“We thought you were dead,” Frank said, rushing over and pulling out the lock pick kit that his dad had given him for Christmas the previous year and opening the manacles around Mr. Shaw’s wrists.

“Joe said everyone thought I had run away,” Mr. Shaw said with a confused look.

“We did until Joe got kidnapped and his room and your house got searched,” Frank explained. “Do you know where they took Joe?” he asked as Phil raced back upstairs to call an ambulance and the police.

“No,” he said. “Kent said he was insurance and they weren’t going to take any chances.”

“Maybe since they moved him he will try to escape,” Frank commented as he helped Mr. Shaw to an upright position.

“He couldn’t,” Mr. Shaw said sadly. “Joe tried down here and got caught. He was forced to take some sleeping pills. Three of them.”

Frank was silent, devoting his strength to getting Mr. Shaw up the basement stairs and into the living room where he eased him down onto the sofa. Frank turned on the man Biff had just finished tying to a chair. “Where did you take Joe?” he demanded.

“You’ll never find out,” he sneered. “And once our buddies find out the police were involved, you’ll never see him again either.”

His eyes dark as coal, Frank spun on his heel and left the house. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called his father. “Dad,” he said. “We can’t find Joe. You will have to make the trade.”

As soon as he hung up he dialed Callie’s. “Hello?” he heard his mother answer the phone.

“Mom?” Frank said.

“Did you find him?” Laura demanded at once.

“No,” Frank admitted. “But he is still alive.”

“How do you know?” she asked, her voice filled with fear.

“Because we found Mr. Shaw,” Frank replied. “They were holding them together until about an hour ago.”

“Maybe they were taking Joe to...to...” she couldn’t bring herself to continue. Callie took the phone as Frank began to speak.

“No, Mom,” Frank said. “Joe is still useful to them. If they had been planning on killing anyone now it would have been Mr. Shaw.”

“What?” gasped Callie.

“Callie?” Frank asked in surprise.

“What did you just say?” she demanded, not sure if she had understood him correctly.

“We found your dad,” Frank said. “He’s bruised and has lost a lot of weight but he’s alive. Phil has called an ambulance,” he continued. “If you want, you can meet him at Bayport General.”

“What about you?” Callie asked.

“We still have to find Joe,” Frank said. “Once dad delivers the coin then they will have no reason to keep him alive.”

“But dad is still alive,” Callie said. “They won’t...”

“The only reason your dad is still alive is because they never found the coin. Once they have it, then it’s all over,” Frank explained. “We have to find Joe before it’s too late.”

“Then why are you giving them the coin?” Callie demanded.

“Because we don’t have a choice,” he answered. “If we don’t then they will kill Joe for sure. If we do, they might keep him as a hostage until they leave the country.”

“But you don’t think so?” Callie asked, hearing the despair in Frank’s voice.

“Not really, no,” he confided. “Look, the ambulance is here,” Frank continued. “Have mom drive you and your mom to the hospital. Tell her Dad or I will pick her up there.”

“Okay,” Callie agreed at once. “Good luck and thank you...for finding Dad,” she ended softly before hanging up.

“Now what?” Chet asked Frank as the police left with their prisoners and the ambulance with Mr. Shaw.

“We follow the only lead we have,” Frank said. “That one guy works at The Excelsior,” he said. “Unless he wants to draw attention to himself, he is probably there now. We wait until he gets off and follow him.”

“Sir, are you sure this is wise?” asked Sergeant Con Riley of Chief Collig as he watched the entrance to Todd Avenue from beneath the hood of his unmarked car.

“You know as well as I that once they get their hands on the coin they will kill Joe,” Collig responded, wiping his greasy hands on the front of his dirty white tee shirt. He and Con were out of uniform as were the other officers stationed at every entrance of Todd Avenue. Although the lot itself had no place to hide and watch for pick-up, that didn’t mean the area could not be kept under surveillance.

Collig had ordered every vehicle spotted on the road to be checked out via radio. Any suspicious vehicle would be followed until it reached its destination. The chief knew Fenton would blow his top if he found out but if it saved Joe’s life, he would be grateful.

Even though Fenton Hardy was the best detective in the world, Collig knew that where his family was concerned his training did him little good. He had seen the hard core detective become useless once before and was not going to chance it again. At that time, Joe had been arrested for the murder of an old boyfriend of the girl he was dating. Instead of helping to clear Joe, Fenton had become the doting father Collig had once believed him incapable of.

“Sir,” Collig’s radio crackled to life and he leaned under the hood to answer the call.

“Go ahead,” Collig ordered. “Suspect vehicle has just turned onto Todd Avenue,” the officer informed him. “The driver is a white male and the vehicle is registered to a Kent Marlowe,” he continued. “The owner works at The Excelsior.”

“That’s the one,” Collig stated. “Stay sharp and tail him if he exits your way but keep your distance.”

“Yes, Sir,” came the reply.

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.