The Mystery of the Castaway Children

Dad!”
    Trixie and Di were soon joined on the porch by the rest of the Beldens and Bob-Whites. While Jim scooped out masses of cold creamy goodness, Honey cut and served the coconut cake. Doves called from their high perches, and swallows swooped for insects just above the tops of maples and oaks.
    Bobby divided his time between eating his treat and chasing lightning bugs. When his mesh-covered jar contained three miniature flashlights, he wanted to go in and share them with Moses.
    “Don’t you dare,” Trixie warned. “If you wake him up, I’ll put him in your room for you to take care of.”
    “Neato!” Bobby chirped.
    “When are we going to have Mo’s party?” bubbled Di.
    “We re having one now,” Jim said.
    “No, a real party, with a long dress for him, and-”
    “Dress!” Bobby hooted. “Moses is a boy!”
    “You wore a dress when you got your name,” Mart informed him.
    “I did not!” Bobby roared.
    “Get the photograph album,” Mrs. Belden said, “and see for yourself.”
    Bobby huffed into the house and came back with the family album, which he examined using a flashlight. Baby pictures were mounted on the first page, one child dark like Mr. Belden and three children as fair as Mrs. Belden.
    “Everybody’s got dresses on,” Bobby groaned in disbelief, “even Brian.” With great dignity, he closed the album.
    ‘Babies wear dresses to dress up,” Di explained. “Let’s have the party at my house Sunday. That will give me plenty of time to find one of the twins’ dresses and plan the treats.”
    “What shall we bring?” Trixie asked.
    “Just Moses Bob-White,” Di said happily.
    Down at the end of the lane, headlights loomed out of the darkness and moved toward the house.
    “Oh, no,” Di moaned, “Mother’s sent Harrison after me.”
    Instead of the Lynch butler, it was Sergeant Molinson who stepped out of the car and came to the porch steps.
    “Would you like some ice cream, sir?” Jim asked politely.
    To Trixie’s surprise, the sergeant accepted Jim’s offer gratefully. Usually he had such an attitude of gruff authority that it was hard to imagine him doing something as human as slurping ice cream. As he ate, he stretched his long legs and, with his free hand, rubbed his lower back.
    “Tired?” Peter Belden asked.
    “It’s been a long day,” Sergeant Molinson admitted. “I’ve been checking out every possible lead on the baby—in between stopping bar fights and investigating robberies and dealing with assorted drifters and drunks. This August heat is getting on everyone’s nerves. The crime rate always seems to rise around this time of year.”
    Trixie thought that the sergeant looked like a person with several problems too many. Maybe...
    Trixie gulped, shocked at the idea that had just occurred to her. Maybe the sergeant would accept help on this case from the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency! Any other day, it was like pulling teeth to get him to admit that Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler made his work easier. But tonight...
    Prudently, Trixie began to arrange her arguments in her mind before presenting them to the officer. Now: The farm was the scene of the crime....
    “Trixie!”
    With glazed eyes, Trixie searched for the speaker.
    “Trixie, the sergeant has spoken to you twice,” said Mr. Belden.
    “I’m sorry,” Trixie said hastily. “I—I guess I was thinking.”
    “Eating ice cream and thinking at the same time has been a difficult act for my sister to add to her repertoire,” Mart explained. “Such coordination can’t be picked up overnight, you know.” Trixie resisted the urge to punch Mart and turned to the officer. “Yes, sir?”
    “I was wondering if you could give me a hand on this baby case tonight.”
    “Wh-What?” Trixie stammered. Was it possible that he was actually asking for her help at the exact moment when she was prepared to volunteer it?
    “I’m including Miss Wheeler, of course,” the sergeant went on.
    “W-We’d be...” Trixie began.
    “…glad to!” Honey finished eagerly.
    “I thought so,” said the sergeant. “Now, where’s the baby?”
    “He’s asleep,” Mrs. Belden said. “I’m afraid he-”
    “I won’t bother him any more than I have to,” promised the sergeant. “First, let’s take a look at this picture of two missing boys.” He took a picture from his hip pocket. “See if you recognize the baby.” He passed the photo to Trixie first.
    Brian got up and turned on the porch light.