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

Laura nodded and led the way into the kitchen, leaving the men talking about sports. Casi heard her husband talking about his favorite football team and held back a groan. Once he started in on the Forty-Niners it was impossible to shut him up. "We'll be listening to football stats all through dinner now."

Laura managed a smile and nodded as she walked to the stove. She opened the oven to check on the roast and then glanced over at Casi. "Joe's a Giants fan--major fan. Frank likes to watch football but he's not a big fan of any particular team, he'll root for the one winning."

"What can I do to help?"

"Well, the roast is almost done. I was going to make some mashed potatoes. You could set the table, dishes are--"

Casi touched Laura's arm. "Actually, I meant the situation. You kept looking out the window, waiting to see headlights. What's wrong?"

Laura swallowed hard. "Joe got that phone call. I think it was from that girl that favors Iola."

Casi frowned. "And?"

Laura shook her head. "So many things have happened recently that maybe I'm imagining things. It's said that everyone has a twin in the world."

Casi busied herself finding the dishes and setting the table. "Seems awfully coincidental for that twin to show up in the girl's hometown."

Laura turned to look at her, her face pale. "Coincidence?"

"Or not. First time,happenstance, second time coincidence, third time, enemy action."

Laura arched her eyebrows, puzzled. "What?"

"When my wife starts quoting from a James Bond movie, I know something's wrong."

Casi gave a start and looked over to see both MacKensey and Fenton in the doorway. "Thought you were talking about football."

"You make it sound like that's all I ever talk about."

"When you're with Marc or Ethan, that's all you do."

"Only when it's football season. When it's baseball season--"

Fenton cleared his throat and looked at Laura. "What's going on?"

Laura took a deep breath and told Fenton about Joe meeting a girl that looked just like Iola Morton. "Joe said her name is even similar--Ione Martin."

Fenton looked over at Casi. "And you think something's wrong?"

Casi shrugged. "I'm looking at this as an observer. I never met your sons until last year. He loses his girlfriend, nearly two years later, a girl who looks just like said girlfriend shows up, claiming amnesia."

"She's a writer. She sees plots everywhere," MacKensey said. "And did I mention she's a conspiracy theorist on the side?"

"That's enough out of you," said Casi, pointing a finger at him.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my Doc Martens here."

"You're not wearing Doc Martens."

Fenton cleared his throat again and looked at Laura. "They said they were going to Callie's house."

Laura nodded. "We could call Frank's cell phone. I need to tell Joe to recharge his."

"If you have caller ID, you could find out where she was calling from," suggested Casi. "It would give a location anyway."

Fenton sighed. "I don't pay much attention to that little thing, rarely look to see who's calling before I answer anymore." He left the kitchen and came back a few moments later. "Cafe Java. Must be some place new."

"It's a coffee shop," said Laura. "I've heard it's quite popular with the college crowd."

"College crowd, my kind of place," said MacKensey.

"Maybe ten years ago."

"I have not been out of college for ten years."

Casi folded her arms across her chest. "I could get into a long disagreement with you on that one but I won't." She turned to Fenton. "We'll check out Cafe Java for you."

"What about dinner?" asked Mack.

Casi rolled her eyes. "Do you always think with your stomach?"

Mack slowly shook his head. "Do you really have to ask that?"

Casi blushed and then pushed him toward the hallway. "Go."

"That roast really smells good, Mrs. Hardy," said Mack, not budging as Casi pushed harder.

Finally, Casi slapped his arm. "Ooh, I'll deal with you later."

Mack grinned down at her. "Okay, now we'll go."

Fenton and Laura watched them leave the kitchen. Fenton shook his head. "They definitely remind me of another couple."

Laura took a deep breath. "Joe and Vanessa." She looked over at Fenton. "We're blowing this out of proportion, aren't we? I mean, it was just a weird coincidence, right?"

Fenton heaved a sigh. "God, I hope so."

***

Frank pulled out of the parking space but Callie's hand on his arm stopped him from shifting. "What?"

"How are we going to find him? We don't even know where to start looking."

"An older English guy. Who we do know who's British here in Bayport?"

"That magician--" Callie broke off as she saw someone run out of the coffee shop. "Watch it."

Kathleen scanned the parking lot, apparently looking for someone. When she didn't see whoever she was looking for, she threw her hands up in the air and turned to go back inside. Callie patted Frank's arm. "Stay put." She got out of the van and hurried over to Kathleen. They only talked for a minute and then Callie returned to the van.

Frank watched her get in, and fix her seatbelt. "Well?"

"She said the blond dude said a name. The reason it stuck with her was it made her think of the TV show Dynasty."

"Well?"

"Forsythe. She said the guy's name was something Forsythe."

Frank went very still and stared at Callie for a long minute. Finally someone honking a horn made him blink. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"I think I know what's going on."

The horn blew again and Frank shifted gears and headed around the parking lot to the exit. As he did so, he noticed a blue Mustang convertible pulling in.

Callie cleared her throat. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Forsythe. Byron James' butler is named Damien Forsythe and Joe told me the guy has a British accent."

Callie stared at him. "You mean Byron's back? And he's after Vanessa?" She shook her head. "But there hasn't been anything happening like last time. I mean Joe's been knocked for a loop with Ione but--"

Frank swallowed hard. "I think Ione was planned. I think this whole thing was planned to keep Joe far away from Vanessa." He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Callie, call Vanessa, tell her the situation."

Callie nodded and pulled out her cell phone as Frank veered for the Mustang. He saw Casi and Mack get out and rolled down his window. "He's not there."

Mack came over to the van. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. But I do know what's going on. Byron James is after Vanessa again."

Casi came up beside her husband. "Sleight of hand."

Mack looked over at her and sighed. "I hate it when you do that."

Callie leaned forward. "I keep getting her voicemail. Either her phone's not charged up or she's no where near it."

Frank hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. "Damn, he caught us flatfooted."

Casi nodded to the coffee house. "I think we need to have a council of war."

Frank looked at her and then Mack. "You don't need to get involved with this. We appreciate the help."

Casi sighed. "I want to help, so does he. Granted, I was not in any danger last year but you went out of your way to look for me--" She held up a hand when Frank was about to say something. "Your brother risked his life to get help when the plane went down. Not to mention you've been good friends to Lyn, Dyllan, Leigh and Quinn."

Mack nodded. "Arch says this is the first time his daughter doesn't want to leave a school. Lyn told us about the party too."

Frank sighed. "I don't know how you can help."

"Then you don't know my wife," said Mack, his smile very nearly a smirk.

"Just wait until I get you home." Casi grabbed Mack's arm and steered him toward the coffee shop. Whatever else she said was drowned out by a nearby truck roaring by, but her husband laughed.

Frank looked at Callie. "I'd be an idiot to turn them down, wouldn't I."

Callie just looked at him and he sighed. "All right. Council of war, it is. I just hope this isn't wasting valuable time."

Callie nodded. "So do I."

***

Joe Hardy sat in the back seat of the sedan as far away from Ione Martin as he could manage. He glared at the back of the man's head as Forsythe drove. Finally, he looked over at Ione Martin. "So...it was all a scam?"

The girl stared at her hands and nodded. "Yes."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Melanie Prince," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"So what's your prize?" asked Joe, not bothering to hide his sarcasm.

"It was supposed to help my modeling career, maybe even get me a shot at Hollywood."

Joe glared at her, feeling the anger and hurt building up inside of him. "Was it worth it?"

Melanie's dark head shot up and she looked over at him, her eyes wide. "I didn't know there'd be guns involved--" She darted a look at Forsythe. "He said it was just pretend--the truck and everything."

Joe's hands balled into fists and he twisted around to punch the seat. "Damn it, are you really that naive?"

She flinched as if he'd hit her. "I'm sorry. I--"

Joe ignored her and glared at the rearview mirror where he could catch Forsythe's eye. "So it was Byron."

"Master Byron feels you are a danger to the ones closest to you."

Joe's blue eyes widened and he looked over at Melanie for a long moment and then glanced back at Forsythe. "My God, he blames me for Iola's death?"

"Not necessarily the blame, Mr. Hardy, merely the unwitting weapon. If she had not been dating you--"

"So now it's about Vanessa." Joe resisted the temptation to hit the older man since he was driving. "He sent you to do his dirty work once before. Is that what you're doing now?"

Forsythe didn't answer right away. He glanced back at Melanie. "Miss Prince, I'm dreadfully sorry it's turned out this way."

Melanie went pale. "W-what are you talking about?"

"It's his job to kill us, Melanie. That way you'll never be able to tell anyone the truth." Joe put as much anger and hatred in his voice as he could.

"What?" She reached for the door handle but Forsythe locked the doors. "No. You promised me a career. You said I was the next face for the magazine. No!"

Forsythe pulled off the street into an alley. "Please, quieten down, Miss Prince."

As Forsythe turned to calm her, Joe lashed out with his right fist, catching the older man on the jaw. Forsythe sagged, his eyes fluttering closed. Joe didn't bother trying to reach over and unlock the doors, he shifted in his seat and kicked the windshield as hard as he could. After the third kick, the window shattered and he used the heel of his shoe to clear away the fragments.

He seriously debated on whether to leave Melanie to her fate but then reached for her hand. "Come on." He climbed out of the car and helped her out. "I don't know why I give a damn--" He felt his throat clog up as he looked at her pale face, her eyes wide and full of unshed tears. "Oh hell, come on."

Without a word of protest, Melanie led him lead her out of the alley. Joe looked around, finally recognizing the old youth center that had been open several years ago, lack of funds had closed it down. He knew exactly where he was. "Come on," he told her again, tugging at her arm.

Melanie nodded and followed him as he raced down the sidewalk. Several blocks later, they stopped in front of a convienence store. "I need to call Frank."

"What about--?" She gestured with a jerk of her head back where they'd left the older man. "Won't he come after us?"

"That's why I'm calling Frank." Joe darted into the store and grabbed a couple of candy bars. He slapped down a five dollar bill and then got back the change, making sure it was all quarters. He came back out to the payphone. He dropped in the coins and dialed his brother's number. The voicemail came on and Joe growled. He hung up the phone. Why didn't Frank answer?

Joe glared at the black receiver for a minute, then dropped more coins. "What's the number of the Cafe Java?"

"I don't know."

"You're a lot of help." Joe thought a moment longer and dialed the operator. When the tinny-sounding voice came on, he asked her to connect him to the Cafe Java coffee house.

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder before the phone could ring twice. Joe swallowed hard and cursed under his breath. Of all the rotten luck, he thought.

"Looks like you're in the wrong part of town, hotshot."

Something about the man's voice sounded familiar. Joe spun around and let out a sigh of relief. "Conrad Daye."

Conrad Daye, once the leader of a local gang, arched an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"We're lost." Joe took a deep breath. "Do you mind giving us a lift back to the Cafe Java?"

Conrad Daye stood there for a long time. "I guess I do owe you one." He gestured to the old Chevy Caprice parked in front of the store. "Get in."

Once Joe and Melanie were in the car and Conrad behind the wheel, he looked at Joe. "This makes us even."

Joe nodded. "Of course." He'd lost track of Daye after the man had gotten out of jail. He wondered if Daye had kept to his decision to go straight, maybe even finish high school but didn't think the man would welcome questions.

"Still sticking your nose in places it doesn't belong?"

Joe shrugged. "Depends on your point of view."

"Guess you're wondering about me. Where's Frank?"

"At the coffee house." Joe cleared his throat. "How long did you have to stay," he asked finally, just as Daye pulled into the coffee house parking lot.

"A year. I'm still on probation." Conrad Daye shifted and looked at him. "I'm doing a college correspondence course and I'm working security at the hospital, graveyard shift."

Joe relaxed slightly. "Great, Conrad."

Conrad looked over at Melanie and then back at Joe. "Girlfriend?"

Joe shook his head. "No."

Conrad arched an eyebrow, gave Joe another look and shrugged. "Whatever. Here's the place. Next time stay away from the bad side of town."

Joe got out of the car. "Thanks, Conrad." He helped Melanie out and watched the man drive off. He sighed and turned toward the door but one glance inside told him Frank wasn't there. Joe kicked the curb. "Oh shit." He looked at the spot he'd parked the van and noticed it was gone. "And he took the van. Shit."

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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.