Note: This is a follow up story to "First Encounters" in the loosest sense. You do not have to have read that story, which is NOT a mystery, to understand this one, although several scenes and incidents are alluded to. FYI- The story takes place about 6 months after "First Encounters" left off. Here, Frank and Callie are married and Callie is pregnant; Joe and Vanessa are married; and Callie has a best friend named Johnny whom she met in college. The boys are 25 and 26 years old. The story, as with all of my others, is completed in full and is 27 chapters long. I'll be posting a chapter every 3-4 days. Thank you in advance for reading and reviews, which are always much appreciated and let me know people are reading. I hope you enjoy!
Also, just wanted to give a quick shout out to the many talented authors on this site. I am sure I am missing some, but a quick shout out to AllieDee, ErinJordan, PaulinaAnn, SnowPrincess88, Jilsen, Ulstergirl, Red Hardy, and TinDog, a really immensely talented author. If you haven't read their stories, please consider doing so. They are all amazing!
The Secret Spaces
Chapter 1
"We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows."-Robert Frost
"And I thought putting together a car was hard!" 25 year old Joe Hardy quipped to his older brother, Frank, as he surveyed the room around him with wonder.
"Tell me about it," Frank answered, stopping to put down the screwdriver and wrench neatly back into the toolbox in front of him. "But it came out pretty well, huh?'
"It sure did," Joe replied as he plopped the final pillow into place on the now completed crib. Turning to his brother, he smiled. "I'm sure Callie will love it," he continued, referring to his brother's wife, who was now just seven months pregnant with their first child.
"I hope so," Frank responded, somewhat wistfully.
Joe slung an arm around his brother's shoulders. "I still can't believe you're going to be a dad! It's kind of crazy! I feel like it was just yesterday we were kids, ourselves. And now we're all grown up," Joe shook his head, "and spending an entire weekend putting together this nursery instead of going to a game or watching football or … well, anything other than this stuff which makes me feel old!" He gave Frank a quick affectionate pat on the back before looking at the room again.
He suddenly shook his head disdainfully.
"What?" Frank questioned. "And before I forget to tell you, I really appreciate all of your help with this."
"No worries. You paid me in beer and pizza," Joe teased. "I was just thinking. Only you and Callie could make a nursery look so...tasteful. Aren't there supposed to be bright primary colors all around?" He surveyed the room, with its now completed cherry furniture and color scheme of light beiges, browns, and greens. "I'm telling you- when Van and I have kids, it will be an explosion of, like, Sesame Street, in the most obnoxious colors ever. You're only a kid once. You might as well have fun with it!"
Frank laughed in spite of himself. "Do you really think a baby is going to care about the color scheme?" he questioned. "Besides, one- we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl, and two- when ARE you and Van going to get on the kid bandwagon? You guys have been married six months already."
"Whoa there!" Joe interrupted. "Slow down, bro. We'll get there. You and Cal haven't even been married two years!" Then, he added, "although it would be nice to have our kids grow up close in age." He cleared his throat as the reality that his brother was going to be a dad hit him again. He playfully punched Frank's shoulder. "I still can't believe it."
"Me, either," Frank added with a soft smile.
"Your kid is gonna be so lucky, though."
"Why is that?" Frank queried, knowing Joe too well.
"He or she is going to have an amazing uncle," Joe said with a straight face, as Frank rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, that's why we decided to have a child. Thanks again for that motivation," Frank replied, dryly.
"Besides," Joe continued dramatically, "you also haven't told me the possible names." He pointed ahead, where Frank and Callie had wanted to leave a space to put the baby's name on the wall. "I mean, is it Joseph, Joey… just plain Joe? Or maybe Jo Ann, Joelle, Joan?"
Frank started laughing. "You forgot Josephine," he added.
"Damn," Joe replied. "I knew I had left one out!" He turned to his brother. "Anyway, this room is really kind of cute, in a stuffy, old people sort of way. Not to worry- Uncle Joe will get lots of toys for the kid." Joe picked up the toolbox as he and Frank headed out of the room and started for the downstairs family room. "And while we are completely NOT on this topic," Joe went on, "Did Dad mention anything to you about why he wanted to see us tonight?"
"No," Frank answered as he followed Joe through family room into the garage, where Joe put the toolbox down and picked up some soda. "I think he's been working on one case for a while, and that's why he's been out of the office so long," he went on, referring to the successful detective agency that both he and Joe, along with their father, ran. "He probably wants to run it by us, and I think that he and Mom probably thought it would be easier on Callie to just come over here and have dinner rather than having us all go out. I think he felt a little bad he hasn't been able to help as much with the stuff for the baby as he'd like to since he's been so busy. I guess they'll be here within a half hour or so."
"Can you see dad and mom as grandparents?" Joe asked with a chuckle. "It's so weird!"
"It's a little odd, yes," Frank answered as they headed back into the house.
"When are Callie and Vanessa coming back?" Joe asked. "If their goal was to have Callie not leave the house, they went wrong somewhere!"
"They just went to pick up the food," Frank answered. "They'll be back any minute."
As if they had heard them, the front door opened, and both Vanessa and Callie entered, multiple bags in their hands. As soon as they started to come through the door, Joe and Frank reached for the bags.
"Thanks!" Vanessa said as she leaned over to give Joe a kiss.
Frank gave Callie a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm going to get the dinner ready... Relax!" he said with a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.
"I'll help!" Vanesa called after him and gave Joe a hug before following Frank.
Joe instinctively helped Callie remove her jacket as she shook her head. "Thanks, Joe," she said with a smile. "But I'm fine- really. Just, you know- pregnant! Everyone can calm down. Frank gets nervous if I'm out of his sight for an hour if I'm not at work."
Joe gave Callie a quick hug and stepped back to look at her, unable to stop smiling.
"What?!" Callie asked, raising her eyebrows. "Or should I even ask?"
Joe looked at her affectionately. "You're a really cute little pregnant person," he replied with a smile. It was true. Callie had always been really beautiful, but ever since she started to show, she really did exude that 'pregnancy glow' that he had heard people speak about. Always petite, she remained slim everywhere, except for her stomach.
"Little?"" Callie repeated with a laugh. "I don't think so!" She patted her belly.
"You look great, Cal," Joe replied, seriously, helping her to the couch despite her protest that she was fine.
"Oh my gosh," Callie spoke with a sigh. "I've gained 15 pounds, and the doctor says I could gain as many as 10 more in the next two months. I can't even imagine. It's like carrying around a really heavy bowling ball as it is!"
Joe laughed. "I don't think that's much weight to gain at all, Cal. Besides, it's all for little Joe, right?" he teased.
"Right," Callie said. "As long as little Joe the boy - or Jo the girl - is okay," she replied with a straight face.
"It's just so weird that you have a little person inside of you," Joe added. "It's…" Again, he felt himself get emotional. "It's pretty amazing, I mean."
Callie leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And you will be an amazing uncle! I won't tell Johnny if you don't-I think we both know who the #1 uncle will be. But I didn't say that!" Callie was referring to her best friend since college, Jonathan Gellers, who, like Joe, was incredibly excited about her having a baby.
"Yeah , well," Joe grumbled, "as long as you don't forget that."
"I will," Callie said gently. "Don't worry. You're my #2 guy, remember?"
Joe felt better and smiled, remembering a conversation he had had with Callie a year ago about the very same topic. While Joe liked Johnny a lot, he was proud of the sibling relationship he had with Callie, one that had taken many years to cultivate. He just wanted to make sure that his sister remembered who would love her child with his brother more than anyone other than them. "Yeah, I remember."
"Good," Callie said with a wink. "Anyway, you know that Johnny is taking Vanessa and I into the city to go to the set of his show in a few days, and I'm excited! It'll probably be one of the last things I can do for a while before walking gets even more tedious. He's coming tomorrow to spend a few days with Frank and I before we go to Manhattan. It'll be a fun week!"
"Yeah, well- make sure Vanessa gets her Johnny obsession done and over with before she comes back, okay?" Joe stated with a sigh. Johnny was an award winning actor on a hit television show that was steadily climbing in the ratings, with the season one finale just wrapped up and set to air in a few days. He was also, Joe grudgingly had to admit, a really good looking guy who always had flocks of women falling at his feet. And Vanessa was probably #1 on his fan club list, although, after knowing him several years now, she had started to see him as just a genuinely nice guy who happened to be famous.
"Joe?" Callie's voice snapped him from his train of thought, and her dark eyes met his blue ones. "I remind you- he's gay."
"I know," Joe admitted, knowing he sounded silly and jealous.
"And," she went on further, "Other than Frank, of course, and you and Van, he is my best friend in the world. And he happens to be really good friends with Frank. Plus, the two of you are friends, too- although you're nuts when you're together," she added, alluding to the crazy bachelor party he and Joe had thrown for her and Frank in Bermuda two years ago. "So be happy that he's coming. He would be glad to have you on the set, too, if you'd like. You know that." She stood up and affectionately ruffled Joe's hair.
"Yeah, well," Joe muttered, "I guess you're right. But don't forget- Frank and I did the nursery!"
"Of course," she said, eyes twinkling. "And I cannot wait to see it! Thank you," she continued. Then, she added, "I'll be sure to keep nasty old Johnny out of that room so he doesn't take any credit away from all of your hard work and try to rearrange anything." She stifled a laugh.
Joe glared at her "Shaw…"
"It's been HARDY for almost two years now!" she replied with a laugh. "I'm going to go help Frank with dinner and send Van out here." At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Do me a favor and let your parents in! We'll be right there." She squeezed his shoulder and headed into the next room.
Joe looked after her and felt a smile tug at his lips. He was grateful, once again, that Callie and he had grown to be very close over the years, despite the fact that they still drove each other crazy on occasion.
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After dinner was over, Fenton asked the boys to come with him into the living room for a little while while dessert was being prepared.
"Uh oh! Guess it's business time," Vanessa said as she stood to wash the dishes.
"Stop!" Callie said, reaching for her arm and pulling her back down. She turned to her mother in law as well. "You, too, Laura. I'm perfectly capable of doing dishes. You're our guests. Relax!"
"There are no guests with family, honey," Laura responded kindly. "And we'll all do the dinner dishes in a little bit- provided you encourage both of my sons to do them after the dessert, as they have been taught to do!"
Callie smiled. "Deal."
"Oh, Laura," Vanessa sighed happily. "Isn't this so exciting?! I can't wait for the baby shower next month and then to be an aunt! And you're going to be a grandma! It's only a little over eight weeks away. Isn't it surreal?"
"It's certainly a wonderful time for all of us," Laura agreed. "My baby is having a baby. It puts a lot in perspective." She turned to Vanessa. "And rest assured when that time comes for you and Joe, we will be equally thrilled."
Vanessa smiled brightly. "I don't know when that time will be, but we're taking at least a little while for just us both right now. But don't worry- once we start we'll have like ten in a row!"
Laura started laughing. "You're just like Joe!" she noted, always impressed by Vanessa's ebullience.
"Isn't being pregnant exciting?" Vanessa asked Callie.
"Well… sure," Callie said slowly.
Laura studied her. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked.
Callie responded with a small smile. "Fine. Everything's great."
Laura put her arm around her. "I know it's hard, Callie. Everything's changing- your body feels as if it doesn't belong to you anymore; it can be physically painful. No one seems to ask how YOU are- it's always all about the baby. You're probably scared about how a child will affect your relationship with your husband. It's all overwhelming… and it's completely normal."
Vanessa watched in surprise as Callie tried to wipe back tears that appeared out of nowhere. "Sorry," she choked out. "Thank you, Laura. Excuse me," she interrupted, and slowly got up. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she managed before turning and leaving the room.
"Wha-" Vanessa started. She stared at Laura. "How did you know all that? Callie hasn't even said anything like that to me! She always seems so happy. I… is she okay? I had no idea."
Laura patted Vanessa's hand. "You'll understand one day, Vanessa. Most women go through this when they're pregnant. It's not that hard to see that Callie's been struggling. Look at how she reaches for her back whenever she stands; how she grimaces slightly when she walks. Fifteen pounds is nothing for most people- I gained 40 with Frank and 45 with Joe. But she's petite, and 15 or 20 pounds on a 105 pound frame is a terrible stress on her body."
"I didn't realize…" Vanessa blushed, feeling bad.
"You couldn't have, honey. Don't feel bad. Remember, I've been pregnant, and I lived with detectives my whole life. I see things most people miss- it's a hazard of the job!" She smiled kindly. "Callie also has been looking away a lot when you talk to her, and, though she teases Frank about not giving her any space, if you look closely, she always wants to know that he's physically close by. She's very emotional, understandably, but unlike most people, she's very private. And knowing her and Frank as I do, I'm pretty certain they're both trying to maintain a facade for each other that they're totally confident and ready to take this on- because they're ALWAYS like that. But no one is prepared for a baby, and she's going to need a lot of support, especially when Frank isn't here. Frank at least has work to distract him, but Callie won't as of next week. And she has to know it's okay to have doubts and fears. It doesn't mean she's a bad person or won't love her baby. In fact, I cannot imagine more caring, conscientious, and adoring parents than Frank and Callie- until you and Joe have children, of course."
"She's like my sister," Vanessa said at last. "I don't know what I'd do without her. I'll have to try harder to get her to open up." She reached over and hugged Laura. "You are going to be the BEST grandma, Laura. You raised two amazing sons. I'm so lucky to have you in my life."
Laura returned the hug, grateful as always for Vanessa's warmth and openness, and went to stand up. "Thank you, sweetheart. My two amazing sons married two amazing women, and now I have two amazing daughters. Come on- let's get the dishes done!" she quipped. "'Type A' Frank and Callie can't handle the mess."
"They'd better learn to deal with messiness!" Vanessa laughed.
"And that is exactly why you will make a great mom one day!" Laura answered fondly as the two women rose to start the chore.
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"Boys, I'm sorry to bother you tonight about this, but I think I may need your help," Fenton began, comfortably settling into the couch in Frank's living room.
"Don't you want to see the nursery first?" Joe interrupted, and Fenton laughed in spite of himself. Joe was just as excited as Frank was about the baby, and ALMOST as excited as he, himself, was, he thought amusedly.
"Of course. Sure- let's go." He followed his sons upstairs and felt nostalgic. He could barely believe that he was going to be a grandpa soon. "You both did an excellent job," he said proudly, unable to stop the smile from forming on his lips. "It's all pretty exciting." He put an arm around Frank. "Your life is never going to be the same, son," he told Frank, fondly. "And I couldn't be happier for you."
"Thanks, Dad," Frank replied with a shy smile. "Yeah, we're pretty excited."
"It took the whole weekend to put all these pieces of furniture together," Joe lamented, half teasing.
"Wait until the Christmas when the baby gets older," Fenton told Joe.
"But Santa does all that work," Joe answered with a straight face, eyes big.
"Mmmm," Fenton murmured. "Well, sometimes parents - and UNCLES- have to help. Santa has a lot of places to get to and only one night to do it, so sometimes parents have to help with putting things together. It's one of the secrets of adulthood and I thought it was an appropriate time to let you know."
"Oh. Thanks, Dad. As long as we know. Thanks for not telling us 'til now."
"You're welcome," Fenton said seriously as Frank shook his head at his brother. Despite their vastly different personalities, he was impressed as always by how close his sons were; how much they cared about each other.
"Come on. Let's go downstairs and talk for a bit. I hate to put a damper on this very nice night, but I have a serious case and I may need you- not just for your thoughts, but I may physically need you to come with me for a few days to check out some leads." He turned to Frank when they reached the living room. "I know you hate to leave Callie at all right now, but it won't be for more than three or four days. It might just work out anyway, since isn't Johnny supposed to be coming here tomorrow?"
Frank nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah- he is. I guess as long as he's here and that I can be reached in an emergency, it should be fine."
Fenton squeezed Frank's shoulder, proud of the fine young men that both of his sons had become. Their fierce loyalty to family and friends, and their palpable love for their spouses, reminded him again that he and Laura - probably mostly Laura- had done something good in their lives. "So let's talk."
He motioned for them to take a seat.
"Over the course of the last four months, there have been a series of murders in various parts of the state. In and of itself, that's not good. But this case has several components that lead us to believe that they're all connected in some way. We know they are."
"Who's 'us'?" Joe asked.
"The state police. The FBI. The Bayport PD. Ezra Collig and I have been working on it, but we don't have much. Normally, of course, the FBI wouldn't be involved, but it looks like we may be dealing with a serial murderer."
"How'd you get involved?" Frank asked.
"Ads have been taken out in the online and paper versions of the Bayport Times," he began. "Liz Webling's father happens to be the editor in chief, and notified Collig that something looked wrong. That got us started."
"What did the ads say?" Joe asked.
"First, they're all addressed to 'BD' and signed 'AC.' So obviously they're coming from one person- maybe two- at this point. Each ad taunts the reader- whomever BD is- to figure out the clues. Following the placement of the ad, exactly one week later, a person has been found dead- in the exact same way."
"Which is?" Frank asked.
"They've been found in the woods having been beaten and starved- ultimately, they die from exposure to the elements and a gunshot wound."
"What?" Joe asked, confused.
Fenton sighed. "It looks as if the people were taken prisoner, at which time they were found to be malnourished and dehydrated. They were then set loose in the woods for some reason, and escape was probably near to impossible because they had all been shot or harmed in either the arm or the leg."
"So they were bleeding out the whole time that they were trying to run," Joe concluded.
"Yes. Exactly," Fenton concurred.
"So what do the ads say, and who were the victims?" Frank asked.
"They all say 'To BD. Here is your clue. It's all about what you do. The secret spaces will speak to you. From, AC."
"What the hell does that mean?" Joe asked. "They're all like that?"
"But what's the clue?" Frank added. "I mean, there are different people who died. How can you stop them if you don't know anything else?"
"Well, there's more," Fenton went on. "Each ad starts with a number. And listen to the victims' names."
"Go on," Frank encouraged.
"Alice Conway- from Albany. Beatrice Donover- Brighton. Cathy Eisner- Cotning. See it? 1, 2, 3…"
"A,B,C," Frank finished. "Yeah, I see it. First names are A,B, and C and last names are C, D, and E. Plus, the towns all start with the same letters; they're all from New York."
"They're all women," Joe added thoughtfully. "Anything else in common?"
"Ages vary," Fenton said. "But that's strange, too, because the first victim was 12. Then 22. Then 32."
"But why advertise only the in Bayport Times?" Joe asked thoughtfully. "So you need us to look at the latest ad- when did it come out, Dad?" Joe asked again.
"Three days ago," Fenton answered.
"And then you need us to help figure out a D town in New York where there's a woman, who's 42, whose name starts with a D for a first name and an F for a last name," Frank said quietly. "And then figure out the meaning of the ad, why Bayport, and what BD and AC mean."
"Pretty much," Fenton sighed. "Don't forget a wooded area. I know- it's unbelievably broad. But if the pattern is right, the someone is in grave danger right now, and we need to get on this right away."
Frank took out his iPhone and started silently mouthing something as he flipped through the internet connection. Joe and Fenton just watched, used to Frank's thoughtful method of analysis.
Finally, he spoke. "There are 31 towns in New York that start with D. 31, Dad. How are we supposed to cover all of that in 4 days?"
"I know," Fenton agreed. "I actually know that number, too. I figured we could split up- deal with the police in 10 or 11 towns each. The FBI agents will help and Frank can assist them with narrowing down databases that contain all of the populace's information, including names and ages. It's a huge job, but are you boys up for it?"
"Of course!" Joe responded and Frank nodded seriously.
"We start tomorrow," Fenton added. "Okay, guys. Let's go and get dessert. Then, your mom and I will leave so you can explain to your wives why you won't be around for a few days."
Fenton hoped his voice exuded the confidence he had tried to convey. Deep down, something about this whole case felt very wrong, and he couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get much darker in the days ahead.