LITTLE BOY LOST
by
Phoenix
Chapter 7
The Chapters
Six-and-a-half year old Biff Hooper was surprised when the principal pulled him out of class early. He hadn’t done anything wrong that he was aware of –
He was even more surprised to see his best friend Joe Hardy’s father waiting outside in the main hallway.
“Biff,” Joe’s dad’s wasted no time in talking to him and something in the man’s curt tone made the child shrivel back in worry, “where’s Joey?”
“Mr. Hardy,” the principal, Mr. Manning, spoke to the other man. “Please. Not here.” He glanced towards the still-open classroom door. “We can talk to young Mr. Hooper in my office.”
Where’s Joey? Biff scrunched up his face as he followed closely behind Mr. Manning, glancing anxiously up at his friend’s father. That’s kind of a stupid question…he’s home with Frank.
The principal ushered them into his office and then instructed them to sit down.
Biff shifted uncomfortably, his pale blue eyes wide with alarm as he suddenly wanted his mommy.
“Biff,” this time it was Mr. Manning who asked, “Do you know where Joe Hardy is?”
The child nodded his head solemnly.
“Where is he?” Mr. Hardy’s voice scared the boy and Biff’s chin started to quiver –
“He – he’s home,” the child stammered, his heart pounding in his chest as he didn’t understand why they were asking him about this, or why Joe’s dad looked so angry with him. “With Frank.” He looked up at the investigator, and his fear solidified as he remembered his friend bragging once that his father carried a gun.
He actually jumped when the man suddenly spun up out of his chair and stalked towards the office window. He leaned over and put both his hands on the sill, his head hanging low. Biff could hear him taking deep breaths and was terrified that somehow he’d said something wrong and the man was about to shoot him!
His eyes darted frantically towards Mr. Manning. Surely the principal wouldn’t let Mr. Hardy shoot him? There must be some school rule about that.
“I’m sorry!” he blurted out. “Did I do something bad?”
“Biff…” The detective slowly turned around and faced him, and the child realized at once that the look he had mistaken for anger was something else. He wasn’t sure what but it scared him even more. And if the look didn’t, then the man’s words did. “Joey isn’t at home.”
Biff blinked. What?
Fenton continued, his voice softer now as if he realized how badly he’d scared the child. “He left the house this morning to walk to school with you – just like always.” A flicker of something that the child couldn’t read passed over the man’s face.
“Biff,” Mr. Manning spoke up. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” His words didn’t make the youngster feel any better.
“But…” he looked from one man to the other, “but he didn’t! I waited! I did,” he felt stomach-sick and his words were a rush, “really I did but he never came and it was getting dark and I knew it was going to rain and I was cold and I didn’t want to be late so I thought he got sick too and I went to school!”
“Whoa, easy Biff.” The principal moved to crouch in front of the increasingly distraught child. “It’s okay. Biff. It’s okay.”
Behind him, Joe’s dad didn’t say anything.
Biff shook his head, tears now streaming down his pale face. “How can it be?” he sobbed, “Where’s Joey?” He buried his face into the principal’s shoulder, desperate for someone to make this all better.
He felt another hand, a large warm one, on his shoulder and then heard his best friend’s father as that hand gave a gentle squeeze. “That’s what I’m going to find out.”
Biff was so upset he never heard the detective leave.
…
Fenton Hardy didn’t feel the freezing cold rain that slapped him in the face as he left the building. He didn’t care about the puddles that splashed and soaked his nicely tailored pants. And he certainly couldn’t have cared less at how badly his hands trembled as they fought to unlock the car door. His world had narrowed down to a horrifying reality – his six year old little boy was missing.
He was supposed to have walked Joe to Biff’s house, or driven him after his ‘important’ phone call. But he hadn’t, and now his baby had disappeared…
Horrified shock warred with agonizing disbelief as the man sat in his car and just stared at the rain-smeared windshield.
This can’t be happening…this can’t be happening…
He couldn’t think.
He could barely breathe.
It was as if the world had just suddenly slowed down and he had no idea what to do next – where to begin…
And then his cell phone started to ring and the world sped up again.
ooooooOOOOOOoooooo
Laura couldn’t wait any longer.
She and Frank had prepared a small veggie plate for Joe, and after spreading the snack out on the coffee table, she’d gone to the living room and glanced out. Wordlessly Frank had followed her, and the woman couldn’t help but smile down fondly at her dark haired shadow as he stood beside her in the window. “What a pair we make, huh?” she teased as she lightly rested an arm across his thin shoulders and drew him close.
The child shivered next to her. His voice when he spoke echoed her sentiments and bled the same worry, “They should have been back already…”
The blond woman wrapped her arms a little more tightly around her child. “It’s okay, sweetie….Look at all that rain, the roads are going to be nasty so we need to give them some extra time.” She wasn’t sure exactly which one of them she was trying to make feel better.
It was hard to say if Frank believed her but he didn’t say anything else for a few minutes. He just stood with her and stared out the window at the empty driveway.
They both flinched when another loud rumble of thunder echoed through the house.
Laura heard a car coming down their street and then sighed in disappointment when it wasn’t Fenton. Her growing anxiety made her nauseous and when Frank softly whispered, “Mommy, where are they?” her resolve to be strong broke. She needed to talk to Fenton. To confirm that he had picked up Joe and that there was some perfectly good reason why they weren’t home yet –
Especially since Fenton knew how much Frank was missing his brother…
“Why don’t I call your Daddy’s cell?” she offered and then gave a small start in surprise when Frank practically pushed her towards the phone.
“Please, Mommy, please! Call him.” If she hadn’t been worried before, she would have been now, as Frank was uncharacteristically anxious. He was her calm child…
Picking up the phone, Laura dialed Fenton’s cell phone and then waited for the call to go through.
One ring –
C’mon Fenton, pick up.
Two rings –
Honey, c’mon, please…
Three rings –
Damnit! Pick up! Pick up!
Four rings –
Hi, you’ve reached Fenton Hardy. I’m not available to come to the phone right now…
Laura slammed down the phone.
“Mommy?”
She turned towards Frank and had absolutely no answer for him.
ooooooOOOOOOoooooo
Fenton held the cell phone in his hand as it rang but he never answered it….He knew it was Laura and he knew what she wanted, but he still couldn’t answer it.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he whispered, tears burning his cheeks as he waited until the call went to voice mail. He started the engine, put the car in drive and pulled away from the school.
As he drove, he dialed 911 and did the second hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life: he reported that his six year old never arrived at school today –
And then when he pulled into the driveway of his nice home – its lights burning brightly against the dark stormy afternoon – he prepared to do the hardest thing: he had to tell Laura and Frank that Joe was missing. That their little boy was lost…
“Please God,” he prayed as he pressed his forehead against the top of the steering wheel. “Give me the strength to do this.”
In the distance Fenton could already hear the police sirens racing towards Elm and High Streets and knew he needed to go inside now. Lifting his head, he pushed open the door and got out of the car. He barely made it to the bottom of the steps when the front door flew open and Laura was standing in the doorway, the small figure of Frank pressed in close behind her.
Fenton looked up at her, oblivious to the rain soaking him. His eyes held an apology.
She stared at him for a moment and then glanced towards the car.
“Joey?” she asked.
The man slowly climbed the stairs towards her.
“No,” the woman shook her head and backed up a bit. Panic flooded her features as she repeated. “No.”
“Daddy,” Frank tried to push past his mother but Laura wouldn’t let him. “Where’s Joey?”
For some reason it was easier to face the child – and Fenton felt heartsick for that. He tried to be gentle. “Joey’s not here…” He stood in front of his family and added. “I’m sorry.”
All the color drained from Laura’s face as her hand flew to her mouth and she looked like she was going to be sick.
“Then where is he?” Frank demanded; the pure childish innocence in his question seared the man’s heart; it tore at everything Fenton had. “He – ah,” he swallowed hard but before he could answer the child interrupted:
“Daddy? Are those police sirens?”
Taking a deep breath Fenton faced Laura and as the first patrol car pulled up outside the Hardy house, he admitted. “Joey never made it to school…”
Six words.
Six more words –
And Laura and Frank’s lives changed…
Forever.
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Disclaimer
The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors 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.