"Joe, we’ll get to the bottom of it." Frank’s voice came to him dimly through the fog of his frantic thoughts. "We have to clear Dad, and we will…won’t we?." Frank was speaking firmly, but he couldn’t disguise the question in his voice.

Joe paused a moment before he slowly raised his head to meet his brother’s anxious gaze. He nodded and grasped Frank’s forearm. Frank returned the grip, and a pact was made with that one simple gesture: a pact to absolve their father of any involvement, and to solve the murder of their old friend, Hurd Applegate.

"Where to start?" Megan murmured speculatively, breaking into their moment. "What can you two do that the police or the FBI haven’t already thought of?"

Joe released his hold on Frank’s arm and indicated the paperwork on the table. "What does Con say has been done, Frank?" he asked. "Is there information on that, in there? I mean, are they following any other leads, trying to find any other possible suspects?"

Frank rapidly scanned the papers. "No," he said at last. "I mean, everything I told you before is documented, but it stops with Dad’s arrest. No other investigation seems to be going on – well, not that Con knows about, anyway."

"Dad’s a convenient scapegoat!" Joe spat out bitterly.

"That tells us where we start, then." Frank attempted to sound brisk and confident. "We start with the murder site and try to find something that will lead us in a different direction."

"Mr. Applegate’s new home, then." Megan reflected.

"That’s right." Frank smiled at her. "It’s in one of those new developments along the bay shoreline, right? Tomorrow we go there and see what we can find."

She returned his smile. " ‘We’?" she asked. "Do I get to come along?"

The Hardys exchanged rueful glances. "Honey, I don’t think that’s such a good idea." Frank demurred. "There’s no sense in you being involved with an illegal entry, or something….And I think I’d like you to stick around here and be with Mom, if you don’t mind—" he continued, as she opened her mouth to protest being excluded. "Besides," he added persuasively, "you have classes tomorrow anyway."

Joe quickly averted his gaze to hide the twinkle in his blue eyes. Frank, old boy, you’ve got that down pat! he thought. First you’re concerned for her welfare, and then you ask her to take care of Mom…. And then you bring up class! You probably aren’t fooling Megan any, but she’ll go along with it, just the same.

Megan shut her lips on what she had been about to say, and surveyed her boyfriend narrowly, before breaking into an impish smile. Her elusive dimple flashed in her cheek "So can I come?" she asked again.

Frank narrowed his eyes. "You – you’re kidding, aren’t you?" he asked, realizing that she was teasing. The corners of his mouth quirked up in a reluctant grin.

"Of course I’m kidding, but at least I got you to smile again." Her soft, musical giggle chimed, at the looks on their faces. "Just remember, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done some illegal entry with you two!" Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Certainly I’ll stay with Laura," she went on. "but let it be understood, I can see right through you, Frank Hardy, so don’t get the idea you’re putting one over on me. I know you don’t want me along…but I love you anyhow."

Frank turned red, but quickly leaned over to kiss her. "Thanks." he said appreciatively. "I knew I could count on you to understand."

"I should go home now." Megan admitted reluctantly, and rose to her feet.

Frank stood too. "I want to take you home." he announced.

"I have my car here," she protested. "I don’t need to be taken home."

"I know, but I’d feel better about it," Frank persisted. "I’ll drive your car, and Joe can follow us over and bring me back."

Joe, who had intended on going to bed, frowned slightly at this cavalier statement, but resignedly got up too. "Sure, no problem." He reached into his pocket for his car keys.

"I’ll leave Mom a note, just in case she wakes up before we get back…." Frank scribbled on the note pad beside the telephone.

After escorting Megan safely to her door, Frank formally handed over her car keys, then put his arms around her and kissed her.

"I’ll see you tomorrow." he murmured, rubbing his cheek against her hair.

"Try not to worry about your dad too much," Megan whispered. "Things will be all right; you’ll make them be all right….and tell Joe not to worry."

"That’s like telling the tide not to come in, but I’ll mention it to him." Frank replied ruefully. "Good night, Baby – I love you."

When he got into the Aztek, Frank barely had time to buckle his seat belt before Joe started moving the vehicle. "Hey, hang on!" the elder brother protested, putting out a hand to brace himself against the dashboard.

"I had an idea!" Joe exclaimed, still accelerating. "Let’s drop over and check out Mr. Applegate’s house tonight, since we’re out anyway."

Frank glanced at his younger brother with surprised admiration. "Not a bad thought, Joe." he admitted. "Do you know where it is, exactly?"

"I have a pretty good idea," Joe nodded. "And I’ll bet there’s crime scene tape strung around, anyway."

"True…"

The two drove through the dark, rainy night. They didn’t talk; the only sounds were the soft swish-slap of the windshield wipers and the hissing of the Aztek’s tires on the wet pavement. Shortly, Joe turned into what appeared to be a new subdivision, built on the curving shore of Barmet Bay. Attractive houses surrounded by plush landscaping with small bushes and trees met their interested gazes. Most of the homes were equipped with their own small boat docks, where various sorts of watercrafts were tied.

"Pretty nice," Joe observed, slowing. He peered through the windshield, attempting to penetrate the rainy gloom. "Too bad Hurd didn’t have a chance to enjoy living here…."

"There!" Frank pointed at the yellow streamers of tape surrounding a neat gray cottage. "Park across the street, Joe."

His brother did as requested, and Frank reached into the back seat to grab a hat, for it was raining much harder now. As they got out of the car, a long, low rumble of thunder accosted their ears. Joe yanked his own ‘lucky’ hat down hard over his blonde curls and zipped his jacket, shivering.

"I hate thunderstorms," he said crossly.

"We won’t stay here long," Frank assured him, searching through the glove compartment for a flashlight. "Don’t you have anything bigger than this little mini-flash?" he complained.

"Sorry," his younger brother apologized. "I have a big one in the trunk, but the batteries are almost dead."

Frank’s snort of disgust was obliterated by the snap-crack! of a lightning flash which was almost immediately followed by another roll of thunder. "Let’s just check around the outside of the house; we can come back tomorrow and get inside." He led the way toward the fluttering yellow tape.

Joe followed, his feet making squishy sounds in the wet grass and his sneakers occasionally slipping on the saturated ground. The rain continued to pour down as they approached the house, making visibility almost nil. "Maybe this wasn’t such a hot idea." Joe grumbled, feeling cold rain drops running down the back of his neck and beneath his jacket

"We’ll just take a quick turn around the outside," Frank promised, ducking beneath the tape streamer and heading for the rear of the building. Joe kept tight on his heels, for the little light from the tiny penlight didn’t go far, and the streetlights in the subdivision were few. Lightning continued to flash, and the rumble of thunder was almost continuous, now.

They circled the house without seeing anything unusual, and Frank stepped to the front door, to check the lock. He didn’t expect to find it open, but knew better than to leave it unchecked. It was so dark that he had to stoop over and put his face close to the door to see what he was doing. Joe followed him onto the front porch, but turned to survey the front yard as Frank fiddled with the door.

SNAP-CRACK-FLASH!! The largest bolt of lightning yet crackled down the sky!

Joe cringed and ducked slightly – and then emitted a yelp and grabbed for his brother’s arm. "Frank! Look there!"

"What?" Frank whirled and peered through the gloom, but saw nothing but afterimages from the lightning flash.

"There was someone standing over there, under the trees!" Joe cried, pointing across the yard. "Standing and watching us…."

"I don’t see anything—" Frank started to reply, when another lightning flash momentarily lit the sky. Both Hardys stared at the spot which Joe indicated, and saw—nothing.

"There’s no one there, Joe." Frank put a reassuring hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. "You must have imagined it."

"I don’t imagine things like that!" Joe insisted. "There was a guy there – taller than us, and big – muscular – dressed all in black. Dark hair plastered to his head…." His voice trailed off as Frank merely gazed quizzically at him. "I really saw him, Frank." he reiterated. "I’m not seeing things…."

"Well, there’s no one there now." Frank dismissed the notion. "And I’m soaked; let’s go home and check this out tomorrow, in the daylight." He started towards the car, and reluctantly, Joe followed him, still casting suspicious glances at the stand of trees where the mysterious figure had been.

"That was creepy," the younger Hardy muttered to himself.

*****

The next day dawned cool and sunny; the storm of the previous night had blown itself out – capricious April weather flaunting its changeability. Despite their worries, Frank and Joe had both slept surprisingly well, and felt almost optimistic. Surely something would break for them on the case against their father – and the other private detectives!

From long habit, the boys met in the kitchen for breakfast before heading over to the college campus. It had taken some fast talking by Frank the night before, to convince Joe that they should actually attend classes; the younger Hardy had simply intended on not going!

"They don’t take attendance anyway, Frank; no one will even know if I’m there or not!" he had argued.

Frank gazed at him with affectionate exasperation. "Joe, if you don’t go to class you’ll flunk the courses! We don’t need to add failing school to Mom and Dad’s worries right now!"

"So I get some Incompletes," Joe answered, a little uncomfortably. "I can make them up later."

"What about sports?" Frank reminded him. "If you aren’t passing your classes, you’re ineligible to play, remember?"

His younger brother gulped. "I – forgot about that." he admitted.

"Look, let’s go to class, and talk to the teachers," Frank said persuasively. "We can arrange for temporary leaves of absence, due to family problems. Hopefully it won’t take more than a few days to crack this thing."

"I guess so." Joe was still downcast. "I have several classes with Deacon Lucas; I’ll ask him if he can cover taking notes for me for awhile. And I’ll talk to the professors."

"Good! I’ll have Megan cover for me in the couple we have together, and I’ll settle the rest of them with the teachers too. Maybe we can get assignments ahead, or something." Frank encouraged him. "Oh, man! And we’ve got to talk to Coach Olson about the baseball team!" he recalled suddenly.

"I’ll do that." Joe offered. "I got us both into that; it’s up to me to explain it."

When classes were finished for both of them, at 3:00, they returned home and made their plans. They had decided to try booking rooms at a bed-and-breakfast establishment that was practically across the street from Hurd Applegate’s new home. Keeping an eye on the premises would be much simpler if they were living next door, they reasoned.

Laura watched them packing enough belongings to last a few nights, her blue eyes apprehensive. She kept hoping that some day she would cease to worry so much about her men folks’ propensity for flinging themselves into dangerous situations, but it hadn’t happened yet..

"What did Dad say, when you saw him, Mom?" Joe asked, stuffing socks into his duffle bag.

"Well, actually, I didn’t see him," his mother admitted. "I tried – I was going to go down to police headquarters this morning – but our attorney, Mr. Wilkins, called before I left. He said that Dad didn’t want me to come."

"He didn’t want you to come?" Frank repeated, baffled. "Why ever not?"

"I guess he told Ed Wilkins that he didn’t want us to see him in a prison environment." Laura answered, blinking tears. "He thinks it would be too – too upsetting…."

"Well, he has a point." Joe admitted, putting his arms about her, and hugging, hard. "It is pretty upsetting for you."

"I think he’ll be allowed to telephone." their mother said. "It’s not the same as seeing him in person, but it’s better than nothing."

"Mom, we’ll call you, and let you know what’s going on." Frank told her, as they prepared to leave. "Megan and Vanessa and Andrea are all going to be checking in pretty often, too. And if you do speak to Dad, don’t mention what we’re doing, will you? It’s better if he doesn’t know; that way he can’t be accused of keeping stuff from the police." He turned and took Joe’s place in giving their mother a cuddle. "We don’t like leaving you alone." he muttered.

"Andrea’s called a couple of times already." Laura smiled. "And Megan’s offered to stay here whenever I want her. I may take her up on it."

"We’re just a phone call and a few miles away." Joe hugged her tightly once more. "Try not to worry too much, Mom – we’ll get to the bottom of this, and Dad will be home again in no time!"

*****

Upon reaching the bed-and-breakfast, the two Hardys checked in under assumed names, explaining that they were friends of Bayport residents, visiting from out of town. Joe took the name of Josh Douglas, and Frank signed the register as Andy Harris. They were assigned rooms across the hall from each other, and Frank’s windows gave directly on Hurd Applegate’s home. Joe’s view was of a small stand of trees perhaps a quarter mile distant, which had not yet been cut down for housing developments.

"This will be great." Once they were alone, Frank got out the powerful binoculars he had packed, and focused them on the murder site. "We can sit right here and keep an eye on things. And when it gets darker, we’ll head over and check out the house."

"Tedious." Joe commented ruefully. "But necessary." He went to his room to unpack, while Frank settled down comfortably in his room’s armchair, and began their long watch.