Book 1-Annie Adams and the Mystery Club Detectives

Continue Annie Adams and the Mystery Club Detectives

                                                                                          Chapter 8

                                                                                     New Members

     "I can't believe this!"  Annie said more loudly than she wanted to.  Beth gave her a worried look, so she lowered her voice.  "What are the odds of finding someone who knew my Mom here?"  Zack raised a brow and cast her a look that said, "Actually pretty good."  Annie blushed and said, Oh, yeah.  I guess I forgot where I was for the moment."

     "Hey.  You guys are allowed to visit our common room today, right?    A couple of the boys nodded.   She looked quickly around the grounds.  It looked like most of the students were still enjoying the great outdoors.   Then she glanced specifically at Zack.  "I want to show you something."  Zack raised a brow again, looking confused and interested at the same time.

     "I'm game."  Zack said immediately.  The rest of the boys agreed.  Beth, Katie and Trisha were quite sure what Annie wanted to show their new friends.  Annie led the way into the school, the others following her.  When they reached the cement steps leading into the school, Daphne and Patti were on their way down.

     Annie and her friends made an isle to let them pass.  "Oh, goody."  Beth mumbled in an irritated way.  When Patti and Daphne were even with Annie and her friends, they paused and stared dumbfounded at the handsome boys interspaced between Annie, Beth, Katie and Trisha.  Seeing the baffled looks on the two girls faces, Annie had to suppress a giggle and then said politely, "Daphne, Patti, have a nice day."

     Both girls stared confusedly at her and continued down the steps without saying a word.  No one said anything about Daphne and Pattie until all were seated in the common room.  And before Collin could ask his question,  Annie said, "I'll be right back and raced out the room.  Collin stared after her a moment, and then said,  "What's with those two girls?"   Katie answered immediately.  "They were the first to insult Annie.  And, I might add, my number 1 suspects for the theft of the missing money."

     "What did they say?"  Collin asked, ignoring the last part of Katie's answer.  "They made fun of her accent."  Beth said in an irritated tone.  "How did she handle it?"  Zack asked, before Collin could speak.  "Like she always does...."  Beth glanced at Collin,...."Or almost always," she said, grinning at him.  "She was kind to them.  I don't remember what she said exactly, but...."  Katie had poked Beth in the side, Annie was walking hurriedly toward them with the scrapbook in her hand.

     She took her seat between Beth and Zack on one of the sofas.  She thought she noticed guilty looks on her friends faces, but decided sharing the album with Zack was more important than some secret they might be hiding.  Annie laid the book on the coffee table and Zack leaned in to get a good look at what Annie was going to show him.

     She opened the book and immediately Zack shouted, "That's my Mom!"  He pointed to a dark haired girl sitting next to Annie's mother Sara, in the school photo. " Wow!  She was cute back then.  Everyone laughed.  "So your mom told you about the Mystery Club Detectives?"  Annie said excitedly.

     She was eager to learn any new information about her mom and her friends.  Their club was really cool...."  He hesitated a moment, then spoke softly, my mom, Jeannie, actually, Josie, was what her friends called her.  Josie was my mother's middle name.  Only the club members called her that.  Well, she was your mom's best friend."

     Annie stared intensely at him.  "She was so upset when she heard...." He paused again.  "When she heard about the accident.  She and mom had kept in touch threw the years after school."  He said sympathetically.  "I'm really sorry too Annie."  Zack said, bowing his head.  Annie smiled.  "Thanks.  But she's in heaven now, and I'm sure she's happy."  She said, looking at each friend in turn.

     All her friends but Charlie nodded and smiled at her.  Charlie just raised an eyebrow and gave her a doubtful look.  Annie ignored the look.  She was passionate in her belief.  She began turning the pages slowly so her friends could see Sara and her friends in various funny poses in many rooms of the school and on the grounds;  her friends making comments as she turned the pages.

     "That's it," she said, closing the book.  "It's so cool that you have these memories of your mom and her friends."  Zack said, smiling at her.  "My mom said that being in the Mystery Club   was the most fun she'd ever had."  Zack assured Annie.  "My Mom said the same thing."  Annie told him.  "But you were just a little kid when she...."  "When she died."  Annie finished for him.  "Well, yeah."  He said nodding.  "So how do you know that?"

     "She left me a letter in case anything happened to her."  Annie said simply.  "She told me in the letter."  There was silence for a moment.  "Well, that's great."  Zack said awkwardly.  Annie giggle at the look on his face.  "Yes.  It means so much to me.  And of course my aunt and uncle told me everything about her too.

     It would be so cool to resurrect the Mystery Club Detectives."  Jamie said in an excited voice.  The girls looked warily at each other.  Collin and the other boys didn't miss the look that passed between the girls.  Collin raised his brows and gave Annie a knowing lop-sided grin.  "You have, haven't you?" he asked, now smirking at her.

     Annie just stared at him, wondering what to say.  She found him so nice to look at, she had trouble compiling her thoughts.  All the while in the silence, her friends cast her nervous looks.  Annie shook her head to clear it, and said, "Well, actually, we have."  Zack nearly jumped two feet off the sofa.

     "listen guys!  This is a secret!  At least as far as the rest of the school goes, and now the boys school too...."  Collin interrupted her.  "We won't say a word."  He promised, looking at Zack, Jamie and Charlie for agreement.  "No. of course not."  Jamie said fervently.  " You can trust us."  Zack assured her.  "For sure."  Charlie agreed.

     "This is so great!"  Zack said much too loudly, then covered his mouth in shame.  Luckily, for all of them,  the only two people in the room were sitting near the archway with earphones  in their ears listening to music, and never batted an eye or looked up.  "Well.  I guess we'll have to keep a close eye on our weakest link."  Collin said quietly and glancing at Zack, who turned red, and uttered, "Sorry."

     Annie led in the laughter that followed.  "I wish we could help in catching the thief, or thieves."  Jamie said wishfully.  "That would be nice...." Beth said, "But after all we're not in the same school, and I think everyone assumes it was a Ridgemont student who stole the money.  I just don't know what you boys could do to help."  Zack's face in particular was very downcast.  It was obvious to everyone that he wanted to continue his mother's legacy.   Suddenly, everyone heard a deep male voice call from the archway.  "Well, there you all are!