Hardy Boys Fan Fiction at the HDA - With This Ring

Alone in the interrogation room Dylan stared at the handcuffs on his wrists feeling as if he were caught in the middle of a very bad dream. This had all gone so, so wrong! No matter how hard he tried to push it away, all he could see was an image of the girl, her blue-grey eyes terrified, the night he stole the ring. When he’d seen her again last night she was at least smiling; still, he saw the way she had attached herself to that guy. How often did Tanya hold onto him like that? Like she needed to be right next to him to feel safe…

‘Damn it, what the hell was I thinking?! Why did I steal that ring anyway? Tanya would’ve waited!’ he thought, disconsolate, seeing his future falling apart. Granted, it wasn’t much of a future – but it was his, and he’d been looking forward to it. To spending the rest of his life with Tanya…

‘Well, you can kiss that goodbye!’ he told himself derisively. ‘She’s not gonna want you now. Not after she finds out about all this…about the ring…’

Sitting there with nothing else to do but think, Dylan realized he’d ruined his own life and screwed up Tanya’s pretty well, too. And while he’d just as soon punch that guy out as look at him after he threatened Tanya, the girl…the girl with the haunting eyes…there was no reason for her life to be ruined too. There was no reason for her to suffer anymore. That was something he could fix.

Standing he walked to the locked door and began pounding on it…

*****

Fenton, Sam and Frank followed a disconsolate Joe back to the lobby. As they approached the large and nearly deserted room, Fenton pulled Frank aside.

“Listen, Sam and I will check Dylan’s file, see if we can get a name on the girl,” Fenton murmured, watching Joe worriedly.

“You think Joe could be right,” Frank said. It was a statement rather than a question. “By the time we can convince a judge to force her to turn over the ring…”

“It’ll be long gone,” Fenton nodded. “Just keep an eye on your brother,” he requested. He looked at Sam and the two headed for the processing area.

Frank walked over to Joe who watched his approach, defeat having dulled the normally expressive blue eyes.

“I can’t go home, Frank,” he said, his voice achingly quiet. “I can’t tell her we caught them but still have no idea where her ring is…probably never will.” Joe shook his head and walked away, slumping down on the bench against the far wall.

Frank stared at his brother, having absolutely no idea what to say.

“He okay?” Con Riley asked, suddenly appearing next to Frank, his eyes also on Joe.

“No,” Frank said simply, finally turning to Con, grateful for a momentary distraction. “How’s Bradford?”

“He’s fine. Hasn’t said a word so hopefully that means he’s not going to press charges against Joe.”

Frank snorted and rolled his eyes. “That would be the perfect ending to this whole mess,” he said derisively.

As he and Con were speaking a pretty young woman with dark brown hair had run into the station and was now standing at the desk speaking frantically with the officer behind it. She was talking so fast Frank could only catch a word or two, but something about her profile looked vaguely familiar to him. Without a word he wandered away from Con towards the desk, trying to get a better view of the girl.

He could see she was upset and now that he was closer could hear her babbling about her boyfriend having been arrested. She was rambling and obviously scared.

“He called me and said he’d been arrested! But I know that has to be a mistake. I mean we…we don’t have much but he’s not a bad person! Please,” she begged, “please can I see him?”

Standing off to the side pretending to be reading the announcements posted on the wall, Frank tried to get a better view of her and then his eyes widened as it suddenly hit him why she looked so familiar. She had been at the restaurant last night – with Dylan Bradford!

Immediately he looked down at her hands splayed on the marble countertop and sucked in a breath. She was wearing Vanessa’s ring! There was no mistaking the one of a kind ring – it sparkled with a dazzling brilliance as the overhead lights bounced off the single heart-shaped diamond and the rubies that surrounded it.

“She’s gonna give that ring back, one way or another. If she doesn’t I swear to God I’ll rip it off her finger!”

Frank looked over at his brother, as the various ways this could play out tumbled over each other in his mind. Unfortunately most of them ended up with Joe behind bars! ‘Come on, think!’ he chided himself. ‘It’s what you’re supposed to be good at!’ Fate had dropped this one-time chance right in their laps and he couldn’t let it get away. There had to be some way to get the ring back tonight – peacefully.

Thankfully Joe had yet to notice the girl, too wrapped up in his own misery, and Frank couldn’t help but feel for his younger brother. Joe was staring at the floor, his shoulders slumped, dejected at having let Vanessa down. Frank knew how much it meant to Joe to be Vanessa’s ‘knight in shining armor’. Telling her he couldn’t get the ring back would put a big dent in that armor, at least in Joe’s eyes.

Returning his attention to the girl he surreptitiously watched and listened. While he preferred logic and facts and reason, he was also an expert at reading people; right now, he was picking up some very distinct signals from the distraught girl. She was obviously scared and upset but even more prominent was the blatantly fierce loyalty to her boyfriend. Frank’s brow furrowed in thought. This girl reminded him of someone…. It nagged at him for a moment and then hit him like a bolt of lightning. ‘Vanessa!’

This girl reminded him, eerily, of Vanessa, with her unwavering faith in Joe and determination to protect and stand by him no matter what. Tilting his head as he watched the girl, Frank wondered just how much like Vanessa she really was. When faced with the truth would she do the right thing?

Keeping an eye on the girl, Frank approached Con and quickly outlined his idea. Con pursed his lips and looked at Frank doubtfully. “What about him?” he asked, nodding towards Joe.

Frank also looked at his younger brother, knowing he was the wild card. This could all work out and Joe could go home tonight with the ring in his hand, but only if he went along with Frank’s plan without question. Frank took a deep breath. This would work. Joe would go along with it. He had to…it was the only way…

“Just gimme a minute to talk to him,” Frank said, a determined edge to his voice. As he took a step towards Joe, Con grabbed his arm.

“Keep him under control, Frank,” Con said, no nonsense in his voice. “I mean it. If he goes off on her I’ll have no choice.” He left the rest unspoken but Frank understood completely.

“I know.”

“Just make sure he knows,” Con said decisively.

With another nod of understanding, Frank walked over and sat down next to his brother. “Joe…”

Joe looked up at him, the misery in his eyes tugging at Frank’s soul. “I know,” he said, his voice heavy with melancholy. “I can’t stay here all night. I gotta go home and…face her…”

“Well, maybe not just yet,” Frank said, feeling a glimmer of hope as Joe sat up a little straighter. “I have an idea, something that might let you go home with the ring…tonight.”

“What?!” Joe demanded, leaning forward. “What is it? I’ll do anything!” he insisted.

“That’s good because you’re going to have to do exactly what I tell you,” Frank said forcefully. “Exactly, Joe.”

“I will, I swear!” Joe promised, the hope in his eyes making Frank pause for a moment, the breath catching in his throat. Even having no idea what Frank had in mind, Joe still had complete faith in him. “Whaddya want me to do? Just name it!”

‘God I hope this works,’ he thought, not wanting to think about how dejected Joe would be if it didn’t. “Nothing,” Frank replied simply. “I want you to do absolutely nothing. You don’t do anything; you don’t say anything. You let Con do all the talking. Understand?”

Joe looked at him puzzled. “How is that—”

Frank closed his eyes and let out a breath of frustration. This had already been a very long night. “Joe,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just…trust me, okay?”

Joe blinked, slightly taken aback. “Okay,” he said, standing up when Frank did.

They walked over to Con and Frank nodded. “We’re ready.”

“You told him? And he agreed?” Con asked skeptically.

Frank looked at Joe hard and then back at Con. “I told him he is not to say or do anything. Nothing at all. He agreed.”

Con looked at Joe dubiously but then sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, but if he doesn’t it’s his head on a platter. Let’s go.”

Turning, Con started across the lobby to where the young girl was pacing worriedly, so distracted she didn’t even notice them approach. When she turned towards them, Frank heard Joe swear under his breath.

“It’s her!” he snapped, poking Frank in the shoulder – hard.

Frank whirled on him so fast Joe took a step back. “This is only going to work if you let us handle it!” he snapped back. “Don’t do anything, don’t say anything – got it?!”

Anger flared in Joe’s eyes for a moment but then died down to a low simmer. “Got it,” he said darkly, having figured out who the girl was.

“Good!”

They caught up with Con who had already spoken with the desk sergeant to get the girl’s name. “Excuse me,” he said, stopping in front of the girl, “Tanya? Tanya Madison?”

Tanya took a few steps towards Con. “Yes, I’m Tanya,” she replied anxiously. “Can I see Dylan now?”

Frank winced, feeling sorry for the girl.

“Yes, in a few minutes,” Con replied smoothly. “In the meantime can we talk to you for a moment?” he asked, smiling at the girl.

Tanya eyed the three of them, suddenly wary. “You want to talk to me?” she repeated, her voice shaking. “What about?”

Con nodded towards her hand. “Your ring.”

Immediately she stepped back, though she looked genuinely confused. “My ring? What about it?”

“Unfortunately we have reason to believe the ring was stolen,” Con said gently.

Tanya’s eyes grew wide and she clutched her left hand to her chest, covering the ring with her right hand as if they might rip it right off her finger. “What?!” she cried out. “No! No, Dylan wouldn’t do that!” she insisted.

“I understand how upsetting it is to hear that, but he was caught red-handed tonight, committing a robbery. And an engagement ring was stolen from a customer several days ago during the commission of the exact same type of robbery. An engagement ring that is identical to the one you’re wearing.”

“No,” Tanya repeated shaking her head, but sounding a little less sure this time. “No I can’t…I can’t believe he’d do that. This,” she stopped, her voice catching as she stared at the ring. “He proposed to me with it. It…it’s mine…”

“There’s an easy way to find out,” Con said diplomatically. “May I look at it, just for a minute? Then we can be sure.”

Tanya looked at him and then her gaze swept over Frank and Joe. Her lower lip trembled slightly and Frank truly felt sorry for her. She really had no idea.

“I’ll give it back the second you ask for it,” Con promised, trying to coax her.

Frank felt Joe tense beside him. ‘Don’t blow it, Joe,’ he thought, knowing what Con was trying to do.

They couldn’t force her to let them look at the ring and if she refused, once she spoke to Dylan, he wasn’t sure they’d ever see it again – even with a subpoena from a judge. The seed of doubt had been planted but it was still just a seed and she wasn’t willing to believe her boyfriend could do something like that; not on the word of three strangers. She hesitated, unsure and afraid.

Con smiled at the anxious girl and held his hand out expectantly.

Tanya hesitated for another moment then slowly pulled the ring from her finger and handed it to him. Con held it up, peered at the inside of the band and then looked at her. “What does the inscription say?”

The color drained from Tanya’s face so fast Frank thought she might pass out. “In-inscription?” she stammered. “There’s an…inscription?”

Frank heard a muttered but happy “Yes!” from Joe and elbowed his brother.

“Yes,” Con said. “There’s something engraved on the inside of the band.”

“I-I don’t…I didn’t realize…”

“11-2-05,” Joe blurted out, unable to wait another second. “It’s Vanessa’s birthday – and the day I proposed to her…with that ring.”

Frank held his breath, hoping Joe’s outburst wouldn’t prompt the girl to grab the ring and run. Instead she stared at Joe, her mouth dropping open slightly in shock, and Frank’s heart broke for her.

Con looked at Tanya sadly and nodded. The girl’s eyes grew huge and slowly she held her hand out for the ring. When Con returned it to her, as promised, Frank heard his brother let out a muttered curse and felt him take a step forward. Quickly Frank moved to his left, surreptitiously but forcibly holding Joe back. He could see the look in Tanya’s eyes – she was devastated – but he had a feeling she was going to do the right thing, as long as they gave her the time and space to do it.

“I can see how much that ring means to you,” Con said softly.

Tanya nodded, her eyes shining with moisture. With trembling hands she held the ring up and squinted, peering at the inside of the band. Seconds later her shoulders slumped and her eyes filled with tears.

“It meant just as much to the young woman it was stolen from,” he added, his voice gentle.

One last time she clutched the ring to her chest, over her heart and closed her eyes, choking back a muted sob. Tense seconds passed and then she opened her eyes. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she held the ring out with a shaking hand.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I had no idea. He’s not a bad person – he really isn’t! He treats me like a princess…I’m just…I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” Con said, taking the ring back.

“It’s a beautiful ring,” Tanya said sadly. “One of a kind, just like me…that’s what he said.” Her voice was barely a whisper. She gave one final longing look at the ring and then straightened her shoulders and looked at Con. “Can I see him now?” she asked, sniffling and wiping her cheeks.

“Sure,” Con replied and then motioned to the desk clerk. “You just need to sign in over there.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. She started towards the desk then turned and looked at Joe. “I’m not naïve…and I’m not stupid. I noticed that the nights he worked his second job always coincided with the robberies, but where we come from sometimes it’s best not to ask questions you’re not sure you want the answers to.” She stopped and quickly swiped away another tear before it fell. “Everything he did, he did for me. He’s a good person. He really is,” she said adamantly. Then she hurried across the lobby and disappeared into the restroom.

Frank stared, blindsided by the mix of emotions he was feeling. Joe was still standing next to him and Frank could practically feel the relief and happiness pouring off his brother. And Frank was just as happy for him – for him and Vanessa. Still he was struck with an aching and overwhelming sympathy for Tanya Madison. She did remind him of Vanessa and her pain at losing the ring – at all the truths she’d had to face in the past hour – had been almost palpable. Sometimes, he reminded himself, solving a case didn’t always result in a happy ending for everyone…

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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.