J.M.J.

Author's note: Thank you for continuing to read! Thanks especially for any and all reviews! To all of you who are asking for a speedy rescue for the boys, all I can say (without too many spoilers) is sorry. The next chapter will be out tomorrow. God bless!

July 12 – Wednesday

It was Tony's turn to keep watch over Frank during the night. His fever had never left entirely, but it hadn't gotten worse, so that was something. He had spent most of the day drifting in and out of sleep. Joe had finally worn himself out worrying and had fallen asleep.

Tony was half-kneeling and half-sitting while he kept his watch. They were all getting worn out, and sleep sounded so inviting, but they were all afraid of Frank taking some turn for the worse while they were all asleep. They knew they wouldn't be able to do anything for him even if they were awake, but they kept watch anyway. While he was sitting up, Tony was praying, using his fingers to keep track since the rosary he had made out of the beads had disappeared. That was another bizarre aspect of this entire situation that Tony had not had the time or energy to wrap his head around yet. There was a strange girl somewhere on the island, and none of them had any idea who she was, where she had come from, and whether she might have any means of getting off the island.

He was praying in a quiet murmur, which he didn't think would disturb any of the sleepers, but then he heard someone rustling under the mosquito netting and he stopped, thinking he had woken someone up. He hoped it wasn't Joe. The younger Hardy really needed his sleep.

"You don't need to stop on my account," Phil said quietly, but not particularly sleepily.

"Did I wake you up?" Tony asked.

"I've been awake awhile." There was another rustling as Phil tried to get comfortable on the ground. "Any change?"

"Not that I can see." Tony sat back down completely. "Not that I would be able to tell."

Phil heaved a sigh. "It's been almost three weeks that we've been here. I would have thought we could make it longer than that."

Discouraged as Tony was, he managed to say, "We're not beaten yet. Besides, the fact that we all got to this island at all is practically a miracle. I doubt God would get us this far without helping us through this."

"Aren't you getting a little tired of playing preacher?" Phil asked unexpectedly.

"I don't know," Tony replied. "In any case, I didn't think that was particularly preachy."

"Do you really still believe in God after all this?"

"Yes, of course."

"Why? What good is it doing any of us?"

"There's too much evidence in His favor…" Tony paused, unsure what to say. "But you know that."

"Yeah, everything that's been happening is very convincing." Phil voice shook slightly.

"I guess I can see why you'd say that, but I didn't have a problem believing in Him before this happened," Tony replied. "And I knew about murders and accidents and diseases and natural disasters and abusive parents and war and the Holocaust and the Iron Curtain and slavery and however many other atrocities and tragedies you want me to keep listing off. It all makes this look like nothing. If I'm the sort of person who can look at all that happening to other people and still believe in God, but then the second something that's not even as bad happens to me and I feel too sorry for myself to keep on believing…Well, let's just say I'd have to have a lot of nerve to accuse anyone else of being cruel."

"Thanks a lot."

Tony shook his head. "This is why I don't like these conversations."

He heard what sounded like a sniffle from Phil's general direction. Then Phil cleared his throat. "I don't know what to believe anymore. I just want all this to turn out to be a nightmare."

"I know what you mean." Tony knew it was too late at night for this kind of conversation. They were too tired and too stressed. He would have liked to say something comforting, but he couldn't think of anything.

"Tony?" Phil said after a minute or so, clearing his throat once he had said it. "Why don't you go back to praying? It's probably just as well if at least one of us can hold on. Besides, it was kind of peaceful to listen to."

"Sure." Tony had lost his place by now, so he started over from the last place he remembered. He felt a bit self-conscious, knowing that Phil was listening, but it was peaceful to repeat the familiar words, as he recalled saying them before with his parents and sisters, back in their living room at home or in the church before Mass on Sundays.

HBNDHBNDHB

The most pleasant place in River Heights was undoubtedly the botanical garden. There were quite a few enthusiastic gardeners in the small city, and amongst them was Hannah Gruen, the Drews' housekeeper. About twelve years before, they had persuaded the city council to let them turn one of the public parks into a garden. They had planted a multitude of flowers and trees, including numerous fruit trees that would be covered in blossoms in the spring and then have fruit available to anyone to pick in the fall. The pride of the gardens was the ever-bearing rosebushes, which were covered in blooms all summer.

The garden was where Nancy usually went when she had to think through some problem. Being up against a wall in a case like this was about as big a problem as Nancy had ever faced, and so Nancy was strolling through the garden, trying to think her way through it. It was better to be trying to think about solving the case, rather than what the case was about. Frank and Joe had been like the brothers she had never had. Losing them hurt worse than anything she had ever experienced before.

The problem was that, try as she would, she couldn't think as much about the case as about memories with the Hardys. Some of them were less pleasant than others, for sure, but now that it was all over, she wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

Keep your mind on the case, Nance, she told herself, but as soon as she had, more memories cropped up. Frank and Joe were the only who ever called her "Nance." Bess and George would sometimes call her "Nan," but otherwise no one ever really called her by nicknames.

"Nancy!"

Her name being called brought Nancy out of her reverie and she brushed the tears away that she hadn't realized until then were forming in her eyes. She turned around to see Bess and George hurrying toward her.

"Whew!" Bess sighed when they caught up to Nancy. "It's way too hot to be running like that." She tried to fan herself with her hand.

"We stopped at your house, Nancy, but Hannah told us you were probably here," George said. "Looks like she was right."

"I guess so," Nancy replied, trying to adjust to a normal conversation. "What are you two up to?"

George shrugged. "Not a whole lot, I guess. How are you doing?"

"Okay." Nancy swallowed. "I'll be better after the case is solved."

"But I thought…I mean you didn't exactly catch the guys, but you know who did it," Bess said. "What more is there to solve?"

"Somebody hired those guys," Nancy replied. "I've got to find out who and why. And why the FBI is being so weird about the whole thing."

"We're ready to help any way we can," George offered. "Just tell us what to do."

Nancy wryly half-smiled. "I wish someone would tell me what to do."

"Okay, then, that's what we'll work out," George replied.

The girls fell into step, walking along the path as they all thought for a few moments.

"So you can't go back to Hawaii," George began.

"It's not like I'm barred from entering the state," Nancy pointed out. "It's just that Mr. Hardy and Mr. Radley and I decided that since the FBI would be watching everything we did if we stayed and probably try to prevent us from investigating as much as possible, it wouldn't be very productive for us to stay there. Besides, Mr. Hardy needed to get back to his wife."

"I'm glad he did," Bess said. "I can't imagine what it's like for them."

"Well, what can we investigate from a distance?" George asked.

"I wish I knew," Nancy replied with a shrug.

"Tell us again what you know," George requested. "Maybe something will stand out this time."

Nancy was between the cousins and so she smiled first at one and then at the other. "Thank you both. I know you're trying to help, and I couldn't ask for better friends."

Bess put an arm around her shoulders. "You're the one who's always been a good friend to us. We couldn't do anything less than stand by you."

"Okay, okay, enough of the touchy-feely stuff," George said. "I really do want to catch these crumbs. Let's try to figure out where to start."

Nancy and Bess both actually laughed, and then Nancy began going over the facts once again. It was sobering, and she tried to avoid the most painful parts when possible. Partway through, she was interrupted by her phone ringing, and she checked who was calling.

"It's my dad," she reported. "I'd better get it. It could be important."

"Nancy?" Carson said as soon as Nancy had answered the phone. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the botanical garden. Why?"

"Something just came up, and I need to talk to you right away. Could you come down to my office?"

"Sure, Dad. I'll be right there."

HBNDHBNDHB

When Nancy arrived at her father's office, she found it in a flurry of excitement. Carson's intern, paralegals, and receptionist were all either on the phone or trying to ask him questions at once. However, as soon as he saw Nancy, Carson ushered her into his private office and closed the door with instructions that they weren't to be disturbed.

"What's going on, Dad?" Nancy asked. "It looks you're trying to get ready for the trial of the century."

"Nothing that big. Just a lot of little cases." Carson gestured for Nancy to sit down and then he took a seat himself. "I'm going to have to be gone for a while, unexpectedly."

"Why? What's happened?"

Carson rubbed his chin. "I got a call from Fenton Hardy this morning…"

"Has he learned anything?" Nancy broke in, leaning forward slightly as she gripped the arms of the chair.

"Not exactly, but something has happened. The FBI raided the house of that investigative reporter, Mark Larson, and arrested him."

"What? For what?"

"We're not sure yet. The only thing we do know is that it's related to this case somehow. Fenton is a bit worried that he and everyone else who was working on that case unofficially might also wind up in hot water with the FBI."

"Which would include me," Nancy said.

Carson nodded. "Right. Along with Sam Radley, Jack Wayne, and Don Cameron. Fenton has retained me to represent him in case anything happens. I can't see that there's any conflict of interest in me representing any of you who need it. In any case, I'm going to go to Hawaii to do some preliminary work so that we have everything in order if anything does happen. First, though, I'm going to go to Bayport and talk to Fenton, Sam, and Jack in person. I thought you might like to come along, too."

"Yes, I'd like to," Nancy agreed.

"All right." Carson went to the door and opened it. "Hailey?" he said to the receptionist.

"Yes, Mr. Drew?" Hailey looked up from her desk.

"Were you able to get tickets for tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, there are two seats available on a flight leaving at 8:30. Should I go ahead and book them?"

"Yes, go ahead." Carson turned to Nancy. "It looks like we're leaving at 8:30 tomorrow morning."