"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carson asked. The family was sitting around the dining table eating dinner and Nancy had just told him and Hannah about their plans.
Nancy nodded. "It's the best one we have, and technically the only one."
"But to be so close to someone Emily distrusts and could be dangerous?" asked Hannah.
"The better to keep an eye on her, my dear Hannah," said Nancy with a smirk.
Hannah rolled her eyes. "Alright, Miss Holmes."
"Besides, Emily would feel better knowing that there will be two more witnesses to the fake ghost sighting."
"What makes you so sure it's a fake ghost?" asked Hannah.
"Emily definitely thinks it's a fake ghost. But by the time she gets out there to check, no one's in sight. And Jane doesn't believe that she saw anything, which makes me wonder even more about Jane." Nancy turned to her father. "Shouldn't a guardian take into consideration their ward's worries, even if they may end up proving to be unfounded? Especially considering the emotional strain Emily's been going through."
Carson shrugged. "Technically they should, but, I wonder if it is because of the emotional strain Emily's going through that Jane brushes it off as a figment of her imagination. It could be that because Emily desires to see her mother so much that she's hallucinating a ghost from a legend where, like she, a child lost their mother."
"Did I ever hallucinate?" whispered Nancy.
Carson shook his head. "You have a strong mind. A strong imagination too, but your mind would not hallucinate under such strain." He took a sip from his cup. "Although, you did have quite a bit of help from the Hardys in keeping your mind sharp. They sent you puzzle after puzzle, riddle after riddle, to help you cope."
Nancy smiled brightly. "For which I will be forever grateful."
"Then why don't you give them your cell number?" asked Hannah. "Joe's been pestering me about it behind your back."
Nancy's eyes widened. "He has? You didn't give it to him, did you?"
"Of course not, that's your decision. But, I think you should give it to them. If this is to be the beginning of your career, having them on speed dial in case you need help on a case, or if they need yours, could come in very handy."
Carson nodded. "I agree. I would feel better knowing that the three of you have each other's backs more often, even if it's just over the phone."
"Oh, alright Dad, but after I've solved Emily's mystery. Joe would be calling me every day for an update on the mystery, or even try to solve the mystery over the phone himself if he could."
Carson laughed. "That he would. I feel bad for Frank, having to keep up with him. Alright, we have a deal."
Nancy smiled. "Thanks Dad."
"And if Helen's going to be there with you as well as Emily, then I say you can stay at Lilac Inn until you've solved these mysteries."
Nancy leapt from her chair and wrapped her father in a tight hug. "Thank you Dad!"
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Carson?" asked Hannah.
Carson nodded. "I'm sure that with Helen and Emily there watching her back . . ." He glanced at Nancy, "And that you're extra careful, things will be fine."
Nancy smiled. "I will Dad, promise."
"Good," said Carson. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, stood up, and picked up his plate. "I'm going to go transfer the funds into your account and work on some papers. Wonderful dinner, as always, Hannah."
"Any less, and I'd be out of a job," quipped Hannah.
Carson grinned. "I very highly doubt that, my dear, you're far too much of a perfectionist."
"Don't push me," said Hannah as she flicked a strand of hair out of her face, "I could become a messy Marvin overnight."
Carson laughed. "I'd pay you to see that."
Nancy chuckled. "See Hannah? You'd get paid either way."
Hannah winked. "Guess I'm more valuable than I thought."
Carson chuckled as he patted Hannah's shoulder. "So it would seem."
Hannah gasped. "So it would seem? Did you hear that Nancy? Ugh, of all the nerve!"
Carson laughed. "I appreciate the attempt at lightening the mood, but I'm afraid I have to cut it short, Hannah. I'm starting to get behind on my schedule."
Hannah scoffed. "You could have walked away whenever you wanted. You wanted in on the fun too."
Carson smiled. "Maybe, but I really must get to work now. And transfer that money so my daughter can get to work tomorrow too." He winked at her before walking into the kitchen.
Nancy chuckled as Hannah followed Carson into the kitchen. Joe and Hannah seemed to always know what to say to make her laugh, while Frank and her father always seemed to know what to say to boost her confidence. She smiled, she was a lucky girl indeed to have them in her life. She glanced at the clock. She should get moving too, if she wanted to be able to get to Lilac Inn early enough tomorrow. She quickly rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher before dashing up the stairs to begin packing. She was interrupted by a phone call. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Helen. Nancy sighed. She couldn't wait until seven, could she?
"Hello?"
"Hi Nancy! What did your dad say?"
"Helen, I told you I was going to call you at seven!"
"I know, I know, but, I couldn't wait!"
Nancy chuckled. "Obviously."
"So, what did your dad say?"
"He said I can go!"
"Oh good! Um, hang on a second."
Nancy let out a huff as she put the phone on speaker phone and went back to packing. It was a couple of minutes later when Helen's voice came back on the line.
"Sorry about that Nancy, my parents wouldn't even consider letting me go unless you were going."
Nancy quickly picked up the phone and turned off the speaker before giving her answer. "I see. So, are you coming?"
"Yes!" Helen's exclamation was so loud, Nancy had to pull back from the phone for a moment.
"Helen, not so loud please!"
"Sorry, but, I'm so excited! I get to help you solve Emily's mystery! I am the best person to help you anyway, considering that she is my cousin." Helen paused for a moment. "And it would certainly put Aunt Flora's mind at ease. I talked with my parents about it, and they said that if Jane Willoughby is in fact a fraud, then Emily would be in the sole care of Aunt Flora. At least, until the real Jane Willoughby is found and accepts her role of guardianship."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then Aunt Flora gets full custody of Emily until she turns eighteen," replied Helen. "But knowing Aunt Flora, she would probably let Emily stay at Lilac Inn all by herself and run it. Oh, she and grandma would probably lend a hand with taking care of it, but, it would fall primarily on Emily's shoulders."
Nancy nodded slowly, though her mind was racing. "And if Emily should sell Lilac Inn before we find out if Jane is a fraud?"
Helen sighed. "Then Jane would get a nice-sized portion of the sale." Helen paused. "You don't think Jane is trying to get Emily to sell so she could make off with the money?"
"That's the only possible motive. Though she could be waiting around to see if Emily will inherit anything from Josiah Crowley."
"But why would she do such a thing to her best friend's daughter?"
"If she really is Jane Willoughby, she could be in some financial trouble. If she isn't, well, she really is in it for the money. But first, we have to find out if she's behind all of this, including the Rachel Caldwell sightings."
Helen gasped. "You think they might be trying to make it seem like Emily went crazy?"
"It's a possibility, one I hope to find out soon when we're at Lilac Inn."
It was amlost lunch when Nancy and Helen were pulling into the parking lot of Lilac Inn.
"What? Why is Emily out here?"
Nancy's forehead creased. "And why does she look so worried?" The two found out quickly as Emily dashed towards them as they got out of the car.
"I'm so sorry Nancy! Jane was of a mind to cancel your reservations if I didn't tell her the real reason why you were staying here for a while!"
Helen gasped. "You told her everything?"
Emily quickly shook her head. "Oh no, not, not everything, I just told her that I asked you to look for Josiah's will and that I thought it would be easier for you to stay at Lilac Inn since you would be closer to Josiah's house that way."
Nancy nodded with approval. "Good thinking, but, has she told the Tophams yet?"
"I think she's on the phone with them right now."
Nancy pursed her lips. "That might make the search a little harder, but, it's not like they can stop me. If I can piece together the puzzles Josiah left behind, then it will save them some time too." She leaned in and whispered. "Besides, with their attention on that, it might give me a chance to keep an eye on Jane without her assuming anything. But, it's best not to talk about anything except Josiah's will."
Emily nodded firmly. "Definitely. Now, let me help you get your bags in before Jane suspects anything."
Nancy smiled. "Thank you." The three went to the trunk and began unloading their luggage.
Emily's eyes widened when she grabbed a couple of Helen's bags. "How long were you two planning on staying?"
Helen flipped her hair. "With Nancy, it's best to come prepared for anything."
Nancy laughed. "I've trained you too well."
Helen grinned. "Way too well. Guess that means you can handle a certain Scottish terrier, right?" Helen winked.
Nancy laughed. "Oh, alright, I guess I can."
"A Scottish terrier?" asked Emily.
As the girls walked into Lilac Inn, Nancy and Helen took turns telling her about Nancy's newly acquired dog that she named Togo, after a dog on Balto's team who was in turn named after a Japanese general.
"But why that name?" asked Emily as the girls set the bags down by the front desk to register.
Helen grinned. "She knows about Togo thanks to a certain pen pal who read up on everything about Balto one year."
Nancy blushed. "Frank likes dogs, my goodness! So what if he decided to do research on the most famous dog-team in America for his eighth-grade paper!"
Emily gasped. "You have a crush on a pen pal!"
Jane leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Now this I have to hear."
"And he is definitely cute," said Helen, followed by a squeal. "I know shipping your friends is very wrong, but I ship them so hard!"
Nancy only seemed to get redder. "Oh come on you guys!"
"How did they meet?" asked Jane.
"Oh, actually, apparently her parents and their parents knew each other back in high school through to college. Well, um," Helen shot a quick glance at nancy before continuing, "after Mrs. Drew passed away, Mr. Hardy found out about it and he and his family sent their condolences, saying they would help wherever needed. Well, Mr. Drew figured Nancy could use a few more friends and asked that the Hardy boys, Frank and Joe, become her pen pals. They've been in contact ever since." Helen paused before a light sparkle came into her eyes. "And man, you should see Joe! Handsome men apparently run in the family."
Nancy passed a hand over her face. "Oh good grief. You and Bess are going to have to duke it out when it comes to Joe, you know."
Helen grinned. "I know, but they must have handsome friends."
Nancy rolled her eyes. "You see what I have to deal with, Emily? With Helen and Bess around, you'll never hear the end of it!" The four laughed before Jane handed them the key to their room.
"And I must thank you again for everything you are doing for Emily and me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." Jane glanced at Emily. "I just wonder why Emily didn't want to tell me."
"I'm sorry, that was at my request, Jane," said Nancy. "I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case my dad said I couldn't come."
Jane nodded with approval. "Smart girl. Well, I'll let you get your things to your room and then you can get started on looking for Josiah's will."
"Thanks Jane! We'll see you later!" said Nancy as Emily led them up the stairs to their room. Emily helped them unpack before heading downstairs and fixed them all lunch. She raced back upstairs so the three could talk business, and a report.
"Jane says we can't take a look at the clock until the guests are gone?" said Nancy incredulously.
Emily nodded. "And I understand why, she doesn't want too many questions, and neither do I, to be honest."
Nancy let out a sigh. "Alright, guess that will have to wait until later."
"Early tomorrow morning," said Emily.
"Why?"
Emily grimaced. "We have a party tonight. It's been in our books for weeks."
"So, now what?" asked Helen.
Nancy bit off a piece of carrot stick and chewed thoughtfully. "Emily, is there anything else of Josiah's you might have?"
"Oh, yes," said Emily. She rose and dashed into her room, returning with a book. She handed it to Nancy. "He gave my mom this book when we were talking about the inheritance and when he said that time would tell."
Nancy flipped through the pages. It was a book of poems. "Hmm, why are four poems circled?"
"Four? Really?" said Emily as she peered over Nancy's shoulders. She let out a soft gasp. "Four inheritors!"
"Wait, what?" blurted Nancy and Helen.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I clean forgot to tell you!! The Tophams and my mom and I weren't the only ones promised a share in his will!"
"Who are the other inheritors?" asked Nancy.
"Jim and Maud Archer, and the Turner sisters. And each of us got a clock!"
"Do you know where they live?" asked Nancy.
Emily shook her head. "No, but, Jane might have that information. At least she does have Jim Archer's address, he's our banker. Josiah recommended him to us."
"Hmm," said Nancy thoughtfully. The girls ate the rest of their lunch in silence as Nancy continued to think.
Once they were finished, Nancy glanced at the clock. It was almost two. She got up.
"Well, let's get the information from Jane and take a quick look at the clock. We'll go from there." Helen and Emily nodded before rising and helping Nancy gather the dishes. They raced downstairs, washed them, and put them away before heading to the front desk. They arrived just in time to hear the tail end of a conversation between Jane and Richard.
"... take me to Chicago for a couple of days. Isabella will be staying with her grandmother during that time."
"Oh, Mr. Topham!" called out Nancy. The three turned and glanced at her as she dashed over. "Mr. Topham, may I look at the old clock Josiah Crowley gave you? I think Josiah hid a clue to his will in there."
"What, really?" blurted Isabella. Nancy nodded.
"Well, as much as I would like to, I would also like to be there when you've unlocked the clock."
Nancy smiled. "I understand. Then we'll do it the first day upon your return?"
"How about the day after that, it should give me time to relax for a moment."
Nancy held out her hand, and Richard shook on it. "Deal."
"Wonderful, now if you'll excuse us, we have to finish packing. Nancy, helen, Emily, good day. Jane, always a pleasure."
"It 's always a pleasure to speak to you," said Jane. She giggled when Richard kissed her hand. Richard placed his hat on his head, and tipped it before leaving the inn with Isabella.
"Aw," said Helen, "you two are so adorable!"
Jane's face began to turn red. "Oh, posh. He is a wonderful fellow, though ,don't you think?" The girls nodded.
"Jane?"
"Yes Nancy?"
"Do you have the info for the Archers and the Turners?"
"I know I have the Archers' info, but I can check for the Turners. Why?"
"We think we may have a clue!" blurted Helen.
Nancy smiled. "And we think Josiah hid clues to his will in each of the four clocks he gave."
"That's great! Here, let me write down the info for the Archers. I know they won't be available until tomorrow," said Jane as she quickly wrote down the information. She hand the piece of paper to Nancy. "Here are the Archers' info. Now let me see if I have the Turners' info." Jane rummaged through some papers in an address book. "Aha! I do have it!" She quickly wrote down the information.
"That's wonderful!" said Nancy.
Jane handed her the slip of paper. "You might want to call them before heading out, just in case. I have no clue what their plans might be."
Nancy nodded. "Good idea, we will. Thank you so much!" The girls rushed upstairs. "Emily, why don't you call the Turners?"
Emily blanched. "What? Why me?"
"They know you, and if you explained the whole situation to them, they might understand it better."
Emily let out a breath. "Oh, alright. She picked up the phone in the room and dialed the number Jane had just given them. It rang several times before the voicemail picked up. Emily covered the mouthpiece. "I've got voicemail," she whispered.
"Leave a message," Nancy whispered back.
Emily let out a huff before removing her hand and giving a quick summary for the reason for her call. She gave her name and number before hanging up.
"So, the Tophams are heading out of town, the Archers won''t be in until tomorrow, and it doesn't sound like the Turners are in," said Helen. "Now what?"
"Let's go over these poems and see if we can figure out what clues they hold," said Nancy. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon going over every poem severa times, but nothing seemed to clicked. When it came time for the party, they paused in their work, freshened up, and went downstairs to help Jane. It was a blast, and the girls finally crawled into bed exhausted.
Nancy, felt like her head had only just hit the pillow when screaming woke her up. She sat up groggily and glanced at Helen, who was covering a yawn.
"What in the . . ." Helen paused as both of their eyes widened.
"Emily!" They kicked the blankets off, grabbed their robes, and dashed out of their room and down the hall towards Emily's room. Jane arrived just before they did. She opened the door and was practically flying towards a sobbing Emily.
"Emily! What happened?"
"Oh, she, she looked horrible! All bloody and mangled!" blurted Emily between sobs. Helen ran to Emily's side, but Nancy ran towards the window and pulled the curtains back. Her eyes darted over the yard before letting out a gasp. Someone, or something, was definitely down there!