HDA - Dead Scholar's Society by Gabrielle de Lioncourt Chapter 31

"Dad…" Frank said slowly, his face deep in thought. There was something nagging at the back of his mind, begging for his attention, but he just couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. But what could it be?
Joe’s face flashed through his mind again; and this time it stayed, like a photograph. A photograph…Vanessa had said something about photographs when she was looking for clues in Tessa’s room. And for some unknown reason, his gut feeling was telling him that it could be a lead, that it could be linked to the mystery.

Frank rose. "I’m going to go make a phone call."

"That’s it," Fenton whispered aghast. He checked the report once again, and compared it with his notes. He knew there was something he was missing; and the fact that it had been right under his nose all the while filled him with dread. They had wasted too much time already. Fenton Hardy knew the answer.

Just then, Frank appeared at the door. Excitement shone on his face as he sat down in front of his father. "Dad, I just called Mrs. Reid just now and I asked her to take a look at the photos on the dresser-"

Frank frowned. "Dad, are you listening to me?"

Fenton held up a hand. "Wait. Just wait." Frank stared as his father, whose eyes were glued on the papers and notes scattered in front of him, his forehead furrowed in deep concentration. Frank could almost hear the wheels in his father’s mind whirring. "Dad, what is it?"

"Take a look at this," Fenton said abruptly, shoving the scented note containing the mysterious note she had left at Frank’s window the night Frank’s fingers made the unfortunate acquaintance with the mousetraps. "Read it carefully. What’s it about?"

Younger than springtime are you

Softer than starlight are you

Warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me

Gayer than laughter are you

Sweeter than music are you

Angel and lover, heaven and earth are you to me

And when your youth and joy invade my arms

And fill my heart as now they do

Then younger than springtime am I

Gayer than laughter am I

Angel and lover, heaven and earth am I with you

After a while, Frank leaned back against his seat and tapped a finger on his chin. "I’m not much of a poet but…she highlighted the first line and the third from last…and the only thing in common I could make out of those two lines are, uh, they’re the same? That can’t be it, can it?"

"And what was the song playing in the room we broke into yesterday? The one in which we couldn’t find a body?"

Frank closed his eyes. In his head he could clearly see the overturned tables and chairs, the shredded pieces of paper littering the floor…In his three-dimensional imagination, he could picture himself turning around slowly and at last the eyes of his mind rested on the whirring, antique gramophone at the far corner of the room…and the song it was playing…

"Autumn Leaves," Frank said matter-of-factly.

"Right. And the last note that you received. At the accident site. What does it say?" Fenton’s heart was pounding. God, I hope I’m right.

"It says ‘listen to the radio, Frank….’ " Frank’s voice trailed off and a gleam of understanding appeared in his eyes.

"Summer," Frank whispered at last. "Say goodbye for the summer…"

"That’s where they’re keeping Joe," Fenton said. Frank’s eyes went wide and without wasting any more time, father and son rushed out of the room.

"Chief, we think we know where they are," Fenton snapped as he burst into Chief Collig’s office. "They’re keeping them at the Four Seasons Hotel."

You’ll do nothing," Frank repeated, louder this time. But his voice cracked a little when he failed to hide his horror. Joe was lying prone on the bed, obviously unconscious, with bruises all over his body. But what scared Frank the most was how much blood he was seeing; on Joe’s face, his wrists, his nails…Liquid fire rushed through his veins and Frank felt his face go red with fury.

"Give it up," he spat out. "It’s over."

But before any of the cops could move forward, as quick as a lightning, Tessa grabbed the knife off the floor and leaped onto the bed; in the blink of an eye, she had pushed Vanessa off the bed and now she was crouching over Joe’s prone form, holding the steely blade against his throat.

Not to be outdone by her, Craig scooped Vanessa off the floor and locked an arm around her throat. Vanessa started to sputter and cough. He squeezed tighter.

"Everyone out," he said simply. "Or they both get it."

Damn, Frank thought. He had to get Joe and Vanessa out of there. All the police officers were frozen. Frank knew they couldn’t do anything as long as Vanessa and Joe were in the line of fire.

"Take me. It’s me you want, isn’t it? I’m here now. Let them go," he said. He took a deep breath. "Please."

"Ooh, I love it when you say that," she cooed, giggling. The knife jiggled dangerously in her hand and Frank’s eyes went wide when he saw a line of blood appearing on Joe’s neck. "Say it again! Oh do say it again…"

"Please."

She laughed again, her dark hair flying all around as she shook her head crazily. "You know, that’s-that’s what I," she gasped for breath between laughs, "-I like about you, Frank. You care too much about people. Me, on the other hand, I don’t give a damn. That’s why I like you, Frank. You’re-you’re totally different from me…" She laughed again.

Then she stopped abruptly. "Vanessa can go. But Joe stays."

Frank felt his temper rise. "Look, you’ve got me! Take me! But let Joe go. He doesn’t mean anything to you!!!"

"Oh, but he does to you," she giggled. Frank’s heart sank as the meanings of her words sank in. No, please, not again. Countless times people had tried to hurt him through Joe. A lump rose in his throat. He couldn’t bear it if anything were to happen to Joe because of him.

Then her eyes narrowed. "Now, what will it be? And don’t come any closer!" She snapped at a cop who was trying to inch closer and closer toward them. "Do you want him to die???!!!!" She screamed, and rose the knife, pointing the blade downward toward Joe’s bare chest. And before Frank’s eyes she plunged it down.

"NO, ANNELIE, DON’T!!!!!!"

The knife stopped in mid-air. She raised her eyebrows. "Ahhh…so you know my name."

Frank nodded, his throat too constricted with fear and emotions to form words.

"I’m getting tired of this," Craig said suddenly, and Vanessa gasped in his arms as he squeezed again. "Aren’t you, sis?"

"You heard him the first time. Everybody out! Now!" Tessa yelled, her voice shrill, her eyes wild and crazed. "You stay." She pointed the tip of her knife to Frank. Frank swallowed hard and nodded numbly.

"Let them go. Please." He tried again. Tessa gestured her hand to Craig. He shoved Vanessa towards the waiting arms of an officer and limply, she collapsed in his arms. Frank watched with the corner of his eyes as Vanessa was carried outside. Tessa menacingly placed the blade against Joe’s throat again and that prompted everyone to move out.

Craig slammed the door shut and with just one hand, dragged the heavy dresser by the wall and slid it in front of the door, jamming it from inside.

Frank stood in the middle of the room, with Craig leaning against the door behind him and Tessa crouching over Joe on the bed in front of him. A dead silence ensued for the next couple of minutes and all Frank could think about was Joe. He didn’t care if he would get out of the room dead or alive. All that mattered was his brother.

"Finally," she said flatly. "We’re alone."