” he asked. “You got the last one, and I
was hoping you wouldn’t mind parting with it. I really need one.” Trixie looked at the map that she
held in her hand. “Gleeps, mister. I ripped Mart’s
other one, so I don’t know if he’ll share his new one with me or not.” “I’m sure he would, if you explained
the situation to him,” the man told her with a convincing smile. “You don’t know Mart,” she replied
with a smirk. “He can really be a pain sometimes.” “Oh, I bet he’d understand,” the man
cajoled. “I’d really appreciate it.” Trixie bit her lower lip as she
pondered her options. She wanted to help the man, but she also really wanted
that map. If the girls and boys split up, they would need two maps. On the other hand, the man seemed
quite nice, and she hated to say no to him. And if she explained the
situation to him, she was sure Mart would understand. With a soft sigh, Trixie singled out
the hiking guide from the rest of the stack. However, before she could hand
it to the man, an elderly lady hustled toward them, waving a stack of maps in
her wrinkled hands. “Don’t you fret none about that trail
map, sweetie,” the old woman called out. “I’ve got a whole stack of ‘em here to add to the rack. There’s plenty for
everybody.” “Great!” Trixie returned the map to
the pile and placed them all in her backpack. “Ma’am, you saved the day.” “I should’ve checked the rack
earlier, but we’ve had a busy day,” the lady explained. “We had a tour bus
from “The driver told me that his
passengers thought it was so pretty here that they’d like to return to “Well, I’m glad you had extra,”
Trixie told the woman, a bright smile on her face. “Now we can both have one,
mister. Lucky for us, huh?” “Yeah,” he murmured, gazing at the
bag as she zipped it closed. After a moment of silence, he nervously cleared
his throat. “You know, that map you have is kind of wrinkled. If you want, I
could tra---” “Gleeps!”
Trixie interrupted as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m almost ten
minutes late! Miss Trask’s gonna kill me. I gotta go. See ya!” With a hasty wave, she skidded out of
the visitors’ center and raced to the van. The man glared at the teenager, as
he watched her harum-scarum departure.
It was after To further increase their travel
time, Di needed to stop for a moment to walk around. No matter how slowly
Miss Trask drove, it did not prevent Di’s stomach from reeling as the
aerodynamically-challenged van lurched around the mountain’s curves. Miss Trask parked by the lodge
entrance and allowed the teenagers to get their luggage out of the back and
carry it into the lobby. After she parked, she would check them into their
rooms. The group “oohed
and ahhed” as they admired the tastefully decorated
rustic surroundings of the lodge’s lobby. They set down their suitcases by
the front desk and wandered around, as they waited for Miss Trask to come
inside. Still slightly queasy from the trip,
Di staggered down a long hallway past the gift shop, until she found the
ladies’ restroom. Jim studied a list of activities that
were posted on a bulletin board, and commented to Brian that the resort had a
naturalist on duty. Dan wandered over to a large sitting room,
containing several couches, chairs, and tables, arranged in cozy groups. A
large fireplace graced the farthest wall, inviting an evening of chatting in
front of a roaring fire. Mart peeked through the glass doors
of the large dining room, trying to catch a glimpse of the food the patrons
had on their plates. He took special notice of the sign advertising the
restaurant’s hours, committing the times to memory. Trixie and Honey pored over a rack of
travel brochures by the door. Honey looked up as her best friend snorted
loudly in a very unladylike manner. “What was that for?” she prodded with
a smile. “Oh, this man at Elkins tried to
convince me to give him a trail map that I had just gotten,” Trixie explained
with a roll of her eyes. “Mart and I picked up the last two that the
visitors’ center had. Some guy in a plaid shirt wanted me and Mart to share
one, and give him the other one.” “What’s so funny about that?” Honey questioned, her hazel eyes filled with confusion. “Well, they have a whole bunch of them
here,” Trixie said, pointing to the aforementioned brochures. “If I would’ve
known that, I would’ve given him the silly old map.” “You didn’t give the guide to him?” Trixie shook her head. “I was going
to, but a lady came out holding a huge stack of them. I told him we could
both have one.” Honey smiled. “I’m glad that he got
his map. It must’ve been very important for him to have one if he asked for
yours.” “I guess so,” Trixie said with a
shrug. Suddenly, almost as if a light bulb came on, she began gnawing on her
lower lip with her teeth. “You know, even though that lady brought out a
whole new stack of maps, that man seemed kind of mad that he couldn’t have mine.” “Really?” Honey’s brow furrowed as
she pondered Trixie’s words. “I wonder why.” “I dunno,”
Trixie replied. “For once, I actually wasn’t rude or anything.” “Are you sure he was mad?” Trixie began absentmindedly twirling
a curl around her index finger as she recalled the event. “Well, maybe mad is too strong of a word. But I’d
say he was disappointed that I
didn’t give him my map. Really disappointed.” “Hmm…” Honey murmured thoughtfully.
“That’s weird.” “Yes,” Trixie agreed quietly, “it’s
very mysterious.” “How did I know you were going to say
that?” Honey teased with a grin. Trixie merely looked at her
honey-haired friend and good-naturedly rolled her china blue eyes. “Maybe your travel guide is really a
secret treasure map,” Honey suggested with a mischievous smile. “That’s why
he wanted your map.” “Or maybe my brochure had a check for
a million dollars in it,” Trixie giggled. “A special prize for the taker of
the last trail map.” “Is there anything different about
that particular guide?” Honey asked. “Maybe something written on it?” “Gleeps!”
Trixie exclaimed excitedly. “I never even thought of that! What kind of
detective am I?” “That’s what you’ve got me for,”
Honey told her with a hug. “Now let’s see that map.” Trixie retrieved her backpack and dug
the travel guide out from the mess inside. By now, it was crumpled from being
smashed against countless objects inside the sloppily packed bag. “This is it,” Trixie said, opening
the map for her and Honey to peruse. The girls pored over the pamphlet,
looking for any clues as to why Mr. Plaid Shirt seemed to want that
particular map. “See anything, Hon?” Trixie
questioned hopefully. “No.” Honey shook her head sadly. “I
don’t see anything unusual on here. Just a map of the resort and a
description of the different trails typed on the back. How about you? Did you
notice anything strange?” Trixie sighed glumly, an unhappy
frown on her face. “Nope, not at all. Just looks like a regular old map.” The boys wandered over to the door where
Trixie and Honey were standing. Trixie, anxious to avoid the topic of the
mysterious map with the boys, quickly refolded the guide. However, her
frantic actions caught the boys’ attention. They gathered around Trixie and
Honey and stared at them suspiciously. “What cooks, squaws?” Mart asked, his
blue eyes boring holes into the two girls. “Nothing you’d be interested in,
Chief Fuzzy Bunny,” Trixie said with a toss of her sandy curls. “Fuzzy Bunny?” he gasped,
dramatically placing his hand over his heart. “Ugh! A spear right through the
fifth rib.” “Chief Fuzzy Bunny,” Dan repeated
with a smug grin. “I like it.” “I’d be keeping my mouth shut if I
was you, Chief Scaredy-Cat,” Mart threatened with a
scowl, “ ‘cause Chief Fuzzy Bunny has heap big
blackmail stash about the flight over here.” That effectively wiped the smug grin
off of Dan’s face. He nonchalantly pulled his wallet from the back pocket of
his jeans and asked, “How much would it take to make you forget about the
plane ride here?” “There’s not enough wampum in the
world, my friend,” Mart informed him, his blue eyes dancing in delight. Trixie’s diversion effectively
distracted Mart and Dan; however, Jim and Brian crossed their arms and
studied her face. “What gives, Trix?” Jim questioned,
one ginger brow raised in speculation. “Why so quick to put away your map?” Trixie assumed an innocent
expression. “No reason. I just didn’t want anyone to take it.” “Why would we want your stupid map?”
Brian asked with a snort. “There’s a whole bunch of them here.” “You never know.” Trixie shrugged, an evasive smile on her lips. Brian seemed satisfied with that
explanation and walked over to where Mart and Dan were. However, Jim was not so easily
fooled. “Out with it, Shamus,” he whispered,
gently grasping her arm. “Something tells me you’re on the trail of another
mystery.” “Why, Mr. Frayne, what would ever
give you that impression?” Trixie innocently batted her big blue eyes at him. “Don’t pull that angelic act with me,
Trixie Belden,” he murmured. Though he tried to look annoyed, he failed
miserably. His amusement clearly shone through. Trixie merely shrugged, a Mona Lisa
expression planted firmly on her face. Further conversation could not be
made, as Miss Trask walked through the main entrance and began checking the
group into their rooms. Di also chose that moment to stumble back into the
lobby. Her normally porcelain complexion was a bit ashen as she recovered
from her motion sickness. “Are you all right, Di?” Honey asked, concern evident in her soft voice. “Gleeps,
Di!” Trixie exclaimed. “You look awful!” A slight blush crept upon her cheeks
as she attempted to dodge Honey’s glare. “I mean, you don’t look like you
feel very good.” “That pizza wasn’t nearly as good the
second time,” Di muttered, a nauseated expression on her pale face. “Still not feeling well, dear?” Miss Trask
inquired as she joined the group of teenagers. “I’m doing a little better,” Di
answered with a weak smile. “Maybe it would help if I lay down for a bit.” “That sounds like an excellent idea,”
Miss Trask agreed as she handed the girls two keys, which looked like credit
cards. “Here are your room keys. Be careful not to lose them.” “Thanks,” Trixie said, grabbing one
of the keys and sticking it in the pocket of her Capri-length khakis. “Would you like to carry the other
one, or should I?” Honey considerately asked Di. “You can,” Di offered. “Where’s our
room?” “Second floor,” Miss Trask answered.
“Can you make it up to your room, Diana?” “I think so,” Di replied, taking a
few wobbly steps. She wearily looked at her luggage. “Uhhh…
do you think someone could…” “Let me get your bags for you!” Mart
yelled. He practically broke his neck reaching for Di’s large purple suitcase
and matching carry-on bag. He awkwardly pulled the straps of his duffel bag
over his shoulder and grasped the handle of his own smaller suitcase, while
placing the strap of Di’s carry-on around his neck. “Need some help?” Brian inquired, an amused smirk on his face. “I got it,” Mart assured, still
trying to find the best way to carry all the bags at the same time. “I thought you weren’t going to carry
anyone’s bags but your own,” Trixie pointed out with a saucy grin. Mart paused briefly in his finagling
and snarled at his sister. Picking up all the bags, he smiled gallantly at
Diana. His hands totally fully, he nodded to the elevator with his head.
“Lead the way, milady.”
A half hour later, the girls were
relaxing in their hotel room. Di, still recovering from her motion sickness,
lay on the bed by the window with a cool cloth on her forehead. Honey neatly
transferred her clothes from her suitcases to the dresser. Trixie, itching to
explore the lodge, bounced on the other queen-sized bed in the room. She
hastily flipped through television channels, looking for something
interesting to watch. However, her attention remained on the mysterious
encounter at Elkins. Trixie exhaled loudly as she cast a
furtive glance in Diana’s direction. “Feeling better yet, Di?” Honey placed her hands on her slim
hips and glared at her sandy-haired friend. “Trixie Belden! Shame on you for
rushing poor Di.” “We’ve been out of the van for a
whole hour!” Trixie exploded. “Surely she’s not still queasy.” “Have you ever been carsick?” Honey asked. “Nope,” Trixie admitted. “Moms says my body is used to sudden twisting and turning, so
I’ll never get carsick.” “Well, I have, and it’s awful,” Honey
told her. “It can take several hours to feel completely better.” Trixie blushed slightly and turned
apologetically to her ashen-faced friend. “Sorry, Di,” she said sheepishly.
“I guess I’m just kind of excited about looking around.” “I’ll be ready in a few minutes,
Trixie,” Di promised as she adjusted the cool cloth on her forehead. “Want me to get your shoes?” Trixie
offered eagerly, getting up from her seat on the edge of the other bed. “Trixie!” Honey chided. “Why don’t
you do something until Di is ready to go?” “Like what?” Trixie inquired, a weary
sigh escaping from her lips. “Well, why don’t you unpack your
suitcase?” Honey suggested. “That way your clothes won’t be as wrinkly.” “My clothes were wrinkly when they went
into the suitcase,” Trixie informed
her tartly. “So how will unpacking my clothes make them any less wrinkly when
I take them out?” Honey set her lips into a stern frown
as she opened one of the dresser drawers and pointed to it. “Humor me, missy.
Now get busy.” “Yes, ma’am,” Trixie giggled, with a
mock salute. She went over to the corner of the room and picked up her gray
suitcase. After placing it on the bed and unzipping it, she picked it back
up, stood in front of the dresser and dumped the suitcase’s contents into the
open drawer. “Well, that’s done,” Trixie proudly
announced, as she dusted off her hands. “And what a fine job you did,” Honey
said wryly, studying the mound of clothes heaped in the drawer. “You know,
you could fold them…” “Fold them?” Trixie
stepped backward and clutched her heart with a gasp. “Gleeps,
Hon! I’m on vacation. I could fold laundry at home. I’m not gonna do it here.” Honey tried to stifle a smile, but
found it was impossible as she watched her impatient friend. Instead of
rebuking Trixie further, she merely began the task of neatly folding the
clothes Trixie had crammed into the drawer. “Miss Belden, you’re
incorrigible!” “Why, thank you, Miss Wheeler,”
Trixie replied with a sweet smile and a dainty curtsy. Di removed the cloth from her
forehead and laughed. “I don’t think that was a compliment, Trix. I’ve heard
Mummy call Bobby that several times, so I don’t think it’s good to be incor… incur… oh, whatever.” Trixie looked hopefully at her
ebony-haired friend. “Are you feeling okay now, Di?” Honey playfully swatted Trixie with
the t-shirt she was holding. “Haven’t you ever heard that patience is a
virtue?” “Patience?” Trixie snorted. “What’s
that?” Di rose up slightly to look at her
friends. “Patience is one virtue that Trixie definitely doesn’t have,” she giggled. “What’re you so anxious
about anyway? I don’t think the ‘no-deodorant’ pact starts until tomorrow, so
I doubt ‘nekkid Jim’ will make an appearance…” Her cheeks burning a deep crimson,
Trixie poised the television remote in midair, aiming it for Di’s head. “You’ll have to excuse Trixie. She’s
on the trail of another mystery,” Honey explained with a laugh. “It’s making
her a bit antsy.” “You’ve already found a mystery?” Di
questioned, her delicate brows raised incredulously. “That was fast. We’ve
been here less than an hour.” “I didn’t find it here,” Trixie clarified, tossing the
remote control onto the bed. “I found it at the visitors’ center in Elkins.” “What happened?” Di sat upright and
crossed her legs Indian-style. “Well, when Mart and I went to get
those travel brochures, a man wearing a red flannel shirt opened the door for
us,” Trixie explained, her blue eyes round with possibility. “A red flannel shirt this time of the
year?” Di’s delicate brows wrinkled in confusion. “It’s too hot for long
sleeves.” Trixie sighed impatiently. “This
isn’t ‘What Not to Wear’, Di. I’m trying to tell you about my mysterious
encounter.” “My apologies, dear Trixie,” Di said
with a giggle. “Please continue.” “As I was saying, Mart and I went to
the visitors’ center and we saw a man wearing a red flannel shirt,” Trixie
repeated. “Mart and I got the last two trail guides they had for “What’s so mysterious about that?” Di
inquired with a slight shrug. “A lady came over to us, holding a
great big stack of the exact same brochures,” Trixie told her. “I stuck my
map back in my bag and told the man that now there was enough for everyone.” Di cleared her throat dramatically.
“Why, yes, Trixie… uhhh… that’s very mysterious,” she teased
sarcastically. “We need to call the FBI at once.” She barely dodged the
pillow that Trixie hurled at her. “Ha, ha,” Trixie muttered, with a
roll of her blue eyes. “That’s not the mysterious part.” “Well, hurry up and get to it,” Di
commanded with a giggle. “It was mysterious that the man
didn’t look happy about getting one of the other brochures.” Trixie stopped briefly to worry her lower lip,
and then continued, “He looked really angry that I kept the last map. I’m not
positive, but I think he glared at me as I left.” “That is kind of mysterious,” Di admitted, twirling a strand of black
hair around her slender index finger. “I wonder why he was so mad about not
getting that particular map.” “Trixie and I think there was a
buried treasure marked on it,” Honey replied with a twinkle in her hazel
eyes. “Can I see the guide?” Di asked as
she turned on the light over the queen-sized bed on which she had been lying.
“Sure.” She handed it to Diana and waited
breathlessly as her friend looked at it. “Looks just like the map Mart had on
the plane,” Di announced after closely examining it. Trixie sighed in disappointment and
stood to take the pamphlet. “Nothing special about this,” Di
began as she carefully refolded the map. “And the man shouldn’t be upset that
you took this one. This one has junk written on it. It’s ruined.” Trixie and Honey looked at each
other, both of their mouths agape at Di’s statement. They excitedly plopped
down on either side of their friend. “Writing? What writing?” Trixie
exploded, shaking Di’s shoulder with her trembling hand. “Where is it?” Honey squealed,
peering closely at the map on Di’s lap. Di blinked her eyes, surprised by her
friends’ enthusiasm. “Why, right here. See?” She reopened the folds of the
map and held it up so that both Trixie and Honey could see it. With the tip
of her fingernail, she pointed out the tiny numbers written upon it. “My goodness!” Honey exclaimed. “I
hadn’t noticed that before!” “Me either!” Trixie was so excited
that she was making the bed bounce with her wiggling. “Golly, Di, you’ve got
a good eye for details.” “You mean you hadn’t seen this
before?” Di blushed from her friends’ praise, slightly pleased that she had
discovered a clue before they had. “No,” Trixie told her. “Those numbers
are so small that I hadn’t noticed them. And they’re written in black ink, so
they kind of blend in with the rest of the words on the page.” “It looks like whoever wrote them on
there was trying to make sure that they didn’t stand out,” Honey commented. “I still can’t believe that I didn’t
see them,” Trixie muttered. “Well, I doubt most people would notice them,” Di reassured her, patting her arm.
“I just happened to get lucky.” “No, Di,” disagreed Trixie with a
rueful grin, “you just studied the map more carefully than I did. I was so
anxious to find clues that I didn’t take the time to look for small details
like that. I was just sort of hoping to find ‘buried treasure hidden here’
written on it in huge, red letters.” “Well, whoever wrote those numbers
was trying to hide them from anyone who wasn’t looking,” Di said. “What are those numbers?” Honey asked, squinting
her eyes to stare at the guide. Trixie anxiously ripped the brochure
out of Di’s hands and raced over to the light. “304259490452,” she answered
loudly. She looked at her friends, a scowl on her pretty face. “But why did
someone write them on there?” “Maybe it’s a room number?” Di suggested. Trixie snorted incredulously. “Call
me crazy, but I don’t think there’s,” she paused to study the number on the
map, “304,259,490,452 rooms in this place. Think of something else.” “Maybe it’s a phone number,” Honey
enthusiastically sputtered. Di shook her head. “No, there are too
many numbers. Including an area code, a phone number would only have ten
digits. This number has twelve.” “I’ve got it!” Trixie began bouncing
up and down excitedly. “I’ll bet it’s a combination for a safe!” “A safe?” Honey repeated, rubbing her
chin thoughtfully. “What kind of safe?” “Like the ones they have in hotels!”
Trixie returned to her friends’ side and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“Maybe it’s the combination to the lodge’s
safe.” “Do they even have one?” Di knotted
her brows in curiosity. “I don’t know,” Trixie admitted. “But
lots of hotels do.” “Well, why would the combination to a
safe in Davis be written on a travel guide in
Elkins?” Honey questioned quite skeptically. “Somebody from the hotel wrote it on
there,” Trixie explained in a low voice. “Maybe the desk clerk is partners
with the man I met at the visitors’ center. The guy at the desk wrote the
safe combination on the very last map in the stack, thinking Mr. Plaid Shirt
would find it. “But a tour bus passed through and
took several brochures,” she went on, the excitement growing in her voice as
she added details. “The crooks had no idea so many guides would be taken that
day. Mart and I took the last two in the rack, just as Mr. Plaid Shirt got
there. He saw Mart take the next-to-last one and knew I had the map with the combination written on it.” “So why didn’t he take it from you
and run?” Di inquired. “He didn’t want to draw attention to
himself,” Trixie speculated. “He decided to let me have the map and somehow
contact the hotel worker for the numbers.”
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” Honey
asked in a voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know,” Trixie replied with a
shrug of her shoulders. “Why?” Honey nervously licked her lips, and
then proceeded. “Well, he knows that you have the map with the safe
combination, and what if he figures
out that we figured out what all
those numbers mean? What do we do then?” Di shivered and anxiously looked
around the room. “What if he comes after you, Trixie?” “And follows us around the park,”
Honey added in a whisper. “And drags you to a remote part of
the reserve,” Di continued with a gulp. “And hacks you into a hundred little
pieces,” Honey squeaked out. Trixie tried to steady the slight quiver
in her chin. “Oh, phooey. He won’t get a chance. We’re always with the boys.
They won’t let anyone drag me away.” She assumed a thoughtful expression, and
then added, “Well, Mart might, but
I’m sure Brian, Jim and Dan wouldn’t.” “True, but we’re not always with the
boys,” Honey pointed out. “They can’t always
protect you.” “I’m sure Mr. Plaid Shirt knows we’ll
be alone in our room at night,” Di added nervously. “And the desk clerk could give him a
key to our room,” Honey suggested. “And he could sneak in while we’re
away and hide in the shower,” Di proposed in an ominous voice. “Then, when we’re in a deep sleep,
he’ll sneak out of the bathroom,” Honey said with a shiver. “And one by one, he’ll hold a pillow
over our noses and smother us in our sleep!” Di concluded with a shudder. “Oh, we need to tell the boys!” Honey
cried, linking arms with Trixie as if she could protect her friend. Suddenly, the phone rang, breaking
the nervous tension in the room. All three of the girls screamed and jumped
in fright. After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Trixie picked up the receiver. “Hello?” she answered, her voice still shaky. “I’m okay,” Trixie told the caller.
She shot her two friends a dirty look. “We were just talking when you called,
and the ringing surprised us… Ummm, yeah, I think
she’s feeling better… I don’t know. Let me ask…” She held her palm against the
mouthpiece of the receiver. “The boys want to know if we’d like to take a
quick swim in the pool before we go to bed. If Di’s feeling better, that is.
What do you think?” “Sounds good to me. As long as Pierre
Lontard isn’t lurking around the pool, that is,”
Honey replied, a nervous tremor in her voice. She cast an apprehensive glance
at her sandy-haired friend as she remembered Trixie’s near-fatal swim during
their trip to St. Louis. “Do you think you’ll be safe, Trixie?” Trixie’s chin rose in haughty
defiance. “Oh, pooh. I’ll be fine. Even if Mr. Plaid Shirt is a deranged ax murderer, I’ll be
with the six of you. I’ll be perfectly safe.” Honey’s hazel gaze transferred to
Diana. “Are you up for it, Di?” Di nodded. “Ye-es…
as long as the boys wait for us outside our room and walk us to the pool. I’m
kind of nervous now.” “Me, too,” Honey admitted, peeking
into the bathroom. “Don’t be silly!” Trixie hissed. With
a roll of her eyes, she uncovered the receiver and held it to her ear. “A
swim sounds like fun. We’ll gather up our junk and be ready in about five
minutes, if you want to wait outside our room… OK, we’ll see you then.” After hanging up the phone, Trixie
dug in her dresser for her swimsuit. When she found it, she placed it inside
a duffel bag that she had stored in her suitcase. Noticing that her friends
hadn’t moved a muscle, she placed her hands on her hips and glared at them.
“Are you girls coming, or are you staying here?” “We’re coming,” Honey cried, opening
the dresser drawer to find her bathing suit. “You couldn’t pay me to stay here by
myself!” Di shrieked, jumping off the bed to find her own suit. Trixie shook her head and chuckled at
her friends. “You’re being ridiculous. That man isn’t going to break in our
room.” “I still think we should tell the
boys,” Honey insisted. “Tell them what?” Trixie questioned
with a shrug. “Tell them a man glared at me in the visitors’ center in
Elkins? Tell them that we found some numbers on a trail map?” She shook her
head and frowned. “We’re not telling them anything until we get some
evidence. If we tell them our suspicions now, they’ll just laugh at us.” “I suppose that’s true,” Honey admitted,
her light brown eyebrows wrinkled in worry. “But if we notice anything
mysterious, promise me that we’ll tell them immediately!” “I promise,” Trixie said, holding up
three fingers in the Girl Scout Promise formation. “O-okay,” Honey stammered. “I won’t
say anything.” “Me either,” Di promised, her violet
eyes clouded with concern. “If you’re sure everything will be all right…” “I’m sure.” Trixie smiled cheerfully
at both of her friends. “I mean, we’ve only been here a few hours. What are
the chances that something truly
mysterious has already fallen in my lap?” A knocking on their door made Di and
Honey scurry to finish gathering their things. Once their task was completed,
Di opened the door to an impatiently yawning Mart. “Gee whiz, Di, what took you so
long?” he asked. “The rest of the guys already went to the pool. They made me
stay here to wait for you. They were afraid you goony girls would get lost
and end up in “Ha, ha,” Di snapped with a flip of
her shiny black hair. “We’re ready, so lead the way, Magellan.” Honey giggled as she hoisted the strap of
her beach bag over her shoulder. “Tomorrow we won’t have to worry about
getting lost. We’ll just be able to sniff the air for your BO, and be able to
find you.” “Ewww!” Di
squealed as she walked out in the hallway, Honey clipping at her heels. “C’mon, Trix!” Mart bellowed. “The
pool isn’t open all night.” “Just a minute!” Trixie yelled. With
Di and Honey both out of sight in the hall, she hurried into the bathroom.
She yanked open the shower curtain and, much to her relief,
nobody was hiding in the tub. Her breathing finally normal, she locked the
door to their room, stuck the key in the pocket of her Capris,
and firmly closed the door behind her.
Credits: We have been
to Elkins several times while traveling to |
