HDA - Where Troubles Melt by Cherylann Rivers Introduction

A few hours later, Chet and the girls returned to the hotel from the movies, smiling and laughing. As soon as they entered the Hardys' room, Joe watched the look on Frank's face change as he glanced at Callie. Joe tried to place it-and the only word that he could think of was sadness. Frank just looked sad. Joe felt terrible. Although he and Frank were getting along perfectly fine, even better than normal, he knew the pain that Frank was going through and he yearned to help him through it. At the same time, Joe realized that although he had fought with Callie, she wasn't fighting back or even being hostile. In all the years he'd known her, Callie had never backed down from anything. This whole terrible situation was tearing the strongest couple that Joe knew apart, and he couldn't stop it. It was a wonder either of them could function, much less function effectively, as they had been doing.

"Hey," Vanessa said happily to Joe, leaning over and giving him a kiss. Iola, in the background, looked away, and felt the color rise to her cheeks, determined to remain happy. If she couldn't be with Joe, so be it. She'd have to hold her feelings back-it was simply the right thing to do.

"Hey, yourself," Joe said, and gave her a quick hug. Seeing Vanessa always perked up his spirits, no matter how depressing things were around him.

"Have you made any progress on the case?" she inquired, sitting down next to him.

"Actually, we have," Joe responded, filling Vanessa in on the most recent robbery, and his theory on the fact that gold might somehow be involved. As he spoke with her, he noticed that the room became very quiet, and he realized that Callie, Frank, Chet, and Iola were all listening in, getting brought up to speed as well. When he was finished, he looked up at the faces staring in his direction and said, comically, "Th… That's all, folks!"

That seemed to break the ice, and he watched a reaction of laughs, smiles, and rolled eyes come in his direction.

"So how was the movie?" Frank asked. It was a general question, but Joe sensed it was meant for Callie.

Chet, however, answered. "Well," he began, thoughtfully, "it was okay. A little too mushy for me, though, in some parts."

Callie smiled gently. "Chet, you've always been a big romantic, you know that?" she teased him.

Chet blushed and cleared his throat. "Come on, Callie, you have to admit that the movie won't exactly be put down on the list of all time favorites, you know."

Callie laughed, and then reflected, "Actually, guys, Chet is right. I mean, that's what we need-more movie classics. You don't see things like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, or Psycho anymore."

Joe snorted, and commented, "Gee, Cal, that's a weird mix of titles to put together!" As soon as he said it, he caught his breath. Those were the first real words that he'd addressed to Callie since their conversation the previous night. He mentally prepared for her response but, to his surprise, she was completely amicable.

"I guess so," she said, her brown eyes sparkling, "But this case also has weird things put together. Maybe…" she paused, and then switched her voice to a cackle and playfully wiggled her fingers in a monster-like 'I'm coming to get you' fashion, "there's a connection between my scary movies and this case. He he he haaaa…"

They all burst out laughing. "Callie Shaw, you're out of your mind!" Vanessa laughed.

"You sound like a witch!" Joe couldn't help but to add.

"That's not the first time you've said that," Callie chuckled, realizing that Joe didn't mean any offense. She was still deeply hurt about his prior comments, but she realized that life was too short to hold grudges. She couldn't afford to waste time and energy fighting anyone, and she still did care about Joe, although her heart hurt to think about what he'd said.

"Or something like it," Joe replied with a smile.

"Shut up, Joe!" Callie said, rolling her eyes, and playfully tossing a pillow in his direction. While everyone laughed, enjoying this exchange, Joe took a brief moment to meet Callie's eyes directly, and he gave her a subtle, small, and sincere smile. On impulse, he mouthed to her, "I'm sorry," silently, and he watched her face change as she fought with some internal emotions. Joe couldn't believe it as he watched her blink back tears, but she gave him a small nod and the most discreet "thumbs up" he'd ever seen. Joe felt an instant need to protect her, and he felt that although the bridge had been mended, he'd have to tread very carefully over it in the future.

Frank, glad to see his brother and girlfriend happy, felt slightly better himself. "So," he said, gently wrapping an arm around Callie's waist as he sat down next to her, "Do you all have any ideas about the case? We feel that whatever's going to happen, will probably happen soon, and we want to be prepared." As Joe listened to his brother, he couldn't help but to note how tightly he was holding onto Callie. He was reminded again of how much lay before them.

"Frank, Joe," Iola began, finally snapping out of her reverie, "Are you sure you want to pursue this? You know it'll be dangerous."

"We're sure," Joe replied, giving her a small smile. "But the more we can figure out ahead of time, the better off we'll be."

"Okay," Iola responded, giving in. "Maybe we should look again at the pattern of the cases. Let's outline everything, and see if we can't figure it out."

They all agreed, and spread out on the floor and around the beds, working on the case.

"Facts we know," Joe said out loud, and he watched as Vanessa took notes.

"First," Joe began, "There's a message in the jewelry store names. It has something to do with the following: It's their second coming, since dad had the first case. It's our wasteland or tomb. There's some sort of explosion to come, where they're hoping to kill us, and have us as the doomed youth. Obviously, it's almost midsummer. AND, this is an American tragedy."

"Great," Vanessa replied sarcastically. "Sounds promising."

"Then," Frank continued, "We have specific times, at least three robbers, a license plate that says "Totowa", an Oldsmobile Toronado, cases that are moving west, and random jewelry that's being stolen."

"We have families that knew that you and Joe were coming, knew about the robberies when it wasn't common knowledge, and warned you about an upcoming threat. Plus, there are strange people who have taken gold medallions as well as literature books and computer disks, and a probability that this case has to do with gold, considering the last robbery as well," Callie added, speaking to Frank.

"Then," Chet continued, between mouthfuls of popcorn, "You have the obvious suspects, Wilkins and Smith; one an architecture expert and one a computer expert. Ramses and Butler are dead."

"Finally," Joe cut in, "We have all the robberies listed. Van, can you get me that notebook over there where Frank wrote everything down?"

He watched as Vanessa got the notebook from Frank, and they all peered at it.

1) Bayport, NY- (Yeats Jewelers) rubies were taken. That took place around 10:30.
2) Radley, Pennsylvania- (Eliot's Jewelers) amethysts were taken. That was at 11:00, I think.
3) Idaria, West Virginia.-(Larkin's Jewelers) Sapphires were taken, but only a rare type called an Iolite. That was at 11:30.

4) Charlestown, Missouri- (Lee's Jewelers). This time, natural pearls are taken. Time- 12:00 or 12:30.
5) Klarksville, Nebraska- (Owen's Jewelers). Gold bangles are taken. The time- 12:30 or 1:00.
6) Rockland, Oklahoma- (Walcott's Jewelers)- Only opals are taken. Time- 1:30.
7) Dawson, Colorado- (Dreiser's Jewelers)- White gold. Time 2:00.

"I don't know," Frank said. "I really don't. I'm frustrated by this. Did anyone know of any big gold-like operations anywhere?" he asked, grasping at straws.

"Well, let's look it up!" Vanessa interjected. She was just as good, if not better, than Frank at computers. Joe felt fairly confident that if there was any information to be found, his brother or his girlfriend would find it.

"Take out a map while you're at it," Callie added quietly.

"Why?" Iola asked.

"Because if Frank is right, then there's a pattern to this. That means the next heist will be in this area."

Joe couldn't help but to notice how smart Callie was, and he gave her a quick squeeze on the shoulder. She was still looking at the computer with everyone else, but Joe noticed that she reached back and squeezed his hand in return. Her own hand was very cold, and Joe got worried. "Are you okay?" he asked bending down and whispering in her ear.

She just turned back and winked at him, returning quickly to the computer. Joe felt very uneasy.

"Okay," Iola announced, as Frank and Vanessa searched for information on gold. "I have the map!"

The group decided to split into three pairs to analyze the information. Frank and Vanessa searched the computer, Iola and Chet tried to analyze the map, and Joe and Callie looked over the notebook. Joe noticed that Callie was squinting and seemed to have difficulty in the direct light. He led her to a corner of the room where they sat on either side of a table. She looked like she was trying to control her breathing, and she was pale. Joe felt his heart drop a little. The stress Callie was under couldn't be good for her or the baby, and Joe was concerned.

"Are you in pain?" he asked her quietly.

To his surprise, she told him the truth. "Yes," she whispered. "But I can't do anything about it now, right? Let's look at this." Her eyes were glassy. Callie closed them for a moment. This spell had come on quietly and quickly. Still, she wanted to be useful, and shrugged off the weakness, unsettled stomach, oncoming headache, and slightly blurred vision that she was experiencing.

"Let's review this," she said. She started humming quietly to herself to stay calm as she looked at the notebook.

"WHAT are you singing?" Joe asked. He couldn't quite place the tune.

Callie blushed slightly. "Sorry, Joe. This list doesn't make sense. I was singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. Since I mentioned the movie, it's been stuck in my head."

"I know it," Joe relied gently, thinking about his secret passion for old movie themes and show tunes. "It is a great movie," he said offhandedly.

"Yup," Callie agreed. "You know Joe," she said slowly, fighting back nausea, "These guys are all about codes and messages and stuff. I wonder if there's any significance to the times of places, or the type of jewelry stolen. Maybe we should look at this from a cryptic hidden-message point of view."

"That's as good an angle as any," he said, impressed. He noticed again how pale she looked. "Callie, are you…?"

"Okay?" Callie looked up, and Joe saw her fighting with tears again. "No," she whispered. "Can you come to my room with me? I don't want Frank to worry," she said, nodding in his direction.

Joe took a deep breath. He helped Callie to her feet, and was grateful that everyone was so involved in his or her particular project that they barely noticed them leave the room. After taking Callie into her room, he noticed at once how she almost collapsed onto the bed, and immediately covered her eyes with shaking hands. Joe turned off the lights, after offering to stay with her, but she refused.

Going back into his room, he made some weak excuse to everyone about how Callie was tired. Deep down, Joe got a nagging feeling something was horribly wrong. He was very worried about her and the baby, and he knew he'd need to address this with Frank by tomorrow.

With a sigh, Joe looked at the list again. "Okay," he murmured to himself, "Let's look at the code angle." Reaching over, Joe made several lists.

TOWNS STORES JEWELS
Bayport Yeats Ruby
Radley Eliot Amethyst
Idaria Larkin Sapphire (Iolite)
Charlestown Lee Peals (natural)
Klarksville Owen Gold (bangles)
Rockland Walcott Opals
Dawson Dresier Gold (white)

Joe stared and stared and then he gasped so loud that everyone stopped what he or she was doing. "Oh my GOD!" Joe shouted. "I've got it!!!!"

"What?" Frank and Vanessa asked together, as Chet and Iola shouted, "We have it, too!"

They heard a dinging from the computer screen. Vanessa covered her mouth. "I think we have it, too!" she declared.

"Guys, mine is the most important! I swear! Look!" Joe exclaimed, waiving the paper in the air.

As they all gathered around him, Joe pointed to the list and tried to control his enthusiasm. He pointed to the list for all to see. "Okay," he said, excitedly. "Not only are the stores a code for us, which we got before, but look! The first letters spell out "YELLOWD." Then," he continued, as Frank's eyes grew wide, "the towns spell out BRICK RD. Finally, the initials of the jewelry, if you look at them specifically, spell out RAINBOW. Callie and I were just talking about The Wizard of Oz by sheer coincidence. This has to do with that!"

"I can't believe it!" Vanessa exclaimed excitedly. "That means my theory of you being led here was right. What did you do? You followed the Yellow Brick Road!"

"And yellowd is kind of in past tense, if this is the last of the robberies," Iola called out.

"Yellow," Frank replied evenly, "In literature, is also the color that represents fear, as in yellow-belly."

"This is unbelievable!" Chet exclaimed.

"What did you find out?" Joe asked Iola and Chet. Iola caught her breath. "Well, if you look at the map, the last four robberies took place in a circle." She took out the map. "Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, and Oklahoma. What state is in the middle of all that? KANSAS!"

"Oh!" Frank groaned, slapping his forehead. "I am so stupid! Of course that's right! That means the license plate, 'Totowas' isn't for the New Jersey town. Look! It says TOTO, as in the dog in the movie, WAS involved. Another clue I missed!"

Joe cut in, feeling equally duped. "Oh, man. That means the Toronado was for the tornado that took Dorothy away. Also, notice the multi-colored plate. There you have the rainbow again."
"PLUS," Vanessa added, at last seeing the light. "That's why they started with rubies, as in the slippers."

"Oh, God," Frank said, as he remembered what had popped up on the computer. "What's at the end of the rainbow?" he groaned.

"Gold!" they all replied.

"Yup," Frank said, trying to control his voice. "And guess where the nearest GOLD landmark is? In Kansas, at the Emerald MINT, where the U.S. has one of the largest mints for gold bullion ever!"

"Like the Emerald City," Chet said, amazed. "I'd say that'd classify as the world's greatest heist!"

"The song!" Joe exclaimed, urged on by adrenaline. "Let's think about the words!" He began to say them, slowly. "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow, way up High, there's a land that I dreamed of once in a lullaby."

"Dream equals death to some people," Frank cut in.

Joe nodded, and went on. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Skies are Blue, and the dreams that I dare to dream really do come true."

"Oh, crap!" Vanessa exclaimed. "If we're on to this literature thing, Frank is right: yellow is associated with fear. Blue means sadness, or something bad will happen. Obviously, the dreams of these guys will come true as the blow up this place-we know they'll be an explosion from the literature clues!" Vanessa began to tremble at the implications.

"What's the refrain?" Iola asked.

Joe took a deep breath. "Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me."

"Another reference to death," Chet chimed in. "It could also mean THEIR problems will be behind them."

"And then?" Iola went on, turning to Joe.

He sighed, and continued. "Where Troubles Melt, like lemon drops, way above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me."

"Oh!" Frank exclaimed. "Their troubles are going away. The gold is also melted to make the bars!!! The bombs- they have to be placed high-there's a clue in that! What's the end of the song, Joe?"

Joe couldn't believe this. So many hints-and they had missed them all! He finished up. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh why, can't I?"

"Funny," Vanessa replied, without a trace of humor in her voice. "Birds flying- get it? Jail birds who are now free? These guys are complicated!"

"You can say that again!" Joe agreed.

"So, like, what does all this mean?" Chet asked.

At that moment, there was a huge crashing noise as their door was suddenly and inexplicably kicked open. In burst two men, dressed all in black, their guns pointed on the five teens. Iola screamed. Chet and Frank froze. Joe shoved Vanessa behind him. All Frank could see was that both men wore huge grins under their masks.

"It means," one said, in a diabolical tone, " Uh, oh, Toto. I don't think you're in Kansas anymore!"

The second gunman laughed, and then….

They opened fire.

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow them without express permission of the authors.