The Mystery at Maple Lake

A letter arrived this morning. It was from Nancy Drew.

This is a preposterous joke, I thought. She is just a fictional character, invented by Carolyn Keene. I know that because I have read most of the books. I also know that Nancy Drew solves mysteries with her two best friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne.

Someone is trying to play a ludicrous joke.

The letter read:

I need your help. I have a very mystifying problem that I must solve. It involves a father and two missing children. I usually have help from Bess Marvin and George Fayne. I am unable to locate them. I turn to you in desperation because I don't know what else to do.

Your truly,

Nancy Drew

Although my friends know that I like read mysteries, I can't imagine who would send me this letter. Reading isn't solving them. I have never been one to solve mysteries. In fact, I usually don't know how the stories will end until they actually do end. And then I say, "I should have known."

Putting the letter in the drawer, I went on with my day with a laugh. Someone was playing an absurd practical joke.

The next day another letter arrived. It was from the same person. Nancy Drew. This letter was a little more direct.

It read:

I will pick you up in front of your house at 10:00AM on Friday. I have looked everywhere for Bess Marvin and George Fayne. They would be with me if I was able to locate them. Unfortunately I have not been able to do so.

As you know, my father, Carson Drew, is a lawyer—one of the best in River Heights. His sharp mind and unwavering sense of justice have solved countless cases. He has me delivering some legal papers to a person in your neighborhood.

I will be there promptly at 10:00AM

Would you please meet me and help me before it's too late?

Yours truly,

Nancy Drew

Okay, my childhood heroine was to come to visit me. What else could I do but wait for her?

I put on my favorite blue dress with an open neckline and topped it with my tailored white blazer, a combination my friends had often told me looked elegant. I wanted to look my best for Nancy Drew.

Chuckling to myself I waited to see who would show. This would indeed be amusing.

At 10:00AM a dark-blue convertible pulled up in front of my house. Well whoever it is knew the car that Nancy would be driving. Perhaps they too had been reading the books.

An attractive blonde girl got out of the car and headed for my house. Upon opening the door, there was a blue eyed eighteen year old blonde standing on my porch. She looked like the courageous, intelligent teenage amateur detective that I had read about in the novels. Exactly what you would expect her to look like.

I blinked and smiled, "Hi," I said laughing to myself as I opened the door. "You must be Nancy Drew."

"Of course," she smiled as she entered my living room. "You got my message. Who were you expecting?"

"Oh," I said going along with this practical joke or hoax with a bit of humor. I would 'play along' and not break the illusion until it finished it's course and I found out who was behind this elaborate prank. "Of course, I was expecting you. Who else?"

After I offered her a seat, she sat on my sofa with hesitation. "I really need your help." She began her story. "I could go alone but my father, Carson Drew wanted me to have a companion before I undertake this journey. He felt that I needed significant emotional support. While of course, I really don't, I want to give my father's protective instinct some consideration."

"I understand that. Father's are often worried about their children. Especially their only child. But why aren't you taking Bess Marvin and George Fayne? They usually go with you on your marvelous adventures, don't they?"

I said this to go along with the joke, hoping that I could discover who had set up this masquerade that I was presently witnessing. Actually it was a delightful one. Nancy looked exactly as she should look.

"As I told you in my letter, they are missing. I have been unable to locate either of them. I went by Bess Marvin's house. Much to my surprise, I couldn't find it. Her house just wasn't there at all. So I went to locate George Fayne. Her house, or what should have been her house, was an empty lot. That is also a challenging mystery that I must solve also."

She leaned back in the chair and sighed. It was a very deep sigh as if she was truly disturbed.

"My housekeeper Hannah Gruen told me that the first thing that I should do would be to seek a companion, as my father suggested, and locate the father and the missing children. Then I can search for and find George and Bess. Will you help me or do I have to go somewhere else?"

I gazed at 'Nancy' for a long moment. Finally I spoke. "Nancy," I said, "I don't know who has put you up to this but I know that Nancy Drew is just a fictional character. A creation of Carolyn Keene. What are you doing, trying to hoodwink me?"

"Hoodwink you? No, I am simply trying to find the father and two missing boys. They went missing a few days ago. Their mother called me and asked for my help. I offered it willingly but my father didn't want me to be alone as I searched for them. If you are unwilling to go, tell me now." She rose to go. "Or I will have to find someone else."

"Okay, I'll go with you," I finally said, after some thought. I knew that I needed to figure out what was happening. There was no other way to get to the bottom of this. This was the only way.

"Let me get my purse and other essentials." And with that we made our exit.

"Where are we going to start looking?" I asked, determined to play this out until it is finished, no matter what. At some point, I was hoping that it would all be explained to me.

"River Heights is where we are starting. Then we may got to Riverside Heights and Round Valley. I hope that we don't have to go to Chicago but we probably will have to." Nancy remarked, navigating the familiar route home for Nancy lived in River Heights.

She explained that the mother of the two boys said their father had taken them for a weekend trip but perhaps it would extend into the next week. It all depending on how it went. If it went well, it would probably be extended until Wednesday..

"They had gone to the 60-acre Maple Lake at 9500 Willows Spring Rd, Willow Springs, IL. As you know, Chicago is built on the shore of Lake Michigan. The city features 28 miles of open shoreline and beaches. Maple Lake includes a mountain bike staging area. They were to go there. It's also a popular fishing spot and they could have a rented boat at the Maple Lake Boating Center. The mother really doesn't know about that. Anyway when she didn't hear from him on Monday, she had been worried. He wasn't answering his phone even though she had tried several times to call him. However it was not like him not to answer his phone."

"Isn't that a matter for the police?" I asked as I was becoming mildly interested in the plot that someone had cleverly devised. I simply had to 'play along' with the gag since I was sure that was it was.

"Of course, she has called the police. But she feels that since I have solved so many cases, that I may be useful." Nancy laughed nervously. "She has faith that I may be able to solve the mystery of their disappearance before the police do."

"Oh, I see," I said somewhat amused. "You have solved many mysteries. I've read most of them but not all."

Nancy smiled as she concentrated on the road. "That's interesting."

"I have to ask you." I said, leaning back in my seat. "Why me? Why did you come to me with this adventure? Why not someone else?"

"I was told that you read a lot of mysteries and I thought that we could use your expertise."

I began suddenly to start laughing uncontrollably. I was laughing so hard that it actually was beginning to hurt my sides. "I cannot believe this. How long is this joke going to run? I mean, Isn't this going a bit too far?"

Nancy turned and looked at me, studying my face for a while. "Why are you laughing? I don't think that a father with two missing boys is much of a joke."

She seemed so sincere, that I began suddenly to feel like an enormous heel. Immediately I knew that I needed to change my approach. So I muttered, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to laugh. It just struck me as funny that you think that I have some expertise in solving mysteries. I have none. I like mysteries. Reading them but not solving them. Who gave you my name as someone who could help you?"

Nancy seemed puzzled. After pondering for a while, she said, "That's strange. I really don't know. I don't know at all."

In silence for the rest of our trip, we drove on until we reached River Heights.

Nancy said that she needed to talk to her housekeeper Hannah Gruen. She drove up to a two-story Brick Colonial-style house located in the Midwestern town of River Heights. I noticed the manicured front lawn with a winding walkway. It looked like I had imagined the house should look.

"I really want for you to meet Hannah. She will be pleased to know that I found someone to go with me." Nancy said as she got out of her car. "Come on," she pleaded with me, "You'll like her."

Whatever happened, I had to go in and see. Perhaps at this house, a bunch of friends would jump out at me and say, "Surprise!" Who knows? I could only find out by playing the 'game' out to the end.

However as we enter the house, no one jumped out at us. Instead we were greeted by the housekeeper Hannah Gruen.

"Hi," she says, stepping forward to extend her hand toward me. A warm smile plays on her lips as she introduces herself. "I'm Hannah Gruen."

This person who is 'Hannah', certainly fills the bill as the caring, loving, understanding housekeeper that Nancy thinks of as a mother more than a housekeeper. Since she often fears that Nancy will be killed on her cases, she keeps an eye on her.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Charlotte Harper,” I mutter, taking her hand, bewildered by the surreal events that have unfolded.

"I'm so glad that Nancy has found a partner. I don't like her going on an adventure like this alone." Turning to Nancy, she stated, "I have baked some cookies for you, Nancy. Would you and your friend like some before you leave?"

"Of course," she answered, as we both sat down for milk and cookies.

I was unwittingly plunged into a real-life Nancy Drew mystery—like it or not. With a smile, I pondered what Carolyn Keene might title this adventure. The Mystery at Maple Lake? How would it end? Would we find the missing father and the boys?