Chapter One
"Where is this supposed to fit in?" cried Frank Hardy holding up a piece of white wood. His wife Nancy giggled from across the room as he continued to get more frustrated at his project.
"Did you read the instructions, Frank?" she asked innocently. He gave her an annoyed look.
"Of course I did!" he replied. Nancy could clearly see the instructions were sitting next to him, the cover glaring up as if it were never opened. "I just don't get where it goes, that's all."
Nancy laughed once more and felt a kick in her belly. It seemed like the baby enjoyed the joke too. She smiled as she placed her hand on her swollen belly when another kick came. Frank watched her, dropping the piece on the floor and walking over to her where she sat cross-legged on a soft rocker.
The couple was in Nancy's old room, the old furniture and boxes moved out and the walls painted a light blue color, the same color as the sky. White clouds dotted the walls giving it an air of innocence. Parts and pieces of baby furniture lay scattered around the floor, evidence that Frank was struggling with his task of putting them together.
Forgetting about his frustrations, Frank tenderly placed his hand on her belly and laughed when he felt a hard kick. "Woah!" he cried with a smile. "He's got some punch!"
"Now you know it could be a girl, Frank." Nancy looked at him smartly. "Just because our first was a boy doesn't mean this one is too."
"Yeah, but we know it's a boy, Nan," he replied sweetly. "You know, the whole Hardy curse of only boys."
"I know but here's hoping that it's a girl," she smiled. Nancy leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Frank took her hands to help her up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling Nancy as close as he could to him.
It had been four months since their wedding and their two-week honeymoon on a private island. They were still in bliss from their wedding but also excited with the prospect of their child coming into the world. Once Nancy got past her first trimester, the doctor was pretty sure she would go full-term but warned her to take it easy until the baby came. No more cases or stress for her and Frank was pretty adamant about it as well, taking his own leave of absence from mysteries. The two were enjoying their semi-retirement by preparing the baby's room in neutral colors and designs.
The crib was what Frank was putting together or at least attempting to. It was a gift from David Wainwright after the man missed their wedding due to an emergency. Nancy looked down at the piece of wood Frank had discarded then back up to him with a smirk.
"You know what it's for, don't you?" he asked.
"Oh, I think I have a pretty good feeling as to what it's for," she said proudly.
"And are you going to tell me?"
"Maybe I'll just let you sweat it out for a little while."
"Oh, really?" Frank arched an eyebrow, giving her a mischievous grin.
"Don't look at me like that," Nancy laughed nervously. "It's creepy."
She started toward the door but before she was able to get there, Frank grabbed her from behind, his hands gently resting on her belly. Nancy giggled as he kissed the nape of her neck.
"Please tell me what it's for," he whispered seductively.
Nancy closed her eyes, smiling then turned around to kiss him again. When she pulled away, a playful grin was on her face. She nuzzled her nose with his then said "No" before rushing out of the room.
Frank chased after her as she ran across the hall to their bedroom. Nancy squealed in delight when she saw him behind her. It was a good thing Hannah was no longer living in the house or they would have been yelled at for sure for the commotion.
Soon after arriving home from their honeymoon, Hannah told them she was going to retire but still help out around the house until the baby was born. She had been thinking about it for quite a while and finally bought herself a small rancher not far from their home. Hannah would come by a few times a week to cook for them or tidy up but she did it out of love, not a paycheck. She also wanted to give the newlyweds a little bit of privacy so they could learn to be with each other alone. Something that both of them were grateful for.
As Frank caught up to Nancy, he whipped her around to face him, his brown eyes staring deep into her blue ones. She laughed as he began kissing her neck but their time alone was cut short by a cry from downstairs.
"Nancy!" Bess cried excitedly. "Frank!"
Frank groaned and rolled his eyes. "Is there ever a time that it will be just the two of us?"
"Yeah," Nancy laughed, hitting his arm, "in about 18 to 20 years depending on how many kids we decide to have."
"I think I'm with Joe with his idea," he laughed. "18 and they're out of the house!"
Nancy laughed as she walked out of the room and leaned over the banister to see Bess grinning broadly up at her from the foyer. Marshall stood behind her, a grin on his face though he seemed a little off.
"Hey, Bess," Nancy called wondering why the couple looked so happy. "What brings you here?"
"Uninvited too," Frank mumbled. Nancy smacked him in the arm and he cried out, feigning pain.
"I heard that, Frank!" Bess cried up though she was still smiling. "I just thought you might like to know that your wife's best friend is having a baby! I'm pregnant!"
"Eek!" cried Nancy. Frank rolled his eyes as he watched his wife rush down the stairs as quickly and cautiously as she could, reaching her friend in record time for a pregnant woman. The two friends hugged each other as Frank heartily congratulated Marshall who still looked more nervous than excited.
"Oh, my gosh, Bess!" Nancy cried once the two broke apart. "I am so excited for you! How far along are you?"
"Nine weeks!" Bess squealed. "I found out two days ago and Marshall and I were just at the OBGYN's office. OMG, Nancy, to hear that heartbeat was pure heaven!"
"I know, right?" she smiled broadly.
"Oh, now we can raise our kids together!" her friend replied enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. "This is going to be so much fun! OMG! What we both have girls! They are going to be best friends just like us! Ooo, I am so excited!"
"I can see that," Nancy laughed. She remembered that Bess kept wondering when she was going to have a baby just a few weeks ago and now it was finally coming true for the bubbly young woman after almost a year of trying. "When are you due?"
"October!" Bess cried her smile never faltering. "This is just… oh, my gosh, I have no words!"
"How are you, Marshall?" Nancy asked, turning to Bess' husband. He and Frank were talking off to the side and the man turned his attention to the women. Bess beamed at him as she wound herself into his arms.
"Oh, yeah, I'm good, Nancy," he said nervously. "Just a little…"
"Nervous?" Frank laughed, clapping his hand on the man's back. "You'll be fine, Marshall. Trust me."
Bess cried out suddenly startling the others as she looked at her watch. "Oh!" she cried rushing to the front door. "We've got to go! We have reservations with George, Dean, and my parents at 6! They don't know yet so don't tell!"
"We won't," Nancy laughed, feeling honored that she was the first Bess told. She walked to the door with Frank and waved to Bess and Marshall as they pulled away from the driveway.
It was early March, the seasons just starting to change though a brisk wind still blew. Nancy shivered, wrapping her arms around her body. She looked across the street, noticing an unfamiliar car sitting at the curb. Her eyes narrowed, honing in on the suspicious, her detective instincts still working and kicking into high gear. The moment the driver's door opened and the man stepped out, Nancy's expression changed to that of elation.
"David!" she cried excitedly. Her day was getting better and better with David Wainwright's unexpected arrival. He grinned broadly as he walked across the street toward them, taking in the sight of his goddaughter and her husband.
"You look radiant, Nancy!" David replied happily as he hugged her. He kissed her cheek then turned to Frank with a smile and shook the younger man's hand. "Good to see you, Frank."
"You too," he grinned. Frank looked up and down the street, wondering if there was anyone else who wanted to pay them a visit. "What brings you by? We haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah, I apologize for that," the man said his expression turning dark. He looked over his shoulder as if someone were stalking him but only Frank seemed to notice the shift. "Something was brought to my attention that I needed to deal with. I'm so sorry I had to miss the wedding. Did you enjoy the island?"
"Oh, my gosh!" Nancy cried. "It was…"
"Amazing!" Frank said, finishing her sentence. The two beamed happily at each other. "Thank you so much! How can we ever repay you?"
"Don't worry about it," David said waving his hand dismissively. "That was my gift to you. The island too."
"Huh?" Nancy replied looking shocked.
"Excuse me?" Frank said at the same time, his face registering surprise.
"The island," the older man repeated with a smile. "It's yours. I bought it years ago and no one really knows I own it. It's a good place to hide if need be."
"Why would we need a place to hide?" Frank asked confused. He exchanged a dark look with Nancy who was just as bewildered as him.
"Never mind," David shook his head. "I'm just saying if ever you want to get away again, it's yours. No questions asked. There are places in that house that even I can't remember are there but it's still a good place to go to if need be."
Nancy eyed him closely. She knew he was lying and felt something was bothering her godfather but wasn't sure what. "Will you stay for dinner?" she asked hoping the man accepted so she could get some answers out of him.
"Sadly, I can't," he stated regretfully. "I have a meeting to attend in Chicago but I wanted to come here to see you two and make sure you were doing good which I see that you are."
"Oh," she said her face suddenly going slack. She shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, maybe next time. Thank you for the honeymoon and also for the crib."
"I'm glad you like them." David walked toward his car but turned before crossing the street. "Be careful," he said vaguely. He stared at them intently. "Both of you."
Nancy and Frank exchanged glances again before turning back to David. "Um, we will," Frank replied strangely. The couple waved as the sedan pulled away then went back inside.
"What was that all about?" he asked once the door was closed. Frank locked the door before automatically setting the alarm. "I like David but that was just strange, even for him."
"Yeah, I have no idea what's going on," Nancy said thoughtfully. She was concerned for her godfather and as she thought more about the encounter, Nancy protectively rubbed her pregnant belly. "We still don't know what happened to Janice Blake. I hope that's not what he meant."
"I don't think David knows anything about Janice Blake," Frank replied.
"No, I don't think so either," she said thoughtfully. Nancy bit her lip. "He never mentioned knowing her other than the articles he read. I'm sure he's just worried that something else might happen to us. I guess it wouldn't hurt keeping an eye on things going on around us though."
"Why do you think I set the alarm?" Frank said darkly. He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a tender kiss. "At least we won't have any cases again until after the baby arrives."
"About that…"
"Don't start, Nan," he warned. "We agreed."
"I know but…"
"No," Frank said sternly, shaking his head. From the look on his face, Nancy knew the conversation was over.
The doctor told them she was a high-risk of early-term labor or other problems after the loss of their first child and she had followed the orders to a tee. They agreed to take the time off then they would return to their business after the doctor cleared Nancy to work again. But what she wanted to say wasn't about getting another case. She wanted to leave investigating altogether but she wasn't sure how she was going to tell Frank.
"Now, about that piece," he said bringing her out of her thoughts. She grinned mischievously at him before running out of the room again. All thoughts of Bess' exciting news and David's mysterious visit seemed to disappear as Frank chased her up the stairs and into their bedroom once more.
"Do we have any information yet?" the man asked Adam.
Adam Stevens was in the lobby of the Radisson in downtown Chicago, his phone pressed to his ear. He called his contact the moment David Wainwright disappeared. "No, we don't," he replied.
"It's been weeks, Stevens!" cried the man causing Adam to pull the phone away from his ear. "What have we to show for it? Nothing! Why haven't we found this woman yet?"
"Wainwright has been cautious for weeks, you know that," Adam seethed. He hated being yelled at by someone who was only using him to gain power within the organization. "He knows we're searching for her so he hasn't visited her in weeks."
"That's because you were stupid enough to play your hand to early, you dolt!"
"My tactics are on point," he replied angrily. "You hired me to destroy David Wainwright and I plan on doing that but I am not someone you want to mess with by calling me names. You know what I do."
"I know," the man said quickly slightly nervous. "I don't really want to be on the receiving end of it either but I want results! This company should be mine! If you don't, I'll find someone who will."
"I've narrowed it down," Adam replied unfazed by the threat. "Wainwright ditched his security detail earlier today and hasn't been seen since. The woman is near Chicago, maybe in one of the outlying towns or boroughs. She has to be here. He screwed up. He just doesn't know it yet."
"Good," the man replied. "Do we need to send anyone to search the towns?"
"That would probably be a good idea," he nodded. "I'll investigate the different towns and see which ones would be closer to Chicago then we'll go from there once we've narrowed it down. He's only been gone for three hours and he's walking back into the hotel now. She's close. I can feel it."
He watched as David Wainwright walked through the front doors of the hotel. David didn't seem to notice Adam sitting on a couch as he walked by. Adam had made it a point to not look like his normal self, dressing in jeans and a button down shirt. His hair was cut into a different style, the greasy, slicked-back look discarded. He wanted to blend in and he succeeded. Even if it took a while to search, Adam Stevens was going to find her and bring David Wainwright to his knees.
Author's Note:
Thanks so much for reading the Prologue and a special thanks to those who wrote a review! I'm so grateful for the support! I start my new job next week so I'm not sure as to when the next update will be but I hope to keep up with it as best I can. I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter and if you'd like, leave a review. No worries if you don't. Until next time, have a great weekend and God bless!