Book 3- Annie Adams-College Years

Annie Adams-College Years

                                                                                      Chapter 19

                                                                               A Break in the Case

     The next few months seemed to pass quickly for Annie, and soon it was the first of May; which meant warm weather, blue skies and blooming pink and white Dogwood trees.  And the trees weren't the only thing that was blooming.   Annie's friend Harmony was one week away from her due date.  Seeing that Annie was carrying twins, she also looked like she could give birth at any moment.   But Annie wasn't due until the middle of June.

     The last day of the first year of college for Annie and her friends was to end on June first of that year and it looked like it would end, without the capture of the thief or thieves who had stolen the grant money from Dean Hardgrove's office safe.  Len and his deputies had come by the college at least once a week over the passed month.

     They had questioned again all the students and professors alike as to where they were at the time of the robbery.... with no new results.  Most had good alibis and those who didn't....well, there was no proof to say they were lying, when they said they were at home alone doing various activities.

     Annie, Beth, Patti, Trish and Harmony had followed the blond girl and dark haired boy home several times over the last few months.  But the couples' routine never varied.  The two of them drove from College to their home, and in all the times Annie and her friends had observed them, they stayed there until at least eight o'clock at night, when the girls had no choice but to leave.

     Annie had wondered at times if the couple knew she and the others were watching them, so they had just stayed in until they saw Annie's van pull away.  But then Annie finally dismissed that idea.  After all she had found a perfect place to park the van behind a grove of trees, but where she and the other girls could still see the couple's driveway where their car was parked.

     Of Course Annie and her friends couldn't watch the house twenty four hours a day.  So there were many times where the detectives didn't know where the couple was, or what they were doing.  Annie and the girls hadn't told Zack, Eric, Jamie and Charles what they were up to.  And the group had made Len promise he wouldn't either.  Annie said she felt like Charles would not have wanted Harmony to be involved.  Charles had become very protective of his wife.

     Annie's "Gut Feeling" regarding the suspicious couples' involvement in the theft at the school, just would not go away.  Beth came up with an idea to take her friends' mind off of what she called her "obsession" with the couple.  She was giving Annie and Harmony a combined baby shower, along with Trish and Patti.

     Beth arranged to have the shower at a pavilion in a nearby park; pink and white Dogwoods blooming all around.  The park was also surrounded by tall pine trees reaching toward the sky. On the day of the shower the sun shone brightly and the temperature was a perfect seventy two degrees.  A beautifully decorated cake with the words, "Congratulations Annie and Harmony" sat in the pavilion on a table draped in a white cloth with colorful streamers wrapped all around it.  The gift table and the others around the room were strewn with colorful confetti at each place setting; and a small vase of daisies and baby's breath made up the centerpieces on each one. 

     Annie's guest list began with Len's mother Claire, Aunt Anne and Annie's best friend Jeanie Cartwright from back home in Kentucky. Jeanie had flown in with Aunt Anne and both were visiting for a few days with Len and Annie. The original "Mystery Club Detectives," were invited:  Josie, who was Zack Landrake's mom, along with Claire, Molly, Emily, and Rose.  Annie called Miss Leighton and asked the beloved headmistress at Ridgemont to come.  And several friends of Annie's and Harmony's from the  Waterbury College were invited also.

     Everyone had a wonderful time eating cake and ice cream while chatting happily with each other.  The guests enjoyed playing games and watching Harmony and Annie squealing with delight at the gifts they received.  The party started at two o'clock pm and ended at four o'clock in the afternoon.   Annie and Harmony graciously thanked their guests for coming, and their generous gifts as they were leaving.  Len's mother Claire gave Annie and Harmony hugs and kisses while saying that she and her husband Richard had plans for dinner, or she would have lingered longer.

     Aunt Anne gave both girls a hug and peck on the forehead, and then said that she needed to go back to Annie's place and have a rest.  Because although it had been pleasant day it had also been a long one for her.  Jeanie was staying to help clean up and spend time with her friend that she hadn't seen for so long.  Aunt Anne gave her a kiss too and then left in her rental car.

     Miss Leighton and Josie and her friends gave the girls hugs and then they left too.  A few of the college friends stayed to help in the clean up and then they were on their way also.  That just left Annie and her friends to load the gifts in the car and clean up what was left of the trash.  Annie was putting a light weight, but large package in the trunk of her van when Patti poked her arm.  "What?"  Annie asked, while sliding the box into place between two smaller boxes.

     "Look!" Patti said, pointing to a picnic table about fifty yards away.  Annie leaned around the back of her vehicle to see what Patti was pointing to.  "Isn't that Professor Barr-our Criminology teacher?  And look whose with him!" she added.  Everyone was now staring at the picnic table with wide eyes.

     "Why....that's the couple we've been tailing!" Trish said incredulously.  "Oh my.  It is."  Harmony whispered.  "Y..e..s.. it is," Annie agreed, drawing out the word.  "Oh boy," Beth said in a subdued voice and staring warily at her friend knowing what was coming next.  Jeanie turned to face Annie and said, "What's going on?"

     "It's a long story Jeanie.  We can all fill you in when we get in the car," she said, as the professor and the suspicious couple made their way across the lawn, to a side parking lot about a hundred yards away where a blue sedan waited.  Annie gave her friends a glance before she jumped in the van behind the wheel.  "I just knew it!" Beth said, climbing in beside her.

     "Are y'all with me in this thing?"  Annie asked before she pulled away.  At first, everyone except Beth nodded.  Jeanie nodded too, even though she didn't have the faintest idea what she was agreeing to.  But as Annie pulled out of the parking lot and stopped,  waiting until the three people in the sedan got on their way, Beth looked at her friend and said, "I may not always agree with you, but I always have your back."  Annie grinned at her and whispered, "Thanks."

     Suddenly something occurred to Jeanie and she squealed, "Hey!  Are y'all on a case here?"  Her brown eyes shone as she said it.  "Yes.  unofficially," Annie answered.  Jeanie was elated.  All these years she had wished she could go to Ridgemont so she could be a Mystery Club Detective too, and now was her chance. So she shouted with glee,  "Hot dog!  Let's go!"

                                                                           End of Chapter 19