Frank was walking down the corridor just as Nancy stepped out of
Ned's room. She had a somber look on her face, and Frank approached her
slowly. "You okay?" he asked quietly.
Nancy nodded when she saw the concern in his eyes. "Let's get out of here and I'll tell you all about it."
A half hour later, the two found themselves in the Italian style restaurant of Frank's hotel. After being seated Nancy began to relate what Ned had told her. She explained what Ned had found and what his suspicions were, but that he had yet to prove them.
"So, Ned's boss, Paul and his brother Gerry are embezzling funds?" Frank asked for clarification.
"Looks that way," Nancy replied, taking a sip of her water. "He didn't have time to copy the claims information, but that's what he suspects."
"Interesting scheme," Frank commented. "The insurance company has no idea, because the customers aren't complaining. It's the perfect set up with Gerry working in the accounting department. Paul approves the claims for a certain amount, and Gerry takes the cut."
"We just have to find something that proves it. Ned knows that it was Paul that shot him, and he'll be telling the police that later on. He's afraid that he'll just skip town if the police start snooping around. Apparently, he has enough money to just disappear," Nancy stated.
"Unfortunately," Frank began, "I don't think the police have anything to nail on Paul. I'd be willing to bet that all they'll have is Ned's statement. I doubt that Paul left a shred of evidence connecting him to the crime, besides Ned's word. I'm sure he'll have his brother state that they were together during the shooting."
"I know," Nancy replied. "They'll question him, but I'm sure he'll claim to have an alibi."
Just then the waitress arrived to take their orders. Nancy ordered the Baked Ziti and Frank asked for the Chicken Parmesean. "Both good choices," the motherly waitress said with a smile. "I'll be back in a few with your meals."
When the waitress had walked away, Frank looked at Nancy and said, "Almost forgot. I talked to Joe while you were in with Ned. He managed to get a flight out tonight. We need to pick him up at 7:30."
Nancy's face broke into a grin. "That's great."
"What do you want to do until then?" Frank asked.
Nancy thought carefully for a moment. "I think we should call Amy and let her know what's going on," she answered.
"Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, she seemed sincere and all, but what if she is working with Paul and Gerry," Frank countered.
Nancy shook her head no. "My gut is telling me that she's not, Frank. I think she's innocent. She really seems to care about Ned, and he didn't give any indication that he thinks that she's part of it."
Frank wasn't one hundred percent convinced, but he didn't want to argue with Nancy's gut feeling. He had discovered time and time again, that her instincts were usually right. "So, Ned was just dating Amy to get information on Paul?" he questioned.
Nancy hadn't told him about Ned's revelation that he had fallen for Paul's secretary. She had just let him know that Ned had asked Amy out under false pretenses to get information on Paul. She sighed before answering Frank. "At first." She paused and took another sip of her water. "Apparently, he ended up falling for her. He says he didn't mean to, but it just happened. Then he actually asked me if I could forgive him."
Frank silently cursed Ned. As much as he didn't want there to be a reason that Ned had been dating Amy, he would've rather that had been the case, then having Ned hurt Nancy this way. He reached over and laid his hand on top of hers. "What did you say?" he asked gently.
Nancy looked into Frank's dark brown eyes before answering. She squeezed his hand gently and said, "I told him that I couldn't forgive him. That I won't spend the rest of my life wondering if working dinners were really working dinners."
"I'm sorry," Frank said simply.
"It's okay," Nancy replied. She gave him a small smile and said, "He said to tell you thank you for helping him out."
Frank smiled back and rubbed his thumb across Nancy's hand. He paused a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "Nan, the only reason I'm helping him out is because you care about him. It's really you that I'm here for," he said sincerely.
Nancy smiled at Frank's sentiment. "I know," she replied. "And he also told me to tell you that if you ever hurt me like he did, that you would have to answer to him."
Frank laughed briefly. He stared into Nancy's bright blue eyes and told her solemnly, "I hope you know I would never do that. I care about you too much."
Nancy practically melted at Frank's words. It wasn't a declaration of love, but it was enough for right now. Anything else would have been too much, too soon. "I care about you too," she replied softly.
The waitress chose that moment to break the spell. "Here you are. One Ziti and one Chicken Parm," she announced setting the plates down in front of them. "Can I get you two anything else?"
Nancy removed her hand from Franks, and shook her head. She glanced at Frank before looking up at the waitress, "I think we're okay, for now," she smiled.
The waitress chuckled at Nancy's comment. She may have been old, but she wasn't blind. Anyone could see that these two had chemistry. She winked at Nancy after sneaking a quick glance at Frank. "I'm sure you are, dearie."
The two laughed as the waitress sauntered away and all conversation was forgotten as the hungrily devoured their meals.
Nancy nodded when she saw the concern in his eyes. "Let's get out of here and I'll tell you all about it."
A half hour later, the two found themselves in the Italian style restaurant of Frank's hotel. After being seated Nancy began to relate what Ned had told her. She explained what Ned had found and what his suspicions were, but that he had yet to prove them.
"So, Ned's boss, Paul and his brother Gerry are embezzling funds?" Frank asked for clarification.
"Looks that way," Nancy replied, taking a sip of her water. "He didn't have time to copy the claims information, but that's what he suspects."
"Interesting scheme," Frank commented. "The insurance company has no idea, because the customers aren't complaining. It's the perfect set up with Gerry working in the accounting department. Paul approves the claims for a certain amount, and Gerry takes the cut."
"We just have to find something that proves it. Ned knows that it was Paul that shot him, and he'll be telling the police that later on. He's afraid that he'll just skip town if the police start snooping around. Apparently, he has enough money to just disappear," Nancy stated.
"Unfortunately," Frank began, "I don't think the police have anything to nail on Paul. I'd be willing to bet that all they'll have is Ned's statement. I doubt that Paul left a shred of evidence connecting him to the crime, besides Ned's word. I'm sure he'll have his brother state that they were together during the shooting."
"I know," Nancy replied. "They'll question him, but I'm sure he'll claim to have an alibi."
Just then the waitress arrived to take their orders. Nancy ordered the Baked Ziti and Frank asked for the Chicken Parmesean. "Both good choices," the motherly waitress said with a smile. "I'll be back in a few with your meals."
When the waitress had walked away, Frank looked at Nancy and said, "Almost forgot. I talked to Joe while you were in with Ned. He managed to get a flight out tonight. We need to pick him up at 7:30."
Nancy's face broke into a grin. "That's great."
"What do you want to do until then?" Frank asked.
Nancy thought carefully for a moment. "I think we should call Amy and let her know what's going on," she answered.
"Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, she seemed sincere and all, but what if she is working with Paul and Gerry," Frank countered.
Nancy shook her head no. "My gut is telling me that she's not, Frank. I think she's innocent. She really seems to care about Ned, and he didn't give any indication that he thinks that she's part of it."
Frank wasn't one hundred percent convinced, but he didn't want to argue with Nancy's gut feeling. He had discovered time and time again, that her instincts were usually right. "So, Ned was just dating Amy to get information on Paul?" he questioned.
Nancy hadn't told him about Ned's revelation that he had fallen for Paul's secretary. She had just let him know that Ned had asked Amy out under false pretenses to get information on Paul. She sighed before answering Frank. "At first." She paused and took another sip of her water. "Apparently, he ended up falling for her. He says he didn't mean to, but it just happened. Then he actually asked me if I could forgive him."
Frank silently cursed Ned. As much as he didn't want there to be a reason that Ned had been dating Amy, he would've rather that had been the case, then having Ned hurt Nancy this way. He reached over and laid his hand on top of hers. "What did you say?" he asked gently.
Nancy looked into Frank's dark brown eyes before answering. She squeezed his hand gently and said, "I told him that I couldn't forgive him. That I won't spend the rest of my life wondering if working dinners were really working dinners."
"I'm sorry," Frank said simply.
"It's okay," Nancy replied. She gave him a small smile and said, "He said to tell you thank you for helping him out."
Frank smiled back and rubbed his thumb across Nancy's hand. He paused a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "Nan, the only reason I'm helping him out is because you care about him. It's really you that I'm here for," he said sincerely.
Nancy smiled at Frank's sentiment. "I know," she replied. "And he also told me to tell you that if you ever hurt me like he did, that you would have to answer to him."
Frank laughed briefly. He stared into Nancy's bright blue eyes and told her solemnly, "I hope you know I would never do that. I care about you too much."
Nancy practically melted at Frank's words. It wasn't a declaration of love, but it was enough for right now. Anything else would have been too much, too soon. "I care about you too," she replied softly.
The waitress chose that moment to break the spell. "Here you are. One Ziti and one Chicken Parm," she announced setting the plates down in front of them. "Can I get you two anything else?"
Nancy removed her hand from Franks, and shook her head. She glanced at Frank before looking up at the waitress, "I think we're okay, for now," she smiled.
The waitress chuckled at Nancy's comment. She may have been old, but she wasn't blind. Anyone could see that these two had chemistry. She winked at Nancy after sneaking a quick glance at Frank. "I'm sure you are, dearie."
The two laughed as the waitress sauntered away and all conversation was forgotten as the hungrily devoured their meals.