Press and Predators
A/N: I published this initially without the usual disclaimers and notes :S . . . I don't own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, just like to play with them. I make no money from this. I hope you'll read and enjoy .... and if you do, please review!
Summary: Sequel to Exploring Fraud and Friendship (helpful, but not essential, to read that first). Frank is finding life uncomfortable when he is thrust into the limelight after the feds release the story of the identity theft case to the media. He heads to Chicago to visit Nancy and escape. Unfortunately, the press is the least of their worries.
Chapter 1: Full Court Press
"Special Agent Daniel Jarvi of the Federal Bureau of Investigation credits this Bayport native, Frank Hardy, with blowing the identity theft ring wide open last week. In the course of . . ."
Nancy Drew tuned out Chicago's six-o'clock news reporter. After all she knew the story first-hand, having been closely involved in it with Frank. She stared at her favorite dark-haired detective's face on the television screen and sighed. She had left New York less than a week ago, and it felt like a piece of her was missing with him there and her here. Times like this made her seriously question her decision to agree to give the long-distance relationship a try.
"Oh my God, is that Frank Hardy?" Nancy's good friend, Bess Marvin came hurrying out of the kitchen in Nancy's tiny efficiency in Chicago, carrying a tall glass of cola and a bag of potato chips. She plopped onto the couch, her platinum blond hair, in large loopy curls bobbing around her face.
Bess grimaced as she took out a single potato chip and nibbled at it. "Honestly, why do we have these nights with all the junk food just when I'm trying to start a new diet?"
"On a girl's night, there is no such word as diet. Besides, you don't need to lose weight, Bess."
"Easy for you to say, miss slim-body, with the good-looking, and famous new boyfriend," Bess said.
Their attention returned to the TV as the reporter wrapped up her narrative with an introduction to an up close and personal interview with the hero himself.
Nancy sighed. "Frank hasn't had a moment of peace since Special Agent Jarvi held the initial press conference yesterday."
She had talked to Frank last night, and he was already tiring of the non-stop phone calls. He had used the excuse to keep her on the phone for over an hour, not that she had complained. Hearing his voice was the next best thing to actually seeing him.
"Well, I'm sure it doesn't hurt that he's tall, dark and handsome," Bess said. "I mean, Frank would attract a lot of viewers, and don't think the news stations don't recognize that."
Nancy shushed her friend on the pretense of wanting to hear the ensuing interview, which she did. But she also didn't want to think about a bunch of women salivating over Frank. She was ready to tattoo 'TAKEN' across his forehead.
Tall and lean, with wavy brown hair and dark eyes, Frank was the kind of guy that would turn heads even without the feds' recognition. If the women who glanced his way knew what a nice guy he was, he'd really never get any peace. What really bothered her was that she and Frank hadn't even been dating a week, and already she felt possessive. Nancy felt a jolt of jealousy as even the pretty young reporter on the television put a solicitous hand on his arm, her eyes straying to his ring finger, before she asked the first question.
"Frank, I know this isn't your first big case, but tell us, how does it feel to know that you are responsible for the apprehension, over the last several days of more than two dozen prominent crime figures nationwide?" The reporter smiled coyly at Frank as she shoved the microphone in his face.
Frank was predictably oblivious to the flirtatious look, and answered with a studious seriousness that made Nancy smile. "No one is solely responsible for the apprehension of those criminals. As Special Agent Jarvi stated during his press conference yesterday afternoon, those arrests have been the result of a carefully coordinated operation by the FBI."
"But, Frank, isn't it true that you were the one that discovered the identity theft ring? In fact, were you not kidnapped and held against your will as the criminals responsible tried to make sure that your knowledge didn't compromise their larcenous schemes?"
"Jeez, did she swallow a thesaurus or something?" Bess mumbled around a mouthful of potato chips. Nancy nearly snorted her drink out of her nose.
On the screen, Frank was answering in his usual accurate manner. "I was not working alone. Several excellent investigators, including Nancy Drew of Chicago, . . ."
In the midst of Frank's response, Bess heaved a girly sigh. "Aw, did you see how his face softened just mentioning your name, Nan?" Nancy waved a hand to silence her.
". . . my brother, Joe Hardy, and my father, Fenton Hardy were all closely involved in the investigation from the beginning. This kind of thing doesn't happen in a vacuum. And if it hadn't been for Nan –"
The reporter interrupted him, "As I understand, none of them would have been involved if you had not found the clues to the identity theft scheme in the first place. Isn't that right, Frank?"
Nancy recognized the signs that Frank was losing patience. "Nancy and Joe were involved from the beginning. All I did were some statistical analyses that identified the data anomalies hinting at the identity theft scam. Trust me, my involvement was far less interesting than you're trying to make it sound."
"Come on, Frank, give us the scoop on the kidnapping. Isn't it true that you spent several hours making your way from the old abandoned bunker deep in the woods of Harrington State Park to West Point with a whole gang of thugs on your tail, only to be picked up and put in jail by the MPs?"
"Again, I wasn't alone –"
"And isn't it true that one of the Academy Lieutenants has been implicated in the criminal ring responsible?"
Frank shook his head. "I don't think you need me to do this interview."
The camera followed his retreating back for several seconds before turning back to the reporter. "There you are folks. The modest words of New York's local hometown hero, Frank Hardy, downplaying his significant role in breaking one of the largest identity theft rings in recent history."
"Wow, she did make it sound like Frank did it single-handedly. Were you even in the same town when all this happened?" Bess turned wide, teasing eyes on Nancy, who leaned forward to turn the TV volume down.
"Frank said it's really frustrating because the media isn't interested in the truth, just in what sells. One good thing is coming out of this mess, though." Nancy smiled. "He's moved up his timetable to come out here. U of I has been bugging him about visiting for a tour in consideration of the PhD assistantship offer, and he finally relented and said he would talk to them. He's flying in next Wednesday, spending the night in Urbana, then driving up to Chicago on Thursday."
Bess chuckled. "You should see your face when you talk about him, Nan. I don't ever remember you being so enthusiastic when Ned was the topic of conversation."
The discussion had taken an uncomfortable turn, but Nancy was saved from having to continue it by the sound of the buzzer. She jumped up from the couch, "Hopefully that's the pizza and wings. I'm starving."
Snatching the money off the kitchen bar, she hurried to the intercom and pressed the button. "Hello?"
"Um, hel-hello, ma'am. I have pizza for Nancy? Nancy Drew?"
"I'll be right down."
Nancy shoved her feet into her slippers. "I'll be back in a minute, Bess."
Jogging down the three flights of stairs in the old tenement, Nancy had time to think about Bess' observation. Were her feelings for Frank really that obvious? Over the last several days she had vacillated between giddy happiness and confounding guilt over what she had come to think of as a self-indulgent decision to start a relationship with Frank.
The truth was that she worried that she was just going to hold him back. He was finishing up his Master's in High Tech Crime, had a couple PhD assistantship offers as well as an attractive job offer from the FBI, and his father was holding a spot for him in the family PI business. Frank was an excellent investigator, and everyone who knew him, knew he had a bright career ahead of him.
She cringed every time she thought about the presumptuous condition she had placed on their relationship a scant week ago, 'I like my job. I like working for Riley. And I am not leaving Chicago. At least not right now.' If push came to shove, would she leave her current career path behind to follow her rising-star boyfriend? Based on how she had felt since they parted last weekend, she probably would, and the recognition of that fact chafed. Her personal resolve not to get hung up on Frank when she went to New York hadn't done anything to save her once he was standing in front of her broaching the possibility of a serious relationship. She wasn't sure whether she was bigger fool for accepting, or for thinking she could resist the temptation.
She was totally distracted by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs. Through the old glass of the heavy front door she could see the wavy image of the pizza delivery guy standing outside in the dim light of the fading day. She opened the door, but before she could say a word a man in a trench coat pushed the kid aside and stepped in front of Nancy.
Without conscious thought, Nancy grabbed the hand that reached out to her by the thumb. She used his forward momentum to pull him further toward her as she stepped aside, and twisted his arm behind him.
Using her hip, she slammed him face-first against the door, pinning his hand against the middle of his back.
Something clattered to the floor at her feet, but her eyes were drawn to his companion standing just a couple steps down. She was in trouble.
*
Frank was relieved to see an empty front yard when he pulled into the drive at his parent's house in Bayport, New York. His relief was short-lived. As he started up the walk to the front door, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to find a news crew rushing across the sleepy, residential street toward him. He resisted the urge to run to the front door, but did increase his pace. Unfortunately, not quite enough.
"Frank, is it true that the Military Police put you in lockup?"
Flinching as yet another microphone was shoved in his face, Frank's composure snapped. "Please, leave me alone. If you want further information about the identity theft case I suggest you contact FBI Special Agent Jarvi. I have nothing more to say."
"But Frank, your neighbors and friends want to know –"
He jerked the door open, stepped inside, and slammed the door on the next question.
When he turned around his mother was standing there looking at him. "Another reporter?"
"They're relentless. There was a whole pack of them waiting at the office this morning when I arrived, and when I left. Dad told me the only way to get them to leave was going to be to pick one and tell them what happened. But when I tried that, they wouldn't really listen. All they want to do is sensationalize the whole damn thing!" Frank raked a hand back through his hair in frustration.
His mother took his computer bag from his arm and set it on the floor, then led him into the kitchen. "Your father and I were talking at lunch. We thought perhaps you should move up your time-table even more and head to Chicago this weekend. Stay for a week or so and visit Nancy. You've been miserable since she left, anyway."
"I haven't been miserable."
His mother gave him a gentle push into a chair and walked to the counter. When she returned to the table, she placed a glass of milk and a plate of cookies in front of him.
"Don't lie to your mother, Franklin Hardy. You miss that girl."
Frank chuckled as he picked up a cookie. "I'm not ten anymore, Mom. Cookies and milk are not going to fix my problems."
Laura sat down and picked up a cookie, too, pointing it at him. "I know. But they're just out of the oven, and I know how you love warm chocolate chip cookies."
"Yeah, I do."
She put a hand on his arm. "And don't tell me that spending a week with Nancy wouldn't make you happy, because I know it would."
"Yes, it would. It would make me very happy." He looked over at his mother. Maybe things hadn't changed so much since he was ten. She had always known how to get him to open up then, too. "I love Nan, Mom."
"I know you do. She's a lucky girl." She stood as the timer on the oven went off.
Frank took a bite of his cookie, murmuring under his breath. "I just hope she thinks so."
His mother's super-human hearing always had surprised him. "I'm sure she does, Frank. For such a confident young man, you are endearingly unsure of yourself where Nancy is concerned. Trust me, she's as in love with you as you are with her."
Frank wasn't so sure. Nancy had seemed kind of stand-offish the last couple days when they talked. He was worried that the distance thing was taking a toll already. He wondered what they would do when he went back to school in July. It would be a lot longer than a week between visits, then.
He really didn't like the separation himself. They had spent less than 48 hours as a couple before she had to go back to her job in Chicago. He was still surprised at how easily they had slipped into this new phase of their relationship. For him it had been a relief to finally acknowledge and act on the feelings that he had for Nancy – feelings that had been present for quite some time. But it had made the goodbye that much harder.
They had spoken every evening since she left, but it just wasn't the same as having her with him, seeing her face, even just touching her hand. He found himself replaying the more private moments of their time together just to get him through until he could talk to her again. Those two days had been just enough time for him to realize how long, and how badly, he had wanted this relationship with Nancy.
The doorbell chimed, and Laura set down the cookies she had just taken out of the oven, waving Frank back into his seat. "I'll get it. You finish your milk and cookies."
A minute later, Special Agent Daniel Jarvi was sitting down at the table with Frank.
"I'm glad I caught up with you, Frank."
"Daniel, can I get you a coffee, or maybe some milk?"
"I'll take some coffee, Laura, thanks." Jarvi gave Frank an appraising once-over. "I saw the news van out there. You're quite the local celebrity."
Frank grimaced. "They won't leave me alone."
Jarvi chuckled. "Give it a couple days. They'll move on to the next big story."
"The sooner, the better," Frank said. "Why are you here, sir?"
"Please, Frank, call me Dan. It makes me feel older than I am when you call me 'sir.' I'm here because we've gotten some recent intel that has me a little concerned."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Jarvi glanced back at Frank's mother uncomfortably. She set a cup of coffee in front of him and looked at Frank. "Do you need some privacy?"
"Do you mind giving us a minute, Mom?"
She disappeared from the room silently, and Frank leaned forward and looked at Jarvi intently. "Tell me why I just sent my mother out of her own kitchen."
"There are rumors that there is a contract out on your life, Frank. I'm here to talk to you about the possibility of protective custody –"
"No way."
Jarvi sat back with a resigned smirk. "I told them you wouldn't do it. I did think you'd at least give it some serious consideration, though."
"What about Nancy?"
"Nothing about her in any of the underground rumblings. Your face is the one that's been plastered all over the TV in conjunction with this identity theft ring, and you're the one they're targeting."
"They, as in who?"
"If I had to guess, the East Coast Syndicate. I would suspect the other regions are involved peripherally, but the East Coast took the biggest hit in this bust, as would be expected given Hathaway Adjusters geographic locations. Like I said, it's just rumors, but rumors start somewhere."
Frank decided to at least entertain the suggestion, though he certainly doubted he would change his mind. "So if I were to go into protective custody, how long would I be under wraps?"
Jarvi pursed his lips. "It's difficult to say."
One look at Jarvi told Frank what he already knew. "There's no end-game, here, Dan. It's not like I'd be in until a trial, or until the busts are complete. I'm not willing to give up my life indefinitely for some vague rumors in the organized crime underground."
"I understand your logic, Frank. But consider the fact that everyone around you is put at risk –"
Frank took a deep breath. "So I lay low for awhile. Maybe the media will forget about me, too. I'm heading to Chicago to see Nan, anyway –"
"I'd feel better if you at least let me send a detail with you."
"I'll be in Chicago –"
"Where any hit man worth his salt is going to know to look for you. I would feel better if you at least had a couple of agents with you." Jarvi's gaze was uncompromising.
"I am not going into protective custody."
"I'm just talking about a couple agents hanging out with you and Nancy, and keeping the vultures at bay."
Frank slumped back in his chair. "Fine. But I'm not feeding them or putting them out."
He knew he was being petulant, but all he wanted was to go to Chicago and have a quiet visit with Nancy. He felt strongly that they needed some time alone to solidify the commitment they had made to each other last weekend, and get comfortable with the new playing field of their relationship. Having a couple feds hanging around was going to make that difficult.
"You'd be right at home in our department with smartass comments like that, Frank." Jarvi chuckled, but then his gaze narrowed. "Speaking of which, have you considered the job offer anymore?"
Frank shrugged noncommittally. "Nan and I haven't really gotten a chance to discuss our options in detail, yet."
"It's a good offer, Frank. I've never seen the brass salivate over a recruit like they are you."
"I appreciate my offer, but I'm not rushing into anything. In the end, it's all going to depend on what's best for us."
"You and Nancy?"
"Yes, me and Nancy. And the offer the Bureau made her was pathetic."
"She wasn't the one that found the scam, Frank."
"No, but she was the one that saved our asses. I'm not making a move, or discussing anything unless she's included."
Jarvi grinned. "Stick to your guns, Frank. You've got some clout right now."
"Why does it take clout to get Nancy an offer that isn't a slap in the face?"
"She's young."
"She's the same age as me."
"She's inexperienced."
"She's been working as an investigator since she was a teen, just like me."
"She only has an undergrad."
"She has two years of practical experience under her belt, while I've been submerged in academia. Sorry, Dan, but you're going to have to do way better than that."
Jarvi sat back and crossed his arms. "I'm going to level with you, Frank. Between you, me and the wall, she's a woman. Despite progress at the Bureau, the fact remains that only twenty percent of special agents are women. Like most law enforcement agencies it's still a man's world. Most managers, like me, ignore the anatomy, but there are inherent biases that are intractable. She was made a decent offer that is pretty much on par with what most men in her position would have received, and I think that says a lot. But like any new recruit, she's got some proving to do. If the Bureau is the path you choose, that's a reality you are both going to have to come to grips with."
"I don't think we have to come to grips with anything. It sounds like the Bureau does."
Frank stood and turned his back on the Special Agent. He knew Dan Jarvi wasn't the problem, but the whole thing smacked of chauvinism and it pissed him off. Nancy was every bit as good an investigator as he was, and other than 'the anatomy' he couldn't figure out why his offer was so much better than hers.
He heard Jarvi's chair slide back as he stood. "When did you want to leave for Chicago?"
Frank had been thinking about his mother's suggestion, and came to a decision. He turned to face the agent. "I think I'm going to try and get a flight tonight."
"I'll make the flight arrangements and be by with a couple agents to pick you up this evening." He handed Frank a prepaid tracfone. "I'll call you at that number with the details once everything is set. Let's try and keep this quiet. No talking about it on the land lines, or on your cell."
Frank shrugged acceptance. "I was thinking I might surprise Nan, anyway."