Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

“He’s not answering,” said Frank after trying for the tenth time.

“We’re almost there,” said Laura. “Maybe he isn’t back yet,” she added hopefully although she knew that if he hadn’t returned home by this time then something must have happened to him.

“There’s the van,” Frank said as his dad turned onto their street. Before Fenton had brought his car to a complete stop Frank had jumped from it and was racing up the front steps.

“Joe!” Frank shouted, rushing inside after wasting only seconds unlocking the front door.

“Be careful!” Laura shouted from the driveway as Fenton got out to follow Frank inside.

“Dad!” Frank yelled a few seconds later. “The kitchen door was open,” he said as his dad came hurrying into the kitchen.

Frank opened the refrigerator. “He made it inside,” he observed, seeing the new gallon of milk on the shelf.

“Call the police,” Fenton instructed Frank who pulled out his cell phone. “Don’t touch anything. Maybe this bastard left some prints.”

“Do you think Joe’s still...” Frank began.

“Definitely,” Fenton stated firmly before Frank could finish. Joe had to be alive. Any other possibility was unacceptable. He began looking around the kitchen careful not to touch anything but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“It doesn’t look like Joe put up a fight,” Fenton observed.

“And there’s no blood,” Frank added gratefully.

“Is he here?” Laura asked as she entered the house. She had waited in the car as Fenton ordered but when neither he nor Frank came back outside she had decided to go in anyway.

“No,” Fenton said. “But I don’t understand how this person could have known Joe wasn’t here earlier.”

“He had to have been watching us, that’s how,” Frank said. “Just like Joe thought. We need to find the place where he has been staking the house out,” he added.

“Not until the police get here,” Fenton said. “I don’t want to leave your mother alone.”

“You wait with her,” Frank said. “I’ll start looking around.”

“No,” Fenton ordered. “Something might happen to you too.”

“He’s taken Joe somewhere. He hasn’t had time to return,” Frank pointed out.

“But we don’t know if this is only one person or several,” Fenton reminded him. “You will wait until the police arrive and that’s final.”

“What about the milk?” Laura asked. “Could someone have done something to make it go bad? Maybe added vinegar to it or something?” she suggested. “If so, then they might think one of us would go after some more and then arrange the call and come here to wait for whoever went for the milk.”

“It’s possible,” Fenton agreed. “But in order to call us and tell us it was Joe, the person would have to of seen Joe leave and then arranged it so he wouldn’t be back before we got the call and had left.”

“Which means maybe the person wasn’t watching from around here but from the grocery store,” Frank theorized.

“We’ll check it out after we check out the neighborhood,” Fenton said.

“What about mom?” Frank asked. “We can’t leave her here alone while we look. Why don’t I go and..”

“No,” disagreed Laura. “Not by yourself. Call some of your friends to go with you,” she instructed. “This bastard has your brother. I’m not letting him get you too.”

Fenton nodded. “Call Chet and the others,” he agreed with Laura. “Have them come here and pick you up.”

By the time the police arrived, Frank had called Tony, Chet and Phil to help. Biff, he remembered, was with his parents visiting a sick relative.

***

Joe moaned and opened his eyes. He groaned as he tried to sit up. “Shh,” said a familiar voice. “It’s okay.” Pressure was applied to Joe’s shoulder as he sank back onto the bed he was lying on. “Drink this,” he was ordered.

“No,” Joe refused but felt a cup press against his lips. Too weak from whatever he had been given earlier to put up a fight, he felt the cool liquid slide past his lips and down his throat. Soon, he was asleep.

“It’s okay,” the voice said again as a hand reached down to wipe away a lock of hair from Joe’s eyes. “Soon, we‘ll be a family.”