Author's Note: Wow, a lot of you are really weighing in on this story. I think it's neat how everyone wants something different to come from it. It really keeps me going and I'm hoping that I will please everyone, but even I know that's not possible. I am trying to get as many chills and thrills in it as I can. And also, I kind of made a decision to make Nancy the prime investigator in it. This meaning that the Hardy Boys won't really be helping a lot in the investigation phase, but will be there if Nancy needs to bounce ideas off of them. But they will be in the story (meaning River Heights) eventually. It's just that all of my stories have had all of them solving the case and I kind of want Nancy to take the reins of this one. If this disappoints some of you, I am very sorry. I will try my best to make it up to you!

TesubCalle: I loved your review and I am still scratching my head over the fertilizer and ventilator thing...I know, you must think I'm totally ditzy, but my brain isn't functioning like it should! Also, I am going to try not to have a lot of bloodshed, for meaningless reasons, because I do want Dom to have reasons for why he is doing this. There will be a few more murders and they will be connected to Nancy somehow. (And some of these murders may not make a few people too happy with me!)

And I know I may be begging here, but I have seen that I have a lot of hits on this story and I would really appreciate it if you would just leave a review if nothing more than saying "please update." This really helps me out because I do read all of my reviews!

Anyway, on with the story!

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Nancy didn't even remember getting to bed. But somehow she had, because it was the next morning and she was waking up in her room. Last night had been rough on her...it was a night she never wanted to repeat again.

She got out of the bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She slipped on her robe and walked downstairs to see her father sitting at the kitchen table, reading the paper. Brenda's paper, Nancy thought with disgust. The front page screamed with the headline "Author Murdered in Home" and right under that was a big picture of Ann.

Nancy turned away from it and grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet. She filled it up with coffee and sat down at the table.

Carson put down the paper and looked at his daughter. "How are you feeling, hon?"

Nancy barely looked up from her mug. "I honestly don't know, Dad."

"It's a real tragedy," her father commented. "She was a dear friend."

Nancy nodded her head. "So, what is Brenda saying about it?" she asked with feigned interest.

"She just has what the police told her," Carson stated. He looked at Nancy. "And also said that she had an emotional confrontation with you."

"No, she did not." Nancy grabbed the newspaper from the table and scanned the article. "I don't believe this!"

"What happened last night?" Carson asked.

Nancy threw down the paper and sighed. "I kind of went off on her last night. It was like she didn't have any consideration for Ann, Dad, and I couldn't accept that."

"You know you need to be careful about what you say in front of her, Nancy," Carson said.

"I know, Dad," Nancy said. "It's just–she's so..."

Carson got up from the table. "Well, I have to get to the office. Let me know when you find out funeral plans for Ann." He went over to his daughter and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Nancy watched as he left the kitchen and heard him walk out the door. She grabbed her coffee mug and drained the last bit of coffee. Just as she was bringing it over to the sink, the telephone rang.

"Hello?" Nancy said.

"Nan...hey, it's me."

Nancy's heart did its usual flutter at the sound of Frank Hardy's voice. They had always had an attraction between the two of them, but Nancy had been totally devoted to Ned and Frank to Callie.

"Hey, Frank," Nancy said, trying to sound perky. "How are you?"

"Good," Frank said. "But I was really concerned about you."

"What are you talking about?" Nancy asked.

"I just heard about your friend's murder. It's on all the major news channels," Frank explained.

"What?" Nancy asked. She brought the cordless phone into the den and turned on the TV. Se flipped through CNN, Fox News, MSNBC–Frank was right; all of them were covering Ann's murder.

"Great," Nancy muttered.

"You didn't know," Frank said.

"No–I just got up," Nancy sighed. "I had to put up with Brenda last night. Ow, I guess I'll have to deal with this."

"Oh, yeah," Frank said, hesitating a little. "The Associated Press has picked up Brenda's story from the wires. It's in all of the papers here."

"Well, this has to be making her day," Nancy said.

"So, why don't you tell me the whole story?" Frank asked.

"What do you mean?" Nancy asked.

"Come on, Nan. You were there–what else happened?" Frank asked.

Nancy sat down on the sofa and sighed into the phone. "Ann was stabbed in the heart. There was a single pin rose lying next to her and there was a bouquet of flowers on a table near her and a note that promised more killings."

"So, you're dealing with a serial?" Frank said.

"Not yet, but I think we will, yes," Nancy answered.

"Are you going to investigate?" Frank asked.

"I really just want to get through the funeral first," Nancy said. "After that, I guess I'll make up my mind."

"Just know that I'm here if you need me," Frank said, quietly.

"Thanks, Frank," Nancy said with a small smile. "That really means a lot to me."

Just then another line beeped in on Nancy's phone. "Listen, Frank. I have someone trying to call me on the other line. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure," Frank said. "I mean it. If you need help, you give me a call. And be careful, Nancy."

Nancy didn't say anything but clicked over to the other line. "Hello?"

"Nancy...it's Jimmy," a man's voice said.

"Hey, Jimmy. What's up?" Nancy asked. Jimmy Miller was one of her good friends that worked at the morgue.

"Listen, I know that Ann Granger was a friend of yours. And I know that the odds are pretty good that you'll be looking into this case. And the lieutenant doesn't want me to really talk to you about this, but..." Jimmy trailed off.

"What is it, Jimmy?" Nancy asked.

"I found something while I was doing the autopsy. Can you come down here?" Jimmy asked.

Nancy's heart skipped a beat. Maybe he found some evidence that would catch the killer before he struck again!

"Thirty minutes okay?" Nancy asked.

"I'll be here," Jimmy said.

Nancy dashed upstairs and quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and a light sweater. She grabbed her cell phone and was out the door in ten minutes. She pulled up in front of the River Heights Morgue in twenty minutes.

Nancy pushed through the doors and saw that Jimmy was waiting for her in the lobby.

"I knew it wouldn't take you thirty minute," Jimmy said, smiling at her.

Nancy gave her friend a hug. "You know me too well, Jimmy."

"Well, follow me," Jimmy said. He led the way to his office that was adjacent to the autopsy room. Nancy cringed when she sawAnn's body lying on the table, covered by a white sheet.

Nancy sat down in a chair that Jimmy indicated and waited as he shut the door and sat down behind his desk.

"You look like crap, Nancy," Jimmy said.

"I feel like crap, Jimmy," Nancy said. "And you're lucky I don't have the energy to get up and slap you for that comment."

Jimmy chuckled and opened a folder that was lying on his desk. "Cause of death was a single stab wound to the heart. Killed her almost instantly, so she didn't suffer, in case you were wondering."

"That's a relief, I guess," Nancy said sadly.

"The reason I called you in here was because I found something that struck me as a little odd," Jimmy said.

"What is it?" Nancy asked.

Jimmy took a photo from the folder and passed it to Nancy. "What do you see in that photo?"

It was a head shot of Ann. Nancy studied the photo and at first, didn't see anything that was out of place. But wait...

"There's a chunk of her hair missing," Nancy said, shocked.

"Exactly," Jimmy said. "And it's a fresh cut."

"What was it cut with?" Nancy asked.

"It had to be a knife. I haven't found a pair of scissors that can do that sloppy of a cut," Jimmy said.

"Do the police know about this?" Nancy asked.

Jimmy nodded. "B.D. does. I talked to him right before I called you."

"And does he know that you called me?" Nancy asked.

Jimmy gave her a mischievous smile and shook his head. "I thought you could tell him yourself."

"Thanks," Nancy said, sarcastically. "So, does this mean the killer..."

Jimmy gave a grim nod. "I'm afraid so. This worries me, Nan. We've never had anything like this happen in River Heights. And after that note that the killer left at Ann's, I'm afraid it's only going to get worse."

"Me, too," Nancy said. "Why would he want her hair, though? It doesn't make sense."

"Nothing that these psychos does makes sense," Jimmy said.

"Well, thanks for telling me, Jimmy." Nancy gave the photo back to Jimmy and stood up.

"Nancy, I know I sound like a broken record here, but for God's sakes, be careful. I don't want this guy to do anything to you," Jimmy said.

"What makes you think he'll do something to me?" Nancy asked.

"Because I know you're not going to let the police handle this on their own. That means you'll be right in the middle of it," Jimmy said. "As soon as the killer sees you, he'll turn his sights on you."

"You don't have to tell me, Jimmy. I know," Nancy said. "But thanks, anyway."

"Anything for you, Nancy," Jimmy said.

Nancy left Jimmy to his work and walked out to her car. It seemed that everyone was worried about her and that scared her a little. Especially, since she hadn't even started to investigate yet.

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