J.M.J.

Author's note: Guess who's back? I'm really excited about this story, so I may have started posting it before it's finished. Or before it's anywhere close to being finished. But no worries there. I'll finish it and I'll even try to have a regular posting schedule of a chapter every Thursday. I should also mention that technically this story is a crossover, but sort of not exactly, so I think it's okay to just go ahead and post it in the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew category. Nancy and Co.—along with Frank and Joe—are far and away the main characters here. However, since none of them appear in this prologue, I'm also posting the first chapter today. I hope you enjoy!

Paradise Valley

Prologue

Champagne swirled in the glass between the gloved fingers. Swift narrowed his eyes for a moment before smoothing his expression. He couldn't let his loathing of the man in front of him show in his face. Perhaps the man hadn't noticed. He was busy watching his champagne.

"I had this imported from France," the man said, looking up and meeting Swift's eyes with his steely gray ones. Swift involuntarily shuddered at the gaze of those eyes. "What do you think of it?"

Swift hadn't even tasted the champagne he'd been handed. He quickly took a sip now—only a small sip. Some unconscious idea in the back of his head warned him against eating or drinking anything offered in this place. "It's fine," he commented.

"It has a hint of pomegranate, don't you think?" the other man went on.

"Look, Delvere, I didn't come here to talk to you about champagne," Swift said.

The other man sniffed and set his glass on the desk before putting his gloved fingertips together and staring at Swift. "Yes, you said something about the plant."

"It's my plant," Swift said. "It's owned by my company, even if the building is rented from you. I don't appreciate having anything developing there that I didn't approve."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're talking about," Delvere said with perfect sincerity.

"Those chips. I never approved developing something like that."

"I don't quite understand." Delvere once again picked up his glass and took a sip. "I'm only your landlord. If you have anything going on in your plant that you don't like, it's hardly my doing."

"Nothing goes on in this town that isn't your doing," Swift replied. "Sometimes I think my own employees work more for you than they do for me."

"What an odd idea."

"Then tell me, Delvere," Swift said through gritted teeth, "why I discovered that they've been working on developing these chips that you approached me about when I first rented the plant? I told you then that I wouldn't have anything to do with a project like that."

"I remember, which is why it surprises me, in a way, that your plant is developing them after all. You were so concerned about the ethics of the project." Delvere shook his head. "Now, how is it ethical to steal the idea from me?"

"Is that really what you want to do, Delvere?" Swift flushed in his sudden fury. "You're first going to pay my employees to work on a project I didn't want to touch and then you're going to accuse me of stealing it?"

"No, calm yourself, Swift." Delvere clicked his tongue. "Perhaps you should change your name. Your family would be ashamed of the way that you fear this technology simply because you don't understand it."

"I understand it perfectly," Swift retorted. "The whole world will understand it once you try to accuse me of stealing it."

"No," Delvere replied. "You understand it, and I understand it. A few other people will understand it, but the vast majority will not. They'll accept it. They'll embrace. It is coming, whether you have a part in it or not. But you see, I don't really intend to make any public accusations, unless you force me to. If you turn a blind eye and let me have my due share of the profits, then I won't say a word to anyone."

Swift shook his head. "I can't, because there won't be any profits. I'm going to find out which employees you bribed, and I'm firing every one of them. And I'm going to talk to a lawyer about your extortion. It's never going to work."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Delvere said with a humorless grin. "I have some very good lawyers in my employ. I think I could help your employees fight you on this. They didn't know that they were working on a stolen project, after all."

Swift set his glass on the desk with a clank and leaned forward. "You don't understand, Delvere. It's possible that I'm the first person you've ever dealt with who prized his values above your threats. At least you haven't tried to bribe me. I suppose you know I don't need your money. But even if you do try this and you succeed and I lose everything, I'd rather that than go along with this plan of yours. I'd rather die than go along with it."

"Would you?" Delvere countered. "I would be careful flinging such things about. After all, if you should happen to die, it would solve a lot of problems for me."

Swift took a step back. "Is that another threat?"

"It's a statement of fact."

Swift shook his head. "I'm going to talk to a lawyer now. You're going to find that I don't frighten easily." He stalked out of the room.

Delvere remained where he stood, watching him disappear through the door. He took another sip of champagne. "It was also a prediction of the future, Swift."