The Secret of the Unseen Treasure

something happen?”
    “Ethel had a phone call from a realty company saying they had a buyer for her place.”
    “Is she trying to sell it?” Trixie asked, surprise in her voice.
    “Oh, my, no. Ethel loves that place. Evidently, though, someone else likes it, too, and asked the realty firm to make her an offer. She’s had a bit of financial trouble recently—”
    “We know,” said Trixie, giving Honey a look, “—so, naturally,” Mrs. Hartman continued, “an offer to buy her place was tempting, much as she’d rather stay there. She asked Charles what he thought, and he told her the offer was much too low.”
    “What realty company was it?” Trixie inquired, curious.
    “I don’t know,” Mrs. Hartman said.
    Mrs. Hartman offered the young people doughnuts and milk, but they declined, explaining that they’d had a large breakfast. After a few minutes of visiting, the Bob-Whites excused themselves and piled back into the wagon. “Let’s go to Mrs. Elliot’s,” Trixie said.
    “They won’t be there,” Jim reminded her. “They’re delivering the carnations to Manton’s this morning.”
    “I know,” Trixie said, “but I want to look in that cornfield in the daylight.”
    Brian nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
    As they were climbing out of the wagon in Mrs. Elliot’s driveway, they heard the phone begin to ring in the cottage.
    “I wonder who’s calling,” Trixie muttered. Whoever it is,” Brian said after a moment, is awfully anxious. I’ve counted fifteen rings. Ten rings are plenty before hanging up.”
    The phone stopped ringing on the twentieth ring.
    The B.W.G.’s headed into the cornfield, pushing their way between the rows of com. Suddenly they found themselves in a huge open space, surrounded by cornstalks.
    Trixie groaned. “We’re too late. It’s already been harvested.”
    Jim walked ahead to a blackened heap in the middle of the open area.
    “Harvested, nothing,” he called back. He leaned close to the black mound and sniffed.
    “Careful,” Brian warned. “Don’t breathe too much of that.”
    Jim stepped back. “I wasn’t sniffing for the marijuana. I smelled something else. Gasoline.” He poked his foot at blackened stalks, stems, and twigs. “That stuff was too green to burn without some help. Gasoline was poured on it.”
    “But why?” Di wanted to know.
    “Because Trixie and I discovered it last night,” Honey answered. “Trixie had it in her pockets. Some was sticking out, and I’m pretty sure Max saw it. He probably realized he’d have to get rid of it before we told the police.”
    “It doesn’t make sense,” Jim declared. “He and Finlay could have just cut it down and hidden it somewhere.”
    “Maybe they didn’t think there was enough time for that,” Brian suggested.
    Trixie shook her head. “There was too much money involved in what was growing here. I don’t think Finlay would have burned it up. And, in a way, this could still be evidence. So why leave it lying here like this?”
    Now what do we do, dear sister?” Brian asked.
    Trixie scratched her head.
    “Whatever we do,” Di urged, “let’s not do it here. I don t want to be seen anywhere near this stuff!”
    “That’s right,” Honey said. “Let’s get out of here and go somewhere where we can think.” Think, Trixie repeated silently. For Mrs. Elliot’s sake, think!

A Confession • 10

    ASTHE BOB-WHITES climbed out of the station wagon at Manor House, Regan and Dan came out of the garage, headed toward the stable.
    “Well,” Regan greeted them, “I was just about to run an ad in the paper for someone to exercise the horses. Help me, Dan—don’t let them move in any direction except toward the stable.”
    Dan grinned and jumped to herd Trixie in the right direction. As he touched her arm, his
    grin vanished abruptly, and Trixie felt his grip tighten on her arm.
    “What’s the matter, Dan?” Trixie asked. Glowering at her, Dan yanked her toward Honey and seized her arm, too. He raised it toward his face.
    “Dan?” Honey asked in an alarmed tone. “You crazy kids!” Dan snapped. “You’ve been smoking marijuana!”
    “No!” they protested.
    “Don’t lie to me. I know the smell of it. I can smell it on all of you!”
    Regan’s face quickly flushed with anger, matching Dan’s. The yard filled with the sound of accusations and protests.
    The clamor brought Miss Trask hurrying from the house. The boys were shouting. Honey was crying. Trixie was on the