Warning: This chapter contains adult language and incestuous homosexual situations.

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Chapter 4: Comparing Notes

Nick's Coffee Shop was a local landmark in River Heights. Situated on Main Street, it was pretty much the place to meet if you were planning to get together with someone. Frank and Joe arrived at Nick's at 12:30 and found Nancy waiting out front. She was chatting pleasantly with an older woman, but as soon as she saw Frank's car, she excused herself and hurried over.

"Frank! It's so good to see you!" she cried.

"Hello, Nancy." Frank stepped out of the car and somewhat reluctantly returned Nancy's enthusiastic embrace.

Joe grinned at him behind Nancy's back. "You look good, Nancy," Joe said. "Have you been working out?"

Nancy turned to him with a delighted smile. "How sweet of you to notice, Joe!" She stepped back and twirled in a circle once to show off her trim figure. "I've been going to the gym," she said. She tossed her reddish-blond hair back over her shoulders and winked at them. "I have to stay in shape so I can outrun the bad guys!"

"Why don't we go in?" Frank suggested.

They entered the coffee shop and took a table near the back. Joe slid in first and Frank immediately sat next to him, leaving Nancy to sit alone facing them. A middle-aged waitress with gray streaks in her dark brown bun appeared almost immediately.

"Can I get you kids anything to drink?"

"I'll have a Coke, please," Nancy said.

"Me, too," said Joe.

"I'll have a root beer," Frank said.

The waitress went off to get the drinks and Frank leaned forward with his hands folded on the table in front of him.

"We don't really have any reason to connect our victim with Darren Bolton. It's just a hunch I have," Frank said in a quiet voice. "We're not even sure our victim was murdered, except that the plug I mentioned was inserted after she died."

Nancy leaned forward and put her hands on top of Frank's. "I think your hunch is a good one. No one's come up with a good reason why Darren's… member," she flushed, "was never found. Why would the killer take it?"

Frank sat back, sliding his hands out from under Nancy's. "It doesn't make much sense. The police didn't find any clues at the death scene?"

"No. Whoever killed him cleaned the place pretty thoroughly. There were hardly any fingerprints in the house at all, even Darren's." Nancy also sat back, a slightly disappointed look on her face.

The waitress returned with their drinks. "Do you know you want to eat, kids?"

"I'll have a Cobb salad with blue cheese dressing on the side," Nancy ordered.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and fries," Joe said.

"I'll have the same," Frank said.

"All right, that's one Cobb salad with blue cheese on the side and two cheeseburgers with fries." She wrote the order down and went behind the counter to turn it into the kitchen.

"Was Darren from this area originally?" Joe asked.

"Yes, he grew up in River Heights. He went away to college, but he moved back after he completed law school. I don't think his family lives in the area any more, though. His stuff is still at Dad's office."

"Really?" Frank was surprised. "The police didn't take it?"

"No. They went through it, but they said his family could pick it up. Dad called them, but no one's come by for it. I think Dad is planning to ship it to them."

"Do you think your dad would mind if we went through it?" Frank asked. "Our dad came up with Sheriff Becker to go to our victim's house with your police chief. Maybe when we compare notes with our dad later, something will click."

"I don't see why not," Nancy said. "Why don't we go over there after lunch?"

"Ok."

Joe glanced from Nancy to Frank and grinned wickedly. "So, Nancy, are you still dating that college guy, Ned something?"

"Nickerson. Ned Nickerson." Nancy frowned slightly. "Yes, Ned and I are still dating, although we don't get to see each other as much as I'd like. Ned has been carrying a lot of units the last few semesters."

"He must be pretty smart."

"Yes, he is." Nancy smiled, but it looked forced. "He graduates next year, though."

"He's not planning to go to grad school?"

Her smile became even stiffer. "He's been talking about it. He's thinking of a law career, like Dad."

"Wouldn't that be nice for you, if he ended up working for your Dad?"

"Yes, just great." She didn't sound terribly excited.

The conversation died as Frank and Nancy avoided looking at each other. Then the waitress returned with their food and conversation was no longer necessary. Frank picked up the tab when they were finished eating.

"Why don't you follow me over to Dad's office?" Nancy said as they were leaving. "It's not far."

"Sounds good," Frank said. He and Joe returned to his car. "What was with all the questions about her boyfriend?" he demanded as they followed behind Nancy's convertible.

"Just reminding her that she has one," Joe said with a grin. "I said I'd protect you from her, didn't I?"

Frank grinned back. "You're a good brother, Joseph."

"The best."

Carson Drew's office was in a fashionable building just off Main Street several blocks down from the coffee shop. It boasted a small parking lot of its own, instead of angle parking on the street. The boys parked next to Nancy and accompanied her inside. The receptionist smiled brightly when she saw Nancy.

"Hi, Nancy! How are you?"

"Fine, Ruth. Is Dad in?"

"Yes, I'll ring him for you." Ruth picked up her phone and punched a button. "Mr. Drew? Nancy is here to see you with some friends." She listened for a moment. "All right," she said and hung up. "He'll be right out."

"Thanks."

They only had to wait a moment before Carson Drew came out to greet them. "Hello, Nancy! I didn't expect you today. What's up?"

"Dad, do you remember Frank and Joe Hardy?" She indicated the two young men with her. "We were wondering if we could go through the box from Darren Bolton's office."

Carson frowned. "Why do you want to do that?"

"We found a body not too far from our house two days ago," Frank said. "When I read about Darren's murder on-line, something about it struck a chord with me. I just want to see if the two were connected in any way."

"Shouldn't that be a police matter?"

"Well," Frank said, "it's just a hunch. I don't want to waste the police's time if it turns out to be completely wrong."

Carson looked thoughtful. "I suppose there's no reason not to. Go ahead, but put everything back in the box when you're finished."

"Sure thing, Dad," Nancy said.

Carson returned to his office and Nancy led the way down the hall to the office Darren had used.

"Darren shared this office with another intern," Nancy told them, "but she didn't want to use it after Darren was killed. We shouldn't be interrupted." She closed the door behind them. "The box is on the desk there."

Frank went to the box and unfolded the lid. "That's not very much stuff," he said. He began removing the contents and laying the items out on the desk carefully. "I think it will be easier to examine everything if it's all spread out."

"That's a good idea," Nancy said. She stepped over to the desk and picked up a framed picture of two young men. She held it out so Frank and Joe could see it as she pointed at the dark-haired man on the right. "That's Darren. The other man I think was a friend of his from college."

"They seem mighty chummy," Joe said. He glanced at Frank with a slight grin.

Frank lifted an eyebrow and continued removing things from the box. "There, that's everything. What have we got?"

"A couple of pictures, some text books, a coffee mug, a grooming kit, a fancy pen set, a paperweight, two romance novels and a pack of condoms." Joe picked up the condoms. "This hasn't been opened. Seems like an odd thing to have in one's desk at work."

"For those lunch hour trysts, I guess," Frank said absently. He was going through the books. "Hey, this isn't a text book. It looks like a high school yearbook."

"Really?" Nancy said. She stepped next to Frank, so that her arm brushed against his as she looked at the book he was holding. "You're right. That's the River Heights Wildcats yearbook. They haven't changed the cover design in twenty years."

"That's weird," said Joe. "Why would he have his high school yearbook and not his college yearbook?"

"Maybe he liked high school better than college," Frank said. He flipped slowly through the pages.

"Stop!" Nancy said suddenly. "Go back." Frank turned the pages back slowly and after three pages, Nancy jabbed her finger at a picture on the right hand page. "It's Darren!"

"It's a picture of the debate team," Frank noted. He studied the picture closely. "Say, Joe! Does this look like our victim to you?"

Joe stepped up on Nancy's other side and leaned over to study the picture up close. "It sure does." He scanned the names underneath the picture. "It says her name is Evelyn T. Amberson."

"Amberson? Sheriff Becker said our victim's name was Tonya Amberson!"

"The T could stand for Tonya!" Nancy said excitedly. "There is a connection between them! They must have known each other if they were on the debate team together."

"Your hunch is starting to look pretty good, Frank," Joe said. "Nancy, we need to make a copy of this picture."

"Sure thing. The copy machine is just around the corner." She took the yearbook and left the two young men alone in the office.

"This is amazing!" Joe said. "Do you think it's possible the same person killed them?"

"It's possible, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions." Frank gazed at the other items on the desk. "River Heights is not that big a town. For two murder victims to have a connection in a place this size is not that remarkable. And we mustn't forget about the differences in the circumstances of their deaths. Although both victims were mutilated, Tonya was dumped in the woods, but Darren was left where he was killed."

"True. But, if anyone else from that picture turns up dead, I'm going to jump to a conclusion."

Frank smiled. "If that happens, I'll probably jump with you."

"Do you think we should tell the sheriff? Or the police chief?"

"I don't know. It's pretty circumstantial. I don't want to waste their time with something that might turn out to be just a coincidence." Frank pursed his lips. "But still, it's something. Let's tell dad when we all get back and he can decide if he wants to tell the sheriff."

"Ok."

Nancy returned waving two sheets of paper. "I made a couple of copies. I thought I might keep one for myself, just in case."

"That's a good idea." Frank took one of the sheets from her. "Maybe we could look up some of these people and see if any of them kept in touch with Darren or Tonya."

"I can do that," Nancy said. "I should be able to find them through the alumni committee at the high school."

"That'd be great." Frank folded the picture and put it in his pocket. "Let's pack this back up. I don't think we're going to find anything else." He and Joe started putting Darren's things back in the box.

Joe hesitated when he picked up the condoms. "Do you really think these need to go in there? I mean, what will his family think when they get this stuff?"

Frank nodded. "It does seem a little creepy."

"You're right," Nancy agreed. "Why don't you leave them in the desk drawer? I don't think Dad would mind."

Joe opened the top side drawer of the desk and dropped in the condoms. Then he pulled the drawer out further with a frown. "Was this Darren's desk?"

"Yes. Why?"

Joe reached into the back and pulled out another pack of condoms. "There are more back there. This guy must have been really busy."

Nancy stepped around the desk and looked into the drawer with a surprised expression. "That's really weird. He didn't strike me as the womanizing type." She frowned slightly. "He never flirted with me at all."

"Well, you are the boss' daughter," said Frank. "He was probably just being careful."

"I suppose so." Nancy didn't sound convinced.

Joe closed the drawer and Frank re-folded the flaps on the box.

"Let us know what you find out when you contact the people from the picture," Frank said to Nancy. "If it turns out that Darren and Tonya were still in touch, we'll have to tell both the sheriff and your police chief about it."

"I'll do that," Nancy said.

The three of them left the office and walked back out to the lobby.

"Are you leaving now, Nancy?" Ruth, the receptionist, asked.

"Yes, we're all finished. Tell Dad I'll see him at home tonight."

"All right."

Out in the parking lot, Nancy smiled at Frank. "I really appreciate your bringing me in on this investigation. I think this is going to be very interesting."

"Joe and I are glad to have your help. You have good instincts."

Nancy beamed. "Thank you! Well, I better go start making calls. I'll see you later." She hugged Frank impulsively and then waved to Joe as she walked to her car.

"You shouldn't compliment her like that," Joe said with a laugh. "She'll think you like her."

Frank grimaced. "Why can't she just be glad I appreciate her intelligence, like a normal girl?"

"Because she wants to jump your bones, big brother." Joe climbed into the car. "Let's go home. Looking at all those condoms made me want to get laid."