That evening, Frank and Joe arrived at the dance with Jennifer, Lisa and Kevin. The dance was being held at a barn just outside of the small town. Country music was blasting through the speakers making them feel the base drum as they pulled to a stop.  

They all had dressed up for the dance. Jennifer had on a knee length black skirt and a red plaid shirt. Her boots were black and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a red bow.  

Lisa had on a short black skirt. She had on a tight blue shirt with her hair loose. She also had on black boots.  

The three boys were wearing jeans and boots. Frank was wearing a solid blue shirt, Joe’s was a black plaid and Kevin’s shirt was a red plaid.  

As soon as they walked in, Lisa pulled Joe out on the dance floor. Kevin wandered off to a corner where some other teenagers were standing. Frank looked around the barn. Hey bales were scattered throughout so people could sit down when they got tired of dancing. A band was set up at one end of the barn. Refreshments were at the other end of the barn. Streamers were hung from the rafters.  

As he stood there, Frank watched Jennifer move over to the barn door. She stared out the door.  

He moved to the side so he could watch. He wondered what was with Jennifer. She had rushed everyone to get dressed and then hade exceeded the speed limit as she drove to the dance.  

He felt she was up to something, but didn’t know what. He saw her straighten and turn to face the people dancing.  

Frank watched Nancy come in with two guys he assumed were Stan and Dave. Nancy was wearing black jeans and a blue-green shirt that matched her eyes.  

He stayed where he was. He knew Nancy would come to him when she was ready. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. He could see her scanning the crowd. The two guys were also looking around.  

The one wearing jeans and a white T-shirt walked away from Nancy as she made her way through the crowd toward him. The other guy, wearing black jeans and hat with a white shirt, followed her.  

He felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and saw Nancy standing there. He smiled as he said, “I’m glad to see you.”  

“It’s good to see you.” Nancy smiled. “How are you feeling?”  

“Much better,” Frank said. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to come tonight.”  

“I wanted to check it out.” Nancy’s smile faded. “I just wish my grandparents had come.”  

“They wouldn’t come,” Stan spoke up. “They wouldn’t risk running into Glenn.”  

“You’re right,” Nancy said. “Oh, Stan, this is Frank.” Nancy looked at Frank. “Stan was there when you feel off your horse.”  

“I remember seeing you,” Frank said.  

Stan nodded. He said, “I’m going to mingle.”  

“That’s fine. You don’t need to watch over me.”  

“I’ll see you later.”  

As Stan walked away, a slow song began to play. Frank asked, “Would you like to dance?”  

“I’d like that.”  

Frank ushered Nancy into the crowd of dancers. Frank took hold of her left hand in his right. He put his left hand around her waist. She put her right hand on his shoulder.  

As they danced, Frank noticed Nancy’s left hand had a bandage on it where her wedding ring was supposed to be.  

He softly asked, “What’s with your left hand?”  

Nancy glanced at her hand, then at Frank. “It’s just to protect my cover, but my cover may be blown.”  

“Why do you think that?”  

“I went back to the tire tracks looking for more clues. The tracks were gone.”  

“Did you go to the right spot?”  

“I did, but the tracks and nails are gone. Someone knows I found those things.”  

“We don’t need it,” Frank said.  

“Why?”  

“Joe and I searched Glenn’s fences. We found the tire tracks. We also found a road. The road is kept clear in case of an emergency or natural disaster.”  

“The road could easily be the place where the cattle are taken from.”  

“That’s what we thought. Joe and I even found footprints.”  

“What did the footprints look like?”  

“The prints looked like they came from a sneaker or a shoe, not a boot. That’s all we found.”  

“It’s a step in the right direction. We just need to find out who is involved.”  

“We need to find whoever it is before they steal anymore cattle.”  

“You know,” Nancy began, “it’s possible Stan could be stealing the cattle.”  

“Why do you think that?”  

“I saw him near the fence. I came up with a story about what I was doing. I’m not sure he believed me.”  

“Jennifer may also be involved.”  

“Was she the one up on the hill with you two?”  

“That’s her.”  

“Why do you think she’s involved?”  

“I know we need real proof. It’s just that she’s acting weird.”  

“We need something. Maybe we could see if anyone has seen any cattle trucks that are unfamiliar to the area.”  

“That’s a good idea.”  

Frank suddenly saw some quick movements out of the corner of his eye. He stopped dancing. He watched Jennifer hurry out of the barn.  

“I think I have something.” He let go of Nancy. He pushed through some dancers and exited the barn.

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.