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Wasted Away Again in Strawberry Pop-ville
This story takes
place two and a half weeks after the ending of “Ain’t
Too Proud to Beg.” What happened after Jim proposed? What will Trixie do about her job? Tune into the nonsensical
“Wasted Away Again in Strawberry Pop-ville” to find
out. Barely Sunday, October 24 Trixie Belden happily snuggled
under the warm blue quilt on her bed. The chilly autumn night in Sleepyside was quite a contrast to the weather in The silvery light of the moon shone brightly through the bedroom
window of the apartment she shared with her best friend, Honey Wheeler. The moon is brighter in Sleepyside, Trixie thought, a contented smile on her face. For the
millionth time that evening, she breathed a prayer of thanks that she was
home. Ah… home sweet home. As she had done every night lately, Trixie
held up her left hand and admired the beautiful engagement ring that Jim had
given her two and a half weeks earlier. She sighed, mesmerized by how the
brilliant diamond twinkled in the moonlight. Of course, she wondered, maybe I’m sighing because I’m so happy. I
never knew it was possible to feel so warm and fuzzy. She giggled at the thought of her, Beatrix Helen Belden, feeling warm and fuzzy. It wasn’t an emotion
to which she was accustomed. However, since Jim’s proposal, warm and fuzzy
described exactly how she felt.
Honey and Di certainly weren’t allowing her to
enjoy her “lovesick reveling” without some good-natured ribbing. After years
of Trixie’s gagging and groaning about her friends’
mooning over her brothers, finally she
was the one making them gag and
groan. And she had no idea how much fun it would be. If she had known
grossing them out with “TMI” would be so fulfilling, she would have taken
matters in her own hands, and proposed to Jim ages ago. Trixie knew she should go to sleep,
but her mind refused to shut down. Those six or seven cans of Strawberry
Blast she had downed earlier certainly weren’t helping either. She felt the
sucrose coursing through her veins, as well as an unhealthy dose of red dye
49. Even though she’d been up cleaning since The two and a half weeks following Jim’s impromptu proposal had
been hectic. Once again, she had had to pack everything she owned, and this
time Honey wasn’t there to help her. Of course, this time Trixie felt much more excited
about the upcoming move since she would be returning to Jim, rather than running away from him. This excitement helped her to pack rather quickly. She had flown to Jim drove to Sleepyside,
but instead of driving to her apartment, he turned onto The evening passed far too quickly and, before she knew it, it
was time for Jim to drive her to the apartment she shared with Honey. She had
shyly invited him inside… “Well, maybe for just a few minutes,”
he replied with that lopsided grin that made her knees wobbly. “Just for a few minutes?
Can’t you stay longer than that?” she pleaded, her full lips pooched in a pout. “I’ll stay until Honey and
Brian get here,” he amended, not being able to resist her fluttering sandy
lashes. “You’re not afraid of my big
brother, are you?” Trixie asked teasingly, pulling
Jim to the sofa. “Brian’s a pushover, just as long as he hasn’t been eating
apple seeds.” He rolled his eyes, as he
allowed himself to be led to the couch. “I’m not ‘afraid’ of him,” he
muttered, as if that accusation had damaged his manly pride. “I just want to
make a good impression on your family, since I’m going to be part of it.” “Too late for that,” she
giggled. “You ruined that possibility twelve years ago when you met them for
the first time.” She plopped down on the sofa and pulled on Jim’s arm,
inviting him to (or rather, demanding that he) join her. “I’m sorry to say
that your reputation as being honorable, supple and the most wonderful boy in
the world is intact, and you’ll just have to deal with it.” “Well, that honorable part
may have just gone out the window,” he snorted, wrapping his arm around Trixie’s shoulders. “Brian overheard that I spent the
night at your apartment after I proposed. I don’t think he was too happy.” “As if I’m concerned about
what Brian thinks.” Trixie gave a good indignant
sniff. “If it bothered him, he should’ve asked me about it himself, instead
of jumping to conclusions. I could’ve told him that you slept on the couch.
And besides, I’m twenty-five years old, not some child that he has to
baby-sit.” Jim placed a calming hand on
her knee. “Do you want me to send him to the corner next time I see him?” “Only if you give him a big
dunce hat to wear,” she grinned ruefully. “He’s trying to do better, Trix,” Jim said gently, brushing away a stray curl from
her face. “He can’t change overnight, you know. As a big brother, sometimes
it’s tough watching your little sister grow up, even if she is twenty-five.
And, for the record, I think Brian didn’t say anything because he’s trying
not to interfere.” “I know,” she answered,
snuggling closer to his broad chest and breathing in his woodsy scent. “And
no matter how big I talk, I really do care
what he thinks about me. Part of me is still trying to please him.” “You should tell him that,”
Jim murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I think it would help.” “Of course, another part of
me does things just to annoy him,” she admitted with a saucy grin. “When we
were kids, sometimes I got into trouble for the sole purpose of getting his
goat. And your goat, too, for that matter.” “Oh, really, Miss Belden?” He
raised a ginger brow and assumed his strict, school administrator expression. Trixie nodded, unable to hide her
glee. “Honey and I used to die laughing as we reenacted the lectures you gave
us.” Jim reached over and pulled
her onto his lap. “Glad I could provide some entertainment,” he commented
dryly. “Oh, you were entertaining,”
she giggled, an impish twinkle in her blue eyes. “Don’t tell anyone, but I
thought you were veeeery cute when you spoke to us
sternly. The whole time you’d be lecturing us, I’d be thinking about how
handsome and manly and virile you were. And how much I wanted you to kiss
me.” “Really?” Jim repeated,
trying to hide the obvious pride swelling in his chest. “Mmmm-hmmm,”
she murmured, placing soft kisses along his jaw line. “Sometimes I’d get into
trouble just so I could get some attention from you.” “Nuh
uh!” he blushed slightly, much to Trixie’s delight. “Uh huh.” She leaned closer
to him and whispered something in his ear, which made him blush an even
darker shade of red. “Really?” Jim repeated for
the third time. “Really,” she affirmed in a
whisper. He pulled her closer to him.
Almost reverently, Jim laid his palm against her cheek and gazed at her a
moment before drawing her face to his. Their lips met and parted. Time stood
still as their tongues entwined and began a lengthy exploration of one
another. Minutes later, they breathlessly separated. “You’re not going to fall
asleep on me again, are you?” Trixie asked, a mischievous smile on her face. “You’re never going to let me
live that down, are you?” Jim smirked. “On our fiftieth wedding anniversary,
you’ll be telling our grandchildren about how I fell asleep on the couch a
half hour after I proposed to you.” “I’m just teasing,” she
replied, tenderly running her hands through his dark red hair. “I kind of
liked watching you sleep. You looked so peaceful and snuggly.” “Snuggly? Men don’t look
‘snuggly’.” “Well, you did,” she
affirmed. “I watched you for a long time until I finally went to bed. It took
all my strength to restrain myself from attacking you.” “Maybe I looked a little snuggly…” he conceded, solely
on the hope he’d tempt her to attack him again. “Very snuggly, Mr. Frayne,” Trixie
whispered in a throaty voice, tracing his lower lip with the tip of her index
finger. “For your information, there’s nothing sexier than a sleeping,
snuggly-looking man.” “Falling asleep on your couch
probably wasn’t the most romantic thing to do after getting engaged, was it?”
he questioned wryly. “Oh, Jim. You were exhausted.
You hadn’t slept for weeks.” She hugged him close in an attempt to reassure
him. “Months,” he corrected.
Suddenly, he tightened the embrace. “The months while you were away were
horrible. I was so afraid that I’d lost you forever, Shamus.” “I tried to let you know how
I felt in the airport before I left for “I know,” Jim agreed, his voice desperate. “I was just so stupid and afraid.
I knew I had to tell you how much I loved you, or my heart would literally
break. That’s how my mom died, you know.” Trixie pulled away slightly and
gazed tenderly into his eyes. She cradled his jaw in her small hand. “Is that
really how she died? You never told me that before.” Jim nodded, his green eyes
misting over. “Yeah, Mom died from a broken heart because she missed my
father so much. I never really understood why she couldn’t force herself to
move on… for my sake. I suppose I was secretly angry with her all these
years. But when you left and wouldn’t return my calls, I finally knew exactly
how Mom felt.” Her heart ached from the pain
she saw in Jim’s face. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, tears streaming down
her own cheeks. “I’ll never leave you again. You’re stuck with me forever. In
sickness and in health. For richer and for poorer. For impatience, incurable
curiosity, and even the occasional case of severe PMS.” “Sounds good to me,” he
replied earnestly. He placed his hand under her chin and drew her lips to his
own. Tenderly he stroked her tongue with his. Wrapping his arms around her,
he gently shifted her closer to him. Trixie changed
positions, preferring to straddle his lap, rather than sit on it. When the kiss finally ended,
the tip of his tongue traced a path from her earlobe, down to her throat and
finally to her neck. Sighing in ecstasy, Trixie
unbuttoned the top button of Jim’s shirt and began nuzzling the flesh under
his collar. With trembling fingers, she impatiently unbuttoned the next
button. Jim rubbed her back with his
hands. Finally, he pulled the bottom of her t-shirt out of her jeans and slid
his hand underneath. He ran his fingers underneath the hooks of her bra
and… In an incredible twist of irony, a knock on the bedroom door
interrupted her pleasant flashback. “Come in,” she called, with a rueful
grin. That’s the second time she’s
interrupted that scene, Trixie thought wryly. Her make-out session with Jim had quickly ended at almost the
exact same spot as her memory had. Honey and Brian’s untimely arrival at
their apartment earlier that evening had Trixie
frantically tucking her t-shirt back in her jeans and Jim discreetly
adjusting himself. Her honey-haired friend opened the
door and peeked inside Trixie’s bedroom. “I didn’t
wake you up, did I?” “No, I’m still on Honey happily ran into the room and
jumped on the bed. After giving her friend a joyful hug, she gushed, “I’m
glad you’re home! I missed you so much while you were gone, Trix. Sleepyside wasn’t the
same without you.” “I’m glad to be back, too,” Trixie agreed with a smile. “I really liked “Yes, it is,” Honey affirmed. “And
it’s even better now that you’re back. I think even Mr. Lytell
missed you while you were away.” Trixie nodded, an impish grin on her face. “Oh, I know he did. Of course, that’s
probably because his store’s profits from strawberry pop went down 100% while
I was in LA.” “Did he actually tell you that?” “Yeah, you know Mr. Lytell,” Trixie replied with a
laugh. “I guess that was his way of telling me that he missed me.” “Or maybe it was his way of asking
you to buy some strawberry pop,” Honey tittered. “Of course, I think your mom
bought several cases for the party. She knew you’d be craving it.” “I sure was. You just can’t find the
particular brand Mr. Lytell carries in “Probably because you’re the only
one in the entire After sucking in deeply, Trixie managed a very unladylike belch. “Yummy,” she
sighed. “Strawberry-flavored.” “Gross!” Honey giggled, grabbing the
spare pillow from the bed to shield her face. “How much of that stuff did you
drink?” “Just six or seven cans,” Trixie answered innocently, amused at Honey’s exaggerated
expression of disgust. “With this much sugar in me, I’ll be able to giggle
and gab for at least another three
or four hours.” “But will your giggling and gabbing
be coherent, with you hopped up on fruit-flavored liquid glucose?” Trixie
stuck her tongue out at her friend. “You sounded exactly like Mart for a
minute.” She smiled thoughtfully. “I didn’t realize how much I missed my
family until I saw them again. Why, I almost cried when my almost-twin called
me ‘squaw’.” Honey wiped an imaginary tear from
the corner of her eye, and said with feigned heart-felt emotion, “Ah yes,
that was a touching moment. Almost as touching as when you had that contest
to see who could chug a can of Strawberry Blast the fastest.” Trixie
raised her arms in triumph. “And let the record show that I’m the winnah!” “Well, Miss Strawberry Blast, I
assume you missed your friends, too,” Honey stated nonchalantly. “Of course I did!” Trixie gave her a playful shove. “Gleeps,
Honey, there were times in “I’m glad that he did propose and that you are home.” “Not half as glad as I am! I
would’ve just died if Jim had
married Amanda. But all that time, he really loved me,” Trixie
gushed, ignoring Honey’s gagging motion. “Oh Honey! Just like Dorothy said,
there’s no place like home.” “Mother always told me that she
said, ‘There’s no place like Trixie
shrugged. “Not many people want to pick up hitchhikers in this day and age.”
After grinning at Honey’s exasperated rolling of her eyes, she explained, “I
wanted to fly home with Jim, but I had to talk to Ralph first. He’d been so
nice that I couldn’t just leave without telling him in person. And then, I
worked a two weeks’ notice and worked to finish up some cases I’d started.
But the entire time, my heart was here.” “I’m surprised Jim didn’t wait for
you. At the party, you two appeared to be connected at the hip. Believe me, your PDA’s were truly disgusting. A couple of times I
honestly thought I was going to hurl.” “Well, you and Brian and Di and Mart have several years on us,” Trixie replied defensively. “We haven’t sickened you
nearly as often as you’ve sickened us. We’re going for the record.” “It probably wouldn’t be too
difficult to catch up to me and Brian, but I doubt you could ever come close
to Mart and Di,” Honey laughed. “I’ve caught you and Brian in a few
clinches through the years, Miss Wheeler,” Trixie
reminded teasingly. Honey merely nodded. “Yeah, I guess
so, but Brian isn’t as… affectionate as Mart. I suppose it’s because we’ve
dated so long…” Trixie
snorted. “Hmph! Mart and Di
have dated the longest of any of us, and they’re worse than a couple of
rabbits.” “How long have they been married
now?” “Almost six years, and they’re still
acting like newlyweds,” Trixie shrugged. “They’re
positively disgusting. It must be some sort of mutant Belden gene, because
Moms and Dad are just as bad.” Honey nodded once again, her hazel eyes
slightly wistful. “I suppose Brian didn’t get that gene.” However, Trixie
was in her own little world. She stared out the window as she scratched her
chin thoughtfully. “Was it my imagination, or was Di
acting funny tonight?” Her best friend shrugged her
shoulders, as she squirmed around to find a more comfortable position. “I
don’t know. I really haven’t noticed.” “You didn’t think she was quieter
than usual?” Honey chewed on her bottom lip as
she reviewed the events of the past evening. “I suppose so. And come to think
of it, her eyes have looked a
little sad lately. And she has been
moody. You don’t think she and Mart are having problems, do you?” “No,” Trixie
stated positively. “If they were having problems, I’d be able to tell. Mart’s
an easy read. It must be something else.” She looked knowingly at her friend
and with a waggle of her sandy brows, she added, “Give me a month. I’ll
figure it out.” Honey shook her head, knowing that
in one month’s time, Trixie would have uncovered
the entire mystery. “You didn’t answer my question. Why did Jim leave Trixie
grinned, knowing her redheaded man’s penchant for jealousy. “He wanted to,
but he had left Sleepyside in such a hurry that he
hadn’t made plans for Mart to run the school. And then I had to work for two
weeks... Two very long weeks away
from my sweetie…” Honey leaned over the side of the
bed and pretended to retch. She skillfully dodged Trixie’s
foot, which had been aimed for her backside. “How did Ralph take the news?”
she inquired curiously. “Did he get mad?” Trixie
shook her head. “No, he was really nice about the whole thing. I have to
admit, though, that I felt nervous when I knocked on his office door…” “Come
in,” Ralph Keenan had called. Trixie took a deep breath and
opened the door leading into her boss’ office. “Do you have a minute, Mr.
Keenan? I really need to talk to you, if you have time.” Ralph looked up from the paperwork he had been studying.
“Ah, just the detective I needed to see. Sit down, Ms. Belden. I had planned
on calling you into my office later anyway. You just saved me a dime.” She nervously smiled and sat down in the seat across from
his desk. “Mr. Keenan, I…” “Take a look at this,” Ralph replied, sliding the folder
across his desk to Trixie. Her worries about the upcoming conversation vanished as
she opened the folder. Her curiosity was greater than any cat’s, and she
could not resist peeking inside. She pulled out a picture and studied it inquisitively.
“Who’s this?” she asked, staring at the photograph of a
tall brunette female. “That is
someone who has some very valuable information,” Ralph explained with a grin.
“And I need you to track down that someone. It’s very important that this person
is found and the information is received in the near future. Can I count on
your help, Detective Belden?” Trixie hated to say no to this
man who had been so kind to her. “Well, if it’s the near future, sure. I’d be
ha---” “Excellent!” he exclaimed happily. “As soon as I get the
rest of the details, you and Jack can start right away on it.” “Me a-and Jack?” Trixie gulped
apprehensively. “Yeah, you two make a good team. In a few weeks, you can
begin working on this. It shouldn’t take long, just a nigh---” “A few weeks?” she interrupted. “Can’t we start now?” “Anxious, are you?” Ralph chuckled. “Well, I’m sure you
have plenty to keep you busy until then. There certainly isn’t a shortage of
crimes to investigate here in “A month or two?” Trixie’s
mouth fell open. “But I won’t be here!” Ralph looked up in surprise. “Won’t be here?” he repeated
incredulously. “What do you mean?” Trixie sighed. “I’m sorry to tell
you this way, but I got engaged this weekend.” She held up her left hand as
proof. “I know it’s kind of unexpected, and I apologize for bailing out on
you so soon after I started working here. I’ve really enjoyed this
experience, and you’ve been a wonderful boss. I’m willing to work a two-week
notice, but I’m anxious to return to Sleepyside
after that. So I really can’t stay a month.” “Sleepyside? So, your fiancé
isn’t someone that I know?” Trixie smiled, knowing what
Ralph was thinking. “It’s not Jack,” she told him softly. “We have been dating the past couple
months, and he is a wonderful guy,
but I don’t love him. I came to “You said yes,” Ralph finished quietly. “Congratulations,
Ms. Belden. I’m truly happy for you, although this puts me in a bind.” Feeling sorry for the predicament into which she had
placed her boss, Trixie made a spontaneous offer.
“After you get the information you need, I could come back and work on the
case.” Ralph stared at her, his salt and pepper eyebrows arched
in speculation. “You could? Well, that might work… I would prefer to assign a detective who is relatively unknown in
this area to this particular case. The locals wouldn’t recognize you.” He
paused momentarily and tapped his pencil on his desk, as he carefully chose
his words. “Of course,” he continued, “it might be kind of awkward
for you to work with Jack.” Trixie nodded, knowing he had a
good point. “Yeah, it might make us both uncomfortable.” “Hmmm… come to think of it, I think Jack already worked
on a case or two in that area. He might be recognized by some of the
residents, and they might tip off the person we’re trailing. Surely, we can
find someone to pair you with.” She
cleared her throat nervously. “I’m sure I can handle this on my own. I really
don’t need a partner.” Ralph snorted. “No, you don’t need a partner. You’ll only
be going to the dirtiest, most crime-infested slums in “Is George Baker busy?” she suggested. Several of her
colleagues had not been willing to accept her; however, after she had proven
herself, George had given her his begrudging respect. George was an older
detective, and when he bestowed his favor on someone, it was quite an honor.
He didn’t say much, but he didn’t miss anything. Trixie
thought he was a fine investigator, and knew she wouldn’t have any trouble
working with him. “Nah, he’s been assigned to a missing persons case,” her
boss commented, shuffling through the list. “We’re swamped right now.
Everybody is already working on an assignment, and I can’t be sure that
they’ll be available.” “I suppose I cou---” “I’ve got an idea!” he interrupted. “Brad Richardson will
be coming back to work that week, and…” Chuckling at the horror he saw on Trixie’s face, he shook his head. “Bad idea. After that
stripper-gram incident, I don’t suppose you’d want to work with him. Do you
have any better suggestions, Detective?” “Actually, I do,” she had replied with a smile. “If you
insist that I have to work with a partner, how about…” Honey squealed in delight. “Did you really tell him that I would help?” “I sure did!” Trixie
laughed. “That’s okay, isn’t it? I mean, if I drop a huge case in your lap,
you’ll HAVE to let me come back to work at the agency.” Honey whacked her friend in the head
with the spare pillow that she’d been holding. “Of course, it’s
okay, you silly goose. It’s more than okay. It’s perfectly perfect!” Trixie
giggled, raised upright and, after grabbing the pillow that had been behind
her back, she gave her friend a retaliatory whack upside the head. “Well,
since you’re going to let me have my old job back, I’ll give you the rest of
the details. Before I left LA, our client told Ralph that the person he’s
looking for has been out of the country. As soon as she returns, Ralph will
contact us. He’ll give us a week’s notice, then
we’ll need to fly to “Oh, I can’t wait!” Honey squealed.
“It’ll be so much fun to work on another case with my best friend.” “That’s a relief. I was worried you
had hired some handsome, buff guy named Buck to take my place.” “Buck?!”
Honey clutched her stomach, overcome with laughter. She would have
certainly fallen off the bed, had Trixie not
grabbed her arm. “Oh yeah, that’s gonna happen! I
could just see Brian’s reaction if he came into the office and saw Buck sitting at your desk.” Honey giggled and batted her eyes flirtatiously. Then she
continued in a sultry voice, “Get me some coffee, Buck. Bring me that fax, Buck.
Rub my shoulders, Buck. Go
undercover with me to this sleazy hotel with vibrating beds, Buck.” “I think the number of the temp service that
Buck works for is 1-800-555-STUD,” Trixie replied innocently,
grabbing the phone from her nightstand. Honey fell face forward on the bed
and buried her face in the comforter, in an effort to muffle her laughter.
The attempt was in vain, however, as their neighbor in the apartment beside
them banged on the wall. “You’d better behave, or you’re
going to be grounded,” Trixie admonished jokingly,
as quietly as possible. “Mr. Newton from 6B will call Buck to come over here
and spank you.” Honey, her face still hidden by the
cornflower blue blanket, merely waved her hand, gesturing for her friend to
be quiet so that she could quit laughing and resume breathing. “Or maybe Mr. Newton wants to come over and spank you,” Trixie
whispered ominously. “Lurking beneath that anal exterior dwells a sex
maniac.” Honey sat up, gasping for air. She
wiped a tear streaming down her cheek, and tried to catch her breath. “Or maybe Mr. Newton has been
visiting you in my absence, and that’s the signal that he’s coming over,” Trixie teased, unprepared for another whack in the head
from the pillow in Honey’s hands. “Well, back to the subject of work,” Honey scolded, attempting
to get serious. “Did Ralph say it was all right for me to help you on the
case?” Trixie rubbed her head. “Hmmm… I
can’t seem to remember. I think I have brain damage…” As Honey raised the pillow for another attack, Trixie released her arm and allowed her friend to fall
off the bed. Once Honey had stopped giggling, she rubbed her tender backside
and climbed back onto the bed. “Am I going to have to revoke your pillow license?” Trixie asked with a saucy grin. “I promise that I’ll be good,” Honey laughed. “But what did
Ralph say?” “He thought it was a great idea for
you to help me. If you hadn’t agreed, I don’t know what we would’ve done. The
only other person who was free besides Jack was Brad Richardson,” she concluded with a roll of her eyes. Honey’s brow furrowed as she
pondered Trixie’s words. “Brad Richardson. Why does
that name sound familiar?” “Because you just saw on the news
where his remains were identified after a freak steamroller accident?” Trixie questioned hopefully, ignoring Honey’s scorching
expression. “I’ll assume that nasty look you’re giving me means he’s alive
and well.” “Well, I know I’ve heard that name
someplace,” Honey answered, squinting her eyes as
she thought hard. Suddenly she sat upright and snapped her fingers. “Did you
date him when you first arrived in “Bite your tongue, Honey Wheeler! If
I was Moms, I’d wash your mouth out with soap.” “Okay, so you didn’t date him. I
give up. Who is he?” “I
worked with Brad Richardson at Keenan Investigations,” Trixie
replied curtly. Honey nodded. “Okay, the name sounds
familiar, but I can’t remember why you don’t like him.” “Because he’s a total jerk, who’s a waste of
oxygen, space, and matter,” Trixie answered. “What did he do to you?” Honey asked, her hazel eyes narrowed in query. Trixie
stuck her pert nose up in the air. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Of course, that only further stoked
Honey’s curiosity. “C’mon! Tell me what he did,” she begged. “So, did you and Brian have any
interesting conversations this evening? Anything important to announce, like an upcoming engagement?” “Trixie
Belden!” Honey scolded. “I’m not falling for that. I want information, and I want
it now. Why do you dislike this
Brad guy so much?” Trixie
merely crossed her arms defiantly and clamped her mouth shut. Though Honey looked exactly like her
mother, she shared several traits with her father… such as his tenacity and
his shrewdness. To make millions, one must be stubborn. Likewise, to deal
with Trixie Belden, one must be stubborn. With an
evil grin, she grabbed the foot that Trixie had
kicked at her earlier. Securing it under her left arm, Honey held the fingers
of her right hand tauntingly close to the sole of her friend’s foot. “Hey! Let me go!” Trixie tried to wiggle free, but she could not get out of
Honey’s grasp. “Not until ya
talk, sweed’art. You can
make this hard, or you can make this easy,” Honey threatened, in her best
Humphrey Bogart voice. “I don’t wanna hafta rough ya up, dollface, but I need answers, and I need ‘em now. So just tell me what I wanna
know, and nobody will get hurt. Otherwise, you’ll be sleepin’
with the fishes, babycakes.” “You wouldn’t. You know how much I
hate being tickled.” Honey raised a delicate brow in
challenge. “Try me, toots. I’ve got nails and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.” She hovered her manicured
fingernails precariously near the bottom of Trixie’s
foot. As an added incentive, she lightly grazed the tip of her index finger
against the spot she knew was most sensitive. “I’ll talk!” Trixie
shrieked. Honey moved her hand, but did not
release Trixie’s foot. “Start singin’,
sweed’art. Once we square the beef, I’ll let ya go.” Trixie
tried to stifle a giggle, but found it to be impossible. “Brad Richardson
asked me out on a date my first week at Keenan Investigations. But he was a
scrawny little twerp, so I turned him down. Apparently what he lacks in
stature, he makes up for in ego. The jerk doesn’t take rejection well, and he
started making my life miserable.” “What did he do?” Honey urged. “He told everyone that my name
sounded like a Pamela Anderson late night cable show,” Trixie
answered with a pout. “Trixie Belden, PI.” Honey released her friend’s foot as
she collapsed in a fit of giggles. “Trixie Belden,
PI?” she gasped. “Omigosh, that’s so funny!” “I don’t think it’s
funny at all,” Trixie replied with an indignant
sniff and a toss of her sandy curls. “And besides, you don’t have room to
talk, Honey Wheeler.” Trixie’s
remark effectively ended Honey’s laughter. Honey furrowed her brow as she
pondered the possible innuendos. “Trixie and Honey,
Private Dicks. It sounds like some raunchy porn movie.” “‘Trixie
and Honey Do Happy Valley,’” Trixie teased, with a
wicked grin. “Or maybe ‘Trixie and Honey Do
Arizona.’ ” “First thing Monday morning, I’m
ordering new business cards,” Honey vowed, a frown still on her face. “And
you’re right. He is a jerk.” “There’s more,” Trixie
said, with a roll of her china blue eyes. “He sent me on a wild goose chase,
of sorts.” “What kind of wild goose chase?” “One where the geese try and feel
you up,” Trixie answered, her temper rising as she
remembered the event. “Details! I need details!” Honey squealed. “Brad pretended to extend the olive
branch, and gave me this big apology. I’m ashamed to say that I fell for
it--- hook, line, and sinker. Afterwards, he asked me if I could do him a
favor by taking over one of his cases for him while he went out of town. I
wanted to make an effort to get along with him, so I agreed. “He told me that I needed to be at “That night, it was rainy and a bit
chilly, so I wore my long, tan trench coat…” Trixie shivered as she stepped out of her car into the drizzly weather. She
wrapped her trench coat tightly around her and tied the belt to secure it.
Quickly grabbing the umbrella from the floor of the back seat, she opened it
and hoped that the damp weather hadn’t made her curls too poofy.
She leaned down and adjusted the side mirror of her car to see how much
damage had been done. As she expected, the rain had made her already-wild curls
even more so. She attempted to tame them a bit, then shrugged her shoulders
in helplessness as she moved the mirror back, and resigned herself to a fate
of wild curls. She walked up to the door of the house. Once under the roof
of the porch, she closed her umbrella. To her surprise, she heard loud
laughter bellowing from inside. Before ringing the doorbell, she reached
inside her coat pocket and pulled out the tablet on which she had written the
details of this case. Taking a quick peek at her notes, she confirmed that
she was at the correct address. “This is the right place,” she muttered under her breath.
“I guess they know I’m coming.” She rang the bell and waited for someone to
answer the door. Minutes later a pudgy, balding man dressed in a white
t-shirt and blue jeans opened the door slightly. As he turned around to yell
at his compatriots to quiet down, Trixie caught a
glimpse of the back view of him. She stifled a giggle and tried to think
professional thoughts as she noticed his jeans were worn plumber-style. “Yesh?” he asked, with a slight
hiccup as he turned back to Trixie. His eyes were
bloodshot and he teetered back and forth, no doubt inebriated. With one hand
he steadied himself against the doorframe, and with the other he held a shot
glass. “Uh… is this the residence of
“It shure ish,”
the man answered, clearly intoxicated. “I’m Sheshter
Dempshey.” Trixie thought about offering
her hand for the man to shake, but decided against it. “My name is Detective
Belden. I believe you were ex---” “Trixshie’sh here!” the man
called merrily, swinging the door open widely. He grabbed her by the arm and
led her inside. Too stunned to resist, Trixie
followed her client into the living room. She stared in wonder as she counted
heads. There were at least ten unattractive, slovenly-dressed men in the
room. “Umm… If this isn’t a good time for you, Mr. Dempsey, I
can come back later.” “Can’t you shtay for a liddle bit,” her client pleaded. “Brad promished you’d inter---you’d intar---you’d integ---- you’d ashk ush shome
queshtionsh.” He waggled his bushy eyebrows. Trixie shrugged her shoulders
and nervously fiddled with the belt of her trench coat. “Well, if you don’t
mind an audience…” For some reason, her words made all of the men in the
room cheer and applaud. Several of the men gave her loud wolf whistles, while
a couple just leered at her with glassy looks in their eyes. “Shweetheart, shoundsh good t’ me!” Mr. Dempsey chuckled, wobbling
precariously back and forth. “Do you take shecks?” “Shecks?” Trixie
repeated in confusion. “Oh, checks! You don’t have to worry about that right
now, Mr. Dempsey. I expect full payment at the end of my services; however,
depending on your requests, it might take a long time until I’ve satisfied
your demands. Payment is not required until our clients’ needs have been
met.” The pudgy man’s eyes grew wide. “Sho
you do it all? Brad never menshunned that. Thish ish bedder
than I thought it’d be! I thought you’d jusht be
here a few minutesh.” Trixie flipped her curls back
and took a deep breath, unknowingly heaving out her chest. She didn’t notice
the trickle of drool dripping down her client’s chin. “I don’t know what Brad told you, but I assure you that I
am quite capable of handling all
your needs, Mr. Dempsey. For some reason, Mr. Richardson doubts my ability,
but I can give you pages and pages of the names of satisfied customers whose
lives have been changed by my services. I’ve been in this line of work since
I was thirteen and, though some disagreed with my particular career choice,
I’ve always known I’ve had an exceptional talent for it.” Trying to calm her temper,
she slowly counted to ten and ran her tongue across her top lip, unaware of
the effect it was having upon her audience. Naïvely, she continued. “I
guarantee total satisfaction after I’m finished. And I plan on staying here
until all loose ends have been tied up. There’s absolutely no need to doubt
my performance, Mr. Dempsey. In my twelve years in this profession, I have
yet to leave a client unsatisfied, and I don’t intend to begin now.” She looked questioningly at the two men in the back of
the room who seemed as giddy as schoolboys at their first dance. One raised
his hand timidly. “Trixshie, will you interview
me nesht, ash shoon ash
you get done with Sheshter?” “Actually sir, depending on Mr. Dempsey’s requests, it
may be necessary for me to meet privately, one on one, with each of you
before the night’s over,” she replied absentmindedly as she tried to undo the
knot in her belt. All of the men in the room clapped their hands in
excitement and moved closer to Trixie. ‘I’ve never seen a group so eager to be interrogated’, she
thought to herself. Out loud she asked, “Are we ready to begin?” “Shtand back, guysh!” Mr. Dempsey hollered. “I getta
be firsht. I’m the one payin’
for thish.” “Hey, Sheshter, don’t ya wanna watsh?”
a large, hairy man yelled. “How ‘bout I go firsht while
you watsh, then she can do you lasht.” Trixie let go of her belt, and
looked up at the man. “I’m sorry, sir, but I need to do Mr. Dempsey first.
And depending on what I get from the rest of you, I may need to nail down
anything that has popped up unexpectedly. So unless it’s a problem, Mr.
Dempsey, I may need to confer with you several times. But you can watch while
I deal with the others, if you wish.” “Ash long ash it doeshn’t cosht me eshtra,” her client
told her. “I didn’t know all thish wash included.
Do you sharge by the hour?” Trixie nodded. “If you’re
concerned about cost, maybe I can handle two or three of your guests at
once?” That statement increased the noise level in the room by
several decibels. Trixie cast a furtive glance
around at the reveling, and thought to herself, ‘At least they’re ready and
willing to be interviewed. Maybe this won’t be so bad…’ “Can we get shtarted now?” Mr.
Dempsey pleaded, his breathing accelerated and quite
loud. “Sure,” Trixie agreed, once
again tugging at the knot of her trench coat’s belt. The body heat in the
small room was making her extremely hot. If she didn’t take her coat off she would pass out from the stifling heat. “Mr. Dempsey,
would you mind coming in the kitchen to begin?” “The kitshen? I’d have to clean
it up before my fianshée getsh
home tomorrow,” “I’m comfortable doing it wherever you want,” Trixie said, still trying to loosen the knot. “Ish she takin’
off her coat now?” a scrawny man in the back asked. “Looksh like it,” another
answered, not taking his eyes off of Trixie so as
to not miss the show. “Can we turn on shome mushic?” the large, hairy man asked. “That’s fine with me,” Trixie
murmured. However, she looked up as someone lowered the lights. “Excuse me,
but I would prefer for you to leave all the lights on. I work better when I
can see what I’m doing.” Concentrating on loosening her belt, she unconsciously
began swaying her hips to the sultry beat on the radio. After much travail,
she managed to work the knot loose and undid it. She vaguely heard catcalls
and lewd comments, but blamed it on all the alcohol that had been consumed.
However, as she opened her trench coat, Mr. Dempsey yelled, “Take it off, shexy lady!” Trixie snapped her head up and
looked at him. “What did you say?” “Take off your clothesh, shexy lady,” he repeated, thinking it was part of her
act. “Hey, where’sh the G-shtring?
Trixie’sh got clothesh on
under her coat. Maybe she needsh shome help takin’ ‘em off.” He reached up to clasp one of the buttons on her
blouse. She responded in typical Trixie-fashion
by grabbing his wandering hand and twisting it behind his back. “How dare
you! I should get my handcuffs out, an---” “You like it rough, do you, shweetheart?”
Mr. Dempsey chuckled, enjoying the view down her blouse and still thinking
her feistiness was part of her routine. “Of all the…” Trixie exclaimed,
digging into the deep pocket of her trench coat and… “…I zapped him with my stun gun,” Trixie continued
with a satisfied grin. “Of course, his guests weren’t the sharpest crayons in
the box, either. While he lay on the ground twitching, another one tried to
see if I had on underwear, so I had to mace him.” “You didn’t!” Honey gasped, not knowing
whether to laugh or shake her head in disbelief. “Of course, I did!” Trixie exclaimed. “I ended up using that entire can of
mace. And the batteries of my stun gun ran out before I could get the last
two guys. I had to handcuff them together.” “Trixie!”
Honey shrieked. “Did you just leave them like that?” “They were fine,” Trixie insisted with a roll of her eyes. “I called the
police to help them, after I found out they had been told that I was a stripper. The
cops checked on them a few hours later.” “I can’t believe you just left them
like that!” Honey gasped. “They could’ve gone into shock or had an allergic
reaction to the mace or something.” Trixie
snorted. “I can’t believe you think I would be so uncaring. I checked for a
pulse on everyone before I left.” “What happened to Brad?” Honey
questioned. “Did you get him back?” “I was going to exact some sort of gruesome revenge, but while I was biding my time, planning so |
