"Jack!" Frank grinned and let go of Megan’s hand to return the salute, and shouted an invitation. "Come and join us for pizza?"

"Sure!" Jack gestured towards the parking lot. "Be there in just a sec!" The pickup moved away.

"Hope you don’t mind—" Frank abruptly realized that Dani might not appreciate the addition of a stranger to their dinner party.

She shook her head silently, a rather odd expression on her face. It was him…the guy from the golf course! Jack – yes, that was his name. This is like – Kismet, or something! What were the chances of it happening…?

In just a few moments, Jack Wayne joined the little group on the sidewalk. He greeted the teens, and then turned to Dani, and his mouth dropped open slightly. It’s her! The gorgeous chick from the golf course – the fireman…fireperson…fire – um – fighter! He scarcely heard Frank’s introduction.

"…Jack Wayne, my boss and flying instructor. Jack, this is Dani Tanner."

Jack gathered his scattered wits. "We’ve met – sort of. She was at the country club when Fenton got hit with the golf ball, the other day – with the paramedics." He smiled at Dani tensely, hoping against hope that she remembered too.

"Oh, right!" Frank nodded in comprehension. "Good – let’s go on in, then!" He tugged Megan along the sidewalk, apparently unaware of the nearly-audible click of Jack’s eyes meeting Dani’s. Megan and Vanessa, more attuned to the emotion-charged atmosphere, exchanged interested, speculative glances as they entered the restaurant.

Dani and Jack brought up the rear, together by default, separated by nervous tension. Each was casting quick, covert looks at the other, each hoping the sparks emanating from this unexpected meeting weren’t obvious to everyone!

Mr. Pizza wasn’t quite the same without Tony Prito there, but it was still the best place for pizza in Bayport. Despite Tony’s absence, the sights, sounds and aromas of Mr. Pizza were comfortingly familiar. Joe and Vanessa led the way to a large round table which would comfortably seat six, closely followed by the others. Jack pulled out Dani’s chair with an exaggerated gesture of courtesy, and she gave him a flirtatious smile as she seated herself.

"Thank you." The murmur was nearly inaudible in the chatter and laughter surrounding them, but Jack was sure he would have caught her slightest whisper in the middle of a tornado.

"Okay, how many do we need? Two? Three?" Joe was spreading out the printed menu on the table with a businesslike air. Frank and Vanessa craned their necks to look at the menu; Megan, already knowing what she liked and wanted, sat back in her chair, waiting for the others to make their choices. Jack and Dani wrenched their eyes away from each other, reluctantly, but as they ostensibly considered pizza and drink choices, unspoken words roiled and seethed through the air.

Conversation ebbed and flowed, full of banter and nonsense. Joe took the pizza orders to the counter; Vanessa and Dani volunteered to get the drinks. Megan was sternly ordered to stay put, with Frank and Jack remaining at the table with her to enforce the edict.

A pilot – he’s a pilot. He owns his own charter service. I wonder what kind of movies he likes? I wonder if he’d take me up in his plane….I wonder why he isn’t married…maybe he is married!. Oh stop it, Dani – you’re turning this into ‘Some Enchanted Evening!’ But – but it’s true. It happens, just like that! Dani could barely admit it even to herself, this sudden overpowering attraction to Jack Wayne. But it’s no use – no guy wants to go to the trouble of working around a schedule like the one I keep, and he won’t either….

"How’s April?" Joe was asking now, of Jack. "Since school started, I haven’t been at the hangar when she is; schedules don’t mesh." Vanessa and Megan smiled with interest; Dani froze. April? So there is a girlfriend? A wife?

"She’s getting a kick out of being a junior," Jack chuckled. "She’s on the yearbook staff, darn her; now she doesn’t have as much time to work for me. That’s why you haven’t seen her; she’s never there!"

"You’re a slave driver anyway," Joe gibed at his boss cheerfully. "Can’t blame April for wanting some time off!"

Vanessa noticed Dani’s carefully-politely-blank expression. "April’s Jack’s younger sister," she explained. "She’s 16. She pilots for Wayne’s World, like Frank does."

"Like Frank used to," Frank grumbled quietly in Megan’s ear.

She patted his knee encouragingly beneath the table. "And will again," she murmured.

"Seventeen next month," Jack supplied. "Our parents are no longer living; it’s just April and me."

"Oh," Dani gave him a sympathetic look. "I’m sorry." Inside, she was melting into a puddle of relief. A sister…April’s his sister! She was embarrassed by the incredible happiness she felt at that simple fact!

"So, care to let me in on how you all happened to be together?" Jack inquired, as they settled in with the pizzas and prepared to eat. He cocked his head, reviewing his words, and grinned. "Or maybe I mean, why are you with them?" he asked Dani. "These other four are always together!"

Frank and Joe eyed Jack, glanced at each other, and simultaneously decided to trust him with the delicate information. "We’re trying to find out about the arson fires at the community college," Joe said quietly. "Dani had some things to tell us."

Jack tilted a dark eyebrow. "I might have known. Whenever there’s something going on, you’re hip-deep in it!" He looked at Dani. "And you’re willing to help them?"

"Well—"

"When we asked her to, it was iffy; now it’s legit," Frank assured their friend. "Dr. Mitchell, the college president, asked us to look into it; I met him Sunday evening. He’s under some suspicion of starting the fires because there was an empty accelerant container in his car – the car with which he hit Megan, by the way, because his brake line was partially cut. He tried to stop – but the brakes were only half working. And that’s suspicious, too."

Jack thought about that while he chewed contemplatively on a mouthful of pepperoni and cheese. "Sounds to me like someone’s trying to frame Mitchell, then – or kill him!" he said at last. "Causing an accident that would bring the accelerant container to light. The strange coincidence is the fact that he hit Megan’s car, thereby involving you guys!"

"Exactly what we thought." Joe took an enormous bite, temporarily preventing his participation in the conversation.

Megan, nibbling her slice of pizza carefully to avoid getting spicy sauce in her half-healed cuts, leaned forward to make her comments heard in the bustling din. "I really don’t think Mr. Mitchell would be burning down the buildings on campus, and he certainly didn’t tamper with his own brake line; he might have been killed, instead of basically walking away from that accident!"

Frank, still shaken every time he thought of that car crash, leaned so that their shoulders touched, reassuring himself that Megan was there beside him, essentially unharmed. She turned her head and smiled, snuggling a little closer.

"So you have an unknown arsonist who uses chemicals, who dislikes President Mitchell, and who has something against Bayport Community College." Dani ticked the items off on her fingers. "Or dislikes Mitchell and BCC."

"Any of the chemistry teachers?" Joe quipped, having swallowed his mouthful of pizza.

"Not real likely," Dani commented dryly, "although I suppose anything’s possible."

"Why would anyone dislike a college?" Vanessa queried, her forehead puckering in a thoughtful frown.

That stumped them. Pizza and drinks were consumed in relative silence for a few moments.

"Who would be mad at a college, as opposed to ‘dislikes’?" Jack suggested, finally. "Or mad at President Mitchell, specifically?"

"Someone with a grudge," Megan contributed. "And someone with access to Mr. Mitchell’s car, and the photograph, and chemicals – although as you said, methanol and hydrogen gas can be purchased a lot of places," she added to Frank.

"Okay, who might have a grudge against a college or against President Mitchell?" Dani proposed the altered question. "Leaving out access to the accelerants for the moment. But the car access and the photograph – that’s a little more specific against Mitchell himself, isn’t it?"

"Very true," Joe conceded, "but would someone start burning down a college, one building at a time, just because they were sore at the president?"

"A wacko would." Jack said soberly. "And that’s what you’re dealing with, you know – some weirded-out psychotic!" Caught up in the discussion, he hadn’t looked at Dani for at least two minutes. Now he did, and saw her shudder a little at his words. "Sorry," he murmured, and dared to rest a hand on her arm as a gesture of comfort. She smiled at him, and Jack felt his insides melt slightly. Wayne, you’ve got it bad – really bad!

"Would the Students For Earth have any reason to be mad at Mr. Mitchell?" Joe queried. "I still think there’s something going on with that group. Can’t we get on with checking them out?" he urged, directing his request at Frank.

"Students For Earth?" Megan picked up on the name with surprising suddenness. "Kirk Moncrief was talking to me about them – he’s a member. I think he was sort of recruiting," she smiled.

"He is?" Although he knew absolutely nothing about Kirk Moncrief except that he’d heard his name way too many times in the past few days, Frank felt a mean little thrill that possibly – possibly – Kirk might be involved with something shady.

"Yes. Since last year, evidently. Hey—" Megan leaned forward, suddenly animated. "I can find out about the S.F.E. for you! Kirk asked me if I’d like to go to a meeting with him. I can do that, and get lots of information—"

"Hmmm, not a bad notion, Red—" "Well, that might work," "Megan, that’s a great idea…"

"No!" The word came out in a yelp, slightly more vehement than Frank had intended it to be. He found himself the center of attention, with five pairs of eyes fixed attentively on him. "Er – I mean…I don’t know if you should do that…."

"Why not?" Megan demanded, staring at him suspiciously. "All I’ve been lately is a liability; it’s about time I started contributing something, isn’t it?" Her gaze narrowed. "Or is it that you think I can’t contribute, anymore? I did take criminal investigation classes last year, just like you did, Frank! I’m not completely stupid about it, even if I’m not taking as many this year."

"That’s not what I meant!" Frank denied hastily. "But – but I just – you might not have to actually attend a meeting with him, Megan. You could just ask questions – act like you’re interested, but sorry, you can’t make it to this meeting, maybe next time…" He let the suggestions trail off, watching Megan’s face. How could he admit the jealousy which was making him seethe inside, without looking like a total idiot!? Megan’s suggestion was a good one, and ordinarily he’d have been the first to say so!

"Good point," Dani commented. "Who knows when the next meeting might be, anyway? You want to find things out as quickly as possible."

Frank felt a surge of gratitude for Dani’s sensible observation, whether she’d made it to avert a crisis between himself and Megan, or not. Thanks, Dani, I owe you one!

"Well…I suppose so," Megan conceded, her face clearing. "I’ll see what I can find out from him tomorrow."

Frank nodded, and picked up another piece of pizza, outwardly agreeing – but inside, still fighting down his jealous feelings, and that nagging feeling of unease, that he couldn’t put his finger on. Stop it, Hardy, you’re being stupid! He found, to his chagrin, that knowing something and being able to either combat or help it, were completely different problems! He tried to keep his face blank, hiding both the apprehension and the jealousy. Damn Kirk Moncrief, anyway! Why couldn’t he just…disappear? Ruefully, Frank realized that was exactly what he wanted: he wanted Kirk Moncrief to go far, far away! It might not solve all the problems, but it sure would solve a couple of them!

Frank was abruptly jolted out of his gloomy musings by a gentle squeeze on his arm, and he looked up to meet Megan’s affectionate gaze. She smiled at him – that warm, loving smile with the dimple just emerging – and even if it was a slightly battered smile, Frank turned to jelly inside. Admit it, Hardy; you thought she was being silly before, about Dani – and you’re being just as silly now! You admitted to her that you were being stupid, so just DROP IT! He managed a grin in return, and shifted his left arm in its sling, to cover her hand with his fingertips. Damn, I want this cast off! Well, everything will be all right; she’s no fool. She should go and talk to this Moncrief guy; she knows him, after all! And it really would help, and then too, it’ll help keep her mind off the car wreck, and how she’s felt since then….

"You’d promise to be careful?" he said aloud, but quietly, for her ears alone, then went on, a little more loudly. "Just talk to him, right? Don’t agree to go to a meeting with him, just find out more about the group, all that kind of stuff?"

Megan nodded vehemently. "I promise!" she vowed. "I’ve had enough excitement in the past few days already; I don’t need any more at the moment. But don’t worry, Frank. I’m a big girl, remember!"

"Good," Joe interposed himself into their conversation. "At least now we have a plan of attack! We have Sherlock Red—" he grinned cheerfully at Megan, who threw an olive slice at him for punishment, "—to go and question a member of the suspect group. We have Dani, our ‘man on the inside,’ to provide lots of juicy info from the fire department—"

"Hey!" Dani protested. "I’m not a man – or a spy!"

"You wish," Joe retorted. "I happen to know you’ve been secretly hoping to land a position with the CIA….Anyway, and we have me to provide the brains of the outfit!"

"If you’re the brains of the outfit," Dani countered, smiling sweetly, "then we’re in serious trouble. We’ll be lucky to be able to figure out how to tie our shoes in the morning—"

"Hey, I resent that!" Joe’s vociferous protest was drowned in the laughter erupting from the others.

"Listen up, I can tell you who has the brains in the Hardy family," Dani leaned over the table to announce impressively, then paused, waiting for everyone’s attention. "It’s their mom!" she triumphantly crowed, and sat back, satisfied.

Jack, laughing with the rest, felt his heart flip again. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s witty, too! She can hold her own against Joe….Face it, Jack, you’re a goner!

Vanessa high-fived Dani, and was just opening her mouth to ask another question, when the firefighter suddenly sat up straight and turned towards the window. The others silenced, wondering what had caught her attention, and then it became clear: sirens, many sirens, approaching fast.

Dani got to her feet and went to the window facing the street, arriving just in time to get a clear view of three full-sized fire trucks racing past, one after the other, followed by the Chief’s rig, and another smaller truck. The others had hastened to join her, and they all watched as the vehicles tore down the street. For a few moments, conversation died in the pizza parlor as the diners listened to the fading wails. After a few seconds, they heard more sirens, and a police car tore past, lights flashing.

"That looked pretty serious. Where do you suppose they’re going?" Joe asked at last, in a subdued voice.

Dani turned around, her face somber. "I think they’re heading to the school," she announced clearly. "I think there’s another fire on campus!"