This short fanfiction requires a little bit of an explanation…a couple years ago, I was in a college class where we were required to write a paragraph about different paintings and pieces of classical music. The professor was pretty vague about what he wanted us to write, so I took advantage of that freedom in one or two instances. This one is my favorite – while studying the famous painting "Nighthawks," by Edward Hopper, I came up with this little blip of a story. I encourage you to look up the painting, and zoom in so that you can see all the details, especially the exchange I refer to in the fourth paragraph.
Despite the fact that I've loved the Hardy Boys almost as long as I could read, I do not own the characters or the painting, and I am making no monetary profit from this story.
Without further ado, here is the "story"…sorry it's a little rough – the assignment required me to fit it all on one page! Perhaps it would be better described as a vignette.
This looks like it belongs in a Hardy Boys book…I think that the man on the left would be Fenton Hardy, Frank and Joe's father. He has been on the trail of a ring of notorious diamond thieves and suspects that the lady in red is one of the criminals. He tails the woman and watches from an alley as she enters a café; a short while later, she is joined by a sharp-faced man in a suit. In a bold move, Mr. Hardy decides to get a closer view. Loosening his collar and tie, he stumbles inside and slumps over the counter. He orders a cup of coffee, hoping he'll appear like a drunk trying to sober up before heading home.
The couple in the corner keep an eye on him for a while, but eventually their suspicion wears off and they return to their soft conversation.
Mr. Hardy can't catch more than a whispered word here and there as he morosely sips the bitter, black coffee, but his pulse speeds up as out of the corner of his eye he notices the woman surreptitiously sliding a small package into the man's hand as it rests on the counter. After a moment, the man casually reaches for his handkerchief, neatly dropping the package into his pocket at the same time.
Without further ado, the lady stands and picks up her purse. "Thanks for the coffee, Hal," she says.
"Anytime," Hal replies. "Stay in touch, Eloise."
She strides past Mr. Hardy's slumped figure with a glance of disgust; a bell jingles as she slips out the door.
There is quiet for five minutes as Hal waits. Finally he sets down his cup and glances at his watch with a sigh. He pulls out his wallet, pays, and heads out, his slow, measured footsteps contrasting with the sharp click the lady's heels had made minutes earlier.
Fenton Hardy takes his time finishing his coffee, knowing he might be noticed if he leaves the brightly lit café soon after the suspects. He doesn't worry about losing the trail, though – he and his sons are working together this night. Doubtless Joe, impetuous and eager for action, had taken off after the woman. Frank, a year older and more level-headed, would likely have waited and followed Hal. Mr. Hardy hides a smile by looking down into his cup. Yes, despite his and Laura's previous wishes for their sons to go into more respectable careers, such as medicine or law, he has to admit to himself that he is glad he had let the boys have their way and join him in the detective business – he had come to thoroughly enjoying working on a team with his sons!