Girls Lie Too

Now you didnt hear any of this from me
But things arent always what they seem
Brace yourself, this may come as a shock to you
Girls lie too

 

“Chief, for the last time; if you’d give me permission to tell them, we’ll have a much higher chance of pulling this off,” Trixie told her boss.  She expelled an exasperated breath that ruffled the recently highlighted curls around her face.  As the result of her expensive haircut, they immediately floated back into place.

“Belden, for the last time, permission denied.  There’s too much at stake here.”

Trixie paced back and forth.  She was now a successful graduate of one of the world’s finest and most exclusive charm schools.  The two week crash course had been a nightmare.  If highlights and haircuts weren’t enough, the manicures and pedicures that accompanied her visit to an exclusive spa made her feel as if she were no longer wearing her own skin.   She had been waxed, polished and buffed to within an inch of her life. 

None of it had seemed real until she returned to her suite at the elite facility and found her beat-up Samsonite suitcases and Land’s End duffle bag had disappeared.  Sitting in her room was a matching set of expensive designer luggage.  It hit her hard.  How in the world am I going to explain designer luggage to my friends and family? she had wondered.

“Okay, I understand, but I want to go on record, that this decision is not in accordance with my recommendations.” Her tone remained professional.

“Acknowledged and duly noted for the record,” he replied making a note in the file on his desk.  “Now, you leave for New York tomorrow?”

“Correct.”

“Is everything here taken care of?” he asked, looking up and studying his protégé.

“Yes, my apartment is packed and the movers will be ready when I give the word.  There’s a real estate agent under contract to handle the sale for me.”

“You’ll be at the Carlyle until you find a suitable place to live,” he said, checking off another item in the file.

“No, I cancelled the reservation.  I’m staying with my parents until then.”

Deputy Chief Walker gave her a sharp look.

Trixie rolled her eyes, “You won’t let me tell them what’s really going on,” she reminded him.  “If I don’t stay with them for a few days, they’ll be suspicious.  In case you don’t remember, I wasn’t able to go home at Christmas since we were wrapping up the banking case.”

“You know best,” he replied succinctly.

“You would think,” she muttered to herself.

Her boss wisely ignored her commentary.  “I’ll expect you back in a week or two.  It can be your call when.  Officially, you’re on vacation for the next two weeks.  I’ll see you when you return and I’ll need a couple of weeks. Then you can use up the rest of your leave.  The Human Capital department added your accumulated leave on to the end of your service time to get you the required years.  You’ll be free and clear of any obligation to government service.”

Trixie shook her head in dismay; she would have much preferred to continue working for the agency.  “Boss, when do I get the case details?  What am I looking for?  You haven’t told me anything yet.”

“How much did you take away from the last case?” he asked, ignoring her questions.

“Which part?  The securities violations?  Every detail.  The fraud ring?  All of it, besides gaining a much better understanding of how to follow money trails in an investigation.

“Excellent! And computer software?” he probed.

“I’m up to speed on most of the latest technology,” she said impatiently, hoping this line of questioning would lead to details of the impending case.

Ben Walker smiled to himself.  He knew he had her now -- he could tell from her tone that she was curious and eager to get started. This case was going to take every bit of her determination to see it through to the end.

 

 

“Ma’am if you’ll please move your seat to the upright position,” the flight attendant advised her. 

Trixie nodded and complied, closing the latest issue of Vogue.  There’s no way I can walk into Crabapple Farm with that magazine!

In the weeks since her first conversation with her boss, Trixie had read countless copies of fashion magazines, was a regular reader of the New York Post’s Page Six gossip column, and determined she was a naïve fool about anything concerning relationships.   Her first few days after reading Cosmo gave her nightmares.  The thought of juggling eight relationships at once made her ill.  Men are too much work as it is!  Why does anyone want more than one? she had wondered.   But now, convincing her parents was going to be the first task in her new assignment.  She leaned back as she remembered the odd phone conversation.

“Daddy?” she said when he picked up the phone.  “It’s me, Trixie.  It turns out that I’ve got some vacation that I need to use, and I want to come home for a visit.  Is that okay with you and Moms?”

“Of course it’s okay, Princess.”  Pete Belden had reassured his only daughter.  He paused before he asked, “Is everything okay?  Are you coming by yourself?”

Trixie had known immediately that he was aware of the large deposit that had been transferred into her savings account at the Sleepyside Bank.  That sum of money just didn’t appear without the bank president’s knowledge.

“Everything is fine, Daddy.  I’m coming by myself.  Who did you think would come with me?”

“Just making sure this wasn’t one of those ‘Meet the Parents’ kind of visits,” he laughed weakly. 

Trixie knew he wanted to ask her about the money.

The magazine was easily discarded in the seat pocket in front of her and she began to review her plans for the next two weeks.  First, convince my parents.  Then, talk to the Wheelers.  Next I’ll need to find an apartment in the city.  Trixie mentally reviewed her list of the top three things she needed to accomplish during the first week of her vacation.  Maybe I’ll have some time to see Jim, she thought to herself.  She would never admit that seeing Jim would be on her list of things to do.  But for all her feelings of denial, the opportunity to rekindle her relationship with Jim Frayne and spend time alone with him was considered a major benefit in her new assignment.

The plane chugged as the descent started.  She took a deep breath.

It was almost show time.

 

 

“Trixie!” The familiar voice reached her ears as soon as she passed through the security gates lugging the largest carry-on bag the airline would allow her to bring, as well as her laptop case.  Trixie shook her head, initially thinking she was hearing things.  She had told her mother she would take the train from New York to Sleepyside.

“Trixie!” She heard it again, and this time she was sure she recognized it.  Looking around she found him, waving and making his way towards her.

“Jim!” she answered as they reached each other, exchanging a casual embrace as Jim dropped a brotherly kiss on her forehead.  “What are you doing here?”

“I had to be in the city today to drop some papers off with the state.  When your Mom told me you were coming home for a visit, I told her I’d give you a ride home, well a ride to Sleepyside, anyway.”

“No, it’s still home,” she smiled as he commandeered her bulky carry-on bag and guided her towards the baggage claim. 

“How many bags do you have?” he asked looking at the monitor for the correct baggage carousel. 

“Two more,” she answered.  “They’re rather big. What are you driving?”

“Don’t worry, they’ll fit,” Jim answered with confidence.  “Trixie, you look fantastic!  Your hair looks great and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear anything quite like that before.  That’s a great jacket.”

Trixie groaned inwardly. Of course he’s going to notice.  This is Jim; I would be annoyed if he didn’t notice.

“Thanks, Jim.  I lost a bet with one of my colleagues and had to go with her to one of those fancy spa weekends,” Trixie ad-libbed with ease.  That’s not really much of a stretch from the truth, she rationalized.

Trixie clothes were like nothing she had ever owned-- much less worn – before this assignment.  The pink-hued designer jeans were topped with a pale blue cotton scoop neck tank.  The ensemble was completed with a thick winter-white jacket and matching stiletto heeled boots.  One of her new winter Burberry coats was slung over her arm. Winter-white, oh gleeps, I never even knew there was such a color until two weeks ago!  At least Jim’s like most men, he won’t recognize designer clothes from stuff bought at the local discount store.

“It suits you.” He grinned in appreciation.

Trixie, grateful she managed not to wobble on her heels, pointed to the two bags that emerged from the automated luggage handler.  She grinned when she noticed Jim furrow his forehead at their size.  However, she was impressed when he easily hefted the biggest and heaviest leaving her with the wheeled suitcase.

As they made their way into the parking area that was closest to the terminal, she chattered up a storm, asking Jim question after question about the plans for his school.  Once her luggage was stowed into Jim’s SUV, he carefully maneuvered out of the airport terminal exchange and headed towards Sleepyside.

“Okay, enough questions about the school and my house at Ten Acres,” Jim finally told her.  “I want to hear about you.  Trixie, you look great!  What brings you home so soon after the Christmas holidays?  Your Moms sure was disappointed you couldn’t make it home for Christmas.”

“I know she was,” Trixie said anxiously.  “How was everyone?  Did you guys still have a Bob-White holiday party?  Did you miss me?  Did you do the dirty-Santa gift exchange? ”

Jim laughed, “Trixie, that’s just more questions.  Of course, I missed you, we all missed you.  Our Bob-White party wasn’t the same without you.  You know we did our annual dirty-Santa gift exchange.  Didn’t you get our package with your gift in it?”

Trixie nodded, she didn’t tell him the package had made her homesick.  It included a picture of all the Bob-Whites as well as her gift of a kid’s spy gadget toy.  She had wanted to be home with everyone, but it simply wasn’t her year to have the holiday off.  See, silly.  There’s another reason for leaving the CIB early.  You can be off next Christmas, she thought to herself, cataloguing in her mind another reason she could use for why it was time for her to leave.

“I missed you guys like crazy,” she said.  “It was tough knowing that everyone was there but me.”

“We had the party a couple of days early so that Mart and Diana could be there.  They actually went to Arizona for Christmas,” Jim reminded her.

“You know I would’ve been home if I could have, don’t you, Jim?” Trixie asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry about it, Trix.  Your mom understood; we all did.” He glanced over at her and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.  “We missed you.  I missed you.”

Trixie’s heart flipped.

“So tell me, Trix,” Jim said cheerfully as he released her hand.  “Why a New York vacation in the middle of winter?  It’s not your traditional vacation.”

“This might be hard to believe, but it’s a long story, Jim.” Trixie began to dig in the designer leather handbag she had been equipped with from her tenure at the charm school.  She had rolled her eyes when she looked up the $2,700 handbag up online and discovered it was in-aptly named a “spy bag.”  She finally located trendy sunglasses, at least she liked them!  The sun was bright and Trixie was glad to hide behind the expensive shades.  She had planned to tell her story to her parents first, hoping to get more convincing at it before she had to tell it to Jim or Dan or Mart.  She had already decided those three would be the hardest to convince.

“We have a long drive,” he pointed out.

“Oh, Jim!” Trixie sighed, as she leaned back the dark glasses firmly on her nose.  “My job is fabulous, Chicago is wonderful and I’ve learned so much working for the government, but …” her voice trailed off, simply because she hadn’t rehearsed this story yet.

“But what?” he glanced over quickly trying to read her expression.  “Hey, you really look the part now!  Nice shades.”

Great! He thinks I look like the undercover agent that I am.  Now what! Trixie sighed inwardly, “What if I told you I was thinking about quitting?  You know Honey and I plan to open a detective business together.”

Jim laughed out loud.  “Yes, Trixie,” he continued to chuckle.  “I think we all know you and Honey are going to open a detective business.   You’ve only been talking about it for years!  What are you trying to say?” he asked.

“It might be time to start my own business.  I’m seriously considering giving my notice as soon as I get back from this vacation.  Jim, they want me to transfer to Kansas for my next case.  Not that I have anything against people from Kansas,” she assured him.  “But, gleeps!  I want to get closer to New York, not further away.”

“I’m all for you getting closer to New York,” Jim said in a tone that caused Trixie’s heart to skip a beat.  “But, are you and Honey ready for this?  I thought she was enjoying her job with the Boston district attorney’s office.”

Trixie blushed, and looked out the window.  “I haven’t talked to Honey,” she said quietly.

“Why on earth not?” Jim asked.

“Because I don’t want her to change her plans because of me,” Trixie said, being completely honest.  “Jim, I’m ready.  If the choice is moving to Kansas or starting the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency, then I’m ready to start the agency.”

“Are you saying you want to go ahead and start without Honey?”

“No, but I thought I could spend some time getting the business set up.  You know, filing the papers, getting the city and state licenses, filing for my PI license in New York, getting permits, finding office space, networking for clients and business, stuff like that.  Honey could keep working until she’s ready to leave Boston.”

“I don’t know, Trix.  Something tells me Honey isn’t going to be ready to leave Boston until Brian is ready to leave Boston.  But, there is a lot to do with opening a new business,” Jim admitted.  “You have no idea what it takes to get a school going, and that’s just the formation of the school.  Don’t even get me started on the construction process.”

“Has it been hard?” Trixie asked sympathetically. 

“It’s been eye-opening,” Jim admitted.  “If I hadn’t spent that time in New Orleans helping out my friend, then I’d feel a lot worse about things.  But, this is about you; I can catch you up on the school later.  Are you going to move home while you wait for Honey and get things going?”

Trixie swallowed hard, this would be tough.  “No, I’m too old to move home.  I’ll look for a place in the city.” 

“Are you going to share with someone?  You know how expensive the city is!”

“No, I’ll get my own place.  I’ve got my place in Chicago up for sale.”

Jim was quiet for a moment, “You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I’m fairly certain.  If my only choice is Kansas, then I’m going to call it quits.”

“How long can you afford to wait for Honey?  I mean, gosh, Trix, I’m sorry!  That’s none of my business.”  Jim flushed as he apologized.

“Of course it is.  When has money ever been in the way for any of us?  Besides, I don’t mind telling you,” Trixie explained.  “My last case dealt with banking and security violations.  What was going on was pretty clever, and I’m telling you, if it hadn’t been for all that stuff our dads pounded into our heads I’m not sure I could’ve followed a lot of it.  But we solved the case and busted a fraud ring wide open.  Since I was primary on the case, I received a nice bonus.”

“Wow, Trix.  That must have been quite a case.  It seems like your boss would be pretty happy with you, giving you a bonus and everything.  Why is he sending you to Kansas?” 

Trixie shrugged, “Agents go where they’re needed.  I think that case gave them confidence in me and now they want me to lead a case out in Wichita.”

“Do you normally get a bonus when you finish up an investigation?”

“Not very often,” Trixie admitted, knowing this was easily verified.  “But in the private investigation business, finder’s fees and bonuses are a common part of the business.  Most private firms have standard clauses to receive a percentage of the savings from uncovering fraud, embezzlement, or corporate espionage – lots of those cases will pay based on the amount of money you save the business.  I’m sure that Honey and I will focus on work like that.”

“Wow – so the bigger the case the more potential there is?”

“Yes, but most agreements put a cap on it.  The insurance industry caps most finder fee agreements at fifty million.  Nobody’s going to sneeze at ten percent of that.”

Trixie was practically holding her breath, waiting for Jim’s reaction.  If their conversation had taken place where he could look at her face and her eyes, he would have never bought it.  But he was driving and carefully paying attention to the road and traffic around them.  This, coupled with the fact that he desperately wanted to believe Trixie’s reason for wanting to be closer to New York might have something to do with him, worked in her favor.  He never thought to question the young, curly-topped blonde.

 

 

“Welcome home!” Helen said as she hugged her daughter tightly. The hug was fierce and Trixie unwittingly began to teeter on her fashionable boots.  She was still in shock that boots actually came with stiletto heels. 

Trixie noticed the look of anxiety that passed between her parents.  She was going to be questioned at the first opportunity.

“I missed you,” Trixie replied honestly.  She hugged her Dad as well, valiantly attempting to regain her balance before she embarrassed herself.  She would never get used to her new walk.

“We missed you too, Princess.” Peter told her, as he reached to help Jim with the luggage.  “Well, something’s going on here!  Since when do you need three bags for a trip home?” he joked.

Jim frowned, and Trixie realized that particular thought had never occurred to him until now.

“I’ll tell you about it over supper,” she promised as she picked up the smallest bag.  “Can we just take these up to my old room?”

Trixie saw another look pass between her parents and sighed.  They never needed words to communicate in the presence of their children.  Helen watched her daughter lead the way upstairs, wondering what on earth possessed Trixie to buy such an outlandish pair of boots! 

Helen quickly invited Jim to join them for dinner.  He hesitated and shook his head.  “Thanks, Mrs. B.  Trixie’s told me most of her story and I think… well… she’d probably like to tell you and Mr. B alone.  I’ll stop by later tonight -- that is if you have some pie?” he asked hopefully.

Helen smiled and assured the young man she had indeed made a pie and invited him to return later for some dessert.

Trixie fended off questions until supper was ready.  It hadn’t taken much to persuade her parents to wait.  It was already late in the afternoon and supper preparations were well underway, so she unpacked a few essential items and made her way downstairs to help her Moms in the kitchen.

“Thanks for asking Jim to pick me up,” she told her Moms.  “It sure made things simpler with my luggage.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. That isn’t your old luggage, is it?”

“No, I just picked that up recently when I was out of the country.  You can get some real bargains on luggage overseas.”

Helen nodded; she recalled Grace Wheeler telling her of similar bargains in her many travels with Matthew.  “But, Trixie, we didn’t ask Jim to pick you up.  Once he found out when you were coming in, he insisted he would pick you up at the airport.”  Helen’s eyes twinkled.  “He was quite insistent.”

“Oh!” Trixie blushed.

“It’s just us girls right now, Trixie.  But it’s obvious to both of us that you’re planning to leave your job.  Is it because of Jim?”

“No …”she answered slowly.  “But…” she looked up at Moms, “that sure does make it easier!”

Helen nodded. “Has he said anything?”

“No, not really, but… Moms, Jim never says anything!” she blushed profusely, not understanding why this would be so difficult.  “It always felt like Jim was holding back, even when we dated in high school and before I went away to college. I didn’t get home much, but we all managed to stay in contact and get together still.  I love him, Moms.  I always have.  Do you think he might like me just a little bit?”

Helen smiled; she already had this much figured out anyway.  “No, I don’t think he likes you just a little bit.  I think he’s crazy about you.  Maybe even crazy in love with you.  He’s stopped by here almost every day since he’s been back from New Orleans asking me questions about how things were arranged at Ten Acres before his aunt passed away.  He wanted to know all kinds of details -- the colors of the wall, the location of the different rooms.  When he was gone he sent his, well I guess it was his assistant, down here to ask me about paint samples, floor plans.  He wants the mansion restored, but it was as if he were making sure I thought you would like what he was doing.”

“You mean, he’s already painting?” Trixie asked incredulously.

Helen shrugged.  “I’m not sure.  Matthew and Grace convinced him to start on the house a year ago.  He’s taking it slow, but when his contractor needed some work to keep his men employed, he let them work on it full-time for several months.  From the outside it looks almost finished, although Grace assures me that the inside is far from completed.  He took the Bob-Whites on a tour at Christmas.  I believe they were all suitably impressed, although Mart did mention you could still walk through most of the walls.”

Peter walked in at that moment, “Please tell me supper is close to being ready?”

“Yes, darling.  Five more minutes for us to get the table set and we can eat.” Helen assured him.

“Let’s eat right here in the kitchen” he suggested.

“I’d like that,” Trixie said smiling.  “I can clean up quicker.”  She looked down at her hands and then around the kitchen.  “You do still keep some of those kitchen gloves around, don’t you, Moms?” she asked.

Helen couldn’t have been more shocked.  She had noticed Trixie’s painted nails, even if they were subtly done, but to actually be concerned about it – well, that wasn’t her daughter at all.

“Um, sure, sweetie.  There’s a pair here somewhere.  Don’t worry, I can wash and you can dry if necessary.”

Trixie nodded and quickly set the table while Peter filled glasses and moved dishes full of steaming hot food over to the table.  It was much more comfortable than the dining room and in-between mouthfuls Trixie told her parents about her plans.

“So, Trixie, are you really serious about quitting your job.” Peter asked.

“I’m not sure I like the sound of quitting.” Trixie started in, chewing her bottom lip in the same manner she had done when she had told her partner.  It just seems like with the proposed relocation to Kansas, the big bonus, everyone moving back to the area -- it’s time.”

“Everyone?” Peter pushed.  “Jim’s moved back, but that’s not everyone.”

Trixie flushed as she pushed the last of her beans around on her plate, “No, he’s not everyone, but there are others who are close by.”

“Am I to assume that the big deposit in your account is your bonus, then?” he asked directly. “You haven’t turned to the dark side like Darth Vader did, have you?”

“Daddy!  You don’t fool me; I already know that banks check on large deposits.  You know it’s legitimate.”

“Okay, you’ve got me there.  Look, Princess, if this is what you want, then your mother and I’ll support you.  We just want you to be happy.  Now, would you like some help with these dishes?”

The three of them continued to clean and talk, moving into the den when they were finished.  As was the norm for their family, there was never any shortage of details to talk about.

“So are you going to stay with us for the next year?” Helen asked hopefully.

Peter looked up quickly. It hadn’t occurred to him that Trixie might move back into the cozy farmhouse.

Trixie shook her head and explained why she needed to be based in New York.

“But Trixie, you’ll hate that kind of life,” Helen protested.  “You’ll go crazy without a more definite project than networking for future business.”

“No, there’s plenty to keep me busy.  I’ll need to sit for the private investigator license exam, apply for my concealed weapons permit, put some feelers out, and I might accept a few contract type jobs.  I’m going to take the P.I. license exam right away, of course and apply to carry a pistol.  And I’ll have to make sure I keep up my physical training.”  Trixie looked back and forth and dealt the most honest truth of all. 

“Jim’s getting things ready for his school; I’m going to offer to design his security system design.  That will be my contribution to the school, and he might need, uh, help with other things,” Trixie explained blushing. 

That did it; Peter was convinced that Trixie had returned to New York because Jim Frayne had returned to New York.  He had always expected the two of them to wind up together, and had been surprised when the two didn’t commit after Trixie’s college graduation.

“Has Jim moved into the house yet?” Trixie asked feigning disinterest at first. 

Both Helen and Peter believed Jim was building that house with the plan to live there with Trixie.  It would be right next door to his school.  Peter didn’t like thinking of losing his princess when she had just arrived home.

After a moment, he responded to her question. “Not exactly.  He’s camped out in a couple of rooms from time to time, but he doesn’t have a certificate of occupancy.  Apparently there is still a bit to be done.”

“So with the progress Jim’s making on the school, it sounds as if Brian’s going to be finishing up his residency program right on schedule.” Trixie said.

“I believe Brian will finish up by the end of the year,” Peter answered, glancing at the clock as he heard a knock.  “That must be Jim now.  I must admit, I’m ready for some pie now, myself.”

Trixie opened the door to let Jim in.  Repeating his actions from the airport, he gave Trixie a hug and a quick kiss, causing Peter Belden to study the two of them closely.

When Trixie and Jim offered to bring pie and coffee into the den, Peter placed his hand quietly on Helen’s arm signaling her to let them.  The young couple left the room chattering away, totally unaware of the silent communication between the Beldens.

Glancing through the landing into the kitchen to make sure they were engrossed, Peter turned to Helen.  “Is Jim the reason she’s moving back to New York?”

“She told me he wasn’t, but...” Helen hesitated.

“But what?” he demanded.

“She also told me she loved him.”

Peter groaned as he held his head in his hands.

“Now, Peter!” she admonished.  “You can’t say anything!  She’ll never tell me anything again if she thinks I blab all her secrets to you.”

“Are you sure that’s all her secrets?”

“Yes, I’m sure, darling.  Peter, you can’t seriously be upset.  This is Jim we’re talking about.  You must have realized how she felt about him.”

Peter sighed, unfortunately he had known it from the first moment she had ever mentioned his name.

“Dad! Dad!” she shouted.  We’re going on a trailer trip, Honey Wheeler and I, with her governess, Miss Trask, to try and find Jim Frayne who has run away again.”

“What on earth are you talking about, Trixie?  Who is Jim Frayne?”

“He’s old Mr. Frayne’s great-nephew, Dad.” She said.  “And now that Mr. Frayne is dead, Jim is his sole heir to a fortune of over half a million dollars. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“So they found the missing heir at last?  When I left to drive your mother and Bobby to the seashore they were still looking for the widow and her son.”

“Jim’s mother is dead, Dad.” Trixie said.  “And he ran away from his stepfather who beats him and makes him work on his farm for nothing.  And Honey and I found him, and brought him food while he was hiding in the mansion, but now he’s run away again.  And, oh, Dad, I forgot to tell you, the old mansion burned to the ground last night.”

For one fleeting moment, Peter Belden wished he had told Trixie that she was too young to leave on a trailer trip.  He knew back then that she had a thing for the orphaned Jim Frayne; he had just put it down to a teenage crush.  He had been slightly alarmed when she began sporting a silver bracelet, but Helen reassured him then that it was nothing to be concerned about.  When Jim and Brian left for college, he breathed a sigh of relief.  And when Trixie had accepted her scholarship, Peter decided he had been wrong about her feelings for Jim.  But now, he knew for certain, his daughter had never given up on Jim Frayne. 

He shook his head, composing himself as his daughter came into the room carrying a tray of pie plates. Jim followed close behind her with coffee.

As the four of them settled in, the conversation returned to Trixie’s plans.

“Well Trixie, I think you’re wise to meet with Matthew on Monday to discuss investments.  I’d ask him about an apartment while I was there.  The man has an uncanny ability with real estate.  The way he bought up all the property around here so Jim would have what he needed was brilliant.  He and Jim could sell that land now for at least five times what Matt paid for it.”

Trixie sighed.  She was pretty sure she had convinced her parents, but she suspected Matthew Wheeler might turn out to be the toughest one of them all to convince.

 

 

Trixie met with Matthew at Manor House instead of his office in Manhattan.  She had been prepared for questions from Matthew Wheeler; the man had managed a fortune and added another one on top of it through his astute business acumen.  But Grace Wheeler rattled her from the beginning.

“Why,Trixie, you look particularly stunning!” Grace greeted her cordially.  “Unless I miss my guess, that’s the newest Fendi handbag that’s all the rage!”

“Um, yes, it is.  Do you like it?  I picked it up while I was in Europe on business,” Trixie explained.

“Yes, very much, it suits you.”  Grace studied Trixie carefully then, noting the highlights and expensive haircut.  The shoes Trixie wore looked casual, but she recognized them for the latest style by a well-known Italian designer.  Grace was instantly suspicious, not so much that Trixie was sporting designer clothing but that she actually knew it was designer!

Trixie fumbled a bit in the beginning, but her earnest tone helped her believe she might have pulled it off.  When she finished her story she looked expectantly at Mr. Wheeler.

“Let me get this straight, Trixie.”  Matthew summed up her story for her.  “You were your normal inquisitive self during your assignment.  You uncovered a fraud racket that saved a bunch of undeserving business men like me a ton of money.  This made some money for your agency and you got a nice bonus.  So as a result, to ahh, compensate you for this outstanding work, they want to transfer one of their most promising agents to someplace in the middle of the United States to work on an unnamed problem with aircraft.”

“That pretty much sums it up,” Trixie nodded. Damn, that story is so weak; he’s never going to buy it!  Trixie cringed to herself as she listened.

“So what kind of idiot is running the CIB these days?” Matthew asked her with a pointed look.  “They didn’t have to pay you a bonus.  They could have simply left you alone and still have you working for them.”

Trixie knew Mr. Wheeler would be tough.  She sighed and shook her head.  “That’s exactly what I told my boss.   He agrees with me, but somewhere up the chain of command, someone wants me in Kansas.  Maybe they just don’t want me in Chicago, Washington or New York.  I offered to take a transfer to any of those places but it was Kansas or nothing.  I’m leaning towards nothing.”

“Why not just go on to Kansas?”

Trixie shrugged. “Moving is the pits, Mr. Wheeler.  It’s tough being alone in Chicago, but if I move to Wichita, the closest Bob-White is 1500 miles away.”

“You didn’t know anyone when you worked in Washington,” he commented mildly.  He didn’t look at her; instead he looked at his now empty glass, before giving his wife an imperceptible look.  She nodded at him in response.  “Okay, Trixie.  So you quit your job.  What do you need from me?”  He asked.

“Tell me what to do with the money.  Advise me if I should buy an apartment or just rent something.  It needs to be a place I where I can invite potential clients if necessary for business entertaining, someplace to use as my base of operations until I find us some office space.  Then, I was hoping that you and Mrs. Wheeler might introduce me into your circle of friends and acquaintances, help me make some contacts,” she explained.

“If that’s what you want, you know we’ll help you out,” Matthew answered her easily.  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Trixie nodded vigorously, the curls bouncing as she did.  “Jim told me about the plans for his school, the fundraiser and everything.  I thought it might be a good idea to help there, if Mrs. Wheeler needs me too.  I’m going to offer to design the security system for Jim’s school.  If word gets out that you and Jim are happy with my work, then maybe I can pick up some consulting jobs for security while I network.  When Honey’s ready to start our business, hopefully early next year, I’ll have the groundwork set.”

“Have you told Jim this?” he asked her with a smile.

“No, not all of it,” she admitted.  “I understand he’s pretty busy these days trying to get the school started and his house finished.  He told me he was working towards a huge fundraiser in March and then groundbreaking as soon as it was over.”

“Now that the holidays are over and he finished helping out his friend, he wants nothing more than to break ground early this spring,” Matthew conceded.  “Give him a call; I’m sure he’ll welcome the security system help.”

“Great!” Trixie smiled at him brilliantly, “And the other thing, the apartment, do you have any ideas there?”

“Yes, a few.  I’ll have my secretary give you a call.  I need to be in my office to look up some data for you.  You are, of course, welcome to use our apartment,” he said mildly.

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Wheeler, but I really need my own space.  I need space for my furniture and well, a place to call home.”

He nodded slowly, her answer confirming his suspicions.  The rest of the time was spent discussing investments, hedges, interest rates and mutual funds.

 By the time she left she had plans to have lunch with Grace Wheeler later in the week, an appointment in the city to meet Mr. Wheeler about apartments and a planning meeting to attend on Jim’s fundraiser.

When Trixie left the Wheeler’s looked at each other.  Grace asked Matthew point blank, “Do you believe this story?” 

“No, I don’t.  I think it’s a cover story for another CIB operation, but she obviously can’t tell us either way, so let’s just help her like she’s asked us too,” he replied.

“If she can’t convince us, I don’t know how she expects to convince the others, especially Jim.  Something besides money has Trixie Belden learning about designer handbags and Italian shoes.  Not to mention she has highlights!”

“She may be able to convince Jim easier than anyone,” Matthew replied thoughtfully.

“Oh, why do you say that?” Grace asked curiously.  “After all, he knows her better than any of them.”

“Because he’ll want to be convinced,” Matt replied easily.  “Unless I totally miss my guess, he’s over the moon that she’s moving back in the area.”

Grace nodded thoughtfully. “True.  After all, he’s rebuilding that house for her.  He’ll never admit it, but we all know that’s what he’s thinking.”

Matthew laughed and pulled Grace into his lap.  “Were we ever that young and foolish?” he whispered as his hands slip up under her blouse and he rained kisses on her face.

“Yes, darling I’m sure we were.  Let’s just hope they can have what we do.” 

“If they could just have half what we do, Gracie, they’ll have it made.” His lips captured hers and they sank to the floor together.