Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency

One week later


Honey Wheeler signed for the flowers. As soon as she’d closed the door behind the delivery boy, she searched for the card. With just a small pang of guilt, she opened the envelope.
“Damn!” she exclaimed. No name. “Just who is Trixie seeing?” She’d been pondering this thought for the past few weeks. She was both curious, and hurt that Trixie hadn’t told her. They’d been best friends since they’d met that first summer, over ten years ago. They’d told each other everything, well okay so maybe Honey hadn’t told Trixie when she and Brian had started sleeping together. But that was different, after all, who wants to know about their sibling’s sex life? But when they’d made their relationship official Trixie had been the first person she’d told. Now why was Trixie holding out on her? It’s not as if Trixie had never been romantically involved with anyone before. She and Jim had been together for practically forever until their break-up. Now that was another thing, it was only three months since they broke up. What was she doing seeing someone else so soon?  But, maybe they were from Jim. Perhaps he was trying to make up. This thought cheered Honey. After all, who else would Trixie go out with?

Honey heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Quickly she pushed the card back into the envelope and put it back amongst the flowers. As the door opened she didn’t know what to do with them so put them behind her back.
“Hi, Trixie!” she said smiling brightly.
Trixie Belden narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to Honey Wheeler and what have you got behind your back?”
Honey produced the flowers. “Flowers, for you, but not from me. They were dropped off just a few minutes ago. I was just going to put them in water.”
Trixie smiled as she took the flowers, pale pink roses, burying her nose in the fragrant blooms.
“Why are you looking so guilty?”
“I’m not. Aren’t you going to look to see who they’re from?”
“I already know who they’re from.”
“Are you going to tell me who they’re from?” Honey asked hopefully.
Trixie bit her lip. “Soon Honey, soon. I promise.”
“Why can’t you tell me who they’re from? Are they from Jim? Are you two getting back together?”
Trixie sighed. She knew that Honey and the rest of the Bobwhites wanted her and Jim to make up. Neither of them had gone into any details to the reasons why they’d split up, as they’d wanted  to keep their relationship separate from their friendships. It had been hard enough just telling the others that it was over between them. Honey in particular struggled with the fact. She hated the thought that her best friend and her brother were no longer together.
“Honey, there is no reason for them to be from Jim, I’ve told you that before. For the first time I am interested in someone other than Jim, and I’m not  ready to make a this a public announcement. I just need a little more time to get used to this. I know that this all seems to be happening too quick, but I’m not rushing into things. I’m taking things slowly, and having fun.”
“Do I know him at all?”
“Yes, and that’s why I don’t want everyone to know just yet. I want some time for us alone, before all the scrutiny begins.”
Honey decided not to push it any further. She wouldn’t interrogate Trixie any more, but she wasn’t going to give up either. Her curiosity had been aroused. If Trixie was dating someone she knew, who could it be? Now there was no way she was going to let the matter rest. Honey was determined to get to the bottom of this, after all, she was a private investigator. She was just going to have to do a little investigating on her own, Trixie would never have to find out. Honey felt satisfied with her idea, now how was she going to carry it out? She couldn’t just follow Trixie twenty-four hours a day.
“Honey?”
Honey jumped. “Did you say something Trix?”
“I asked how things were going at Di’s.” Honey was staying at Di’s apartment, while she was away at a conference.
“Great!” Honey replied. “It’s been wonderful to spend some extra time with Brian. We’ve been talking about living together.”
“Really? Where? When?”
Honey shrugged. “Don’t really know. We’re not sure what the parents’ are going to think about it.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine about it. It’ll make things so much easier for you and Brian.”
“Yeah, and I quite like the idea of having my own place,” Honey said.
Trixie put the flowers in water, and began filling Honey in on developments on one of their current cases, an insurance investigation.

Honey was in the tiny office kitchen making coffee when the phone rang. She knew Trixie was in the office so she’d let her answer it. She heard Trixie pick up the phone.
Honey could only hear Trixie’s side of the conversation, but she just knew it was him.
She moved a little closer to the door, hoping to pick up some clue to his identity, but she wasn’t to be so lucky, all she discovered was that he was meeting Trixie for dinner tomorrow night. Honey walked back into the office as Trixie was hanging up the phone. She handed Trixie her coffee and sat behind her desk. She knew Trixie would be expecting her to ask who’d been on the phone, but she wasn’t going to be so predictable. She  pulled a notepad in front of her and pretended to be busy working. She jumped when a balled up piece of paper bounced in front of her. She looked over to see Trixie grinning at her.
“I know you’re dying to ask who that was.”
Honey tried to look offended, but burst into giggles. “You know me too well. Are you going to tell me?”
“No. But I could tell you were nearly ready to burst.” she laughed. Honey grinned in reply.


Later that afternoon, Honey started to compile a list of all the males she knew.. She sighed, she’d have to do this systematically, starting with those closest to her. She could cross off Jim since Trixie had said it wasn’t him. Next was Dan. Honey knew that he and Trixie were close, but she had never seen any indication of anything more, plus she thought it would make things a little weird within the group. She started to cross him off but stopped. She had a funny feeling about this. She reached for her address book and dialled Dan’s home phone number. She wasn’t sure if he was working or not,  but Dan answered almost straight away.
“Dan here.”
“Hi Dan, it’s Honey.”
“Hey Honey, what’s up?”
“Oh, nothing much. Actually I was just wondering if you had plans for tomorrow night?”
“I do actually.”
“Oh. I was just thinking of maybe getting to together for a catch up. But maybe some other time?”
“Definitely. I was saying to Trixie the other week that we hardly see each other any more.”
“Maybe we need to have a reunion,” Honey suggested.
“That’s a fantastic idea. We need some time to catch up with what’s happening in each other’s lives.”
“So, Dan. Is there anything happening in your life?” Honey asked
“Just work.”
“No special girl?”
“What makes you ask that?”
“Oh, just curious,” Honey replied innocently. “Just thinking maybe you were taking her out to dinner tomorrow night.”
“Maybe I am.”
“I’m not going to get anything out of you am I?” Honey laughed.
“Nope. Honey, I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to be at a meeting. It’s been great talking to you. We will have to get together some time.”
“You’re on.”

After hanging up, Honey went back to her list. It could just be a coincidence that Dan had plans tomorrow night as well as Trixie, but Dan’s evasiveness made her think that maybe there was more to it. She put a question mark beside his name and moved onto the next on her list, which was her cousin Ben Riker. She crossed that off with a giggle, Trixie and Ben could barely stand each other and were always arguing. Next was Regan, the Wheeler’s groom. Honey crossed him off  since he had a girlfriend and she didn‘t believe that Trixie would get involved with someone else‘s man. Honey moved down the list crossing off names. Ned Shultz, Bob Hubbell, Honey hadn’t seen them in years, and didn’t think Trixie had either, so though it was highly unlikely that Trixie was seeing either of them. Honey kept looking back at Dan’s name. Maybe it was him. The only way to find out would be to discover where Trixie was having dinner, drag Brian along and pretend to accidentally meet them. She looked over at Trixie’s desk. Trixie wouldn’t be back for a while yet. Perhaps she’d written the name down somewhere. She stood up and walked over to Trixie’s desk. With a quick glance at the door, she started lifting papers. She had no idea how Trixie managed to find anything in this mess. She couldn’t see a restaurant name anywhere. Maybe they had a regular place so she didn’t need to remember the name. There had to be a way of finding out. She couldn’t follow Trixie as Brian was coming over tomorrow night, and he would not approve of Honey following her. She had a idea! She could go over to Trixie’s later that night, maybe they would’ve gone back to her place after dinner. Of course they could just as easily go back to his place, but Honey was cheered at the thought that she was possibly very close to discovering Trixie’s mystery man.



Di’s apartment,  the following evening.

Honey lay stretched out on the sofa with her feet on Brian’s lap. Honey sighed with pleasure as he massaged her feet.
“That feels so good. Sometimes I wish I could wear sneakers all day.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because it isn’t very professional. It’s bad enough when we get clients coming in, taking one look at Trixie and I and making a hasty exit. I’m not sure whether it’s our sex that’s the problem or our age.”
“I would certainly stick around if I saw how beautiful you were,” Brian said loyally.
“You’re biased. But thank you. I could almost fall asleep here, isn’t it your turn to do supper?”
Brian groaned. “Yes, mistress Honey. Your wish is my command.”
“Oooh,” Honey giggled. “I like the sound of that! Now don’t forget to put extra marshmallows in my hot chocolate.”
“As if I’d dare.” Brian stood up and walked into the small kitchen. Honey stretched out on the sofa, and closed her eyes, as Brian busied himself with the supper preparations. She could here him singing loudly to himself. Honey sat up with surprise as she heard the door open. Di Lynch poked her head around the door she spied Honey, grinned, and came in.
“I wasn’t sure what I’d find,” she laughed.
“Brian’s just making supper,” Honey explained. Just then Brian came out of the kitchen carrying a tray. The two women stared at him with amazement, for Brian
was wearing only a frilly pink apron tied around his waist. When he saw that Honey was not alone, he turned bright red in embarrassment. He didn’t know whether to put down the tray and run, or to carry on as if everything was perfectly normal. Honey just stared at him, she could hardly believe her eyes. Was this really her normally serious boyfriend? She couldn’t help grinning at the sight of his tanned, muscular body covered with only a skimpy piece of material, even though she was acutely aware of his discomfiture. Di, recovering herself decided to lighten the moment.
“Well, well, what have we here then?  A little something extra for supper?” she teased. Honey burst into laughter, and even Brian managed a small smile.
“It was just something I did on the spur of the moment,” Brian confessed. “I didn’t know you’d arrived Di.”
“I think it’s very sweet,” she laughed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go unpack, take a nice hot bath, and leave you two alone to carry on.”
Once Di had left, Honey reached out her arms. “Come here,” she demanded. Brian needed no further encouragement.

Honey told Di her plan for discovering Trixie’s new man but didn’t tell her whom she suspected. Di was somewhat reluctant to join Honey’s investigation but agreed to accompany Honey to Trixie’s. She did admit that she too was curious to find out for herself. They told Brian that they were going out for coffee, and walked the fifteen minutes to Trixie’s apartment. They stood outside the building.
“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” Di asked worriedly. Honey turned to her.
“Of course we are. By doing this we put our minds at rest that Trixie’s not making some big mistake, and we can encourage her in this new relationship.”
“It still seems rather sneaky.”
“I know. But Di, there really was no other way. I hate going behind Trixie’s back, but it is for her own good.”
“Alright then, let’s get this over and done with. Maybe she won’t be home,” Di said hopefully. She followed Honey through the doors and up the stairs to Trixie’s apartment. They stood outside the door looking at each other. Honey took a deep breath.
“Well, here goes,” she said, anticipation and nervousness coursing through her. She knocked on the door. There was no answer. Honey raised her hand to knock again when she heard footsteps across the floor. There was the sound of a chain being unlatched and then the door was slowly opened to reveal a rather rumpled Trixie clad only in a satin bathrobe.
“What are you two doing here? She demanded. Honey and Di were not listening to her, they were staring past her shoulder to the open bedroom door, their mouths agape at whom they saw in Trixie’s bed.

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