3 HARDYS & A PRINCESS

by

PiperMerlyn

Chapter 3

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

EPILOGUE

The girl finally settled down to watch a movie, leaving the three men to talk in Fenton's study. Joe had angled his chair where he could watch Ella as she sprawled out on the couch. She'd grown quiet after eating supper and Joe found he was just a tad worried about her. God, to see her own mother killed. He shuddered, remembering two years ago at Halloween.

"Joe?"

Joe turned his head to see Frank looking at him. There was understanding in his brother's brown eyes. "Had to be hard to see it," Joe muttered.

Fenton sighed and nodded. "Yes. I'm sure Mr. Kingsley and his daughters will have to go to counseling to deal with this."

Frank cleared his throat. "So the plan is we go to Sag Harbor and look for Kane."

"Not much of a plan," said Joe.

"No, but we don't know much about the situation. If on the one hand, it had to do with a local problem, then Kane Rogers may know something that will help. If it turns out to be international, well..." Fenton sighed again. "That's a whole different ball game."

Joe sat there, a frown on his face. "Sag Harbor, why does that ring a bell?"

Frank looked over at his brother. "Because it's been in the news all day?" he asked, only a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

"No, someone mentioned Sag Harbor not too long ago. Someone lives there--" Joe jumped up out of his seat. "Aha."

Fenton blinked. "Aha what?"

"Sheridan. Remember?" He turned to Frank as he sat back down. "He told me I reminded him of Jordan Sattler, a rich kid from Sag Harbor."

Frank snapped his fingers. "You're right. He did. He also said something about Sattler and his two friends got in the way down in Barbados."

Fenton sat back in his chair. "Sattler, that names sounds familiar." He scooted his chair closer to the desk and focused on the computer. He ran a check on the name Sattler and the location Sag Harbor. "John Wesley Sattler is Jordan's father. He works for a big-name board game company. His wealth actually comes from stock in the company he works for and stock in another company called Gryphon Technologies."

Fenton ran a check on Gryphon Technologies. "Gryphon is owned by Brady Griffin, out of Manhattan." Fenton typed a few keys and sat back. "Brady Griffin, owner and manager of Gryphon Technologies, a high tech virtual reality thinktank. His most recent design--a portable VR simulator has been scrapped due to serious flaws in the design. Hmm." He scanned down the page. "Has only a daughter, wife died nearly sixteen years ago."

Frank frowned. "Wonder what kind of serious flaws?"

Fenton shrugged. "There's a link here to a newspaper." He clicked on it and found it was the American Press newspaper, the highlighted article dated only a year ago. Suddenly, he frowned and sat back in his chair. "Damn."

Joe leaned forward. "Dad?"

"About a year ago, a senator was shot. A very terse article appeared in the national papers, only to say the senator was resting comfortably and he'd make a full recovery. Another man named Carlton Simmons died and speculation was that Simmons was the shooter. It was all covered up."

"Government cover-up?" asked Frank, feeling suddenly very uneasy.

Fenton took a deep breath. "Yes." He glanced at his half-open door and frowned. "Perhaps this is bigger than we thought."

"But how does it fit with this?" asked Joe. "I mean VR sims and satellites are two different things."

Fenton leaned closer to his keyboard again. "I'm going to do some digging, see if I can find out what really happened with Senator Peters."

"What state is he from?" wondered Frank, merely out of curiousity.

Fenton did a quick check. "Maryland." Suddenly his brown eyes went wide. "Well, well...small world."

"What?" asked Joe.

"Seems Grant Peters' first cousin is Joseph MacKensey."

Frank blinked. "The guy who's married to the writer." He nudged Joe. "The Aston-Martin, remember?"

Joe shook his head. "Small world, indeed. Y'know, Sheridan mentioned that they were down there in Barbados at the same time."

"He did, didn't he." Frank sighed. "I wonder what's going on?"

                                                ***

"Why?"

Joe swallowed what he wanted to say, told himself to stay calm. "Because, it will be better."

"But I don't want to stay here, not without you. You look just like Bo and you're nice and--"

Joe let out a sigh. "Okay, I may regret this but Bo who?"

Ella grinned. "Bo Duke." Her grin faded. "You don't watch the show?"

"What show?"

"The Dukes of Hazzard. There's car chases, and mysteries, and Bo..." Ella sighed. "A mean old man  and a silly sheriff...and Bo..."

Standing in the bathroom, Frank suppressed a chuckle. Apparently, Ella had a crush on an actor and since Joe looked like said actor...He tapped on his brother's door. "You ready, bro?"

"Luke's the smart one, sometimes he makes out like he knows everything." Ella shook her head. "He's real handy with a bow and arrow but Bo knows how to drive the General Lee."

Joe blinked. "He drives a general?"

"It's a car. Reddish orange, with a big old flag on it's roof and--"

Frank snapped his fingers. "I've seen that show." He nodded to Joe. "It's on that cable music channel, the one that's only country music. I was flipping channels one day and saw this old show with a car like that."

Ella nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Bo and Luke are cousins, and the sheriff's always trying to catch them delivering moonshine or getting into trouble but they really just like to help people. They have another cousin, Daisy, who likes to help too. They live with their uncle Jesse out on a farm."

Joe frowned. "Moonshine? How can you deliver moonshine?"

"It's like a beer only it's clear. Looks like water. It's so powerful it can run a car."

Joe stared at her. "And you watch this stuff?"

"Don't knock her choice in shows," said Frank, trying not to laugh. "Especially considering some of the stuff you watch."

"Uncle Larry has all the seasons on DVD. He said it was good, clean fun not like some of the stuff on TV today." Ella's good mood faded somewhat. "Well, he had all the seasons."

Joe swallowed hard, started to  zip up his suitcase but then turned and squatted down in front of Ella.  "We have to find your sister and make sure she's safe from the man who hurt your mother and uncle. Your sister wouldn't trust an adult all that much."

Ella stared off into the middle distance. "I like your Dad, he seems nice. Will he play with me?"

Joe bit back a grin. "Well, he used to play with us when we were your  age."

"I brought my tea set. I always have a tea party before I go to sleep."

Joe didn't dare look at his brother,  knowing full well Frank was laughing silently. "I'm sure he'd be delighted."

Ella's pensive mood vanished and she beamed. "Oh goody." She bolted out of Joe's room and clattered down the stairs.

Joe finally looked up at Frank. "Stop that."

Frank tried to stop grinning. "What?"

"Stop laughing."

"Dad and a little girl's tea party, what's not to laugh about?" Frank laughed. "Hey, we need a camera to take pictures."

Joe shook his head and then chuckled himself at the image that popped into his  head. "Well...it would only work if there was a way to set up a spy camera."

Frank sighed. "Darn, I'm all out." He glanced over his shoulder at the open door. "Poor kid."

"Poor Dad. He'll have to answer her questions and play tea. Ready?"

Frank nodded. "Just have to get my duffle. Let's go find her sister."

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