Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

"Okay, we need to figure something out," Joe said. "She gave us some information, but that really isn't helping us any. We don't know where Milt will be or what he plans to do to Callie."

"He will probably call the Shaw's and try get something," Fenton said. "We are just going to have to wait to see what happens."

Frank leaned back in his chair and wondered what would happen. He had a feeling the call the Shaw would receive would be telling them where they could find Callie's body and that was something he couldn't handle.

The phone ringing startled all of them. Fenton grabbed the phone and talked. When he was finished, he set the phone down and looked at the group gathered in the living room.

"That seems like impeccable timing," Fenton said.

"What?" Joe asked.

"It seems as if Milt just contacted the Shaws with his demands."

"And?" Frank prompted.

"He wants the promotion he was owed and the same money that went to his sister and Mr. Shaw, retroactive."

"Retroactive?" Vanessa asked.

"It means he wants the amount of money back to the same day that they received it," Fenton said. "He told them he would contact them in 24 hours to tell them where the money could be dropped off."

"So, we just now have to wait," Frank said.

"It seems that way for the call," Fenton said. "But we can get to work on something else."

"What's that, Dad?" Joe asked.

"It seems as if Mr. Shaw taped the call from Milt to possibly figure out where he is from the background noise. He is bringing it over."

Frank smiled, grateful that they had the chance to do something other than sitting around. Part of him felt encouraged that there might be clue on the tape, but part of him kept telling himself that this Milt took things quite seriously and that he would be careful.

Frank pushed down the second thought and held onto that slim hope they could find something.

*****

Mr. Shaw arrived a while entering through the back door to go unnoticed in case someone was watching the Hardy house. He did not want to take any chances that something could happen to Callie.

After handing over the copy of the tape, the Hardy's and the others gathered in Fenton's office to listen to the recording to see if anything was there. They heard Callie speak and tell them Milt's demands. Frank could hear the slight tremor in Callie's voice and just hoped she was all right and she hadn't been hurt.

Frank worked as best as he could with his one arm in a sling and slowly became frustrated.

"Phil, take over," Frank said getting to his feet and stepping back from the computer. "You installed this program and it would probably go a lot faster if you did it."

Phil slid into the chair and quickly started hitting some keys. The tape began playing and they listened to the background noise. They all could heard the tapping and figured that the noise was static on the line.

As Phil worked, Frank focused in on the tapping and quickly realized that it was a message being sent.

"I'll have the tapping out in a second," Phil said.

"Wait," Frank said, grabbing paper and a pen. "Rewind the tape to the beginning, leaving the tapping in."

"What?" Phil asked.

"Just do it," Frank said.

Everyone waited in silence. Frank listened to the taps and immediately started jotting down letters. As soon as he heard the tapping, he knew it was Callie sending him a message. He was thrilled that he heard the tapping and knowing it was her. They had worked out a way to talk in school without teachers catching on. Together they had devised a way to tap out a set of long or short beats that would represent letters in the alphabet and as long as they were watching the others pen or pencil or whatever they could tap with, they would know what they other was saying.

When the tape came to the end. Frank looked at the message he had written down.

"Well?" Fenton asked.

Frank looked up at his father with a smile. "She is at the old Wheeler Mansion on Route 23. Milt is the only person she has seen, but has heard conversations and thinks there may be one other person." Frank locked eyes on Mr. Shaw. "And she hasn't been hurt at all."

Everyone let out a breath and Fenton said, "Now that we know where she is, we just need to come up with a plan."