Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

"The church, the 13 circles of paint, the holes in the girl’s hands," Frank listed, raising three fingers. "How many people did Trista say lived here?"

"Let’s see; Twelve, I think," Joe answered. "Three in Trista’s family, the four Gales and that leaves five that must make up the Murphy family."

"Plus our mystery girl, that makes thirteen." Frank added.

"You think he plans to kill everyone in Reedville? For what? Some kind of atonement or something?" Joe asked.

"Or something," Frank murmured. "What if it’s a sacrifice of sorts? Look at this church. It’s been desecrated; only a shell of what it once was. It’s the perfect setting for a twist on the disciples. Kind of mocking them."

"A sick twist, if you ask me," Joe commented. "This guy’s as nutty as a fruitcake. I say we just hide out ‘til Trista comes with the police."

"I don’t think we can," Frank disagreed. "If we don’t keep him occupied, he’ll go after the Murphy’s."

"Maybe he already has," Joe countered.

"No," Frank shook his head, "He would have brought the bodies here. He needs us, Joe."

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"I think he disabled the car to keep us here because he knew Trista’s parents were gone."

"So were supposed to take their place," Joe said, understanding. "Why hasn’t he just killed us then?"

"Like you said before," Frank smiled, "It’s become a game."

"Well, I don’t want to play," Joe responded, folding his arms in front of him. He looked at his brother. Frank still wore a slight smile on his face and he was carefully scanning the church interior.

"I don’t like that look, Frank. What are you thinking?"

"He’s going to come in here after us eventually," Frank began, "but what if he came in to find the building was a church again? If he really thinks he’s Judas, he might be afraid to come into a place where God dwells. We might be able to play his fantasy to our advantage."

"That makes a certain kind of sense, but Frank, we can’t make this place back into a church, can we?" Joe questioned, "I mean, don’t you have to be a priest or something to do that?"

"We don’t really have to make it a church again," Frank explained, "We just need him to think it is. Come on; we’re going back to the Gales house to gather some supplies."

* * *

"Silly little boys," he said, watching the Hardys leaving the church, "I’ll have to help myself to your little friend. How careless of you to leave her behind!"

He made his way back into the empty church in search of Trista Kelly.

* * *

Fenton Hardy looked up from the newspaper to the clock on the nightstand. It was almost midnight and he hadn’t heard from the boys yet.

The world-famous detective knew his sons were able to take care of themselves, but still, they were his children and he tended to worry about them as if they were still toddlers sometimes.

He started to reach for his cell-phone again, but chuckled to himself and put it down. ‘You’re turning into an old worry-wart, Fent, old buddy. They’ll be here soon.’

* * *

Joe Hardy wasn’t sure what Frank had in mind, but he did as he was told and began gathering the items Frank asked him to find. In no time he had all the items, and he met Frank in the kitchen of the Gales house.

"So can we leave now? This place is like ‘Nightmare House’," Joe said with a shiver, referring to an old horror movie.

"Let me see what you collected," Frank said, opening the white sheet Joe had carried into the kitchen. "Hm-m. Sheets, candles, matches, Bible and lace doilies. Good."

"What else?" Joe asked.

"I got the last items," Frank answered. He held up a wooden cross, about fourteen inches tall and a hammer. "It’s not very big, but it will have to do."

"Where did you get that?" Joe questioned.

"It was on the wall in the hallway," Frank answered, "It had a wedding picture mounted to it, but it was easy to remove. I also found a few big carpenter nails to hang it with. Let’s get back to the church before ‘Judas’ wonders where we disappeared."

* * *

He frantically searched for the missing Kelly girl, growing more frustrated by the minute. He suspected the boys would be returning and he didn’t want to be caught.

"Where are you hiding, little girl? Come out and play with me!"

He made his way past the corpse on the platform to the choir alcove. He smiled as he pictured the dark-haired teenager crouching there.

He jumped over the low wall and stopped. There on the floor was the dummy Frank and Joe had made. With an animal growl, he picked up the dummy and began shredding it, tossing pieces of fabric, paper and plastic all over the platform.

Heaving and snarling, he made his way out of the side door into the cemetery. They had ruined his plan and now they would pay dearly.

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency 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 original characters without express permission of the authors.