Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

Chapter 4 – Laura

“By the time Fenton told me what happened, booked his flights and left, almost 3 hours had passed. It was evening time in LA, and nighttime in Bayport.

The conversation that we had before he left kept replaying itself over and over again in my head.”

“Laura, I…..”

“Which one?” Laura Hardy interrupted her husband abruptly. She had known something was wrong as soon he walked out onto the front porch, where she was watering the last of the geraniums.

Fenton looked almost startled, but true to form he kept himself calm and steady.

“Joe. He went to the airport earlier to meet Vanessa but crashed along the way; it wasn’t a bad crash, but when Frank went to pick him up, he was gone.”

Laura tried to bite back the rising anger in her voice as she spoke. “GONE, what do you mean GONE, Fenton? You mean taken. He was taken, kidnapped, whatever you want to call it. The re’s no point in trying to be gentle about these things anymore you know, it’s not as if it’s the first time I’ve heard bad news, is it?”

Her words were harsh, almost bitter, and even before she had finished speaking, she instantly regretted them, and began to apologize.

“I’m sorry Fenton, its just…I just….” Her voice trailed off.

Fenton placed a comforting hand on her back. “I know Laura, I think…I think I felt the same way myself at first. It seems never-ending, doesn’t it? You sometimes wish they had chosen any other career than following in my footsteps.”

Laura put her arms around her husband’s neck and reached up to kiss him softly on the forehead.

“Fenton, yes, there are times when I get annoyed, and who’d blame me, but you know what, there are also times when I see families who would have been torn apart if it weren’t for you and Frank and Joe, and it doesn’t matter what I feel, there are some things that are more important.”

“Later that night, alone in the house, I tried to sleep; I wanted to sleep, but sleep never comes easily. My husband was on a plane heading 2,500 miles away, my youngest son had been missing for more than 12 hours and my older son was searching for him, alone.

I knew that Callie and Vanessa were there, and I was sure that my son’s friends were there too. The y seem to know instinctively now that their support is not only necessary, but I could almost say vital in times like this.

I thought about what I had said earlier; I did truly believe that my sons were working for the common good, but to be honest, sometimes it’s just hard to accept.

Why did I let my sons become detectives?? It’s something that I spend many long nights thinking about, usually when the worst happens. I am so proud of them, just as every mother is of her family. I am proud of their achievements, of their courage, of their selflessness. The y have done so much to help so many people. It was that way ever since they were kids; maybe I’m biased, but they seem to be drawn to lost causes. Frank would always be the first one to talk to the kid that everyone else ignored, and Joe would be the one to dive in fists first if that kid was being bullied by anyone. Come to think of it, they haven’t really changed.

What scares me lately, however, is the feeling of resentment that sometimes wells up inside of me. It doesn’t happen often, and it never lasts long, but sometimes, times like these when one of them is hurt and I am almost frantic with worry, I resent the fact that someday something serious could happen to one of them, and they could die. Sometimes I wonder that if they had been lawyers or accountants, at least they would be safe; at least I wouldn’t spend hours worrying about them.

But you know the feelings don’t last, because I know that they are looking out for me, and for their father, and most importantly, for each other.

I lay in bed for most of the night, thinking these thoughts, and the next morning I was up shortly before six a.m. It was the middle of the night in LA but I still rang; I knew that someone would be awake.

Sure enough Chet Morton, one of Joe’s oldest friends, answered the phone.”

“Hi Chet, it’s Laura Hardy;, have you any news? Is Fenton or Frank there?”

“No, Mrs. Hardy, they haven’t come home yet, they’ve been out ever since Mr. Hardy got here; apparently Frank got some more information on the car that Joe was….taken....in….and they are gone to talk to someone.”

Chet’s voice was as light as possible, but Laura could hear the tiredness in his voice and knew that he was trying to hide his anxiousness.

“Okay Chet, who else is there with you? IS Vanessa okay, and Callie?”

The re was a sigh, barely audible but there nonetheless.

“ The y’re okay, Mrs. Hardy, we’re all here; Biff, Chet, Tony, Phil’s on his way. We’re just worried is all. It’s like he disappeared into thin air, you know, there’s nothing that we can do, just sit, and wait, and hope that we will be of some use.”

“Just being there is enough Chet, thank you.”

“Are you okay, Mrs. Hardy?”

“I’ll be fine Chet, I should be used to this by now.”

The re was a pause, before Chet spoke again. “I know, but it’s still not fair.”

I agreed. It wasn’t fair. Putting down the phone I remember sitting down in the kitchen, and a feeling of despair, a feeling so strong seemed to wash over me, and I felt panic rising up inside of me. I don’t panic, I never have and I believe that’s one of the reasons why Fenton and I work so well together.

As Fenton was preparing to leave, he told me about ringing Sam, and about how strange he had seemed on the telephone; something about the conversation seemed a little strange, and although I couldn’t point my finger at exactly what, I wanted to talk to Sam Radley, so I rang.

Hi, Sam, its Laura Hardy.”

”Laura, how are you? any news? I hope nothing else has happened.” Sam’s voice was warm, concerned, anxious even.

“No, nothing; I just wanted to see if you had come up with anything, I feel a bit useless sitting here 2,500 miles away. Fenton mentioned ringing you last night.”

The re was a slight pause, and then Sam spoke. “Yes, yes he did, and I promised to do all I could.”

Laura pressed on, sensing the hesitation in the man’s voice. “He told me that you seemed a little, well…distracted; is something wrong, do you know something, Sam?”

“No, I…well to be honest Laura,” Sam sounded grave, “I worked on a case very similar to that one just three months ago; boy disappears into mid-air in broad daylight.”

“And?” Laura didn’t think she was going to like the rest of this story.

She was right.

“And he was found four days later, he….um…well, he died of dehydration. The man who took him tipped the police off as to his whereabouts, but by the time they got there, it was too late. It looks like he rang on purpose, like he wanted them to find the body.”

Laura could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she listened to the story. ‘Dead, of dehydration, Dead…three days’ the words swam round and round her head.

“Laura,” Sam continued, his voice bringing her back to reality, “I don’t mean to scare you; I mean, that was three months ago, and in a totally different part of the country. I just….I just don’t want to see anything happening to Joe, and when Fenton was telling me, I couldn’t help but flashback to that case…that’s why I was so distracted. I wish I could have been more supportive.”

He continued. “And Fenton is here too, my Fenton I mean; he came home three days ago, took a leave of absence from his job in order to help out with a few things around the house. He is down in the basement as we speak, hammering away. I know that he was very upset to hear about Joe; they were always good friends and he promises to do all he can to find him.”

“Thank you Sam, and thank Fenton for me too. It’s too long since I’ve seen your boy; I’m sure you are very proud of him. Look, sorry for ringing you so early.”

Sam’s gruff voice interrupted her. “Laura, ring me anytime you want, please….”

But Sam never got to finish that sentence; he heard a loud crash and then a scream from the other end of the phone.

“Laura, LAURA!” Sam shouted down the receiver.

The re was the sound of breaking glass and then…silence.