Chapter 9

It was a few minutes after three when Nancy arrived at the Maui Bar and Lounge. She scanned the elegant interior and spied an older woman seated at a table near the windows.

Nancy approached the table and asked, "Mrs. Mansville?"

"Yes." The slender woman extended a manicured hand which Nancy gently shook.

"I'm Nancy Drew. Thanks so much for agreeing to meet me."

"No trouble at all. Please, have a seat."

Nancy obediently sat. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time, Mrs. Mansville."

The older woman waved the suggestion away. "Oh, please. I have plenty of time, especially for my dear friend, Lance. I want to see this .. this situation cleared up as soon as possible and anything I can do to help, I want to do it. And please, call me Kate. No need to stand on formalities. Between you and me, I hate formalities."

Nancy smiled. Kate Mansville appeared to be fun loving and practical. Just the type of person Nancy liked.

A waiter, holding a tray, materialized beside the table. He placed two items on the table: a plate of fresh fruit, bread, and cheeses, and a bowl of steaming, melted chocolate.

"I took the liberty," Kate said with a mischievous grin. "I ordered us a little snack. And please, have whatever you like to drink, the treat's on me."

Nancy started to protest, but Kate would have none of it. "I insist, it's the least I can do for Lance."

"In that case, thank you very much." Nancy certainly did not want to offend Mrs. Mansville. After all, the woman had agreed to meet her on short notice.

"I'd like a water, please," Nancy told the waiter.

"May I also suggest strawberry daiquiris for the lovely ladies?" he said.

Kate beamed enthusiastically. "That sounds marvelous. Shall we?" she asked Nancy.

Nancy felt she could hardly say no. "Yes, that sounds wonderful." One little drink wouldn't hurt.

The waiter departed with the order.

Kate skewered a large strawberry with a long toothpick and dipped it in the warm chocolate. "Oh my, this is heavenly. The fruit here is so fresh and delicious."

Nancy stabbed a piece of fruit and studied Mrs. Mansville. Light brown eyes twinkled beneath lightly tanned skin. Pale-blonde hair was parted on the side and swept across a still pretty face. Fine lines around Kate's eyes and mouth attested to the fact she was around sixty years old. However, she was trim and fit and still very attractive.

Nancy reached for her handbag and withdrew her trusty notepad and pen. "I hope you don't mind if I take notes while we talk."

"Not at all." Kate leaned closer to Nancy. "I don't mean to sound harsh, or insensitive, but this is rather exciting." Kate instantly shook her head and chided herself, "That does sound insensitive, doesn't it? But I honestly didn't mean it that way."

"I know what you meant," Nancy reassured her. "It's exciting to be part of an investigation. I'm certainly guilty of that."

"Yes, I suppose you are, being a detective and all. You look very young, dear. If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been a detective?"

Nancy quickly added the numbers in her head. Even she was surprised by her answer. "Eight years. I started when I was fifteen."

Nancy saw the surprise on Kate's face as well as admiration.

The waiter returned with glasses of water and two frosty, pink drinks. "Enjoy ladies. If you need anything else, please, don't hesitate to ask."

Kate lifted her long stemmed glass. "I propose a toast, Nancyh. Here's to your investigation, may you find the truth."

The glasses clinked together and the women took small sips of the frozen mixture.

"That's pure silky goodness," Kate said with a broad smile.

Nancy was quickly developing a fondness for the irrepressible Kate Mansville. She could easily imagine the older woman as the life of any party, her natural charm and friendliness would put anyone at ease.

As they ate and drank, Nancy asked questions. However, she soon found it difficult to keep the energetic Kate on topic. Ever the social butterfly and salesman, Kate frequently lapsed into details about her business ventures. She had an instinctive need to promote her fashion line. Nancy found herself asking the same questions over and over. It would be so much easier if Kate stuck to the topic at hand, namely Gwen.

At last, Kate sat down her empty daiquiri glass and said, "Oh dear, I don't seem to be very helpful. I'm telling you more about myself than Gwen. What was your question again?"

Before Nancy could repeat it, Kate went on, "You know, when we first heard about Gwen we, the wives, thought she'd had a terrible accident. Maybe a fall or something. But then Lance said she'd been shot. That .. well, that changed things. I mean, that's murder. It is murder, isn't it?" Kate fixed an intense gaze upon Nancy and waited for confirmation.

Nancy nodded. "Yes, Gwen was murdered."

"Is there some crazed maniac in this hotel who's out to kill people? People in the fashion industry?"

Nancy was cautious in her answer. "I don't have many details yet. It's still early in the investigation. I have a theory about the murder though."

"You do?" Kate Mansville was clearly happy to hear this.

"Yes."

"My, but you do work fast."

"Actually, there are three of us working the case and we've already unearthed some clues. From what I've discovered, I'd say that Gwen was the only target. I don't think there will be other murders."

"You can't possibly be sure of that." Kate's wary frown said she seriously doubted Nancy's theory.

"You're right, I can't be one hundred percent certain and therefore, I strongly advise you and everyone to be extremely cautious. The killer could still be in the hotel."

Kate was aghast. "That's a scary thought. How in heaven's name do you hope to find him, or her?"

Nancy smiled. Finally, Kate had hit upon the most important question.

"By getting to know Gwen," Nancy said. "I'm convinced she's the key to the whole puzzle. That's why, anything, and I mean anything you can tell me about Gwen, especially her past may help us find her killer."

# # # #

The Hardy brothers surfaced and swam to shore. Joe climbed ashore first, pushed up his goggles, and made his way over the rough volcanic rock and onto the sand. He laid the magnetometer on the beach before shrugging off his air tank. He was exhausted and breathing heavily.

A frustrated Frank joined him and tossed his bag of markers and goggles on the sand.

Joe wiped his face with a hand. "We have to look at this from a different angle, Frank. We're not getting anywhere the way we're going."

Frank deposited his air tank on the sand. "Got any ideas?"

Joe thought for a moment. "Yeah, maybe. Maybe we should follow basic investigative procedure and reenact the crime."

A perplexed frown furrowed Frank's brow. He was too tired to think clearly.

"Tell me where the guy was standing when you and Nancy saw him throw the weapon in the ocean."

Frank looked around the beach then walked to a spot and stopped. "Here. I think."

"You think?" Joe scoffed. "You're the guy who always wants to be exact and precise. How can you not know for sure? This is unbelievable." Joe paced the sand a few seconds and then said, "Where the heck were you and Nancy hiding when you saw the guy?"

Frank felt a ripple of irritation. Joe was right. Frank was usually precise and accurate. He prided himself on those traits. Now, he felt he had failed his brother and the investigation.

"Well, where?" Joe demanded.

Frank turned and pointed at the metal staircase. "There behind the stairs and the shrubs."

Joe walked toward the staircase. Frank trailed behind him.

Joe stepped behind the staircase and the shrubs. "Looks like you were well hidden here."

"We were. Here's where we crouched." Frank squatted behind the staircase just as he and Nancy had. "We were here and watched through the railing and branches."

Joe lowered himself next to his brother and peered through the railing. "You guys had a perfect view."

"We did. Hey, how 'bout you go stand in that spot where I said the man was. I'll see if it looks like the right spot from here."

Joe patted his brother's shoulder. "Great idea. Now we're getting somewhere. We'll find the exact spot he tossed that weapon from."

Fifteen minutes later the brothers had a spot marked with two sand filled water bottles and six pieces of driftwood. Frank had been able to determine, with some degree of accuracy, that the man and Joe were approximately the same height – six feet tall.

Joe stood at the spot where the man had stood.

"Okay," Frank said, "now that we're pretty close to the spot I'll get in the water and you toss in the driftwood. I'll place markers in the areas where they sink. Hopefully, this'll give us a better search area for the murder weapon."

The pieces of driftwood had been carefully selected based on weight, size, and shape. Of course, they were no match for an real gun, but the brothers hoped they would give them a more accurate idea of where the weapon sank in the ocean.

Thirty minutes later, both brothers were back in the ocean swimming amid pristine coral and lava formations. A renewed sense of determination fueled their search efforts. Joe's throws had shown them that the weapon probably had not traveled as far as they'd originally surmised.

# # # #

Nancy ended her interview with Kate Mansville and thanked her again for the snack, drink, and information.

"I promise you, Nancy, if I think of anything I'll call you immediately."

"Thank you," Nancy replied on auto-pilot. She was feeling a little woozy from the combined effects of the daiquiri, a late night, and a long day. She longed to collapse in her room. Sadly, she wasn't sure if she'd learned anything useful from Kate Mansville.

"I'll tell the other wives that you'll be contacting them."

"I'd appreciate that."

Kate Mansville headed in one direction and Nancy in another.

It seemed to take forever for Nancy to get to her room. At last, she opened the door. The bed beckoned. Nancy dropped her handbag on the carpet, kicked off her sandals, and collapsed on the bed. Just a few minutes of rest. That's all she needed.

But her mind couldn't rest. It replayed Kate Mansville's words.

"No one knew Gwen very well. I only met her a handful of times. Lance and Gwen had only been married five years. This was the first Airedale fashion show Gwen ever attended. Which was very strange. I'd heard she was – excuse me, had been – in the fashion industry. I believe she was supposed to have been a fashion designer. Wait, I remember now, Lance introduced her at their first Christmas party as a fashion designer. I'm sure of it. I met Gwen at that party and maybe one other time.

"One thing I did notice was Gwen's reliance on Lance. She never strayed too far from his side. I took that to be a young wife determined to keep her rich husband's attention squarely on her. Catty of me, wasn't it?

"I can't remember Gwen ever socializing with the other wives or employees. As I said, none of us in the wives' club knew Gwen very well. Looking back, I'd say she remained well hidden."

She remained well hidden. The words floated in Nancy's mind. Hidden. Was it by choice? A need, or a desire, to be hidden? Was she hiding from something … or someone? The questions swirled in Nancy's mind as she drifted off to sleep.

# # # #

The sunlight was fading. The shafts of light penetrating the turquoise water had dimmed. Joe and Frank had less light for their search. The brothers switched on the lights attached to their goggles. Frank dug through a pocket on his BC jacket and withdrew a small flashlight. Suddenly, he saw Joe pointing excitedly. Frank followed the direction of Joe's stabbing motion and spotted what had his younger brother so excited – a green sea turtle.

The dark brown creature glided gracefully through the calm waters. Its long, front flippers cut through the water and propelled it forward. It was about four feet long and had a light, greenish-yellow underbelly. Frank judged the turtle to be an adult.

The brothers swam closer for a better view, but maintained a respectful distance. Green sea turtles were an endangered species, protected by both federal and state laws. These magnificent animals preferred shallow waters near lava rocks and sandy beaches. They liked to crawl ashore and bask in the sun much the same way humans did. However, unlike humans, they sometimes buried themselves in the sand for warmth.

This turtle swam along, in no particular hurry, looking for its favorite food – sea grass – which was plentiful in the shallow waters. The turtle seemed quite comfortable with the brothers' hovering nearby. Perhaps, they were not the first humans it had encountered.

Frank, in one of his many internet searches, had read up on green sea turtles and learned that they could hold their breath for an astonishing five hours. Quite an amazing feat he thought as he followed the dark-brown turtle. Joe followed slowly behind moving the magnetometer over a large brain coral. Next, he swept the machine across the sandy ocean bottom then up and over some swaying sea grass.

A small school of palm-sized yellow fish floated beneath a volcanic ledge. When they spotted the turtle they darted toward it and surrounded it. They began pecking at the turtle's shell. Perhaps, they'd been waiting for just this opportunity – a passing sea turtle. At first, Frank thought the fish were attacking the turtle, but quickly realized they were eating the dark green algae growing on its shell. The bright yellow fish, in essence, were helping the turtle by cleaning its shell.

One species helping another, Frank thought, then caught sight of Joe forty feet away waving and pointing in slow-motion to a clump of sea grass. Below Joe's flippered feet another green sea turtle was nosing around in a mass of swaying grass.

Frank swam closer and spied what had put a big grin on Joe's face.

One species helping another, Frank thought. A matching grin spread across his face and he gave his brother an ecstatic thumbs up.

# # # #

The insistent buzzing of her phone roused Nancy from her nap. Half asleep, she felt around for her handbag. Finally, she found it and her phone inside.

"Hello," she mumbled.

"Nancy? Did I wake you?"

"Yeah," Nancy answered sheepishly. "Sorry, Frank. I fell asleep. Guess I was more tired than I thought. What's up?"

"You need to call that detective, what was his name? Lau?"

"Yeah, Lau."

"He needs to get over here right now. Joe and I have something for him. We're on our way to turn in the diving gear."

Frank was talking fast and Nancy felt the urgency in his voice. "Let's meet in Joe's and my room in .. say an hour?"

"You're not going to tell me what you found?" Nancy was fully awake now.

"Nope."

"Frank!"

"Sorry, don't want to spoil the surprise." Nancy sensed a smug smile in his voice.

"I'll call you back after I talk to Lau," she said.

"Thanks, gotta go. See you in an hour."

Nancy immediately called Detective Lau and explained that Frank and Joe had found something in the ocean. The detective asked what, but Nancy could not answer his question. She did say that the brothers would never request a police presence if their discovery was not important.

Lau was curious and hopeful. He said he would be there by five pm. That gave Nancy time to freshen up, leave Bess a note, and get to the Hardys' room.

Nancy propped a note on Bess' bed before she left the room. Goose bumps rose on Nancy's arms as she hurried to the elevator. What had Frank and Joe found. Nancy could think of only one thing. Then she remembered that Bess had a surprise, too.

Wow, so many surprises in one evening. Nancy couldn't wait to meet up with Bess later. But first, the Hardys.