The Mystery of the Velvet Gown

the front seat. Maybe I can jump from the car if he isn't going too fast—but then where would I be? And that would mean leaving Honey and Jane alone. Maybe I could get the gun from him. But she quickly dismissed that idea, knowing she’d never be able to fire it, even if she could get it.
    Ashbury headed out of town, taking Glen Road toward the Wheeler estate.
    “So you know where Manor House is,” Trixie said, as calmly as she could. “Have you been there before?”
    Ashbury laughed. “Yes. I did some exploring yesterday. Nice little setup Matthew Wheeler has there. I would have hung around to say hello to you, but I was in a hurry.”
    “So that was you in the woods yesterday,” Trixie cried. “I thought—”
    “You’d be wise to keep your thoughts to yourself, Little Miss Detective. All I want is the jewels that have already been removed from the costume, and then I’ll disappear—just like magic—never to be seen again.”
    “But—” Trixie began.
    “And no more questions from you,” he snapped. “I don’t intend to be interrogated by a high school kid.”
    As they rounded a curve in the road, Trixie glanced in the rearview mirror attached to the outside of her door. She smiled faintly and gave a secret sigh of relief, for close behind was the Bob-White station wagon. They must have come back to school to pick us up, she thought, her heart beginning to beat faster. They must have seen us-, they had to! Trixie glanced at Peter Ashbury. The gun lay in his lap and he had one hand covering it protectively. Don’t let him notice that they’re following us! she prayed silently.
    Ashbury turned into the long drive, dousing his headlights as they approached the Wheeler mansion. Miss Darcy’s car was parked near the back entrance
    “Okay, kids, out!” he ordered. “You go in first.” He shoved Honey toward the front door.
    “Is that you, Honey?” Miss Trask called from the living room as Ashbury came in behind the girls and closed the door.
    “Y-Yes,” Honey answered shakily.
    “Let’s all go in and join their little discussion,” Ashbury whispered. The three girls obediently headed toward the parlor.
    Eileen Darcy gave a startled cry as Ashbury walked into the room, the black gun gleaming ominously in his hand.
    “What’s going on?” Miss Trask demanded coldly.
    “It isn’t a cocktail party,” Ashbury snarled. “I hadn’t counted on a mess like this, but all kinds of little surprises creep up, even in the best of plans. Or should I say that little creeps can be a big surprise?” He glared evilly at Trixie.
    “Peter!” Miss Darcy cried. “Please don’t hurt them. I was the one—”
    “You certainly were,” he snarled. “Now, where are the jewels you’ve already taken off the costume?”
    “They’re still in the safe-deposit box. I— How is my father? Is he all right? Is he—”
    “Alive?” Ashbury supplied for her. “Oh, he’s alive—for now. All I want are those gems. Your little friends graciously supplied me with the gown, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t have a matched set if T didn’t get the rest of the jewels.”
    “Peter,” Eileen Darcy said bitterly, “I don’t understand this elaborate plan. Why didn’t you just have your ‘friends’ in England—whoever they are—send the gems directly to you?”
    “One newspaper article will answer that question,” Trixie said.
    Ashbury laughed dryly. “So you read the newspaper, too.”
    Eileen Darcy looked from Trixie to Miss Trask. The older woman nodded sadly.
    Trixie eyed Ashbury thoughtfully. “Apparently,” she mused, “there’s more than just the New York jewel theft involved here. He must have pulled the same thing in England, and maybe the police started getting too close over there. But he couldn’t have his cohorts send the loot directly to him because, by that time, things were getting pretty hot over here, too....”
    “That’s enough!” Ashbury shouted. He turned on Miss Darcy. “All you had to do was remove the stones and put them in the bank. An easy enough job in exchange for your father’s life, don’t you think? But then this kid had to go and see the catalog, and that other one had to take those pictures—”
    “So you did take the film from Bill Morgan’s camera,” Trixie said, but Ashbury ignored her.
    “All this chitchat is wasting valuable time. Come on, Eileen.” Ashbury grabbed her roughly by the arm. “We’ve got a little bank business to do in town, and