The Trail of Mysteries

Chapter 1

The

Trail

of

Discovery

"The library! Come on, let's go!"

"Leave me alone. Can't you see I'm busy?" the boy adjusted the dial on his microscope.

"Yeah, busy looking at little bits of junk" the girl said crossly, her hands on her hips. She moved beyond the doorway into her brother's room.

"Just leave me alone. Go by yourself," said the boy as he rotated through the different lenses on the instrument, not looking up at her. Then satisfied at what he saw, he pulled his head back and looked over at the intruder as she paced ceaselessly back and forth. This marching just inside his doorway made him feel like he was being guarded.

"I can't go by myself! You know that. Mom said we could only go if there are two of us for safety," Liv said agitated.

"OK, I'll go if you'll give me your bottle of top coat."

"Top coat? Why would you want nail polish?" she stopped her pacing to look at him searching what may be behind such a bizarre request.

"I don't want nail polish! I ran of cement for my slides and I still have a few more to do. Your clear coat works just nicely gluing the edges down."

"I wondered why my friends and I keep running out. Sorry, dude. I don't have much left."

She knew his obsession for studying objects. He carried a small field kit with him at all times. Even sometimes carrying a microscope in his backpack.

"Your choice. Take it or leave it. It will be a week before I get my allowance, so maybe about then I'll be ready to go with you."

Liv knew Ty had her. But that was her brother's way. More often than not he knew how to read her. Actually, it was more like he understood her. It was something they felt their parents could not always do. She could also do the same to him. But he was older by two years and that meant that he knew how to work it better to his advantage more often than she could.

Five minutes later their bikes rounded the end of their block and disappeared, Liv leading. She usually rode behind her brother but today she felt a sense of urgency - she needed specific information. The ride to the library downtown was about fifteen minutes from home. But today they made it in ten.

Once their bikes were independently locked to the rack, they walked single file into the brick building. Immediately, as if on command, they split apart one going the opposite way from the other, although both took elevators to the second floor. She went to the periodicals on the left and him to the self-help section on the right.

Going to one of the library's terminals she typed in "mysterious trail stone bridge" under the local search heading. Two articles came up. She arrowed down to highlight the first article. It had the title of "Mysterious Trail Claims Victim?" The article was short and unimaginative, dated about a year ago:

Local truck driver Mac J. Tighten reported yesterday that his long time fiancé, a Miss Angel M. Flower, vanished on a walk she was taking at the edge of town. She was last seen by residents walking by the forest at the eastern edge. After a thorough search of the area revealed no clues, Mr. Tighten accused Police Chief Grobbin Hardwell of 'ignoring vital facts about the mysterious trail'. Upon further investigation, Tighten was brought Judge Holdem on suspicion of first-degree homicide but was later released due to insufficient evidence by the prosecution. The judge, however, cited that since it was common knowledge that Tighten stood to inherit Ms. Flower's house and Mini-Cooper, he would freeze Flower's estate indefinitely until she 'reappears'."