Book 1-Annie Adams and the Mystery Club Detectives

Annie Adams and the Mystery Club Detectives

     Then Patti opened her eyes.  "Thank you Annie," she said with a peaceful look on her face.  Annie gave her a big grin.  "It was my pleasure," she said.  "And I'm so happy for you." she added.  "May I sit with you and your friends at church....well, not this Sunday, but when I'm able to?"  "Sure."  Annie said readily.  "I wonder what Daphne will say when I tell her I'm a Christian now?"

      She looked a little worried.  "God will take care of that too."  Annie assured her.  "Really?"  Patti asked.  "I'm certain,"  Annie answered, squeezing her hand.  Suddenly, Patti's parents walked into the room.  "Oh Patti!" her mother cried, when she saw all the swelling and her daughter's head wrapped in bandages and her right leg in a cast.

     The E.M.T.'s guess about Patti's leg just being a sprain, had proved not to be true.  Of course, everyone concerned was hoping he was right.  "I'm going to be fine Mom."  Patti told her, as Mrs. Ramsey planted a kiss on her nose, which was about the only un-hurt place on her daughter's face.  Annie moved away so Patti's parents could stand beside her bed.

     Just then the doctor appeared at the door.  "Annie.  Miss Leighton wants to take you to lunch.  She says you haven't eaten all day."  "Yeah, okay.  I am a little hungry," she admitted.  Then Annie turned to Patti,  "Now don't give your nurses any trouble."  Pattie chuckled.  "I won't," she promised.  "I'll come see you before I leave."  Annie told her.  "You'd better,"  Patti said with a wave as Annie and the doctor left the room.

     When the two of them reached the waiting room, Mr. Hartman the headmaster of Ridgewest was talking with Sheriff Cooper, while sitting in a corner, heads together, obviously in heavy conversation.  They both glanced up when Annie and Miss Leighton came into the room.  Sheriff Cooper nodded a hello and Mr. Hartman gave a small wave.  The headmistress and Annie gave them a smile and walked down the hallway.

     "Let's see what the cafeteria has to offer.  Shall we?"  Miss Leighton said.  "Okay,"  Annie answered.  It occurred to Annie at that moment that she was giving a lot of one word answers that day.  She reasoned it was probably because she felt sort of worn out, and that she hadn't eaten yet that day.  She felt that even talking, was beginning to drain her of energy.

     Annie realized how hungry she was when her "plain" hotdog on a bun, cold slaw and chips set on a plate before her.  She had to remind herself not to rush through her prayer, or gorge herself on her meal.  Both of these things were two of Miss Leighton's pet peeves.  Annie was glad when her headmistress began a conversation.  She figured it would slow down her eating.

     "So young lady, you've had a busy day."  Miss Leighton said, sipping her tea.  Annie swallowed a bite of food so she could respond.  "I guess I have."  She said casually.  "Thank you for being so kind to Patti.  I know there were times she was cruel to you; in words anyway."  Miss Leighton praised her.   Annie half smiled, and shrugged, then swallowed her bite of hotdog.

     "She wasn't in any shape to be unkind today," Annie said.  "And besides,..."  Annie continued, "She was hurt, badly hurt, she needed me.  If I hadn't helped her, she wouldn't be my friend now."  Annie smile at her again and dug into her cold slaw.  "You helped change her life Annie."  Miss Leighton knowingly.  Annie didn't ask her how she knew that, but gulped down her cold slaw and said, boldly.  "God changed her life.  He just used me to do it."

     Her headmistress beamed at her.  "How did you get to be so smart?"  "I came from good genes."  Annie said proudly.  Miss Leighton laughed quietly.

     When lunch was done, Miss Leighton and Annie sought out Sheriff Cooper.  Annie remembered she'd promised to see Patti before she left.  Mrs. Leighton told her she could go, then she headed off to talk with Sheriff Cooper , while Annie headed through the double doors to Patti's room.

     The two girls exchanged phone numbers, before they said their goodbyes.  Patti promised to call when she was, "getting out of here,"  as she put it.  Annie promised to meet her on the school's steps to welcome her home.

     Miss Leighton, Sheriff Cooper and Mr. Hartman were having a conversation with Patti's parents when Annie came back in.  Her headmistress said her goodbyes to the others,  Annie couldn't help noticing that she received a big smile from the headmaster, which made Miss Leighton blush a little.  Annie could put two and two together pretty well.  She knew that Ridgewest headmaster had been responsible for convincing her headmistress not to resign.  She smiled at the thought that the two of them obviously liked each other.

     Annie and Miss Leighton arrived back at the school at around 1:30 in the afternoon.  The pretty weather of the morning had drastically changed.  Even though there was no rain as yet, dark clouds moved menacingly across the gray sky; lightening flashed, and the thunder rolled.  Rain started to fall just as Annie and the headmistress reached the entry steps, and they hurried inside.

     "Thanks for lunch!"  Annie called as she raced up the staircase.  Miss Leighton called back, "You're welcome!"  Then she smiled and shook her head in amusement, as she stepped into her office and closed the door behind her.

     Annie was almost to her dorm room when she stopped.  She wanted to call Collin, but she wanted to do it in private.  She decided to go to the common room.  So she hurried down the back stairs, down the hallway, as a few of her fellow students called a hello after her.  Annie waved at them and continued on.

     But when she peeked into the common room, she was disappointed to find it was full of her classmates.  Too many people for that private conversation she wanted to have with Collin.  "Oh, the heck with it," she said, and she sat down against the wall several feet away from the archway, then pushed on Collin's name on her contact list.

     "Are you okay?"  He asked immediately.  Annie thought he sounded upset.  "I'm fine."  Annie  reassured him.  "Just tired."....."I know the name of the guy who beat up Patti.  It's all over the school."....."Who is it?"  Annie asked, feeling a bit angry. ....."Ken Sawyer," Collin answered.  Then added, "How's Patti?"  Annie sighed.  "She's going to be alright.  But her left leg is broken, she had 20 stitches under her right eye, her face is swollen, so she's almost unrecognizable."

     "She had a concussion and bruises all over her body."  Annie's heart thumped out a fast beat as she told Collin about Patti's injuries....."Annie.  You are such a good person to be so kind  to Patti after the horrible way she treated you,"  Collin praised her.  "I just did what anyone with a heart would do."  Annie mumbled, thankful that her heart beat was slowing.

     Then out of nowhere, she began pouring her heart out to him.  "Collin.  It was so scary."  Annie hardly noticed the tears trickling down her cheeks.  "Ive never seen anything as terrible as I saw today.  And I hope I never will again."  She ended sobbing softly.

     Collin was very anxious for you at this point.  "Annie.  Why don't you go see the nurse."  Annie breathed deeply and wiped away her tears, and said evenly.  "I'm okay.  I think the day is just hitting me now.  That's all."....."I wish I could comfort you in person."  Collin said...." I wish you could too."  Annie admitted, surprised that she would have said that...."Promise me, if you get to feeling sick, you'll go see the nurse,"  Collin Pleaded.

     "I promise.  And Collin, I think I will go lie down for a while,"  Annie told him.  "Good.  Let me know how you are doing."  Collin told her.  "I will."  Annie promised. "And I'll see you at the activity day tomorrow."  Collin said in an upbeat voice.  "What if it's raining?"  Annie asked him, as a great clap of thunder rattled the windows.  "They'll have it inside,"  Collin said laughing.

     "Please go lie down now."  Collin begged her.  He could tell that something wasn't right with Annie.  "I'm going now.  I am feeling a bit groggy."  Annie admitted.  "I'd say so,"  Collin agreed.  "See you tomorrow."  Collin said.  "See ya."  Annie replied and rang off.  Talking with Collin had made her feel better emotionally, her physical condition, she wasn't sure about.  She felt a little dizzy.

     She didn't run up the stairs this time, but walked slowly up to her room.  She opened the door to see four girls sitting on the twin beds, instead of the usual three.  Annie blinked in wonder as she stared at the fourth girl.  Annie's heart was racing again, and she now felt very dizzy.  And that was the last thing she remembered before she passed out.