Trixie Belden and the Ghost at Mount Pisgah

Prologue – December 23

December 23

2am, Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, New York

Seventeen-year-old Trixie Belden was curled up on the couch as her friends Honey Wheeler, and Diana Lynch slept nearby on air mattresses her father had thoughtfully blown up for them. Dan Mangan was on the other couch and, if Trixie wasn't mistaken, his hand drooped down and was almost touching Honey's.

And Trixie was rarely mistaken about these things.

The Christmas lights were still twinkling on the tree, and for a moment, Trixie was happy. But just for a moment.

If she didn't stop to think about the fact that her friends and family were scattered across the world and apart from each other. Her brother Brian had enrolled in Lehigh University's pre-med program, her other brother Mart was at Rutgers University as an ag major. And Jim Frayne, her friend Honey's brother, was finishing up his bachelor's degree in business at the University of Amsterdam.

At one time, the seven of them had been as thick as thieves as they ran around the world solving mysteries, catching bad guys, and, returning the lost to their families. Between that, they'd done homework, had fun, and even shared fond glances at each other. They'd formed a club called the Bob-Whites of the Glen (BWG's for short), had jackets, a clubhouse, and even their own birdcall.

But one by one, everything had changed sometime after Trixie's fifteenth birthday. Jim had been acting weird since giving her a silver ID bracelet after their adventures in Happy Valley. At first, Trixie had wondered if he'd regretted giving her the gift, but when she'd screwed up the courage to talk to him, he'd denied it.

Shortly after their talk, Jim announced he was leaving to visit his cousin Juliana and her husband Hans in Amsterdam. Trixie had been sad to see him go but understood his need to reconnect with family. Both of his biological parents were dead, and although he loved his adopted family, she could understand wanting to visit family.

The summer-long visit had been extended, and then he'd sent a letter saying he wanted to continue practicing his Dutch language skills by enrolling in the business program at the University of Amsterdam. And while Trixie had understood, she felt lost and bereft without one of her best friends.

Then Brian had graduated from high school and left for college. A stirring of something she'd first noticed in high school, however, had begun to change him. Brian still wanted to be a doctor, but on recent visits home, he'd seemed more remote. Less interested in being a small-town doctor and far more interested in getting a high-end plastic surgery internship in Los Angeles.

Mart had seemed off since going away to school last year, too. He was close enough for holidays home, but he could often be found on a random Friday searching through the refrigerator, looking for food. He seemed lost even a little homesick. Trixie wasn't sure how to approach her brother and talk to him about it. Or even if she should.

Dan Mangan stirred in his sleep, and yep, Trixie noted with a grin, he was definitely holding Honey's hand as they slept in the Belden living room. She loved the shy, slow-burn romance that was beginning to rise between the two but couldn't help but feel a little sad that she was completely single.

There was a flash of headlights and Trixie knew Mart was home from Insomnia Taco, a late-night taco stand downtown. She sighed, knowing he'd wake Di up with a small kiss before settling onto her air mattress. Above the covers, of course.

But just as Mart opened the door to the old farmhouse, his phone chirped.

"What the—" he muttered.

Trixie sat up and rubbed her eyes, curiosity beating at her. But before she could demand who was texting Mart at two in the morning, her own phone went off. And then one by one, everyone's phones began alerting them they were receiving a text.

Honey groaned as she reached for her phone in its shimmering golden case. "It's a text. From Dad."

Dan pushed his heels into his eye sockets and opened up his phone.

"Good morning and Merry Christmas, Bob-Whites," Dan began reading, his voice sleep-rough and scratchy.

"There is a ranch in western North Carolina that is in need of your services," Di picked up. "A family-owned vacation spot haunted by ghosts which are scaring a few too many guests. Due to a series of bad Yelp reviews, the family is thinking about selling."

"As you know, Wheeler International is always on board to invest in natural vacation areas with amazing views. However, as with our Mead Mountain purchase, I require the assistance of a team of experts. Namely, the Bob-Whites," Honey read. She sat next to Dan and frowned down at the screen.

"Requests have been made and approved by your employers, and naturally, I will pay your per diem plus expenses in return for a brief report on the status of the ghost," Mart spoke. He plopped down next to Trixie nearly clipping her feet.

Ordinarily, Trixie would have scolded her "almost twin" brother but chose to let it go. He really did look like hell these days.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves the proving or disproving of the ghost in the Cardinal Cabin. You may select any team members to accompany you, but it is essential that both James Frayne and Brian Belden attend," Trixie said, running her hands through her sandy blonde curls.

In a college dorm in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Brian Belden glanced up from the book he was reading and frowned at the interruption. He really didn't have time to spare. College was so much harder, and despite all the practical medicine he'd practiced as a teenager, professors didn't seem to care that you'd wanted to be a doctor since you were a kid. They demanded perfection in a way small-town Sleepyside never had.

"Tickets have been forwarded to your inboxes," he mumbled as he ran a tired hand over his burning eyes. Maybe it would be good to get away for an adventure or two. He hadn't made it home at Thanksgiving and had decided to give himself this week as a reading week.

Brian shrugged and pulled out his suitcase. He could read in the mountains just as easily. Maybe even more so, while Trixie and company chased after a non-existent ghost so he could be left alone with gallons of hot coffee.

Over three thousand miles away, Jim Frayne was in bed drinking a cappuccino and thinking about home when his phone alerted him to a message. He squelched the hope that it would be from Trixie. Their texts had grown cooler in recent months, which was probably more his fault than hers. Attending university in a Dutch-speaking country had challenged and stressed him in ways he'd never considered.

The upside was he'd be done with his bachelor's degree just in time for Trixie's eighteenth birthday. And after the stern talking-to he'd received from both sets of parents, that date was as firmly established as the Great Wall of China. They were forbidden to date until after she turned eighteen.

Jim rolled his broad shoulders, trying to relieve the stress that he'd been living with since leaving New York. He really wanted to be in Sleepyside for Christmas this year, but with only a few months left to go, some perverse part of him thought that if he went home, leaving again for the last semester would break his heart.

He smiled as he read his father's message. Due to the time difference, Bob Murphy was already fueled up and waiting for him at the airport. "Good one, Dad," he said as he finished the last of his drink and went in search of his suitcase and passport.

Matthew Wheeler smirked as he glanced up from his laptop.

"Did it work?" his wife Madeline asked as she sat sipping Champagne in their hotel room in Paris.

"Have I ever not gotten what I put into motion?" Matt asked. He rose and stretched out his low back as he reached for his wife's hands. "I think we should celebrate our genius with a shopping trip."

Madeline's grin grew sly. "Or we could stay in?" Her silk robe slid and exposed one smooth shoulder.

"I knew I married you for your great ideas," Matt said, kissing his wife.