Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

“It will be a few days before we have the results of your tests,” the young technician told Esther Hardy as Gertrude listened, also. “We’ll send the results right to your practitioner.”

“Well, that’s that,” Esther said with a smile as the young man walked away. “I’m sure everything will be just fine. These young doctors are just too cautious, Gertie.”

Gertrude Hardy wasn’t so sure. The discomfort her mother was experiencing was disconcerting to the younger woman. She hoped that the tests would pinpoint the problem so that a course of treatment could be started.

“Let’s hurry, Gertie,” Esther quickly chatted, pulling gently on her daughter’s arm. “I can still catch a few of my shows before Frankie gets home from school.”

Gertrude ushered her mother out to the car and headed for Fenton and Laura’s house on the corner of High and Elm streets. She pulled her car into the long driveway and helped Esther into the house.

Laura Hardy smiled as she watched her in-laws walk through the back door of the house, into the spacious kitchen.

“Were the tests very uncomfortable?” Laura asked Esther, taking the older woman’s coat.

“Not very, dear,” Esther replied, smiling at Laura. Esther deeply loved Fenton’s wife and felt blessed to have such a sweet daughter-in-law.

“I’m going to watch television a bit,” Esther announced before heading into the family room.

Laura looked at Gertrude and saw the concern etched on her sister-in-law’s face. Gert looked up and caught Laura’s gaze.

“She’ll be alright,” Gertrude stated firmly, giving Laura a curt nod and picking up the coats that had been tossed over the backs of the chairs.

Laura watched Gertrude carry the coats to the hall closet, silently praying that Gert’s words were true.

* * *

“I’ll need a good deal of printing done once the business is established, Mr. Conley,” Fenton Hardy said as he sat across the desk from David Conley in the man’s office.

“I’m sure we can meet your needs, Mr. Carter,” Conley replied, using Fenton’s alias name, ‘Jason Carter.’ “We are not a large corporate printer, but I believe we can handle anything a small, local business would require.

“What exactly, did you say your business would be, Mr. Carter?”

“I didn’t say,” Fenton said with an easy grin. “Let’s just call it, exporting.”

“That sounds interesting,” Conley replied, narrowing his eyes slightly as he glanced at Fenton. “I’ve always had an interest in the export business myself.”

‘I’ll bet you have,’ Fenton thought to himself, but he replied, “I’m sure that will give us much to talk about in the future.”

* * *

“Mom! I’m home!”

Frank Hardy quickly hung up his coat in the hall closet, using the stool his mom kept there for Joe and him. He put the stool away and carried his backpack up the stairs. Frank dropped the bag on his bed and quickly walked through the connecting bathroom to Joe’s room.

There was a small lump in the middle of the younger boy’s bed that Frank assumed was Joe, still asleep from his afternoon nap. He slipped the rail down and bounced on the edge of the bed until Joe’s blond head popped out of the end of the comforter.

“Hey!” Joe protested. “Do I look like a milkshake or something?”

“Nope! Just my sleepy-head brother,” Frank answered with a laugh. “Let’s go watch cartoons.”

Joe jumped out of bed and joined his brother. They went through the kitchen to see if Mom or Aunt Gertrude had left them a snack. Sure enough, there were two glasses of milk and a couple of Oreo cookies for each of them on the table.

Grabbing the treats, the boys went into the family room but stopped short when they saw their Nana sleeping in Daddy’s favorite chair.

“What should we do?” Joe whispered, a little too loud. His eyes grew wide as his Nana turned and looked right at him.

“Well,” Esther said softly, peering into the deep blueness of her youngest grandchild’s eyes, “you could put down those snacks and come give me a big hug.” Both boys grinned and set their cookies and milk on the coffee table before climbing into their grandmother’s lap.

* * *

After Jason Carter left his office, David Conley sat brooding for a long time. Carter seemed to be on the up-and-up, yet Conley was always wary of new business in or around Blackdog Point.

He used his computer to check Carter’s background, and found the man had a history of starting up short term businesses in the United States. Though no criminal activity was mentioned, Conley surmised that Carter’s business dealings were brief to keep the law off his back.

“So what has brought you here, Mr. Carter?” Conley asked himself. He glanced again at the information on the invoice in front of him.

Carter had ordered business cards, invoices, letterheads and envelopes to be printed for his new business. All would have the name, ‘Carter Courier’ across the top and along with an address a few blocks away from the printing company.

David Conley wasn’t sure if Jason Carter was going to turn out to be a successful partner or a dreaded enemy, competing for Conley’s business associates. ‘Either way,’ Conley pondered, ‘I’ll be keeping my eye on you, Carter.’

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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.