The Silent Confession

Chapter Eleven

Closing her eyes, Nancy could see Frank's face in her memory. She could see how hard he had been trying not to show the hurt he felt after her rejection.

Deep down, she was doing the same.

She hated turning him down, and she had been worrying about it most of last night. Fear of any pain she would cause kept her conflicted, but what else was she to do? She had to be loyal to Ned, just as he had always been loyal to her. It was the right thing to do.

So, why did it feel so wrong?

Nancy pushed the feelings aside, knowing that she couldn't let them distract her. She still didn't know who Mr. Smithers' attacker was, why Clayton pretended to be someone he wasn't, or what Rita and Dave had been arguing about the night before. Furthermore, she didn't know how to open Alvin Brixton's box.

She wondered if the answers to any of those questions were connected in some way.

Nancy opened the glass doors to enter the dining room only to find Frank and Joe on the other side. "Nancy," Frank said, a quiet blush rising into his cheeks. "We need to talk."

"Okay," she replied, backing up towards the fountain.

"Frank ran into Dave Radley," Joe said, once the doors were shut. "Apparently he threatened to hurt you. We just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Nancy frowned. "I didn't think he saw me last night."

"What happened?" Frank asked.

"I went to the room where I found Alvin Brixton's safe." She swallowed the conversation she'd had with Ned. "I overheard an argument between Dave and Rita in another room, and it sounded like they were really mad at one another. I heard footsteps approaching the door and fled. Maybe they saw me, or maybe I left something behind that gave me away. I shouldn't have run, but I'm not exactly on the best of terms with either of them. It seemed like the best option. In fact," Nancy explained, "I was hoping to find Rita this morning. What did Dave say?"

"Well, he wanted me to tell you to mind your own business, and that if I didn't..." His jaw clenched as he looked away. "That jerk..."

Nancy wondered what exactly Dave had said to make Frank so angry. "I think I should look for Rita and find out what's really going on."

"Shouldn't we tell Mr. Richardson?" Joe asked. "Frankly, I wouldn't mind getting Dave kicked out of these conventions for good."

"We don't have any proof of misbehavior, and he's been attending the convention for years. Mr. Richardson wouldn't just force him to leave without any real evidence," Frank said.

"He's right," Nancy agreed.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Frank asked.

"I should probably talk to Rita alone. She hasn't really met either of you yet, and the three of us together may intimidate her. Maybe you could go to one of the workshops."

"Alright," Frank said. "But, call us if you need anything."

"Of course," Nancy smiled. "Thanks for checking in on me."

The three went their separate ways, with the boys heading out of the dining room and towards a meeting room. Nancy scanned the dining room for Rita, without much luck.

She wandered the first floor of the hotel, looking in on the events being held. Each meeting room was as grand as the first one they'd been in when Mr. Richardson welcomed the detectives to the convention. With lush carpeting or wooden floors, chairs lined the grounds in each room to create an audience facing a podium or screen.