Prologue
Author's Note: Because it's been a long time since I've written for NDHB and kty's suggestion.
Disclaimer: The author of this story (me) does not own the respective characters. She intends no copyright infringement.
-NDHB-
Prologue: Introduction
"Prologue- a speech or section used as an introduction, especially to a play or novel."
-Wiktionary
Contrary to the popular start, it was not a dark and stormy night. It was, in fact, a bright and sunny day. But, "'Twas a bright and sunny day" is not a good start for a mystery novel. So…
It was a dark and stormy night and the young teens shuffle wearily toward their assigned cabins. It is the first day of Camp Sherlock Holmes, a camp for teenaged mystery enthusiasts. The heroine of our story exits a car. An older man, her father, stands pulling her luggage from the trunk of said car. The girl pops a bright pink umbrella open-a gift from her friend.
Hopping to avoid the puddles, the girl makes her way to her dad. She gives him a hug, "Bye, Dad."
"Goodbye, Lizzie. Stay out of trouble," he calls after her.
The warning, which won't really be taken under advisement, has merit. The young girl, our heroine Elizabeth "Liz" Brockmann, can find trouble anywhere without even trying.
At this point, I hope you've caught that we have a heroine; so, then, who is our hero?
-NDHB-
"Well," Nancy decides. "That's a good start."
"What's a good start to what?" her best friend Bess asks as she steps into the room. Bess and her cousin (and Nancy's other best friend) George and their families are staying for a visit with Nancy and Nancy's husband.
It surprised both Bess and Nancy when George was the first of the "Three Musketeers" to get married. "Where is everyone else?" Nancy changes the subject. Writing is her secret. Only her husband knows that, under a penname, Nancy is a famous author.
Instead of finishing her latest book, however, she's let herself get caught in the prequel. What should have been the first book; the book Nancy always planned to write first. When Bess doesn't reply, Nancy looks up to meet her friends gaze. "What?" she demands.
"What were you doing on the computer?" re-asks Bess.
Nancy glances at the closed laptop, "I was working. Where's everyone?"
Bess shrugs, "Something about hiking. I think George convinced our guys and Kimmy and Steph. I don't know what it is with my girls. They're just like George. I know Van is watching Mia and Jo."
"It is strange," agrees Nancy.
Nodding, Bess continues, "So, that was all I came to tell you. I'm going to take a nice long, relaxing bath. Have I mentioned that I love your house?"
"Yes. And thank you."
Bess exits down the stairs to the second floor and the guest rooms. Nancy opens her computer and stares at the screen. She knows this story. It's their story…all of them: Bess, George, Frank, Callie, Joe, Vanessa, Iola, Chet, Biff, Phil, Jerry. It's even in a way the story of their children: Niva, Robert, Stephanie, Kimberly, Josephina, Mia, and the unnamed baby growing in her womb.
It's still hard to write their start knowing their unfortunate end.
Deciding she needs a break to rethink the story, she pulls up her old outlines-those for the published books. She reads the character development parts. In her first book, she makes the sexual tension between two of the main characters fly off the page, but it's their friends that end up engaged at the end of the book.
In reality, a horribly grisly serial killer case got to her. She wasn't sleeping so Frank suggested she find some out let for the emotions. She sat at the computer, about to pull up the stress reliever game, when she started typing.
She changed their names; changed the case a tad, but the truth came through. The story ended with George and Biff engaged.
The second book starts at George and Biff's wedding with a tense scene between maid-of-honor and best man and moves into a murder case when the priest dies in the middle of the ceremony. Bess and Chet start their relationship.
They marry in the middle of the third book. This was a hard story to write: another serial killer, this time targeting children. This case pushed Nancy deeper into her writing; pushed her into getting the books published. Phil and Jerry came out while she was in the process of writing this novel, so she included that as a way to show her support.
The fourth book finally saw the relationship heat up between those two main characters. They slept together after getting drunk at Phil and Jerry's wedding. Families also start building when George and Biff adopt Niva. Bess announces that she's pregnant. The case deals with a terrorist organization in America that the three detectives get thrown into through their connection to a secret government agency.
In the next book, the fifth, those pesky main characters try to keep their sexual relationship a secret while denying to themselves that it was anything but sex. George and Biff adopt again, Robert; Bess and Chet have their twins Steph and Kimmy. Nancy arrives at the hospital working a case about kidnapping from the nursery to find Bess in labor. Joe and Vanessa announce their engagement and the book ends at their wedding.
In the sixth book, someone stalks Nancy so she moves in with Frank for her own protection. Their relationship finally fully ignites. Toward the end of that book, the stalker is still free and Joe and Van tell everyone about the baby they'll be having.
Now, she's supposed to be working on the seventh book. It starts as a simple missing person's case; however, her stalker comes back.
Nancy sighs, dropping her head into her hands. It was two years ago and she still can't write it down.
-NDHB-
Liz knows why her dad keeps reminding her to be careful, to stay out of trouble. She could very easily get hurt. And her arm does hurt where she banged it into the tree. Apparently you can get hurt solving fake mysteries, as well.
"Stop sighing," Nerissa complains. "Just take the damn Advil and go to sleep."
Lizzie has decided that she does not like her bunkmate very much. The slightly older girl can't seem to muster any feelings of empathy. "I took two Advil an hour ago. I can't take any more for three more hours."
"I really don't care," she bites back, "Just go to sleep."
Instead of rolling over to try to sleep, Liz sits up, "I'm going to sit outside." She grabs a pad of paper and her pencil case. She'll sit at the tables by the lampposts and write a letter to her friends Julianne and Nic.
There are two teen boys already sitting at the tables. Liz heads to one farther away from them and lays down her equipment. They glance up at her before turning to each other, most probably to discuss the weird girl writing in the middle of the night.
"She's hot," she hears the blond-headed teen state before the other shushes him. It's only moments later she hears the slide of someone standing from the benches and the footfalls of two people walking toward her.
"Hello," she makes the first move.
"Hey," the younger of the two replies.
"Hi," the brown-haired one returns. "How are you?"
-NDHB-
"Hey, Nan," Frank enters their bedroom. He can tell something's wrong just from looking at the back of her body. It's probably from the tension in her shoulders. He doesn't speak, but comes forward and turns her chair so it faces him.
"I'm trying to write the seventh book," she responds to his unasked query.
He nods in understanding. This is something they have both been working through for the last two years. It's what drew their relationship into the light of day and ultimately lead to their wedding six months ago.
He's going to ask if she's taken a break, so Nancy turns the laptop so he can see the first few chapters of the prequel. He takes the computer from her and lies down on their bed to read through the start of their story, the proof of her goofing off.
She curls herself up against him and reads along.
-NDHB-
"I'm okay," Liz gestures to her arm. "I hurt my arm today and the Advil has yet to kick in. I'm Liz, by the way, Elizabeth Brockmann."
"I'm John Raney," the older teen explains. "This is my brother Peter. You wouldn't happen to be related to Drew Brockmann the lawyer, would you?"
Used to the question, Liz simply nods, "My dad."
"Our dad," Peter tells her, "is a private detective."
"Yeah. I've heard of him," adds the young girl. "I'm pretty sure he's worked against my dad. The Trubbins case?"
"Yeah," John agrees. "We never thought Michael murdered the guy."
"We actually worked to find evidence for your dad to use," Peter tells Liz. "We're amateur detectives."
"Are you?" Liz smiles to herself. Someone here who may actually know what they're doing to compete against. All the other campers are horrible at clue finding. "I am too."
They respond to her silent challenge with smiles of their own.
-NDHB-
"You know," Frank sets the computer aside, "Joe always said someone should write our story. He thought we'd make millions from selling the stories."
"Yeah. He told me numerous times that if he had more patience he would write it himself." She gently picks the laptop up from the bed and arranges it on the desk. "I hope I'm doing our crazy adventures justice."
"I think he would have liked this. He liked your first six books," he reminds her.
Nancy nods moving to the dresser to find a sweater for dinner. The plan is to have dinner as a family on the patio and the evening air will be cool. "I still can't believe that he finished them."
Frank shrugs pulling his own clothes out of the dresser before disappearing into the bathroom to rinse off. "He liked his mysteries."
Ten minutes later, husband and wife join the others on the patio. They've split themselves into families. George stands next to Biff with their adopted children thirteen-year-old Niva and fifteen-year-old Robert. Beside George stands Bess with the five-year-old twins Stephanie and Kimberly between her and her husband Chet. Next come Phil holding the most recent addition, three-month-old Mia in one arm; his other arm hangs around Jerry's waist.
The parents stand together with Aunt Gertrude and Aunt Eloise quietly discussing pasta recipes with Hannah. Vanessa and two-year-old Josephina finish their circle of family.
"So," Laura starts the dinner conversation after they've taken their seats. "We've been trying to decide what this news you have to share is."
"We've taken bets, actually," confirms Chet.
They laugh, but it's still shorter than it would have been two short years ago. "Tell us, already," Aunt Gertrude demands.
Nancy turns to Frank. Under the table their hands are clasped. It's the same circumstances as when they confirmed to the family that they were dating and intended to get married. Frank speaks, just like he did before, "In about six months, we'll have another person in the family."
Laura screeches as do Bess, Hannah, and, Aunt Eloise. They jump up to hug the happy couple and everyone gives their congratulations. The dinner turns into a celebration of the good news.
After the dishes are cleaned, Nancy heads to the room. She's been more tired recently because of the pregnancy. Frank, perfect husband that he is, follows. "Guys," Vanessa chases after them. She gestures into the guest room she's sharing with Bess and her family.
Nancy and Frank exchange confused looks, but follow the younger woman into the room with no questions. Van shuts the door. "Joe always wanted you guys to get together. He said that since you'd met, you'd had this spark that never went away. …Anyway, when you called this family gathering, I guessed this would be the news."
Vanessa opens her suitcase and rummages through the contents. "He always talked about us raising our kids together-" she pauses as she pulls the object of her desire out of the bag and stuffs it behind her back "-and how he wanted to celebrate your first kid with…"
She pulls a small trophy from behind her back. Frank and Nancy burst into laughter as they recognize it.
-NDHB-
Peter, Liz can tell, wants to win the trophy for "best detective." Elizabeth herself wants to win as does Peter's older brother John. The counselors will award this small prize on the last day of camp after a month of observing the junior detectives at work.
The person who displays the most detective spirit and brains gets the honor. It only goes to one camper-the best camper. Liz is determined that neither of the brothers will gain that particular achievement.
This prize will be hers and hers alone.
She glances over the table at the brothers. They probably think the same thing. But, Lizzie will show them exactly what a girl can do. Anything a boy can do and better.
She smirks at them. John catches her: he can read that look perfectly, apparently. Just as Liz can easily read the glare he sends back at her, "That trophy is not gonna be yours, Brockmann."
-NDHB-
"That is just like Joe," Frank takes the small prize from Vanessa.
"It is." A small, sad smile forms on her lips, "That was his favorite story to tell. He loved to talk about that month at summer camp. Personally, I think anyway, he liked to tell how he one-upped his older brother and the Famous Miss Drew."
They give a short laugh. "Thanks, Van," Nancy hugs her friend. Frank hugs his brother's widow next before they retire to their bedroom.
Together, they place the tiny trophy on the desk. Nancy will probably use this for inspiration for book seven. Frank goes to take a more thorough shower to clean the grit and sweat from the hike off his body. Alone, Nancy pulls up the only part of book seven she has been able to write from her saved files.
She reads it silently to herself. As always, the tears start to fall. She grabs for the tissues. When Frank reappears, she has managed to calm herself slightly, but her eyes are red-rimmed and her nose is still running.
He doesn't have to ask. He rubs her back, silently comforting her. She hasn't let anyone see this part of her series yet.
Nancy clears her throat and lifts the laptop. She carries it over to their bed and slides to her side. Frank follows, climbing to his own side. He lets her have the space she needs. "I want you to read this," she finally says.
Frank takes the computer carefully from her hands. He clears his own throat, "Are you sure?" He knows what this chapter says; he was there when she scribbled it on a napkin in the hospital cafeteria.
"Aloud, please," requests Nancy.
"Epilogue: a short speech, spoken directly at the audience at the end of a play; an afterward. Peter Raney will never have an afterward." Frank's voice breaks, "He's dead. He died because someone tried to kill Liz.
She can't tell you how many times Peter had saved her life before this. She can tell you it all started at summer camp when she was fifteen and he was fourteen.
His daughter was born just minutes before he passed away on the operating table. A beautiful baby girl that he will never know; who will never know him.
It was raining and the sky was dark. Peter and his older brother and best friend John were sitting with Elizabeth in the Labor and Delivery waiting room while a nurse situated Peter's wife Laura in her delivery suite. The nurse exited Laura's room, so Peter stood to go into the room. No one is sure who saw the man first, but all of the detectives reacted at the same time.
John took Liz with him to the floor just as Patrick opened fire. Peter was already the first in the line of fire; he took a direct hit to the chest before he could retrieve his own sidearm.
Elizabeth pushed John off of her, reaching for her own weapon, as John took Patrick out.
It was over in seconds and they were in the hospital with doctor's just seconds away.
Still, the damage was done. The chances of his survivel going into surgery were low. They took him to the surgery floor.
Still, he died.
He died.
He wasn't there as the love of his life gave birth to his daughter.
He wasn't there to cut the cord and welcome his baby into the world.
He won't be there for Liz and John's wedding.
He won't be there for his daughter's first words.
He won't be there for his daughter's first steps.
He won't be there to scare off her first boyfriend.
He won't be there to watch her leave for college.
He won't be there for her wedding.
He will never see his grandchildren.
He died.
Liz can't remember her mother; she knows how this poor daughter will feel. Now, all the family can do is support each other and use that support system to support Laura and help her raise the baby who has been named after her heroic father.
Baby Girl Josephina Raney will never know more about her father than the family can tell her.
He's dead," Frank finishes with tears in his eyes. They all still miss Joe, and they always will.
Nancy buries her head in his chest, crying again. "I can't write anything but his death," she whispers. "I try to write the rest…the afterward and the beforehand, but I can't make it flow."
"I remember you writing this, and reading it I can see it," he grabs the tissues for both of them, "but, I can't remember it happening. All I could think about when I saw Mark was that he wanted you dead; and I couldn't live without you."
"I want to be able to write this for Jo and Vanessa. I think, I'm going to write the prequel for them instead as that seems to be the only thing that will come out," she tells him.
Frank nods, "That's a happier story. And apparently, Joe's favorite."
"Yeah," she snuggles deeper into his side. In a few minutes, both husband and wife are sleeping.
-NDHB-
It's the week before camp ends, and somehow, the three new friends have found a real mystery. They are following the mysterious "Ghost" from the counselors' cabin into the woods.
This "ghost" may be responsible for the thefts the other junior detectives have reported. John leads the group with Liz and Peter following. The "ghost" spies them and takes off.
Of course, they give chase. They rush through the dark woods after their quarry. This person knows the grounds of the camp because they work here and have probably worked here for more than one summer.
Liz tries to figure who this criminal could be. There are only a few people who work as counselors for more than one summer. Most are forensics students who are entering their senior years. It's getting darker as the sun sinks below the mountain line.
She can't see exactly where she's going. She only sees the cliff edge when it's too late to stop. She skids and slides over the edge. John is far ahead of her, so he doesn't see the young teen fly over the edge.
Peter, right behind her, must see her as she stumbles over the side. Liz grabs onto a root before she falls all the way down the side of the cliff. Looking up, she spies another root she can grab; and, farther up the hill, Peter reaches down to her.
With his help she is soon safe on solid ground.
In the distance, a gunshot rings out…followed by silence. Without a glance at each other, they are off into the woods after John.
They meet up with him quickly. He has the ghost on the ground, hands bound behind him, and unmasked. It is one of the counselors as they suspected. A pretty young woman named Emily Perterson who has worked at the camp for three years.
They haul her back to camp and hand her in to the director. They wait until the police come and take the thief away. Jennifer thanks them and sends them back to bed.
It's surprising to the amateur detectives when Ms. Jennifer names Nancy's bunkmate, Nerissa, as the trophy winner. Peter sulks for half-an-hour before he comes up with a devious look on his face.
John exchanges a What-Has-My-Idiot-Brother-Done? look with Liz. She shrugs in reply; she doesn't know what the younger brother has accomplished.
The next morning, as the teens exchange contact information, Peter shows what he did last night. He quickly pops the small trophy out of his backpack. "Nerissa didn't really need this. Jennifer only gave it to her because Nerissa's dad bribed her."
"Always righting the wrongs, huh, Peter?"
"Duh."
-NDHB-
Edited: 16 December 2008…ladybug1115