Hey guys!

I'm back with another update and I do give you some action in this one! I want to thank everyone that has been reading and especially Destiny J. Adams, PrincessSkywalkerOrgana, SarahE7191 and dares to dream for their wonderful comments.

SarahE7191—I have Nancy keeping her maiden name, since everyone knows her as that and she uses it as her professional name. In my mind, that's something that she would do no matter who she was married to, just to erase confusion. I am glad you asked about that and please, don't hesitate to every question anything.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I will get a chapter out as soon as I can, hopefully in the next few days or so.

All mistakes are my own and I apologize in advance.

Reviews are love!

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Chapter 7

The first thing Nancy wanted to do as soon as they got out of the police station was to get on the phone with the doctor B.D. had told them about. If anyone could really give her the answers she was seeking, it would be her. But Nancy knew she would rather meet with this doctor face-to-face—it was how she was able to accurately gauge a person's sincerity. Sure, she could get a pretty good reading on someone by just speaking with them but she'd learned long ago that people were good at hiding things if they had the right motivation.

So, if nothing else she figured she could at least set up an appointment with the doctor.

"What are you doing?" Frank asked as she pulled out her cell phone from her purse.

"I'm calling this doctor, see if she's willing to talk to me."

"I thought you wanted to see your dad," Frank replied as he started the car. "We probably won't get back to Chicago until some time tonight."

"I know. I figure she has to be busy so I'm just giving her a heads-up," Nancy explained as she dialed Information. "I'll go talk to her tomorrow."

Frank smiled but said nothing.

"What?" Nancy asked, glancing sideways at him.

"Nothing."

Nancy pushed her reply aside as the operator came on the line. "I need the number for a Dr. Sophie Dawson, please."

"Would you like me to connect your call for you?"

"Sure."

"Please hold."

Nancy turned her attention back to Frank as she waited for the operator to connect her call. "You don't think I can do it, do you?"

Frank shook his head as he steered the car towards the Drew residence. "I didn't say that."

"Hello?" asked a feminine voice, stopping Nancy from answering Frank.

"Is this Dr. Dawson?"

"It is."

"The same Dr. Dawson who worked at River Heights General?"

"Who is this?"

"My name is Nancy Drew—I'm a reporter for the Chicago Tribune."

"What is this about, Ms. Drew?"

"I actually need to ask you about a patient you worked on a few years ago—Dominic Shepard."

"I remember him—he was that killer that was terrorizing River Heights, right?"

"Yes."

"What about him?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could actually come talk to you in person."

"I don't know, Ms. Drew—I'm very busy."

"I understand that, Doctor. I would only need a few minutes of your time," Nancy promised.

The doctor was silent for a few moments and Nancy was afraid that she'd hung up on her. Finally she said, "Come by the hospital tomorrow—emergency ward. Maybe you can catch me between patients."

"Thank you so much."

Nancy hung up the phone and turned her head to smile at Frank. "See? I can contain myself on occasion."

"Yeah," Frank agreed with a hint of a smile. "And watch it drive you crazy—you'll be tossing and turning all night."

"Whatever."

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Sophie Dawson hung up the phone, staring at it with a tinge of fear. She didn't like the way Nancy was asking questions and it could only mean that soon enough, people were going to realize what she had done. They would know she helped Dom fake his death and that she was helping him kill again—they would take him away from her and she didn't know if she could handle that.

He was the best thing that had happened to her in a very long time. Sure, she had the medical degree and a career she absolutely loved but when she met Dom in that hospital a few years ago, she found passion in her life. It was something that had been missing and now it was something she never wanted to let go. But she knew how people would react when they found out the truth.

They would hunt them down like they were a couple of monsters. They would separate them, never allowing them to be together again. Sophie didn't know if she could live without Dom—it was something she'd never envisioned before and she didn't care to. It was that simple—there was no life if she couldn't have him.

Sophie knew she had to let Dom know—he would be pissed and he would take care of it, just like he always took care of her. He wouldn't let anything happen to them; he'd promised her that much and he always kept his word when it came to Sophie.

Dialing a number, she smiled in relief when his voice greeted her. "Hey, babe. I think we might be in trouble."

"What do you mean?" Dom asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"I just got a phone call from Nancy Drew—she was asking questions about you," Sophie explained. "She wants to meet with me tomorrow."

Dom was silent for a few moments. "Don't worry about a thing, love. I'll take care of everything. You trust me to do that, don't you?"

"I trust you more than anything."

"Meet with her tomorrow. Find out what she wants to know and answer any question she asks."

"But what will I say?"

"You'll think of something," Dom assured her. "I know you can do it, babe."

"What about you?"

"I think it may be time to send her a little message myself."

"What kind of message?" Sophie knew she was pushing her luck with the questions. Dom had a way of closing her off when he became focused on something. But she had to know that he would be safe—she had to know he would still come back to her.

"Don't worry your pretty head about a thing."

"Okay."

"I mean it, Sophie. I'm not going to let anything happen to us."

And she knew that he did mean it—Dom was going to take care of it all. "I love you, Dom."

"I love you, too."

Sophie hung up the phone feeling much better about everything.

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"I didn't know you were coming out here today," Carson Drew said as Nancy and Frank walked into his law office in downtown River Heights. He was sitting at his desk, working his way through a stack of papers.

"We thought we would surprise you," Nancy said as she hugged him tightly. "How have you been doing?"

Carson held out a hand for Frank and shook. "It's good to see you too, Frank."

"The same here, Carson."

Carson smiled at his daughter. "I've been swamped these last couple of weeks. I was supposed to be off today, but I figured I would come in and try to get caught up on some paperwork." He sat down behind his desk. "What are you kids up to?"

"We came to talk to B.D. about a couple of things," Nancy answered as she and Frank sat down.

"About a case?"

"Yeah…kind of."

Nancy didn't really want to discuss Dominic Shepard with her father. After Carson had been blackmailed by the killer to represent him in his trial, it took a long while for Nancy and her father to get their relationship back on track. Nancy felt as if she had been betrayed by him, no matter how Carson tried to explain the situation to her. Her father had given Nancy her space after the fallout and had allowed her to come around without pushing her, which made the young woman gain respect for him once more.

The emotional distance between them had been palpable, made even harder by the fact that they were still living in the same house. Even Hannah Gruen, their longtime housekeeper, had tried to intervene and get the Drew household back as one but neither father nor daughter wanted to listen. Nancy could remember all the times she'd wanted to just hug her dad and tell him she forgave him but there was always something that held her back. Finally, deciding enough was enough and realizing she was being childish, she'd sucked it up and they were able to salvage their relationship as if nothing had happened.

Even though they'd both put the situation behind them, Nancy was afraid that animosity would come crashing back if she even mentioned Dom's name. She knew she couldn't handle that again; she didn't want to.

Almost as if he sensed her apprehension, Frank spoke up. "It was about a case Joe and I are working on. I thought I could use a fresh set of eyes and Nancy decided to come with me so she could see you."

Nancy gave Frank's hand a gentle squeeze, gazing at him gratefully. Frank said nothing as he returned the squeeze. It was times like this that Nancy was so grateful to have the dark-haired man in her life.

Carson smiled. "I'm definitely glad to see the two of you. It's always a welcome distraction from work."

"I thought you were going to start taking it easy," Nancy commented as she nodded at the stack of folders sitting on the corner of the lawyer's oak desk.

Carson shrugged sheepishly. "I tried…"

"But he just doesn't know when to stop," a feminine voice chimed in from the open doorway.

Nancy smiled as she turned in her seat to see District Attorney Gwen Lawson gazing at her father with love in her big green eyes. Today, her long raven hair was pulled back into a chignon and she looked every bit the professional in a burgundy suit that flattered her slender figure.

"Gwen, it's so great to see you!" Nancy exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat to give the other woman a warm hug.

"How are you, Nancy?" Gwen asked as she held Nancy away at arm's length to study her.

"I'm doing really well."

"That's wonderful!" Gwen smiled down at Frank. "And how are you, Frank?"

"Great, thank you for asking."

"Gwen, I didn't know you were popping by," Carson stated as she walked around the desk and kissed his cheek.

"Court let out early and I didn't have any other cases, so I figured I would surprise you." The DA smiled at Nancy and Frank. "Looks like I wasn't the only one with that idea."

Nancy watched with a fond smile as the older couple gazed at each other. She was glad that her father had been able to find love—it had been a long time coming and it seemed to be doing wonders for him. He looked healthier and a glow suddenly enveloped him as the elegant woman stood by his side. While Nancy had been jealous before of other women dating her dad, she truly was pleased with Gwen and the way she'd been able to open up his eyes to love once again. She was afraid he'd never experience the feeling again, her mother's death all those years ago still an open wound.

"I was wondering you if you mind joining me for lunch," Gwen said to Carson.

"Oh, well…" Carson began, glancing at Nancy.

The titian-haired woman waved a hand. "We need to be hitting the road anyway," she said quickly as she stood up, Frank following suit.

"Don't be silly, Nancy," Gwen said, smiling brightly. "We would love for you and Frank to join us. It would be rude to run you off when you just got here."

"Really, Gwen, you don't have to do that. I'm sure you and Dad want to spend some time together."

"Carson and I can always spend time together," she argued. "I insist."

Nancy glanced over at Frank. "It's up to you."

"It sounds good to me," Frank said, grinning.

Gwen clapped her hands together, beaming at everyone. "Good, then it's settled."

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Joe Hardy sighed as he walked out of the office he shared with his brother, glancing up at the sky to see that rain was threatening. He couldn't remember there being a forecast for rain, but then again, nine times out of ten the weatherman was usually wrong. He could predict a sunny day and the next thing you know, a tornado was heading your way. That usually was means to fire a person for being unable to perform their job duties, but for some reason the local news station Joe always tuned to kept the weatherman around.

I'm just waiting for the day the city goes after the dude with pitchforks and torches. And hopefully, they'll let me lead it…

Joe's mood slightly lightened, he got into his truck and started the ignition. He was on his way to one of the clients Frank had asked him to talk to while he was out of town with Nancy. Joe had to admit, he was grateful for the break from the murders. They were getting nowhere fast with it and the younger Hardy was tired of going home every night with a headache. It was times like that that made him wonder why he even bothered continued being a detective.

He never was a patient guy—he wanted results as soon as the problem was presented. Frank was the one who usually kept them grounded and kept them pushing forward. Joe was the one who would rather run in, guns blazing and get it over with. Senseless acts of crime still didn't make sense to him, even after all this time of being a detective. It just amazed him how cruel people could be to their fellow humans and this case was no exception.

There was just no reason why all these women should have been murdered. There was no reason why the city of Chicago had to live in a constant state of fear from an unknown killer. There was no reason why the police had to struggle to come up with some tangible leads and false assurances that everything was going to be okay. It was just so frustrating for Joe and he just wanted it to end.

And if that wasn't enough, he now had to deal with the fact that Nancy—a girl that he always felt as if was his long-lost sister—was possibly seeing a dead man on the streets of Chicago. Joe would be stupid if he said he wasn't slightly freaked—for Nancy and for the thought of Dominic Shepard being out there, terrorizing the public. The man didn't deserve to live for what he had done to the citizens of River Heights—he'd set out to kill the people Nancy knew, knowing just where to hit her emotionally.

Joe just couldn't believe that the psycho was still out there; it just wasn't possible. And if he was, why had he been dormant these last few years? Just what exactly had he been waiting for and why start now?

Sighing, Joe pushed the thoughts of Dom out of his head. Turning on the radio, he found an alternative rock station, cranking up the volume as Soundgarden's The Day I Tried to Live emitted from the speakers. As he headed out of the city limits, bobbing his head and singing along with Chris Cornell, he failed to notice the nondescript car following closely behind.

What he did notice, however, was the sudden downpour drenching the roadway and the unexpected impact as his truck was hit from behind. Cursing, Joe struggled to maintain control over the pickup as he quickly glanced into the rearview mirror to see the car coming again for another try. Pressing his foot down on the accelerator, Joe sped up, wary of the treacherous roadway conditions.

"What the hell is going on?" Joe muttered.

The car caught up, once again colliding with the back of Joe's truck.

Joe yelled in frustration as the impact caused him to swerve towards the shoulder. For a few tense moments, the younger Hardy thought he wouldn't be able to get the vehicle back on the road, but he let out a sight of relief when the sound of wheels on pavement greeted his ears.

His relief was short-lived as the car pulled around to the left and smashed into the driver's side, pushing the truck violently towards the side of the road. Joe tried in vain to steer the pickup back towards the road, but with the heavy curtain of rain it was just impossible.

Joe didn't even have time to brace himself as his Ford crashed into a stand of trees, the pitter-patter of rain the only sound to be heard.

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I'm thinking I didn't mention anything about a cliffie, huh? *evil laugh*