Foreword: I'm not getting as many reviews as I had hoped, and got three reviews less than what I wanted. Oh, well... I guess everyone's busy because of a new school year. Anyway, I'll update as I promised. This chapter ends in a real surprise, and you'll know how Kent killed Sam Cantu with a perfect alibi. Read, enjoy, be surprised at the cliffhanger, and please review! The more reviews I get, the faster I will update.

15

Disclosure #2: Twisted Alibi

Kent Stuart laughed out loud as if Nancy had been telling the funniest joke ever. However, his laughter wasn't that of a person who laughed in delight. It was a menacing laughter of a cold-hearted killer. The laughter was somewhat chilling and made Nancy uneasy.

Then, after the long laughter died out, Kent grinned and said, "That sounds reasonable, but why would there be a footprint under my room's window? And how did I escape from the locked room that had only two exits: one was locked, and the other one had you detectives coming in? There was no other door I could've escaped from."

Now it was Nancy's turn to grin. "You didn't have to get out of the room after the crash was heard, Kent. You just walked out of the room from the open door. It wasn't any locked room: the room was already unlocked, and that door was the one you used to get out."

Kent didn't seem very shocked. He was as calm as ever. "So tell me, Miss Drew… How did I kill Sam without even going inside the room?"

"You didn't, Kent. You killed him just like any killer would: you just took the statue and hit his head. That's all to it."

"But how did I make that noise of a crashing vase?"

Nancy grinned again. "It's really easy once you knew who the killer was. Your room was room number 3, the closest one to the locked door of the dining room. If you see the map of the hotel, it's easy to notice that only you could've done this simple trick. But this simple trick used the psychological trick of human mind. That is, you always think that when you hear something in a closed chamber, you would think that a person must be inside that chamber. So when we saw Frank in the room with the dead body, we thought that he was the only person who could have caused the noise. So the police were convinced that Frank killed Sam and made him knock down the vase.

"But the truth wasn't like that at all. You killed Sam, knocked Frank unconscious in the dining room, and then used that trick to make the vase fall from the shelf without ever being in that room."

Ned searched the entire shed. "That person couldn't have disappeared like that. That must be a secret passageway!"

He shone his flashlight everywhere. He couldn't find anything open. But then, he found the huge shelf that had pesticides and bottles of acid.

Usually, he thought, there would be a hidden compartment behind the shelf like this. I should give it a try…

When the detective grabbed the shelf, he found it quite light. It swung to the left and let Ned enter the dark passage. "I wonder where this thing leads to?"

Outside, Frank and George were trying their best opening the door, but it remained shut. Frank looked for any ax or something hard and heavy nearby. Suddenly, George had an idea. "Frank! I think we can smash this door open using the van we came in!"

Frank's face lit up. "That's a great idea! Let's go!"

When the two detectives got to the van, their hope was gone. The doors were locked, and Joe had the key!

"We've got to get Joe!" Frank said. "Come on!"

Kent snickered. "Oh, so you think you've figured out everything, huh? But that won't answer how I got knocked the vase from the cabinet when I wasn't even in that room. What do you think I am, a psychic?"

Nancy didn't smile. "You aren't a psychic, but you are a really smart guy. You just used a single string that was about four to five yards long make yourself a perfect alibi."

"Hah! Now I'd like to hear that!"

Nancy thought nervously, I sure hope Frank and George can do anything about that locked door. Or, if I can open the door… No, Kent will notice that. I have to stall for time!

She said, "Okay, so first, you had to kill Sam. After that, you had to tie one end of the string to the vase. Then, opening the door leading to your room, you have to slide the other end into your own room. You then lock the door. The next step would be to get out of the room from the door that was still unlocked. When you get into your room, you wait till someone goes into the lobby. At the moment when Joe, George, and I entered the lobby, you would pull the string. The vase will fall to the ground, making an ear-piercing sound. As we entered the dining room, you would get all the string into your room and get out of your room through your window. After going outside, you then came back inside, therefore making yourself a perfect alibi."

Kent's grin totally disappeared.

"You were too smart for your own good, Nancy Drew," the man said. He then took his hand out from behind him. Nancy's eyes got large in an instant. She had thought it was just an iron bar, but it was actually something more dangerous. It was a rifle!

Frank and George ran to the back of the barn. They found a shed and saw a person lying down on the ground next to it. "Joe!" George shouted, shocked to find the blond teenager sitting there, not moving. "Joe!"

Frank lifted his brother up. "Is he alive?" George asked, a feared image coming into her mind.

Joe slowly opened his eyes. Frank and George were relieved to see that he was alive. "What happened, bro?" Frank asked.

"A person attacked me when Ned and were searching the shed."

"Where is Ned?"

"I think he went after the attacker. I think he's in the shed…"

"Shed!" Frank looked up at the shed. "Okay, wait here. Hey, can I have the car key?"

"For what?"

"Long story," George said. "We need it right away. Nancy's life may be in danger! She's been locked in the barn with the killer!"

"I guess you just solved your last case," Kent said, grinning. "And I think you are the best detective till your end, Nancy." He pointed the weapon at the titian-haired sleuth.

Nancy was worried. Frank and George weren't coming in. She had to keep him talking!

"Why did you kill Christina and Sam?"

"What? I didn't kill Christina," Kent said. A look of fury came over his face. "That crooked Sam Cantu and Percival Stuart killed her!"

Nancy suddenly remembered Percival. "Where is Percival?"

"Right here," Kent said. He shone the flashlight Nancy had dropped at a direction. Behind the hidden door, there was Percival, bound and gagged and helpless. "Christina found out about the operation Sam and Percival were up to and started blackmailing them. Those two were worried that she would tell the police, so they killed her. Just a week ago, they brought her to the cliff and pushed her down the cliff!"

Kent's cold stare turned into a glare burning with fury. Percival winced. "And this unlawful lawyer had been her husband, even though he had killed her! I couldn't forgive that. Christina meant everything to me, and I wasn't going to let those two cold-blooded killers get away with it!"

He turned back to Nancy. He had his rifle aimed at her face. With a crooked grin, he said, "But you found out too much, and I'll have no choice but to kill you so you will keep this a secret."

Nancy was infuriated. "I know that killing is horrible! I know you can't forgive those two for killing someone you love, but you turned into a cold-hearted killer yourself just to avenge Christina. Do you think she would be happy seeing you kill two people related to you? Do you think she would be happy to see you murder members of your own family? Not to mention your brother. You two had been growing together for years, and he had been nice to you. I know he isn't that bad at heart and regrets killing his wife. Killing him won't do you any good!"

"Shut up, you goody-goody girl!" Kent snapped. "Those two killed my beloved one just so they could keep their precious money! I will kill that money-thirsty pig after I finish you off…"

Nancy feared this moment the most. She could stall for time no longer, for the murderer has gotten too infuriated. She had to do something! Something…

Nancy tried to move to her right, but Kent put the rifle up. "Oh, don't try any funny business, girl! I was a very skilled hunter when I lived in Montana when I was a kid. Oh, that reminds me…"

Kent paused for a moment, then continued, "You said that we brothers grew up together, but I didn't grow up with him. I had been taken to my aunt and uncle who lived in Montana because my parents didn't want me, since they already had three kids to take care of. So, to tell the truth, I don't even consider myself a brother of his. Anyway, enough talk now. I don't want you to suffer for too long. It'll be over in an instant…"

The girl detective looked for a way out. Could she use the secret passageway just two feet away?

No, it wouldn't work. When she made a move, Kent would shoot that rifle. And she could trust the fact that he had lived in Montana. This was not going the way she wanted. She knew she should've called the police before coming here!

George was worried. She and Frank headed toward the van, but it was getting dark again. If they didn't make it soon, the moon would be covered in the clouds and the only light source would be gone!

She turned on her flashlight.

"Oh, no!" she groaned.

Frank turned around. "What happened?"

"My battery is out already! How about yours?"

Frank and Joe each turned on their flashlights. Frank's lit for a few seconds, then blacked out. Joe's didn't even light up at all.

"This is bad," Joe said, looking up at the sky. "Really bad."

Frank got to the van. "Okay, let's get the key inside and break that door down!"

But that car didn't run.

"Now, what?" Joe asked impatiently. "We don't have time!"

"I know!" Frank returned. "It won't go!"

George looked at the gas meter and groaned. "We're out of gas! No wonder we did, after running in the gravel road for forty minutes."

Frank was thinking. "How can we open the door, then?"

Joe had an idea. "I know! Let's use the killer's car over there," he said, pointing toward the direction where he had found the black car the killer used to get here. Frank and George nodded, then ran after Joe toward the black car. When they got to the car, Frank checked the key.

"It's on! And there's plenty of gas left!"

The detective turned the ignition on and drove as fast as he could toward the barn.

"I guess it's the end for you now, Nancy Drew…"

Kent held his rifle at Nancy's head. He pulled the trigger.

"Nancy!"

A familiar voice shouted just a moment before the rifle went off. Nancy closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to hit, then nothingness. But she didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes. She saw the most unbelievable sight.

"Ned!"

The tall detective was right in front of Nancy. Noticing that the killer still had the gun, Nancy immediately kicked the rifle from his grasp. Then, she punched him right in the stomach. After Kent let out a groan, he lay on the ground, unconscious.

"Ned! Are you all right?" Nancy shouted, looking at her boyfriend.

Ned smiled. "Never better…"

Then, he groaned, holding his hand on his stomach. Suddenly, Nancy saw that the white T-shirt he was wearing was turning dark red!

The girl detective shouted in horror, "You…you were hit by the rifle!"

Postscript: Next chapter will be the last one in this story. I will update this story once I reach 70 reviews (just 3 reviews away!) and/or after a week. My next story will be up two weeks after this story ended. As I said, because it's start of a new schoolyear, I might not update as often as I want. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Because it's the last chapter before the epilogue, I will not give away any hints to what will happen next. You'll just have to wait till next week to find out about Ned!