Disclaimer: Characters within belong to the Stratemeyer Syndication and Simon & Schuster. No copyright infringment is intended.
Author's Notes: More thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad people are enjoying the story so far, because I'm having fun writing it. I hope you stick around for more!
****
Bay of Peril
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"Six o'clock and already the place is packed." Victoria Lott sighed happily as she stirred a pot of chicken and lime soup, only one of a dozen specialties that Curacao was rapidly becoming known for. "I wish Jonathan was here to see it."
Nancy had her suspicions that Victoria's missing business partner might have been more than just business to the lovely chef, and for that, her heart went out to the older woman. Losing someone emotionally hurt; she couldn't imagine what losing a loved one physically must be like. "There's always hope that he'll be found," she said gently.
"Especially now that you're here. I can't thank you enough, Nancy, really."
Fortunately, they were alone in the furthest part of the kitchen. The rest of the staff was quickly, but efficiently preparing plates to be sent out to the front of the restaurant. Still, Nancy felt compelled to remind her contact, "It's better if we talk more later."
"Oh, of course!" In keeping with her role as teacher, she pointed to the stack of plantain pancakes Nancy had just finished preparing to go along with the soup. "Those are ready for the oven now."
It only took her a moment to slide them into the hot oven, but in that moment, the cell phone in Nancy's pants pocket rang. Closing up the door, she untied her apron enough to retrieve it. "Hello?"
"Nancy? It's me…Frank."
She couldn't keep herself from smiling. Seeing Frank on the Wharf had been like a fresh breath of air. For someone who came in and out of her life at the oddest moments, he certainly brightened it up. There was just something about his brown eyes, broad shoulders and neatly combed hair that looked even better when it was tousled. She'd always felt the pull towards the older Hardy brother, but it had never been so strong before.
An image of Ned struck her. The guilt followed instantly. Always the guilt.
"Frank. Is the race over already?"
"More or less. The top spots are taken and now there's just stragglers finishing up."
"How did your friend do?"
There was a pause. "He placed. But it's a very long story. We'll tell you all about it over dinner."
Nancy nodded. "Good, because I'm famished. I've been making food all afternoon, but haven't eaten any of it." She glanced at her watch. "It's six now. How about if I run back to my place and change, then meet you all in an hour. There's a sushi bar called Nobu. George knows where it is."
"Sounds great," he replied, his voice breaking up a bit with what she assumed was wind blowing over the mouthpiece of his phone. "We'll see you there."
"Bye, Frank." Nancy pressed a button to end the call, but ended up staring at the phone for a long moment.
Victoria snapped her fingers. "Nancy? Earth to Nancy?"
She blinked. "I'm sorry. I just…" She slipped the phone back into her pocket. "I ran into an old friend today. We're going to dinner."
"So I heard." Victoria tested her soup, and reached for another sliced lime to doctor it. "Is this just a friend, or is he a *friend*?"
Nancy lifted one slender shoulder. "Frank is just…Frank." Shaking her head, she pulled off her apron. "If I don't get in too late, I'll call you and we can talk."
The older woman nodded, holding out the testing spoon to Nancy. "Too much lime?"
"Not that I can tell," Nancy replied after tasting it. "But I'm just an apprentice." Smiling, she started for the employee entrance. "See you tomorrow."
****
Nancy took a cab to JapanTown, a small section of the city aptly named for it Asian buildings, markets and restaurants. She would have walked as it wasn't too far from the apartment she was subletting for the duration of the case, but because she'd taken extra time getting ready, she was running a few minutes late. At first, she hadn't been able to find an outfit that was flattering, but not too obvious. Then she hadn't been able to decide whether to put on more makeup than her usual powder and lip gloss.
"Where are your priorities?" Nancy scolded herself several times. She had a case to solve. And Frank Hardy was an old friend, nothing more. The kiss or two they'd shared in the past didn't count, she reasoned, as they came about during extreme, life or death situations.
Still, she found herself wearing her new black dress, short and sleeveless, with her hair pulled back in a multi-colored clip she'd bought in the Haight district. She'd gone ahead with the eye makeup and blush and she was already regretting it as she arrived at Nobu.
Her party had already been seated, and she was led to them by a bowing Japanese woman in a silk kimono. As she approached the table, Frank immediately got to his feet.
"Hey. Hi." He reached for the empty chair they'd saved and held it out for her. "You made it. You look…" Frank tripped over the compliment. "Nice. You look nice."
Nancy slid into the seat. "Thanks. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long."
"We went ahead and ordered drinks," Joe told her. "George got you hot tea."
"Perfect." She smiled at her friend across the table. Frank was seated to her right, Joe on her left. "So, tell me about the race."
The trio exchanged glances. "Well, it could have been a disaster, but it turned out okay." George smiled weakly.
"What does that mean?"
"Patrick's boat was vandalized sometime last night," Frank explained. "It wasn't fit to sail, but fortunately, his sponsors got him another boat just in time and he took third place."
Joe scowled. "If he'd been in his own boat, he would have come in first."
"His boat will be fixed by the semi-finals. He'll go into the final race on top," Frank assured his brother. "The question now is…why was he targeted?"
"Random act of cruelty?" Nancy guessed.
"I don't know. He was freaked out, but when we offered to look into it, he turned us down." Frank shook his head. "It sounded like he wanted us to stay out of it."
"And this after we found out who was stealing his lunch money in fourth grade," Joe tossed in. "It was kind of weird."
George reached for the menu. "I'm sorry to stray off topic, but does anyone feel like sharing a norimaki platter?"
Nancy nodded at her, then returned her attention to the issue at hand. "Maybe he'll come around, once the shock wears off. Are the police involved?"
"That's the other strange thing. No police. He said his sponsors said that insurance would take care of it. I don't know, Nan. It's odd to me. The whole thing."
Their drinks arrived just then, green tea for her and George, a Japanese beer for Frank, and soda for Joe who was just a few months shy of his 21st birthday, to his great regret.
Nancy gave Frank a little smile. "How about we put the mysteries aside and just have dinner?"
"A great idea from a great gal." Joe lifted his glass. "Here's a toast to finding ourselves in the same city at the same time yet again."
Frank's eyes were on Nancy as he replied, "To happy coincidences."
She murmured the same and took a sip of tea, burning the roof of her mouth. His stare wasn't unwelcome. Rather, it made her stomach feel warmer than the hot liquid. But she couldn't look back at him. Somehow, she had the crazy thought that if she didn't return the stare, her disloyalty to Ned wouldn't be so severe.
A kimono-clad waitress appeared and took their food orders; conversation turned to more mundane things. They told the boys all about Bess and her commercial; Joe in particular seemed eager to catch it on TV when it aired. Nancy was pleased to hear that Frank was still pursing his own degree in Criminology, although his secondary degree would be in Pre-Law.
"Inspired by your father," he told Nancy.
But while they caught up on their own lives, laughed at Joe's anecdotes, including all the ones from his brief stint as a fraternity pledge, and made mention of their families, there was nothing said about Ned or Callie. It seemed to be a topic that was off limits. Nancy wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not. She didn't really want to talk about Ned, but perhaps if she heard how steady Frank's relationship was, it would help quiet some of her mixed emotions.
It fell to Joe to keep up a running conversation throughout the meal, and he did so with his usual energy and wit. Nancy's appetite had deserted her; she only managed to eat a few sushi rolls and a bite or two of the red bean ice cream George ordered for dessert.
After Frank took care of the bill, they left the restaurant. San Francisco's summer nights were downright cold; Nancy was furious with herself for forgetting her coat in favor of putting on eyeliner.
She blinked when Frank shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shaking shoulders. "Whoever said chivalry is dead obviously hasn't met the Hardy boys," she told George as she gratefully put it on. The heavy material was still warm and smelled faintly of a spiced aftershave. "Thank you, Frank."
He pulled at his ear, a decidedly boyish gesture that didn't quite fit the tall, dark and handsome picture, but seemed just right somehow. "Well, I can't let chivalry die, can I?"
Joe rubbed his hands together. "What are we doing now? The night is young and some of us are on vacation." He answered his own question a half-second later when he spotted an open store across the street. "Ooh, katana!"
"He has a thing for Japanese martial arts," Frank explained as Joe darted between cars to get to the window display.
George laughed. "Who doesn't?" Without hesitation, she followed the blonde brother, leaving Nancy and Frank alone.
A few seconds of silence passed. Then, at the same time, they both spoke.
"How is Callie?"
"How is Ned?"
Nancy had to laugh when they both stopped short. "I'm sorry."
Frank shook his head, smiling. "It's all right." There was another pause. "You didn't mention him at dinner."
"You didn't say anything about Callie, either," she countered, almost defensively.
His breath was visible in the cold air as he let out a pent-up breath. "I didn't say anything because there really isn't anything to say. Callie and I aren't together anymore."
"Oh." Nancy bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry, Frank."
"Don't be. We're still friends. It's just…" He shoved his hands into his pockets for warmth. "We both started to realize that we were only staying together because we'd been a couple for so long that we didn't have any idea how *not* to be together, you know?" Nancy glanced down at the sidewalk. "Probably not. I hope you don't, anyways. Because you and Ned are a solid couple." He glanced at her. "Right?"
"Ned and I." She cleared her throat delicately. "We don't get to spend much time together, but…I suppose you could say…sure. Solid."
Frank frowned. "Nancy, if you don't mind me saying so, it seems like your mind is somewhere else, not just at dinner, but on the Wharf, too. Is everything all right?"
"The case," she said quickly. To give her hands something to do, she reached behind her head and undid the colorful clip holding her hair in place. Strawberry waves fell around her shoulders as she put the hairpiece into her handbag. "I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. It's not anymore difficult than anything I've done in the past, but for some reason, it's just not coming together."
"Sometimes they're like that."
"I know. And I know I shouldn't be so hard on myself. But I've come so far since I was a teenager…given up so much to do what I love to do. And now, after all these years and all these cases, a simple saboteur has me stumped!"
"What have you given up?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Ned. The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she held back. It was too painful to try to explain to him how, while Ned had always supported her without question, he'd never really understood her passion for sleuthing. And that he'd gotten hurt a little more every time she chose a case over spending time with him. Although, it wasn't exactly fair to blame the cases. Their emotional separation…she'd brought it on herself.
"Oh, you know. Being a carefree teenager, that sort of thing," she said instead of the truth. "You and Joe must have felt some of that."
"Maybe some. Although, if we had just been normal kids, we never would have met you."
Nancy glanced up at him. "Well, that's true." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, making it shine in the light from a nearby street lamp. "I wouldn't have liked that," she continued in a short rush.
A stray reddish curl whipped across her cheek in the strong breeze. Without thinking, Frank reached out and gently smoothed it behind her ear. She felt the shiver his touch instigated all the way down her spine. "Me neither," he replied, his voice rich with resonance.
She wanted him to kiss her and she couldn't even bring herself to feel guilty about it. And if the way his eyes were boring into hers was any indication, he wanted to do the same. So, when she saw him begin to lean in towards her, Nancy closed her eyes and waited for the warmth of his lips on hers.
Something heavy hit her side, wedging between her and Frank with tremendous force. Caught off balance by the sudden intrusion, Nancy stumbled backwards and fell to the sidewalk. Her elbow burned as it skidded across the concrete.
"Nancy!" she heard Frank yell.
Their attacker was clad in all back, including a ski mask over his face. Without a word, he bent down, scooped up Nancy's purse and ran.
****
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: More thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad people are enjoying the story so far, because I'm having fun writing it. I hope you stick around for more!
****
Bay of Peril
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"Six o'clock and already the place is packed." Victoria Lott sighed happily as she stirred a pot of chicken and lime soup, only one of a dozen specialties that Curacao was rapidly becoming known for. "I wish Jonathan was here to see it."
Nancy had her suspicions that Victoria's missing business partner might have been more than just business to the lovely chef, and for that, her heart went out to the older woman. Losing someone emotionally hurt; she couldn't imagine what losing a loved one physically must be like. "There's always hope that he'll be found," she said gently.
"Especially now that you're here. I can't thank you enough, Nancy, really."
Fortunately, they were alone in the furthest part of the kitchen. The rest of the staff was quickly, but efficiently preparing plates to be sent out to the front of the restaurant. Still, Nancy felt compelled to remind her contact, "It's better if we talk more later."
"Oh, of course!" In keeping with her role as teacher, she pointed to the stack of plantain pancakes Nancy had just finished preparing to go along with the soup. "Those are ready for the oven now."
It only took her a moment to slide them into the hot oven, but in that moment, the cell phone in Nancy's pants pocket rang. Closing up the door, she untied her apron enough to retrieve it. "Hello?"
"Nancy? It's me…Frank."
She couldn't keep herself from smiling. Seeing Frank on the Wharf had been like a fresh breath of air. For someone who came in and out of her life at the oddest moments, he certainly brightened it up. There was just something about his brown eyes, broad shoulders and neatly combed hair that looked even better when it was tousled. She'd always felt the pull towards the older Hardy brother, but it had never been so strong before.
An image of Ned struck her. The guilt followed instantly. Always the guilt.
"Frank. Is the race over already?"
"More or less. The top spots are taken and now there's just stragglers finishing up."
"How did your friend do?"
There was a pause. "He placed. But it's a very long story. We'll tell you all about it over dinner."
Nancy nodded. "Good, because I'm famished. I've been making food all afternoon, but haven't eaten any of it." She glanced at her watch. "It's six now. How about if I run back to my place and change, then meet you all in an hour. There's a sushi bar called Nobu. George knows where it is."
"Sounds great," he replied, his voice breaking up a bit with what she assumed was wind blowing over the mouthpiece of his phone. "We'll see you there."
"Bye, Frank." Nancy pressed a button to end the call, but ended up staring at the phone for a long moment.
Victoria snapped her fingers. "Nancy? Earth to Nancy?"
She blinked. "I'm sorry. I just…" She slipped the phone back into her pocket. "I ran into an old friend today. We're going to dinner."
"So I heard." Victoria tested her soup, and reached for another sliced lime to doctor it. "Is this just a friend, or is he a *friend*?"
Nancy lifted one slender shoulder. "Frank is just…Frank." Shaking her head, she pulled off her apron. "If I don't get in too late, I'll call you and we can talk."
The older woman nodded, holding out the testing spoon to Nancy. "Too much lime?"
"Not that I can tell," Nancy replied after tasting it. "But I'm just an apprentice." Smiling, she started for the employee entrance. "See you tomorrow."
****
Nancy took a cab to JapanTown, a small section of the city aptly named for it Asian buildings, markets and restaurants. She would have walked as it wasn't too far from the apartment she was subletting for the duration of the case, but because she'd taken extra time getting ready, she was running a few minutes late. At first, she hadn't been able to find an outfit that was flattering, but not too obvious. Then she hadn't been able to decide whether to put on more makeup than her usual powder and lip gloss.
"Where are your priorities?" Nancy scolded herself several times. She had a case to solve. And Frank Hardy was an old friend, nothing more. The kiss or two they'd shared in the past didn't count, she reasoned, as they came about during extreme, life or death situations.
Still, she found herself wearing her new black dress, short and sleeveless, with her hair pulled back in a multi-colored clip she'd bought in the Haight district. She'd gone ahead with the eye makeup and blush and she was already regretting it as she arrived at Nobu.
Her party had already been seated, and she was led to them by a bowing Japanese woman in a silk kimono. As she approached the table, Frank immediately got to his feet.
"Hey. Hi." He reached for the empty chair they'd saved and held it out for her. "You made it. You look…" Frank tripped over the compliment. "Nice. You look nice."
Nancy slid into the seat. "Thanks. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long."
"We went ahead and ordered drinks," Joe told her. "George got you hot tea."
"Perfect." She smiled at her friend across the table. Frank was seated to her right, Joe on her left. "So, tell me about the race."
The trio exchanged glances. "Well, it could have been a disaster, but it turned out okay." George smiled weakly.
"What does that mean?"
"Patrick's boat was vandalized sometime last night," Frank explained. "It wasn't fit to sail, but fortunately, his sponsors got him another boat just in time and he took third place."
Joe scowled. "If he'd been in his own boat, he would have come in first."
"His boat will be fixed by the semi-finals. He'll go into the final race on top," Frank assured his brother. "The question now is…why was he targeted?"
"Random act of cruelty?" Nancy guessed.
"I don't know. He was freaked out, but when we offered to look into it, he turned us down." Frank shook his head. "It sounded like he wanted us to stay out of it."
"And this after we found out who was stealing his lunch money in fourth grade," Joe tossed in. "It was kind of weird."
George reached for the menu. "I'm sorry to stray off topic, but does anyone feel like sharing a norimaki platter?"
Nancy nodded at her, then returned her attention to the issue at hand. "Maybe he'll come around, once the shock wears off. Are the police involved?"
"That's the other strange thing. No police. He said his sponsors said that insurance would take care of it. I don't know, Nan. It's odd to me. The whole thing."
Their drinks arrived just then, green tea for her and George, a Japanese beer for Frank, and soda for Joe who was just a few months shy of his 21st birthday, to his great regret.
Nancy gave Frank a little smile. "How about we put the mysteries aside and just have dinner?"
"A great idea from a great gal." Joe lifted his glass. "Here's a toast to finding ourselves in the same city at the same time yet again."
Frank's eyes were on Nancy as he replied, "To happy coincidences."
She murmured the same and took a sip of tea, burning the roof of her mouth. His stare wasn't unwelcome. Rather, it made her stomach feel warmer than the hot liquid. But she couldn't look back at him. Somehow, she had the crazy thought that if she didn't return the stare, her disloyalty to Ned wouldn't be so severe.
A kimono-clad waitress appeared and took their food orders; conversation turned to more mundane things. They told the boys all about Bess and her commercial; Joe in particular seemed eager to catch it on TV when it aired. Nancy was pleased to hear that Frank was still pursing his own degree in Criminology, although his secondary degree would be in Pre-Law.
"Inspired by your father," he told Nancy.
But while they caught up on their own lives, laughed at Joe's anecdotes, including all the ones from his brief stint as a fraternity pledge, and made mention of their families, there was nothing said about Ned or Callie. It seemed to be a topic that was off limits. Nancy wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not. She didn't really want to talk about Ned, but perhaps if she heard how steady Frank's relationship was, it would help quiet some of her mixed emotions.
It fell to Joe to keep up a running conversation throughout the meal, and he did so with his usual energy and wit. Nancy's appetite had deserted her; she only managed to eat a few sushi rolls and a bite or two of the red bean ice cream George ordered for dessert.
After Frank took care of the bill, they left the restaurant. San Francisco's summer nights were downright cold; Nancy was furious with herself for forgetting her coat in favor of putting on eyeliner.
She blinked when Frank shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shaking shoulders. "Whoever said chivalry is dead obviously hasn't met the Hardy boys," she told George as she gratefully put it on. The heavy material was still warm and smelled faintly of a spiced aftershave. "Thank you, Frank."
He pulled at his ear, a decidedly boyish gesture that didn't quite fit the tall, dark and handsome picture, but seemed just right somehow. "Well, I can't let chivalry die, can I?"
Joe rubbed his hands together. "What are we doing now? The night is young and some of us are on vacation." He answered his own question a half-second later when he spotted an open store across the street. "Ooh, katana!"
"He has a thing for Japanese martial arts," Frank explained as Joe darted between cars to get to the window display.
George laughed. "Who doesn't?" Without hesitation, she followed the blonde brother, leaving Nancy and Frank alone.
A few seconds of silence passed. Then, at the same time, they both spoke.
"How is Callie?"
"How is Ned?"
Nancy had to laugh when they both stopped short. "I'm sorry."
Frank shook his head, smiling. "It's all right." There was another pause. "You didn't mention him at dinner."
"You didn't say anything about Callie, either," she countered, almost defensively.
His breath was visible in the cold air as he let out a pent-up breath. "I didn't say anything because there really isn't anything to say. Callie and I aren't together anymore."
"Oh." Nancy bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry, Frank."
"Don't be. We're still friends. It's just…" He shoved his hands into his pockets for warmth. "We both started to realize that we were only staying together because we'd been a couple for so long that we didn't have any idea how *not* to be together, you know?" Nancy glanced down at the sidewalk. "Probably not. I hope you don't, anyways. Because you and Ned are a solid couple." He glanced at her. "Right?"
"Ned and I." She cleared her throat delicately. "We don't get to spend much time together, but…I suppose you could say…sure. Solid."
Frank frowned. "Nancy, if you don't mind me saying so, it seems like your mind is somewhere else, not just at dinner, but on the Wharf, too. Is everything all right?"
"The case," she said quickly. To give her hands something to do, she reached behind her head and undid the colorful clip holding her hair in place. Strawberry waves fell around her shoulders as she put the hairpiece into her handbag. "I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. It's not anymore difficult than anything I've done in the past, but for some reason, it's just not coming together."
"Sometimes they're like that."
"I know. And I know I shouldn't be so hard on myself. But I've come so far since I was a teenager…given up so much to do what I love to do. And now, after all these years and all these cases, a simple saboteur has me stumped!"
"What have you given up?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Ned. The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she held back. It was too painful to try to explain to him how, while Ned had always supported her without question, he'd never really understood her passion for sleuthing. And that he'd gotten hurt a little more every time she chose a case over spending time with him. Although, it wasn't exactly fair to blame the cases. Their emotional separation…she'd brought it on herself.
"Oh, you know. Being a carefree teenager, that sort of thing," she said instead of the truth. "You and Joe must have felt some of that."
"Maybe some. Although, if we had just been normal kids, we never would have met you."
Nancy glanced up at him. "Well, that's true." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, making it shine in the light from a nearby street lamp. "I wouldn't have liked that," she continued in a short rush.
A stray reddish curl whipped across her cheek in the strong breeze. Without thinking, Frank reached out and gently smoothed it behind her ear. She felt the shiver his touch instigated all the way down her spine. "Me neither," he replied, his voice rich with resonance.
She wanted him to kiss her and she couldn't even bring herself to feel guilty about it. And if the way his eyes were boring into hers was any indication, he wanted to do the same. So, when she saw him begin to lean in towards her, Nancy closed her eyes and waited for the warmth of his lips on hers.
Something heavy hit her side, wedging between her and Frank with tremendous force. Caught off balance by the sudden intrusion, Nancy stumbled backwards and fell to the sidewalk. Her elbow burned as it skidded across the concrete.
"Nancy!" she heard Frank yell.
Their attacker was clad in all back, including a ski mask over his face. Without a word, he bent down, scooped up Nancy's purse and ran.
****
To Be Continued