Chapter Eleven
The Stanton residence was bustling with activity. While police officers, FBI agents, and forensics were going in and out of the house, a crowd of onlookers had gathered near the gated entrance. Even several news reporters were camped out front, hoping to get a glimpse as to what was going on. An ambulance sat off to the side of the house where Charlie comforted his sister who was still sobbing from the ordeal. The coroner's van was nearby as well, it's back doors open and waiting to transport the bodies to the county medical examiner. Charlie turned his head toward the door just as two gurneys with black body bags were being wheeled out. He covered Whitney's face from the scene and bowed his own head. Guilt was written all over his face and his eyes began to water.
The Hardy brothers and Vanessa stood nearby, watching the gurneys come out. They had already given their statements to the police and were just waiting to figure out what to do next. Frank glared at the black bags, his anger rising and his fists clenched at his sides. He needed to get out of there and find Jasper…to find Nancy. "Give me the keys, Joe," Frank suddenly demanded holding out his hand.
"Why?" he asked startled by his brother's abrasiveness.
"I need to get out of here…now."
"No," Joe shook his head. "I'm not going to let you do something stupid like going off on your own."
"Joe, give. Me. The. Keys."
"I said 'no,' Frank," he repeated holding his head high. Frank stepped forward, his face fuming even more than before but Joe didn't seem fazed. "Look, we don't know what else this guy is capable of doing. To go off on your own would be suicide. Look at what he did to the Stantons! Do you think you would stand a chance against this guy alone?"
"I know that!" Frank snapped. "But I want to find this guy before he hurts someone else!"
"Then think about Nancy! What would she do in this situation?"
"She'd be out there trying to find him and she sure as hell wouldn't let any of us down!"
"Do you think that's what's happening here? That you let her down?"
"No," Frank growled in frustration. He ran his fingers through his hair. Several officers took an interest in their conversation though none of them intervened just yet. Vanessa looked on wide-eyed afraid to say anything. "What the hell, Joe? Just give me the damn keys!"
"No!" Joe cried standing his ground. "I get it that you're worried about her. You of all people should know that I'm on your side with this!" He sighed and looked away briefly. "You're going down the path that I went down when Iola died. Don't go there, Frank. It isn't who you are. You were the one who pulled me back to reality and it took months! I don't want you to go through that. Look, we don't even know if Nancy is dead. If you got yourself killed before you found out for sure and she's alive, it would devastate her. You know that! I'm trying to help you, Frank. Just please, don't do this."
Frank blinked in surprise. He wanted to go. He needed to go but Joe was begging him to stay. Closing his eyes, Frank tried to get the images out of his head. The images of Mr. and Mrs. Stanton, their eyes dead to the world; of Nancy and how she looked dead in the photo. He couldn't bear not knowing what happened to her. That's why he needed to leave. He needed to find her, to make sure she was okay. Frank was determined even if it meant he did it alone.
Rolling his eyes, Frank began to walk away and was nearly to the end of the driveway when a car pulled up, stopping just inside the gate. His father got out before the vehicle even stopped and rushed over to a startled looking Frank. He had stopped in his tracks, surprised to see Fenton.
"Dad!" cried Joe, pushing past Frank. "How did you know we were here?"
"I called your mother and she told me," Fenton explained. "Plus I was with Chief Durham when dispatch notified him about the Stantons and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I tried calling the two of you but no one answered. What have you two been doing?"
"They've been arguing over the keys to the car for the past fifteen minutes, Mr. Hardy," Vanessa interjected, coming up beside Joe.
"What? Why?"
"Because Frank wants to go find the killer on his own," Joe spat glaring at his brother.
"You could have come with me, Joe!" Frank growled.
"That's not what it sounded like, Frank!" he cried folding his arms in front of him.
"I…I just need to get away from this place!"
"Okay, that's enough," Fenton stepped between them. He looked around at the officers and emergency personnel milling around them. Durham was talking to an officer not far from them but Fenton could tell he was listening in. Sighing, he pulled his sons away from the crowd and out of earshot. "What the hell are you thinking, Frank? I asked Joe to not do anything without you and you want to go off on your own to find a killer? What have I taught you?"
"I know, Dad," Frank said, his lip quivering slightly. He was trying to keep his emotions in. "You didn't see what that monster did to the Stantons! And the photo of Nancy! She looked dead! What if she is? I wanted to find the killer because he knows where she is!"
"Frank, she's alive."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I saw her earlier," Fenton replied firmly. "If you had answered your phone, I probably would have told you. I know I didn't call you earlier and I'm regretting it. I didn't call Carson either and I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it but we had little time left. I neglected to let anyone know about Nancy because of the need to find Candace. Nancy was found this morning outside of town. I put two and two together and we found Candace not far from where the accident happened."
"Accident? Wait...she…she's alive? She's okay?"
"I don't know, Frank. I only got a little bit of information about what happened just before I left to go find Candace. The last time I saw Nancy she was in recovery after surgery."
"Surgery?" Joe asked. His heart pounded at the thought of his friend hurt. "What happened?"
"Hit and run," Fenton shook his head. "They believe it was Jasper Wilkes, or whoever he really is. The photo that was sent to Carson was probably sent to make you and Carson feel hopeless that she was lost. I guess the killer didn't count on Jax being at the same hospital or we might not have figured it out so quickly. Sam met the man who found her and got the whole story from there." He took a deep breath and looked at his sons. "The surgery itself was to repair her leg. Nancy is going to need all the support she can get once this is over. I think you all should get in the car and go over to the hospital now. I don't want you dealing with this anymore. The feds are more than likely going to take over from here anyway. Besides, you'll be able to find out more information on Nancy when you get there."
"What about Jasper Wilkes?" Frank asked anxious to get to Nancy but still wanting to catch the guy.
"You leave him to the authorities," his father ordered. "I'm staying here as long as they want me here. We're going to catch this bastard before he does any more damage."
Frank nodded then headed over to the car. Vanessa soon followed as Fenton walked with Joe. When he spoke, he kept his voice low. "Keep an eye on your brother. Make sure he doesn't go off on his own. That goes for you too."
"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Joe smirked.
"That's my boy," his father smiled, patting his cheek. "Be careful. Let me know if there are any new developments."
"Same to you, Dad," he nodded.
As Joe got in the car and started the engine, Durham came up behind Fenton to watch the car pull away.
"Think he'll follow directions?" he asked.
"Who? Frank? Yeah, he will. I'll let Sam know they're on their way just in case. Joe's more of a hothead than Frank but when Frank is quiet, he can be dangerous. I know Joe will do his best to keep his brother from doing something stupid." Fenton sighed and looked around at the officers lingering about. "How are Charlie and Whitney doing?"
Durham rubbed the back of his neck. "Charlie is more than likely going to be fine though the guilt might hurt him for a while. In his statement he said he had a fight with his parents just before he left to go out to the Hawkley residence to help you out. As for Whitney, she was incredibly close to her father and to see him like that broke her. She was the one who found them in the kitchen. Frank was with her while Charlie, Joe, and Vanessa were upstairs searching the guest room."
"That poor girl," he shook his head. Although Whitney wasn't the most pleasant person to be around, Fenton wouldn't wish it on anyone to find the bodies of their murdered parents. "Did Joe and Vanessa find anything in the guest room?"
"There wasn't much to find, Fenton," the Chief shrugged. "Jasper Wilkes cleaned it out but forensics is up there searching it with a fine-toothed comb. If anything was left behind, they'll find it. I just got word that the FBI is going to officially be taking over though they still want to coordinate with us. The more men and women we have out there searching for Jasper the better. Within the hour, I'm going to have every news crew and website plastering that bastard's face all over the TV and internet. We'll catch him."
"Charlie found out though that he's not really Jasper Wilkes," Fenton stated. "The real Jasper Wilkes disappeared several years ago. They believe he's dead. I think we should concentrate on if Wilkes is connected to our killer then maybe we might get a better description of him."
"That's a good start," Durham nodded. "I'll pass the information on to the FBI. Maybe they'll have someone who can look into it since Charlie is more than likely going to be with Whitney for a while. That is unless you know of someone else who could find the information quickly."
"I do," he nodded, "but I don't want him or Charlie back on this case after what just happened. If this killer gets away again, it's going to be hanging over our heads until he's found. I don't want that especially since we're still trying to find Martin Davenport."
"Is he really still out there, Fenton?" the man asked. "I mean, it's been how long since he was last seen and he hasn't made a move on any of you since his escape."
"I know," Fenton sighed. "It's been stuck in my head for a while now. The boys seem to have put Davenport on the back burner, especially since Melody and Hunter are still in jail but Melody is set to be released in a year or two. I don't want the boys or Nancy worrying about the Davenports just yet."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"It's going to have to be for now," he shrugged. "They're living their lives right now and I don't want them to live with that fear of someone hovering over them like Davenport is. Nancy is more than likely going to be in physical therapy for a while and the boys will need to be around her as much as possible. It would be a perfect time for Davenport to strike when we're at our most vulnerable moment. At least Carson and I have been discussing a strategy just in case something does come up again but I have a feeling we won't know Davenport is back until it's too late."
"I hope for your sake you're wrong about that, Fenton. As for now though, I think we need to find out who Jasper Wilkes really is and put him away for good."
Parker sat next to Candace as she rested, his hand resting on hers. When he arrived moments earlier, he found her sleeping and was just waiting for her to wake up. They were still in the emergency room waiting to be admitted but he was just thankful she was alive though his emotions were running strong. He smiled thinking about the moment the doctor told him Candace was pregnant. It was one of the greatest moments in his life besides asking her to marry him. They were going to be parents and that child would be loved more than anything in the world. Parker closed his eyes and said a prayer for his growing family. He also said one for his friends.
Although he hasn't seen her yet, Parker knew Nancy was in the hospital as well. All he knew was that she was recovering from surgery. He said another prayer for Nancy before opening his eyes. Candace stared at him, her eyes tired.
"Hey," Parker whispered bringing her hand to his lips.
"Parker!" she smiled. "Oh, I so happy to see you!"
"Me too," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay but better now that you're here," she answered softly. Candace bit her lip, her eyes watering. "I…I'm scared."
"It's okay," he said taking her in a hug. He felt her sobbing as he stroked her back. He wanted to take the pain and the fear away but he was fearful too. Fearful of losing her again. "We're going to get through this."
"I…I know but is…is he still out there?"
Parker sighed realizing she wasn't talking about their child. She was talking about the man who kidnapped and nearly killed her. He sat back and looked into her eyes with sincerity. "They're going to find him, Candace, and he will not hurt you again. He's not going to hurt anyone again. I promise."
Candace sniffled and nodded.
"Now, lay back and get some rest." Parker leaned over and kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes again. When he stood she was looking at him once more.
"Is Nancy okay?" she asked. "No one told me what was going on only that she was here."
"She's fine, Candace," he lied, patting her hand. "Just worry about yourself and you'll see her soon. I'm going to go find the doctor to see when you'll be taken upstairs. I'll only be gone a few minutes."
"Don't leave," she pleaded, taking his hand and pulling him toward her. "I…I don't want to be alone."
"I'll be right outside," Parker said gently. "I'm not going far and you'll be able to see from here. There's people around all the time. Don't worry."
"Okay," Candace said in a small voice, letting go of his hand. "I love you, Parker."
Parker smiled and went back to her. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you too, Candy."
As he left Candace's small room, Parker went over to the nurses' station that was just outside the room and looked at the doctor standing nearby.
"Yes, Mr. Hawkley?" the doctor said when he noticed him. "What can I do for you?"
"Two things: I was wondering when Candace was going to be admitted," Parker started looking over his shoulder towards the room. "I'd like for her to be as comfortable as possible plus it might be a little bit safer for her to be upstairs in a more private area."
"I'm sorry it has taken so long, Mr. Hawkley," he said professionally. "We just got word that her room is ready. We'll be taking her up in a few minutes. What was the second thing?"
"Yes," the young man nodded. He stepped a little bit closer, eyeing the open door to Candace's room. "I need to know how another patient is doing. Nancy Drew. I was told that she was brought in earlier today."
"The name doesn't ring a bell," the doctor looked confused.
"They said she was brought in earlier," Parker stated. "A hit-and-run, I believe it was."
"Oh, yes! That's right! She came in with no name. I'm glad to hear that we know who she is."
"Can you tell me how she's doing?"
"Oh, I can do that," piped up a nurse from behind the desk. Parker turned back to the doctor and thanked him before leaning over to hear about Nancy. "It says that she's in ICU in stable condition. There's nothing else I can tell you though, sir. You'd have to go upstairs and speak with her doctor to find out more."
"That's fine, thank you." Parker turned and walked right into someone else. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know…Mr. Hardy?"
Fenton Hardy's eyes went wide with alarm for a brief moment when he saw Parker then he gained his composure. "Why, Parker. I…I forgot you would be down here."
Parker's intuition was going nuts. Something seemed off about the man standing before him. He looked different, slightly shorter even but Parker went on like nothing was different. "I'm down here with Candace. We're just waiting to be admitted. I thought you went with Chief Durham earlier to go get Frank and Joe. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, yes," the man nodded. Even his voice cracked. "I just came here to make sure Candace and Nancy were okay and then I was going to head out."
"Oh, okay," the young man said giving him an odd look. "I told you about Candace but I know nothing about Nancy. Thank you so much for finding my fiancé, Mr. Hardy. I owe you a debt of gratitude."
"It's not a problem, Parker," he smiled though it didn't reach his eyes. He looked around to see Candace watching them closely. "I…I have to be going. I want to go check up on Nancy. Everything okay with Candace? Good."
The man walked away before Parker could say anything more. He thought again about how Fenton looked. He was carrying a bag and his clothes seemed to be differen from earlier that day. It left Parker very confused.
"Hey, Parker!" a voice called out interrupting Parker's thoughts. He turned to see Joe and Vanessa strolling towards him. Frank was coming up behind them, his face determined. They all stopped the moment they saw the confused look on Parker's face.
"What happened?" Frank asked his eyes alert.
"I didn't think I'd be seeing you already, that's all," he said. "Your dad just came through here saying that he hadn't gone to see you yet."
"Excuse me?" The brothers exchanged alarmed looks. Frank turned back to Parker. "You just spoke to Dad? In person."
"Uh, yeah," Parker shook his head. "He was just here. He said he was checking up on everyone."
"Where'd he go?" Joe asked. Frank looked like he was about to run.
"Toward the elevator bank," the young man pointed down the hall though it was now empty. "He was acting weird too. He said he was going to go check on Nancy."
Frank immediately took off with Joe following behind leaving a very confused Parker. He looked at Vanessa whose face was pale.
"What just happened?"
"We just left Mr. Hardy at the Stanton's," she stated. "He told us to come here."
"Oh, dear God." Parker looked back down the hall where the Hardy brothers were no longer visible. If the guy wasn't Fenton Hardy then who the hell was he?
Author's Note:
I am so sorry that this one took so long to get out. It's been a weird week. The school I work in was suddenly closed Wednesday afternoon for Thursday and Friday (deep cleaning) and I had to deal with everything at home. The weekend flew by (as usual) and my brain has not been working correctly due to everything going on. Plus I had a family function Sunday afternoon so that took writing time away as well. I was hoping to get this out yesterday but again, school (with no kids), home life, and a little one who likes to get up before six got in the way. So, here I am! And yes, my little one is up yet again before six. Good thing there's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Lol. I'm hoping that I can get the next chapter out later this week since I have several days off of school including Monday for the first day of hunting season. Who knows what I'll get out during that time! If you're looking for some binge worthy shows to watch over the holiday break (or movies in general), may I suggest The Mandalorian on Disney+, The Crown, The Princess Switch or pretty much any holiday movie on Netflix, and The Masked Singer on Hulu/Fox. All are worth the watch! I would say Hallmark holiday movies as well but I don't have cable but those are good too!Anyway, thank you so much for the continued support in reading and leaving reviews for the chapters! I love hearing what you think about the story! It makes my heart soar when I read them! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. It might not be the greatest year we've had but there are always things to be thankful for. God bless!
