EDITING: Politics and Poison

Chapter One: Reunited

Nancy Drew: I hardly recognized the River Heights show ground, when I got there. The guard booth by the gate had been turned into a ticket and information stall, with flyers and posters. Streamers of candy colors fluttered from every post, and people wearing lanyards and laminated tags were rushing back and forth, with cardboard boxes and clipboards.

The worn emerald turf was dotted with white tents, which circled a make- shift stage. A-top the stage, the town's police chief, Captain McGuinness, was reading off a notebook, whilst Bayport's chief, Ezra Collig, tested the microphone. They made an odd pair- Collig was square and barrel chested, while McGuinness was softer, and his eyes were crinkled. I had worked with them both in the past on many occasions. McGuinness had come to accept my amateur detective work. However, Collig had always, and would always, doubt my abilities as a sleuth. I couldn't see how they were such great friends.

Collig saw me, and nodded curtly. McGuinness, however did not notice me. I heard a familiar voice yell out, "Nancy! I didn't realize you were coming down today! "

It was December, just over a week until Christmas, cold enough for frost to turn breath into steam, but too mild for snow to fall. 

I started to answer, but pulled my eyes from the two police officers and focused on the young woman rushing toward me.

The human steamroller was my best friend Bess Marvin. A vision, cheeks touched crimson by the chill, blonde curls framed her soft, pretty face. Bess wore a pink, fur trimmed coat, and matching gloves. She gave me a breathless hug. Then detached herself, to look over the clipboard she'd hugged to her ample chest. 

"Nancy...Nancy Drew..." she muttered, trying to find my name. "We've got over a thousand people registered to attend the five days," she explained. "So I can't leave duty, even if I turn into a Popsicle!" 

At least she'd be a well-dressed popsicle, I observed, smirking. I wasn't surprised to see that she wore Vera Wang; but I was surprised to hear that so many people were coming to my hometown, for the event. After all, designer dress Bess was the most wordly thing that had happened to the community, since the nineteen nineties. 

"Every day?" I was taken aback. My home town was not a large one, and the Justice Convention was a relatively new event, sponsored by a billionaire, to encourage law enforcement, lawyers and crime experts to share experiences and ideas. I had been helping to organise the event, as my father, the world famous criminal barrister Carson Drew, was one of the events ten headline speakers. He would be talking about juvenile crime in country towns, alongside names such as the New York Mayor, a Nobel Prize winning forensic scientist, Chicago's chief commissioner of police, and the leading private detective Fenton Hardy.

"No, just over the whole convention. Some people are coming for specific speakers, and events. Your Dads talk is standing room only!" Bess fluffed out those glorious gold locks, brow crinkling. She was beautiful enough to be the next Marilyn Munroe, but she much preferred the country life, and helped assist all the local events. I believed this was because she had a heart of gold, and for all her jokes about the night life and the adventure of the big city, she was scared of getting hurt and of being forgotten by the people she loved most. It was just as well, because everybody had a place in their hearts for Bess Marvin. She modelled for all of the town businesses, and organised movie nights for the kids in hospital. Elderly people adored her because she would chat to them, when she was out and about. Kids loved her because she joined their games on the street, and men couldn't get enough of her. She was in and out of love every month, and dieting every moment between; constantly dreaming of losing those two pounds, and of finding the perfect man.So far, she'd found neither.

"So, are there many people we know?"

Bess rolled her sapphire eyes. "Yeah, all the people from your Dad's firm are coming, as well as Stratton Solicitors. I think the whole local council are all attending, with the police force. But males under the age of twenty five, are a bit scarce. I might have to look at another career path..."