The Judy Bolton Mystery Stories #13-25
by Margaret Sutton

It is when Judy feeds little Judy that she notices the wrong name on the baby's armband.  Horrified, Judy tells Dale who insists that Irene not be told.  Judy and Dale begin a frantic search for Jane Merrit and her baby with no success.

Peter feels that the message may be important and contacts the FBI.  An agent meets with Judy and Peter and confirms that Blackie is a wanted criminal.  Judy and Peter feel that the criminal has mistaken Judy for someone else, but the agent contends that with Judy's red hair it isn't likely that someone else looks just like her.

Even stranger is the note that came with the mirror stating "...which perhaps unwittingly, Birdie's little winglike fingers marked especially for me."  A mysterious image of a bird had appeared on the mirror in the Bolton house shortly before it broke.  But who put the image on the mirror?

Judy is heartsick over the loss of the dress.  Adding to her frustration is the fact that their trip to Miss Bradley's home has been fruitless.  Nobody even seems to know what Miss Bradley looks like.  Their only meager information comes from a little girl named Roberta who likes to play in Miss Bradley's house.

Shortly after the wedding, Roberta is seen running into the woods with the package, and then an explosion is heard.  Apparently the radio was indeed wired with an explosive device.  Fortunately, Roberta is unharmed and is later dropped off at her home by Judy and Peter.

Roberta also relates the story of how a man came to the door wanting to buy the portrait.  He was quite insistent, but Roberta refused to let him inside the house.  Roberta believes the man would have paid a great deal of money for the portrait.  Why is the portrait so important to the man?  Why does Roberta believe the portrait is alive?

Judy calls Roxy's house, and a strange woman answers the phone.  At first, she refuses to let Judy speak to Roxy, but when Roxy finally comes to the phone, Roxy is vague and mysterious in her answers.  Judy knows that something is wrong.  At home, Judy receives an early Christmas present from Roxy which Roxy marked to be opened before Christmas.  A note inside leads Judy to believe that Roxy wants Judy to switch places with her.

While he is on the premises, Peter is attacked by an unknown assailant and is nearly buried alive underneath a pile of dirt.  Peter is hospitalized in serious condition, and Judy devotes her energy into uncovering who is responsible for the accident.

A strange man and woman show up at the Dobbs home asking about Roberta.  Judy instantly dislikes them and wonders about their motive.  They claim to be related to Roberta's father and claim that he has died in a shipwreck.  After they leave, Judy tries to find Roberta but discovers that Roberta has disappeared.

This note that Judy receives while waiting for Peter on the Chicago pier plunges Judy into a sequence of mysterious and frightening events.  Judy does miss meeting Peter and asks for directions to Fog Island.  Judy journeys to an Indian reservation where she is met with suspicion as an outsider.

Judy plans to masquerade as Doris until she and Holly can learn why Holly's relatives are searching Uncle David's house and whether Uncle David is really the person who planned the family reunion.  Holly considers it odd that Uncle David invited all of the relatives he liked the least and failed to invite the relatives he liked the most.

The next day Cousin Cleo accuses Holly of theft because all of her valuable antiques have been stolen.  Judy knows that Holly did not take the antiques since Judy was with Holly at Cousin Cleo's home.  Cousin Cleo is convinced that Holly has hidden her antiques inside the locked forbidden chest, but Holly refuses to open the chest to prove her innocence.

When Peter learns that Frank Caffero's father has been threatened, he goes with Frank to try to prevent a hijacking.  The hijacking occurs anyway, and Frank, Peter, and the truck all disappear without a trace.  The only witness is Frank's father who only remembers something white coming down from above and shutting out his vision.