The Mother She Never Knew

by sparkles321

The voice on the phone wasn't familiar, but he had a dim recollection that he'd heard it somewhere before. It was certainly brisk. "Afternoon, Carson. The wreck that killed your wife fifteen years ago? You always wondered about it, didn't you? You wondered if it was really an accident? I'll tell you everything you want to know- if you & your daughter drop the Polk case." R&R!

4. Chapter 4

Bess, ever timid, looked stunned. "The three of us? Alone? Chasing some criminal who threatened to hurt you?" George rolled her eyes. "Hypers, Bess. If that guy tries any funny stuff on us" - she demonstrated a judo flip with her hand - "you won't have to worry." Bess smirked. "I feel much safer now." George grinned at Nancy. "Count me in! It sounds like fun! Doesn't it, Bess?" She gave Bess a pointed look. "Uh, yeah, sounds great, Nancy, " Bess said unconvincingly.

The girls headed into the store, but one thought was constantly playing through Nancy's mind. The investigation. She wasn't going to drop it this easily. She scanned every teenage guy to see if he matched the description of the boy running from the fire the witness had seen. He was a weak clue, like clinging at a brick as one drowned, but Nancy was desperate. No one - Mr. Drew, Bess, George., even Hannah - knew how much she wanted to know about her mother. As a little girl, she'd asked Hannah, "Why do I not have a mommy?" Hannah had gently explained that Mommy lived in heaven now. She had died in a car crash when Nancy was little. She'd told Nancy it made Daddy sad to talk about it.

That was certainly true. If Nancy even asked him a simple question pertaining to her mother - "Why do we have two copies of Jane Eyre ?" He'd reply slowly, choosing his words carefully "One was your mother's when she was a girl." Then she would ask Hannah , who told her the other one was a rare edition, a gift to Elizabeth, who delighted in books, from Carson. Even though her father was talkative and loving, always buying her the best, encouraging her in ballet, sports, spelling bees, swim lessons, and anything else Nancy excelled at and enjoyed, as she got older,it secretly stung her that Dad never talked to her about her mother.

Bess came out of a fitting room then, interrupting Nancy's reverie. She twirled about in a pair of too-tight yoga pants and a chic top. "How do I look?" Nancy began bravely. "Ah... the top is really cute, but the pants, er..." George filled in, "They scream 'I'm not dieting anymore!" Bess scowled and retreated back to the dressing room. George and Nancy waited until she was out of hearing, then they stared at each other and burst out laughing. Bess emerged from the stall, carrying the top, and headed to the checking counter. Almost immediately she gasped and rushed back to Nancy and George.

"The checkout guy.." she stammered. George snorted. "Surely you don't think he's cute." Bess shook her head adamantly. "No, no. He's that boy Nancy's looking for! He fits the witness' description perfectly!"

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