“It’s okay,” Callie said, seeing the officer blocking Frank’s path.

Frank went inside and gathered Callie in his arms. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked, pulling back a little and looking into her brown eyes.

Callie nodded. “We just have no idea what they were after,” she said frowning as she realized Joe hadn’t followed Frank into the house. “Where’s Joe?” she asked. “I thought he would jump at the chance of a mystery.”

Frank sighed and released her. “Joe and I went out for burgers last night,” he explained. “We were attacked coming out of Barney’s Burgers and they took Joe.”

“Who?” Callie asked, her eyes revealing her shock.

“We don’t know,” Frank answered. “Dad, nor we were working on anything and they only wanted Joe,” he added. “They had the opportunity to nab me too, but they didn’t.”

“Do you think it has something to do with the break-in here?” she asked.

“It does seem like a stretch but as Dad always told us, in a mystery there is no such thing as a coincidence,” Frank replied. “So, yes, I think the kidnapping and the break-in are somehow connected.”

“It’s going to be hard to prove,” said Officer Hannigan coming over to the twosome. “There are no prints and no sign of how the intruder got inside the house.”

“You think he had a key?” Frank demanded, reading between the lines.

“It would seem so, yes,” admitted the officer. “I’m sorry but there’s just nothing here to work with.”

“Thank you for coming,” said Mrs. Shaw from behind the officer. “I guess we had better get the locks changed today,” she added, her appearance haggard.

Frank ran to the hardware store and picked up the necessary hardware then returned to the Shaw’s and installed the new locks and knobs. “Thank you, Frank,” Mrs. Shaw said with a smile when he was done and preparing to leave. “Callie told me about Joe. I’m so sorry,” she continued, tears appearing in her eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Frank tried to comfort her. “We’ll find Joe. And find out what the intruder was after,” he added. “But, if you could perhaps go through your things again?” he asked. “Even the little things? Maybe you did have something that was taken but you just didn’t think of it.”

“Of course,” she agreed at once and headed into the kitchen to begin an in-depth inventory.

“You don’t really believe that,” Callie accused him.

“No,” Frank admitted at once. “But I think she needs to be needed right now,” he explained. “However, it is possible you or your mom had something in your possession that you didn’t know you had and that was what the intruder was after.”

“In that case, we won’t find anything,” she said.

“And if that is the case, then you won’t be bothered again,” Frank added, although he didn’t look too happy at the idea.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Callie demanded, his expression not escaping her notice.

“Not for Joe,” he stated grimly. He shook his head as if to clear it of an unhappy thought. “I had better get back home,” he said. “Dad should have heard if forensics turned up anything in the van by now.”

“If there’s anything I can do?” Callie offered.

“I’ll let you know,” Frank told her, giving her a light kiss on the forehead. “Keep your doors locked. Just in case,” he added and waited for Callie’s nod of agreement before leaving the house and getting back into the van.

“Any news on Joe?” Frank asked when he arrived home.

“The forensics team found hairs belonging to five people in the van. Two of the people are the van’s owners and one person was your brother. That leaves two possibles. The police are running the DNA through every data bank available,” he ended.

“Was that all?” Frank inquired.

“A mud sample,” Fenton added. “Collig is working on locating its origin now.”

“What about...” Whatever he had been about to say was cut off by the ringing of the phone.

Fenton started the tracer then picked up the receiver.

“Hardy?” demanded a gruff voice.

“Yes,” acknowledged Fenton. “Who is this?”