Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, or any of the characters associated with these books. This is merely for entertainment and something that I enjoy to do in my free time.
"I think Frank suspects something." Aiden said to his father, later when they were in the house together.
"Don't worry about him." Duncan told his son."He's just a problem that needs to be rectified."
"I won't have you hurting anyone else, Father." Aiden said.
"My son, I dont have to hurt him. What time was Nancy coming over tomorrow?" Duncan asked.
"Some time around one." Aiden said.
Duncan clasped his hands together. "Perfect. Then you will come up and meet her. It will be too risky during the party. When she gets here, you will bring her to me and then go on and act as if nothing is wrong." Duncan explained.
"You can't hurt her." Aiden said.
"I will only ease her into her new life." Duncan smiled.
Frank and Joe got a call from Detective Phillips around ten the next morning.
"I think we may have a break. I couldn't find Nancy, so I thought maybe you two would like to know." Phillips said, after Frank answered the phone.
"She's setting up for the party. It's tonight." Frank said. "What have you got for us?"
"We may have a witness. A fisherman saw the girl with a man before she was murdered and got a good look at him. He's working with a sketch artist now." Phillips explained.
"Can you send us a copy when you get one?" Frank asked.
"Sure thing. There is something else that I should tell you. We ran this murder through the database and came up with some hits. We don't think this is the first time that this has happened. If that's the case, then we're dealing with a serial killer." Phillips said grimly.
Frank lost his breath for a second.
"Is there something that you may know, Mr. Hardy?" Detective Phillips asked.
"Get me the sketch first and I'll let you know." Frank said and hung up the phone. He turned to Joe. "That was Phillips. He said they have a witness and they're getting a sketch. He'll send one to us as soon as he can."
"Should we call Nancy?" Joe asked.
Frank hesitated. "She has a lot to deal with right now. Let's see what the sketch looks like first."
Silently, he prayed that it wasn't Aiden who was responsible.
Nancy arrived at the house a little before one. She went ahead and brought her dress so she wouldn't have to leave again. She started by going through the downstairs are and straightening up just a bit. She was moving through the living room when she heard footsteps.
"Is someone there?" She asked.
She received no answer. She shrugged, blaming it on her imagination. She went into the kitchen to grab plates, spoons, forks, knives, and napkins when she heard a noise behind her. She tunred around and screamed, causing everything to fly up into the air.
"Oh, God, Nancy! I'm sorry!" Aiden said as he stooped down to pick up the mess.
"Aiden, what are you doing here?" Nancy asked, trying to catch her breath.
"I thought you might have needed some help." Aiden explained.
"I said that I would be okay.But I appreciate you coming anyway." Nancy said as she stooped dpwn to help.
"I wanted to show you something, too. I've been reading the research on this house and I found something that might interest you." Aiden said.
"Oh." Nancy said. "Let me put this on the table first." She went into the dining room and set her items down. "All right. What did you want to show me?"
"It's in the parlor. Come on." Aiden said. He led her to the parlor and closed the door. He then walked over to the fireplace and hit a spot on the wall. The wall next to the fireplace slid to reveal a hidden door.
"How did you find that?" Nancy asked, amazed.
"I found it in a book that was left to my family. It had everything that you needed to know about the house." Aiden explained.
He nudged her forward. "Come on. You still have plenty of time. Let's go see what's in there."
He led the way down the steps. It was dark and cold in the room.
"Are you sure that we should be doing this, Aiden?" Nancy asked, trying to get her bearings.
Just then, dim lights lit the room. Nancy had to blink in order to adjust to the sudden light in the room. She never heard the footsteps behind her.
A strong hand clasped down over her mouth and an arm grabbed her, pinning her arms. Nancy struggled trying to get free. Finally, she stomped down on her captor's foot. He grunted in pain, but didn't let go.
"Be still!" A harsh voice commanded.
Nancy's eyes widened as she saw Aiden come at her with a syringe.
"I'm sorry, Nancy." He whispered. "Please forgive me." He said and plunged the needle into her arm.
His hurt face swam before her eyes as she was met by darkness.
"You did well, my son." Duncan said as he lifted Nancy into his arms. "Now go get her dress and anything else she may have left up there. And make sure everything is set up for the party. We wouldn't want anyone to get suspicious."
Duncan looked at her sleeping face and smiled."I'll take care of her."
"I think Frank suspects something." Aiden said to his father, later when they were in the house together.
"Don't worry about him." Duncan told his son."He's just a problem that needs to be rectified."
"I won't have you hurting anyone else, Father." Aiden said.
"My son, I dont have to hurt him. What time was Nancy coming over tomorrow?" Duncan asked.
"Some time around one." Aiden said.
Duncan clasped his hands together. "Perfect. Then you will come up and meet her. It will be too risky during the party. When she gets here, you will bring her to me and then go on and act as if nothing is wrong." Duncan explained.
"You can't hurt her." Aiden said.
"I will only ease her into her new life." Duncan smiled.
Frank and Joe got a call from Detective Phillips around ten the next morning.
"I think we may have a break. I couldn't find Nancy, so I thought maybe you two would like to know." Phillips said, after Frank answered the phone.
"She's setting up for the party. It's tonight." Frank said. "What have you got for us?"
"We may have a witness. A fisherman saw the girl with a man before she was murdered and got a good look at him. He's working with a sketch artist now." Phillips explained.
"Can you send us a copy when you get one?" Frank asked.
"Sure thing. There is something else that I should tell you. We ran this murder through the database and came up with some hits. We don't think this is the first time that this has happened. If that's the case, then we're dealing with a serial killer." Phillips said grimly.
Frank lost his breath for a second.
"Is there something that you may know, Mr. Hardy?" Detective Phillips asked.
"Get me the sketch first and I'll let you know." Frank said and hung up the phone. He turned to Joe. "That was Phillips. He said they have a witness and they're getting a sketch. He'll send one to us as soon as he can."
"Should we call Nancy?" Joe asked.
Frank hesitated. "She has a lot to deal with right now. Let's see what the sketch looks like first."
Silently, he prayed that it wasn't Aiden who was responsible.
Nancy arrived at the house a little before one. She went ahead and brought her dress so she wouldn't have to leave again. She started by going through the downstairs are and straightening up just a bit. She was moving through the living room when she heard footsteps.
"Is someone there?" She asked.
She received no answer. She shrugged, blaming it on her imagination. She went into the kitchen to grab plates, spoons, forks, knives, and napkins when she heard a noise behind her. She tunred around and screamed, causing everything to fly up into the air.
"Oh, God, Nancy! I'm sorry!" Aiden said as he stooped down to pick up the mess.
"Aiden, what are you doing here?" Nancy asked, trying to catch her breath.
"I thought you might have needed some help." Aiden explained.
"I said that I would be okay.But I appreciate you coming anyway." Nancy said as she stooped dpwn to help.
"I wanted to show you something, too. I've been reading the research on this house and I found something that might interest you." Aiden said.
"Oh." Nancy said. "Let me put this on the table first." She went into the dining room and set her items down. "All right. What did you want to show me?"
"It's in the parlor. Come on." Aiden said. He led her to the parlor and closed the door. He then walked over to the fireplace and hit a spot on the wall. The wall next to the fireplace slid to reveal a hidden door.
"How did you find that?" Nancy asked, amazed.
"I found it in a book that was left to my family. It had everything that you needed to know about the house." Aiden explained.
He nudged her forward. "Come on. You still have plenty of time. Let's go see what's in there."
He led the way down the steps. It was dark and cold in the room.
"Are you sure that we should be doing this, Aiden?" Nancy asked, trying to get her bearings.
Just then, dim lights lit the room. Nancy had to blink in order to adjust to the sudden light in the room. She never heard the footsteps behind her.
A strong hand clasped down over her mouth and an arm grabbed her, pinning her arms. Nancy struggled trying to get free. Finally, she stomped down on her captor's foot. He grunted in pain, but didn't let go.
"Be still!" A harsh voice commanded.
Nancy's eyes widened as she saw Aiden come at her with a syringe.
"I'm sorry, Nancy." He whispered. "Please forgive me." He said and plunged the needle into her arm.
His hurt face swam before her eyes as she was met by darkness.
"You did well, my son." Duncan said as he lifted Nancy into his arms. "Now go get her dress and anything else she may have left up there. And make sure everything is set up for the party. We wouldn't want anyone to get suspicious."
Duncan looked at her sleeping face and smiled."I'll take care of her."