A/N: Thank you so much for taking time to review, Caranath, Leya, Max2013, Catlover1033, I Love Mom, Stork Hardy, Kenna, Jackie, Guest, Love and Laugh, Vinsmouse and Manchu! You guys rock! And Guest, I won't let the relationships take over, but my stories are definitely a combo of romance and mystery. In some chapters, romance will be in the forefront, but I promise I'll always get back to the mystery. And as an FYI to all, the monastery in this story is based on the Einsiedeln cathedral and monastery in Zurich. I've changed the location and some details (it is not meant to be Einsiedeln in this story), but if you google "Einsiedeln Abbey", and click "images", you can see what it looks like (no words I write could adequately describe it). It's absolutely beautiful and a must visit if you're ever in Switzerland! Thanks again to those who are reading!

Chapter 3

Nancy heard the sound of suitcase wheels bouncing rapidly along the tile floor of the airport corridor just behind her.

"Wait up!" Bess called.

Nancy turned to see her best friend dragging her suitcase with one hand, and trying to balance her purse and another large carry-on in the other.

"They're not going to let you take that thing on the plane, you know," Nancy said. "It's as big as a bus."

"It fits in the overhead. I swear it." Bess huffed to catch up with her.

"The only reason you got away with it on the flight from Chicago was because you were holding up half the passengers trying to board behind us." Nancy paused, looking at the bank of monitors on the wall near her. "Okay, we're at Gate D-25."

"Please tell me that's close."

"Um, afraid not." Nancy smiled. "It's all the way at the other end of the concourse."

Bess rolled her eyes and readjusted her shoulder bag. "Naturally."

Nancy began walking then stopped again. "Oh, hey, there's Emily."

"Where?"

Nancy knew Bess was eager to get a look at the girl who'd managed to capture Joe Hardy's heart.

"Right there." Nancy pointed to a slim brunette in jeans, a white sweater, and high-heeled boots, flipping through magazines at the airport newsstand.

"Oh, you mean the exceptionally gorgeous one?"

"Yeah," Nancy said with a laugh.

"It figures." Bess readjusted the carry-on bag on her shoulder and sighed. "Come on, you might as well introduce me."

OOOoooOOO

"Okay, so besides your girlfriends at school, who else knew you were coming here for winter break?" Joe asked Kathy.

He watched as she bit her lip and scooted closer to him on the couch, peering at the list he was writing. He suspected that was just a ruse to cover up the fact that she was now almost in his lap. This was going to be a very long case.

"Well, um, my dad of course, and whoever he might have mentioned it to on his staff."

"Well, let's hope that wasn't too many people," Frank said from his position at the bar. He poured himself a soft drink as Simone stepped into the room.

"Simone?" Kathy called out. "How many people did Dad mention this trip to?"

Simone shook her head. "In the household? I'm not sure. Our travel plans aren't kept secret, but I don't know who bothered to take note of them. Why?"

"The latest threat came here, to the hotel," Joe explained. "That means whoever sent it had to know that Kathy was going to be here."

Simone nodded as she breezed across the living room toward her bedroom. "Well, Louis was in the D.C. office with the senator. He could probably let you know who was informed of it there."

Joe tapped his pen on the legal pad. "Yeah."

This was going to be harder than he thought. Who knows how many people might have heard about this trip. It didn't sound like they'd been all that discreet about it.

Kathy grabbed onto his arm. "I'm kind of hungry. How about we head to the restaurant for some dinner?"

Joe looked sideways at her. "Yeah, sure, but I think we'd better make a reservation with a party as large as ours."

Kathy pouted. "I was thinking of just you and me. You are supposed to be my boyfriend, you know. Don't you think it'll look suspicious if we don't spend time alone together?"

"Oh, go on, Joe," Frank called out. "I'll get the names from Louis."

"Um, yeah, okay. Let me get my wallet." Joe stood and walked past his brother, who was grinning broadly. An overwhelming urge to wipe the smile right off his face washed over Joe. "Frank?" he gestured, pointing to the room they were sharing.

Joe waited as his brother grabbed his drink and headed across the living room. As soon as he entered the bedroom, Joe shut the door and turned on him. "What's the big idea sticking me with her like that?"

The grin hadn't left Frank's face. "It is your job, Joe. I thought maybe you could question her as well as check out who might be watching her. We'd naturally attract attention if we all went together because there would be so many of us."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Joe looked up at his brother. "I'm still going to get you for this though."

Frank chuckled as Joe turned to walk back to the living room. "Enjoy your date, bro."

OOOoooOOO

"Ohhhhh," Nancy breathed as she entered the basilica centered between two wings of the Benedictine monastery.

She stopped short, and joined Emily and Bess, who were already gazing up at the Baroque interior. The walls were painted a gleaming white, highlighted with gorgeous pastels. The ceiling was covered with murals and gold everywhere she looked. And every surface that wasn't painted, was shaped, carved and gilded. Little cherubs peeked down from every corner and crevice of the building.

"It is a feast for the eyes, is it not?"

Nancy turned to see a priest approaching them.

"It's exquisite," Nancy said. "Everything is so amazingly intricate and yet delicate at the same time."

"I have lived here for over thirty years, and it never fails to take my breath away every time I enter this cathedral." He extended his hand. "I am Father Bertrand."

"And I'm Nancy Drew, Carson's daughter."

A smile spread across the priest's face. "Ah, wonderful. I'm so delighted you've arrived." He looked to Bess and Emily. "And these are your friends?"

"Yes, Bess Marvin and Emily Clark."

Father Bertrand shook their hands as well.

"What can you tell us about your missing monstrance?" Nancy asked.

The priest glanced around. "Let's go to my office. I will explain it to you in private, then we can return here and I will show you where this terrible crime took place."

Nancy nodded as Father Bertrand led them through a side door and into the main part of the monastery.

OOOoooOOO

Joe stared at the menu.

Kathy stared at him.

He squirmed uncomfortably and glanced up at her. "See anything you like?"

"Yeah."

"I meant on the menu." Joe folded his and set it on the table.

She continued to stare at him. "You mean you're not on the menu?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

Joe picked up his water glass and took a sip. This was going to be a tedious dinner. And he was planning on spending it plotting Frank's untimely demise. Because when he got back to the suite, he knew how much his brother was going to enjoy giving him a hard time about this "date".

Kathy sighed. "You're stubborn, Joe Hardy."

"I'm here to work."

She tossed her menu on the table. "I'll have the chicken in cream sauce."

Joe nodded as he glanced around the room for a waiter. He couldn't get this evening over fast enough.

"Don't you like to have fun?"

He turned back to look at her. "Kathy, I'm one of the most fun guys on the planet, but right now I'm a little preoccupied with trying to find out who's stalking you."

She rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you even concerned about this?" Joe thought she seemed pretty blasé for someone whose life was being threatened. Not usually the way clients acted when they were being stalked, in his experience.

"Joe, my dad's over-reacting. He always does." She sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "If I worried half as much as he did, I'd never go anywhere or do anything."

The waiter approached their table. "She'll have the chicken in cream sauce and I'd like a steak. Medium rare," Joe said with a smile. And hurry.

The waiter nodded and gathered up their menus. As he walked away, Joe looked at Kathy.

"I think your father has reason to be concerned this time, don't you?"

Kathy shrugged. "I can't get worked up about it. If I did, it would drive me crazy." She twisted her napkin as she stared at her hands. "Can we talk about something else, please?"

So she is afraid. She's just trying to hide it. Joe forced himself to sound upbeat. "Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

She looked up at him with a grateful smile. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me about you and your brother? Rumor has it you've done lots of exciting things."

"Don't believe everything you hear," he said with a grin.

"Then why don't you set me straight?"

Joe settled back in his chair. "Okay, but remember, you asked."

OOOoooOOO

Nancy, Bess, and Emily were seated in the office of the priest, within the walls of the monastery.

"This place is huge," Bess commented. "I've only ever visited one other monastery, but it was small. This is...amazing."

Father Bertrand smiled at her. "Yes, it is. We are a large community and we minister to many. We also have hundreds of pilgrims arriving twice a year to honor our Lady. We are a very busy order."

Nancy shifted in her chair, impatient to get started on the case. "Can you tell us about the monstrance now, Father?"

"Yes, of course." He sighed and leaned forward. "It is one of our most precious artifacts. That and the statue of our Lady. She was fashioned sometime around the year eleven hundred, we believe, after the appearance of our Lady to Father Dominic in France, who then began building a chapel in her honor. Legend has it that the monstrance was sent down from heaven itself, although that has never been confirmed through official church channels. That doesn't matter however to the pilgrims who visit here. In their eyes it is sacred, and that's all that counts."

"So the pilgrims come to see the monstrance?" Nancy asked.

"Their main devotion is to the statue of our Lady," Father Bertrand explained. "Many miracles have been attributed to her."

"Where is this statue?"

"She is enthroned in a chapel within the walls of our cathedral. The chapel is the structure originally built after the initial appearance of our Lady. When this cathedral was constructed, many years later, the chapel was moved here, covered with marble panels, and placed within it."

"Wow," Bess whispered.

Father Bertrand sighed. "Yes, we are very fortunate to have so much history behind our beautiful structures. However, the theft of the monstrance has caused me great distress. The biggest pilgrimage of the year will be upon us in less than a month's time. If the monstrance isn't recovered by then..."

Nancy reached forward and placed her hand over his. "I promise I'll do my best. And my friends will help. Emily is majoring in art history and she speaks French and can read Latin."

Father Bertrand smiled at them. "I know you will do your best. That is all I can ask. Your father is a man of the greatest integrity, Nancy. If he recommends you, I know he is sending me the best person for the job." He turned in his chair and picked up several sheets of paper. "Here are some photos of the monstrance."

"It's gorgeous," Bess squealed. "Look at all those jewels."

"Yes, I suppose its monetary value is quite high," Father Bertrand said. "That is not why we want it returned, however. It inspires faith, and that is most important to us here."

"Of course," Bess murmured.

"You will have access to all areas of the monastery and the cathedral." He handed them each a small piece of paper. "This will allow you to have whatever you need. Simply present it to the brother in charge at the time, and he will give you all that you require."

"Great," Nancy said. "I think I'd like to go back to the cathedral and look around a bit." She turned to Emily. "Maybe you could do some research on the history of the cathedral and the artifacts?"

"We have an excellent library here. It should provide you with any information you might need," the priest told her.

Emily smiled. "Then that's where I'm headed."

OOOoooOOO

Frank looked up from his position on the couch, where he was talking to Lauren and Tammy, when the door to the suite opened. A man who looked to be in his early forties entered. He gave a weary smile as his greeting, and dropped his briefcase just inside the door. As he headed across the room to the bar, he called out, "I'm Louis Remington. You must be one of the Hardy brothers."

"I'm Frank."

"Nice to meet you, Frank," Louis replied. He pulled out a glass, filled it with ice and poured some Scotch over it. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," Frank said with a smile. This guy looked haggard, irritated, and like he wanted to be anywhere else but where he was. Frank was sure he had an interesting story.

Louis took a healthy sip of his beverage. "Yeah, well I'm not. That train ride along those winding mountain tracks about did me in." He shuddered. "Where's Kathy?"

"She's having dinner in the restaurant with Joe," Lauren replied.

"Good," Louis answered as he crossed the room to retrieve his briefcase. "I'll have a few moments of peace."

"Uh, Mr. Remington, I'd like to ask you a couple questions, if you don't mind," Frank interrupted.

"Shoot."

"Who in the senator's office knew that Kathy would be coming here for her vacation?"

"Um, that would be me and the senator's secretary, Lucille."

"Would she have told anyone else?"

Louis shook his head. "Can't imagine why she would. She's a very busy woman and that would have been an insignificant bit of information to her."

Frank nodded as he made some notes on Joe's legal pad. "Great. Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it." He paused. "Hey, which one of these rooms is supposed to be mine?"

"Simone said you were sleeping on the couch," Tammy piped up.

"The hell I am," Louis muttered. He picked up the phone on the desk in the living room and punched in some numbers. "There are more rooms that can connect to this suite than just the ones we've reserved. I'm getting my own room."

OOOoooOOO

Kathy leaned back in her chair and laughed over Joe's retelling of rescuing Frank from a kidnapper. "I'm so jealous."

"Jealous?" Joe took a sip of his drink. "Why? You have a secret desire to be kidnapped?"

Kathy slapped at his arm. Joe was gorgeous and funny. She couldn't believe her luck in getting her father to agree to hire him as her bodyguard. "No. I just think it sounds like you and your brother have led a really exciting life. Mine is so boring."

"I don't think being a senator's daughter sounds boring."

"Really? Then clearly, you've never been a senator's daughter."

Joe grinned. "You've got me there."

She sighed, knowing Joe couldn't possibly understand. To her father, politics was more important than anything in the world. She suspected even more important than she was. If his actions were any indication, that is. "Public appearances, state dinners, meetings, meetings and more meetings. Yeah, it's a blast."

"You're on a terrific vacation at a resort in Switzerland right now," Joe pointed out. "I'd say that's a nice perk."

"Yeah, and I apparently have some maniac after me who wants to ruin all my fun," Kathy countered, hoping the apprehension she felt wasn't showing. She still wanted to have a great time with Joe on this trip…in spite of the threats.

Joe smiled at her. "Well, cheer up. Maybe Frank will get kidnapped again and you can help me rescue him this time."

Kathy laughed. "It's a deal."

Joe sighed. "Now all I have to do is find someone willing to take Frank off my hands."

"I think Lauren will be happy to do it." She giggled.

"Lauren? Your girlfriend?"

Kathy nodded.

Joe took another sip of his drink. "Um, Kathy, how old is Lauren?"

"Seventeen."

Joe grinned. "Frank's twenty-three. And I'm pretty sure seventeen and twenty-three is illegal in all fifty states."

"We're not in any of those fifty states."

"He's also taken."

"Oh?"

"Very taken."

"That's too bad." Kathy leaned forward. "How about you, Joe? Are you taken?"

Joe chuckled. "What do you think?"

She paused. No, he couldn't be. None of the newspaper articles had ever mentioned a girlfriend. It wasn't something she'd even considered. "I think I don't really want to know the answer to that question."

"Good. Because my private life is just that…private."

Joe stood from the table. "Now, how about we go back upstairs and you can spend some time with your girlfriends while Frank and I get working on this case."

Kathy grabbed his hand and sidled up next to him and they left the restaurant. Maybe Joe was dating someone back in Bayport. So what? By the end of this ski vacation he would only have eyes for her. That she could guarantee.