The Silent Confession

Chapter Seventeen

Nancy waited for some time before Jason returned, however it most likely didn't take as long as she believed it to. Time moved much slower when you were alone with your thoughts.

The boy brought a chair with him, and sat it down across from her before reversing it. He folded his arms over the back of the chair and stared at her.

"I bet you have so many questions for me, Miss. Drew." He started. "Since you're going to be staying with us, I figure I can finally answer them, even if Brown doesn't agree." He grinned. "Besides, the reveal is always the best part. I hope I surprise you, Miss. Drew."

Nancy didn't want to be surprised, but she did want to be informed. Jason gently removed the tape from her mouth, and she sighed.

She concluded that there were little ways out of the situation she was in, besides persuasion. She would play nice until an opportunity came, and she prayed one would.

"So, what do you want to know first?" Jason asked. He seemed genuinely interested in what Nancy had to say about his schemes as he leaned forward in his seat, eyes ablaze with anticipation.

"Why?" Nancy started. "Why are you working with Mr. Brown?"

"He hired me, actually. Enticed me with the idea of Alvin Brixton's treasure. It sounded fun. It was like a treasure hunt, or, rather, taking the treasure from whomever found it first. My cover was blown a little too early in the game to find it myself." He grinned at her.

Nancy was struggling to follow his story, but Jason's enthusiasm was frightening. Something wasn't right with him. The idea of crime seemed to thrill him. "Why did Mr. Brown hire you?"

"He wanted some damage done to the convention, but he didn't want to do it himself... I sometimes ask for his reasoning, although it doesn't really matter to me. He mumbles about Mr. Richardson. I think he's mad that the spotlight was taken from him back in the day, or something like that. He's always talking about the past."

"He's jealous?" Nancy's eyes widened as she took the information in. From what she recalled, Mr. Richardson and Mr. Brown had worked together for years until Mr. Richardson was approached to star in his own television series. They reunited to form the convention. "I'm sorry," Nancy said. "That just doesn't seem like enough reason to attack and kidnap people."

Jason smiled. "No, it's not... Those were little twists I added into the mix."

That's why Mr. Brown was so upset with Jason earlier. "But, why?"

"Well, for one thing," Jason continued. "Tampering behind the scenes, like Mr. Brown wanted, wasn't going to be enough to shut down the convention. I told Mr. Brown that, but the old man insisted. I had to break the rules a little... For another thing," he looked Nancy up and down, "I wanted to have some fun, too."

Mr. Brown definitely wasn't right in hiring Jason to ruin the convention, but at least he wasn't out for blood. Jason, on the other hand, seemed to be, but for what reason?

"Why did you do it, then?"

Jason stood up slowly, circling her. "That's just my style, Nancy."

She cleared her voice, then found the will to speak in a gentle voice, one of persuasion. Her lips formed a small, flirtatious smile. "That can't be the only reason."

She realized that he wasn't going to give her answers easily, and he certainly wasn't going to give her the chance to escape if he didn't trust her.

Jason crouched in front of her. "You want to know my deepest, darkest secrets, Miss. Drew?" He crept closer. "Is the little detective curious?"

Refusing to let her facade falter, she batted her eyelashes. "She is."