Author's Note:

Thanks for continuing to read and for those who have left a review! I appreciate your support! I'll keep this short so have a great week and God bless!


Chapter Nine

"So, who are we visiting today?" Joe asked as he followed Frank towards an apartment complex the next day.

"Matthew Hamden," his brother answered. Frank knocked on the door and waited. "That's if he's even home."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Joe popped a potato chip into his mouth and wiped his hand on his pants. He crumpled up the empty bag and searched around him for a trash can only to come up empty. "I mean, he was hit by a car and broke his leg. Where else would he be other than home or at the doctor's office?"

"Thanks, Joe, for enlightening me as to what happened to Matt," Frank said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised he was sent home already after the accident considering."

After several minutes of waiting, the brothers were about to leave when they heard the lock at the door and it opened. A dark-haired man about their age held the door as best he could as he stood on the threshold on crutches. He looked confused at the Hardys, not knowing who they were.

"Can I help you?" he asked cautiously.

"Matthew Hamden?" Frank replied.

"Yeah, I'm Matt." Joe could tell that the man was a little on edge. "Who are you?"

"We're private investigators looking into what's going on at the Winslow Theater," the older brother continued. "I'm Frank Hardy and this is my brother, Joe. Do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

Recognition came across Matt's face at the mention of their names and he opened the door wider to let them in. Although there were several dirty plates on the coffee table, the small apartment was neat and tidy. Matt apologized for the mess as he tried to gather the dishes. Joe waved him off and carried the dishes to the sink in the kitchen.

"Thank you," Matt smiled once Joe returned. He gestured for the brothers to take the couch as he eased himself down onto a recliner. "My girlfriend, Monica, is at work so I don't normally clean up during the day. I don't get many visitors."

"No one from the theater visits you?" Frank asked surprised.

"Oh, yeah, when they get the chance," Matt shrugged. "I know their schedule is crazy at the moment so I don't expect anyone to stop by during the day, that's all. Mrs. Stein brings me food every so often though. How's Nancy doing?"

"She's good," Frank nodded taken aback by the fact that Matt knew who he was.

"I'm sorry," the performer said, noticing his reaction. "I read about your wedding in the paper. Congratulations. You're a lucky guy."

"Thank you."

"She was always kind to me even though…" he stopped abruptly and blushed. Frank had a feeling that Matt had a crush on Nancy at some point from the faraway look he had. The performer shook his head and smiled. "Never mind. So, what can I do for you guys?"

"Well," Joe cut in before Frank could. "We'd like to hear about your accident."

"My accident?" Matt looked from one brother to the other to make sure they were serious. "I'm confused. You said you're investigating the Winslow Theater. What does that have to do with my accident?"

"We were just wondering about it," Frank clarified. "Your accident seems to coincide with the incidents that are happening at the theater. We believe they're tied."

"Huh," the man huffed still confused. "All the police told me was that it was someone not paying attention to the road. Sometimes I think they believe it was my fault. At least Detective Hawkins is on my side with this but it's not his jurisdiction. The accident happened in Mapleton. It's where Miles Gibson lives. I was picking up the music sheets and I was walking back to my car when it happened."

"Is it normal to get the sheets from the director like that?"

"Oh, yeah," Matt shrugged. "Miles does it every time a new show goes into production. He calls everyone after the cast list is posted online and at the theater then asks each of us to come visit him so we can talk in private about what he wanted from us for the character we had. I like it because it becomes more personable. It's the same way for both plays and musicals that we put together.

"Miles has been the director for about two years now and he's fantastic," he boasted. "Treats everyone with respect, listens to the problems that arise. He may be a little older than us but he knows what he's doing."

"What happened after you left?" Frank inquired, moving away from the subject of Miles. Every person he and Joe had interviewed shared the same sentiment of the director. Even when they met him the day before, Frank got the same vibe. The man was a saint and more than likely had nothing to do with the sabotage. "Did you notice anyone following you, a car maybe?"

"Nope," the performer shook his head. "I don't remember seeing anyone to be honest. I do remember looking both ways before taking a step into the street. There were no cars around or I wouldn't have crossed."

"Did you see the driver at all?"

"I…I think it was a guy," Matt thought. "I vaguely remember a baseball cap and sunglasses. Other than that, nada."

Frank and Joe exchanged glances.

"Can you tell us about Jared and the relationship between the two of you?" Joe asked.

"Jared?" Matt looked surprised but got quiet as he thought about his rival. "Well, we were never friends. And I mean never. He always wanted to be some big singer on Broadway. He bragged about how great he was even during rehearsals, always saying that he was better than everyone else. His attitude was what kept him from being the star all the time. I just tolerated it and shrugged it off. He still does it to this day. After a while though, he started picking on people who had better parts than him in the shows. Whenever Deirdre Shannon was around, his nastiness was three times worse. It was no secret how he felt about her. If it hadn't been for Nancy, I probably would have been bullied by those two a lot more than I was. Jared even bullied a girl out of a show one time because Deirdre had auditioned for the part but didn't get it because she can't hold a tune. Try telling that to her though. That was when I asked Nancy to help out. It was our senior year. I knew her family had a history of performing so I thought she might be able to help us. She almost couldn't do it though because of a case she was on but it turned out fine in the end. She sure made one killer Sandra Dee."

"So Jared was always a bully," Frank stated trying to keep on track. His brother had another idea, catching Matt's remark.

"Sandra Dee?" Joe called out, his eyes mischievous. "As in Grease? Oh, this just gets better and better! Doesn't it, Frank?"

"Huh?"

Frank knocked his brother in the arm and gave him a dirty look before turning back to Matt. "Please disregard my idiot brother," he grumbled. "Sometimes he has a tendency of putting his foot in his mouth at the worst times. Do you think Jared has the capability to hurt someone to get what he wants?"

"You think Jared hit me with a car?" Matt asked. He cocked his head and grimaced. "I…I'm not sure. Jared is very competitive especially with me but he's never done anything that would hurt anyone. Besides, I heard he was at the theater when it happened. I don't know who else would want to do this though either. I do have to warn you. When Jared gets what he wants, he never lets it go. And his ego skyrockets so his vindictiveness is worse. He is capable of anything."

Frank thanked him for his time and shook the performer's hand. The brothers showed themselves to the door only to have Joe stop just before he left.

"Hey, Matt," he snickered, "if you have any more dirt on Nancy, let me know."

"Joe!" Frank yelled grabbing a hold of his brother. Matt laughed and shook his head as he slowly rose to follow them.

"What?" Joe said innocently. "So what if I want to get some juicy details on my sister-in-law?"

"That's all good and well, Joe," Frank grumbled, "I'm just not sure you'd want to incur her wrath."

"I agree with Frank on that," Matt piped in, holding onto the door. "I don't want her wrath either. I hope that you find whoever is doing this to the theater. I love being there and I'd hate to see the place die."

"We'll keep you posted on what's going on," the older Hardy brother assured him. "And I'm sure they'll welcome any help if you're well enough to stop by."

"Thanks, Frank. It was very nice meeting you both." He paused then gave a sheepish grin. "Nancy always spoke highly of you two by the way. I don't think she ever had anything bad to say about others…except maybe Deirdre and Brenda. When she stepped in to help us that year, it was a godsend."

"Maybe you should too, Frank," Joe snickered. "Save them from Jared and his massively sized ego. Do you think it compensates for something?"

Matt burst out laughing while Frank's face went red with embarrassment.

"I'm sure you're right, Joe," the performer smiled. "Tell Nancy I said 'hello.'"

A few minutes later, the brothers were heading back toward the theater with the intention of checking to make sure everything was going well. The security system had been installed the day they started the case and there hadn't been any incidents since. The stage floor was fixed and the new lighting and sound systems were being installed. There was really nothing to worry about when it came to the Winslow.

"Crap!" Frank suddenly cried, hitting the steering wheel. "I haven't called David yet!"

"Are you kidding?" Joe looked at his brother incredulously. "I thought you did that last night!"

"I didn't want to call him in front Nancy, Joe," Frank answered woefully. "We went to bed at the same time and it got too late to call anyway. I haven't even seen that woman since last night."

"Are you sure it was even her?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" he yelled startling Joe. "Sorry. I…I just don't know what to make of it. I know it has nothing to do with the theater but what else could be going on that we don't know about. When I saw the woman last night, we made eye contact and there was recognition in her face. It was definitely her and I'm sure David will want to know about it."

Frank pulled into the parking lot of the theater and cut the engine. He pulled out his phone but Joe stopped him before making the call.

"Are you sure about this?" his brother asked cautiously. "What if it turns out to be nothing and you worried David over it? He's a busy man…"

"And he needs to know, Joe," Frank stated firmly. "I may not trust him completely like Nancy does but I know there's something going on and it's worrying me more than prospect of the baby coming. What if I don't call and Nancy gets hurt? How would you feel then? How would you feel if it were Vanessa? I'd rather be wrong than dead."

The two stared at each other for a few minutes. Joe could see in his brother's eyes that he was determined to make the call. He nodded in defeat then moved to get out of the car.

"I'll go in to see how it's going inside," Joe stated. "Make sure you tell him everything, Frank. If you're that adamant about him knowing, don't keep anything out."

Frank nodded and watched as his brother headed up the front steps of the theater. He looked around the parking lot, wondering if it was wise to remain in the car but there was no one else around besides empty cars. He noticed Bess' car among them and he hoped that she was there alone and not with Nancy. Sighing, Frank dialed David's private number and waited.


"What are we doing here exactly?" Bess asked as she pulled into the parking space in front of the Winslow Theater.

"Breaking Frank's rule about Nancy not helping with the case," George grumbled from the backseat. "I don't think this is a good idea, Nancy."

"We are not breaking his rule, George," Nancy bit back. She checked her purse before settling her hand on the door. "I am fully keeping my promise on that. I am only here to make sure everything is going the way it should."

"Which is exactly what Frank and Joe were going to do today as well," her friend replied doubtfully. "You're just here to show it to him that you can handle it."

"I am not!"

"Then why are we here?" George waited patiently and watched as Nancy huffed in frustration.

"Okay!" she finally admitted. "We're here because I want to see if there's anything we can do to help. I want to see if I can find any clues."

"I knew it!"

"Let her have some fun, George," Bess begged. "This is probably going to be one of the last times she'll be able to do anything."

"Thank you, Bess," Nancy smirked.

"I'm not agreeing with it, Nancy," her friend said quietly. "I just know that you would be here anyway without us if we didn't come with you. I do agree with George though. You shouldn't be here. What is Frank going to say when he finds out?"

"Well, then we make sure we're not here when they get here," she stated. Nancy got out of the car and waited for her friends to join her. "According to Frank, there hasn't been an incident since the security system was installed so I don't think we'll be in any danger."

"Said the woman who is a magnet for danger," George replied sarcastically. "And did he tell you that personally?"

"Not exactly," Nancy smiled sweetly. The cousins exchanged nervous glances before following her towards the theater. "I overheard them last night."

"Okay, fine," George conceded. "We're only staying long enough for you to get your fix in and we'll go. The last time we were here, you almost passed out from exhaustion."

"And that was because we were shopping all morning," she pointed out. "This time I'm ready and raring to go."

The three women headed toward the main entrance to the theater in silence. As they approached, Nancy stopped and thought for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Bess asked concerned.

"Nothing," Nancy shook her head. "It's just that I wonder about Frank and Joe when they're together. It was different before because we all worked as a team. Now it seems like I don't exist even if I'm sitting beside them."

"Oh, please, Nancy," George scoffed. "There's no way that's the case."

"I…I don't know," she shrugged. "They're keeping something from me but I don't think it has anything to do with the theater. It's like they're walking on eggshells around me."

"Well, you are seven months pregnant, Nancy," Bess pointed out. "You lost the first baby because of stress and Frank has every right to be worried about you. He doesn't want to see you get hurt nor does he want you to worry about anything until after the baby is born. It's why neither one of us think this is a good idea. Maybe we should just head back to your place and watch a movie."

"You're right," Nancy sighed. "I guess it's why I wanted to come here today. I wanted to feel needed again."

"You are always needed," George smiled, wrapping her arm around her friend and squeezing. "Don't you forget it either. Do we really have to go in, Nan?"

"I guess not." She was bummed about not going in though. They were about to go back to the car when a voice called out them. The three women turned to see Julia rushing toward them, a giant smile on her face.

"Nancy!" she cried once she reached them. "I didn't expect to see you here today! What a pleasant surprise!"

"We were just l…"Bess began.

"We were just about to come find you," Nancy interrupted her friend, correcting her. "How are the updates coming along?"

"Oh, my, they are coming along just splendidly!" Joanna squealed in delight. "Come on! I just have to show you what Nelly is doing!"

Joanna took hold of Nancy's arm and guided her into the theater. Bess and George begrudgingly followed. The lobby was empty save for Harland Walker, the elderly security guard. The man stood as if blocking anyone who tried to enter the main theater area.

"Hello, Harland," Nancy said cheerfully.

"Why, hello, Miss Nancy. Bess. George." The man tipped his hat toward them. "What brings you here today?"

"I just wanted to see how everything was going," she answered with a smile. "Any problems?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "Nothing comes to mind. Make sure you don't go through the theater, Mrs. Stein. They're working on the seats today and the new speakers are going in. Don't want anyone to get hurt from something falling on them, now do we?"

"Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Well, we'll just go downstairs the other way. See you later, Harland."

The four women descended into the lower region of the theater where the costume shop and storage areas were. Several people were working in the hallway so they had to go single file. One of the workers bumped into Nancy almost knocking her over.

"Oh, my gosh!" he cried grabbing a hold of her arm and back as she teetered. "I am so sorry! I didn't expect to see anyone down here so I wasn't paying attention. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Nancy stated. Her hair shifted in front of her face as she regained her balance. As she brushed her hair away, Nancy did a sharp intake of breath the moment she saw the man before her. He was handsome, his dark hair cut short though long on top. She didn't recognize him but was mesmerized by his looks. He looked away, embarrassed by her gawking at him and he cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry," she stammered finally looking away. Bess continued to stare at him though while Joanna laughed slightly. George rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Who...who are you? I don't think I've seen you before."

"I'm Aaron," he smiled, holding out his hand. "Aaron Samuels. I just started today. Just helping with the updates. And you lovely ladies are?"

"Taken," George stated rudely, taking a hold of both Nancy's and Bess' arm and guiding them away. Joanna smiled politely as she walked by. Aaron just laughed and went back to his work. "I can't believe you two! You're both married, pregnant, and you're literally foaming at the mouth over a handsome face!"

"He was dreamy, wasn't he?" Bess said thoughtfully.

"Like I said," her cousin said sternly, "you're married."

"I can still look."

"And I wasn't looking," Nancy replied innocently.

"Whatever." George rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Oh, let them be, George," Joanna laughed. "I have to admit I was staring too."

"Yeah, but…"

"There you are, Joanna!" The four women saw Nelly standing down the hall from them, her face bright. "I was wondering what happened to you. Nancy, I am so glad you're here! The new fabric arrived this morning and it's just wonderful! Thank you so much for helping us! Now I think we'll be able to get this show on the stage!"

"That's great, Nelly!" Nancy smiled walking into the room Nelly stood outside of. The others filed in behind her, the door clicking shut once they were all in. It wasn't the costume shop but several rolls of new fabric lined the wall along with several top hats that were on a table nearby. There were tall racks of costumes from previous shows along with other hats, belts, and accessories. A strange smell enveloped them as they settled in. "What is this room?"

"This is where we keep anything extra that we need for the costumes including small props," the seamstress explained. "I keep my designs in here too since there's a drawing desk. After we found out we were getting new fabrics, I scrapped the old designs and went with ones that were closer to the originals in the film. I'm trying to make it as authentic as possible but still giving my own flare to them."

Nancy picked up a design that was sitting on top of the drawing desk. It was of a gown that read "Jenny Lind." She coughed loudly as she stared at the design. "Are you going to be able to finish these before the show?" Nancy asked turning toward Nelly.

"Now that we have more help, yes," she said enthusiastically. "A few women from town have agreed to help when they can. We've had a large influx of volunteers come in the last day or so to help. That's why there's so many people here. I think they're finally realizing what will happen if the theater closes."

"What's that smell?" Bess coughed. Her eyes were watering as they roamed around the room.

Nancy sniffed the air and coughed as well. That was when she noticed the slight haze in the room. The smell wasn't from a fire but it was definitely poignant. She started feeling lightheaded as she took a step toward the door. Joanna and Nelly both rushed to her side to keep her steady when Nancy started wavering though the two women themselves seemed woozy. The group instinctively knelt, holding their shirts to their mouths and hoping the air was clearer the lower they went. Nancy crawled along the floor toward the door, her head spinning. When she reached for the door knob, it broke in her hand. She turned just in time to see her friends collapse. Joanna and Nelly were already out. Nancy tried her best to pound on the door with the broken knob but she wasn't sure if anyone heard her. She wrapped an arm around her belly protectively just before she succumbed to the smoke, darkness engulfing her.