"I said wait here. That’s an order," Collig stressed.

It wasn’t long before the chief returned. "Well?" demanded Frank, his bottom lip from biting it so hard while he waited.

"He wasn’t home," Collig informed the Hardys.

"Then lets search the place," Frank said, scowling.

"We can’t," Collig said. "At least, not for twenty-four hours."

"Why not?"

"We have no grounds for a search warrant," Collig informed him. "File a missing person report on him. After twenty-four hours, if he hasn’t shown up and no one has heard from him, then we can get a warrant."

"But what if he does something to them before then?" Frank argued.

"He won’t," Fenton said, his voice strong. "I think he really cares about Laura and Joe. Besides, we don’t know that he has anything to do with their disappearance."

"I’ll have an officer watch the place twenty-four seven," Collig promised. "If he comes back, he’ll be taken in for questioning. In the meantime, I want your word you won’t go on his property," he added, looking at Fenton.

"I promise," Fenton agreed through gritted teeth. "Let’s go file that missing person report," he continued, taking Collig’s arm and leading him out of the house. Fenton shot Frank a backwards glance.

Frank acknowledged the look with a smile. Once his dad and the police had left, Frank looked out the front window. He saw the promised guard sitting in his car across the street.

Frank exited the house through the kitchen and stealthily made his way next door. He knelt by the knob and a few minutes later had managed to open the lock. Inside, he began looking for anything that might give a clue to where he or Joe and his mom had gone.

Finding nothing downstairs, he went upstairs and stepped into the first bedroom he came to. His eyes did a cursory search of the room as he entered, but when they fell on a picture on the nightstand, he gasped. Reflected in the glow of the setting sun was a picture of Stan Axemeyer on the left and to his right was Joe and Laura Hardy.

Why did Stan have a picture of the three of them? Frank walked over and picked up the frame. He recognized the picture. It had been taken by his Aunt Gertrude last summer only then, he and his father had been in it. Stan had somehow managed to eliminate him and his dad and put himself in the picture instead.

Frank laid the picture down and pulled open the top drawer of the nightstand. Reaching inside he removed two official looking pieces of paper that sent chills of terror down his spine as all color faded from his face.