The Mystery at Saratoga

and not be able to get what he needs until we find him—if we find him.”
    Trixie looked solemn, and she was silent for a moment as she thought over what Honey had said. Finally she shook her head. “We have to keep the secret a little longer, Honey. I don’t know why I feel that way, because everything you say is true. But I just think keeping quiet about the boots is the right thing to do.” She forced herself to look directly into Honey’s worried hazel eyes, hoping she was projecting a confidence that she didn’t entirely feel.
    “Let’s go to dinner,” Honey said, replacing her worried look with a cheerful smile. “We’re on vacation, after all!”
    The girls were subdued when they entered the dining room and took their places at the candlelit table where Honey’s parents were already sitting. After the girls assured Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler that the drive up from Sleepyside had been a pleasant one and that they had enjoyed their walk around Saratoga that afternoon, conversation ceased as everyone studied the huge, leather-covered menus.
    “Do you girls know what you’d like?” Mrs. Wheeler asked after a few moments.
    Trixie giggled. “It takes me a long time to get through a menu like this, Mrs. Wheeler, because I have to read all the descriptions of the dishes; none of them are things I’m familiar with. Even so, instead of one of the fancy dishes with French names, what I’d like is prime rib. It’s something I don’t get at home, where there are six mouths to feed.”
    “I’m in the mood for fish, so I’ll have the red snapper,” Honey said.
    “Fine,” Mr. Wheeler said, beckoning to the waiter. “Your mother and I decided this afternoon that we were both hungry for lobster, so I guess we’re ready to order.” He gave the waiter their orders, then turned back to the girls. “I think you’ll both enjoy the plans I’ve made for tomorrow, if you don’t mind getting out of bed at the crack of dawn.”
    “The earlier we get started, the more we’ll be able to see,” Trixie told him.
    “That’s exactly what I thought,” Mr. Wheeler said. “So I’ve arranged for the three of us to attend the workouts at the track tomorrow morning, while my wife indulges her love of shopping. It’s something that most visitors to Saratoga don’t get to see, because the security restrictions at the track are pretty tight. But Mr. Worthington was able to get clearance for us, so you’ll get to see the horses and jockeys working out in the morning and then watch them race in the afternoon.”
    “That sounds super, Mr. Wheeler. I hope you’ll thank Mr. Worthington for us,” Trixie said.
    “Oh, you’ll be able to do that yourself,” he assured her. “Mr. Worthington will be at the workout tomorrow morning; he has horses racing at Saratoga this week.”
    “I was hoping I’d get a chance to ask him some questions,” Trixie blurted. “I—I mean, to ask someone some questions about horse racing,” she finished lamely.
    Mr. Wheeler didn’t seem to notice Trixie’s near slip of the tongue. “Mr. Worthington would be a good person to talk to about racing,” he told her. “He’s been racing horses at the finest tracks in the country for a number of years.”
    At least seven years , anyway , Trixie thought, because that's when Regan worked for him. I wonder if I'll be able to find out anything from talking to him.
    Trixie was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice the waiter standing beside her, holding the tray of food. When Honey called her name across the table, Trixie started, then blushed and stammered, “I—I’m sorry. I was thinking about—-about the track.”
    Mrs. Wheeler laughed. “It’s a true horse lover who’d rather think about horses than eat, Trixie.” Trixie looked at the huge slab of beautifully cooked, lean, pink meat on her plate and at the baked potato topped with sour cream and a sprinkling of finely cut chives. “Then I guess I’m not a true horse lover,” she said ruefully, “because now that I’ve seen this food, I’d much rather eat!”
    “Me, too!” Honey agreed enthusiastically. “I didn’t realize it until I saw the food, but I’m starved!” The two girls turned their total attention to their food, trading portions of fish and prime rib and sampling some of the lobsters that the Wheelers skillfully extracted from the shell and gave to them.
    After dinner, the girls left Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler to enjoy their coffee while they went to