Book 1-Annie Adams and the Mystery Club Detectives

Continue Annie Adams and the Mystery Club Detectives

                                                                                       Chapter 4

                                                                               Something's Missing

     Annie and Beth woke up on Saturday morning around 8 am to many footsteps in the hall and also coming up the staircases.  Annie was barely out of bed when there was a knock at the door.  But she rubbed her eyes and went to answer it.  "Hey!"  Trisha said.  "It seems like half the student body arrived today."  Annie yawned and said, "Sounds like it."

     Suddenly, the girls heard giggles and excited voices that no doubt went with the footsteps in the hall.  "Come on in."  Beth said; Trisha was still standing in the hall.  Trisha grinned, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.  "I got my roommate!"  She announced.  "And she's the cutest thing. She has curly red hair and dimples and she's really nice."  Trisha gushed.

     "Well, that's good that she's nice, since you'll be living with her for quite a while."  Trisha said, with a giggle.  Then she looked over at Annie, who was pulling her quilt over her pillow.  "Shall I get dressed first?"  Trisha asked her.  "Yeah.  Go ahead."  Annie said with another yawn.  "Didn't you sleep well?"  Trisha asked her.  "Oh, yeah.  It just always takes me a while to wake up."  Trisha giggled again.

     "Oh, I almost forgot.  I met Ruthie coming up here and she said, she found your mother's scrapbook Annie, and she's bringing with her to breakfast."  "That's great!"  Beth hollered from the bathroom.  "Nothing wrong with your hearing!"  Annie called back, then chuckled.  "That's wonderful!"  Annie squealed.  "I knew you'd like that."  Trisha said beaming at her.

     "Breakfast is at 9 you know."  Trisha said looking at her watch.  "It's 8:30."  She said, glancing at the bathroom door.  "Hurry up Beth!  We'll miss breakfast!"  Annie called.

     The three friends arrived at the cafeteria at 8:45.  It was half full of their fellow students.  Ruthie was coming through the kitchen doors with several trays of food on her cart; eggs, sausage, toast and grapefruit was the breakfast menu for today, with milk to drink.

     Ruthie spied the girls standing by the front entrance, and parked her cart and hurried over to them.  "Hi Ruthie!"  the girls chimed.  "Hey girls.  Here you go Annie."  Ruthie said, pulling a large album out of one of her apron pockets and handing it to her.  "Thanks."  Annie breathed.  "I'll give it back to you as soon as we've looked at it."  Annie promised.

     "It's yours."  Ruthie said with a grin.   Annie thought she might cry.  But she held back the onset of emotions, and simply said, "Thanks so much."  "You're welcome."  Ruthie said nodding.  "Now, have a seat, and you girls missed the prayer, so don't forget to say one."  She said sternly, then hurrying back to her trays.

     The girls took seats at an empty table at the back of the cafeteria by the kitchen doors.  They were joined in a few moments by Katie Cohan, Trisha's roommate. Trisha introduced her and then reminded her friends they had to say a prayer.  Which they did.  They had just finished with the "Amen" when Ruthie arrived with their breakfast.

     Annie quickly transferred her album from the table top to her lap.  Katie was being introduced to Ruthie, but she was distracted by the album in Annie's lap, and muttered a, "Hello" to Ruthie, without really looking at her.  "What's that?"  Katie asked Annie as soon as Ruthie left.

     "I can't tell you now."  Annie said.  "But if you come to the common room with us after breakfast, I'll show it too all of you."  She said with a grin.  Katie just nodded because her mouth was now full of food.

     Annie thought it was odd that Miss Leighton wasn't at breakfast, and she voiced her concern to the others as they walked to the common room.  They were all seated on the comfortable sofa, Annie's album in hand when Katie said, "I saw her in the office when I checked in.  She looked....um....like she was freaked out about something."

     Annie stopped in opening her album and stared at her.  "You're from the south!"  Annie squealed happily.  She hadn't noticed earlier because Katie had had her mouth full of food when she spoke.  Katie giggled.  "I wanted it to be a surprise.  Trisha told me how you thought you might be like a southerner in all northern church."  Katie ended.

     "Well, our numbers are going up."  Annie said with a sly grin.  Her friends busted out laughing.