Fenton pulled to a stop in front of the Salk mansion. Frank had used his cell phone to call the police as they made their way to the estate but they did not wait for help to arrive. According to the caller, every minute they delayed could be a minute Joe did not have so they left the car in plain sight and made their way inside.

“Joe?” Frank called out, not bothering to be careful. The cobwebs around the door had left him with the sick feeling that no one was here but they had to make sure. They split up and began searching the building. As two police cruisers came to a halt in the front Fenton and Frank exited the building.

“Is he here?” Collig demanded as he got out of his squad car and raced up tot he two.

Fenton shook his head. “From the looks of things, I don’t think anyone has been here for a long time.”

“But why get you all the way out here for...” he broke off as Fenton paled.

“Laura...” he rasped. “We left her alone.”

Collig used the talkie on his shoulder to have dispatch send a car to the Hardy household at once as he climbed back into his own car. Lights flaring and sirens blasting, he, the Hardys, and the other cruiser hurried back to town.

“Laura!” Fenton shouted as he ran into his house a little later. “Laura!” he shouted again in a frantic voice.

“She’s in the living room,” said Officer Compton stepping into the foyer. “But you might want to keep it down. She isn’t feeling too well.”

Fenton ran into the living room and knelt down by the sofa where Laura lay stretched out with a cold compress on her forehead. “Honey, are you okay? What happened?” he asked softly as he brushed her cheek tenderly with his fingers.

“After I saw you and Frank off and came back in here I found someone in here. He...he said I’d never see Joe again and then someone else came up behind me and put a cloth over my face,” she ended, the tears she had been holding since awakening to find the police there finally coming out.

“Chloroform,” Officer Compton said, frowning. He looked from Fenton and Laura to Frank, who had followed his father into the room, to Chief Collig. “They knew what they were after,” he continued. “Only two rooms were disturbed.”

“The boys’ rooms,” Fenton stated grimly.

Compton shook his head. “Joe’s room and the bathroom.”

“The bathroom?” Frank demanded in amazement.

“The hamper was emptied. There are clothes all over the place. Same in Joe’s room plus the drawers were turned inside out,” the officer informed them.

“What could they have been looking for?” Fenton asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Clothes,” Frank said. “Someone broke into the Shaws last night and now here and all after Joe was kidnapped.”

“But what does that have to do with clothes?” demanded Collig in complete confusion.

“Joe got covered in oil while he was working on Mrs. Shaw’s car yesterday,” Frank explained. “She gave him the rest of Mr. Shaw’s clothes to change into.”

“You think someone is after those clothes or what might be in them?” Fenton asked. Frank nodded. “That would make the connection,” he admitted. “But how would anyone know?”

“The place could be bugged,” Laura suggested.

“One way to find out,” Frank said.

“Laura..” Fenton began but she cut him off.

“Go,” she ordered. “I want my son back before they make good on their threat. If they do find what they are after, I know they will kill him.”

“We’ll make sure everything is secure here before we leave,” Collig promised. “If you find anything, let me know.”

“We will,” Fenton agreed, then kissed his wife. He and Frank left and drove straight to the Shaw’s house.

“Frank,” Callie said in surprise when she opened the door at the second knock and saw Frank standing there. “Mr. Hardy?” she added, completely nonplussed.

Frank pulled Callie outside and explained their theory about the house being bugged. “I don’t understand,” Callie said. “What could they want from Dad? He hasn’t been here in ages.”

“We don’t know,” admitted Frank. “But would you mind if we searched the place for bugs? Dad brought his equipment so it would be easier to search.”

“No, no, of course not,” Callie said. “I’ll get mom to go outside to the garden with me and tell her what’s going on,” she offered.

The Hardys gave Callie time to get her mother out of the house then entered the house and began their search. They found a grand total of five bugs. One in the living room, one in the kitchen, one in Mrs. Shaw’s bedroom, one in Mr. Shaw’s old office, and one in the foyer.

Frank and Fenton joined Mrs. Shaw and Callie in the garden and informed them about the bugs. “It’s kind of obvious how they found out about Joe getting Mr. Shaw’s clothes,” Fenton said. “Almost the entire house was bugged. Probably the garage too and it’s a safe bet to say the phones are although we haven’t checked them yet.”

“The garage?” Mrs. Shaw repeated, paling a bit. Had someone heard her make a pass at Joe? I never meant it! she screamed silently.

“Serena, Frank told me your husband took off with his secretary,” Fenton began.

“That’s what his note said,” she affirmed with a cold voice as her eyes hardened at the memory.

“What was her name?” Fenton asked.

“Blair Miller,” Mrs. Shaw answered. “Why?”

“Just a hunch,” Fenton said. “I don’t suppose you would have her phone number?”

“555-9598,” she said at once, having called the woman several times since Robert left and hanging up when Blair answered.

Fenton pulled out his cell phone and moved away from the group. “Ms. Miller?” Fenton said when she answered her phone. “My name is Fenton Hardy,” he introduced himself.

“Yes, Mr. Hardy, I have heard of you,” Ms. Miller acknowledged. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Could you please tell me when was the last time you saw Robert Shaw?” he asked.

“About a month ago,” she replied. “One day before he fired me.”

“He fired you?” Fenton asked. “Why?”

“I’m not really sure,” she answered. “I arrived at work to find a letter telling me my services were no longer needed and two weeks severance pay lying on my desk.”

“I see,” Fenton said, sounding troubled.

“Is something wrong?” Ms. Miller demanded.

“It seems that Mr. Shaw is missing,” he answered. “And has been for some time. Could you tell me about the last time you saw him?”

“He was just coming back to the office after a meeting at The Excelsior,” she answered. “He was excited because he had gotten three tickets to a play in New York that he was going to take his family to see the next night.”

“Do you know whom he saw at The Excelsior?” Fenton inquired.

“The manager,” was the reply. “It was a standard visit. He has to go there once a month to check the linen inventory levels and place an order if needed.”

“I see,” Fenton replied. “Thank you for your time.”

“Not at all,” she replied. “I do hope you find him. Except for the way he dismissed me, I thought very highly of him.”

Fenton hung up and returned to the group. “Well?” Frank asked when his father did not speak.

Fenton looked at Mrs. Shaw with sympathy as Frank took hold of Callie’s hand. He could tell his dad had some bad news. “Your husband never ran away with his secretary,” Fenton informed Mrs. Shaw. “She received a written dismissal and severance pay. The last time she saw him, he was excited about having gotten tickets to take you and Callie somewhere.”

 

“No,” whispered Mrs. Shaw. “No,” she said again, fully aware of what he was trying to tell her.

“It looks like he was kidnapped,” Fenton came right out and said it.

“But it was so long ago,” Callie said, a tear falling down her cheek. “Why haven’t we heard from the kidnappers?”

“Be..because he’s dead,” Mrs. Shaw stated what everyone was thinking as she broke down sobbing.

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.