MAKING IT OFFICIAL
by
RM
Chapter 5
THE CHAPTERS
The
next morning, Frank was in his office early, trying to see if there was a
clue in Frederick Fieldstone’s journal. He had a feeling the clue they
needed was there. He just had to find it.
Each
entry he read had him feeling more baffled. He believed Frederick was
talking about the chest in some of his entries, but he couldn’t be
certain. He really felt they had nothing to go on.
Frank
let his mind wander as he tried to figure out Frederick’s hiding place
for the chest. He sipped at his coffee as he thought about all that had to
be done in the coming days.
We
have the wedding rehearsal on Friday, followed by the rehearsal dinner,
he thought. On Thursday night I’m going out with Joe and some of the
guys. I know he has a bachelor party planned and I just hope he keeps it
tame. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe does something extravagant.
That’s my brother and nothing he does would surprise me.
“Hey,”
a voice said.
Frank
turned around and saw Joe standing in the doorway. “Hey.”
“Dad
is about ready to go,” Joe said.
“All
right.” Frank set his mug on the desk and stood up. “I’m ready to
go.”
As
he moved around his desk to leave the office, he saw Joe had not moved from
his position. He asked, “Do you need something, Joe?”
“Are
you all right?” Joe asked. “You look tired.”
“I’m
fine.”
“Did
you have trouble sleeping?”
“Nah,”
Frank said. “I’ve just got a lot of things to do before the wedding.”
“Just
keep Thursday night free,” Joe said with a grin. “That’s our
night.”
“No
problem.” Frank put his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s not
keep Dad waiting.”
Joe
nodded and they headed outside to their father’s car.
Forty-five
minutes later, Fenton pulled his car through the wrought-iron gates of the
Fieldstone Estate. All three of them were in awe at what they were seeing.
The
house was three stories high made with red brick. A circular driveway was
right in front of the house. Large cement lions were situated on each side
of the front entrance greeting anyone who approached the house.
“Amazing,”
Joe said as Fenton pulled to a stop.
The
three of them climbed out just as the front door opened. Out stepped Greg
Fieldstone.
“Welcome
to Fieldstone Estate,” Greg said.
“Thank
you,” Fenton said. “This is an impressive place you have here.”
“It
serves our purposes,” Greg said. “So, what can I do for you?”
“We
wanted to check the grounds in search of the chest,” Fenton explained.
“By taking a look around, we will have a better idea of what is around
us.”
“That’s
absolutely fine,” Greg said. “I would stick around and give you a tour,
but I’m do at a meeting in an hour.”
“We
understand,” Fenton said. “We can come back another time.”
“That’s
nonsense,” Greg said. “Go ahead and check the grounds. If you need
anything, you can contact my office and my secretary will put you right
through.”
“If
you insist,” Fenton said.
“I
do.” Greg moved to his car. “Let me know if you find anything.”
“Of
course,” Fenton said.
As
Greg left the premises, Fenton looked at Frank and Joe. He said, “Let’s
get a move on.”
The
three of them made their way along the path that led into the wooded area
alongside the house. The woods were thick and deep, letting minimal amounts
of sunshine reach the ground.
With
the direction they were going, they knew they were heading toward the
bluffs that overlooked the bay. The closer they got, they thinner the tree
line became. They finally stepped through the tree line into an open area.
In the distance, stood a run-down hut. Weeds and tall grass covered the
area. Wood boards that lined the side of the hut were hanging down in some
places. A few of the windows were broken.
“I
guess the family didn’t want to take care of a family home,” Joe said.
“It
looks that way,” Fenton said, leading the way. “Be careful, you two.
Who knows what could be crawling in this high grass.”
Frank
and Joe knew that their father was referring to snakes. While there were
very few poisonous snakes known in the area, they knew it was still a
possibility.
They
made their way to the hut wondering if the chest had been left there.
Reaching the door, Fenton pushed it open. A loud creak was heard as the
spiders scattered away from the light.
“This
place looks lived in,” Joe said sarcastically.
“This
has to be the place where Frederick lived with his family,” Fenton said,
stepping inside. “Let’s look around to get a feel for this place before
we start searching.”
“All
right,” Frank and Joe replied.
As
Fenton moved to the area on the left of the door, Joe moved to the right
and Frank moved forward. Thick dirt and dust covered everything. Spider
webs hung from the low ceiling, connecting to the few pieces of furniture
that remained inside. It appeared as if the building had not had any
visitors in a long time.
“If
there was anything inhere, it’s long gone by now,” Joe said.
“I’ve
got the same feeling,” Frank said. “Nothing has been here in a long
time.”
“It’s
possible you’re both right,” Fenton said. “But we were hired to do a
job and need to follow through.”
Knowing
his father was right, Frank continued forward and approached the old bureau
standing against the wall. He figured it had been left behind due to its
size. Reaching up, he was able to squeeze one of his fingers between the
two doors and prop it open.
As the door was opened fully, Frank was knocked backward, falling hard to the floor. The boards splintered and he fell into the darkness.
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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.