Disclaimer: I do not own the characters only the awesome Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon have that right. Just using their brilliantness!

Author's Note: Ok, so this chapter turned out WAY different then what I planned. Thanks once again for all the reviews. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. As promised here is the next chapter. Hope you like :D

Chapter 9

Frank fidgeted nervously as his eyes traveled once more to the door. Where was his father? Fenton had gone back to check on Joe and the girls after he'd set the record straight from Chet's over indulged story. And it's a good thing he had too! Frank had been this close to jumping out of bed to find his brother and friends himself. After Fenton assured him they were going to be ok, Frank practically begged his dad to go check to see if Nancy... or George had woken up yet. That was over thirty minutes ago! Chet had gone to the cafeteria for food while his mother and Aunt Gertrude had gone with Fenton (having assumed Chet was going to stay with him). Should it be taking this long?

Frank was worried, about this whole day in general, but mostly by the fact that Nancy had almost been taken, and not even by the person who was at the top of his suspect list. And that's what bothered Frank the most. Every instinct in him was beginning to think Wade was Nancy's mysterious stalker, and yet he actually helped to save her. Why was he at the hospital anyways? Frank felt the worry and confusion pressing upon him and let out a sigh before closing his eyes. Maybe if he didn't watch the doorway, his parents would return with the news quicker. He was just grateful the pain medication was working, he didn't want to think about his head or wrist hurting on top of all this right now.

Frank had begun to doze when the sound of footsteps coming closer to his bed startled him awake. His eyes widened as the image of Wade Larsen entered his vision, and suddenly his suspicions became aroused.

"Oh, pardon me, I didn't mean to wake you." Wade said, taking a step back.

Frank looked puzzled between him and the door as an insane amount of questions entered his mind. Wade must have seen his face because he readily spoke up, "I know you're probably wondering why I'm here, seein' how we only met that once...but I heard you were here and wanted to make sure you were doing ok. Scrawny little kid like you, …. well I figured if your a friend of Miss Nancy's then your my friend too, so to speak."

Frank rolled his eyes when Wade wasn't looking "Have you seen Nancy yet?" Frank asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"A little before they put her in her room, but she was knocked out good. I didn't want to get in the way of family and friends so I went to grab a bite to eat. That's when I thought to pop in here before going up to check on Miss Nancy again."

Frank smirked not quite sure if he believed his story. "Don't you have any place you need to be today, instead of sticking around the hospital to visit people you barely know?" Frank asked trying to make it not sound as harsh as what it came out to be. At this point though he wasn't sure he cared, being that he still wasn't entirely convinced this man wasn't Nancy's mysterious stalker.

"Not really, the friend I came to Bayport to help ended up here today when his wife went into labor." Wade said with a chuckle.

"I see." Frank stated narrowing his eyes as a sudden thought occurred to him, " Wait a minute, How did you know I was here anyways?"

"Your brother mentioned it." Wade stated nonchalantly, without missing a beat.

Frank didn't say anything, but inwardly his mind was racing. He knew immediately that Wade was lying. Joe wouldn't willingly give information, about his brother, up just like that. Especially since, having grown up solving mysteries together, he and Joe had become protective of each other and the information that was shared. No, Wade Larsen was hiding something and Frank was going to find out what it was.

Wade shifted uncomfortably as the silence egged on. Finally Frank decided to speak, "I find it interesting, Mr. Larsen, that you keep showing up whenever Miss Drew happens to go out, at least ever since you've been in Bayport. Care to explain how that is?"

"Shucks, I never thought about it like that, I just thought it was purely coincidental." Wade said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not like I'm stalking her or anything." he ended in a nervous chuckle.

Frank's eyes got wide as red flags flared in his head. The fact that Wade had even used the term 'stalker' unsettled him.

"You all right, kid? You look kind of pale." Wade asked.

Frank could feel his irritation with this man rising by the minute. "What business did you say you were in again?" he questioned through clenched teeth.

"Real Estate..." Wade hesitated a moment drawing his eyebrows together.

"And forgive me, but where did you say you lived?" Frank said, knowing his time for questioning was coming to a close by the realization he saw in Wade's face when he realized he was being interrogated.

Wade gave Frank a cold stare and opened his mouth to speak, when the telephone in Frank's room rang. Though startled, Frank refused to break eye contact.

Wade nodded towards the phone, "I'll let you get that." he stated while slowly backing towards the door. Frank and Wade didn't break eye contact till Wade had completely left the room.

Frank quickly reached over with is good hand and grabbed the phone, "Hello, " He said quickly, trying not to let the frustration of not receiving more answers from his conversation affect his tone of voice.

There was a pause then a deep raspy voice spoke, "Tell, Nancy that next time there will be no failure. She will be mine! And there is nothing you or your brother or anybody else can do to stop me." There was a click, then the line went dead.

A shiver went down Frank's spine as his mind reeled with all that had transpired. His mind began to try and piece what little he could together: Wade was in the room talking with him when the phone call came. There was no way he could have gotten to a phone. And yet... Frank knew that Wade was hiding or lying about something. As innocent as he tried to be there was still that air of... guilt...no ...pride. But about what? Could he really be Nancy's stalker? After all it was fishy that he showed up in Bayport the same time that Nancy had, and he'd see the way Wade looked at Nancy, it was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. But what of the phone call just now? Wade had an accent to his voice and the caller just now had no Southern drawl at all. Could Wade have payed someone to make the call? And what if Wade's story was true and he wasn't purposely following Nancy? What if he was innocent and the guy on the phone was the real stalker? What was going on?

At that moment the door burst opened and Joe and Bess came racing in:

"Frank!" Bess exclaimed.

"What is it?" Frank said when he found his voice. He could tell that Joe immediately saw something wasn't right. Joe opened his mouth but Bess interjected, "Nancy's awake!"

Frank sighed with relief, "Thank goodness."

Joe moved over to the side of Frank's bed, "Is something wrong, Frank?" Then looking around the room, he commented, "Where's Chet?"

"Getting some food, listen, Joe, did you happen to see Wade Larsen out in the hall or on his way to Nancy's room." Frank asked hoping that maybe it wasn't to late to have Joe question him.

Joe shook his head no as Bess spoke up, "Oh, I'd definitely remember if we'd bumped into him." she ended with a giggle. Joe pursed his lips but remained silent.

"Joe, when you ran into Wade in the parking lot did he say or do anything suspicious?" Frank said, choosing to ignore Bess' comment.

"No, he was just worried about Nancy after she hit her head. He offered to stay with her when I asked him to go get some help though, was almost insistent on it. Why?" Joe questioned, folding his arms.

"He was in here a minute ago, he said he was on his way to visit Nancy and wanted to see how I was doing, and he said you told him that I was here." Frank said.

"I didn't say anything to him." Joe replied quickly as Bess walked to the other side of Frank's bed.

"I figured. Right before he left he said something in jest but it set me off the wrong way. I mentioned that it was peculiar for him to keep showing up wherever Nancy was, since his arrival in Bayport. And in jest he made a reference to not stalking her." Frank said waiting to see his brother's reaction.

Joe rolled his eyes, "What kind of creep would joke about something like that."

" My thoughts exactly. Something fishy is going on with Mr. Larsen, he also refused to answer my question about where he lives." Frank agreed.

Bess finally spoke up, "What if he's just a private kind of guy?"

"Yeah, but then why such a cold look when I asked about it. And then there was that phone call..." Frank trailed off, his mind still trying to work things out.

Joe and Bess shared a glance before Joe spoke up, "What phone call, Frank?"

" Just before Mr. Larsen left, the telephone rang. I waited till he left the room before answering, and the person on the other line threatened that he wouldn't fail in taking Nancy next time and how nobody would be able to stop him." Frank concluded his story.

Bess let out a gasp, "Well, doesn't that prove to you that Wade Larsen isn't involved. After all it's ridiculous to think that he would have been able to make the phone call. It has to be someone else."

"I wouldn't be too sure on that one." Frank said before pounding his good fist on the bed, "There's got to be something that we're missing."

"What do you think we should do?" Joe asked as he two began trying to piece all the puzzling facts together.

Frank looked up at his brother, "Joe, I'd like to go see Nancy, can you go see if the nurse will let me? And, Bess, can you go back to Nancy's room and see if Wade ever made it up there?"

Joe nodded and quickly left the room to go to the nurse's station. Bess hurried over to the door as well, but just before she left she spoke up, "Frank, do you really think Wade is mixed up in any of this."

Frank shook his head before saying, "I'm not sure, Bess, but I aim to find out."

What do you guys think? Hopefully next chapter we'll get a little Frank and Nancy moment going on, it was originally going to be in this chapter but as I said before, it took another route. Anyways, Read and Review please and thank you.