As Joe quietly made his way toward the back of the house, he heard a knock from the kitchen. He went into the kitchen and saw Jimmy Rhodes, the paperboy, standing there with a scared look on his face as he peered through the window.

Grinning, Joe shut off the alarm and opened the door. "I'm sorry," Jimmy apologized. "I just put your payment reminder on the knob and your house went off."

"Don't worry about it," Joe told him. "Come on in and I'll get your money," he invited the boy who crossed the threshold into the kitchen.

Joe picked up the phone and called the police department. He told the officer it had been a false alarm and after answering a couple of questions to verify he wasn't being forced to make the call, a safety feature his father had come up with, he hung up.

"Have a seat, I'll be right back," Joe told Jimmy before going into the living room. He opened a drawer on a desk in the corner of the room and pulled out an envelope. Extracting some cash, he put the envelope back and returned to the kitchen. He paid Jimmy the amount due, giving him a tip, then locked the boy back out.

Joe went back upstairs and rapped on his parents' bedroom door. "It was just the paperboy," he said, then waited for his mother to open the door. "I paid him out of the household expenses fund," he added.

"Thank you, honey," Laura said, giving Joe a kiss. "Why don't you go and get dressed and I'll make breakfast."

Joe kissed her on the cheek then returned to his room. When he exited the shower, he could hear his alarm clock buzzing. He wrapped the towel around his waist and hurried to shut it off. After dressing he went downstairs and joined his mom for breakfast.

"Maybe I should tell Stan I can't go today," Joe suggested. "I don't want you here alone," he explained, his blue eyes filled with concern.

"I won't be," she assured Joe. "I'm going to church and then I'm meeting Sally and Cora at Joan's house. We're going to play bridge. I won't be home before five at the earliest."

"Great!" enthused Joe before polishing off the rest of his breakfast. He stood up and carried his dishes to the sink then returned for his mother's. "I'll do the dishes while you get dressed," he said.

"No," she refused his offer. "I've got plenty of time to do both." She stood up and kissed Joe's cheek. "You go on and have fun."

"Sure?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Positive," she asserted, smiling.

Joe hit Stan's porch less than five minutes later. Stan opened the door almost as soon as Joe knocked. "All ready?" he inquired. Joe nodded and picked up Stan's clubs from where they rested beside the door. "We'll rent you a set at the club," Stan said as Joe loaded the clubs intot he back of the jeep.

When they arrived at Berkley's Golf Resort, Stan registered Joe as a guest and then obtained a set of clubs for Joe to use. Walking out onto the course, Stan took a deep breath. "Ah, I just love the smell of a freshly mown lawn."

"Who doesn't?" agreed Joe.

"Hello there!" called out a masculine voice from their left.

Joe turned around and saw a man, roughly six feet tall with thinning brown hair and tight curls on the front of his head but straight in the back. The man's nose was a little off and Joe suspected it may have been broken more than once. With him was another man, a full four inches shorter but more solid with black hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo on his left upper arm of a fire-breathing dragon with wings. Both men were smiling as they approached.

"Hello," said the first man again, his brown eyes weasly looking. "We noticed you two were alone. How about making it a foursome?'

"Who are you?" Stan asked, eyeing the two men curiously.

"I'm sorry," the man apologized. "My name is Andrew Wyrd and this is Randy Kurtz."

Unable to help himself, Joe gave a small snort as he covered a laugh. Weird fits this guy, alright, he thought, trying to keep his face straight.

"So how about we join up?" Wyrd asked again.

"Some other time, perhaps," Stan declined. "I'm teaching Joe the basics today."

"That's perfect!" exclaimed Kurtz, speaking for the first time. "Andy's teaching me how to play."

Joe narrowed his eyes on the man. All his detective instincts were now alert. He found it strange that these two men were so eager to play a round with him and Stan but stranger still was Kurtz' confession of being taught to play after it was revealed Joe was just learning.

"I suppose it would be alright," Stan capitulated, his tone indicating that it really wasn't. But Wyrd gave him a bright smile.

"Wonderful," Wyrd said. "I forgot to ask what your names were," he added.

"I'm Stan Axemeyer and this is my neighbor, Joe Hardy," Stan introduced himself and Joe.

The four mande their way to the first hole. "Why don't you go first?" Wyrd suggested to Joe. "You are the youngest."

Joe removed a club from his bag and prepared to take his shot. "No, not like that," Wyrd told Joe, walking up to him. "Your stance is all wrong and you should..."

"Please," interrupted Stan. "Joe should take this first shot without any help so I'll know how much he does know and can identify the areas he needs help in."

Joe smothered a smile and shot Stan a grateful look. Stan winked at Joe as Wyrd apologized and backed away. Kurtz took the next shot. He picked out a club, then put it back. Choosing another, he put his tee and ball down. Pausing as if suddenly remembering something, he took a stance similiar to the one Joe had taken, then let fly. The ball sailed to a spot not far from where Joe's had landed.

Stan was next. As Stan chose his club, Wyrd and Kurtz moved closer to Joe. "Joe Hardy," Wyrd said, his voice low so as not to disturb Stan. "You aren't by any chance related to Fenton Hardy?" he asked.

"He's my father," admitted Joe, glancing at Wyrd briefly before turning his attention back to Stan.

"I guess your dad is working on a case now?" Kurt asked. Joe looked at him sharply. "I mean, why else would your neighbor be teaching you how to golf?" he added, trying to erase Joe's obvious suspicions.

Stan finished and Wyrd moved in for his turn. Each time Stan moved up to the ball, Wyrd and Kurtz would gather around Joe asking questions.

When Joe stepped up for his turn at the fourth hole, Stan could sense the tension radiating from the youth as he neared to give him another pointer. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Stan exclaimed.

"What?" Kurtz asked, his forehead wrinkling.

"I promised to meet a friend of mine for lunch," Stan informed everyone. "I'm sorry, Joe. I'll have to cut this short."

"No problem," Wyrd said. "You run along and I'll finish giving Joe his lesson."

"No, that wouldn't be allowed," Stan refused the seemingly magnanimous offer. "Joe is here as my guest. I'm responsible for him. No," Stan repeated, shaking his head sadly. "I'm afraid the lesson is over for the day."

"That's okay," Joe quickly assurred him. "I think I've gotten enough pointers to remember for one day."

Stan and Joe bid the two interlopers good-bye and returned to the club house to drop off Joe's clubs. Stan stowed his clubs in the jeep and looked at Joe across the car. "So, where do you want to go for lunch?"

Joe looked surprised. "I thought you had a prior engagement."

"I just didn't trust those two," Stan admitted. "Something about them just rubbed me the wrong way."

"Me too!" Joe declared with a laugh. "Thanks. Truthfully, if they had asked any more questions I was prepared to start a fight with them," confessed Joe.

"So, where to for lunch?" Stan asked Joe once again as they got in the jeep.

"You can just drop me off at home," Joe told him.

"Your mom is expecting you back so soon?" Stan asked.

"No," admitted Joe. "Actually, she was planning on playing bridge with some friends and won't be back until this evening."

"Then I'm not taking you home until we've had lunch," asserted Stan. "If I take you home without feeding you, your mom might get mad at me," he added teasingly. "And I really would like for you to go fishing and golfing with me again."

"I'd like that," Joe told him. "Just one thing?" Stan looked at him questioningly. "No more Wyrd or Kurtz," he said, laughing along as Stan erupted into a hearty laugh.

Stan pulled to a stop in front of Sarah's Homestyle Cafe a few minutes later. Inside they ordered the Blue Plate Special. After finishing, Stan left a tip on the table, then paid the tab before he and Joe exited the building. As they neared the jeep at the end of the building, Wyrd stepped from around the corner and issued a right uppercut to Stan's jaw, sending him reeling backwards. Stan lost his balance and fell. Joe was unable to help him as Kurtz had leapt from between two cars and grabbed him in a stranglehold at the same time Wyrd had put in his appearance.

Joe struggled to free himself but Wyrd rushed up and slammed Joe across the face as a black Saturn pulled up and the rear door opened. As Stan rose to his feet he could see Joe being dragged toward the waiting car.