Ok this chapter is kind of short, but important. Hope you enjoy. I plan to have another update soon.
3. Seeking Answers
Joe looked at Frank. "Did you catch this notice at the bottom?"
"I didn't read through the whole article. I just saw where it described the mansion and the debate over whether it was a historical landmark."
Joe handed the paper back to Frank and pointed at the bottom of the page. "Drew. Walter Carson Drew. As in Carson Drew. As in Nancy Drew. It's not such a stretch. Maybe that house was owned by Nancy's family."
"Find out if Walter has any other living descendants, other than Nancy and her father." Frank said with reserved hope. If Nancy had more family nobody knew about they might know about the old mansion.
Joe turned back to the computer and began typing. Both knew that the chances of Nancy being related to Walter Drew, no matter what the coincidences were, were slim. Frank crossed his fingers while Joe mumbled to himself. The screen flashed and Frank caught his breath.
"Gabriel Drew. His address is right down town." Joe read from the screen. "He's the great-great-grandson of Walter. He's looking for any Drew in the area."
"Well, we aren't Drews' but what could it hurt to pay him a visit? I say we get over there first thing tomorrow morning. Maybe then we'll get some answers."
"Well, I'm up for some sleep before we go over there. And some food. Let's get out of here and go home." Joe replied as he led the way to the door.
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The next morning dawned bright and warm. A soft spring wind carried the scent of blooming flowers through the city. Frank and Joe drove through the deserted streets in silence. Neither one had gotten much sleep the night before. Joe had been anxious to meet Gabriel Drew, and time had only aggravated that anxiety. Frank was nervous about the meeting, and the questions they may not get answers to.
Frank pulled into the driveway of the address Joe had written down the day before. The building was a modest, slightly run-down, two-story townhouse. A beaten, worn old Cadillac sat in the driveway next to the house. From the overall appearance of the place, Gabriel had little money and seemed to be barely surviving.
Frank and Joe climbed out of their car and looked around. Frank felt slightly apprehensive. He wasn't sure about the type of person they would find. Cautiously, Frank and Joe walked up to the front door. Joe reached the door first and knocked. After a few minutes of waiting the Hardy's saw the door open a crack.
"Who are you? What do you want?" A voice asked from behind the door.
"Gabriel Drew, our names are Frank and Joe Hardy." Frank answered. "We need to talk to you."
"How did you find me?" Gabriel studied the brothers carefully, recognizing their names from newspaper articles written about their cases.
"We found your information while researching an old Victorian mansion. It's on the edge of town, surrounded by trees, and very secluded." Joe explained.
"Drew Manor?"
"It was owned by Walter Carson Drew. We have to find out as much as we can about the family that owned it."
"Come in."
The door opened wider. A young man of about twenty three years of age stood in the entryway. Gabriel was a trim young man with short, wavy, blond hair that fell over sad, ice blue eyes. The resemblance between Gabriel and Nancy was unmistakable.
Frank and Joe entered the small room and looked around. The small entrance room was empty. Beyond that the living room was sparsely decorated with shabby furniture. The walls were bare.
"You won't find out anything about me by looking around my house. And you don't have to be surprised that I noticed you looking around. I am naturally alert to actions like that. I want to be a private investigator one day."
"Then would you mind telling us about yourself?" Joe questioned.
"Come with me." Gabriel led the way to a small kitchen table. "I will talk to you; tell you what I know about the manor. I don't know much though. All I have is this book."
Gabriel walked over to a counter and pulled down a photo album. "It has everything I know about my family pasted inside. I'm adopted. My parents died in a car crash when I was a baby. When I was adopted my name was kept the same. That's why I'm looking for family now."
"We know a family named Drew." Frank explained. "In fact, the reason we were looking for information on the mansion is because of this family."
"We were in the process of going through and restoring Drew Manor when our friend, Nancy Drew, was injured." Joe continued. "There was a portrait hanging on the second floor landing that was the reason for our friend's accident. We want to know more about that portrait."
"What did the portrait look like?" Gabriel asked.
"It was a young woman with blond hair. She was dressed in a ball gown style dress. There were roses everywhere, and the manor was in the background." Frank answered.
"Lady Drew."
"Lady Drew?" The brothers chorused.
"My great-great-grandaunt. She was Walter's sister. She died mysteriously at age twenty three. Her father searched for answers to her death until he died. Walter searched for years afterward, but found out nothing. Her husband disappeared shortly after her death. They had one son, whom I have no information about. The story of Lady Drew had become a legend of sorts in the family."
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Later that afternoon Frank and Joe were at the airport, ready to pick up Bess and George. The two cousins had called earlier that afternoon to tell the brothers when their plane would be in. The Hardys had agreed to meet them when their plan landed.
The plane was already at the terminal. Several people had come off the plane in the last few minutes. Frank and Joe stood near the terminal, ready to catch Bess and George as they came off.
"Bess, George, over here." Joe called moments later.
Bess, a blond haired woman of about twenty-three, and George, a brown haired woman the same age, turned toward the voice.
"Joe, Frank," Bess squealed as she rushed toward the brothers.
"Hey guys." George smiled as she greeted the Hardys. "How's Nan?"
She has no memory of us. Or much else. We were hoping you could help her remember." Frank answered.
"We'll try. Did you find anything out about the house?"
"We got some answers. We found a cousin of Nan's that nobody knew about. We're going out to the manor with him tomorrow." Joe answered.