AN: To answer Sophie's question, no the second story hasn't been deleted. You can find it through my profile here, or look for it under the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew section of the website. Thank you for the reviews everyone, enjoy!
Cold Revenge
Chapter Two
"I still don't get what we're doing here," Beth complained for the tenth time as Joe pulled his new model Range Rover into a space in front of the police station.
"You'll see soon, just be patient Squirt," Frank replied, trying not to sound annoyed.
"Patient? Have you met me?" Beth asked sarcastically as they climbed the steps up to the precinct door.
Frank threw Joe a sour look. "I swear it's like having two of you!"
Joe grinned back innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, the grin threatening to turn into a smirk.
Frank only sighed and looked heavenward with despair. Many wonder how they will die – an accident, a natural cause, old age, all of these are possibilities for most people. Frank, on the other hand, knew his siblings would be the death of him; provided the bad guys didn't beat them to it first… he almost wished they would.
Stepping into the police lobby, both Frank and Joe noticed the way Beth automatically tensed up, like a cat raising the fur along its back when it sensed a dog nearby. Beth shoved her hands into her pockets and shifted from foot to foot as they stepped up to the front desk, eyes darting around restlessly, like she was mapping a quick escape route. The boys had a feeling she was doing just that.
"Excuse me?" Joe said, catching the desk sergeant's attention, "We're looking for our father, Fenton Hardy. He said he'd meet us here?"
The policewoman frowned and scanned the notes scattered across her desk. "I don't… oh, here it is," she plucked a paper from the pile and held it up. Putting on the reading glasses hanging around her neck, she scanned the note. "Your father was waiting out here but he had to go back into the interrogation room. He told me to send you to Officer Riley's desk. I assume you can find the way?"
"Yes, ma'am, thank you," Joe replied.
The sergeant smiled distractedly before the phone on her desk rang shrilly, demanding attention. She snatched it up and began typing something into the computer with the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder. The siblings backed away quietly before Joe and Frank took the lead in navigating the always bustling police station.
Beth walked silently behind them, face tense but blank. She kept her head down and walked with a clipped stride, remaining within reaching distance of her brothers. Every five steps, she'd look over her shoulder, scan the room then resume her former gait.
"You okay?" Joe asked as they rounded a corner of cubicles. Frank walked ahead with an air of not paying the least attention to his brother and sister, presumably so Beth wouldn't think he was prying, but Joe distinctly saw Frank's dark head cock in their direction at the question.
"Fine," she replied briefly, glancing at the uniformed officers with an uncomfortable look on her face. "I just want to see Dad," she added after a moment.
Joe squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and chose to hold off any questions until later. Whatever it was that had Beth spooked could be deciphered once they were outside of the precinct.
Frank, after mentally cataloging some topics to discuss with his father later, turned another corner and stopped in front of a slightly larger cubicle that was near the back of the main room. He poked his head in the doorway and smiled at the officer behind the desk. "The cavalry is here, Con," he greeted the tall, athletic man.
"Glad it is, your dad was getting concerned." Con Riley stood up and extended his hand.
Frank and Joe both shook it. Beth hesitated a moment before pulling one hand from her pocket and giving Riley's hand a firm but quick grasp. "Officer Riley, it's good to see you again," she addressed him meekly.
Con shot the boys a look. "Well at least your parents taught one of you to talk to a police officer with respect," he teased, green eyes twinkling.
Beth blushed but said nothing.
Beth without a witty comeback? What is the world coming to? Joe thought, staring at his sister in disbelief.
Frank didn't seem to notice. "Can you take us to see Dad, Con? He said it was important."
"Sure. He's in interrogation. This way," Con led the three teenagers to a set of doors along a long hallway. There was a police officer standing in front of the door on the right. Con however ignored that door, and opened the door on the left, ushering them in.
The room inside was dark. A bank of computers and monitors lined one wall, a few plainclothes officers manning them. On the adjacent wall was a huge one-way window that looked into an interrogation room. Beth glanced inside and noted it was empty. In the corner opposite the window, two men were conversing in low tones, one with his back to the door while the other faced it. The former wore slacks, sneakers and a polo shirt, the latter a police uniform.
Con stepped forward and said something to the man in street clothes. He turned to reveal himself as Fenton Hardy, looking agitated and tired. He smiled wearily at his children. "I'm glad you're here."
"Dad, what is this about? The boys wouldn't tell me anything." Beth punctuated her statement with a glare thrown in her brothers' direction. Said 'boys' grimaced at the look. After all, no one in their right mind ever wanted Beth Hardy irritated with them.
Fenton glanced at the officer he'd been talking with, who Beth suddenly recognized as Ezra Collig. She ignored the surge of embarrassment she felt over being so forthright in front of the Chief of Police – not exactly the right foot to get off on.
Fenton walked over and put his hands on Beth's small shoulders. "Sweetheart, we need you to do something for us," he began hesitantly.
"You found him, didn't you?" Beth interrupted, though her voice was lower than before.
Her father nodded gravely. "We think so. We need you to make a positive ID, however. Can you do that?"
Beth thought for a moment of seeing Tim Taylor again after all this time, the man who time and again had assaulted and beaten her, and felt ill. Nonetheless, she swallowed back any tears and clamped down on the queasy feeling swelling in her stomach. She couldn't be a weak damsel in distress at a time like this. It would be a simple enough assignment and she could handle it. She could always handle it.
"Yes, Dad," she answered, making her voice as clear and firm as possible.
Fenton smiled and ruffled her brown hair. "That's my girl," he murmured warmly. Turning back to the chief, he nodded his consent.
Chief Collig made a gesture of acknowledgment and told Con to relay the message that they could bring the prisoner down to interrogation. Officer Riley left on his errand with a clipped nod.
"You gonna be okay, Beth?" Joe asked her quietly when their father moved off to speak to one of the officers managing a computer.
"I'll be fine. Don't sweat it," she replied in a muted tone, putting her clenched hands back in her pockets.
"It's not me that might be sweating," Joe retorted with his usual finesse.
Beth flinched. "I can do this, Joe," she gritted out through clenched teeth.
"I didn't say you can't. Just… remember that you're not alone, okay? Frank and I and Dad, we're here to help you if you need us. Just keep it in mind, all right, Tough Girl?" Joe gently pulled one of her hands out of her pocket and gave it a squeeze.
Beth looked up from under her bangs at him and sighed. This guy could read a politician like a book, she thought, half fondly and half in exasperation. "I'm okay," she said quietly after a moment's hesitation.
Joe pursed his lips skeptically.
"Really," she added. "I've faced scarier. And I have to do this. I have to face him. This is one monster under the bed that I have to scare away myself." She gave him a rueful smile.
"I know, Kiddo. Just keep in mind you have back up, okay?" Joe smiled encouragingly and she returned it, though more slowly.
"Yeah, I know Joe… I know," Beth answered.
At that moment, Con came back into the darkened room, closing the door behind him. He nodded at the Chief's look. "They're bringing him in now," he said.
Frank came to stand on Beth's other side, gripping her shoulder. She looked up at both her brothers and took a deep breath before turning to the one-way mirror.
Two officers, one of whom she recognized as the man who'd been standing in the hallway, came into the interrogation room, holding a handcuffed man between them. They helped the man sit down at the table, linking his handcuffs to the steel ring mounted on top. The officers then left the prisoner alone.
At first he stared sullenly at the table, head bent so you could only see his dark hair. After a long moment, his shoulders rose and fell with an inaudible sigh and he looked up, staring right at the one-way mirror with a vicious scowl.
Both Frank and Joe took the opportunity to memorize the man's features. He was perhaps in his late thirties, or early forties, but the hard lines drawn into his face made him appear much older. His eyes were coal black and narrowed, burning with a constant fiery anger. His mouth seemed to be set into a permanent, thin, hard line of a scowl. A small, half-inch scar decorated his chin on the left side.
Beth didn't need to study the man's face for longer than a second. One look and she knew who he was. Suddenly her knees felt like jelly, her stomach roiled rebelliously, and her eyes smarted. Disjointed memories flashed through her head – images of slaps, punches, kicks, burns, cuts and bruises. Every injury that had ever been inflicted on her by this man's hands flooded her mind and threatened to weigh her down.
She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath and looked away from the window. "It's him. That's Timothy Taylor," she said simply. God even saying his name makes me want to puke!
Chief Collig nodded, "I'll let the FBI agents working the case know. They're in the conference room with someone from the DA at the moment. They'll be glad to know that we have our suspect in custody." He nodded at Con and the two left the room, with the younger promising to return shortly with some paperwork for the Hardys to fill out.
Beth, after managing to get her emotions under control, looked back into the interrogation room. Tim was staring at the table now, ignoring the mirror stoically, although he kept shifting in the metal chair as though he knew people were watching him. Most likely he did.
Beth stepped away from her brothers' protective grasps and walked up to the mirror, placing her palm against the cool glass. Her face was hard and cold, impossible to read except for her eyes. They shone with unshed tears. Questions kept running through her mind on a continuous loop. Why? What did I ever do to you? What could you have possibly gained from this?
"Are you all right?" Frank asked quietly.
She waited a heartbeat before answering. "I don't know... I really don't."