3 HARDYS & A PRINCESS

by

PiperMerlyn

Chapter 5

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

Fenton Hardy poured himself a second cup of coffee and padded in his slippered feet to his study. It was quiet this morning. Blissfully quiet after last night. He still felt like he had a crick in his neck from having tea with Ella.

He sighed and set his coffee mug on the corner of his desk. He adjusted the sash of his robe and sat down in his chair. He glanced at the clock and saw it was probably too early for the boys to be up to call him. Hopefully, Frank and Joe would be able to find Rory before it was too late.

"I'm hungry."

Fenton jumped, tipped his coffee mug over and scrambled to keep the liquid from spilling over the edge of the desk and onto the carpet, only to scald his fingers. He finally managed to get the mess contained. "Ella."

"I'm hungry. Can you cook?"

Fenton stood there for a moment, slid a glance at his phone and sighed. "Yes. Scrambled eggs are my speciality."

Ella stuck out her tongue and tightened her grip on an old teddy bear. "I hate eggs."

"I make a mean bowl of cereal and milk."

Ella wrinkled her nose as if she caught a whiff of something stinking. "Huh, even I can do that."

Fenton nodded. "I'm sure you can."

"Was the coffee hot?" asked Ella suddenly.

"Very  hot."

Ella stepped further into the study. She held onto the teddy bear with one hand, grabbed Fenton's hand with her other one and blew lightly on his fingers. "All better? M-momma was always spilling her c-coffee--"

Fenton crouched down in front of her. "I'm sorry, Ella. I'm so sorry."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I want my mommy."

Fenton swallowed hard and pulled her into his arms. He smoothed her sleep-tousled hair away from her face. "I know," he whispered.

After a long moment, Ella pulled back and looked up at him. She searched his face for a moment and then managed a smile. "You're nice."

Fenton smiled back. "Thank you. So are you."

"Really?" Ella's smile widened. "Daddy says I'm mean sometimes. Especially if I'm bugging Rory."

Fenton laughed softly. "It is the privilege of the younger sister--or brother--to bug the older sister or brother."

"Are you a younger brother?"

Fenton laughed again. "Yes, I am. I used to bug my sister all the time."

"Is your sister gonna be back soon?"

Fenton nodded. "Yes. Tomorrow night."

"Will I get to meet her?"

"You might. Now, I seem to recall you were hungry."

Ella nodded. "Yep."

"Let's go eat some breakfast." Fenton stood up and keeping a gentle hand on Ella's shoulder, they headed into the kitchen.

                                        ***

"So, you're going to protect Rory from the person who killed her mother and uncle," said Rachel.

Joe arched an eyebrow. "Yes."

"If the killer ever realizes that both Rory and Ella saw him, he could go after them. With Rory's whereabouts unknown, she's in more  serious danger."

Rachel stared down at her glass of soda. They'd wandered around the town and then stopped at small cafe for sodas. "Kane loves Rory. He'd protect her with his life."

Joe stirred the ice in his glass with his straw. "He may have to."

Frank cleared his throat. "I hope it won't come to that. Hopefully the local police are working on finding the killer."

Rachel looked over at him. "Sag Harbor has an excellent police force."

"I'm sure they are." Frank shrugged. "I'm not trying to imply anything different. It would be nice to have it all wrapped up nice and neat."

Rachel frowned. "It's never that easy."

Joe looked over at her. "Mrs. Dennison mentioned a trip to Japan that was rather disastrous."

Rachel grunted. "Jordan was sure he'd seen an assassination attempt." She rolled her eyes.  "It was more dangerous than any of us imagined."

"You were there?" asked Frank.

Rachel nodded. "My dad and Jordan's dad have been best friends from the time they met in college.  Rick's Jordan's cousin. Rick's parents  travel all over the world, so Rick stays with J.W. and Marina, Jordan's  parents."

"So you were in the Caribbean, too?" asked Joe.

Rachel nodded. "How did you know?"

Joe and Frank shared a look. Joe grinned. "We met Sheridan last year."

"The police detective from Barbados?" Rachel was surprised. "How did you meet him?"

Joe sighed. "He was temporarily assigned to the Bayport Police department last year."

Rachel narrowed her green eyes. "You don't sound so pleased."

"It's a long story," said Frank.

"Rache, my main girl. How's life?"

Rachel gave a start and turned in her booth. "Jordan! Why are you out of school?"

Jordan Sattler grinned. "Senior," he said in a singsong voice. "Half a day. Ha." Suddenly he froze and looked at Joe and Frank. "Whoa. Clones, cool."

Joe arched an eyebrow as he looked Sattler over. Jordan Sattler looked to be about six feet even, with long somewhat shaggy blond hair. His eyes were hazel not blue and he had the rangy stance of a sprinter. Joe didn't see that they looked all that much alike. "Hello."

"Hey, dude, I'm Jordan. Rick is--" Jordan looked over his shoulder. "Where'd he go?"

Just then a tall slender dark-haired boy walked into the cafe. He strode over to where Jordan was standing. "I forgot my booksack."

"Oh, no, no, Rick, school is over for the day. Only nerds do schoolwork early."

Rick rolled his dark brown eyes. He wore his black hair almost as long and shaggy as Jordan's and he had a wiry build to him that made Frank think of Tony. Rick looked over at him. "Hello, I'm Patrick Talbert. Everyone calls me Rick though."

Jordan grunted and motioned for Rachel to move over. "What brings you here?" he asked her. Then he frowned. "You didn't hear anything did you?"

Rachel gave him a look. "Oh, let's see. The sonic boom that you created leaving the school? The disaster you left in the science lab?"  She paused a moment. "Did you stand up Mia again?"

Jordan jumped. "Who told you?"

Joe glanced at his brother, giving him a look. Frank bit back a grin. "Hi. I'm Frank Hardy and this is my brother Joe."

"Yeah, clones. So cool. We could go to a costume party and really freak people out."

Rick snorted. "Jordan, behave."

"I'm always on my best behavior." Jordan said archly. He nodded to Frank and Joe and even held out a hand. "I am pleased as punch to meet you. I'm Jordan Sattler and this here is Rachel Griffin. But considering you were sitting with her, I assume that you've already met."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "They've met Sheridan."

"Sheridan, Sheridan, hmm." Jordan jumped again. "Oooh, as in Nicolette? Oh so cool. I hear she's not getting married after all."

Rachel groaned. "You're the only guy I know who watches Desperate Housewives."

"The gorgeous ladies....Rick, I keep telling you you're missing out. Think what we could do if we ever started our own landscaping business."

Rick cleared his throat. "I think Rachel meant Jesse Sheridan, police detective in Barbados."

"Barbados. We went there didn't we?"

Rick sighed. "Yes, Jordan, we went to Barbados."

"Ohh, yeah. Now I remember. Tropical island, mystery and mayhem." Jordan nodded. "Now I remember." He shot Rachel a glare. "Everything."

Rachel shook her head. "Jordan."

"Library--that crazy librarian. Everything." Jordan grunted. He turned to look at Joe and Frank. "Tropical island, palm trees and coconut tanning lotion and what does she do? Drag me, deceive me into going into a library."

Frank bit back a grin and looked at Joe. "I think I understand where Detective Sheridan was coming from."

"Oh no. No." Joe shook his head. "No."

Rachel looked at Joe and then Jordan. She cocked her head to one side and then grinned. "I agree, Joe, not at all."

Jordan looked from her to Joe and then to Frank. "Huh? What did I miss?"

"Not much," said Rick, not quite smirking. He looked over at Frank and Joe. "So what brings you two to Sag Harbor?"

"We're looking for Rory Kingsley."

Jordan frowned. "Heard about that. Man, what a bummer. She must be really freaked out. And Ella, little thing, I feel bad for her. She's pesky but she's cute."

Rachel snorted. "Could say the same about you."

"Aw, you think I'm cute? Wait till I tell Mia."

"Jordan, don't you dare."

Rick looked at Frank. "Why are you looking for Rory? Is she missing or something?"

Joe nodded. "And since she apparently saw the killer, she could be in danger."

Rick frowned. "Not good. Need some help?"

Frank and Joe  shared a look and Joe shrugged. "If you want to. You know Sag Harbor better than we do."

"We know Kane too," said Jordan, turning serious. "Major chip on his shoulder."

"I could say something but I won't," said Rick. He moved back, out of Jordan's reach. "Not about you."

Jordan grunted and looked over at Joe and Frank. "Kane's not a lily white type of guy. You  really want to meet him?"

"They already did. We stopped by Mrs. Dennsion's shop and Kane was going through inventory for her."

"He was on his best behavior there," said Jordan. "It's when he's with his homies he whole 'nother breed."

"Jordan, I know you don't like him but enough already," said Rick. "That was so last year anyway."

"He got me in trouble with Harrison, big time."

"Harrison?" asked Frank.

"Kurt Harrison, local police chief. Kane said I tee-peed the police cars last Halloween. Didn't even think about it. Cool, but wasn't my idea. Anyway, I'd tee-pee the school trees before I'd tee-pee the police cars."

"Only because you know the principal won't get all upset like the Chief," said Rachel. She turned to Joe and Frank. "I'm not sure where you want to start. Kane doesn't much like people dropping in on him."

"Do you think Rory is with him?"

Jordan shrugged. "Maybe. She's kind of gaga over him. Rich girl goes bonkers over a guy from the wrong side of the tracks." He looked around. "Well, we don't exactly have a side, I mean the tracks run outside town." He looked first at Rachel and then Rick. "Am I making sense?"

"No," said Rick. "But when has that ever bothered you?"

Rachel grinned. "They're cousins, don't mind them."

Frank chuckled. "We're brothers, we tend to do the same."

"Excuse me?" said Joe.

Rachel glanced at her watch. "There's an old abandoned building just south of town. It used to be a warehouse but Kane has taken over, he made it into a pool hall."

"You think that's where he is?" asked Frank, turning serious.

"It's your best bet," said Rick. "We'll go with you, so Kane doesn't sic his homies on you."

"Why do you call them that? Is it a gang?"

Jordan shook his head. "Naw, most of 'em are fellow rich kids who like the bad rep." He rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous."

Rick snorted. "He's still sore Kane turned him away."

Jordan scowled up at him. "That was a low blow, pal. One of these days, to the moon. I'm gonna send you to the moon."

Rachel groaned. "Please, ignore them. Jordan for some reason likes the Honeymooners, the Three Stooges--"

"Three Stooges," Joe leaned forward. "I like the originals with Curly."

"Yeah," said Jordan, nodding. "Me too."

"Okay," said Rick in an overly patient tone. "Let's go before we get completely off track."

Jordan looked up at him. "Was that meant to be an insult?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and motioned for him to slide out of the booth. "Whatever makes you think that? You're going to make Joe and Frank think we don't like you."

Jordan got up and shrugged. "Huh, sometimes I wonder. After you dragged me to the library in a tropical paradise." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, oh, oh, and let's not forget what you did before. Tricked me out of bed by saying we'd have breakfast, but you, you and Rick already ate." Jordan grunted. "So, makes me wonder sometimes."

Rachel laughed. "I wonder as I wander..." she  sang. She linked arms with Rick and Jordan. "Come on, everyone, let's go drop in on Kane and his friends."

Joe and Frank got up and followed them out of the cafe. Joe shook his head. "I am nothing like Jordan."

Frank nodded. "Sheridan must have been really stressed out, making that mistake."

Joe walked ahead of Frank. "Huh, you'd better not be smirking."

Frank just sighed and shook his head.

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