“Nothing,” stated Fenton looking up as Frank entered his office.

“Did you get in touch with the police in Edgewood?” inquired Frank.

“I did,” acknowledged Fenton with a nod. “Chief Bluntz said he would call back after he looked the place over.” Fenton pushed himself away from his desk and looked at Frank as he sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “Are you and your brother working on anything?” he asked.

Frank shook his head although perhaps he should have the network check for releases or escapes. He and Joe had made a lot of enemies their dad didn’t know about.

“Call Phil,” Fenton instructed Frank. “See if he can find out who bought the flowers.” Frank nodded. “Use your cell phone, though. I want to keep both these lines open for Chief Bluntz.”

Frank nodded and pulled out his cell phone. Phil promised to get busy on the problem at once and call back as soon as he found something. “I think I’ll go downstairs and look at the note again,” Frank excused himself. “Maybe there’s a clue in the wording.”

“Good idea,” agreed Fenton, running a hand through his hair then letting it lie against his neck as he rubbed at the tension he felt there. “I hope Phil comes up with something,” he added. “Because this time, I don’t know where to go from here.”

Frank headed downstairs and picked up the card that had come with the flowers but didn’t look at it. Instead, he put through a call to a friend of his known as The Gray Man. After giving the secretary the code phrase he was put through.

“Hello, Frank,” Gray greeted him. “This is a surprise.”

“I need a favor,” Frank said. He explained the situation and put in his request.

“I’m going to put you on hold,” Gray said. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

While Frank waited for Gray to get back to him he looked over the card. He hadn’t really thought there would be a clue in the wording but still, he was disappointed when he couldn’t find anything.

“Frank?” Gray’s voice returned after only three minutes.

“I’m still here,” Frank replied. “Anything?”

“Sorry,” Gray answered. “No releases or escapes and no known activity in your area,” he informed Frank.

“Thanks anyway,” Frank said.

“No problem,” Gray replied. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Frank repeated as Gray hung up. He started to put his cell away but it went off before he could.

“Frank, I’ve got an address,” Phil’s voice came through.

“What is it?” demanded Frank. “Four nineteen Fordam Drive,” Phil answered. “It’s in Southport. But,” Phil continued, “the address doesn’t match the account for the payment.”

“What was the payment address?” Frank asked. He was a little confused. It was the payment address Frank had wanted. Wherever the bill for the flowers was eventually sent is what he had wanted.

“It’s yours,” Phil said. “The payment for the flowers was charged to your dad’s Master Card.”

“Great,” growled Frank, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “How did you get the other address?”

“The online account has options for other addresses,” Phil explained. “Yours and the one in Southport were the only ones listed.”

“Why do I get the feeling it’s not legit either?” groaned Frank.

“Because it was too easy?” Phil guessed. “Tell your dad,” he suggested. “He can have the Southport police check it out.”

“I will,” Frank said. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Phil said before hanging up.

Frank returned upstairs to his father’s office. “Anything?” Fenton asked, looking at his eldest with sharp brown eyes.

Frank told his dad about Phil’s findings. “This is going nowhere,” Frank ended with a scowl.

Fenton reached for the phone on his desk. “Maybe we’ll get a break with one of the addresses,” he said, jumping as the phone rang when his hand touched it.

“Fenton, we have a problem,” Sam Radley stated before Fenton could greet the caller.

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.