“How long does it take to break up with someone?” Laura fretted. Joe had been gone an hour and still he had not returned. “What if they killed him?”

“Take it easy,” Fenton told his wife, trying to take her into his arms but failing as she moved away, glaring.

“Don’t you dare tell me to relax,” she retorted, her blue eyes spitting fire. “You sent him there. Alone!”

“He’s been there several times,” Fenton reminded her. Laura never said anything. She just crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

“If he’s not home in thirty more minutes, I’ll go over there,” Fenton promised even though he knew his reception would leave much to be desired.

Thirty more minutes passed by and even Fenton was starting to worry. He headed for the front door. “I’m coming too,” Laura asserted, following him.

“No,” he replied. “Stay here and...” he broke off as the phone rang. “Maybe that’s Joe,” he said, snatching the receiver. “Hello?”

“Fenton,” Chief Collig’s voice came over the line. “Is Laura there?”

“Yes,” Fenton answered. “Why?”

“We just found her car abandoned near Sunset Drive,” Collig answered.

Laura watched as the blood drained from Fenton’s face. She grabbed his arm, her nails biting into his flesh even through the fabric of his shirt. “Joe was driving it,” Fenton informed Collig. “He was going to see Sorrel.”

“Sorrel!” Collig exclaimed in shock. “Come to the station,” he instructed, then hung up without waiting for a reply.

“Call the school,” Fenton ordered Laura. “Have them tell Frank to go to the police station now. Then stay here and wait. If Joe gets a chance, he’ll call home.”

By the time Frank reached the police station, Fenton had already filled Collig in on Joe’s connection to Sorrel. “So if Joe did break it off with Marie then it’s possible Sorrel took the opportunity to have Joe eliminated.” Collig saw Fenton’s already pale face whiten even more. “I’m sorry Fenton,” he apologized. “That’s just one theory.”

“And one I’ve thought of many times since Friday,” Frank said from the doorway. “But Sorrel wouldn’t do his own dirty work. He would probably get Piers to do it. Sorrel did have Piers following Joe.”

“What’s this?” Collig demanded. Frank explained. “It’s a start,” Collig said. “We can bring Piers in for questioning.” He turned on his intercom and issued the order.

It was almost two hours later before Frank and Fenton joined Collig in the interrogation room. “Why am I here?” Piers asked, his tone calm.

“When is the last time you saw Joe Hardy?” Chief Collig asked.

“Last night,” Piers admitted, narrowing his eyes on Fenton and Frank. “Where is he?”

“That’s what we intend to find out,” Collig declared.

“No,” Piers said, growing agitated. “Where is he? He said he wouldn’t be going anywhere until after school. He’s at school, right?”

“Wrong,” Fenton said, curious as to why Piers sounded afraid. “He went to see Sorrel this morning. He never returned.”

“He never got to Sorrel’s either,” Piers said, his face white. “It’s my job to watch him. I let him get hurt yesterday. If anything happens to him....I’m dead.”

“Why is Sorrel protecting my son?” Fenton demanded.

“Because Joe and Marie are getting along really well,” Piers admitted.

“But if something happened to Joe, wouldn’t that get Sorrel off the hook with his daughter?” Frank inquired.

“He’s been encouraging them,” Piers confessed. “He thinks having Joe in the family would keep you off our backs,” he said, looking at Fenton.

“So Sorrel knew it was Joe that Marie had gone out with Friday and stole the painting to get Joe to hang around?” Frank asked.

“No,” Piers denied. “He thought she had cut with some female friend. He never would have let her go off with a guy like that. And the boss didn’t take the painting either. Matter of fact, he’s already approached the Board of Directors with an offer, which they have accepted, once the painting has been returned.”

“Okay. If Sorrel didn’t take the painting, then it’s possible whoever did also kidnapped Joe. But why?” Frank asked. “Langley is our only other suspect. And Joe hasn’t done anything to spook him that I can think of,” he added, having forgotten about Joe’s suspicion of Benson.

“Ezra, can you get a search warrant for Langley‘s place?” Fenton asked. Chief Collig nodded. “Frank and I will head to the museum. If Langley doesn’t have Joe at his place then maybe Benson will have some idea of where he might have taken him.”

After the two left, Piers looked at Collig. “Can I go now?” he asked. “Or am I being charged with something?”

Chief Collig scowled. He wanted to detain Piers but he had nothing to hold him on. “You’re free to go,” he growled.

Joe opened his eyes but quickly closed them again, wishing he hadn’t. He moaned and tried to lift a hand to his throbbing head but his hands were tied behind his back.

Joe’s eyes fluttered open again and he took in his surroundings, ignoring the pain in his head every time his eyes moved. He was obviously in a basement. Benson’s! Joe thought, remembering the ambush. He should have been more careful. Especially when he had suspected the man.

Joe groaned and set about trying to free himself. Almost an hour later, he had managed to loosen the ropes enough to slip out of them. He got shakily to his feet, feeling the familiar sensation of stabbing pins as his circulation kicked back in.

Unlocking the basement door was easy. He slipped the filed down nail file from the sock he kept it tucked in and had the door open in less than a minute.

Keeping quiet he looked around the house. Sure enough, Benson was not around. Must be at work, Joe thought. Feeling confident, Joe started searching for the Renoir. He found it nestled in a shipping crate beneath Benson’s bed.

“Time to call the police,” Joe said, rising from his kneeling position.

“Actually, it’s time to see the boss,” Piers said from the doorway.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors 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.