A/N Here's my weekly update for the story. Hope everyone enjoys it.

Chapter Two

Nancy POV

I had just stepped out of the shower and put some jeans and a button down shirt on after a nice run outside. It was quiet throughout the house because my father was at work and Hannah, our housekeeper who could almost serve as a second mother to me, was on a week long getaway with some of her friends from the bridge club.

I didn't really mind the quiet because it seemed like my life as a detective was usually fast-paced and hectic. I wouldn't change it for the world because my passion in life was solving mysteries. I've tried taking a brief hiatus from the detective work while I was in college, but it just didn't bring me the full satisfaction that I needed in my life.

Unfortunately, this also meant that my relationship with Ned Nickerson suffered. We dated for a long time before I decided to go away to school while he remained here. We both thought that the distance might be hard, but our love for each other would get us through the tough times.

All of that changed when I started working on mysteries again in college. I'm not sure if Ned was never truly supportive of my habit for getting involved in mysteries or if he just didn't like the fact that he wasn't around to watch over me while I was away. Whatever the case might be, my detective work on top of us being so far away from each other really caused our relationship to take a hit.

We tried visiting each other on the weekends when there was time, but that was to no avail. After one last ditch effort about a year ago, we finally broke away from each other. I would love to say that I was upset about not spending the rest of my life with Ned, but when I walked away that final time, all I could think of was the sense of relief it brought me.

We still see each other on occasion because I moved back home after graduation. I've been having trouble deciding where exactly I want my life to go from here on out, so I just came back home until hopefully an epiphany will hit me.

I'm thankful that I do see Ned that it's not one of those awkward conversations where neither party knows what to say or how to act around the other one. We're still able to retain our friendship with each other, and I hope that nothing ever gets in the way of that.

I do wish him the best in his life because Ned's finally found the girl of his dreams. He met her at a baseball game and they've been together ever since. I even received an invitation to their wedding a few days ago.

It was time for me to figure out where my life was going. I was happy that Ned found his path in life, but I was still at a loss for what I was supposed to do with myself.

My degree was in journalism. I've written a few free-lance articles for the newspaper, but I couldn't imagine a life behind a desk. I suppose there was also investigative journalism, but I can't really decide what I think about that prospect. I've also thought about becoming a full-time private investigator like Frank and Joe Hardy instead of just solving mysteries as they come along.

I pushed all thoughts of my career aside as I settled down at the kitchen table with the newspaper and a glass of tea.

The phone ringing brought my attention away from the weekly criminal report in the paper. I grabbed the phone and saw that it was a Chicago area code before answering.

"Hello," I said.

"Is this Nancy Drew?" a male voice asked.

"Yes, this is Nancy," I answered.

I heard the male on the other side take a deep breath before finally speaking. "My girlfriend is missing, and I would like you to help me find her."

I went into detective mode at this point and began asking the typical questions. "Have you filed a missing persons report?"

"No," he said. "I was told that she hasn't been unaccounted for long enough."

"How long has she been missing?"

"I last saw her last night as I was leaving work," he told me. "Bella was supposed to meet me last night for dinner but never called when she didn't show up. She hasn't come in to work today either. Both of those things are atypical behavior for her."

"Have you considered the possibility that she might have needed to get away from something?" I asked. Although I was thinking that this Bella might have wanted to get out of her relationship with whoever I was talking to, I didn't want to be so presumptuous as to actually come out and say that to him.

"Bella would always tell me or one of her other friends if there was something wrong," he stated emphatically.

"Okay," I relented. I decided that I should at least give this guy the time of day and see what I can do for him. Although, it might be helpful if I had some useful information like a name and location. I guess he probably forgot to provide that in his panicked state. "Why don't you tell me your name and where you're located?"

"Edward Cullen and I live in Chicago," he said. "Would you be able to work on the case?"

"I'll need some time to pack, but I'll be up there by this evening," I told him. "Why don't you give me directions and phone number where I can reach you if I have any further questions?"

Edward gave me directions to his house in Chicago and a phone number where I could reach him at if I needed something. I jotted it all down and quickly got off the phone with him.

I never liked to hear about someone disappearing without a trace because you can never tell what kind of outcome it might be, but I was still excited about finally having another case to work on. It's been a few months since my last mystery, and I really need something to keep my mind off of personal problems.

I dragged my suitcase out of the closet with one hand while dialing one of my best friends on my cell phone.

"Hello?" Bess Marvin answered.

"Hey Bess," I responded. "I just found a mystery up in Chicago. I was wondering if you wanted to join me."

"When are you going there?" Bess asked.

"I was planning on leaving in a couple hours, so I could be there by dinner tonight," I told her.

"I'm sorry, Nan," Bess apologized. "I have a date with Dave tonight. If you want to wait until tomorrow, I should be able to get a few days off work so I could go up there then."

"I wish I could wait until tomorrow," I told her, "but there's a girl missing and I really want to be able to get started as soon as possible."

"Oh okay," Bess stated. "Let me know if you need any help with the case since George is still away on that hiking trip."

"Sure thing, Bess," I said before hanging up.

I guess I was going to be working on this mystery by myself.

I quickly packed all the clothes and toiletry items that I would need for a few days. I decided that since Chicago was only a couple hours away, I could always drive back here to get anything I needed in addition to what was packed.

Once I finished packing my suitcase, I placed the bag in the trunk of my blue Mustang. I decided that instead of leaving a note for my father, I would call his office. It rang a couple of times before I had the secretary patch me through to my father, Carson Drew.

"Hey Nancy," Carson answered.

"Hey dad," I replied. "I received a phone call about a missing persons case in Chicago. I was just about to leave, but wanted to make sure you knew where I was going to be."

"I'm glad you called," he told me. "Just make sure you're careful and keep in touch."

"I will," I responded.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before we finally ended the conversation. Now that everyone knew where I was headed, I got into my car and backed out of the driveway. I quickly began making my way to Chicago and the hopes of a good mystery to keep me occupied for a little while.