EDITING: Politics and Poison

Chapter Three: Memories and Dinner Plans

Frank Hardy: My flight from John F. Kennedy Airport to O'Hare Airport in Chicago was uneventful. I collected my baggage from the carousel and made my way to the car hire booth, just outside the main entrance. I'd already booked my car, and so after doing some paperwork, I was handed the keys to a charcoal Chevrolet Tahoe SUV.

I laid my suitcase on the backseat, and hung my suits, protected by a dry-cleaning bag, from the hook over the passenger side door. A quick search of the radio revealed to me that there wasn't much worth listening to. So I drove in silence.

The car smelt new, and was too big. I was small and insignificant. Turning up the heat, I typed in the coordinates of River Heights into the navigation system. The drive was about three hours, and my rapid journey down the highway flung glimpses of woods and pastures by my side window.

I tried to remember the last time I'd seen Joe. Perhaps it was Thanksgiving at my parent's house in Bayport. I remembered the scent of roast turkey, the taste of pumpkin tart: spicy and sweet. Our parents had always ensured that holidays were celebrated well and with our father's sister Gertrude staying, there was always laughter, and plenty of food.

This Christmas would be different. Mom and Gertrude would be visiting Aunt Anne, our Mom's younger sister, in Morristown; whilst Joe and I would be with our Dad in River Heights. And the Drew family, I reminded myself. With this reminder came memories of hide and seek, mystery stories and later, as teenagers, picnics and whispered conversations in the handsome family library. I always associated the Drew's with that room: the solid antique furniture, and leather bound books. Nancy Drew was different to anyone I'd ever known. Unlike Callie, she'd never chastised, or berated me concerning my priorities in life. She had always been loyal, committed, brave, and engaging. We had spent so much time together, lingering, deluding ourselves that I didn't have to go home, and that neither of us were in relationships with other people. This is how, time and time again, no matter how hard we attempted to avoid each other, we had transgressed our commitments to Ned and Callie. These moments of infidelity varied, from glances, to kisses.

It was these occasions that had led to the break-down of my relationship, my move to New York. I was disgusted with myself, and unsure of how to cope. In response, I'd shut down all communication with Nancy and her family. Hurt and confused, I felt my way through life, eyes closed so I didn't have to see the things that stirred emotions inside of me. That is, until my father had dropped by my apartment on a surprise business trip detour. Over beers on the balcony, he'd cajoled me into attending a convention that would enrich my studies, as many important issues would be discussed, he claimed. I'd known Nancy was going to be there, from the moment I'd opened a flyer and seen Carson Drew's name upon it. That had been three weeks ago, and yet, I was as unprepared for the encounter as I'd been, when my father first encouraged me.

Goddammit. I'd never been the cheating kind. When I was young, I'd solved cases for the hell of it. No one had paid me. I'd tried to restore justice for others, always others, over any sense of self gratification. I plucked a cigarette from the pack on the passenger seat, and twisted it nervously, between my shaking fingers. The action soothed me, and I switched on the radio for a distraction. A channel was playing James Blunt, and I drummed my fingers in time to the song "Goodbye My Lover." Somehow, the song resounded with me, my morbid, self-inflicted isolation. 

As I mouthed the lyrics, "You touched my heart you touched my soul. You changed my life and all my goals. And love is blind and that I knew when, My heart was blinded by you," I had to laugh at myself. Why the fuck was I coming back here?

When I finally pulled into River Heights, I was still wondering. It was two o'clock and the world was grey. I had no idea where I was going to stay, what I was going to do. Just off the main street, I saw a sign advertising a motel, River View Inn. I pulled into the lot, which was framed by delicate flower beds and squat hedges. Like everything in this town, the inn was sophisticated, well cared for. There were no loafers and hooded sweatshirts in River Heights, and the only crime was juvenile shoplifting, or political espionage.

Nancy had always been adamant that the town was not all "cutesy" and had its dark side. This was hard to see in the dim, cold closing of day, with all of the lattice work and chirping birds, surrounding me. A car horn honked in the distance. I could hear wine glasses chink, at the restaurant over the road. A sedan purred past, and I heard a dog bark once. Shaking my head, I ascended the steps onto the closed porch, decorated with dark green garden furniture, to match the building's forest colored trim. I was surprised to see Bayport's Police Chief Ezra Collig, Joe's boss, sitting near the door. He was smoking a cigar.

He grunted when he saw me. "Frank, didn't expect to see you here."

Uncertain, I set my bag down on the ground, shook his proffered hand. "I haven't really talked to anyone about accommodation; so I thought I may as well come here for the time being."

"Best rooms in town," Collig's companion, a well dressed gentleman with glasses said. He smiled gingerly, tapped out his cigarette. "I'm Senator Richard Greer."

"Frank Hardy," I introduced myself.

"Heard a lot about you." Greer jerked his head at Collig. "You're the favorite son around here. A detective like your father and brother?"

"No. Uh... third year law, actually."

Greer looked surprised. "More like Carson Drew then," he laughed.

"He was dating Nancy Drew, weren't you, son?" Collig guffawed.

I felt myself flush. "No, no. Nothing like that."

"Could have fooled me!" Collig rose, and gestured to Senator Greer. "Coming Richard? I told the Captain that we'd see them before dinner." His shaggy brows gathered together as he turned his head to look at me. "You know the Matre'd, Frank? Fanciest restaurant here?"

"Norman Gruen's place," Greer added.

I nodded, remarked, "I've heard of it."

"Dinner at six. All the important people will be there," Collig advised, clapped me upon the back.

I felt like saying, "yes sir!" as I thanked him, and walked into the foyer. I was assigned a room facing the courtyard. So I unpacked my clothes and opened a window. I lay on my bed and smoked, watching the fountain glimmer in the fading light.

Nancy Drew: I stared at my reflection in my ensuite mirror. I wore a dark brown dress that brought out the reddish hues in my strawberry blonde hair, and complimented the blusher on my cheeks. Nodding at my reflection, I slipped my feet into matching high-heeled pumps, and gathered up my clutch purse, checked its contents: phone, check. Lipstick tube, check. Purse, check.

The doorbell rang, and I swore, adjusted my shoe on my foot, and hobbled down the stairs. Peering out the frosted glass, I caught a glimpse of my boyfriend, Ned Nickerson. 

I opened the door, and accepted his compliments, a kiss on the cheek. His lips were dry. Seeing Joe on the stairs, with his shirt untucked, and his tie undone, I re-introduced the two, checked my watch. Time had truly flown, since Joe and I's lunch. We'd gone back to the convention and helped set up the final things for the next day, then we'd come home and watched a movie in the den. Dad had called to tell us we were having dinner at Matre'd with Collig, Fenton and McGuinness, as well as Senator Greer, the opening speaker for the convention. 

I'd cancelled my dinner plans with Ned, and invited him, when he sounded so glum over the phone.

Joe shook Ned's hand, and I fixed his tie for him. Ned drove, with Joe happily chatting the whole time, about how hungry he was. I could feel my boyfriend's eyes seeking mine, so I avoided them. He had only become more clingy, and I felt suffocated by him, like a bird in a cage.

Joe tapped my shoulder, from behind in the back seat. "Hey Nan," he said with a smile, "did you know that Collig invited Frank? He'll be at dinner tonight!"