Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Get used to it; I have.
A/N: I think titling your story is the hardest part. I titled mine "Dangerous Mistakes," but I don't like it. The moral is 'Don't judge a book (story) by its title.' So don't, please. Also, please read and review! Thanks!
Nineteen year old Nancy Drew walked into the River Heights Police Station with every intention of simply getting her father's files and leaving. Her father, Carson Drew, was a famous criminal lawyer, and he had asked her to go to the station and pick up some papers he would need for his trip to Washington D.C. this weekend. Nancy waved at the officer on duty and approached the secretary, asking for the papers. The secretary thought nothing of it; after all, everyone knew "Nancy Drew- Girl Detective!" She stepped back to let Nancy into the filing cabinet. Nancy rifled through the drawers, pulling out a file marked "lawsuits." She was about to thank the secretary and leave when she heard familiar voices echoing down the hall.
Chief Maginnis stepped around the corner, but what surprised Nancy were his companions, Frank and Joe Hardy.
Joe raised his eyebrows. He was the only one to do so. Both Frank and Nancy were staring at the brown tiled floor. Joe realized that this was River Heights, but did she always hang out in the police station like this? He realized this was unfair; after all, he and Frank had been in River Heights for three weeks now and this was the first they had seen of her. "Hey Nan." he said. "Good to see you again."
Nancy smiled at him gratefully. "You too. At the risk of sounding rude, what are you doing here?"
Joe looked at Chief Maginnis. "Is it okay to tell her?"
The chief looked shell-shocked. "Sure, the case is almost over." Then he asked the question he had obviously been meaning to. "Nancy? How do you know the Hardys?"
Nancy mumbled a response that sounded like, "They're good detectives..."
Frank spoke up, but was still staring at the brown tiles. "We worked together..." But the response didn't seem adequate and everyone knew it. The Chief continued to look at them, confused by the tension and awkwardness in their replies.
The four stood there in silence until Joe offered quietly, "My brother broke her heart." It was almost a question, like on a game show when the contestant doesn't know the answer and guesses anyway.
At that, Frank's cheeks burned, and Nancy's head snapped up. "He did not!" she said defensively.
Now Joe looked surprised. "He did, too!" He said, before he could stop himself.
"Like you would know!" Nancy retorted.
"I do!" Joe shot back.
Chief Maginnis looked at Frank, who smiled apologetically. Chief took pity on him. He looked like he wanted the earth to open up and swallow him. "Enough!" the chief bellowed.
Nancy and Joe stopped arguing. Nancy looked straight at Frank and asked, "Why are they here?"
The chief briefly explained the Hardy's case. They were investigating counterfeiting, and their case was pretty much wrapped up. "We'll be leaving sometime this week." Frank said awkwardly. He felt as if Nancy was staring through him rather than at him.
"Good." Nancy replied, but her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "I just came here to pick up these papers." She waved the papers at the Chief and walked towards the door, managing to choke out, "Nice to see you guys."
Joe looked after her sympathetically. She looked emotionally drained. Frank felt sick. Had he done this to her?
A/N: Sorry this chapter was a little short; I promise the next one will be longer. School's out, so I'll have a lot more time to work on my stories. Please review, even if it's just to let me know you're reading! Also, the next chapter will contain: flashbacks and mysterious phone calls...