Chapter 10

An excited Bess Marvin entered her hotel room at five fifteen.

"Nancy!" she called out, anxious to share her surprise.

Disappointment marred her pretty features when she realized Nancy wasn't there. She saw the note resting on her pillow and snatched it up.

"No way," she muttered under her breath. Could they have found the murder weapon? The note did not said as much. It only implied an amazing discovery.

Bess tossed her purse on the bed and flopped down next to it. "And I thought I had a surprise for them."

This turn of events had Bess feeling slightly dejected. Her surprise would have to wait and Bess wasn't known for her patience. She pulled off her sandals and rubbed her aching feet. In the note, Nancy had said she would call soon. Bess was anxious to hear what the Hardys had discovered, but just as important, she was hungry. Lunch had been a small sandwich quickly eaten while wading through the mountains of paperwork Melinda had given her.

Bess pulled a hairbrush from her purse and combed her hair. She'd never realized the amount of work that went into producing a fashion show. Or the number of phone calls. The number was staggering. Her ears were literally numb.

"Double check the models," Melinda had said and handed Bess a long list of calls to make. "Double check the costumes, the jewelry, and last but certainly not least, double check the stage production. We want everyone to know the show will go on. Be prepared for people asking where they can send condolence cards. Here's the address you can give them. If they ask about Gwen's death, be evasive. Just say that as far as you know the police are still investigating and you have no further information."

"Will people really ask?" Bess couldn't believe people would.

Melinda had nodded sadly. "People can be so callous sometimes. You'll see."

And Bess had indeed seen. She'd gotten the impression that the show now held a sort of macabre fascination for some people. They were coming only to find out the latest news on Gwen's death. Bess was both repulsed and amazed by this reaction. Truth be told, Bess didn't feel Gwen deserved that kind of reaction. Gwen may not have been the friendliest person and may have come off as a bit arrogant, but she certainly didn't deserve to die like that – all alone and terrified. There was no question in Bess' mind that Gwen had to have been terrified at the end. Who wouldn't be?

Bess left her brush on the bed and headed into the bathroom. Fatigue-reddened eyes peered back at her from the mirror. A cold, wet washcloth brought relief.

Yes, Bess thought as she patted her face, Melinda had been right; people could be so heartless.

By the end of the day even Melinda, who Bess thought possessed boundless amounts of energy, had been tired. Drained actually.

Melinda had turned a weary face to Bess and said, "Let's call it a day. We've accomplished the most important things on my list. We'll meet here bright and early tomorrow at .. say nine?"

Bess had pushed herself away from the long dining table where she'd spent a good portion of her day. "I'll be here at nine a.m. sharp, Melinda. I hope Mr. Airedale is … is managing." It was a feeble remark and Bess wished she'd thought of something more constructive to say. Her mind had been too tired to find the proper words. Perhaps, there were no proper words for this situation.

"He's managing as best he can." Melinda was reserved, but her dark eyes reflected her understanding of Bess' remark.

Bess touched up her make-up and was re-styling her hair when Nancy burst into the room. Of course, Bess wanted to hear all about the Hardys' discovery and Nancy wanted to hear all about Bess' surprise. After a brief discussion, the women agreed to wait until they met the guys for dinner. Once everyone was together then information would be shared.

Frank had made reservations for four in one of the nicer restaurants in the hotel.

# # # #

"It was the kiss I tell you," Frank said as he and Joe walked to the restaurant.

The guys were in Polo shirts and nice shorts. Hawaii was known for its laid-back lifestyle. Even in a five-star hotel casual wear was not only welcome, but expected.

Joe, in particular, appreciated this fact as he responded to his brother, "No, it was the turtle. If I hadn't seen the turtle in the sea grass I'd never have searched there."

The brothers were arguing over which thing had brought them luck during their ocean search.

"The kiss," Frank said as the brothers rounded a corner.

"Turtle."

"Kiss."

"Turtle."

Joe heard Frank's sharp intake of breath and glanced at his brother. Frank's jaw was twitching, a sure sign Joe was getting to him. The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Joe's mouth.

Frank's eyes narrowed and his voice held a trace of defiance. "Kiss."

"Neither!" Joe laughed.

Frank stopped in mid-stride, his gaze fixed firmly on his brother, and a question in his dark eyes.

"It was my great detective skills," Joe said. "I know you hate to admit it, but it's true."

Frank rolled his eyes, shook his head, and started walking again.

"That's right," Joe said following his brother. "I'm the one who said we should reenact the crime. Remember? That's what led us to figuring out the exact spot –"

"We're here!" Frank said cutting off Joe's monologue and further proving his point. Frank's jaw was twitching again. He'd never admit it, but Joe might actually be right.

They stood at the entrance of the restaurant. A hostess with menus greeted them.

Joe said, "We're meeting two lovely ladies for dinner. They may be here already."

"Are you the Hardys?"

"Yes," the brothers chorused.

"This way, please." The small Asian hostess turned and made her way through the restaurant. The brothers followed, towering over the petite woman.

Frank looked over the sea of tables all topped with crisp white linens. Long stemmed wine glasses and shiny silverware sparkled beneath glittering chandeliers. It seemed weird to be dressed so casually and Frank began to regret his choice of clothing. However, he soon noticed other diners dressed similarly and relaxed.

The hostess led the brothers to an elegant table. Nancy and Bess smiled up at Frank and Joe.

The hostess handed out menus and said, "Your server will be right with you."

Nancy had changed into a sapphire v-neck shirt that complimented her blue eyes. Frank smiled his approval as he sat next to her.

A tray of stuffed mushrooms drew Joe's attention. "Yum. I see someone took the liberty of getting appetizers."

"I insisted," Bess said. "I'm starving."

Joe scooped three mushrooms onto a small plate. "You and me both."

"When it comes to food, I've got your back," Bess told Joe and bumped shoulders with him.

Frank's eyes were drawn to the windows. The tip of a fiery orange sun blazed above the horizon, its nightly descent almost complete.

He leaned toward Nancy and whispered, "Another missed sunset." Regret tinged his voice and his dark brown eyes, like warm pools of chocolate, glinted in the glow of the table's candle.

Beneath the table, Nancy laid a hand on Frank's.

Joe said, "Four more to go." Nancy and Frank stared at him. "Sunsets," he said. "I am aware of more things than some people give me credit for. Why just a while ago Frank and I were debating what helped us find the," he glanced around the restaurant and lowered his voice, "the weapon."

Bess was all ears and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "So, you did find it."

"Yes," Frank's voice was low and held a cautionary tone. "According to the police we're not allowed to discuss it until the ballistic tests are complete."

Nancy quietly added, "They've put a rush on the tests. Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon we'll know if it's the weapon."

Bess beamed. "This is amazing. You guys really are the best."

Frank held up a hand. "Hold the praise until we get the results. That gun could've been down there a long time. There's no guarantee it's the murder weapon."

"However," Joe said, "it didn't look like it'd been in the water very long. No corrosion, so I'm betting it's our weapon."

The waiter appeared and the conversation came to a halt. Orders were placed and the waiter left.

Nancy now told the others about her meeting with Kate Mansville. "I'm not sure I learned anything other than the fact that Gwen didn't socialize much. Kate had the distinct impression that Gwen wanted to be hidden. Her exact words were, 'Gwen remained well hidden.'" Nancy turned to her friend. "Bess, what was your impression of Gwen?"

"Gee," Bess sighed, "hard to say. Gwen didn't come to the office very often and when she did she clung to Mr. Airedale."

"Kate mentioned the same thing," Nancy said, "the clinging to Mr. Airedale. I believe Kate said, 'Gwen never strayed too far from Lance's side.'"

Bess nodded. "I'd agree with that. I think a lot of people interpreted the clinginess as jealousy or arrogance. I never saw it that way. Gwen was nice if you made the effort and talked to her. Granted, she didn't go out of her way to make friends or get to know anyone, but she certainly wasn't rude. At least not to me."

"Well," Nancy said glancing at everyone, "one wife down, two more to interview."

"The wives' club," Frank said and helped himself to the last mushroom.

"Oh, so you know about them and want to interview all of them?" Bess smiled at Nancy. "Maybe I can help with that. It involves my surprise."

Joe leaned forward. "Can't wait to hear about it?"

"We're all invited to a luau tomorrow night. Mr. Airedale is giving it to thank everyone involved in the show. This had already been planned well before anyone arrived in Hawaii. Mr. Airedale initially wanted to cancel it, but Melinda talked him out of it. He'd already cancelled the first night's dinner, she reminded him, and told him he couldn't cancel everything in his life. She said he needed to think about tomorrow and the other people involved in the Fashion Show. Some of those people had spent quite a lot of money to get here. At some point, she told Mr. Airedale, he was going to have to start living again which meant leaving his hotel room and meeting people. She reminded him that his employees were counting on him now more than ever. They needed to see that he was okay, even if that wasn't true. He had to put on a brave face for the company. I have to say that I thought that was a very good speech."

"It was," Joe said. He suddenly had a newfound appreciation for Melinda. There might be more to her than met the eye.

Frank shifted in his chair. "Can I assume the wives are invited?"

"And their husbands," Bess said. "The wives all have their own fashion lines. They've used Airedale's Fashion shows and runways for years to tout their lines. Mr. Airedale likes to show his appreciation by doing dinners and other special functions."

Nancy turned to Frank. "If I tackle the wives, meaning interview them, can you tackle the husbands?"

"Sure, no problem." Then he looked at his brother. "And what are you going to tackle?"

"My steak." Joe pointed at the waiter approaching with a large tray and everyone laughed.

During dinner the conversation turned to lighter topics. Bess gave her companions more information about the upcoming luau.

Although it was relatively early in the evening when the foursome finished their meal and charged it to the expense account, they were all tired. A day spent diving in the ocean had drained the Hardy brothers. Fatigue clearly showed on their faces.

Joe leaned back and yawned. "I hate to say it, but I'm ready to call it a night."

"Me, too," Frank said. "Plus, I'd like to check my e-mail. Maybe Dad's sent us some information on our suspects."

Nancy rose and the others followed her example. "I think we're all tired," she said. "I have e-mail to check, too, and I need to phone home. Dad likes me to call every night if possible."

"I want a hot bath." Bess giggled. "Plus, we want to be well rested for the luau tomorrow night."

Everyone was indeed looking forward to the luau. Bess had said there would be Hula dancers and a Samoan fire dance. It sounded like it would be a lot of fun and a nice break from the case.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Glad to see that people are interested in the mystery. That was why I read Nancy Drew stories, the mystery, and how she went about solving them.

To Guest reviewer: When I said Frank was walking fast, I meant he was walking fast to the rental shop to return the gear. I see now how that sentence is confusing. Thanks for pointing that out. :) I have corrected the sentence.