Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

Vanessa Bender shook her head. "It's stupid. I mean, he's a grown man and he tries to antagonize poisonous reptiles." She snatched the remote from Joe's hand and switched channels. "There."

Joe groaned. "Oh no, not that movie again. I've seen it enough times to know every word by heart."

Vanessa grinned over at him. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Joe sighed and laughed softly. "Yeah, well...it might be." It felt good to be home, spending the afternoon with his favorite girl. He shifted slightly and put an arm around her shoulders. Vanessa hesitated just a moment and then snuggled closer. Joe didn't ask why; she'd been very careful with him lately, although most of the soreness from the cracked ribs had long since faded.

When he thought back on their trip with the band, Sorcerer, and the plane crash, it didn't seem real anymore. It seemed more like a bad dream than anything else – except for the angel. Joe's eyes drifted to the Christmas tree. It was still up, with the angel at its tip. Traditionally, he and Frank took the tree down on New Year's Day just before all the football games came on.

"Are you going to the dance?" asked Vanessa.

Joe shrugged. "Only if you go."

Vanessa sat up slightly and looked at him. "I'd only go if I went with you."

"Sounds like a classic stalemate," came a new voice.

Joe looked up to see his father walking into the living room. "Hey, Dad."

"Hello, Joe, Vanessa." Fenton Hardy glanced at the television and smiled. "That movie again?"

"It's A Wonderful Life is a classic, Mr. Hardy," said Vanessa.

Fenton nodded and headed on toward his office. "Don't have too much fun," he told them and closed the door.

Joe reached for the remote but Vanessa tossed it onto the recliner. "Nope."

"I've seen this movie every year for sixteen years," said Joe.

"You're making him watch that movie again, aren't you?" said Callie Shaw as she walked into the living room, with Frank right behind her.

Joe grunted. "Hello to you too."

Callie flopped into the recliner and stood up a second later. She picked up the remote and grinned at Vanessa. "I think I'll keep this."

Frank limped over to the recliner and sat down on the arm of the chair. "Stop teasing him. Joe hates that movie."

"No, I don't. I'm just tired of seeing it, and Christmas is over anyway."

"So, are you going to the dance Saturday?" asked Vanessa.

Joe nodded. "What makes you think I'm not? Frank's the one with the limp."

Vanessa gave him a big smile. "Great. You know it's a costume party."

Callie snapped her fingers. "I knew I should have kept that dress – and that cape for you," she added, pointing at Frank. "We could have gone as Christine and the Phantom."

Frank rolled his brown eyes. "I think not."

"It didn't faze you at Halloween."

"It wasn't Harry Potter." Frank held up a hand and then pointed at Joe. "No."

"I wasn't going to say a word," said Joe.

Vanessa got off the sofa. "Well, today's Wednesday, we'll have to do some searching to find costumes."

Callie got up as well. She and Vanessa had come over in her car since Vanessa had been at her house earlier. "Well, we'd better head on over to the mall." She gave Frank a quick kiss and started for the door.

Vanessa leaned down and kissed Joe. "I'll call later and tell you what I found for you."

"Sounds good." Joe winked at her. "I think it's the wrong time of year for Freddy Krueger anyway."

Vanessa laughed and she and Callie left the house. Callie got behind the wheel of her Volvo and frowned over at Vanessa. "Let me guess—”

Vanessa's own smile faded and she sighed. "I didn't tell him."

***

The minute Joe heard the front door close, he held out a hand toward Frank. "Hand it over," he ordered, referring to the remote.

"Nope, I think I want to watch something educational for once." Frank pointed the remote control at the television and changed the channel.

"What happened to brotherly love?"

"Nothing." Frank grinned at his brother, who was pouting like a five-year-old. "You get the remote in, let's say, an hour."

"My show will be over then."

"Exactly."

Joe let out a grunt and pushed himself to his feet, wincing as the motion put pressure on his ribs. "I'll be glad when these heal up; I'm tired of being an invalid."

Frank nodded. "Me too. You know, we'll have to sit out PE for a while," he added, glaring at his knee where the Ace™ bandage was driving him crazy under his jeans.

"And basketball practice, wrestling practice." Joe sighed. "Man, who'd have thought a trip to Albany would cause so much trouble?" He shook his head and started for the stairs. "Maybe I'll go mess with your computer now."

Frank snorted. "Joe, don't you dare."

"I still owe you one or three, I think I can crash it."

"You're just bored to death with nothing to do."

"Don't say that too loud. Mom's in the kitchen, Dad's in his office and Aunt Gertrude is lurking about somewhere." Joe gave his brother a hard look. "I'm not that bored."

Frank would have laughed but he was bored too. "Come on, let's go to the mall."

Joe thought about it for a while and then smirked. "You must think that's the cure for everything."

Frank stared at Joe for a moment and then rolled his eyes. "No, you think a pizza loaded with everything is the cure-all."

"Wow, somehow I am not surprised you'd remember that. Let's go." Joe veered for the front door. "Well, don’t just sit there, come on, before someone decides we're too injured to go to the mall." Joe glanced over his shoulder toward the hallway that led to the kitchen. "Come on," he added in a whisper. "I hear someone coming."

Frank got out of the recliner and they headed for the door, snagging their jackets off the coat tree in passing. Joe looked back over his shoulder. "We're going to the mall," he hollered and then they hurried out of the house and toward the van.

Joe made it to the driver's side first and yanked open the door. "Hurry, slowpoke."

"Just you wait until my knee heals and I'll slowpoke your rear end," muttered Frank as he got in the passenger side.

Joe climbed in and held out a hand. "Keys."

Frank sighed and slapped the keys into his brother's hand. "No driving like Andretti."

"Whatever." Joe started the engine and backed out of the driveway. "Ah, freedom."

Frank grunted and turned on the radio. "You make it sound like we were prisoners."

"Frank, hospital first and then home. We haven't been anywhere but church on Christmas Eve and that was it. We haven't left the house since we got back last week."

Frank searched for his favorite radio station and frowned. "Did you change stations on me?"

Joe gave his brother a puzzled look. "Why would I do that? We both agree that station out of Eastport plays the music we both like without torturing each other. Why would I change it?"

Frank shook his head. "I don't know."

Joe shifted in his seat. "I thought once you were seventeen or whatever, you stopped growing."

"That's the general consensus." There was only a trace of sarcasm in Frank's voice as he said it.

"Well, I must still be growing because I think the seat's not pushed back far enough." Joe braked at a red light and reached down for the lever to move the seat; when it moved back with a dull thunk, Joe frowned. "Huh, wonder who moved it up?"

Frank narrowed his eyes. "I really can't see Mom or Aunt Gertrude driving the van."

"No..." Joe glanced at his brother. "Neither can I. You and I both have keys, does anyone else?"

Frank shrugged. "There's the spare key in the back tire well."

Joe shook his head. "No. Everyone knows this is our van. No one in his right mind would drive it without our permission."

Frank looked at Joe. "We were gone for a while, Joe. Maybe someone took it for a joyride."

Joe frowned. "I seriously doubt with Mom and Aunt Gertrude here, someone would steal our van."

Frank sighed. "True." But as they headed for the mall, the possibility bothered him.

***

Callie Shaw slid the costume to one side, studied it and then went to the next one hanging on the circular rack. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Vanessa headed her way. "What?"

"He's here."

"In the shop?"

"No, I think he headed into the music store. Let's go."

Callie swallowed hard. "It might be safer to stay here. Maybe he'll leave."

Vanessa took a deep breath and shook her head. "I want to go."

Callie nodded and put the costume she'd been about to buy back on the rack. It had all started Monday a week ago. She and Vanessa had some last minute Christmas shopping to do, and with their boyfriends off on a trip, it seemed the perfect time to take care of it.

Callie had had one last stop to make, to look for a CD of Frank's favorite band in the music store, when she and Vanessa had run into an old classmate of Callie's – Byron James. Callie had first met him in kindergarten. Byron was the only son of wealthy parents who'd died when he was seven. He spent his childhood with nannies and butlers and once he turned twelve, a string of expensive boarding schools.

Callie hadn't seen Byron since he was around the age of nine and she had been stunned by the change in his appearance. Once, Byron had been the absolute preppie but now his black hair hung long, just past his shoulders, and he seemed to prefer black for his favorite color now. But what had bothered her the most had been how he focused all his attention on Vanessa.

Vanessa had brushed it off at first and had told Byron she was taken. Byron had seemed to get the message and avoided her the other times they'd run into him whether at the store, the mall or wherever.

On Friday of last week, Vanessa received a huge bouquet of red and white roses and a box of peppermint candy. She'd assumed the bouquet was from Joe, although stunned he'd do something quite so romantic. But the gift had come from Byron.

Callie led the way to the front of the costume shop and saw Byron, clad in his customary black, leave the music store, a small bag in one hand. "I think he's leaving." She turned to look at Vanessa. "You need to tell Joe."

"I will." At Callie's grunt, Vanessa sighed. "I will. Now's not a good time. He doesn't need to get in a fight or anything."

"He's hardly dying, Vanessa. And he needs to know." Callie glanced over her shoulder and saw Byron was apparently gone. She looked at Vanessa. "If you ever tell Joe I said this, I'll...I'll do something to make you regret it. Joe's a good guy and he'd protect you if it were the last thing he ever did. You need to tell him."

Vanessa nodded. "I know. I just – Oh my God."

"Byron's back?" whispered Callie, whipping her head around to look. She didn't see Byron at all. "Vanessa—”

"He's here."

Callie let out a groan. "Which he this time?"

Vanessa looked ready to bolt for the nearest exit. "Joe. He's here. What's he doing here? Why's he here? I thought he and Frank were supposed to be on bed rest or something."

"They probably got bored."

Vanessa let out a little squeal. "They're headed this way."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Callie turned to leave the shop when someone stepped in her way. She took a little skittering step backwards. "Byron."

Byron's dark eyes were on Vanessa. "Hello, Vanessa."

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency 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.