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Trixie Belden and the Anthrocon Mystery
Chapter 3
By Kinsfire
Trixie Belden and the Anthrocon Mystery
Chapter 3- Complications are added
Friday arrived, and with it, the Lynches. Dennis had spent one more night in the hospital, and awoke in a mood best described as foul. At least, that’s what Trixie told him.
"You almost bit my head off!"
Frowning, he replied, "I’m sorry, but I’m really not going to be good company. My girlfriend can’t stand the sight of me, and I pretty much have to go to a convention that I’d rather just avoid right now, since she’s here in the hospital. Especially since you rather vociferously pointed out that the person or people who tried to kill us are likely to be there. Did you realize that you may have removed Honey from the loop, by the way? Not likely a kidnapper would have been able to get sufficient information about our route in order to grab her in such a manner. Besides, to put it in my favorite super-hero role-playing terms, that was a killing attack. Not smart for a kidnapper."
"Maybe not. Any idea what they might have been after?"
"No," he answered, looking her straight in the eyes. "If I had some idea, I could tell the cops, and then we’d have something to go on. As it is, you’re walking into the con, which I’m certain you’ve talked yourself into, and into a potentially deadly situation. If the guy who ran us off the road is there, then getting in too deep is quite possibly fatal, Trixie. I want you to think about that." Making sure their eyes were locked together, he repeated himself. "Think about that, Trixie. They were willing to kill Mad and me for some reason. You think they’ll balk at killing you and the rest of the Bob-Whites of the Glen?"
"I know about the danger," Trixie replied. "Why do you think I’ve been working so hard this last year? I still have my dream to become a private detective. To do that in New York, though, I have to be able to get a job that will give me a minimum of three years worth of detective experience. So, I’ve decided to take Dan’s route, and become a policewoman." She chuckled. "Well, Dan’s not going to become a police woman, but you know what I mean. Once I’m off the force, I can apply for my P.I. license, and I’m pretty much assured of getting the thing. That’ll also help in my advertising, too," she finished with a smile.
Dennis snorted an amused chuckle. "Your brothers haven’t realized how much their baby sister has grown up, have they? Well, since I know better than to try to keep you from it, I will extract one promise from you - you do your damnedest to stay safe, okay? I have already attended too many funerals in my short life, and I don’t want to add one of my best friends to the list." He once again locked eyes with her, as she stared at him. He’d managed to kick in her stubborn streak when he insisted on the promise, and he could tell by looking at her that she was weighing whether or not she could get away with refusing to promise. "I mean it, Trixie. If you’re right, and the people who tried to kill Mad and me are there, and you don’t promise me to try to keep safe, then I will ask Mr. Lynch or Mr. Wheeler to send you back to Sleepyside. We almost had to bury your best friend. Don’t make us bury you."
She blinked. He’s serious! He’ll ask Mr. Lynch or Mr. Wheeler to get me back home! She narrowed her eyes slightly. He’s scared for me, which still makes me think that he knows more than he’s letting on. "Okay, I promise, Dennis. I will do everything I can think of to stay safe while searching for the people who did this. I’m still going to ask questions, but I’m going to try to avoid drawing too much notice to myself." She chuckled again. "People don’t answer questions when they know they’re being grilled about something."
"You can’t help but draw some attention to yourself, since you’ll be a first time convention goer to a type of convention that can get a little bit odd. There are a lot of costumed individuals there, in fursuits." He paused. "I wonder if the docs can put a thinner cast on my leg? If they can do it safely, then I might still be able to wear that costume I built." She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Hey, I put a lot of time and effort, not to mention some money, into building a costume that I’d like to think wouldn’t be out of place in a movie. If I have a chance to wear the damn thing, which is why I built it, then I’m going to wear it!" He laughed.
From the doorway, his doctor spoke up. "Well, I just wanted something on that leg when you two came in. Actually, I’d prefer to put you in a different cast. The massively bulky thing you’re wearing now is likely to hurt you as you wear it, because you’ll keep running into it in one way or another. I take it you wouldn’t be against the concept of a smoother, sleeker model?"
"I’d love to not have to wear something the size of Rhode Island on my leg! Lead on!" Dennis laughed.
As the doctor pushed Dennis’ wheelchair, Trixie heard, "You’ll have to promise me to always use crutches, though, Mr. Wilson..."
As she walked slowly back to the area where she knew everyone else would have congregated by now, outside Honey’s room, she mulled over the information she had. Slim pickings, to be honest. We know that Honey is scared of him, for some reason. He’s more aware of what’s going on here than he’s letting on. From the way he’s reacting, I’ll bet he knows why they shoved him off the road.
The people involved have to have known where he was going, so they have to have gotten into the convention, since they apparently didn’t get what they were looking for. She stopped in her tracks. Or did they? She furrowed her brow. No, it comes back to him. He needs to see someone at the convention, and I’d bet a year’s allowance that it’s connected to why Honey and he were shoved off the road. She started walking again.
Why doesn’t that car accident feel right? If someone was after something, which is what I feel Dennis is hinting at, why would they cause an accident that might very well kill him, and permanently keep them from getting IT, whatever IT is? The elevator doors opened onto the floor where Honey lay in her room, still in an amnesiac fog.
"Ah, now arrives our female Sherlock!" cried Mart as she walked closer.
"Nah," she said. "Sherlock always seemed to know who did it from the beginning. I’m more like Watson, who had to work it out for himself."
Mart started to open his mouth, but pretty raven-haired Diana Lynch batted her violet eyes at him and said, "You know she’s right, Mart."
He closed his mouth with a click. "Far be it for me to argue with my lady love."
"Not if you want to get kissed, you won’t," she laughed, followed by a quick peck on the cheek. She turned toward Trixie. "How’s Dennis doing?"
"He’s getting the cast changed to something a little smaller," she replied. Before Brian could say anything, she added, "It was the doctor’s idea. He’d wanted that thing Dennis has been wearing to immobilize until they knew how badly Dennis had been hurt. He’s hurt far less than they expected, so they can go to a smaller cast." She laughed. "He’s hoping to be able to wear the costume he built." She looked around. "Anyone been in to see Honey yet?"
"Not yet," Jim said. "Figured we might try it somewhat slower this time - one at a time. Who wants to go first?"
Mart spoke up. "Other than her parents, she’s known Trixie the longest of any of us. Maybe she should." At Trixie’s surprised look, he sobered and said, "Look, you’re my sister, and I’m going to tease you mercilessly for the next hundred years because of that, but this is important. Have you ever known me to joke too much when it’s truly been important?"
Trixie smiled. "No, you don’t. Thank you, too." She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek, surprising him. "I’m heading in, now." She walked through the door.
Honey looked nominally better - her color had returned to a healthier pink, and they had been able to remove some of the tubes and wires that had been attached to her. She was awake, and using the bed to help her sit up slightly. "It hurts a bit, with all the bruising," she told Trixie, "but from what they tell me, the pain is far better than the other option." She shuddered. "Things are slowly coming back to me. I’m remembering things as if I’m watching a movie. I know that you’re Trixie, but I haven’t remembered the feeling of you being my best friend. It’s almost as if I bruised or broke my emotions in the ... the ..." She shivered again.
"Don’t worry about it, Honey. That brings up a question. I’m used to calling you Honey, but your name is Madeleine. Which would you prefer to be called?"
"Why was I called Honey?"
"Well, there’s two differing opinions on that. We always thought that it was because of your hair color, but the guys have always maintained that it was because of your disposition." She chuckled. "Of course, Dennis calls you Mad, short for ... what’s wrong?"
"No! No Mad! I’ll take Honey or Madeleine, but not Mad!" Honey nearly spat the words out. "Don’t mention ... him ... again!"
"What did he do to you?" Trixie asked, eyes flashing.
"I don’t know, anything, but I get a really bad feeling, a scary one, when I look at him. Don’t let him in here again, okay, Trix?"
"Sure - no Dennis. I’ll tell the nurses as well." She frowned, then chuckled. "If I hog all the time in here with you, they’ll skin me alive. How about I let someone else come in?"
"Sure! Why not send Brian in?"
"Okay, I’ll send him in, and then pass along the message to the nurses. I’ll be coming back soon to talk with you for a lot longer, fairly soon, okay?"
The smile she got in return told her that the Honey she knew was still in there, even if things weren’t quite right yet. "I look forward to it," Honey said. "I almost remember you, if you know what I mean. I know you’re my friend. I just want to feel it again; do you understand?"
Trixie nodded. "I want you to, as well. I’ll send Brian in." She left the room, scowling after Honey couldn’t see her face anymore. "Brian, she specifically asked for you next. By the way, whatever you do, don’t talk about Dennis in there. It was the second time today I’ve almost gotten my head bitten off. I’ve been instructed to tell the nurses not to let him visit." As she headed for the nurse’s station, she thought, Sometime soon, Dennis and I are going to have a very long talk about this.
As Brian left the room, and motioned Jim inside, Dennis came up the hall on crutches, beaming at his newfound mobility. The new cast was much thinner, and looked much more comfortable. "I might even be able to put on the costume, with this thing on!" were the first words out of his mouth. He then noticed the look everyone was giving him; the friendliest was Diana’s puzzled and hurt expression. "Okay, what happened?"
"Your presence is apparently no longer required by Honey," Brian scowled. He looked to Trixie. "She talked anyway; I didn’t start it." Brian looked back to Dennis. "Any idea why she’s terrified of you?"
Dennis found a chair and sat down heavily. "She doesn’t want me around her? I scare her?" He blinked for a few moments, and then looked up at the Bob-Whites, and their angry looks. "Nothing I say to you right now is going to be believable, so I see no reason to tell you anything, especially the truth, since you won’t believe that I have no idea why she’s scared of me." He struggled back to his feet. "I’m going to head back downstairs and get myself checked out of the hospital. I’ll see you all at the hotel." He turned and walked away.
Several moments passed, with the group looking at his exit with varying shades of distrust. Excepted from that was Diana Lynch, who appeared to be puzzling something out in her head. Suddenly, a realization came to her, and she rounded on the group. "We’ve known him for four years, and we treat him like that. I’m ashamed of all of us, and I include myself. I’m going to find him and apologize, at least for my behavior."
Trixie spoke up. "Can you think of any reason why she’d be terrified of him, though? It doesn’t make any sense!"
"Yes, it does!" barked Diana. "Think about it; she’s getting her memories back, and she doesn’t really remember the accident. An accident is a scary thing, and Dennis was driving. It’s possible that she’s remembering without remembering, a sub, um, sub..."
"Subconscious?" asked Mart gently.
"Yes, subconscious thing. Down below available memories, but still there. So she’s remembering a really scary thing, and remembering that he has something to do with it. Since she can’t remember him, or what happened, but the thought of him connects to that thing in her mind, so she’s scared of him because he reminds her of something scary. If I know Honey, she’ll apologize to him when she realizes what she did. And he, of course, will say that it’s unnecessary because she had no control of it at the time." She sighed. "I also know that he won’t accept our apology if we go to him right now, so we might as well wait for the hotel."
When they reached the hotel, at roughly 4 PM, they found Dennis sitting on a bench near the registration table, waiting for the registration line to thin out slightly. "Hello, Bob-Whites," he said in a neutral tone.
Di spoke first. "I owe you an apology, Dennis. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did. I’ve known you for four years, and I’ve known her for five. I should have...I can’t say this right, darn it!" Tears started leaking from her eyes. "I want to apologize, and I don’t know what to say!"
He reached out and took her hand, smiling sadly. "Don’t worry about it. You’ve known her longer than you’ve known me. Yeah, I’ve been around for four years, so you can say that you’ve known me that long, but you really only got to know me in the last two and a half years." He patted her hand as his face lost the smile. "You’ve known her for five, and suddenly, this guy who basically stole her from Brian, as I’ve heard a few kids around town saying about me, is scaring the hell out of her. The immediate thought is going to be, ‘What did he do to her?’ I don’t like it, but I understand it." He looked up at the rest of the Bob-Whites. "The same goes for all of you. This is a very trying time. Your best friend is lying in the hospital after almost dying, and I scare the hell out of her. Of course you’re angry, and it’s logical to take it out on the thing that’s scaring her. Don’t worry about it. If you think you need forgiveness from me, though, then I absolve you all of the guilt. It was natural." He smiled again, but it looked a little forced. "The world will go on. She’ll get her memories back, and then she’ll be able to tell you what scared her about me." He looked down the hall, and surprise registered in his eyes. "Hey Mike! Evan! Over here!"
Down the hall came two men, both looking to be in their late forties or early fifties. One of them was about 5’9", slightly heavy-set, wearing wire-frame glasses. His hair could best be described as straight, and in a contest between going gray and going out. From the reflection off his scalp, it appeared that going out was ahead on points.
The other man was a few inches shorter, with a fuller head of hair, a little wilder than his companion’s, also graying a little bit, but definitely darker in color. He was slightly barrel-chested, looking very friendly, but with a ineffable air that he might be trouble if you managed to get him riled. From the smile on his face, riling him looked to be a difficult proposition.
"Hey Dennis, what happened?" asked the shorter of the two. The smile disappeared somewhat.
"Car accident, Mike," he frowned, and met the eyes of the taller one. Trixie caught something pass between them. "I get to get made fun of by you-know-who now. My girlfriend is in the hospital - she was almost killed. I’m only here because I need to be." He looked quickly at the taller one again. "Oh, by the way," he said to the shorter of the two, "these are some of my RL friends. Trixie Belden, Diana Lynch, Mart Belden, Brian Belden, Jim Wheeler, and Dan Mangan." He looked at the people he’d just introduced and said, "These two fine gentlemen are some of the interesting people into furry fandom. Mike Regan, also known as the Old Gray Raccoon, is the guy who runs the online Bookshelf I’ve mentioned a couple times. The other one is Evan Mayerle, also known as Cateagle. You may hear me referred to as Kynsfyr by a number of people."
Evan spoke up. "I think he just does it because he knows it bugs you. I don’t think Concolor’s quite as bad as you think. We’ve all gotten on each other’s nerves before, over at Planetfurry."
"I don’t know what it is, but the guy rubs me the wrong way. He’s funny as hell, but I just..." He frowned.
Trixie cleared her throat. "Just a couple things, Dennis. What’s RL mean?"
"Real Life. You know, the thing outside the computer screen." He grinned. "What’s the second?"
"Remember that Di and I were going to, um, pose as your girlfriends? Sort of put that guy in his place?"
"The more I think about that, girls, the less I like the idea. That requires, almost, that you sleep in my room..."
"We already talked about that, remember? Di and I will take the bed, since I expect you’ll complain if either of us tries to sleep on the couch." She smiled. "Besides, it gives us a better chance to discover what it is about this sort of thing that interests you."
"Yeah, but I’ll bet you haven’t thought of another aspect to it." He looked at Trixie and chuckled at her stubborn look. "I know that look, so I’ll let you discover that one for yourself." He looked at them for a moment, and said, "Mind if I talk to Evan here for a minute? It’s kind of important."
The group shrugged, and Mike said, "I’ll get on the line for you then, Dennis. You might want to sit back down, though, and take some strain off that broken leg." Dennis nodded half-heartedly, and walked away from the group with Evan, whom he began talking to once out of earshot.
Trixie looked at Dennis, since he was the one facing them, and grumbled. "What the heck is he hiding? I couldn’t read his lips if I tried! He’s obviously talking to Evan, but he’s got his teeth clenched tightly. He doesn’t look mad, though."
Diana laughed quietly. "He knows you’ve been learning how to read lips, Trixie. Whatever it is, he thinks that man can help him, and he doesn’t want people overhearing it."
"We know your reputation, Trixie," Mart said, "but I seriously doubt that the mystery is going to be solved here, at this convention."
"You may be right, Mart, but I’ll bet that I get more information about what’s happening by being at this convention." She looked at Dennis in time to see him smile and clasp Evan Mayerle’s shoulder.
"It may not be anything, Evan, but I’d rather have someone like you, with your ... qualifications, in my corner," she overheard him say. What the heck is he talking about? she thought as she watched him walk over to Mike Regan. I keep coming back to that. Is the reason Honey’s scared of him connected to the reason that he’s here, and why he needed to talk to Mr. Mayerle?
As he limped off line a few minutes later, sporting a badge with a red, white, and blue ribbon that read "Super-Sponsor", she saw Dennis’ face undergo some interesting contortions as she saw three people coming down the hall. One of them appeared African-American, and the other two were white, but rather different in heights. The taller of the two of the white men was over six foot tall, had dark brown hair, and appeared to have the faint remnant of a scar on his face. His left eyebrow, to be precise, she noted as he got closer, and she could see behind his glasses to his dark brown eyes. He was beginning a pot belly, and was dressed fairly conservatively. He was smiling broadly.
The other Caucasian was easily two-thirds of a foot shorter, and short blonde hair that dirty, dishwater color. He also wore glasses in front of his blue-grey eyes. He was also looking a little overweight, and was also smiling fairly broadly. "Kynsfyr!" he exclaimed as they got closer.
The final member of the trio was the African-American. His height fell between that of the other two (although he was closer to the blonde’s height). He rounded out the trio in more ways than one, also tending toward the overweight side in his build. Had he lacked a smile, he would have stood out from the crowd., but he was also grinning. "Dee! Long time, no see!"
"Good to see you too, Kaye!" Dennis said, sticking out a hand which Kaye clasped warmly. "Let me perform some introductions, before we get too much more confused. Kaye, Galadrion, Concolor, let me introduce some of my friends from the area I’m living in right now." He quickly spun through the Bob-Whites’ names again. He then looked to the Bob-Whites and said, "Now for the flip side. The tall gentleman is Clint McInnes, also called Concolor in his furry persona, which you’ll also hear called a fursona. The next tallest one goes by nom de fur of Shirh Khan. Only call him Kaye if he gives you permission. Really, it’s probably a good idea to call someone by their fursona name at this convention, unless they give you permission to use their real name. The last on our merry list today, but certainly not least, is the very talented writer who goes by the name of Galadrion." Dennis frowned. "Actually, they’re all good writers. I’m hoping to run into some others, too, like Rava, and maybe even Fawkesfyre." Dennis laughed. "Not going to complain too much if I don’t get a chance to see Fawkesfyre, though. His writing is okay, but really doesn’t do much for me."
"Why don’t you write something?" Galadrion asked.
"Because I’ve tried, and it’d even scare the Vogon, okay? I can write specs for electronics, and draw circuits, and I’ll admit to a talent for drawing my intended finished designs, but I can’t write worth beans."
Shirh Khan chuckled and asked, "I know you’re going to hear this question a thousand times this con, but what happened to you?"
"Her boyfriend found out!" Dennis laughed. "No, seriously, I had a car accident on the way here. I was nothing compared to the passenger - she’s still in the hospital. That’s why they’re here," he said, pointing at the Bob-Whites. "She’s their friend, so they came to visit her. They’ve also got rooms in the hotel, since the hospital is a short distance away."
Concolor laughed. "I keep telling you, man - the girl-watching should be done with the car stopped! See what happens when the car’s moving?" He frowned quickly. "Sorry, that was probably less than sensitive. Forgive me?" He stuck out his hand, and a still scowling Dennis shook it reluctantly.
"I’m sorry, Clint, it’s just that...well, she’s a good friend, and she could have been killed, so I’m a little touchy on the subject right now. Please forgive me if I snap at you, and it seems uncalled for." Clint smiled and nodded.
"Not to make you angry or anything, but you know that people are going to tease you about the mythical girlfriend. I was going to, until you explained that to me."
Trixie walked forward. "Who else is likely to?"
"There are a few," Concolor responded. "I was going to lead the pack, to be honest. Now isn’t a good time, though."
She laughed. "Well, if you hear others saying it, tell him he’s here with both his girlfriends."
Concolor’s eyebrows rose. "Both?"
"Yeah, Di and I will walk parts of the con with him, on each arm. Given Di’s looks, I think that’ll make some people jealous."
Galadrion looked like he wanted to say something, but his face was reddening. "Yes?" Dennis asked.
"Nothing," stammered Galadrion. "Never mind."
Dennis noted that Galadrion had been looking at Trixie, and smiled. "Gotcha. I agree, by the way."
"What?" Trixie demanded. "I just missed something, I’m sure of it. What was it? Dennis?"
"None of your business, Trixie. Galadrion and I have known each other on-line long enough that we can employ shorthand. Any further info you’ll have to work out of him." Galadrion’s face reddened again. "Either way, if you’re going to be hanging on my arm during this convention, you’ll need memberships, so let’s see to those." He led them to the registration table, where the line had thinned out, and paid for the Bob-White memberships. "Now, let’s get to the convention."id="Layer 1">
Beatrix "Trixie" Belden, Mart Belden, Brian Belden, Dan Mangan, Diana Lynch, Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, Matthew and Madeleine E. Wheeler, Mr. and Mrs. Belden, and Madeleine G. Wheeler copyright Random House
David "Galadrion" Adrian, Shirh Khan (Kaye), Clint "Concolor" McInnes, Evan "Cateagle" Mayerle, Mike "Old Gray Raccoon" Regan, Dorothy "Catspaw" McComb, Keith "FawkesFyre" McComb, MeJeep are used with permission, and are copyright and trademark their parents.
Any others not so mentioned are copyright 2003-2004 Keith E. McComb
Any resemblence to other people, living or dead, or situations is purely coincidental, and no harm is intended.