All names, charecters,and events in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real happenings is purely co - incidental.

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The phone slipped from her hand, crashed to the floor, and broke into a million pieces, just like her heart. Nancy sunk to the floor. Her body kept jerking involuntarily. The tears would not form. Tears were not enough for the pain that she felt. She suddenly felt numb. She put her hands over her face and continued jerking.

No. No. Please God, no.

Her face was a sickly pale, and she was beginning to find it difficult to breathe. She curled into a tighter ball, trembling like never before. She couldn't think. Her brain simply refused. She could hear another extension in the den ringing, but she could not move.

You can't do this to me, God. You can't take him away, please.

She was starting to feel guiddy Her head was pounding. Dizziness was beginning to close in on her.

"Nan, honey? Are you here?" Nancy could hear her father's voice coming from the den.

"Da -Daddy?" she said weakly.

Mr Drew heard the tone of her voice, and ran into the kitchen. He saw his daughter lying on the floor, her eyes closed. He rushed to her side.

"Nancy, wha - what happened?" he asked, lifting her up. She did not answer. Her father noticed a dazed, far away experssion in her eyes. So full of fear.

"Nancy, baby, please answer me," her father said, tapping her cheek. "Are you okay?"

She still did not answer.

She isn't even listening. Oh, no, what could have happened?

He took a deep breath. He had never done this before. He never wanted to, but he knew he had to. He raised his hand.

He gave her one, tight slap across her face.

It was then that the tears began to flow. Flow like as if the gates of a dam had been open. She snapped out of the trance she'd been in. She let herself into her father's arms and began to cry. Cry hard.

"Oh, God...Dad, I got..., Ned, he's...," she said in between sobs.

"Ned? What happened to Ned?" her father asked, holding his breath unconciously.

"Ned died, dad, he's gone," she answered, pounding her fists on her father's arm in frustration. "Gone."

"What?" Mr Drew asked, a mask of shock on his face. "What? Oh Nancy, how?"

"I don't know, I don't know anything." she told him, crying uncontrollably. "Tell me this is not happening, please, make this nightmare go away, daddy, please," she begged.

I wish I could, Nan. I wish I could.

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A half hour later, Nancy and Mr Drew sat in Detective John's office in the PD.

"I'm sorry, Miss Drew, I misread the threatening note that I received. It said that Ned had been kidnapped, and that they would kill him after the job was done, they didn't say what job, though. They haven't murdered him. Yet," he added.

Nancy was furioius. She stood up. "Misread? You call me up, tell me that my boyfriend is dead, when he's not and you call that misreading?" She could feel fresh tears gather in her eyes.

"Your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Ex," she replied quitely.

"Can we see the note?" Mr. Drew asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, I'm afraid not. I've given the note to an officer to see if it could be traced." Detective John replied.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Nancy asked. "Do you have any leads?"

"No. Nothing so far. But since you say you knew Nickerson, I think you should talk to some of his friends and family and see if you come up with anything," he said.

"Okay, okay. I'll get on it right away. I'll let you know if there are any developments," Nancy told him.

"Alright. And I'll do the same."

This is one case I'm determined to crack.

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A few minutes later. Nancy was sitting on the couch at the Nickerson's, doing her best to console Mrs. Nickerson.

"How could this have happened?," Mrs. Nickerson sobbed.

"I don't know, but - but Mrs. Nickerson, I swear that I'll bring him back. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I will. I know I will." She hugged Mrs.Nickerson. "Now you've got to tell me everything that has happened," she said gently.

"Have you noticed anything strange about him lately?"

Mrs. Nickerson thought for a moment. "No," she answered. "The only thing that was strange was that he broke up with you. I never thought that could happen."

Neither did I.

"He's been spending most of his time with Allison," she said.

"Have you ever met her?" Nancy asked.

"Yes, a few times. She seems a little arrogant, I don't really like her. I can't imagine what Ned can see in her. why, do you think she could be involved in this?"

"I don't know. Just because I hate her, dosen't mean she's evil," Nancy answered.

"You hate her?" Mrs. Nickerson asked.

"She took Ned away from me. How can I not hate her?" Nancy was the one that needed comforting, it seemed.

"Oh, Nancy, I -,"

"Uh, no, I'm sorry I got self - centered. Tell me what you know about Allison," she said.

"Well, all I know is that she's new here and she lives alone in an apartment nearby. Oh, and she and Ned work together," she said.

"Oh," Nancy said. "Ned didn't tell me that," she said, hurt.

So they were closer that I thought..

Well, time now to deal with the little witch.

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Nancy stood in front of the door of Allison's apartment. She rang the bell for what seemed like the hunderedth time.

Will you buck up?

The door opened, and Nancy was face to face witha sleepy eyed Allison. But as soon as she saw Nancy, the sleep seemed to vanish.

"You? What are you doing here?" she asked harshly.

"Allison, this is no pleasure trip for me either," she replied coolly. "Ned's been kidnapped," she said, waiting for her to react.

"I't's a little too late for April Fool's, isn't it?" she replied.

"I would never joke about something this serious. Ned's been kidnapped and they are threatening to kill him," she repeated.

"You serious? But why? Are you taking the case?"

Nancy was shocked at how she reacted.

"How did you know that I was a detective?" she asked.

"Ned told me," Allison replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh. And why do you want to know? Ned's life is in danger, and that's all you can think about? Don't you care about him?" Nancy asked.

That really seemed to hurt Allison. "Care? Of course I care. I love Ned, and he loves me."

And I'd love to smash you, right now.

"Whatever. I'm sorry," Nancy said, trying to swallow the pain.

"Yeah. I guess you should come in," Allison said. "What are you here for?"

"When was the last time you saw Ned?" Nancy said as soon as she was inside.

"I don't remember."

"Allison, think. When did you see him last?" Nancy asked, desperate. Allison sighed.

"Yesterday afternoon, we had lunch together."

"Okay. Did he tell you anything?" Nancy asked, hoping for some answers.

"Well, he did tell me that he loved me, over and over again, if that helps."

Oh, yeah, that helps a lot. Thanks, Nancy thought, sarcastically.

Talking to Allison seemed to be getting no where. So Nancy left and was driving home. When she reached homme and was just about to get out of the car, she spotted a note under the windshield. She took it and what she read sent a bone - chilling sensation down her spine.

Miss Detective Hotshot,

We've got the love of your life with us. We haven't killed him. Yet. But we will, once the job is done.

WATCH OUT.

So, did you like this chapter? Please let me know. Reviews are really helpful because I know that someone is reading my story and it makes me feel like updating.

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