HDA - Living in Darkness Trilogy - Pt 2 - The Search

Frank stood there, frozen for a heartbeat and then looked around. Joe and Vanessa were standing just behind him, looking shocked. The smoking gun had fallen from Byron's hand when the person had slammed into him. As the person stood up, Frank saw it was MacKensey. "What--?"

Byron got up on his hands and knees and then reached for the gun. MacKensey scowled and kicked the gun out of his reach. "That's enough, Byron."

Byron looked up at him. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

Mack shook his head and looked over at Frank, Joe, and Vanessa. "You guys okay?"

Vanessa took a shakey breath. "I think so."

Byron heaved a sigh. "Damn it, I only wanted to keep you safe," he said, his voice sounding weary. "Safe from this evil world, safe from them."

"So you kidnapped me."

"You followed me, of your own free will."

"Only because I was upset. But you staged that." Vanessa took another deep breath. "You set it all up, brought a girl in to distract Joe, so you could reel me in..." Her voice shook. "You deceived me."

Vanessa stared at him for a long moment and then spun around. Joe caught her as she sagged against him and held her tight. Frank took a step forward and nodded to Mack. "Call the police."

"Should already be here," said Mack, cocking his head to one side, listening. "Casi was going to tell your father."

Frank nodded. "All right. I'll find something to tie him up with."

"There's no need," said Byron softly. "I won't run."

All of them looked at him for a long moment, long enough to make Byron raise his head to gaze at each of them in turn, his eyes resting on Vanessa the longest. "I've lived in shadows all my life, perhaps it is time to face the garish light of day."

Mack gave the younger man an odd look as if the words had sounded familiar. He looked over at Joe and Vanessa, cocked his head to one side and then looked back at Byron. "Aha!" he said loudly in the sudden quiet.

"Well, that's one way to let me know where you were. What are you aha-ing about?" asked Casi as she came up the stairs.

"What the--?" Mack whirled on her. "Casi!"

"Cops are right behind me. Told 'em not to use their sirens."

Mack took a deep breath. "Scare me to death," he muttered. "One of these days she actually will."

Casi folded her arms across her chest. "What were you aha-ing about?"

"What was that movie you made me watch a dozen times with you? With all the music and the mask?"

Casi arched an eyebrow. "I'd wager you know full well what movie. I also dragged you to the Broadway production a few years ago."

"Aha!"

Casi swatted his arm. "Stop that."

A tall slender man stepped onto the second floor landing. He nodded to Frank. "What happened?"

Frank glanced at Vanessa. "Maybe you should start with her, Con."

Con Riley nodded. "All right," he said slowly. He looked down at Byron. "Come on, son, get to your feet."

Byron reached up and Con Riley reached a hand down to help him up. In a split second move, Byron yanked on Con's hand and grabbed the gun from his holster with the other. He stepped back, swinging the gun from side to side as if he were trying to keep everyone in his sights. "I'm not going to jail."

"No one said you had to. You need help," began Frank.

"I'm not crazy. I know that's not Emily. I know that. I only wanted to keep Vanessa safe. Only wanted her safe."

"This isn't helping, son," said Con Riley.

"Don't call me that. My name is Byron. Byron James."

Casi took a step forward before her husband could stop her. "All your life, Byron, you've gotten what you wanted. If you wanted a new car, all you had to do was go out and buy it. People are different. You can't lock up a person the way you lock a car in a garage or jewelry in a vault. That's what free will is all about."

"I don't want anyone getting hurt. Emily..." He swallowed hard and the hand holding the gun sagged. "Mom, Dad. I begged them not to go out that night. I wanted them to stay home, stay with me, stay...safe."

"Byron."

Everyone turned to see two police officers holding on to Damien Forsythe as he made his way up the last of the stairs. He had a dazed look in his eyes and he was walking slowly. "Byron, my God, put the gun down," said Forsythe insistantly.

Byron stared at the butler. "Why did you lie? Why did you tell me that they'd be safe if I kept them close by?"

"Byron, you were seven years old. What was I supposed to say? That there are crazy drivers out there who drink and get behind the wheel? That this world is horrible and evil and dangerous but we have to live with it?"

"There's beauty here, Mr. Forsythe," said Casi. "There's beauty in a rain drop, the petal of a flower. This world is not all horrible, evil and dangerous."

Mack pulled his wife close. "Casi."

Casi slipped out of his embrace and pointed to Joe and Vanessa still holding onto each other. "There's beauty. The beauty to live and love again no matter what may happen." She turned to Mack. "Remember?"

Mack shuddered and nodded. "Casi," he said hoarsely.

"Shh, it's okay." She turned to Forsythe. "Bad things may happen in this world, horrible tragedies, devastating losses but you cannot let that define you."

Quietly, Con Riley stepped forward and took the gun from Byron's lax fingers. He nodded to a police officer and the man slipped handcuffs on Byron while another officer handcuffed Forsythe. Con gestured for the officers to head downstairs and started to read the Miranda rights to both men.

When Mack pulled her close again, Casi let him. "Well, this has been a quiet little visit." She jumped suddenly and moved away from Mack. "What did you do that for? I'm the only one who's allowed to pinch."

"Keep those fingers where I can see them," said Mack.

"Everyone okay up here?" Fenton Hardy stepped onto the landing,followed by Laura and Callie Shaw. Callie ran to Frank who wrapped his arms around her and just held her.

"I believe so, Fenton," said Mack. "All's well that ends well."

Laura walked over to Vanessa. "Vanessa, are you all right?"

Vanessa lifted her head to smile at the older woman. "Yes, I am now."

Laura stood there a moment, gazing at Vanessa and Joe and then slid a glance at the MacKenseys. She saw Mack look first at her and then her son. He gave her a grin. "Well, I imagine that the food is pretty much ruined. You can blame it on Casi here. She knows how to ruin things. You wouldn't believe---ooff."

Casi angled her elbow just right. "Say another word and I'll do it again."

Mack shook his head, rubbed his stomach with one hand and waved his other as if to say, no thanks. He took a deep breath and winced. "Damn it, wife, stop that. I'll be the one black and blue when we head home tomorrow. And don't you know Ethan's going to ask a zillion questions."

"As long as you don't go prancing around in--" Casi blushed and shook her head. "See what you made me almost do?"

"The meal's just fine," said Laura, trying not to smile. "Why don't we go have a late supper. Vanessa, Callie you're invited too."

Vanessa nodded. "Thanks, Mrs. Hardy."

***

Laura moved the late supper to the dining room where there was more room. She settled at one end of the table while Fenton sat at the other end. Joseph MacKensey grinned at his wife across the table from him. "Now you can't kick me."

Casi arched an eyebrow and glanced at Vanessa who was seated between Mack and Frank. "You have my permission to kick him."

Mack snorted and looked at Joe who was seated between Casi and Callie. "You can kick her."

Joe shook his head. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Casi smiled over at him. "Smart boy."

Mack grunted and pointed his fork at her. "You behave."

"I'm always on my best behavior." She turned to Laura. "This roast is delicious. Some day I'll have all of you out for a visit at my house. My husband is an amazing cook."

Mack gave her a pleased look. "Thank you."

"Don't look so surprised. I hired you for the duration."

Fenton arched an eyebrow. "She pays you to cook?"

Mack shook his head. "Her pay is that she does the dishes. No money crosses these palms."

"Keep it up, and I'll make you do the dishes."

Laura relaxed in her chair. "You'll have to tell us how you met."

Mack and Casi shared a look and then laughed. Mack shook his head. "I'm not sure you really want to know. That's a whole other story."

Frank looked over at him. "Come on. With all the stuff you mentioned earlier, we're all wondering how you two met."

Mack heaved a sigh and stared at his plate. He said something under his breath. Casi leaned forward. "Excuse me? What was that?"

Mack shot her a look. "You're loving this, aren't you."

Casi shrugged. "What's not to love? You swore to the high heavens no one would ever find out the truth. I don't think Justin or Jonathon know. Although if you've ever shared with Kendra, well, I'm sure Jonathon knows by now."

"Now I'm really curious," said Laura, smiling.

Mack sighed again. "She rescued me. Her and her sister."

"And as usual, he skips over the whole story," said Casi.

Joe leaned forward. "So what is the whole story?"

Casi looked over at her husband and her smile faded somewhat, her expression changing slightly. "We met in Kenya. My uncle owns a game reserve not far from Serengeti National Park." She blinked and turned to look at Joe. "I have two older brothers. Donovan, the oldest, is always worrying about me. You've met Marc. J-Mack hears Donovan worrying about his two sisters out in the jungle and goes to rescue us."

"But I didn't see the hunter's snare until it was too late. Casi and her sister Catherine cut the ropes, got me loose." Mack shrugged. "And the rest, they say, is history."

Everyone including his wife looked over at him. Mack shrugged again. "What?"

"Why is it I think that's the understatement of the year?" asked Fenton.

"Ah, because you're an amazing detective, able to pick up the slightest change in tone and nuance." Mack lifted his tea glass as if for a toast. "No wonder you're famous."

"He tends to sidestep any serious inquiries," said Casi. "You get used to it after awhile."

"You said you've been married only a little while yet you seem to know each other very well," said Laura as they finished their meal.

Casi sighed. "Well, we first met eleven years ago. Then we ran into each other in Hong Kong."

"I was the one in the car accident. You're the one who barged into my hospital room." Mack thought a moment. "Wait, in my case, that was a good thing. Then there was that humdinger of a Christmas party."

"Not all my fault. Then you showed up at my grandparents' castle--"

Vanessa's gray eyes widened. "A real castle?"

"She's got two," said Mack.

"They're not mine."

Mack's smirk faded. "Then cad that I am, I missed her college graduation and she has the nerve to have me arrested."

"Now wait just a minute. I had you arrested because you were harassing me. Get the story straight."

"Harassing? Me? You're the one who hit me, told that poor girl to vamoose before you hit her. In public, mind you." Mack shook his head and rubbed his neck with one hand. "Egyptian jails give you such a crick in the neck."

Joe gave a start. "You had to spend a night in an Egyptian jail...?"

Mack grunted. "I kept telling her I didn't miss her graduation on purpose."

"He kept harassing me. He didn't realize I was close friends with Kendall Laughlin and all I had to do was ask the police to escort him straight to a jail cell."

Fenton sat back in his chair. "And now you're married."

"Well, she's promised not to arrest me again."

Casi shook her head. "You behave yourself."

Frank laughed. "You two seem made for each other, somehow."

Mack looked over at Casi and gave her a smirk. "That could be considered a curse--or a blessing."

"If I have to slide down in my chair, I will kick you."

"No violence at the dining table," said Laura, her blue eyes twinkling. "Now who's up for some red velvet cake?"

Mack's eyes went wide and he looked over at Casi. After a moment, he looked at Laura. "As long as it's not an armadillo, I'll take some."

Everyone stared at him but Casi. She just snickered. "For the groom's cake, Kari--Marc's girlfriend--and Donovan's wife Brittani made a red velvet cake shaped like an armadillo. They'd seen in it that movie Steel Magnolias."

Laura nodded slowly. "Oh, okay." She shook her head at Mack. "Just a normal bundt cake."

"I'd love some," said Mack, with a charming grin.

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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.