The Mystery of the Emeralds (17 page)

Hmmm!
Trixie thought to herself.
Apparently Jenkins didn’t tell Neil about the message in the locket, or he wouldn’t think the idea so crazy
. Then, aloud, she asked, “Do you still think they’re there?”

“I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t care. They’ve got me in enough hot water already. I just hope
you
find ’em before
he
does!”

“So do we!” Trixie said earnestly. “But I might as well be frank with you—
So
far we’ve had no luck.”

Mr. and Mrs. Lynch were walking up and down in front of the cottage as they drove up. It was obvious from the look on their faces that they were worried about the Bob-Whites getting back so much later than usual, but Di hurried to set their minds at ease. Then their anxiety gave way to curiosity when they saw Neil in the car.

“This is our friend Neil,” Di said, “and he’d like to talk to you, Daddy, if you have a few minutes.”

Mr. Lynch gave Di and Neil an appraising look and then said, “Suppose we go inside where we’ll have some privacy, and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I’d like to have Di and Trixie come with me, if you don’t mind,” Neil said. “This was sort of their idea, and I’d feel better if they were along.” His face reddened as he said this, but Mr. Lynch was quick to reassure him.

“Of course, of course,” he said. “You others go for a swim while we have a little chat, and then we’ll meet in time for dinner.” Putting his arm around Neil’s shoulder he went into the cottage, followed by Trixie and Di.

Trixie realized that the time had come to tell Mr. Lynch about the letter she had found in the attic at Crabapple Farm and the circumstances of her first meeting with Neil. He listened attentively to her story, smiling occasionally when Trixie’s enthusiasm made her get ahead of herself and forced her to backtrack in her account of what had happened.

“And did you all plan to meet Neil down here and hunt for the treasure?” he asked when Trixie had finished.

“No, sir,” Neil spoke for the first time. “I came down on my own hook.” Then he went on to tell about his encounter with Jenkins and his change of heart about going on with the search.

“So you see, Daddy,” Di broke in, “we hoped you’d have some suggestion about where Neil might get work or something.”

“Then I take it no one has found the necklace.” Mr. Lynch looked from one to the other.

“No,” Trixie answered. “That is,
we
haven’t—and so far as we know, Jenkins hasn’t, either.”

“Well, that’s something I’ll have to leave up to you, I guess. Treasure hunts are a little out of my line.” He smiled indulgently at the two girls. “But Neil’s problem is something I may be able to do something about.”

“Oh, I knew you would, Daddy!” Di said fervently. “What do you plan?”

“Well, that’s a good question, dear,” her father replied. “Several things suggest themselves to me, but it will take a little time to decide what’s best for this young man. Suppose you come back tomorrow about this time and we’ll talk again.”

“That’ll be great, Mr. Lynch!” Neil said. “You can count on me from now on!”

“I’m sure I can,” Di’s father answered, extending his hand to Neil. “And by the way, my boy, how about a small loan to take care of your needs for the next day or so?”

“No, thank you,” Neil said proudly. “I still have some of my pay. I’ll make out just fine!” Then turning a warm smile on Trixie and Di, he said, “Be seeing you,” and he was gone.

“Well, this trip has turned out to be quite a little adventure.” Mr. Lynch laughed. “Of course we don’t really know anything about this Neil, but he impresses me as being sincere, and I’m ready to give him a chance.”

“You’re the greatest!” Di said, giving her father an affectionate kiss. “Now we’d better go and get dressed for dinner. I’m starved. Come on, Trix.”

Trixie was dead tired, but a hot shower and fresh clothes did much to revive her, and by the time they all met for dinner, she had regained most of her natural bounce. After everyone had ordered, Mr. Lynch leaned back in his chair.

“Trixie,” he said, “I didn’t want to show too much curiosity about this necklace while I was talking to Neil a while ago, but now I would like to ask you, in all seriousness, if you really believe there’s a secret passage, let alone an emerald necklace?”

“I know it’s hard to believe, Mr. Lynch,” Trixie answered soberly. “I guess that’s why we didn’t tell you all the details the other day when you told us you suspected we were on the trail of a mystery. Until today there were times when I was ready to give up.”

“What happened today?” Mrs. Lynch asked eagerly. “Did you find any clues?”

“You sound just like a Bob-White, Mummy,” Di said with a laugh. “We’re always asking Trixie if she’s uncovered any more clues. Go on, tell what you found in the music room, Trixie.”

“Well, I just happened to hit on a secret staircase,” Trixie said, “a circular one going down to the cellar and maybe beyond.”

“I love the way she says she ‘just happened’ to hit on it,” Jim chuckled. “Trixie figured the whole thing out after she’d seen the blueprints, with no help from any of us.”

Trixie took a sip of water and hoped that no one noticed the color which she could feel mounting in her cheeks. Honey, realizing how embarrassed Trixie was, began to elaborate on the discovery so attention would be drawn away from her friend for a few minutes. By the time she had finished, dinner was served and they became so engrossed in the delicious Southern fried chicken, corn fritters, and buttery mashed potatoes, that conversation lagged and Mr. Lynch seemed in no hurry to press the Bob-Whites for more details. Then, after they had managed to make away with an assortment of luscious sundaes, he asked very casually if they were planning to pursue their exploration of the secret staircase the next day.

“Oh, of course!” Trixie cried. “It’s our last chance. It’s tomorrow or never, at least never for us.” She wondered why Mr. Lynch smiled as she said this. It was almost as though he had a secret he wasn’t willing to share just yet.

“I must try to get out to Green Trees before we go home,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot about it and what a wonderful job of restoration they’re doing. Maybe I can make it tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh, I’d love to have you see it!” Trixie replied with enthusiasm.

“And you really should meet Mr. Carver,” Di added. “He’s a marvelous person. You and Mummy would like him, I know.”

Just as they were going into the cottage after dinner the phone rang. Mrs. Lynch answered it and then called Trixie. “It’s for you, dear,” she said, handing the receiver over.

A puzzled look came over Trixie’s face.

Maybe it’s Neil
, she thought.
I can’t imagine who else would be calling me
.

It was apparent immediately that what was being said on the other end of the wire came as a shock, for Trixie slumped into the chair near the telephone, a look of bewilderment coming over her face.

“He
has?
” the others heard her say. “Where? When?”

After listening for a moment longer she ended the conversation.

“Yes, we’ll be out in the morning,” she said. “Around ten? Yes. I’ll try not to worry. Thanks, Mr. Carver.”

She slowly replaced the receiver in its cradle. Then, looking up, her face a picture of despair, she said, “I guess you heard. It was Mr. Carver. Jenkins has just phoned to tell him he has found the necklace!”

“Oh, no!” Honey cried. “I can’t believe it.”

“He’s coming over with it in the morning, and Mr. Carver wanted us to be there,” Trixie added.

“Did Mr. Carver say what kind of deal Jenkins wants to make?” Mr. Lynch asked. “Because from what you tell me about the fellow, I’m sure he has something up his sleeve.”

“No,” Trixie replied. “He just said Jenkins was coming and wanted to talk with him.” She obviously was making a valiant effort to keep the tears back.

“Well, I hate to have you go out there alone and run the risk of getting into any kind of trouble,” Mr. Lynch said. “But with the boys along, I’m sure you’ll be able to cope with Jenkins. I’d go with you but I have an
important engagement in the morning. However, I’ll come out right after I’ve finished.”

“Well, knowing how Jenkins acted when Lizzie James threatened him, I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Trixie assured him. “But there’s no knowing what he plans to do with the emeralds.”

Although the Bob-Whites retired early, hoping that sleep would blot out the awful disappointment they all felt, it was not easy for any of them to put it out of their minds. Trixie’s brain was in a turmoil. Even though she kept telling herself that she should be glad for Mr. Carver’s sake that the jewels had been found, she couldn’t mask the despair she felt because the Bob-Whites hadn’t been the ones to discover them. She faced the next day with a heavy heart.

The Bob-Whites were in just as depressed a mood the next morning as they had been the night before. All the excitement of the vacation trip seemed to have evaporated. After they had ridden toward Green Trees for some time in silence, Trixie said, “You know, I wouldn’t have cared half so much if anybody else had found the emeralds—Miss Bates, or Mr. Carver, or even Neil, but
Jenkins!
It makes me boil just to think of it!”

“I can’t wait to hear what he has to say,” Honey said. “And how he found them.”

“Well, I still can’t believe it’s true,” Trixie mused. “He probably stumbled across the entrance to the passage where some of the masonry had caved in.”

“I wonder if he’s at Green Trees yet?” Mart speculated. “Now that he has the necklace, I don’t suppose Mr. Carver is in any more danger from him.”

“It’s funny,” Trixie frowned, “but I still don’t know if Jenkins actually stole the message from the locket yesterday, or even if Mr. Carver remembers if he did.”

“It’s possible he could have had a spell of amnesia from that blow on his head,” Brian said.

“You mean he actually may not remember what went on before he fell out of his chair?” Di asked.

“That sort of thing sometimes happens,” Brian replied.

“Do they ever remember later on?” Honey pursued.

“Sometimes yes, sometimes not,” Brian said. “Actually, very little is known about how the brain stores up impressions, or what really causes temporary lapses of memory.”

“Maybe we’ll find out more about it when we see Mr. Carver and Jenkins this morning,” Trixie said.

As they were approaching the house they saw Jenkins walking hastily across the lawn toward the terrace. They waited long enough for him to go inside before putting in an appearance themselves. Mr. Carver was at the door when they arrived. He welcomed them cordially and asked them to come in and meet his neighbor.

It was evident that Jenkins hadn’t expected the Bob-Whites to be there, for when he saw them the crooked smile disappeared from his face and his jaw dropped in disbelief. It took him several seconds to regain enough composure to respond as Mr. Carver
introduced the Bob-Whites by their first names.

Following Trixie’s cue, none of them let on they had ever seen Jenkins before. This seemed to confuse the man further, and he twisted uncomfortably in his chair. When Mr. Carver asked him coldly to state his business, he looked from one to the other as if uncertain of the wisdom of speaking with the young people present.

“Maybe I ought to come back later,” Jenkins said in a whining voice. “Neil, the boy, said you had an accident you don’t remember.…”

As he said this, it seemed to Trixie he was searching, feeling Mr. Carver out to see if he indeed remembered anything about the fall he had taken. Trixie glanced at the Bob-Whites. Each of them, she knew, realized that Jenkins was projecting a lie—that he knew very well what had happened to Edgar Carver.

“Never mind the sympathy, Jenkins,” Mr. Carver said with a wave of his hand. “The accident is my affair.… I don’t even remember what happened. These young people are all friends of mine, so you go right ahead and state your business.”

Trixie saw the look of relief in Jenkins’s face as he heard Mr. Carver confess that he remembered nothing of the accident. He then fumbled in the pocket of his worn tweed riding coat and drew out a small tin box.
He didn’t open it, but got up and, walking over to Mr. Carver, handed it to him.

“This is the box I found at Rosewood Hall,” he said gruffly. “I figured since your family and the folks that used to live at Rosewood were pretty close you might be interested in it.”

Mr. Carver opened the box and gazed for a long time at the contents. Then he handed it to Trixie.

“Mr. Jenkins has apparently come across something of considerable value, Trixie. He found this in the ruins of Rosewood Hall,” he said sadly. “They are truly beautiful gems, aren’t they?”

Trixie took the little box and forced herself to look inside. She couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes.

“Why, yes,” she said with some hesitation, “it’s a lovely necklace. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

She held it up for Di and Honey to see, giving them a covert wink, and they, too, said it was beautiful. Then she closed the box and turned her attention to the cover. Although it was quite rusty, it still showed signs of printing on the top. No one seemed to notice Trixie’s absorption in it. They were too busy listening to Jenkins who, now that the necklace had been so much admired, was becoming more expansive by the minute.