"Erm…excuse me Officer, but what’s going on?" asked Helen.

The policeman started patting down Mark’s pockets. "We received a couple of complaints from concerned member’s of the public reporting a woman being attacked by three people."

"Do I look like I’ve been attacked?" asked Helen, amazed.

Considering about Mark’s red cheek and Helen’s disheveled appearance he said, "yes you do Miss, but I can assure you that you don’t have to be frightened anymore, we have all three in custody."

"But…."

The Policeman unclipped his handcuffs from his belt and commenced to handcuff Mark’s hands behind his back.

"Now hang on a second, we can explain…" Mark started in protest.

"Officer! Please! No one’s been attacking me." Helen argued loudly.

"Come along, we’ll sort this out down at the station. You can make out a complaint there," said the policeman firmly, totally ignoring Helen and making Mark march in front of him.

"But, there isn’t a complaint to be made," Helen added, tripping along after the fast moving policeman.

***

"I don’t believe this!" Rob growled, sitting in the back of the police car with Beverley next to him. The other policeman was standing right outside the door, his arms folded across his chest.

Bev gripped his arm, "the story you gave to the police did sound over the top, you can understand them being cautious. Don’t worry, I’m sure when Helen finds out what’s happened, she’ll come to our rescue."

"I hope you’re right, this is downright embarrassing."

"Tell me about it, I’m just relieved this is my bosses day off, or I would have been out of a job on my ear – I still could be actually."

Rob suddenly grinned wolfishly, "that’s okay, you’d just have to come and live with me," he said, lifting one eyebrow cheekily and looking into her eyes.

One side of Bev’s mouth tilted upwards, and she peeped at him up through her eyelashes "slow down Mister! I hardly know you!"

"Well, we’ll have to do something about that now won’t we?…" he stopped as he spied two familiar figures appear from a concealed entrance up the street accompanied by a tall policeman. "A-ha, here comes Mark and Helen now…Oh for Pete’s sake, Mark’s handcuffed!"

He could hear Helen’s protests before they’d even reached the car as her voice was growing louder and louder. "Look, officer, will you please take the handcuffs off my friend, he’s done absolutely nothing wrong!"

The Policeman continued to walk ahead of her. Finally, annoyance gaining the edge on sense, Helen ran around to the front and stood right in front of him, halting him mid-stride. Looking him in the eye she screamed, "STOP!" at the top of her lungs. At last the policeman looked at her.

"I’ll make you a deal…listen to my explanation, then, if you don’t believe me, you can contact Officer Bramwell Kyle or one of his superiors at High Street Station in Birmingham - they’ll corroborate my story. Then if you still don’t believe me, you can arrest not only my friends, but me as well."

The Officer considered her request for a few seconds and then put his finger up for Helen to wait for just one minute. He took Mark around the other side of the panda car and pushed him into the back seat next to his older brother and then returned with his partner to tow. Taking up position in front of Helen, he folded his arms across his chest and said, "okay, you’ve got my attention."

Ten minutes later, after speaking into his walkie-talkie, he stepped away with his fellow officer in order to talk privately. Helen watched as he consulted his two-way radio again before he finally came back with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"We’ve spoken to the High Street Station, and they were able to corroborate 80% of your story. They acknowledged your husband was killed in a car smash and that Officer Kyle is the chief investigating officer on that case, as well as on the museum heists, but they certainly haven’t hired anyone called Frank or Joe Hardy to work undercover with them."

"They haven’t?" asked Helen bemused, "that’s really weird, because me and my two friends here were all witnesses to Officer Kyle employing them."

"That’s something you’re going to have to raise with the police station when you return to Birmingham," remarked the officer, scratching the side of his nose. "Right now, I’m going to release your acquaintances and let them off with a warning. They should consider themselves very lucky indeed to have such a loyal friend."

"Thank you," said Helen, puzzlement still sounding in her voice.

***

"I have NEVER been so humiliated in my whole life!" Mark snapped at no one in particular as the Policeman removed the cuffs.

Rob glared at his brother and hissed in warning, "if you want to walk away from this, you’ll keep your mouth shut!" The second Mark was free of the bracelets; he pulled him aside and gave him a hard glare, daring him to speak again.

After giving them all a stern talking to, the Policeman and his partner climbed back into their panda car and drove away.

"I have to say that’s the sweetest thing you two have ever done for me," joked Helen

"Eh?" asked Rob

"Getting yourselves arrested on my behalf," she said slipping her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his muscled upper arm.

"What were you and that Policeman talking about?" asked Mark, finally coming down to earth again.

"I told him about what’s been going on back home and he talked to the Birmingham Police Station. Funny thing is, they told him they don’t know anything about Frank or Joe working on the case."

"Eh?" asked Rob again, thoroughly confused, "they don’t know who Kyle is?"

"Oh yeah, they know who Kyle is, and they know about the car crash and the museum raids, but they don’t know about Frank and Joe working undercover."

"Wow, that’s strange," remarked Mark, frowning. "I wonder what’s going on?"

Helen shrugged her shoulders and looked at the ground.

"I think we should get home and sort this thing quick smart, before the three of them get into hot water," said Mark, "and find out what our friend Kyle is up to." He turned quickly and started to cross the road towards the hotel.

Helen was hanging back as she’d noticed the looks being exchanged between Rob and her new friend Beverley, "erm…we’re going to pack our stuff, I’ll have Mark pack your bag as well Rob. We’ll see you down here in about half an hour." Rob nodded and looked longingly with a feeling of disappointment at Beverley. Helen inwardly sighed and trotted across the road after the younger Randall brother.

"Oh well," said Beverly up at Rob sadly, "so…this is it then."

"Not quite, we’ve still got half an hour."

"Whoopee Do Dah!" she replied disheartened, "this could have been the start of a beautiful friendship…"

"Still can be," Rob interrupted, stepping closer.

***

As Mark and Helen emerged from the hotel carrying their bags half an hour later, the site of Rob and Bev kissing passionately welcomed them. Helen nearly dropped her bag; such was the level of her surprise.

"Oi!" Mark yelled crassly, "get a room!"

Rob let go of Beverley and waved him off with his hand, "I’ll be along in a second, don’t wait for me."

Helen left her bag on the sidewalk next to Mark and approached Beverley to give her a quick hug.

"Thanks for all your help Bev, we’ll meet again, I’m sure." She stepped back and eyed them both again, "in fact," she continued, "I’m certain we’ll be seeing each other again." She smiled quickly and left them alone.

Mark bent down and picked up Helen’s bag before she could grab it herself. "I’m going with Helen in her car, we’ll meet you at the same service station we visited on the way here for lunch," He called.

"Whatever…" sighed Rob and he and Beverley carried on where they’d left off.

Mark and Helen glanced at each other, grinned and headed for the BMW.

Two hours later they were pulling into the service station. Mark and Helen found a table and started reading the menu while they waited for Rob.

"I’m not hungry actually," Helen stated, casting her menu aside, "I think I’ll just have a cup of tea."

"No," snapped Mark, shaking his head, "we’re here to have lunch, and that’s what we’re doing!"

A flash of blue denim caught her eye and she looked up to see Rob weaving his way towards their table. He swung into the seat opposite Helen and instantly realized something was amiss. He raised his eyebrows and looked to his brother for an explanation while picking up Helen’s discarded menu.

"Helen seems to think she’s not eating anything."

"She does, does she? Well, we’ll see about that won’t we?"

"This is a conspiracy!" she complained and snatched the menu from Rob’s fingers and started to scan it again, "while I’m surveying the gourmet food on offer, I suggest one of you phones home and brings the others up to date on Kyle."

"I’ll do it," Mark volunteered, scanning the room for a pay phone.

***

Joe, Frank and Kiwi were sitting in the lounge talking things through when the front doorbell rang shrilly.

"That’ll be Kyle, one on the dot - he’s punctual, I’ll give him that!" remarked Frank, lurching to his feet and heading for the front door. He set his face straight before opening up, hoping it would hide the disgust and creepiness he felt whenever Bramwell Kyle was near him. He pulled the door open on the Police Inspector who was smiling widely - a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Under the intense, watchful eye of Kyle, Frank felt like a predator’s prey. He stepped well clear as the inspector entered the premises and wrinkled his nose at the back of his head.

"Hello boys," greeted Kyle, sitting down next to Joe before waiting to be invited. Joe and Frank exchanged unreadable looks and Joe slid further along the sofa away from the Inspector.

"Hello Officer Kyle," Kiwi stiltedly murmured, not missing the look that passed between the two brothers.

Kyle turned to Joe, "what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Kiwi, answering on his friend’s behalf, "lost his voice actually."

Kyle raised his chin slightly and peered more closely at the younger Hardy brother. "Not a bad thing I suppose…." Frank opened his mouth to protest, but Kyle continued quickly before he could retort, "…you have some good news for me I hear?"

"Yes we do Inspector, take a seat why don’t you, and we’ll tell you what we’ve uncovered to date," said Frank sarcastically. He looked at the space left for him between Joe and Kyle and decided instead to perch on the arm of the seat Kiwi was occupying.

By the time Frank and Kiwi had finished the tale with lots of nodding from Joe, Kyle’s face bore a tight smile. "So, the beacons are in place, and all we have to do now is follow the ‘beeps’ and, if luck’s on our side, we’ll be led straight to the loot?"

"That’s the general idea," Frank muttered.

"Let’s get tracking then," said Kyle enthusiastically jumping up.

"Not so fast Inspector," halted Frank standing up and barring his way, "we want full police involvement now. Guns are involved and we feel things are getting very hot to handle - we want to be assured of our safety."

"Oh, of course," the Inspector quickly assured them, "Safety is of paramount importance – without a doubt. I’ll go and radio them from my car right now and have them put on standby. Your well-being is the most important consideration. I just didn’t know whether you’d agree - knowing how independently you and your brother like to work."

"Okay," nodded Frank, "you go and contact your colleagues, we’ll dig out the receiver and have it operable by the time you’re back."

Kiwi and the Hardys stood and watched as Kyle exited the house. Kiwi turned to the other two and shook his head, "Don’t ask me why Maties, but that Guy gives me the creeps," he grumbled.

"I know exactly what you mean," replied Frank. Joe also nodded.

The older Hardy brother quickly went to the basement and fetched the briefcase that held the components of the receiver. He brought it up into the kitchen and laid it on the table so he and Joe could start slotting it together under Kiwi’s watchful gaze.

"How does this thing work?" he asked.

Joe held up a remote unit while his brother explained. "This is the receiver which omits an Audible beeping sound when it’s in range of the bugs we planted. As you draw nearer to the transmitters, the beeps will get faster and louder."

"What’s the range on this thing?"

"25-30 miles by air and approximately 4-5 miles on the ground."

"Cool – and what’s this thing?" Kiwi asked, holding up a three pronged aerial like structure.

"That’s the antenna, which works like a TV Aerial and will pick up the transmitters’ signals." He took it from Kiwi and slotted it into the top of the remote receiver unit. He tuned it to the frequency required and stood up, "all set," he announced.

Joe took it from his brother and stood with it in his hands. Turning the power on, he held it outwards and spun slowly round in the room but was disappointed when no noise came from the speakers.

"It’s out of range, so we’re going to have to cruise up and down in the car until we pick up a signal. I suggest we start at the park?" said Frank, looking to the other two for affirmation.

"Sounds as good a place to start as any," agreed Kiwi.

There was a noise from the vicinity of the front of the house. They all turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway. "We ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," answered Frank, "did you contact your colleagues?"

"Yes. They told me to keep them up-to-date on developments via the radio. You three take one of the hatchbacks and I’ll on follow up behind."

Joe clapped Kiwi and Frank loudly on the back and all four left the building, closing and locking the house securely behind them.

Thirty seconds after they’d left, the phone started to ring hollowly in the empty house. After six rings, the answer phone kicked in. [Beep] "Hi folks, It’s me, Mark. Good news! We’re on our way home with Helen. Are you there? If so, pick up the phone, I’ve got something important to tell you…[long pause]…obviously not. Look…Erm…don’t do anything until we get back, we’ve got something important to tell you concerning Kyle. I’ll phone again later, bye" [click].