DISCLAIMER: I don't own Nancy Drew

Chapter 14

"Who the hell do you think you are? Get your hands off me," Nancy declared indignantly.

She tried to shake off the creep, but he had a grip of iron that she couldn't rid herself of. She struggled until George bluntly grabbed the man's wrist, shoving her thumb hard into the hollow where the main artery was and pulled back hard. The guy let go, still glaring angrily at Nancy.

"What's your problem?" George demanded.

"What do you want?" Nancy asked, angry and resisting the urge to rub the sore spot on her arm.

"I wanna know why you's gurls is slinkin' around here," the man replied in a guttural, menacing tone.

"What's it to you?" Bess asked.

The man hesitated for a moment and then said, "I's a security guy for this here factory and I's got a rights to know whatcha been talking to that guy about."

Nancy looked him over and knew instantly that this thug was not a security guard.

"Oh yeah? If you're a 'security guy for this here factory,' where's your uniform?" George spat.

"I… uh… I's an undercover security man," he floundered, loosing the anger for a minute and replacing it with stupidity.

Nancy straightened, very convincingly putting on an air that said she wasn't afraid of him. She looked him coldly in the eye.

"The conversation was private and, consequently, none of your damn business," she said icily. "Now, unless you want me to go in and talk to Baylor Weston personally about your manhandling me, I suggest you move along and leave us alone."

"Just in case you missed any of those big words," George said patronizingly, "that means get out of our faces or we're going to get your ass in a bigger harassment lawsuit than you can imagine. You get me?"

The creep glared at them, obviously pissed, and the bravely stood their grounds, even though Bess was about to wet herself. But after a few seconds, he walked away. They all let out sighs of relief.

"Holy shit, I thought I was going to die," Bess sighed, leaning against the car.

"Don't be so freaking melodramatic," George snapped, rolling her eyes, but she was shaky as well.

Nancy was quiet, staring towards where the man had disappeared to, thinking.

"Aren't you scared, Nancy? That guy was freaking terrifying," Bess asked her friend.

"Yeah," Nancy responded, still looking after the guy. "And it convinces me even more that Joe Swenson is in some serious shit."

The fear was starting to dissipate now and the girls eased into their own skin again. They all got into the car.

"If we see Swenson at five we can ask him if he knows this jerk," George suggested as Nancy started up the car. "Where are we going now?"

"Yeah, where? I'm starving back here. I can eat a horse," Bess muttered.

"We know," George snorted. Bess smacked her from the backseat.

Nancy laughed and backed out of the space. "I'm pretty hungry too. Let's get something to eat."

The ended up at a crowded McDonald's, ordering their food and sitting at a back table. They joked and talked about trivial things. Bess and George started to tease Nancy about Ned again. She told them to shut up, that they were just jealous, but she blushed all the same. George, seeing the blush, smiled deviously and kept going. Bess egged her on. Finally, they threw out the remnants of their meal and got back into the car.

"Where to? Are we just going to kill time until Swenson gets out again?" Bess asked, sighing and leaning back in the front seat.

"Not really. I need to go to the post office and talk to Phil's dad," Nancy replied.

"Phil the kid from that frat party?" George asked. "What the hell happened to Ned? Now you're sucking up to this Phil guy's dad?"

"No, shut up. He's the head of the post office here."

"Phil?"

"No, his dad, you flaming idiot," Nancy barked. "I need to check something and I'm going to need him on my side for it. Now come one and please, please, please…don't. Say. Anything. At least not anything stupid."

Nancy walked into the post office and, sending a charming smile to the desk clerk, she asked where Mr. Roberts' office was. She was directed to it, said a thank you, and knocked on the door. It was opened presently by a middle-aged man who gave a handsome, confused smile.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Roberts asked kindly.

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother like this. My name is Nancy Drew. I met your son Phil at one of his fraternity affairs."

"Okay," Roberts answered, still confused.

"I actually needed a favor from you. Do you think we can talk inside your office for a few minutes?"

"Sure. Of course. Come in." he opened the door wide, allowing the three girls to trickle into his office.

Roberts stood behind his desk, waiting for Nancy to continue. She smiled again.

"I have a little problem that I think you can help me with. I have a friend who has mailed two letters here to his wife containing money orders and she hasn't gotten either of them. I'm sure that none of your staff is to blame, but I was wondering if you'd let me do a little experiment."

"What's the experiment?" Roberts asked with a smile.

"Well, if I can send the letter with the money order here from your office, can you see if it is sent from here?"

Roberts hesitated for a second, grinning a slow grin. "You're a smart girl, Nancy Drew. I'm guessing if it does leave from this office, you'll check the receiving post office and see if it gets there?" Nancy nodded, reciprocating the smile. "Phil told me about you, now that I think about it. He told you about the problem some of the post offices have been having with undelivered mail, I'm guessing? He said you were Nickerson's date. Good young man that Nickerson is. Great football player."

Nancy struggled to contain a blush and nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Well, count me in. Can I have the address?"

Nancy pulled out the letter, read off the address and watched as Roberts wrote down both the receiving and sending addresses. He looked up as he pocketed the addresses.

"Go mail it now and give me about two hours. I'll have something for you then. As soon as I personally go and check the mail bags."

"Thanks so much, Mr. Roberts. You're the best," Nancy said with an ecstatic, beaming smile. "I'll be here in two hours."

The three girls walked out to the money-order desk and Nancy bought the money order. She kept the receipt in her wallet and then shoved the letter into the mail slot. They walked out of the post office together. They were almost at the car when Bess spoke up.

"That's a risky little game you're playing, Nancy," she said in a cautious tone. "What if it all falls through?"

"Then I'll pony up the money to Mrs. Swenson personally, but I need to figure this out, because I can't be playing ferry from Swenson to Swenson all the time. And that way, at least that little girl can hear from her dad," Nancy said with resolve.

"So what are we going to do with two hours?" George asked.

Nancy shrugged. "We already ate, we already went to see Swenson. Want to see a movie?"

The girls shrugged and they drove to the theater they had passed while on their way to the post office. They watched a chick flick on Bess's insistence. George pretended to gag herself, but the movie was pretty good. It was funny, not too sappy, and George enjoyed herself. After the movie was done, they slowly meandered back to the car and drove to the post office. They parked and walked in. Nancy knocked and again Roberts opened the door. He had on a stern, hard face, but he let them in. He wasn't the only one in the office this time. A policeman stood, arms crossed over chest and looking harshly down at a man sitting slumped in a chair. The man glanced up at the girls and when he saw Nancy, hate blazed fiercely from his eyes.

"You!" he spat and the policeman made a small move as if to keep him from getting up.

Nancy looked down at the mail-order clerk, disgust and contempt clearly written on her face. She wasn't the only one, Roberts was also snarling down at the former employee.

"Thank you, Nancy. You managed to do what the Postal Inspectors Division kept putting off. A lot of help they were," Roberts muttered under his breath. "Ralph Ringman confessed to taking the letter and to taking all money orders of any size."

"It took some work to get the confession out of him," the police officer, whose name was Mark Johnson, said, "but he finally got smart about it. He had two accomplices also, a man and a woman that the officers in the parameter managed to get a hold of."

"Hey, I'm not the only one in on this deal, okay," Ringman protested angrily. "If I'm going down, I'm taking them all with me, damn it!"

"You don't think I'm that stupid, do you Ralphie? I thought as much and I made a couple of calls. A couple of my friends are going to try the same tactic that Nancy here tried," Roberts taunted with a smirk. "I should be getting some calls soon. You guys had it too good for too long and you got sloppy, stupid, and careless."

"I'll say," Johnson murmured.

"Was the accomplice, the man, a big, mean-looking thug?" Nancy asked on a hunch. "Big forehead, wide shoulders?"

"Stupid as hell?" George put in.

Johnson smiled at the girl and nodded. "Sounds like the guy. Interesting guy. Seems he was meaning to cash in on the deal directly. Told us that money order scams was for losers. Or, what he actually said was 'them little kid mail box games is for chumps.' Supposedly he was going to jump this Swenson guy from the letter at his job. Said some stupid broads got in the way and he freaked out. Stupidest thing he did was confront Ms. Drew."

"The dumb-ass son of a bitch!" Ringman cursed, clenching his fists angrily.

A person from the Postal Inspectors Division showed up a few minutes later and hustled Ringman out and away. Roberts promised that Mr. Swenson's letter would be sent safely now. Nancy thanked him, but he waved a dismiss hand and gave her his deepest gratitude for her ingenious plot. The girls walked out with Officer Johnson. He waved goodbye and opened the door to his squad car. The radio was sounding off, a woman's voice coming through, crackled and fuzzy, but audible. Nancy stopped cold suddenly as something she said hit her full force.

"…Weston Electronics. Possible use of an assumed name. According to a Gertrude Raybolt, may be hostile. Ran from scene of the crime at the Raybolt estate after an appointment with Felix Raybolt…"

George and Bess noticed Nancy frozen to the spoke, pale and appalled. They came back to her, worried.

"Oh my God, Nancy! What's wrong?" Bess asked, fawning over her friend.

"Yeah, you okay?" George asked, concern tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Joe Swenson," Nancy managed in a hoarse whisper. "They're going to arrest Joe Swenson!"