Fenton replaced the receiver and looked at Frank. “Did we get a trace?” he asked.

“Yes!” Frank shouted triumphantly as he looked into his father’s eyes. He handed his dad the piece of paper he had written the number down on.

With the whisper of a smile playing about his own lips, Fenton dialed the number of Chief Collig’s home knowing he hadn’t yet left for the station due to the late hours he had kept the day before.

“Ezra, this is Fenton. Could you come over for a bit?” he asked.

“Sure,” Chief Collig agreed at once.

“It won’t make you late for work?” Fenton asked, tossing a hint and crossing his fingers. The caller had said no police and Fenton had no intention of letting Joe’s captors know he had called them on the slight chance they were monitoring their calls in some way.

“Absolutely not,” Collig replied recognizing at once that something was going on. “I may not even go in today,” he added.

Fenton closed his eyes and gave a silent sigh of relief. “Good, good,” he said. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

“You think that was wise?” asked Frank after his dad had hung up.

“We can’t get the address to match the number without the police,” Fenton explained. “Besides, I don’t for one minute believe they will release Joe after they get the coin.”

“Me either,” admitted Frank.

***

Oblivious to what was going on at the Hardy household, Laura woke early and made breakfast for Callie, Serena and herself. Neither of them ate much and after consuming less than half, they gave up and did the dishes.

“Thank you for staying with us,” Serena said to Laura as they headed out of the kitchen. “I know you would rather be at home waiting for news of Joe.”

Callie didn’t hear Laura’s reply because she had decided she would be better off doing something instead of just sitting still and trying not to think about what had happened to her father. She went into the laundry room and opened the top of the washer then picked up the laundry basket and began sorting.

She stopped and frowned when she saw oil on one of her mother’s blouses. She picked it up and held it at arm’s length to see how much special attention it would need but when she noticed the stains were actually handprints she let go with one hand and turned on her heel.

Her lips set in a thin line she stormed into the living room and tossed the soiled blouse onto her mother’s lap. “Who is he?” Callie demanded, her brown eyes blinking furiously to keep from crying. She couldn’t believe her mother had found someone to take her father’s place so quickly.

“What are you talking about?” Mrs. Shaw asked her expression revealing her bewilderment. She lifted the shirt and looked at it.

Laura stood up. “I’ll go and put on a pot of coffee,” she said wanting to give the two time to discuss the matter.

“No,” Mrs. Shaw said, reaching out and touching Laura’s arm. “You should hear this too,” she said resolving to come clean.

Curious, Laura sat back down as Callie stood before her mother tapping her right foot impatiently.

“They are Joe’s handprints,” Mrs. Shaw stated quietly.

“Joe?” demanded Callie looking perplexed. Joe who? she wondered then glanced at Mrs. Hardy who was sitting stiffly in her seat. “Joe Hardy?” Callie asked, her brown eyes widening in shock. No! Joe wouldn’t take advantage of her mother at a time like this!

“I know what you’re thinking,” Mrs. Shaw continued. “And you are partially right.”

“Partially?” asked Callie.

“While you and Frank were gone the other night, I went to the garage and watched Joe work on the car,” Mrs. Shaw confessed. ”I...I wasn’t thinking straight. All I could think about was your father and that woman. I thought if he could be unfaithful then so could I.”

“So you came onto Joe?” gasped Callie.

Her mother nodded. “But he turned me down,” Mrs. Shaw said, looking at Laura now. “He knew why I was doing it and was very sweet and polite but when he looked at me with those blue eyes filled with pity I just...I broke down crying,” she said as tears trickled down her cheeks.

 

“I don’t think Joe knew how to respond so he just held me until I quit crying. That’s all,” she insisted, begging Laura to believe her. “After I had quit, I took him upstairs and gave him some clothes to change into after he had showered because he was covered in oil. I took some clothes for myself and changed then put my dirty clothes in the basket in the laundry room. That’s all,” Mrs. Shaw said again, turning to her daughter this time.

“Oh, mom,” Callie said, falling onto the sofa beside her mother.

“It’s okay,“ Laura said, proud of the way her son had handled the situation. “Would you like that coffee now?” she asked, recognizing that mother and daughter needed some time alone.

Mrs. Shaw nodded and Laura started for the kitchen. Before she reached the door however, the phone rang. Laura detoured to the end table and lifted the receiver. “Hello,” she said.

“Hi, honey,” Fenton said, recognizing her voice. He told Laura about the call he had received but didn’t mention the trace. “If all goes well we should have Joe home before dinner,” he ended.

“Do you need me to come home?” Laura asked, feeling a sense of relief because the ordeal was almost over even though she knew Joe was still in danger.

“Not now,” Fenton answered. “I’ll come and get you when we get Joe back,” he promised then told her he loved her and not to worry too much before he hung up.

“Dad,” Frank said, poking his head into the kitchen where Fenton had made the call. “Chief Collig just pulled into the drive.”

“Bring him in,” Fenton instructed Frank. “I’ll put on some coffee.”

Over coffee, Fenton told the chief about the kidnappers’ demands and gave him the phone number to trace. “Frank, I want you to check out the place on Todd Avenue,” Fenton continued turning to look at his son. “Find a place where the mailbox could be watched.”

“I’ll put a man there to...” began Collig but Fenton rounded on him.

“No!” Fenton stated firmly. “I will have Sam watch it. I don’t want to take any chances until we get Joe back,” he explained.

Frank left his dad and Chief Collig talking and went outside and climbed on his motorcycle. He headed out of town and followed the main highway north until he saw a sign advertising Bowman Drive. He knew the town front to back and every single road from studying the map his father had obtained from the local police station. The map had every road, paved and unpaved, and every alleyway listed and Fenton had insisted both his sons memorize it.

Frank took the exit for Bowman Drive and rode out four more miles making a left onto Pilgrim’s Way. Before another mile passed he spotted the street sign for Todd Avenue and made a right.

He scowled as he rode along realizing the area had been cleared for farmland some time ago. He could only hope the address he had been given would offer some type of cover so Sam could set up sentry but, as Frank came to a stop, that hope was dashed. There by the edge of the road was a lone plastic mailbox. There was no house, no tree, nothing but flat open land that had already been ploughed.

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.