Chapter Seven

In the days following the threat from Owen, Frank immersed himself in looking for information about the man or anything that would explain what was going on. By midweek, he had called nearly everyone on the list he made of Owen's accusers but only got a few who were actually available to talk. All the phone calls seemed odd to Frank which made him look into the matters even more. What he found out stunned him.

There were initially ten complaints against Owen, three were from women working the secretarial pool while the other seven were his colleagues and other lawyers within the firm. Of those ten people, four of them were missing, two of them were killed in accidents, and the rest said they were mistaken about the complaint. Eventually, all of the complaints were removed from the firm but Owen had moved on by then. Lucky for Owen, the complaints were removed from his employment record with his former firm.

Thursday morning, Frank was thinking about everything he'd learned as he walked into the firm's office. He didn't even realize that someone was talking to him until the man was in front of him and it was the one person Frank did not want to see that morning.

"Did you hear me, Frank?" Owen demanded, his arms folded in front of him. "I asked three times if you had that file for me!"

"What file?" he replied, confused.

The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I asked you for a file yesterday afternoon, remember? My God, is your memory is horrible as your attitude?"

Frank seethed in anger though he didn't act on it. He only took a deep breath and smiled as nice as possible. "You didn't ask me for a file yesterday, Owen," he stated. "But since I stayed late last night because of another matter you asked me to do for you when you left early, I could be mistaken and forgot all about it. If you would give me five minutes, since I just walked in the door, I can find you whatever file that you need."

Owen sniffed, irritated and looked around at the few other associates staring at them. He leaned toward Frank and spoke in a low voice. "You embarrass me again and I'll wipe that smirk off your face." Then he spoke a little louder. "Due to your incompetence, I'll find the damn file myself."

As the lawyer walked away, Martin, one of the other associates, came over to Frank. "What did you do to get on Owen's bad side, Frank?"

"Nothing," he answered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I guess he doesn't like me being friends with Nancy or Mr. Drew."

Martin chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Ever since Owen was finally able to get Nancy out on a date, he's been in everyone's faces to stay away from her. Almost as if he was afraid she'd dump him if someone finally convinced her that he's one of the biggest jerks in the world. Or if she happened to meet someone who actually treated her the way she should be treated. Heck, we were told to not even try to date her, not that any of the men in this building would. Most of us here are married with exception to you and a few others. And ever since you came into the picture though, Owen seems to have his sights set on your to harrass." The man shook his head. "What I don't understand is what Nancy sees in him. I've known her since before her husband died and she would never stoop to low standards with a man like Owen."

"How long have you known her?"

"Oh, about four years," Martin replied nonchalantly. "I never met her husband but I heard he was a good man."

"He was," Frank nodded. "I've known Nancy since we were in high school. She was dating Ned then. I can't believe that she would even consider marrying someone like Owen." He looked at Martin curiously. "You wouldn't happen to have any ideas as to why."

Martin shrugged then thought about it. "My guess is that she just doesn't want to be alone. Her husband's death took a toll on her. Her friends had already moved away by the time I started working here and when her husband died, Nancy didn't have anyone left to turn to besides her father and Hannah. Oh, and I think a friend who lived out of town but I can't remember his name. Owen took advantage of that. But that's just my observation of it all so I might be wrong."

"Thanks, Martin," he said.

"Any time, Frank," the lawyer smiled, slapping his hand on Frank's back. "If you need anything, let me know. I know how juggling the studying for the bar and working a job can be."

The man walked away leaving Frank to his thoughts. He hung his fedora on the nearby coat rack and placed his satchel on his desk then plopped into his chair and leaned back. Something was irking him about the whole thing with Owen let alone the fact that Nancy would actually be married to him. What would drive her to the arms of someone as sadistic as Owen? Was Martin right in thinking that she just didn't want to be alone anymore? That would explain a lot but why wouldn't Bess, George, or even Joe steer her away from him

"Got a lot on your mind?" replied a voice in front of him.

Frank looked up to see Carson standing at the corner of his desk, a kind smile on his face. "Oh, I was just…thinking."

"It looked like it," the lawyer chuckled. "Owen seems to be a little agitated today."

"That's not the half of it," he muttered looking away. "He's been on me this whole week, giving me things to do while he goes off and does God knows what. I know that I'm supposed to help out here but I feel like I'm doing his work for him."

"You probably are," Carson sighed. "Well, how about you do something for me this time. You get to leave for a few hours, run some errands for me, get lunch, then come back. No big deal. I'm not going to time you on it."

"What about…"

"Don't worry about anything," he interrupted him. "I'm still the boss around here no matter what Owen seems to think." Carson pulled out a paper and handed it to Frank. "Here's the list of items that I need and where to find them. When you go to the library, ask for Maureen. She'll have the books ready. And Jim at the department store, he'll have everything ready for you by the time you get there. If you'd want, take my car. That way you can just put it all into the trunk so you're not carrying everything."

"Are you sure about this, Mr. Drew? You don't need me for anything else?"

"If you don't want to do it, that's fine," Carson shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll just have someone else do it. I thought you'd like to get away from the office for a while especially since Owen is pretty intent on making your life a living hell."

Frank bit his lip, thinking about the offer. He really did want to get away from Owen but going on errands wasn't exactly what he'd like to do. Still, Mr. Drew had a point and he wasn't being timed so he could easily do a little digging while he was out.

"Sir?" Frank said softly, leaning toward the lawyer. Carson leaned in just a bit, a curious look on his face. "Why did you hire Owen?"

Carson smiled and in a low voice, he answered. "That's a long story to tell, Frank, but not here. Ask me again later but I suggest that if you're going to go, do it now before Owen comes back. There's no telling what that man will do next."

Sure enough, Owen's voice echoed in the room as he yelled out Frank's name startling them both. Frank looked at Carson for a brief moment then gathered his hat, the list, and the keys to Carson's car before rushing out of the room.

The moment he set foot outside, Frank took a deep breath of relief. He looked down at the list, studying it to determine where to go first. There wasn't much on the list and the items were easy enough to get which confused him as Carson could have easily done these things on his own. Still, Frank knew his time away from Owen would be good for him and allow him to do other things that weren't on the list.

The first few stops were quick ones where he was in and out within a few minutes. The store keepers had everything ready for him just as Carson stated they would. Even the library was a quick trip though the books he picked up were not books he expected Carson would ask for. It was proving to be a very quick errand run for him though Frank remembered that Carson said to take his time.

The grocery stop was more eventful than the previous stops and even took longer than he thought he would. Frank went in and found the items on his boss' list. As he moved down an aisle, he noticed an older woman of about 50 studying her list as she stood at her cart. Frank didn't give her much thought as he passed by but he did notice that she was wearing a long-sleeved sweater buttoned all the way to the collar, which was only partly out. It was the only thing in the woman's attire that wasn't pristine. Her hair was perfectly styled, cut in a curly bob with a pillbox hat resting on her head. And the woman hardly looked like someone who would shop let alone do any housework with how expensive the clothes looked. But still, the collar and the sweater put Frank off a little. It was rather warm outside and most women were walking around with short sleeves to keep cool so it wasn't exactly sweater weather. Plus the sweater didn't match well with the rest of the outfit, almost as if it were an afterthought.

Frank shook his head as he headed to the cashier to pay for the groceries, putting the strange scene out of his mind. Once he was outside again, he placed the groceries in the trunk to take to Hannah before heading back to the office. As he closed the trunk, Frank noticed the woman again. She was walking away from the grocers, a paper bag of groceries in each arm.

Stepping down from the curb, the woman looked both ways before crossing the street. Just as she passed the middle of the road, she tripped slightly, dropping one of her bags. The groceries fell out, landing all over the ground around her. The woman set the other bag on the ground and began fiddling with her shoe that apparently got stuck in the manhole cover in the middle of the street. Frank watched her, approaching to help. That was when he saw a car coming down the road, seemingly oblivious to the woman trying to get her shoe loose. Memories of his mother's death shot through Frank's head and he rushed over to the woman pulling her to safety just as the car swerved, hitting a parked car as it came to a stop feet from them.

"Are you okay?" asked the breathless driver as he got out of his car. He couldn't have been more than 18 years old, Frank noticed. The young man ran his fingers through his hair, looking at the damage he made to the car. "Aw, man. My old man's going to kill me!" He glanced at Frank and the woman apologetically. "I…I'm so sorry. I'm still learning and wasn't paying attention like I should have."

"It's okay," Frank said calmly. The woman held on to his arm as he helped her up. "There doesn't seem to be any injuries and only the cars were damaged. Are you okay, ma'am?"

"I'm all right," the woman replied, her voice shaky. She looked up at him and gave a sad smile. "You saved my life. Thank you."

"Any time," he nodded. That was when he noticed her sleeve was slightly up revealing a dark bruise beneath it. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The woman realized her sleeve was up and nodded, quickly moving the sleeve back down. "It's nothing," she vaguely explained, noticing his interest. "I fell down the stairs last night in a clumsy moment." She looked around at her ruined groceries and gasped in horror. "Oh, dear. I'm going to be late. He's going to be mad."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Frank asked, wondering what she was talking about. "I could go back and buy you new groceries."

"My dad will pay for them," the young driver eagerly piped in. The sound of sirens erupted around them and soon, two police vehicles pulled up to the scene. The young driver hung his head in defeat as one of the officers came up to him.

"Randolph!" the officer cried, hands on his hips. "What have I told you about talking the car out without permission? This is exactly what happens when you don't listen!" He turned to Frank and the woman. "I'm sorry for what my son has done. Can you tell me what happened?"

"My heel got stuck in the grate, officer," the woman quickly replied before Frank could say anything. "If it hadn't been for this young man here, I would have been killed. But your son also swerved at the last minute. They both saved my life but you don't need to punish your son. He's still learning to drive and I'm alive."

"Are you sure, ma'am?" The officer looked surprised.

"Of course," she nodded though she was still shaking. "I have to be going now. My...my husband is waiting for me. I'll take whatever groceries I can salvage and come back another time for the rest." The woman turned to Frank. "Thank you, young man. If there is anything I can do for you, just ask."

With that she rushed off toward the sidewalk, hurrying away. Frank watched as she put her groceries in a vehicle parked at the corner, thinking maybe he should have helped her instead of watching her.

"I'm sorry, Dad," the young man replied, his head down. The exchange drew Frank's attention away from the woman. He observed the officer as he glared at his son, his lips tight. "I…I was just going out to get a malt with Julie. That's all"

"If I may say something," Frank replied, interrupting the father and son exchange. The two looked at him as he continued. "He's done nothing wrong. I only noticed the woman in the street before your car started to come down this way. It was only a mistake."

"I'll be the judge of that," the officer said curtly. He took Frank's name and address and was about to let him go when he said something else. "When you have kids of your own, you'll understand it when it happens to you. It could have been a lot more damaging had he hit either you or Mrs. Hartley. I will deal with my son how I see fit. Now be on your way, sir."

"Wait," Frank stopped the man. "You knew who she was?"

"Anybody in this town knows who she is," he chuckled and shook his head. "You must be new in town. Mrs. Nora Hartley. She's married to Owen Hartley, Sr, one of the richest men in town. He's done a lot for River Heights and has a lot of clout here, including within the police department, so my son should be grateful that she didn't press charges against him."

Frank took a step back in shock as the officer and his son walked away arguing. The woman was Owen's mother! He looked to where her car was parked but slumped his shoulders when he saw that she was already gone. It would have been the perfect opportunity to get information about Owen and he let it slip away! There was something bothering Frank though. The bruise he saw on Nora Hartley's arm could not have been from a fall down the stairs. Even he knew that from his years of being a private investigator. No, the bruise was from someone gripping her arm. The woman put on a show for everyone to see, looking like she was more put together than she really was and no one seemed to bat an eye about it.

Walking back to Carson's car, Frank thought about the events that just unfolded. He had one more stop to go to and that was dropping off the groceries at the Drews' residence. If Hannah was home, maybe she knew more about Nora Hartley and could give insight into what could possibly be going on in the Hartley home.

"Nora?" Hannah asked, surprised ten minutes later. Frank was helping her put away the groceries and asked about the woman. "Why would you want to know about her?"

"I happened to bump into her earlier today," he admitted then explained everything that occurred. "As I was helping her, I saw a bruise on her arm before she covered it up. You don't think someone is hurting her, do you?"

"That's kind of you to be concerned, Frank," she stated grimly. Once the last of the groceries were put away, Hannah moved to make a sandwich for him. "I don't know much about her to be honest. Nancy doesn't mention her other than that she's a kind woman which is surprising considering how Owen is. Mr. Hartley does most of the talking when I have been around them. She tends to stay off to the side but not far from him, almost as if she were afraid to be away from him. I always thought that was strange but never asked her or Nancy about it. Nancy might know a little more about her though. You could call her tonight. She usually gets to her apartment around six after work."

"Have you spoken with her this week, Hannah?"

"Who? Nancy? No, she doesn't normally call me unless she needs a girl talk. Carson, on the other hand, I believe, spoke with her last night. She called about ten o'clock."

"Is that normal for her?"

"Nothing is normal with Nancy anymore, Frank," Hannah chuckled. She finished the sandwich and slid the plate over to him before cleaning up the counter. "There are days where she is doing well...and then there are the days when she is with Owen, which seem to be getting worse as we get closer to the wedding." She paused, looking at a speck on the wall. "He's been awful lately. He's not good for her, that's for sure."

"Yeah, I gathered that already," Frank muttered, thinking.

"What's worse though," she stated drawing his attention back, "is that none of Nancy's friends are coming to the wedding."

"What? Why?"

"They never received an invitation."

"How do you know?"

"Owen is the one thing that she does talk to me about," Hannah admitted. "This revelation came about three weeks ago. She had called Bess, George, and even Joe, wondering if they were coming since she had not received their RSVPs back. None of them received an invite and none of them can change their plans to come. Not even Joe."

"But I thought that Nancy would make sure that they got one."

"She did. She made the envelopes herself, put the stamps on them, and onto the pile to be sent out but somehow, they disappeared. It broke her heart. Bess is eight months pregnant and lives in Arizona so traveling is not a good idea. And George, well, she and her family are in the Maldives right now and won't be back until after the wedding."

"And Joe?"

"Busy with work," Hannah said, shaking her head. "Strangely though, he called here this morning, looking to talk to Nancy. He sounded worried about her...or maybe he had other things on his mind, I don't know. He did say that he called her apartment last night only to have Owen answer the phone. Owen told him he'd relay the message to Nancy to call him but Joe doubted it. Even Owen knows Joe doesn't like him."

Frank laughed. "At least we agree on something."

He took a bite of the sandwich, savoring the taste as he thought of Nora and Nancy. It troubled him that Owen's mother seemed to be a victim in her own home but it troubled him even more that Nancy was being alienated from her closest friends. What was Owen up to in all of this? And it still didn't explain Owen's real role in the firm. So many questions needed to be answered and Frank had no clue as to where to start.

Author's Note:

My apologies for the delay! It was not my intention to take this long to publish this chapter but I had a hard time with this one only because nothing I wrote sounded right. I finally got it though, so I hope that you enjoyed it! I hope that everyone's summer is going well so far. I have been keeping busy. My mom got married earlier this month and I finally met my step-sister and her family. We also went on our annual trip to Jubilee Day. It's the largest, single day street fair on the east coast and right around the corner from where we live. If you're ever in Pennsylvania the third week in June, look up Jubilee Day. It's a lot of fun! We also took a day trip to Lancaster and took the girls to a children's science museum. They loved it! Went to a place called Shady Maple Smorgasbord. The place is MASSIVE, almost like a campus complete with a farmer's market and gift shop. And this is just June. July is coming so who knows what we'll do then. Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapter and also to those who left a review! I am really glad to hear that you are enjoying it. This story will move fast but don't worry, we'll get back to Fenton and Joe soon. After this chapter, I'm sure you want to know what Owen is up to. We're closing in on it. So, I will do my best to get the next chapter out a lot quicker. I want to get them out faster, believe me. Thank you again and, if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think. Have a great rest of your day and God bless!