(earlier that day)

"Very good," Fenton Hardy murmured. He was scrutinizing the mould of the footprints of the man Frank had seen at night. He collected the piece of the thickened concrete and went back into the house. There ran it under water to wash off all the dirt and took it to his study.

It was half past seven in the morning which was too early to go to the police station, so Fenton poured himself a cup of coffee and stretched in his chair at the kitchen table, enjoying the silence. Laura was still sleeping and Frank should have come downstairs any minute now.

10 minutes later Frank, barely able to move his legs, went into the kitchen. He nodded at his father and went to examine the contents of the refrigerator.

"You okay?" Fenton asked.

"You're mocking at me, aren't you?" Frank sourly grinned, taking a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator. "4 hours are definitely not enough for me," he poured corn flakes into a bowl and added milk to it. Then he tiredly sat on a chair opposite his father and grabbed a spoon. "Mmmm, I wanna sleep…." with that he soundly yawned.

"Sorry, can't help you here," Fenton replied. "If it makes you feel better I didn't sleep well, too."

"Oh isn't it good to know that at least someone is feeling as bad as I am this morning," Frank grinned and grabbed the remote control. "And what are they going to tell us?" he switched his attention to the TV set.

"…tonight," the male commentator, sitting at the table and holding some papers in his hands, was saying with a serious face. The picture changed and both Hardys saw a house, cordoned off by people in police uniforms. "That's what one of the officers, Brad Mattews, said to us. He was one of the first to arrive at the crime scene."

A face of a young police officer appeared, he was looking at the microphone as he spoke, "We got the call this morning at 4.26 and came here, but the attacker had already gone. The police has started the plan of interception."

"The police has yet not been able to establish the criminal's identity," the commentator appeared on the screen again. "But they say they'll do everything possible to catch the criminal and secure the inhabitants of Bayport against him as soon as possible. I will remind everyone who has joined us right now that tonight there was an armed attack on the people living at Elm Street 15. One man died of the bullet wound, the other victim is in hospital. When we have more information on the attack we will inform you. Now, other news…."

"Elm Street 15? It's only 4 houses away from us!" Frank exclaimed and turned his face to his father. "Are you thinking the same thing? I mean that man I saw tonight?"

Fenton's face was set in concern, "I am afraid, yes, son. I'll talk to Chief Collig today and tell him about our visitor. There hasn't been an attack on anyone for more than 3 months already, so if someone was murdered then it is very serious. You're lucky you had come downstairs before he got into the house."

Frank grew gloomy, "Imagine what would happen if I came downstairs the moment he got inside."

"I don't even want to think about it, whoever he was he is very dangerous. Be careful today."

"You too. Will you take this case?"

Fenton shrugged his shoulders, "I need to talk to the Chief first, then I'll see."

Frank nodded in understanding and looked back at the screen of the TV set which was showing weather forecast. "And what about the other case?" he quietly asked.

"Which one?"

"You know. Ours."

Fenton sighed, "Nothing new. Everything's quiet at the moment. I and Ezra have checked all the information, but found nothing to investigate."

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"The Stevensons, of course. They're as clear as glass. Such exemplary citizens," Fenton chuckled, but then his face frowned again. "Not a fine for wrong parking."

"Every family has a skeleton in a closet," Frank remarked. "So I wouldn't be so sure about them."

"Maybe you're right, but my way to their closet is closed. Even if they have something to hide, there's no other way to find it out than from them. But in any case, I don't think it would yield any results. I've worked as a PI for 20 years and I can see who is respectable and who is not. The Stevensons are those who have nothing you can get suspicious about."

"But Antoneskou did want something from them!" Frank argued.

Mr. Hardy shook his head, "Paul is a very influential man in a very serious organization. Don't forget that Antoneskou first and foremost is a thief and they do have a lot that can be stolen."

Frank couldn't disagree, but still it seemed to him that there was something more. I should try to make friends with Joe and see what I can do about finding something about his family. He sure has something in his bosom…. I hope.

But when he arrived at school he felt disappointed, his plans couldn't be carried out today because Joe was absent.

Fenton Hardy was walking down the corridor of the police headquarters, heading towards Chief Collig's office. Near the door was a table and a woman of about 40 years old was sitting at it. "Good morning, Grace," Fenton smiled at the secretary. "Is Ezra busy?"

"Good morning, Mr. Hardy. At the moment he's not. Come in, he's been waiting for you anyway," the woman pointed at the door.

Fenton knocked at the door and peeped in, "May I come in?"

Collig raised his head to look at the visitor, "Yes, you may. I was going to call you to ask you to come. Have you heard about the attack in Bayport tonight?"

"I have. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I wish I knew that. Let me tell you the whole story," Collig rested his elbows on the table and tiredly put his hands on his face. "Greg and Angelica Cadwell, 52 and 48 accordingly, Elm Street 15, their children live in New York. Woke up because had heard someone break the window downstairs. Angelica managed to hide and then run to her neighbors and call the police, but when they came there was only one person in the house - Greg. With a hole in his head. The murderer had escaped."

Fenton frowned, "Any ideas as to who the killer might be?"

"Elementary. There are fingerprints on the windowpane. Guess whose?"

"Whose?"

"Antoneskou's!"

Fenton's face was distorted with disgust, "So he's started murdering already…."

"That seemed strange to me, too," the Chief agreed. "He's just a petty thief."

"And a kidnapper," Fenton added, looking down.

"Right too," Collig nodded, a bit embarrassed. "There is a pair of golden earnings stolen from the Cadwells, but they're not expensive, so there must have been another motive and he must have wanted other things from them, but only God knows what exactly…." he shook his head. "I don't know what that man is doing anymore. First the Stevensons, then the Cadwells…. I see no connection."

"Has Angelica been interrogated?"

"We would love to get her to testify, but can't at the moment," the Chief tiredly rubbed his temples. "She's in no state to talk to anyone. She's gone into hysterics and doesn't understand anything for the time being because of the shock she had experienced."

Fenton sighed, "What about Antoneskou? Any leads?"

"He had left before our officers arrived at the scene, so we don't know where he'd gone. Sorry, Fent."

"It's not your fault. At least, we know he's still in Bayport, so there are chances of finding him."

"Frankly saying, I'm worried about the fact that he's back. What I mean is that we hadn't heard of him for a long period of time and suddenly he's back and murders a man. Who knows what he's up to this time? A lot of people are in danger."

Suddenly Fenton remembered the mould he's been holding in his arms all this time, he briefly told the Chief about the man Frank had seen, "Think it was Antoneskou?" his face paled as he imagined what the man could have done with his son. "Can you send it for examination?" he gave the mould to the Chief. "If these footprints match those which must have been left at the Cadwells' house then we should take measures - and soon."

"Fenton, it's not for no particular reason," the Chief's face became very serious. "You, Laura and Frank must be very, very careful."

"You know what bothers me most of all? There's no doubt that Antoneskou would never lounge about in Bayport if he didn't need something here. Okay, I understand when he threatens the Stevensons, they're pretty well-off, but the Cadwells… What was the motive? I wish Angelica could testify."

"I thought about it, too," Collig nodded in agreement. "We informed the Cadwells' children about the attack on their parents, they should be here soon, so we'll try to find out if Antoneskou had ever tried to threaten them before."

"Call me if you know anything new. I want to visit Angelica at the hospital and also check the crime scene," Fenton said, raising from his chair. "And you examine the mould and let me know about the results."

At the Chief's nod he waved his hand good-bye and left for the hospital which Angelica Cadwell had been taken to. Her doctor told him that she was under sedative and couldn't receive visitors. According to the doctor's words, the woman should calm down and be able to testify within a couple of days, but at the moment her psychical condition was still unstable because of the shock she had experienced.

Later that day Fenton learnt from Chief Collig that the only connection between Angelica and Luis Antoneskou found was that they had studied in the same school. Darren, the Cadwells' older son, told the police that he didn't remember his mother ever saying anything about Antoneskou and that he was positive he had never met or heard of that man before.

Then Fenton found out that the footprints near his house matched the ones of the attacker on the Cadwells which meant that Antoneskou might be planning something against his family. He called his son and his wife to tell them to be very careful and cautious and tell him straight away if they notice a shady character near.

In the evening he arrived home being tired, angry and hungry. The day has brought only a few clues and Fenton couldn't feel more disappointed. Antoneskou, just like before, left only tracks of his doings and once again Fenton didn't know which way he should go to find him.

In the corridor he found 2 notes left on the shelf meant for keys and other small objects. "Off to the library, will be back soon, Frank", "At the Adams, will return at 9, Laura" the notes read. Fenton went into the living room. There he sat down on the sofa and tried to relax, but just then the phone rang. "Hardy residence," Fenton tiredly said into the receiver.

"Dad, it's me, Frank," his son's worried voice came through the line. "Listen carefully. I was going to the library when bumped into Joe Stevenson who was rushing back home. In short, his father had called him and said not to go back home because of some Ant, but then the line went dead. No one answered the phone anymore. When he realized that Paul hadn't finished the sentence and Ant must have meant Antoneskou Joe quickly hurtled away," Frank blurted out. "I may be very wrong, but it seems to me that there's something happening at their house and it has something to do with Antoneskou…."

Fenton froze, "Where is Joe now? Is he with you? Let me talk to him!"

"I told you he'd gone home! If my guess is true and Antoneskou is really there then…."

"I'm on my way," Fenton threw the receiver down and ran to his study to collect his gun. I'll get you! This time I'll get you! he thought as he dashed to his sedan.

Owing to the fact that the Stevensons lived not far from the Hardys it took only a couple of minutes to get there. Fenton studied the house, which stood dark except for one window on the second floor, approached the front door and listened. He could hear some kind of rustle happening inside. Fenton was undecided. He couldn't know if it wasn't Paul or Joe doing housework, so if he burst into the house with a gun in his hands it wouldn't seem right.

But just then he heard the sound of a shot. It shattered all his doubts. Shooting definitely wasn't a way of doing housework. Praying to God for everyone to be alive, Fenton grabbed the door handle and sneaked into the corridor, holding his gun ready to hand. He could hear two male voices were coming from the kitchen which was on the left from the corridor. He couldn't make out anything of what was said because men talked in low voices, but from the way someone was speaking Fenton knew the other person was in trouble.

He started to sneak towards the kitchen. At any price he had to save the victim and not to kill Antoneskou, if it was him in the kitchen, because if the man was dead he would never know what happened to his son. To get there and aim the gun at him, it'll disturb his attention from whoever he's talking to and it will kill two birds with one stone….

His hopes never came true as he, still being a few feet away from the kitchen, he involuntarily froze as he heard Antoneskou's voice say, "Good bye, Joseph…."

There were no variants left any more.

Fenton reached the kitchen in split seconds and aimed his gun at the man he had seen in his own home 17 years ago. Having no time for hesitation or for attempts to disturb the criminal's attention from Joe, he fired, not knowing the bullet of whose gun was the first to hit its victim: his - Antoneskou or Antoneskou's - Joe….

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.