Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

Joe took a peek at his watch. Uh-oh. He and Vanessa were going to be cutting it fine, if they were to get to the afternoon session of the police seminar on time. He knew they should go, and right away – but he was too intrigued by this mysterious car-theft stuff! Maybe it’s something Frank and I could work on – and solve! – while we’re here in the Islands! He really wanted to get some more information from Chief Pauahi, if possible!

Joe brushed back a vagrant strand of blonde hair from his forehead. “Chief Pauahi, can you – could you – tell me what’s been going on with these car thefts? How can they steal cars from an island, anyway? Is there some way to ship them off, that they aren’t noticed? Is there a way that they can be stripped for parts in Hilo, or something?”

The Chief smiled indulgently. He’d heard a few things about Fenton Hardy’s offspring – things which made him feel it would be safe to share information with this intensely curious young man. “It’s baffling all of us, I’m afraid. Normally, if a car is stolen here on the Big Island, it’s some kids wanting to take a joyride. They take their drive, run the car out of gas, and abandon it later on, usually a few miles from where it was originally stolen.”

“Do you usually catch who did it?” Joe asked.

“Oh, sometimes – not always, but often enough. We catch them, punish them – although sometimes they’re let off with a stern warning, or maybe probation, especially if it’s a first offense – depends on what the owner of the car wants to do, as a rule.”

Joe nodded his comprehension. It sounded as though car-thefts hadn’t been a major problem up until now. “But now?” he prodded.

“Now,” Pauahi went on grimly, “we’re not finding the cars, once they’ve been taken. They disappear completely, as if they’re dissipating into the morning fog, or being driven into the ocean – or buried somewhere. Or hidden in caves, perhaps? Who knows? So far, we haven’t been able to come up with anything, and none of our sources are coming up with any information. That’s assuming that anyone besides the thieves know anything.”

Joe took another surreptitious glance at his watch, and sighed softly. He would have much rather stayed out here and pumped Chief Pauahi for more scraps of information, but he knew quite well that he had responsibilities. Time to go help Dad. Oh well, at least Vanessa’ll be with me! “Chief Pauahi, I have to go now—”

“So do I, Joe; the afternoon session will be starting soon,” Pauahi interposed.

“—exactly,” Joe agreed. “But would you be willing to meet with me later, so I could hear more about the car theft ring?”

“Not much more to tell you, Joe,” Pauahi shrugged. “You’ve already heard what I know, so there isn’t much point in going over it again.”

Joe was about to attempt a little more persuasion, when he felt a tug on his arm. Turning his attention from the police chief, he found Vanessa smiling at him meaningfully.

“Joe,” she said, with another firm tug, “we have to get in there right now. We have things to do for your dad – remember?” And she started for the conference room, pulling Joe behind her.

A few minutes later, as he passed out the afternoon schedules and handouts at the door, Joe was still pondering what Chief Pauahi had told him, and comparing it to his and Vanessa’s experience in the parking lot. It seemed like it was younger people – kids – that tried to run down Vanessa and me. The laughter sounded young, anyway, even though I didn’t really see anything…. Of course, it might not have been the driver laughing. It might just have been someone who thought we looked comical.... I wonder if there would be some way I could get into the group, infiltrate…find out more about them, blend in…get the low-down….Oh heck, that’s kinda silly...I wouldn’t blend in with a bunch of Hawaiian kids!

Absently glancing up, Joe found Vanessa’s eyes fixed upon him, and she was shaking her head reproachfully. Ooops! He hadn’t been paying attention. He closed the doors as Fenton started his presentation. He’d just have to concentrate on what his dad was saying – and try to block out those enticing thoughts of busting a car-theft ring!

*****

“Yeeee-haw!”

Frank raised one hand above his head in triumph, as he managed – just barely – to scramble to his feet on the surfboard, and ride the relatively small wave for several feet, before tipping sideways into the warm, foamy water. He floundered for a few moments, slightly disoriented as to which way was up and which down, feeling the tug of the strap which tethered the board to his ankle. Finally, he popped above the surface of the waves, and stood up in the waist-deep water.

“That was graceful.” The teasing voice came from his right, where Megan sat, balanced on a boogie-board and looking as if she’d been born and bred in the water. She shoved her wet hair back, and winked, flashing the dimpled smile that always melted Frank into something resembling warm Silly Putty.

She looks like a mermaid…or better yet, a water angel. ARE there such things as water angels? A water sprite, maybe…what are they called? Naiads? Yeah, she’s my naiad…. He smiled as she paddled her board closer to him, and teasingly splashed him with a few handfuls of water.

“Well, it takes awhile to get your surf legs back, when you haven’t done it in a while,” he defended himself, and splashed back in gentle retaliation. “You give it a try and see how you do!”

“No thanks; I know my limits.” Megan’s delicious laughter bubbled up. “I’m not into all that crashing into the water.”

“You remind me of Tahoe in that suit,” he said, openly admiring the aqua-and-black two-piece which he had first seen her wear in August – on that regrettable vacation trip which had taken such a catastrophic turn!

“You’re not wearing the suit you took to Tahoe,” she pointed out, eyeing his garishly-printed surfing shorts. “Did you even bring that red Speedo along? Speaking of Tahoe, though, I do want to try parasailing while we’re here, if we can. We didn’t get to do it there, remember? Someone – and I’m not naming names, here – was in the hospital.”

Frank laughed and shrugged, good-naturedly. “We’ll give it a try,” he promised. “It really is lots of fun. But so’s surfing!” He pulled himself back onto his surfboard as he spoke, and grinned wickedly at his girlfriend. “Race ya!” he called out, paddling hard with both arms to get further out into the surf.

She shrieked something that Frank didn’t quite catch – probably an insult – and took off after him, sliding off to push her boogie-board ahead of her and kicking hard to catch up.

“Look at that wave!” Frank yelled back to her. “It’s a beauty! Better hang on to your board, Baby!” He paddled harder, and finally gained the place he wanted to be. Shakily, he scrambled to a standing position on his board once again. Determined to have a successful ride this time, he set his jaw and took a stance like he remembered from previous surfing lessons. He managed a glance at Megan, and saw her swing her boogie-board into position and wait for the wave to come in under her, holding on for dear life!

Frank, precariously balanced atop his board, bent his knees and held his arms out. As the water surged up beneath him, for a moment he felt as if he was going to be swept under – and then the surfboard lifted, sliding smoothly to the top of the wave, and down the front edge…. And Frank found himself shooting along, faster than ever before!

“YEEEEEE-HAW!” His triumphant yell was swallowed up in the pounding rush of the surf, but none the less strident, for all that. A few more feet, and Frank succumbed to the inevitable – falling off. He pushed towards the surface, protecting his head with his arms until the tumbling waves flattened out, and he was sure the board wasn’t going to hit him in the head. He spit out salty water and sand, shaking his head and grinning.

“That was a good one!” he yelled at Megan, who was once more sitting to one side on her boogie board and kicking her feet in the water. She had apparently coasted in all the way on the board, with her usual grace. “How’d you do, baby?”

“I stayed on my board,” she replied nonchalantly, “Unlike some people I could name—”

“Ha-ha, very funny!” Frank swam the few yards to Megan’s board and calmly flipped it over, dumping her into the ocean, and grinning as her indignant shriek dissolved into bubbles rising to the surface. “You were saying?” he smirked, when she emerged, sputtering, and then, before she could reply, he caught her against himself and kissed her. “Love you…love you…love you…even if you are all wet and sandy…and covered in seaweed….” he murmured, between kisses. Finally he released her. “Having fun yet?”

Megan sighed and nodded, her face lighted by a beatific smile. “I am having an absolute blast,” she assured him. “Frank, this is simply heaven on earth!”

They took a few more waves, enjoying the warmth of the water and the air, and the pure delight of the rush of riding the waves, but at last Megan confessed that she was beginning to get tired. They waded ashore and sought out a warm, dry spot to lay their beach towels and soak up the afternoon sun. Megan fell asleep almost immediately, and Frank dozed off as well.

He woke a short time later, and decided to flip over and get some sun on the other side. As he rolled over, he saw a couple of kids about his own age standing a short distance away and talking – arguing, actually, it seemed, for they were waving their arms in the air and shoving at each other. Frank started to push himself up, wondering if he should intervene, when he caught some of their words.

“…stupid one who’ll get us caught! And then where’ll we be? It’s money in the bank, brah!”

“Don’t worry,” the second boy said, “We’ll…” The crash of a wave hitting the shore obscured his next words, then they became audible again. “…to anyone who gets in the way! Get rid of them!”

While Frank hadn’t been able to hear all of what was said, the accompanying gesture was more than clear. The young man who was speaking had made a ‘shooting gun’ with his forefinger and thumb.

*****

He was a large man, who carried himself majestically. His gaze was sharp and intense as he surveyed the young man standing before him.

“Kahuna Nui, what is your bidding?” the young man asked, as he looked up at his leader with trusting dark eyes.

The large man smiled, and touched his acolyte on the shoulder gently. “Befriend him,” he whispered sibilantly. “Befriend him; learn all you can about him.” Kahuna Nui – High Priest – smiled again, and closed his eyes momentarily, mentally bestowing upon the young man before him the wisdom of Pelè. “Tell him nothing at all, Ukali,” Kahuna Nui continued, in a low voice. “Your only task right now, the only thing required of you by Pelè, is your friendship. Perhaps later, though...Do you understand?”

“Yes, Kahuna Nui,” the young ukali agreed, “As you will….”

As the young man stood and walked away, Kahuna Nui smiled.

“Soon, Akua Wahine,” he whispered. “Very soon….”

And then he, too, turned and walked away.

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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.