I couldn't believe that Nancy was missing! It was completely unexpected. Joe and I had just been relaxing at home, something we hardly ever got to do, but the wedding had gotten us time off from the Justice Department. I was reading one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes mysteries, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Joe was playing Chess with my Father, something he clearly lacked a knack for. My father had already beaten him in a round when the phone rang.
I was the one to answer it. It was Mr. Drew, saying he was rounding up everyone at his house because Nancy was missing. When I told my father and Joe, they looked disturbed and slightly excited. It might seem a little strange, but with my family if you mention anything close to a mystery, they will always get a little jumpy.
We all rushed to the car without even asking any questions. Of course, during the ride to the Drew's, Joe couldn't hold back from wondering.
"Do you think she was kidnapped?"
"I don't know, Joe."
"Do you think she was called on an urgent case?"
"I think she would've told her dad about that, Joe."
"You're probably right, Frank... Do you think it was Bigfoot?"
"No, Joe, I do not!" People always said that Joe and I had alike minds. The only difference was that I was the logical and he was... Not.
"Boys! Joe calm down. We will figure it out later, first we need the facts. Frank, don't yell at your brother." It was great having Fenton for a dad. He was the one who got us interested in the whole detective business by buying me Sherlock's books and getting Joe to play Clue. As we got older, we got more involved in crime and into my dad's cases.
Like Nancy, our mother had passed away when we were young. We also had a Nanny like Nancy as well, except she was our Aunt. Her name was Gertrude. We loved her like a mother, but sometimes she could be a little protective. We could never leave the house without a full interrogation.
Anyway, when we got the Drew home, it seemed like we were the last to arrive. Bess and George were there, Hannah, Carson, Ned, and the Chief. Apparently, Hannah had gone out to the Baker's and left Nancy home alone. When she came back Nancy was gone, the front door was open, and Nancy's phone was on the ground next to a candle stick with her finger prints on it.
The chief seemed stumped by the whole thing and decided to send out a search party. After he left, Ned got down to business.
"We have to do something," Ned stood up, pacing the room. I had known Ned for as long as I had known Nancy, which was years. All of us in that room went way back.
Carson rubber his temples and tired eyes, "Ned, I'm not sure what we can do."
I jumped back at this. Ned seemed taken aback by his remark too. "Carson, have some faith," my Dad said.
"I wouldn't worry so much, Mr. Drew. We can definitely help," my brother chimed in. Actually, this isn't the first time we helped Carson find Nancy.
A few years ago, before we joined the Justice Department, Nancy went missing for months. The police had no idea how to find her. Joe and I took matters into our own hands and discovered her being held hostage in an abandoned penthouse by a insane man. Nancy happened to look a lot like his dead wife, which is why he took her and then dressed her like his wife, Greta. Luckily we found her, because minutes after the building caught on fire.
Long story short, I was sure we could find her this time. "Thank you," Carson said, "I'm just so used to worrying about Nancy. When I hear she is in trouble, I immediately assume the worst." Tears started to well up in his eyes.
Hannah silently cried beside him, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left her alone!"
"You can't blame yourself, Hannah." Bess and George walked over to Hannah. "We will help find her, too." George gave a warm smile as Bess hugged Hannah.
"If anything," Bess said, "Nancy could already be on her way home! Maybe she attacked her abductor and escaped!" This didn't make any of us feel any better and George kicked Bess in the ankle. "Ow!"
Ned walked over to the window and stared out longingly. After a few minutes of silence, Ned turned to us with a determined grin. "Where do we start?"
