Frank took the CD from the plastic case and put it into Campton’s stereo system.  They waited for the music to start, but only heard silence.

“I don’t get it,” Joe said, frowning.  “There’s nothing on it.”

“Maybe,” Frank responded, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Billy raised an eyebrow questioningly, “You’re thinking a different format?”

“Oh!” Joe exclaimed, “Like a data disk instead of a music disk!”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Frank grinned. “Let’s see if there’s a computer in here anywhere.”

“Here,” Joe called out a few seconds later.  He plugged in a notebook computer and turned it on.  Joe opened the CD-ROM drive while Frank dropped the disk into place.  Frank and Billy peered over Joe’s shoulder, watching the screen.  The trio stared in shocked silence at the information filling the laptop’s built-in monitor.

“Unbelievable,” Billy Moss finally spoke.  “Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

“Drug smuggling,” Joe stated.

Frank said, “Looks like he was being supplied with cocaine, and then he arranged for it to be shipped out of state inside artifacts sent for restoration.”

“Then somebody had to be working in the restoration department with him,” Billy suggested. 

“Mark planted the drugs and his partner removed them,” Frank added.

“But they would still be in the park.  Why remove them at all?” Joe questioned.  “They would need to get them away from here, wouldn’t they?”

“They must be moved from the artifacts to some other means of transportation,” Frank said.

“Boys, we need to call the sheriff about this right away,” Billy stated, glancing from one brother to the other. Joe frowned.

“I know he’s not on your list of favorite people, Joe,” Billy grinned in Joe’s direction, “but he’s a good cop.”

Joe reluctantly pulled out his cell phone.  No bars – no coverage in the cabin.  He told Frank and Billy so.

“There’s a small ridge less than a quarter mile behind the house,” Billy responded.  “Bet you could pick up a signal there.

“Meanwhile, I’m going to grab a blank CD from my CS case and copy this information,” Billy finished.  The brothers’ watched Billy leave.

“I’ll take a hike,” Joe said with a wiry grin and he headed out the back door of the cabin toward the ridge in the distance. Seconds later, Billy reappeared and Frank joined him at the computer.

* * *

Sheriff Leroy Longtooth rubbed his hand over his tanned chin as he glanced at the group of teenagers standing before him.  He and Deputy Vernon Sagawi had already checked out Balcony House as soon as park security had called, but had found no unwanted visitors in the old pueblo dwelling.

“There were scrape marks along one of the low rise walls,” Longtooth said slowly.  “They could have been made from a grappling hook or some other sort of climbing tool.

“Tell me again exactly what you boys saw,” the sheriff ordered.

Phil Cohen began the explanation for the second time, with his friends interjecting here and there.  When they were through, the Bayport teens sat silently, waiting for the sheriff to speak.

“I’m gonna post a surveillance team up there where you boys were today,” Longtooth stated.  “Hopefully, the climber will be back.”

“You mean you believe us?” Chet Morton asked skeptically.

“Of course,” the sheriff frowned at the stout youth.  “Is there some reason why I shouldn’t?”

“After the way you treated Joe and me,” Biff Hooper explained, “we kinda figured you didn’t like us much.”

“Apples and oranges, son,” Longtooth replied.  “You and those Hardy kids trampled into a crime scene.  That kind of thing ticks me off, if you know what I mean. But this report you boys just made,” the sheriff continued, “is an entirely different thing.”

The sheriff’s cell phone chirped to life and the lawman quickly answered it.  His permanent frown deepened as he listened to the caller.

“I thought I told you Hardys to keep out of this,” Longtooth snarled.  “Stay put and don’t touch anything else ‘til I get there!”

* * *

“Copy complete,” Billy Moss exclaimed, placing the copy of the CD into an evidence bag for safe-keeping.  He returned the original to its plastic case.

“Guess we should just wait for Joe and the sheriff to get here now,” Frank suggested, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.

Billy stood and put the original CD back where Joe had first found it.  He walked to take a look out the back door to see if Joe was coming back yet.  “It shouldn’t be long for the sheriff to get…”  Frank turned to face Billy as the man suddenly stopped speaking.

“What’s wrong, Billy?” Frank swallowed as he stared at the hand gun pointed three feet from Billy’s chest.

The owner of the gun gave Frank a chilling smile and asked, “Where’s the CD?”

“What CD?” Frank asked, using a loud tone of voice in case Joe was near enough to hear and be warned.

“Don’t play games with me, kid,” the man sneered, “or Mr. CSI here will be the next crime scene that needs investigating!”