Chapter Three
Lunch at Wimpy’s was uneventful. The two old friends reconnected and mapped out a plan of attack on the Chicago area. They made lists of likely places to check: schools, homeless shelters, hospitals, and more. By the end of the meal, they were comfortable with the task at hand and discussed involving the other Bob-Whites.
“Look, Jim, I want to find Trixie as much as you do or any of the Bob-Whites. My fear is that if we tell any of them what we’re doing, they’ll want to come along,” Brian explained.
“What’s wrong with that? The more people we have, the more places we can look,” Jim argued.
“Agreed,” Brian concurred. “However, if we have them join us, then tell me how we’ll ever manage to keep it from our parents?”
Jim slumped in the booth. He obviously hadn’t thought about that. “Our parents are not going to be happy about us looking are they?” he asked rhetorically.
“Uh… no,” Brian said sarcastically, “Honestly Jim, have you been living under a rock? Our parents are going to freak.”
“Believe me. I know,” Jim groaned. “Mother gets very agitated if either Honey or I are even five minutes late. Heaven forbid we don’t answer our phone.” He shuddered openly at the thought.
“Exactly,” Brian said. “I don’t plan to tell my family where I’m going to be. Not specifically anyway.”
“What are you planning to tell them?” Jim asked, knowing it wasn’t like Brian to lie to his parents, or anyone for that matter.
“The truth,” Brian told him. “That I received an internship working for a renowned doctor doing research for Cincinnati West.” At Jim’s skeptical look he continued, “I’m not planning to tell them that the research is happening in Chicago.”
Jim silently regarded Brian with one eyebrow cocked. After several moments, he spoke. “What happens when they find out you’re in Chicago and not Cincinnati?” he asked, sounding doubtful about Brian’s thought process.
“First, I don’t plan on telling them any lies. Next, I’m not actually telling them I am going to be in Cincinnati. I’m going to let them assume that’s where I am. If they happen to ask me point blank, I won’t lie. I’m just hoping they don’t ask.”
“That still doesn’t answer what you’ll do when they find out,” Jim pointed out.
“When we find Trixie,” Brian told him confidently, “my parents are not going to care, because they’ll have her back.”
“What if we don’t find her?” Jim began uneasily, before Brian cut him off.
“I’m not coming home without her. We will find her,” Brian stated firmly before adding in a softer voice, “I don’t think my family will survive if we don’t.”
“Are things that bad at Crabapple Farm?” Jim asked, concerned for the Beldens.
Brian closed his eyes and gently shook his head as if trying to erase the images he was thinking of. “You could say that. The one this has affected most is Bobby.” He paused to take a long drink from his glass, setting it back down harder than he meant to. “If we don’t find her soon,” he added, “he won’t have any chance of going to college at all. Forget about going away to college.”
The puzzled look Jim gave him spoke volumes and urged Brian on. “Moms won’t let him out of her sight. She even drives him to and from school.” He sighed heavily. “Some days I think she even sits there all day guarding the school to make sure he’s okay.”
“Poor kid,” Jim said, feeling for the youngest Belden, “What does that have to do with him going to college?”
“They’ll refuse to pay for it. Mart and I are lucky we were already enrolled. I can’t speak for Mart, but Moms and Dad each call me four and five times a day, sometimes even more often, especially on the weekends. They’re terrified something is going to happen to one of us.” Brian stopped and shook his head. “They’re driving each other and us crazy. I don’t know how much more we can take.”
This was the first insight Jim had as to how Trixie’s disappearance had effected the Belden family. He had always considered them a tough, close knit family, whose love and support would and could get each of them through anything. Hearing the family was slowly falling apart, he realized how little he had reached out to them to offer his own comfort or support. Inwardly, he berated himself for being so selfish and lost in his own grief that he’d failed to realize how much her family was hurting. Gently, he spoke to Brian now. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked, feeling like the words were too little, too late.
Brian looked him directly in the eye and said, “Help me find my sister.”
It was a long week for both Brian and Jim. They waited patiently for word from Dr. Collier to come so that final plans could be made. They called each other daily with updates. They were slowly beginning to restore their strained friendship.
Finally, Sydney called him. “Brian, Dr. Collier wanted me to reach out to both you and Jim and verify that you still want the positions as his study interns for the summer,” she explained sweetly.
Brian was over-joyed. He knew without directly disobeying his parents, this was his only opportunity to help Trixie. Hurriedly, he rushed to assure Sydney, “We’re all set. We have finals next week. “We can be there as soon as the beginning of the following week.”
Sydney laughed at his excitement and Brian felt he could actually hear her smile. “I’ll inform Dr. Collier of your availability.”
As soon as they ended the call, Brian phoned Jim. Upon his answer Brian excitedly told him, “We got it!”
Jim couldn’t help but laugh at Brian’s childlike enthusiasm, even though he felt it himself. “I had a good feeling about it when I talked to Dr. Collier yesterday.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Jim asked the question, “So, Bri, when and how do we tell our families?”
Brian became strangely quiet. For a moment Jim wondered if they had been cut off.
“Do we have to tell them?” Brian asked before rushing on. “Can’t we just go, and then call when we get there?”
Jim understood exactly what Brian meant. It wouldn’t be taken well. Their families had become very clingy since Trixie’s disappearance.
“I’m with you on that one. But, Brian, if we want to be treated like responsible adults, we’d better act like it,” Jim replied evenly before adding, “Besides, we’ll be together, not off on our own. That should make a difference.”
In the end, they decided to tell their parents at the same time, and together, by inviting them to dinner in the city. They didn’t have time to waste. The following evening was selected.
Lunch at Wimpy’s was uneventful. The two old friends reconnected and mapped out a plan of attack on the Chicago area. They made lists of likely places to check: schools, homeless shelters, hospitals, and more. By the end of the meal, they were comfortable with the task at hand and discussed involving the other Bob-Whites.
“Look, Jim, I want to find Trixie as much as you do or any of the Bob-Whites. My fear is that if we tell any of them what we’re doing, they’ll want to come along,” Brian explained.
“What’s wrong with that? The more people we have, the more places we can look,” Jim argued.
“Agreed,” Brian concurred. “However, if we have them join us, then tell me how we’ll ever manage to keep it from our parents?”
Jim slumped in the booth. He obviously hadn’t thought about that. “Our parents are not going to be happy about us looking are they?” he asked rhetorically.
“Uh… no,” Brian said sarcastically, “Honestly Jim, have you been living under a rock? Our parents are going to freak.”
“Believe me. I know,” Jim groaned. “Mother gets very agitated if either Honey or I are even five minutes late. Heaven forbid we don’t answer our phone.” He shuddered openly at the thought.
“Exactly,” Brian said. “I don’t plan to tell my family where I’m going to be. Not specifically anyway.”
“What are you planning to tell them?” Jim asked, knowing it wasn’t like Brian to lie to his parents, or anyone for that matter.
“The truth,” Brian told him. “That I received an internship working for a renowned doctor doing research for Cincinnati West.” At Jim’s skeptical look he continued, “I’m not planning to tell them that the research is happening in Chicago.”
Jim silently regarded Brian with one eyebrow cocked. After several moments, he spoke. “What happens when they find out you’re in Chicago and not Cincinnati?” he asked, sounding doubtful about Brian’s thought process.
“First, I don’t plan on telling them any lies. Next, I’m not actually telling them I am going to be in Cincinnati. I’m going to let them assume that’s where I am. If they happen to ask me point blank, I won’t lie. I’m just hoping they don’t ask.”
“That still doesn’t answer what you’ll do when they find out,” Jim pointed out.
“When we find Trixie,” Brian told him confidently, “my parents are not going to care, because they’ll have her back.”
“What if we don’t find her?” Jim began uneasily, before Brian cut him off.
“I’m not coming home without her. We will find her,” Brian stated firmly before adding in a softer voice, “I don’t think my family will survive if we don’t.”
“Are things that bad at Crabapple Farm?” Jim asked, concerned for the Beldens.
Brian closed his eyes and gently shook his head as if trying to erase the images he was thinking of. “You could say that. The one this has affected most is Bobby.” He paused to take a long drink from his glass, setting it back down harder than he meant to. “If we don’t find her soon,” he added, “he won’t have any chance of going to college at all. Forget about going away to college.”
The puzzled look Jim gave him spoke volumes and urged Brian on. “Moms won’t let him out of her sight. She even drives him to and from school.” He sighed heavily. “Some days I think she even sits there all day guarding the school to make sure he’s okay.”
“Poor kid,” Jim said, feeling for the youngest Belden, “What does that have to do with him going to college?”
“They’ll refuse to pay for it. Mart and I are lucky we were already enrolled. I can’t speak for Mart, but Moms and Dad each call me four and five times a day, sometimes even more often, especially on the weekends. They’re terrified something is going to happen to one of us.” Brian stopped and shook his head. “They’re driving each other and us crazy. I don’t know how much more we can take.”
This was the first insight Jim had as to how Trixie’s disappearance had effected the Belden family. He had always considered them a tough, close knit family, whose love and support would and could get each of them through anything. Hearing the family was slowly falling apart, he realized how little he had reached out to them to offer his own comfort or support. Inwardly, he berated himself for being so selfish and lost in his own grief that he’d failed to realize how much her family was hurting. Gently, he spoke to Brian now. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked, feeling like the words were too little, too late.
Brian looked him directly in the eye and said, “Help me find my sister.”
It was a long week for both Brian and Jim. They waited patiently for word from Dr. Collier to come so that final plans could be made. They called each other daily with updates. They were slowly beginning to restore their strained friendship.
Finally, Sydney called him. “Brian, Dr. Collier wanted me to reach out to both you and Jim and verify that you still want the positions as his study interns for the summer,” she explained sweetly.
Brian was over-joyed. He knew without directly disobeying his parents, this was his only opportunity to help Trixie. Hurriedly, he rushed to assure Sydney, “We’re all set. We have finals next week. “We can be there as soon as the beginning of the following week.”
Sydney laughed at his excitement and Brian felt he could actually hear her smile. “I’ll inform Dr. Collier of your availability.”
As soon as they ended the call, Brian phoned Jim. Upon his answer Brian excitedly told him, “We got it!”
Jim couldn’t help but laugh at Brian’s childlike enthusiasm, even though he felt it himself. “I had a good feeling about it when I talked to Dr. Collier yesterday.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Jim asked the question, “So, Bri, when and how do we tell our families?”
Brian became strangely quiet. For a moment Jim wondered if they had been cut off.
“Do we have to tell them?” Brian asked before rushing on. “Can’t we just go, and then call when we get there?”
Jim understood exactly what Brian meant. It wouldn’t be taken well. Their families had become very clingy since Trixie’s disappearance.
“I’m with you on that one. But, Brian, if we want to be treated like responsible adults, we’d better act like it,” Jim replied evenly before adding, “Besides, we’ll be together, not off on our own. That should make a difference.”
In the end, they decided to tell their parents at the same time, and together, by inviting them to dinner in the city. They didn’t have time to waste. The following evening was selected.
