The Mystery of the Antique Doll

that he doesn’t know about the plates. He could want the doll because he’s interested in antique toys. Perhaps someone else is using him to transport these things into the country.”
    Trixie quickly picked up on Brian’s train of thought.
    “You mean someone who knows about the plates, and the fact that they’re inside the doll’s dress, would then come to his shop and buy the doll?”
    “That’s one possibility,” said Mart. “Or perhaps someone intends to steal it from him.”
    “Oh no,” Honey cried. “At this very moment, some awful criminal might be watching us! We could all be in terrible danger. Shouldn’t we tell the police?”
    “That’s the worst thing we could do right now,” Trixie said. “No matter who the actual counterfeiter is, the finger of suspicion points straight at us!”
    “But we didn’t do anything,” Mart said. “Therefore we have nothing to worry about.”
    “Not so, I’m afraid,” Brian answered sadly. “Brian’s right,” Trixie said. “Counterfeiting is a federal crime, and it carries very high penalties. And counterfeiters stand to make a lot of money. I suspect that they’re not very nice if they think someone has gotten in their way.”
    “Or might turn them in,” Brian added. “Well, what can we do?” Honey asked. “It looks as if we’re in trouble if we return the doll, and we’re in trouble if we don’t.”
    “I’ll think of something,” Trixie said. “But before we do anything, let’s try and get this dress tidied up. If it looks neat and clean, we might be able to get away with pretending we don’t know anything.”
    The girls went into the bathroom and washed out the little gown. Then they hung it carefully to dry in Trixie’s room.
    “Tomorrow we can iron it,” Trixie said as Honey was leaving. “Maybe he won’t be able to tell that anything happened to the doll. And perhaps by then I will have figured out what to do.”
    “I certainly hope so,” said Honey. She shivered slightly as she stepped out onto the porch. “Think hard, okay?”
    “Don’t I always?” Trixie said. “Don’t worry.”
    “That’s all very nice to say, Trixie Belden,” Honey said. “You’re usually the biggest worrier of all.” She walked quickly down the steps. “Maybe this time Brian is right. Maybe we did bite off more than we can chew.”
    “Oh my goodness,” Trixie exclaimed suddenly. “I almost forgot! There’s a meeting of the newspaper staff tomorrow after school. That’s really going to mess everything up. Now we have to ask Moms to pick us up. We’ll miss the school bus because of the meeting.”
    “Why don’t we take our bikes tomorrow?” Honey suggested. “That way, we’ll have them after school and we won’t have to bother your mother.”
    “Okay,” Trixie said. “I’ll meet you at the end of the driveway tomorrow morning.”
    “Great,” Honey said. She turned to go. “See you tomorrow, then—and keep thinking hard!”
    “Right,” Trixie said. “See you.”
    Honey quickly made her way along the path between the two houses, and Trixie went upstairs to her room. The doll’s dress hanging in the corner sent a quiver of apprehension dancing down her spine.



10 * Caught!

    THE NEWSPAPER staff meeting after school the next day lasted so long Trixie thought she would sprout grey hairs if they didn’t hurry up and get it over with. Under ordinary circumstances, Trixie liked the staff meetings, but today she had so many things on her mind she just couldn’t keep her attention on any of it.
    “Holy cow!” she said, as they finally ran down the stairs and found their bicycles in the lockup by the side door of the building. “You’d think they had nothing better to do than talk about how much money Mrs. Doherty in the knitting shop plans to make this season!”
    “That is the assignment, you know,” Honey said. “What else should they talk about—the price of tea in Istanbul?”
    Trixie burst out laughing.
    “I do declare, Miz Wheeler,” she teased, affecting a southern accent. “Y’all sound just like my brother Mart.”
    But Honey didn’t laugh. She frowned slightly and straightened up.
    “Have you figured out what we’re going to do about the doll?” Honey asked.
    “Yes,” Trixie answered firmly. She wheeled her bike out onto the sidewalk, and climbed on. “We’re going to go home, iron the dress, and make it look as perfect as we can. We’ll put the plates back inside, and return the doll.