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

Vanessa rushed up the stairs to her room, relieved to find that her mother wasn't home. She didn't want to have to explain why she'd been crying. Tears filled her eyes as she saw it all over again – the tender moment, Joe's lips touching Ione's...

Vanessa flung herself on her bed and cried. She'd gotten to a point where she didn't freak if he talked to a pretty girl – although she had gotten mad when he'd volunteered to show Merlyn Slade around last year. But seeing him kiss Ione – who was a dead ringer for his late girlfriend was something totally different.

She heard the doorbell ring and cringed. She just knew it was Joe come to apologize, come to tell her that it didn't mean anything. Vanessa rolled off the bed, kicked her desk chair and yanked open the door. She felt like punching something and if it was Joe, she'd take it out on him. She hurried down the stairs and pulled open the door and went still. The huge bouquet of red, pink, and white roses blocked her view of who held them. "Uh, yes?"

The bouquet, in a white ceramic heart-shaped vase, quivered as the person holding them shifted. "Miss Vanessa Bender?"

Vanessa now saw a teenage guy who looked vaguely familiar. "Rusty?"

"Oh, um, hey. Flower delivery guy. Where do you want these?"

Vanessa took a moment to look around, finally deciding on the coffee table. "Over there."

"Okay." Rusty carried the flowers to the coffee table and sighed. "Whew. They're heavier than they look." He held out a clipboard. "Need you to sign."

Vanessa signed and gazed at the roses. Rusty managed a grin. "Lucky you – three dozen roses. Someone must like you an awful lot."

"Yeah." Vanessa showed Rusty out and then walked over to look at the flowers. She started to search for the card when a rush of déjà vu made her step back. "No." She took a deep breath. "They're probably from Joe. He made a big deal last year about never sending me flowers." She reached in and grabbed the card. It was a plain white card and the flowing script read: To my beloved, no second thoughts, no going back now. Say you will share with me one love, one lifetime, to save me from my solitude. Say you'll want me with you, here beside you . Anywhere you go, let me go too. That's all I ask of you.

Vanessa frowned, unsure of the note. It didn't sound like Joe but it didn't make sense. Who else would send flowers? She took a step back, dropping the note. She shook her head. No. Tears filled her eyes again. "No," she whispered. "Not again."

Vanessa dashed the tears from her eyes and went to the phone. She dialed the florist shop the flowers had come from. "Yes...I just received a vase of three dozen pink, red, and white roses....Yes, I want to know who ordered them....I see....Funny accent?...British?" Vanessa stared at the roses and slowly hung up the phone. It didn't make sense.

"Vanessa," came her mother's voice from the front door. "I'm back – Oh my."

Vanessa turned to see her mother focused on the roses. "Wow. Some Valentine's Day present."

Vanessa's eyes widened and she felt even more confused. Valentine's Day was Tuesday. Had Joe gotten them for her after all?

***

"Are we going to stay here all day?"

"Are you going to complain the whole time?"

"I hate shopping." Joseph MacKensey folded his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair. "The only good thing is they have a decent pizza place here."

Casi eyed the remnants of their late lunch. "I must say the cook knows his stuff."

A tall, slender boy with dark hair and eyes walked up to them. "Thanks. I'll tell my Dad. I'm Tony."

"Casi," she said. "And that's Joe."

Tony looked puzzled and then grinned. "Oh yeah. You're the one that looks just like Joe...Hardy."

MacKensey arched an eyebrow. "Good friend of theirs?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, been since first grade." He nodded to their half-empty glasses. "Refills?"

Casi leaned forward and shook her head. "No, we're fine."

Tony started to say something but instead he stared into the distance. "Oh my God."

MacKensey frowned. "Something wrong?"

"Callie told me the resemblance was uncanny but—"

MacKensey stood up. "Where?"

Tony was too stunned to question the man. "Over there. She just went into Bath and Body Works."

MacKensey tossed some money on the table. "Thanks, Tony. Casi, come on."

It wasn't until after they'd left, that Tony realized it was an odd thing to do, go chasing after a girl who resembled someone else. What was going on?

MacKensey strode into the shop, Casi right beside him. "I see someone at the back of the store."

Casi nodded. "I'll go. Guys don't frequent this place, so stay here."

He grunted. "If it's her—"

"I'll be careful." Casi walked back to the store, forcing herself to ignore the delectable scents wafting all around her. It was one of her favorite stores. She found the girl looking through some lotions and moved as close as she dared. It only took one good look and she turned away. But a second later, she froze in place as the girl spun around and saw MacKensey.

The girl's violet eyes widened and she strode over to him. Casi followed after her, wondering what would happen. The girl glared up at him. "What are you doing, stalking me? Did you make up with your little girlfriend?"

"Can't say that I did," said MacKensey. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Seems to me you've got quite a temper. You going to slap me again?"

"I slapped you because you called me an imposter. I'm Iola. I've lost two years out of my life because of you." Suddenly she noticed his hands and she stumbled backwards, right into Casi. She gave Casi a panicked look and then started to run out of the store.

Casi grabbed her arm. "I don't think so. Who are you?"

"I-Ione M-martin." Ione tugged, trying to free her arm.

"Your real name."

"Iola Morton."

Casi gave her arm a hard shake. "Your real name."

"Let me go." The girl tried to pull her arm free. "Let me go or I'll – I'll scream."

"Scream. I'll tell them you were shoplifting."

Ione looked down at the small bottle of lotion hidden in her hand. "No. Don't."

"Then tell me what's going on," said MacKensey from behind Ione.

Ione jumped. "I can't."

Casi looked back over her shoulder. "I see the clerk. Let me get her attention."

"No." Ione shook her head. "Please."

Casi slowly turned her head to look at her. "So, who are you?"

Ione dropped the small bottle of lotion, pulled her hand free and took off. Casi started to go after her but her husband stopped her. "No."

"We were this close to finding out—"

MacKensey arched an eyebrow. "Getting protective, are we?"

"Don't look at me like that." Casi took a step back as the clerk came over. She quickly told the woman that she'd seen the girl snitch it and stopped her. The clerk nodded and took the lotion. Casi frowned at her husband and left the store.

MacKensey slid a glance at the lingerie store and then at his wife. "So that was just an idle threat. I knew it."

"Don't sound so disheartened—" Casi turned to look at him. "You little imp, you want to go in there."

"Hey, your sister dragged Ethan through the one in Honolulu. How does he get to be so lucky?"

Casi swatted him. "Why you – you, ooh, I'll get you later."

MacKensey laughed. "Now that I believe." He took her hand in his and they kept walking. "It wasn't Lilith."

"No. I didn't get that same feeling I did about Van Buren."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

Casi grinned. "Of course not. You and Ethan so certain you could tell the difference and bam, she was right there in plain sight. Some observer you are."

"Observation skills were rather low on the skills chart when I signed on."

"It's a wonder you've survived this long." Casi's grin faded and she shuddered. "I retract that last statement."

He pulled her close. "No borrowing trouble, Casi. We're here just to visit friends and maybe have a special Valentine's Day celebration." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Just the two of us." He brushed her lips with a light kiss. "One, two, and a hotel room."

Casi wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "With strawberries, chocolate and lots of champagne."

"Just, this time try not to drop the chocolates in the bubble bath."

Casi rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"All's fair in love and adventure."

Casi laughed again and let him lead her out of the mall and toward their car. Halfway across the parking lot, there came a screech of tires and the roar of an engine. Casi and Joe turned to see a Ford F150 barrel toward them. He pushed her to one side and dived in the opposite direction.

Casi hit the pavement, skinning her knees through her jeans and scraping her right elbow. She pushed herself up to see the truck gone. She looked over at her husband who was lying still between two parked cars. "Joe!"

He stirred and sat up. "Shit." He looked her way. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Who the hell was that?"

Joseph MacKensey sighed and got to his feet, brushing off his jeans. "I don't think that was meant for me," he said quietly, as he leaned over to help her up.

Casi's eyes widened and she growled under her breath. "There's something we're missing, I know it. Something they haven't told us. I think it's time we had a talk."

"Let's go."

***

Frank knocked on his brother's door and waited this time until Joe actually said 'come in.' He pushed open the door and stood there a moment. "You okay?"

"I've been trying to call Vanessa but the line's busy. Think she may have taken the phone off the hook?"

"Maybe you should go over there."

"And maybe she'll slam the door in my face."

"Then you'd know she's still a tad upset."

Joe looked over at his brother. "A tad?"

"Well, got you to look at me."

Joe grunted and turned back to stare at the phone. "Maybe I should try again."

"Joe." Frank walked further into the room. "Why don't we go over there?"

Before Joe could answer, the doorbell rang downstairs. The brothers shared a puzzled look and then Joe got up to look out his window. "Hey, it's a blue Mustang convertible."

Frank frowned. "That belongs to Casi and Mack. Why are they here?"

"Frank, Joe, you have visitors," came their mother's voice.

"And why do they want to visit us?" mused Joe.

Frank snapped his fingers. "They found out something. Come on." He and Joe headed down the stairs to find their mother showing the couple to the living room. "Oh dear," said Laura Hardy. "Mrs. MacKensey, you're bleeding. Let me go get the first aid kit."

Joe and Frank shared another look, and then rushed into the living room. MacKensey looked angry and they saw that Casi had either fallen or been pushed. Joe waited until his mother was out of earshot. "What happened?"

"Got mistaken for you," said MacKensey. "You said it happened once before, getting nearly run over by a truck."

Joe cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh, yeah."

"And it was right after you saw Ione at the mall?"

"Uh, yeah."

Casi opened her mouth to say something, glanced past the brothers and said, "Oh, thank you, Mrs. Hardy, you didn't have to."

MacKensey took the first aid kit. "I'll take of her, ma'am, getting to be a habit."

Casi shot her husband a hard look. "Joe!"

Laura Hardy's eyes went wide and she looked at MacKensey. "Your name—" She shifted to look at Casi. "I'd always wondered who you dedicated your book to."

MacKensey grinned like a five-year-old at his wife. "Aw, you dedicated a book to me?"

"Shut up while you still can. Or I won't let you play doctor later." A second later, Casi blushed. "Um..."

Laura cleared her throat. "You two haven't been married long, have you," she said, amusement lacing her voice.

MacKensey cocked his head. "Let's see. One year, nine months, two weeks, um—"

Casi slapped his hand. "You go to hours, minutes and seconds and I'll make you go shopping again."

Laura laughed softly. "Anyone want some iced tea?"

"We don't want to be any trouble," said Casi.

"Wife, I'm dying of thirst here."

Laura smiled. "I'll go get the iced tea."

The moment she was gone, MacKensey's grin faded. "No shopping – at least not here, this mall is lethal."

Casi let him tend to her elbow as she looked at Frank and Joe. "What's really going on?"

"We told you everything," said Joe. "I don't know why someone tried to run me over."

"There's got to be something missing. Anything happen recently?"

"Not enough to warrant drastic action," said Joe.

"He's right," said Frank. "Nothing major. Nothing's really happened since last year."

MacKensey dabbed antiseptic on the scrape gently but Casi winced nonetheless. "Then last year – anything happen?"

Frank and Joe shared a long look with each other and Frank sighed. "Do you want the long list or the short list?"

MacKensey put two bandages on Casi's elbow. He looked at her. "If you scraped your knees, I'll definitely have to play doctor later – unless you want to drop your jeans."

"Not on your life, buster." Casi turned to the brothers. "I think we need to know everything."

"Well, it started in October..." began Joe.

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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.