Chapter Six
It was 7:30 Saturday morning and Darby Gillis was late for work. He forgot to set his alarm the night before and he literally crashed out of bed when his wife cried out to him to get up. It took him only 15 minutes to get ready and rush out the door with a piece of toast in his mouth and a kiss on the cheek from her. Darby had been married to his wife for nearly 20 years but he was still just as thankful to have her in his life as he was the day he married her. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have the job he had.
Though he normally didn't work Saturdays, the moment he was offered overtime, Darby took it. Anything to help with the bills that kept piling up out of nowhere but he was mainly thankful just to have a job nowadays. Unfortunately, his normal route was closed due to construction on a new bridge that was going in. The route he was currently on took him way outside Riverton where he lived and into Milford Point where his job was. It was the long way around but it still got him there and he'd already called to let them know that he was going to be late.
As he was approaching the crossroads to turn towards Milford Point, Darby saw something on the side of the road. At first he thought it was a dead animal but that thought was soon dashed when he saw a splash of color…and a pair of human legs.
Darby braked and got out of his truck, rushing over to what he thought was a dead body. He was surprised to see that it was a young woman in bare feet and a very short dress as if she had been at a club. Darby noticed the odd angle her leg was in and the large amount of blood around her. My God he thought.
Kneeling down next to her, he felt for a pulse. It was barely there and erratic. Darby jumped back in alarm when the young woman tried to take a breath though only a gasping sound came out. She was having trouble breathing and needed help.
Darby fumbled for his phone then dialed 9-1-1. In a matter of seconds he knew that help was on the way. He rushed backed to his truck and got the spare blanket he kept for emergencies then came back to her. As he spread the blanket over her, Darby saw two beautiful blue eyes open, staring blankly at him. He could see the pain behind them and wished he could take it away for her.
"You're going to be okay, sweetheart," he replied softly. "Help is on the way."
Her blue eyes blinked once before closing again. Darby looked around wondering why anyone would do anything to the young woman. He noticed the tire marks on the road nearby and realized she was a victim of a hit-and-run. It made his blood boil that someone would run away from an accident especially one where the victim was truly hurt. But the real question was why she was way out in the middle of nowhere wearing a dress and no shoes?
Darby was relieved when he heard the sirens in the distance and minutes later several police cruisers and an ambulance pulled up. He stood back as the EMTs descended upon the young woman. Darby knew he was expected at work but this was more important and he knew both his boss and his wife would understand. He just wanted to make sure the young woman was okay. Maybe the police could figure out who she was since he didn't see a purse lying around which was strange in his opinion.
"Gillis?" Darby looked over to see Officer Paul Carlisle looking at him. "You were the one who called this in?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I was on my way to work and…and I found her."
"Well, it's a good thing you did," the officer smiled sadly.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"I'm not sure but I think you just saved her life. Now, can you tell me what you know?"
Carson stared out the bedroom window. He could see people milling around outside but it wasn't for the wedding that was supposed to take place that evening. No, Parker and Senator Hawkley were already notifying the guests that the wedding was postponed until further notice. The people outside were reporters and police officers waiting for the press conference to start which was only a few minutes away.
Sighing, Carson moved away from the window. He hated the waiting game. He'd been through it before but this seemed different. It wasn't someone they knew or had evidence against. This was a murderer who had killed before and not even the police had a clue as to who the Bridal Killer was. Carson had hoped that the Hardys would find them but as the hours ticked by, that hope seemed to fray and fall apart. Granted it had only been nine hours since it happened but it seemed like a lifetime ago that he found out about the abduction.
He was worried as any father would be in this situation. Even though Fenton had suggested that they all rest until the press conference, Carson knew he couldn't. Not until he knew Nancy was fine. More than likely Parker and Frank were still up as well, neither of them wanting to wake up to more bad news.
Carson wandered the halls of the house, unsure of where to go or what to do. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and blueberry muffins soon guided him to the kitchen where he found Parker, Frank, and Fenton all standing next to the coffee maker waiting for the brew cycle to end. The cook was just pulling a tray out of the oven, dumping the piping hot muffins onto a cooling rack. No one said a word though Fenton and Carson exchanged a look and a nod. It wasn't until the coffee was brewed and the four men were drinking that the silence was broken.
"Any news?" Carson asked though he didn't anticipate anything new. Sure enough Fenton shook his head in answer and the room was quiet once again.
Chief Durham strolled into the kitchen, stopping when he saw the four standing near the kitchen island. "Oh, good, you're all awake," he replied. "We have a lead."
"Really?" Parker said hopefully. "Did you find them?"
"Unfortunately, no, Councilman," the Chief shook his head. "But we may have found the vehicle from the video. It was in a parking garage about two miles from the club. I have forensics all over it to see if they can find anything but I have a feeling it was wiped clean. There's a video at the garage so we may get a lead there as well but we have to go through some hoops to get the footage. The FBI said they would handle getting the footage. They're going to be working with us on this."
"Are there any other leads?" Carson asked.
"As of right now, no," he answered grimly. "Maybe with the press conference we'll get someone to come forward with information. Someone had to have seen something out of the ordinary last night. We have plans in place to take any and all leads seriously."
"Dad, Joe, and I are planning on going out once the press conference is over," Frank stated. Joe nodded in agreement. "We're going to start with Stephanie and question her."
"Stephanie Grant?" Durham cocked an eyebrow. "Why her? We didn't find anything out of the ordinary with her."
"Bess mentioned that Ms. Grant had left while the others were on the dance floor," Fenton explained. "She expressed concern that Stephanie had something to do with the abduction."
"Ms. Grant did mention that but she said she was making a phone call," the Chief said confused. "She could have been lying for all we know but I thought Brady had gone through that line of questioning already."
"We still would like to question her," he said. Fenton looked behind the chief. "Where is Brady anyway? I thought he would be here since he's in charge of the investigation."
"He's following up on a lead," he answered vaguely. "Brady said he'll contact me later."
"Don't you think that's a little odd, Chief?" Fenton inquired. "He's in charge of searching for the girls and he's not here to lead the press conference? That doesn't seem right to me."
"Look, I told you before, Fenton," Durham growled his anger rising, "I trust Brady. He's knows what he's doing. He's one of my best so lay off. I have the helm for now until he gets back. Now, are we ready for this press conference?"
Parker nodded then followed the Chief out of the room with Carson and the Hardys staying back.
"Dad, do you think there's something up with this detective?" Frank asked his voice low.
"I do, Frank," his father nodded. "Something doesn't sit right with me about Brady. You didn't see him last night. He was almost mechanical to a point."
"You could take the Chief for his word though, Fenton," Carson piped up. "He may just be an awkward person around others."
"I know but my gut feeling says otherwise."
"I understand, Fenton, but we need to have a little more information before we go after someone like this. He is trying to find Nancy and Candace and we have to trust the judgment of those around us." Carson sighed, rubbing his temple. "I know it's strange that Brady didn't show up today but we have to move on with this. If you don't trust him then have Charlie look into it. I'm sure that kid would be able to find something on Brady. I say we go to the press conference then call Charlie to get him on it."
"I can call him," Joe raised his hand. The others looked at him. "I mean, I'm not really needed right away at the press conference, am I? Besides, Charlie told me his parents have been giving him a hard time since he got back and I think this would give him a good excuse to get away from them for a little while."
"Okay, Joe," Fenton nodded. "Go ahead but get outside the moment you're done on the phone. The press needs to know that we're all on the case here."
"Sure thing, Dad," he smiled then rushed off.
"Are you all ready?" Durham asked from across the room. "The sharks are waiting."
"Do you think you can do it, Charlie?" Joe asked moments after explaining the situation to the younger man. He could hear Charlie typing away on his computer as he waited for an answer.
"Of course I can, Joe!" he said excitedly. "Anything to get out of this house! Whitney's been bragging about her new boyfriend the whole time and Mom and Dad have been complaining that they weren't invited to the Hawkley wedding but I was. It's been miserable since I got here last night. Are you sure that this Brady dude is someone that needs to be looked into? And Stephanie Grant isn't exactly new news around here either."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Her mother has been sick for weeks now, that's all," Charlie explained. "Maybe she really was on the phone and checking up on her mom while she was out. That would explain why she left the dance floor at a certain time. It could be just a coincidence."
"That's a pretty big coincidence if you ask me, Charlie," Joe replied though he thought that it might explain the reason why Stephanie was so evasive with the police the night before. "When do you think you can get here?"
"Give me about a half hour or so," the kid said. "It won't take that long to get out of here but to get past my parents and annoying sister that might be the problem."
"What's with Whitney anyway?" he asked. "Vanessa said that she met her boyfriend though he didn't seem like he was with her. Jasper Wilkes was his name."
"Oh, yeah, Jasper," Charlie laughed. "I feel sorry for him but not really. He's not really Whitney's boyfriend much as she tries to tell people. He's just visiting from Alabama, I think. His mom was a sorority sister with my mom so he's visiting for a few days or something like that. If you ask me it seems a little fishy. I looked up his 'mom' in a yearbook and he looks nothing like her. Sorry, just my suspicion coming through. Whitney may be a sadistic bitch at times but I still do care about her and want to make sure she's not getting played."
"That's very nice of you, Charlie," Joe said thinking the kid had a heart of gold, "but I don't think your sister is the type to appreciate that kind of mentality."
The kid sighed deeply. "Yeah, I know. Anyway, I'll be there by the time the press conference is over. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, we'll see you when you get here. Later."
The phone call ended and Joe sat back in thought. Something was bugging him about Jasper. He thought he was someone to look into more than Harrison Brady but it wasn't up to him to make that decision. And hearing that Stephanie's mother was sick made Joe think that the girl had nothing to do with the abduction either. It brought his thoughts back to square one and it frustrated him. Who was the Bridal Killer?
The killer stood in the crowd looking at Chief Durham as he spoke. He smirked knowing that the police had no clue as to where to start looking. The only thing that worried him now was the fact Nancy was found by somebody. Even though he left her without an ID that didn't mean that someone couldn't put the pieces together and if they did figure out who she was it would make the Hardys one step closer to finding him and his other victim. The killer had to move fast before that happened. He would have to return to the funeral home and get started the moment the press conference was over.
He stared at the group gathered around the chief. The four Hardys stood next to Parker and Senator Hawkley along with a man who was vaguely familiar to the killer. His steel eyes surveyed the group, lingering on the women among them. The two young women were at the club the night before while another stood next to Fenton Hardy, her hand wrapped protectively on the crook of his elbow. She was pretty but definitely mature in age and more than likely his wife. The killer felt the makings of a plan starting to rise but he would wait until the opportune moment to strike.
Frank took a deep breath, scanning the crowd that had gathered outside the Hawkley residence. Durham was taking questions from the press but Frank wasn't paying any attention. His thoughts were on Nancy the whole time. He didn't want to think that they were too late. It had been less than twelve hours since the abduction but he just had this strange feeling that something bad had already happened. He remembered a dream he had as he was trying to get some sleep earlier that morning. It startled him awake but it felt so real.
"Frank…"
It was barely above a whisper but still felt as if she said it right next to him. Frank sat upright in the bed, sweat pouring down his face. He looked at the clock and sighed in frustration. It was 7:30 in the morning and he had only gotten about an hour of sleep.
Plopping his head back onto the pillow, Frank stared at the ceiling in thought. It was Nancy's voice he heard but how? That was when he thought that maybe they were too late…at least for her. Frank shook his head, trying to get the pessimistic thought out of his mind but it was really hard. He didn't want to think about a life without her. He was just starting to really feel something for Nancy but he wasn't sure what her thoughts were.
"Frank?"
"Hmm?" He looked over to see his brother glancing at him.
"The press conference is over," Joe announced. "Charlie should be here any minute and then we can get going."
"Oh, right, right," Frank nodded distractedly.
"Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"You just seem…off right now." Joe looked at him with concern. "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Not really," he shook his head. "You didn't either."
"That's beside the point, Frank," he said. "You don't have to come with us, you know. I'm sure Dad will understand and we can handle anything on our own."
"I'm fine, Joe," Frank lied. "I…I just…I'll be fine."
"No, you won't," Joe stated. "You're thinking about Nancy too much and I get it. If it were Vanessa I probably would be distracted too. That's why I'm saying maybe you should stay here to at least get some sleep. Besides, Charlie will be here too."
"Joe…"
"I'm just saying." The younger Hardy licked his lips and looked away as the crowd was dispersing. "I'm worried about her too, Frank. Nancy is a good friend and I can't think of a world without her. She makes the world a better place and she made you a better person."
"Are you actually giving me a compliment?"
"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "I know I've been a pain in the ass for years, hounding you about your love life but Nancy is the reason why you've waited for so long to find the right person. I guess she completes you."
"Have you been watching 'Jerry Maguire' again?" Frank laughed.
"It's Vanessa's favorite movie so we watch it a lot but I'm being serious here," Joe smiled. He placed a hand on Frank's shoulder. "She is what you've been looking for all this time just like Vanessa is the one person who is able to handle me and my shenanigans without wanting to dump my ass in the harbor. You need to rest or you won't be any good to Nancy or Candace or anyone for that matter. No one will think of you differently if you took a step back in order to cautiously move forward. We'll find Nancy and Candace. There's no doubt about it and they'll be fine in the end. I know it."
"But, Joe," Frank sighed, shaking his head, "I just…have a bad feeling."
"Well, take that bad feeling and put it away. You're a damn Hardy. Act like it. You have the brains to figure out things that even Dad can't do. I envy you, Frank," Joe admitted surprising his older brother. "You have the means to do better than all of us and then there's me who goes by the seat of my pants in everything I do. I may have had the girls over the years but you know I was in a bad place at one time. You are the reason why I was able to get out of it. You were always right there and you will always be there."
Frank was speechless. He didn't think he had that much influence on people but he understood where his brother was coming from. He remembered where Joe had been years before when a close friend was murdered right in front of him. It took months for the younger Hardy to bounce back but he eventually did. If anything happened to Nancy, Frank feared that he would be in that same place as Joe was so many years before. He wrapped his arms around his brother and brought him closer.
"Thanks, Joe," Frank replied into his shoulder. "I needed that."
"Anytime," Joe smirked waving him off. "What are brothers for?" He was about to say something else when their father came rushing up to them, excitement running through him. "What's up, Dad?"
"Durham just got a call from the hospital," Fenton answered breathlessly. "Jax woke up about ten minutes ago and he wants to talk."
Author's Note:
I hope everyone had a great Halloween! We went out trick or treating with the girls on Thursday and on Saturday and believe me, they won't be getting any Christmas candy this year! My oldest daughter is not amused. We still had a nice holiday though. Anyway, I'm so glad that I was able to get this chapter out today. I hope that you all liked it! The clues continue to come in and some of you are on the right track as to who the killer is…or are you? Nancy knows who it is. Does Jax? You'll find out more in the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapter and a special thanks to those who wrote a review. I love reading your thoughts and theories. It makes my heart soar knowing that you're enjoying the story. So please, if you will, continue leaving those reviews! Before I go, I want to say something. This is an important week for our country (US). Please please please, don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 3rd if you haven't already. I am not telling you who to vote for. That is your business just as much as who I vote for is my own. We all have our own opinions on who we believe is the better candidate and the direction we want our country to move towards. Since the founding of our nation, we have had the opportunity to vote for who and what we believe in. That is the beauty of this great nation. So please, exercise your right to vote. I know I'll be there voting in person and I'm excited for it! Have a great week, ladies and gents and God bless.
