Time To Get Going
Back at the office with their lunches in front of them, they discussed what Gertrude told them. They had already checked the messages on the machine and found four of the calls were for Trixie, with the caller saying they hadn’t been adopted.
“You know,” Honey said, “I can’t understand why Alexandria only took one baby home. It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s possible her parents made her, but there’s no one to ask for sure.”
“At least Gertrude gave us some information.”
Before Trixie could say anything, the phone rang and she picked it up.
“Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency. How can I help you?”
“This is Ian Williams. I’m looking for a Trixie Frayne. My mother was talking about your call, and I wanted to see what you were looking for.”
“This is Trixie Frayne,” she said, realizing this was the woman who had hung up on her. She knew she had to tread lightly. “I did talk to your mother. I still need to speak with her more, but I also need to talk to you. Do you think we can arrange a time for all of us to meet?”
“How about tomorrow morning at my home? I can get my mother here.”
“That would be great. When I get there, I will explain everything.”
“Good. Because this all sounds mysterious and I enjoy a good mystery,” Ian said.
“So do I,” Trixie said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good bye.”
“Good bye.” Trixie hung up the phone.
“Was that the last one you needed to contact?” Honey asked.
Trixie nodded her head. “It may be the lead we need.”
“I hope so.”
“I think we should contact Catherine and fill her in on what we’ve found out so far.”
“Good point. We don’t need her storming in the office again.”
“And I think you should be the one to contact her,” Trixie said. “I don’t have the patience for her.”
Honey smiled. “All right. I’ll deal with her, but you owe me big time.”
“No problem.”
Trixie focused on her computer. She started putting in her notes on the computer so they would be easy to access. As she worked, she thought about the call from Ian.
It’s possible that he was never told he was adopted if he is the one we’re looking for. But there is also the possibility he isn’t the one were looking for. His mother may have been angry because someone assumed he was adopted. At least Jim was adopted when he was old enough to remember and had some memories of his birth parents. It must be a terrible shock to suddenly find out you were adopted after years of assuming the people who raised you from an infant were your parents.
At least I’m lucky to know I wasn’t adopted. There are too many similarities that show that I am a Belden. And now, I am also a Frayne. We can at least do as much as we can so that our children will never end up in this same position. I wouldn’t want them to go through it.
Hopefully, if Ian is Catherine’s brother, he can shed some light on what’s happened and will be accepting if he has family. This case has to turn out all right for all those involved.
* * * * *
When Trixie arrived home, she was looking forward to dinner. As she pulled into the driveway, she was surprised to see Jim’s Jeep parked in its spot, but all the lights inside the house were off.
She unlocked the kitchen door and stepped inside, turning the light on in the process. Trixie made her way to the living room and flipped the light switch up on the wall. As the room lit up, she immediately spotted a figure on the couch asleep. It was Jim.
Moving to the couch, she saw he was stretched out on his back, with his right arm covering his eyes. Sitting on the edge of the couch, she was surprised he was asleep there. She reached for his arm and slowly lowered it.
Jim’s eyes quickly opened and he stared at her.
Trixie said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Jim let out a breath. “It’s all right.” He closed his eyes. “What time is it?”
Trixie looked at her watch. “Almost seven.”
“I can’t believe it’s that late.”
Trixie took Jim’s hand in hers. “What are you doing here in the dark?”
“I came home from work and stretched out here. I only planned to be here for a few minutes before getting dinner started.”
“I think I can handle that,” Trixie said. “What are you hungry for?”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“Are you sure?”
Jim nodded. “It was just a long day and I’m tired.”
“All right. Maybe you should get some sleep then.”
Jim smiled at her. “That’s what I was doing before you woke me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.” Jim sat up and gave her a kiss. “I’m going to go upstairs and crash.”
“All right.”
Trixie watched Jim as he made his way upstairs. She didn’t want to say anything, but she was worried about him. His face was pale, and she had never known him to skip a meal. She wondered if Jim was getting sick. She hoped he wasn’t.
After getting something to eat and cleaning up the kitchen, Trixie turned off the lights and went upstairs. Going into the master bedroom, she saw Jim was stretched out on the bed, sound asleep.
Quietly changing her clothes, she watched Jim sleep. She had noticed that when he was alone in the bed, he slept on his right side. His left hand was on her pillow while his right hand was under his own.
Turning the light off, she slid under the covers beside him. Jim rolled onto his back and she nestled her head against his shoulder. Giving him a kiss, she whispered, “Good night, sweetheart.”
* * * * *
The next morning, Trixie made her way to Ian’s, hoping there was a lead to Catherine’s brother. When she arrived, she knocked on the door. A moment later, the door opened, revealing a man with short black hair with blue eyes.
“Ian Williams?” Trixie asked.
He nodded. “You must be Trixie Frayne.” She nodded. “Please, come in.”
Trixie stepped into the house, and he ushered her into what was the living room. She turned and looked at Ian. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”
“I hope I’ll be able to help, even though I’m not sure what you want,” Ian said.
“You’ll understand soon,” Trixie said. “Will your mother be arriving soon?”
“She should be here in a few minutes. Would you like some coffee or tea?”
“A cup of tea would be nice, if it’s not too much trouble,” Trixie said.
“Have a seat and I’ll be back in a moment.”
Trixie settled on the couch and let out a breath as she waited for Ian to return. She hoped this was what she needed.
I’m not sure if he is her brother, she thought. But it’s possible they are fraternal twins. I just hope there is something that gives me the proof I need.
“Here you go,” Ian said, coming back into the room and handing her the cup of tea.
“Thank you.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Ian said, “That must be my mother.”
She watched him go to the door and usher an older woman into the house. Trixie looked her over carefully as she made her way into the living room. The woman appeared to be in her 70s with white hair, and she was wearing thin-rimmed glasses. Trixie knew this was Margaret Oswald.
“You sounded serious on the phone, yesterday,” Margaret said.
“It is important,” Ian said. “Please have a seat.”
Margaret looked at her, then back at Ian. “Is this your girlfriend?”
“No, Mother,” Ian said, sitting down. “This is Trixie Frayne, a private investigator.”
Trixie watched Margaret’s face turn from a one of curiosity to a one of anger. Margaret yelled, “You are the one who called me the other day!”
“Ma’am, this is something I need to find out,” Trixie said.
“I already told you what you wanted to know.”
“What did she want to know?” Ian asked.
“It’s not important,” Margaret said quickly as she stared at Trixie.
“It is important,” Trixie said. “I have a client who is looking for her brother. Her twin brother.”
“This has nothing to do with us,” Margaret said.
“Why are you so eager to dismiss this?” Trixie asked.
“Wait a second,” Ian said. “What does this have to do with me? Do you think I’m the missing brother?”
Trixie looked at Ian. “I’m trying to locate the brother.” She gave them a condensed version of the story she knew, leaving out the names of all the parties involved. “Your time of birth is close to the woman we are working for. We are trying to cover all our bases.”
Ian looked at Margaret. “Mother, am I adopted?”
“No, you’re not,” Margaret stated. “No matter what anyone says, you are my son.”
Ian looked at Trixie. “I wish we had been more help.”
“That’s all right,” Trixie said. “It gave me more information than I had.” She got to her feet. “Well, I better get going. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me.”
“You’re welcome,” Ian said.
Ian walked her to the door and closed it after she stepped outside.
Once inside her car, Trixie sat for a moment thinking about what Ian and Margaret said. Maybe he isn’t the one, she thought. Maybe the child died in childbirth. But if that is true, Alexandria wouldn’t have used the word ‘babies.’ It doesn’t seem likely. But what am I missing then? Where is the lead we need?
At that moment, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey, Trix. It’s Brian.”
“Hi Brian. How’s my favorite big brother?”
“I’m doing all right. But there’s a reason I called.”
“Did Honey have the baby? Or are you all the hospital?”
“That’s not it.”
Trixie suddenly heard the concern in her brothers’ voice. “What is it, Brian?”
“I need you to come to Ten Acres. Right now.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s Jim.”
Fear washed over her. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s sick.”
Trixie swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “I’ll be there soon.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Brian said and ended the call.
Trixie closed her eyes and took a deep breath as thoughts swirled in her head. What could have happened? Jim only said he was tired last night. How could he have gotten sick so quickly? Why didn’t I keep an eye on him? She shook her head trying to focus. He has to be all right. It can’t be anything serious. He has to be okay.
* * * * *
A half-hour later, Trixie pulled into the driveway at Ten Acres. She immediately recognized Brian’s car parked near the house. Jim’s Jeep was nowhere to be seen. Quickly shutting off the engine, Trixie climbed out of her Jeep and hurried inside. Trixie dropped her bag on the kitchen table and hurried into the living room. No one was there.
“Brian? Where are you?”
“We’re upstairs, Trixie.”
She made her way up the stairs and saw Brian standing in the hall outside the master bedroom.
“What happened?” she asked, moving toward her brother.
“He’s sick.”
Trixie looked into the bedroom and saw Jim was in their bed, covered with blankets. There was a cloth on his forehead, but she could see little beads of perspiration on his face. She looked back at her brother, waiting for a better explanation.
Brian took a breath. “I was at the school checking on a couple of the sick kids. Jim’s secretary found me and said Jim wasn’t feeling too good. I went to Jim’s office. As I opened the door, I saw he was sitting at his desk with his eyes slightly opened.”
“So, he was awake?”
Brian nodded. “As I got closer, I could tell he had a fever from the perspiration on his forehead. He was also shaking. After taking his temperature, which was 101, I convinced him to come back here with me.”
Trixie looked back at Jim. Tears filling her eyes at seeing the person she loved the most in the world sick. She fought to keep the emotion out of her voice. “Will he be all right?”
“He should be. There’s a flu bug going around and has already hit several of the students at the school. I have a feeling that’s how he got it.”
They moved into the room and Trixie sat on the bed beside her husband. “What do I need to do, Brian?”
“Keep the cool cloth on his forehead. When he wakes, get him to drink some juice and maybe some broth to help regain his strength. If his fever gets any worse, give me a call. But I don’t think it will.”
Trixie looked at Brian. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
Brian just smiled. “Call me if there’s a change.”
“I will.”
Brian kissed the top of her head and left the room. Trixie took the cloth off Jim’s forehead and soaked it in the basin of cool water beside the bed. After squeezing the excess water out, she gently wiped her husband’s face.
This is so weird. Jim has never been sick in the time that I’ve known him. Hopefully, Brian is right and it’s not something serious. Brian is probably right that he got this from the students. He’s been spending so much time at the school since we’ve been back. He hasn’t been sleeping really well either. He’s been spending a lot of time tossing and turning at night. Now to think about it, he wasn’t sleeping real well when we were on our honeymoon either. Almost every time I opened my eyes, he was awake. More than likely his system just became too weak and was susceptible to a cold.
* * * * *
All night long, Trixie sat beside Jim, keeping cool cloths on his forehead and taking his temperature every couple of hours. By morning, his temperature had started to go down. Trixie pulled the chair close to the bed and settled in it. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when her name was called. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at Jim and saw his eyes were open. She smiled at Jim. “How are you feeling?”
“Lousy,” Jim said softly. He cleared his throat.
Trixie moved to the bed and sat beside him. Reaching for his forehead, she smiled at him. “You’ll start to feel better. Your fever is gone.”
“What time is it?”
Trixie looked at her watch. “Almost ten.”
Jim struggled to sit up. “I need to get to the school.”
Trixie held Jim down. “You’re not going anywhere. You need to rest and get your strength back.”
“The school won’t run itself,” Jim protested.
“I’ll call Mart and see if he can take care of it because you are not going anywhere.”
Jim settled back against the pillow. “Mart won’t know what to do.”
“He handled it while we were on our honeymoon. I think he can manage for a couple days.”
Jim closed his eyes as she grabbed the phone. As she dialed, she noticed Jim’s face was still pale. When she talked to her brother, he readily agreed to handle things at the school until Jim returned.
When she hung up the phone, Trixie asked, “Would you like some juice?”
“I’m not really hungry.” Jim opened his eyes.
“Just something to drink. It may make you feel better.”
“All right.”
Trixie gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Trixie entered the kitchen and poured a glass of orange juice for Jim. A she was about to head upstairs, there was a knock on the door. Turning to the door, she realized it was Brian. Pulling the door open, she said, “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you,” Brian said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. He pointed to the glass in her hand. “Should I take that as a good sign?”
Trixie nodded. “He woke up a little while ago.”
“Fever?”
Trixie shook her head. “No. Come see for yourself.”
Trixie led the way upstairs and they went back into the master bedroom. She saw Jim had pulled himself up slightly in the bed.
“Feeling better?” Brian asked, moving to the bed.
“A little.”
Trixie watched Brian check Jim over. When Brian was finished, she handed Jim the glass.
“So, doctor, what’s your prognosis?” Trixie asked, sitting beside Jim.
“Well,” Brian said, “I think you’ll be fine. I do suggest you stay in bed through the weekend. You’ll need time to regain your strength, and if you go back too soon, you could have a relapse.”
“Monday?” Jim asked.
“Monday.”
“All right,” Jim sighed. “You said Monday, and I’ll wait. But I don’t have to like it.”
“That also means no work being dropped off either,” Trixie said.
“You’re no fun,” Jim grumbled, but with a smile.
“Well, I see you’re in good hands, Jim,” Brian said with a smile. “I’m going to get out of here so you can rest. Make sure you finish all the antibiotics.” Jim nodded and Brian looked at Trixie. “If you need me for anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
“Thanks, Brian,” Trixie said.
“You’re welcome.”
Brian turned and left the room.
Trixie focused on Jim’s face as he drank the juice. His face was pale and his eyes seemed lifeless, but she knew the color would come back once he was feeling better.
Jim looked at her. “I’m going to be all right.”
“I know. It just surprised me that you got sick. I haven’t seen you sick since we met.”
“It is pretty rare.” Jim slid down in the bed, and she knew he was tired.
“Get some rest and I’ll fix you something to eat.”
“You don’t have to make a fuss.”
“I want to, Jim. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Trixie held Jim’s hand as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
* * * * *
All day long, Trixie kept an eye on Jim as he slept on and off. She had been happy when he had eaten a little lunch before going back to sleep. By dinnertime, Jim was feeling better and was glad when she had dinner with him in bed, even though it was only soup.
Trixie watched Jim as he slept. Every little while she would check his forehead to see if the fever had returned, but it hadn’t. She knew that she was keeping a close vigil by his side because she had never seen him ill.
She made sure Jim was under the blankets before heading downstairs to do some work. She didn’t want to leave a mess and have to deal with it later.
As she dried the last pan, the phone rang. She grabbed it quickly, hoping it didn’t wake Jim. “Hello?”
“Hi, Trix, it’s Honey.”
“Hey there. How were things at the office?”
“Pretty quiet.”
“I bet I know why you’re calling,” Trixie said with a smile.
“Good guess. So, how is he?”
“He’s sleeping. His fever is gone, but he’s still weak.”
“At least he’s going to be all right.”
“I know.” Trixie settled in a chair at the kitchen table. “I have to admit that when Brian called me yesterday, I was worried because I’ve never seen Jim sick.”
“I know how you feel. I almost came right over last night after Brian told me.”
“You could have gotten sick if you had,” Trixie pointed out.
“That’s exactly what Brian said to me.”
“There’s nothing you need to worry about. He’s getting better.”
“That’s good to hear. But I also had another reason for calling.”
“What’s going on?”
“It has to deal with the case.”
“Do you have another lead?”
“I’m not sure. I talk to Catherine looking for more information about her mother.”
“And?”
“Catherine brought me her mother’s journal from when she was pregnant.”
“And you found something,” Trixie stated.
“I think I did. I checked the entries after her birth date. Alexandria wrote how she went to see the babies in the nursery when the nurses weren’t looking.”
“We already knew that.”
“But did you know that Alexandria took the baby from the hospital before she was officially discharged.”
“What?” Trixie asked. She wasn’t sure she heard Honey correctly.
“It’s all here in the journal.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I’ll read it to you.” Honey took a breath. “‘Today, I did something very wrong, and I know it. But I could not let my little boy go to people I did not know. He has to be raised by someone I know who will treat him as if he is one of their own. I have made arrangements for him to be raised by someone I’ve known for a long time that I know will do as I ask. He was so happy in her arms. She is going to pass him off as her own son, and I know he will be loved‘.”
“So, he wasn’t adopted,” Trixie said. “He was given away.”
“Exactly.”
“But who is the person she gave him to? Does the journal say anything about that person’s identity?”
“There’s nothing.”
“You know, this opens up even more possibilities that we’ll have to investigate.”
“This wasn’t what I wanted,” Honey admitted. “I thought it would be easy to find a lost relative.”
“We’ll solve this,” Trixie said. “We have to.”
“You’re right. Will I see you at the office tomorrow?”
“Probably not. But I will continue searching.”
“All right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”
“Okay.”
“Give Jim my love.”
“I will. Good night, Honey.”
“Night, Trix.”
Trixie set the phone down on the table and stared at it. I can’t believe this new information. Honey was right. It could’ve been real simple, but in the end, it just keeps getting worse. I really don’t want this to drag on. We need to solve this and soon.
Trixie turned the lights off downstairs and went back to the master bedroom. As she stepped into the room, she saw he was asleep in the middle of the bed. Gently kissing Jim’s forehead, she was glad it was still cool to the touch. Grabbing a blanket out of the closet, she sat down in the chair beside the bed and covered herself with it. She drifted to sleep watching her husband’s peaceful face.
Author’s Notes: I would like to thank Susansuth for her assistance in the editing of this story. Without your assistance, I would be lost. Thanks Again.
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