"I'll call an ambulance," Frank volunteered and ran back out to the front. When he returned, Joe was looking around the cot and Fenton was watching him with a sad expression.

"What are you doing?" Frank asked, looking at Joe curiously.

"Looking for clues," he answered. "Maybe Pops left something that will tell us who did this."

"Joe, he's the one who did this," Frank said firmly.

"No way!" Joe denied heatedly. "Pops would never hurt the deputy. Or try to escape!" he added, glaring at Frank.

"Look, it's obvious. Conroy lured the deputy into the cell, knocked him out, and split," Frank said.

"He didn't do it," Joe insisted stubbornly.

"Then where is he?" Frank tried reason.

"He was kidnapped, duh," Joe responded, a worried frown on his face. As far as he was concerned, that was the only logical explanation.

"Be reasonable, Joe," Fenton implored. "Why would someone abduct him from jail where he is being held with physical evidence?"

"I don't know," Joe said through gritted teeth. "But, none-the-less, he had to of been kidnapped. Pops would never hurt anyone!"

"Joe, you're letting your emotions blind you," Frank said in exasperation.

"I did, but not anymore," Joe retorted mysteriously, turning on his heel and leaving.

"Let him go," Fenton said as Frank made to follow. "He is going to have to sort this out for himself."

***

Joe left the station and headed for the van. He got in and put the key in the ignition then paused. If he took the van, Fenton and Frank would have no way back to the house where as he could hitch a ride, he did know almost everyone in town, or, if he really needed to, he could borrow Pops' car.

Joe got back out of the van, leaving the key dangling in the ignition, and set off for town on foot. He would have to tell Sally about her father; a conversation he did not look forward too.

As he walked, he considered the Hardy's role in this case. He had thought they wanted to help him, but it turned out they only wanted to help send Pops to prison. And now, when he had so obviously been kidnapped, they were treating him like an escaped convict.

Joe kicked a large pebble on the sidewalk in frustration. Why wouldn't they believe Remy was innocent? Heck! Why couldn't they trust HIM? He had opened up to them; given them every chance to accept him. He knew how things stood with his mom and Fenton. He wasn't blind. But what about me? He wondered.

"Joe!" Joe was aroused from his growing depression by the hail of Ike Lowell, a member of the bank’s board of directors.

Joe looked across the street and waved; checking both ways before crossing over to the elderly, gray-haired man. "Hello, Mr. Lowell," Joe greeted him.

"How have you been?" he asked Joe, taking his hand and giving it a hardy shake.

"Good," Joe answered. "And yourself?"

"Wonderful," Lowell answered. "Couldn't be better. The missus and I just got back from a ten day cruise in the Bahamas, you know. It was splendid!"

"A cruise?" Joe asked, wondering why he was surprised by the information.

"Yes. You should definitely take one sometime," he urged Joe. "Although Pamela and I were too old to participate, I did notice they had quite a few activities scheduled for the younger set."

"Yeah, I remember gramps telling me about the cruise he took with Ms. Cunningham a few years ago," Joe replied, smiling fondly at the memory. "He said he didn't know it was for teenagers and he signed himself and Ms. Cunningham up for an event." Joe laughed merrily and shook his head. "By the time she and gramps realized their error, they were already half-way through the competition...and winning!"

"Your grandfather was such a lively fellow," Lowell said, smiling sadly. "It was such a shock when he had that stroke last year."

Joe nodded, his smile fading as he thought of the day in the hospital when he and his mom had sat in the emergency room and the doctor came through the doors, his eyes bright with unshed tears. He had known at once his grandfather was dead. The entire hospital staff was saddened because he had been a resident there for almost thirty-five years and was well liked by everyone.

Lowell put a hand on Joe's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You and your mom doing okay?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," Joe answered, smiling again. "We're getting along fine. We even have guests this week," he added.

"Anyone I know?" he inquired.

"Maybe," Joe replied, knowing how close he and his grandfather had been. "An old friend of mom's and his sister and son; Fenton Hardy."

"The devil you say!" exclaimed Lowell, his brown eyes growing wide. "And, um, how are you getting along with him?"

Joe sighed. "I thought we were getting along pretty well; but now, I'm not so sure," he confessed. "I guess it's a good thing they are only here for vacation, huh?" he asked, watching Lowell's face as an array of emotions flickered across it.

"I guess so," Lowell answered slowly, stroking the grayish brown beard on his chin. "Is your mom at home now?" he asked, planning on going to see her. Since Marshall Quinn's death, he had felt a certain responsibility toward Laura and Joe. After all, he and Marshall had been best friends since second grade.

"Yes," Joe answered. "Fenton and Frank aren't there, though," he added. "They're at the sheriff's office."

"Good, good," Lowell said a bit distractedly. "Where are you headed?" he asked. "Home? Did your van break down?"

"No, I'm letting the Hardys borrow it," Joe answered. "I'm heading over to the Conroys now."

"Why don't you let me drop you off?" he offered. "I'm headed out that way now."

"To visit mom?" Joe inquired, thinking of no other reason for him to be heading in that direction.

"Yes," Lowell admitted.

Joe smiled. "I'd love a lift," he accepted, going around to the passenger side of the red Jeep Cherokee and waiting as Lowell got behind the wheel and leaned over to unlock the door for him.

"Thanks for the lift," Joe said as Mr. Lowell pulled to a stop at the foot of the Conroy's drive and he got out.

"No problem," he told Joe. "Have fun," he added, driving off.

Fun? Joe wondered, going up to the front porch. "Oh, man," he groaned, realizing he didn't know about Remy having been arrested. He hoped Mr. Lowell wouldn't be mad at him for not mentioning it.

"Joe!" Sally exclaimed, opening the knock on her door, surprised. "What are you doing back here?"

"Has Reiner been by yet?" he asked, avoiding her question for the time being.

"You just missed him," she said. "What is it? What's wrong?" she demanded, seeing Joe's hesitant expression.

"Pops is gone," he told her.

"Gone? Gone where?"

Joe shook his head. "The deputy was on the cell floor, unconscious," he informed her. "Pops was no where around."

"But who..." she broke off, tearing up.

"Whoever has been trying to frame him," Joe theorized. "I want to go over Pops' room again, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course," she replied. "We'll tear it upside down if we have too, only..."

"Only?"

"Only, what are we looking for?" she asked.

Joe shrugged. "I don't know. But I have the feeling we'll know when we see it."

Together the two went upstairs and began a search of the bedroom. They took the mattress and box springs off the bed; moved the desk and chair; and emptied the contents of the waste can onto the floor.

They found nothing. Not yet ready to give up, Joe began moving the furniture. He scooted the chest of drawers and found nothing. Next he moved to the nightstand and pushed it aside. There, on the floor was a silver medallion and a sterling neck chain. He picked it up. He had seen it somewhere before, but where?

"I better get this to the sheriff," Joe told Sally. "I am sure this is what the intruder has been after." He looked around the room. "I'll help you clean up first," he offered.

"No," Sally told him. "I can take care of this. You just get that to the sheriff and find this guy and bring my father home."

"Will do," Joe promised, giving her a quick kiss. "Lock..."

"Lock the doors and keep the cordless with me," she finished for him with a smile. "I know. I will. Go," she shooed him out of the room and followed him downstairs, locking the front door behind him.

Outside, Joe headed back toward the station, wondering where he had seen it before. Oh well, maybe Mr. Lowell would recognize it if someone at the bank had worn....Wait a minute! Joe stopped in mid-stride. Cody Wallace had said Ike Lowell had been into the bank asking for Todd Mavis. But he couldn't have. Wallace had lied! Joe looked down at the medallion. That's where he had seen it before. Wallace had been wearing it, but he hadn't been at the bank the last time Joe was there. He must have lost in in the struggle the night Wallace knocked Joe unconscious.