After a final check of Nancy's house, Frank came to the conclusion that she was definitely on the trail of something. There was no sign that anyone had been home all day. Breakfast dishes sat in the drying rack and the day's mail had still been in the mailbox outside. Frank dropped it on the coffee table after letting Joe and himself into the house.

"No one here, either," Joe remarked as he ambled into the kitchen. Spotting a bowl of fruit sitting on the counter, he swiped a banana and began to peel it.

"No kidding," Frank said. "Doesn't look like anyone's been here all day." He pointed to the bowls in the drying rack. "At least not since breakfast. It doesn't appear that she even came home for lunch."

"That makes two of us," Joe muttered, wolfing down the banana. Tossing the peel into the trash, he reached for another one.

"Joe," Frank said. "We didn't stop here to raid Nancy's kitchen."

"Nancy won't mind," Joe responded, pushing the bananas aside and pulling out an apple. "You're the one who demanded to stop here first. I wanted to get something for lunch, but oh no, you just had to have your way and stop by Nancy's. Well, Nancy would take pity on me and let me have lunch." Joe took his apple and went into the living room.

Flipping through the mail on the coffee table, his eyes lit up as he pulled a catalog from the bottom of the stack. "Victoria's Secret!" he announced. "Cool." Plopping down on the sofa, he started to leaf through the catalog as Frank yanked it from his hand.

"Joe!" he said sternly. "Stay out other people’s mail!"

Joe grinned mischievously. "Did you know that Nancy got Victoria's Secret catalogs? I sure didn't."

Frank made a face at his brother. "No, I don't go around asking what kind of catalogs she gets. Besides," he continued, "it’s just a clothing catalog. I’m sure a lot of women get clothing catalogs in the mail." He tossed it back onto the coffee table and headed for the door.

"Yeah," Joe said. "But aren’t you even curious if she..." Looking up, he saw that he was alone. He glanced back down at the catalog, wondering to himself if Vanessa had gotten one. When he heard the front door open, then shut with a bang, he couldn’t resist a laugh. Hurrying, he went to catch up to his brother.

Nancy froze, caught in a staring match with a very upset teenage girl. As Melissa slammed her backpack onto the countertop of the center island, Nancy surreptitiously slid her hand into her pocket to check on the CD case. "So much for coming up with a plan," she thought to herself. "I'll just have to wing it." Pushing it down slightly to insure that it was well concealed, she smiled at the girl.

"I'm glad you're here, Melissa. Maybe you can help me." She walked around the counter to the other side and casually leaned against it.

"You didn't answer my question," Melissa responded, giving Nancy a stormy glare.

"I'm sorry," Nancy told her. "You're absolutely right. I didn't." She met Melissa's angry eyes with a calm look. "I don't suppose you'd believe me if told you that I was here to help your sister."

"Help?!" Melissa spluttered. "Help! You? Because of you, my sister's in jail. I think you've helped us enough! Get out!" She pointed at the door.

Nancy held the teenager’s gaze. "Melissa, I know you're angry. You have every right to be. You see my friends and me as people who have come into your life for the sole purpose of disrupting it. But we're not. We're here to do what's best for you."

Melissa snorted. "Yeah, right. You've done what's best for me. You managed to get the only family that I have locked up in jail for something she didn't do." She cocked her head to the left and peered through narrowed eyes at Nancy. "You're about as much help as that stupid counselor at the high school."

"I wish things could have been different, Melissa," Nancy continued, straightening her posture. "I really didn't want Maggie to be a killer. I like her. She was the first new friend I'd made since I moved to Bayport." She paused, waiting for Melissa's reaction.

Melissa crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the refrigerator. "Some friend. You're like Brutus in Julius Caesar. Stabbed her right in the back."

Nancy smiled. "Do you like Shakespeare, Melissa?"

"Don't try changing the subject on me," Melissa snapped.

"I wasn’t," Nancy said, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Yes, you were. I’m not dumb. I know what you’re doing."

"What am I doing?" Nancy asked.

"Trying to act like you’re my friend. Hoping to get me to talk. To say something incriminating about my sister." She shook her head. "Adults can be so ignorant some times. They think that kids buy that ‘I’m you’re best buddy’ act. We don’t. Most of us see right through it." She jabbed her finger at Nancy as she spoke the last line.

"True," Nancy said. "Adults do that sometimes. But I’m not trying to be your friend, Melissa. No offense, but you’re only 15. You need friends that are more your age, not mine. And I wasn‘t changing the subject."

"Oh," Melissa looked down at her feet, deflating slightly. "Then what were you talking about?"

Nancy shrugged. "I was just asking if you liked Shakespeare. I remember reading his work in both high school, and then in an English Literature course in college. How familiar are you with Shakespeare?"

Melissa shook her head. "I haven’t read a lot of it," she replied. "We read Romeo and Juliet last year in 9th grade. And this year we read Julius Caesar."

"You haven’t read anything else?"

She eyed Nancy warily. "On my own?"

Nancy gave a small laugh. "Of course on your own. Maggie brags about you, Melissa. I hear you’re quite gifted. Shakespeare wouldn’t be too difficult for you to read, would it?"

Melissa shrugged. "Probably not."

"So," Nancy continued. "What else have you read?"

"I haven't. I don't like that classic stuff. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I prefer literature written in the last century."

Nancy shrugged. "You're missing out. He was a great writer. No one could write a tale of love, murder, and betrayal like William Shakespeare."

Melissa's eyes narrowed again. "Just where are you going with this?"

Nancy's eyes scanned the kitchen for potential weapons before making her move on Melissa. From where Melissa stood, the only thing the girl could reach quickly would be an assortment of glasses and plates. She could duck those if she needed to. The more lethal kitchen objects, such as the knives, seemed to be behind Nancy. Nancy decided to go for it.

She narrow7ed her eyes to match Melissa's. "I want to tell you a story," she began. "It's a story, not as riveting or

breathtaking as one of Shakespeare's, but nearly as complicated. It begins about 8 years ago, when a pretty young girl left home for college and fell in love with the campus hunk. Unfortunately for this girl, the campus hunk did not reciprocate these feelings. Instead, he fell for the girl's best friend...."

Callie bit her lip as she watched the tall, slim teenager appear around the corner and head toward her home. As Melissa went around the side of her house, Callie honked the horn as hard as she could; then waited a moment to see if she'd attracted Melissa's attention. Miraculously, Melissa had ignored the sound. Callie waited until she was sure that the girl had went inside before starting the engine.

Just as she pulled away from the curb, she felt something land beside her. Glancing to her right, Callie realized that Laurie had clambered over the seat.

"Where are we going?" the little girl asked.

"Around the block to pick up your Mommy," Callie replied. Under her breath, she added, "I hope."

"Why did you honk?" Laurie wanted to know. "Are you mad at someone?"

"Mad?" Callie appeared puzzled. "Why would I be mad?"

"'Cause when Mommy honks the horn, she's mad at people. Like at dumb drivers."

"Oh," Callie said with a smile, as she turned the corner, "That's nice to know, Laurie." She pulled close to the curb. Now parked between two houses, she had a clear view of Maggie's backyard.

Laurie beamed, then got up on her knees to see through the windshield. "Where's Mommy? I don't see her."

"Neither do I," Callie said. She checked her watch. It had only been a few minutes since she'd spotted Melissa, but Callie was already getting anxious. What if Nancy needed help? There was no telling where either Frank or Joe were and she couldn't exactly leave Laurie alone in the car. Did she dare take Laurie in with her? She shook her head. No, that was out of the question. There was no way she was risking getting Laurie hurt.

"Laurie, Hon, will you grab my purse out of the backseat for me?" Callie asked. Eager to please, Laurie dove back over the seat and retrieved Callie's purse. Pulling out her cell phone, Callie dialed the number for Frank and Joe's apartment.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she chanted under her breath as the phone began to ring. When the answering machine came on, Callie grimaced in frustration and ended the call without leaving a message. She tried to recall Frank's cell phone number, but drew a blank. Since Joe's number was one she had never called, she did the first thing she could think of. She called Vanessa.

Pushing past the doors of Ernie's Pizza, Frank searched for Chet Morton as Joe made a beeline for the front counter. As they had left Nancy's house, Joe suggested to Frank that Nancy may have stopped by their friend's pizza place to talk to Jeff. After all, who better to know Melissa's secrets than her boyfriend. Joe decided they could take care of both of their priorities with his plan. He could get what would soon be considered an early dinner; and Frank could try to pick up Nancy's trail. Frank had agreed with his brother; providing that Joe get his pizza to go.

Spotting Chet standing near the doorway to the kitchen, writing something on a clipboard, Frank waved. Chet grinned, slipped his pen behind his ear, and came over.

"Hey, Frank," he said cheerfully, slapping his friend on the shoulder. "How‘s it going?" Chet looked around. "Where's that family of yours?"

"I don't quite know," Frank said. "I'm looking for them, right now. They took off somewhere with Callie. You haven't seen them today, have you?"

Chet shook his head from side to side. "Can't say that I have. And I've been here since 11 o'clock this morning."

"You're sure?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, positive. If either Nancy or Callie had been here today, I would have seen it. I pride myself on trying to greet as many of my customers as I can. No Nancy or Callie today." He scrutinized his friend. "What's going on, Frank? You look worried."

Frank shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not worried, yet. It's just that Nancy was tracking down a lead for our case this morning and she hasn't checked in." He glanced at his watch. "It's nearly three now."

"And you thought they might have came here because..." Chet's eyes strayed to a table that Jeff was currently bussing. "I see." He returned his gaze to Frank. "Tell me he's still a suspect."

"No, he's not," Frank said. He looked around for Joe, who was leaning against the counter, waiting for his pizza. Waving at his brother, he pointed to a corner table. Leading Chet out of the main flow of traffic, he sat down.

"Ok," Chet said. "I repeat. What's going on? And I add to that - What can I do to help?"

Frank ran a hand through his dark brown hair. "This morning, Maggie Westbrook confessed to the murder of Emma Lawson."

Chet looked confused. "But you said that Nancy was tracking down a lead. Why is she tracking down a lead if you have a confession?"

"I'm getting there," Frank said. "See, it gets better. She also confessed to killing Steven Taylor's first wife. But the thing is, she only did so after her little sister showed up and lost her temper because we were questioning Maggie."

"I don't get what the little sister has to do with her confession," Chet said.

"You almost had to be there," Frank said. "When Melissa interrupted, Maggie's face showed fear. She hadn't looked truly frightened during the entire time that we were all but accusing her of Emma's murder. Upset, yes. But not frightened. Yet when her sister cut in, she did an about face on us. Literally ran Melissa out of the house and confessed to not one, but two murders. She's in jail right now."

"Maggie is?" Chet asked.

"Yeah."

Chet looked thoughtful as he tried to process what Frank was saying. His eyes lit up as he put the pieces together. "You think she was covering up for something her sister might have done."

Frank nodded. "Well, at least Nancy does. And to be perfectly honest, I'm leaning in that direction too. Her confession came too quick. She had no other reason to confess, Chet. We didn't have any real evidence that would get us a conviction. Just a short story that she wrote in college that mirrored the murder. One that we didn't exactly obtain in a legal manner."

Chet considered this. "So Nancy and Callie went searching for leads together? Man, Frank, I feel for you. The ex-girlfriend and the current girlfriend teaming up together to sleuth. You've got your hands full, buddy."

"Nancy's not my..." Frank started to protest, then decided that it wasn‘t worth the effort. "Never mind. No, Chet, they weren't sleuthing together. Nancy left Laurie with Callie this morning. But now Callie's gone. I can't reach her or Nancy."

"So," Chet said, watching as Joe joined them with his pizza to go. "Callie took Laurie somewhere for the afternoon."

Frank shook his head. "No, Callie's car is in the drive. She left with someone. I think that someone is Nancy."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Worrywart here can't wait until they get home to find out what Nancy might have discovered. I tried telling him that if she had found a solid lead, she would have called us."

Chet laughed. "Yeah right. Somehow I don't see Nancy Drew as the type to check in and give hourly updates."

Joe chuckled along with his friend. "True. Very true." He looked at his brother's face. "Ok, guess we're not helping comfort Frank, are we."

"Pardon me for worrying." Frank said, with just a touch of sarcasm. "I just don't see Nancy taking Callie with her to track down a lead, since Callie was babysitting, unless she felt that she needed back up. Or a look out. For Nancy to not find assistance elsewhere makes me think she had something solid. Something she felt couldn't wait. I want to know what that is."

"Before someone gets hurt," Joe finished.

"Yeah, before someone gets..." he stopped and gave Joe a dirty look. "Stop putting words in my mouth."

Joe grinned, and started to reply when he was interrupted by the appearance of Steven Taylor.

"Hey, guys," Steven said. "I didn’t expect to run into you today. Did Nancy find you?"

Frank stood up, nearly knocking Joe's pizza box off the table. "No, why? Have you seen her today?"

"Yeah," he said. "She stopped by my house this morning. I answered some questions for her and let her look around the room Emma died in. She found a CD in the bedside alarm clock that didn't belong to either me or Emma. She put the CD in a plastic bag and said something about taking it to you, Frank."

"When was this?" Frank wanted to know.

"I don't know the exact time," Steven said. "Somewhere around one, maybe."

"That was a couple of hours ago," Joe mused. "Did she say if she was going anywhere else?"

Steven looked around. "Yeah, she did. She said something about finding the empty CD case that went with the CD. She thought that the CD belonged to Melissa." He blinked a few times. "I think she thinks Melissa killed Emma? Do you think that's possible Frank?"

Frank was frowning. "Anything's possible." He looked at Joe. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking."

Joe looked serious. "Not very often. But we're probably on the same wavelength right now. She went to Maggie's house."

"Yes, she did. And she took Callie along as a look out."

Joe jumped up and grabbed his pizza. "Well, what are we waiting for. Let's go see if they're still there."

As Frank followed his brother out, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found Jeff's pale face staring at him.

"Did Mr. Taylor say that Melissa killed Miss Lawson?"

Frank stared at the young man. "Maybe. Why?"

Jeff sighed and closed his eyes. "I knew it. I just knew it."

Frank grabbed the boy's arm. "Knew what?" he demanded.

"Are you going to confront her?" Jeff asked. "Please, Frank. It's important."

"We might be," Frank confirmed.

"Then let me go with you. There's something I need to tell you."

Frank debated, then looked at Chet, who had followed them to the door.

"Can you spare him? This could be important."

Chet nodded. "Sure. He's all yours. If you need anything else let me know."

Frank propelled the boy out the door in the direction of Joe's car. As he held the door open, he caught Joe's look of surprise. Getting in next to his brother, he said, "I think Jeff's got something he needs to get off his chest before we get to Maggie's."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone. "I'm going to try Nancy one more time," he told his companions. "Then you can share whatever it is you know with us."

He checked the phone and groaned. "What a great time to have it turned off. Someone’s tried to call." Quickly, he checked his voicemail. As he listened to the messages, he turned sideways in his seat to look at Joe and Jeff. "Drive faster," he ordered his brother. "And you," he said, looking at Jeff. "Start talking."